1. Trip to Israel, Dec-Jan 2012-2013: Second week in Tel-Aviv: Saturday

2. On Saturday morning Ilan and family went to see friends, using a car they borrowed from another friend. I took Alma out in the pram for some shopping nearby, and graffiti hunting.

3. Two streets from my parents there is a new monstrous building, where I found out what the Rover from “The Prisoner” series is doing these days...

4. Left: I looked at some artworks that created headlines recently, as the artist included Gmara pages in the painting (they are considered holy writings). Right: you can have a better look here why this building is a monster in a landscape of 4 storey Bauhaus buildings.

5. Right: more children’s poetry on a bus stop

6. At home the girls spent a lot of time building and playing with blocks. Hahgoot built a water slides amusement park, while Alma did some “cooking” and put “dolls” to sleep.

7. It was parallel play, but that is good sometimes too. We all need a break from social life once in a while to do our own thing... Especially in the crowded household we had recently.

8. Our plan was to drive an hour to my parents’ field in the South and have a quick look (it was all muddy due to the recent heavy rains) before driving another hour to my aunt’s home in Omer for a family gathering. But when we got to the car my dad insisted at the last moment on attaching extra seatbelts for Hahgoot so she can ride in the back and wasted an hour on futile attempts to do so. So we gave up on the trip to the field and went straight to Omer. My dad gave the girls a tour of the uncle’s garden instead.

9. It’s a gorgeous garden, with cactus plants, fruit trees and beautiful roses. The girls were impressed. Then we met up with Ilan and family (who arrived a short time before us) and my cousins from my mum’s side. From left: Shy, Yair (my cousin), son Or and daughter Ella (and Revi in the background)

10. My aunt has been recovering from a horrific car accident she had just a few months earlier, so she was using aids to walk. She still managed to make the cake herself – a great recipe of my grandmother’s, who was greatly missed at the jolly family gathering. She would have enjoyed watching her great-grandchildren interact!

11. Amitai wasn’t keen to share his new game with his cousins, but was happy to share Alma’s new puzzle... Marta positioned herself in a strategic corner, so she got to interact with all the kids. What broke the ice between the cousins were the paper planes Eyal (my cousin’s Einat’s fiancé) folded.

12. Einat and fiancé Eyal, who got married exactly a month after we left, so we missed their marry Purim style wedding, next to Moshe, my uncle.

13. The paper planes were a big hit and got all the kids involved

14. Alma tried to interact with Ella: When she saw Ella had a little chair, she went by herself, opened the light and fetched a chair to place beside her. One confident little chic! She felt very much at home and roamed far from me all the party.

15. Ilan and family left earlier than us, in an attempt to keep up with Amitai’s schedule, so we assumed he’ll be fast asleep by the time we get back as we returned quite late. It turned out they decided to return the borrowed car on the way back and their trip was longer than anticipated. So when we walked in they were in the middle of night time chaos. Hahgoot didn’t take the transition and unexpected plan change well and had a meltdown. I had to deal with it in my parents’ bedroom while the other kids were settled to sleep. They look so peaceful when they are asleep... Pity it is past midnight when I get a moment for myself... I didn’t get to sort one email in my account all the trip - only had time to answer urgent emails and download photos for backup.