Yom Kippur came and went. I am happy to say that food was not paramount to my thinking during that long fast day, and I was able to find real meaning in prayer. I am happy to say I felt it.
Teamwork ensured the speedy construction of our sukkah, the little hut that will be our "home" for the coming week. It is the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or the Festival of Booths, and there is no shortage of excitement in our home nor in our town!! After days of shopping at the market set up in the town square, we hung the canvas walls, laid the bamboo roof, and made beautiful decorations to hang. We are commanded to "dwell" in the sukkah, and my children take this mitzvah quite seriously. After dinner each night, they move the table and chairs indoors, replacing them with mattresses, and 5 out of my 6 children sleep amidst the cool breezes and the distant howls of jackals. As for the grown-ups, well, we are sticking to our large, comfortable bed in our small, comfortable bedroom.
The kids have a grand total of two weeks vacation, during which we will go to the beach, to restaurants, and to various sites in our part of the country. Our town offers a concert on the lawn, and we will make it a point to attend. Every restaurant will offer a sukkah in which we will feast and relish our week-long holiday. Drinking, snacking, reading and playing games in our sukkah will be prime time activities, as will visiting with friends. Allowing my children to stay up way too late seems to be my latest parenting epic fail. It's not a problem for me though; soon enough we will be back to the restrictions of schedules. For now, I will sit back and enjoy the ride.
My children are looking forward to a Sukkot pizza party that I lovingly refer to as "pizza in the hut". I wish I could afford to order out each night under the guise of "themes" or "ethnic food nights", but I would most likely end up under heaps of sticky sushi rice, a feat I have accomplished before. For now I will be happy with dinner at a friend's house, where my primary contribution will be a bottle of wine.
The holiday spirit has engulfed our neighborhood. Songs float from one sukkah to another, like a Hebrew version of "Row, Row, Row your Boat". Although we are exposed to the elements, they are mercifully warm and breezy. Unlike our holidays in America where we often faced freezing temperatures or rain, here we recline in comfy armchairs and read books while sipping ice tea or, better yet, wine coolers.
It is 2:30 am and only 2 of my children have made it out to the sukkah to escape into dreamland. I am off to check on them now before going up to catch some shut-eye for myself. With all 6 of them home for another week, I will need all the strength I can muster.
Happy holiday!!
Teamwork ensured the speedy construction of our sukkah, the little hut that will be our "home" for the coming week. It is the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or the Festival of Booths, and there is no shortage of excitement in our home nor in our town!! After days of shopping at the market set up in the town square, we hung the canvas walls, laid the bamboo roof, and made beautiful decorations to hang. We are commanded to "dwell" in the sukkah, and my children take this mitzvah quite seriously. After dinner each night, they move the table and chairs indoors, replacing them with mattresses, and 5 out of my 6 children sleep amidst the cool breezes and the distant howls of jackals. As for the grown-ups, well, we are sticking to our large, comfortable bed in our small, comfortable bedroom.
The kids have a grand total of two weeks vacation, during which we will go to the beach, to restaurants, and to various sites in our part of the country. Our town offers a concert on the lawn, and we will make it a point to attend. Every restaurant will offer a sukkah in which we will feast and relish our week-long holiday. Drinking, snacking, reading and playing games in our sukkah will be prime time activities, as will visiting with friends. Allowing my children to stay up way too late seems to be my latest parenting epic fail. It's not a problem for me though; soon enough we will be back to the restrictions of schedules. For now, I will sit back and enjoy the ride.
My children are looking forward to a Sukkot pizza party that I lovingly refer to as "pizza in the hut". I wish I could afford to order out each night under the guise of "themes" or "ethnic food nights", but I would most likely end up under heaps of sticky sushi rice, a feat I have accomplished before. For now I will be happy with dinner at a friend's house, where my primary contribution will be a bottle of wine.
The holiday spirit has engulfed our neighborhood. Songs float from one sukkah to another, like a Hebrew version of "Row, Row, Row your Boat". Although we are exposed to the elements, they are mercifully warm and breezy. Unlike our holidays in America where we often faced freezing temperatures or rain, here we recline in comfy armchairs and read books while sipping ice tea or, better yet, wine coolers.
It is 2:30 am and only 2 of my children have made it out to the sukkah to escape into dreamland. I am off to check on them now before going up to catch some shut-eye for myself. With all 6 of them home for another week, I will need all the strength I can muster.
Happy holiday!!
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