To the Zoo we go . . .

First ride on the new Israel Rail.  It runs up and down Jaffa Street.  Pretty simple since there is only one line.  You just have to know which direction you are going and where to get off.

From the rail, we caught Bus #23.  Little less simple as there are many buses running all throughout Jerusalem and they don't publish maps.  Don't ask me why.  You have to look up where you are going and what bus gets there and then find that number on the bus stations when you are out walking.  We asked for a map when buying passes and were emphatically told - with hands waving in the air, "they do not exist!"  Of course not - why would someone want to know where they are going?!  Craziness.

The zoo was worth the effort though!  Tisch Family Zoological Gardens - also known as Jerusalem Biblical Zoo was beautiful and fun.  The zoo is supposed to contain only animals found in the bible.  It also is a rehab zoo for endangered/injured animals.

There is also a large ark there with a 15 minute movie that was in Hebrew.  We had a blast giving English interpretation to the film.  It may be the oddest thing we've ever seen.  It was animated Noah and his best friend - a snake.  They were flying in an ark held up by 2 propellers.  They went around the country collecting the animals and bringing them to the zoo.  The staff was also highly concerned that we 7 Americans would eat in the viewing room - against the rules.  They told us the rule clearly then kept peeking around the corner to double check we were behaving.  Quite comical to all of us.  By the end we wanted to start making pretend wrapper noises just so they would come running.

Check out the beautiful gan's in the background behind giraffes.  They have quite the view!

Nov 1

I woke up again to our neighbor friends shouting back and forth at each other across the apartment.  So here's the deal:

Both are elderly ladies originally from Syria.  Apparently they don't like each other.  Whether they are from rivaling ethnic groups in Syria or have just plain rubbed each other wrong over the years, I don't know, but they sure do go at it.

The woman that Ryan shared his struggles with lives directly below us.  She gets very aggravated when the 15 kids that live here get too rowdy in the courtyard.  She will come out and give us all an ear full when she is trying to nap and they are wanting to play.

Her story via a neighbor:  Her original family didn't want her/couldn't afford her, so at the age of 14, she was married off to a Jewish man of 70.  They moved to Israel where she has lived ever since.  She has long been widowed.  Looking at her, you can assume she is in pain with swollen legs and rotting teeth.  She manages to make her way to the Shuk a few times a week and has some family that checks in on her.  She also gives them a regular ear full or rats us out to them - loudly.

The sweet neighbor kids just dismiss her for the most part.  When it gets to be too much, an adult or older child will come out and attempt to defend the younger ones who are just interested in play.  They have tried over the years to assist her, work with her on play times, etc., but apparently she is very bitter and not easy to get along with.  I'm going to try to sneak a recording one day just for ya'll to hear!

Her door is at top right.  

The other woman is very warm to us and smiles.  She never yells at the kids.  We offer to take out their trash when our outdoor time coincides.  We tell the kids it is a good opportunity to love our neighbor - even if one of them is cursing us out in Arabic!  So there you go - a peek into life in Nov 1.

And by the way - the kids here are amazing.  We've started having kids up here, downstairs, everywhere.  They play together well and when we are all home, there is a fluid stream of kids running up and down the stairs, playing ball, sharing toys and learning about each other at both sets of homes.  Love that!!  That was a specific prayer of mine before coming - for my kids to make friends, so thank you God for that blessing.

And just a few silly picts to show we are alive and well.  Boys love their hats Grandma : )  Emma has another few days with us before she heads back to the states.  What will we do without our sweet Emma?!

Scott's been studying out near Galilee.  We are excited for him to come home tomorrow.  Love to all from Jerusalem.

Gone Israeli

Kind of different.  Kind of fun.  Still had to fold and put away - always the worst part no matter what continent you are on.

Dead Sea

We've just returned from our first little get away.  Wow - we way over did it!  Tried packing as much in as Scott does on his trips - lesson learned.  Next trip we wont bite off quite so much.

I picked up a rental car on Friday before Shabbat, when everything shuts down.  Scott returned home from a day trip later and brought 2 friends home from school to share our Friday night Shabbat dinner with us.  Our very own Ben Blevins and new friend Josh, Youth Pastor from CO.  Apparently food isn't so good at JUC so they were happy for a "home" cooked meal.  Fun to laugh with friends!

Next am we got up early and headed out of Jerusalem, driving east towards the Dead Sea.  It is amazing how the geography changes so rapidly here.  You leave lush, green Jerusalem and enter the desert within minutes.  Then in no time you are looking at a huge blue, beautiful-looking body of water with Jordan dimly outlined along the horizon.

Our first stop was Masada.  Huge historical landmark.  Built be Herod around 37 BCE, it is a fortress on top of a mountain.  It included palaces, storerooms, cisterns and pools.  Pools to swim in, in the middle of the desert, on top of a mountain - think on that for a minute.  Then of course, it was a Jewish stronghold against Roman forces in 74 CE when Jewish families took their own lives instead of surrendering to the approaching Roman army.  So much history for a mountain in the middle of the desert.

Next stop a national park called En Gedi.  The kids knew they had some work to do before getting to the reward.  Hot again and hiking up steps cut out of rock, we ascended upwards.  When the kids came around a corner and first spotted a small pool of water they were estatic and ready to jump in.  But Scott pushed them onward, saying "There's something even better."  We came across a second and third pool of water - each time wanting to stop and swim, but Scott continued.  Finally, we came to our destination.  An incredible waterfall and a huge swimming hole!  The kids learned about perseverance that day.  Also about trusting their earthly father  - that the path may look tough and they might want to quit or settle early, but that's he has been where they are going, knows things they don't and wants the best for them!  Good lesson about God's hopes for us too.

So we dove into the freezing water!  Anyone that  has been on a Study Tour will recall how shockingly wonderful the cold water feels in the middle of an apparent desert.  The kids played and laughed and forgot all about the heat and hike.

Would you believe we went to the Dead Sea next?!  Across from En Gedi we found a public beach and made our way down.  When you are at the Dead Sea, you are at the lowest elevation on earth, 200 feet below sea level.  The water is thick and oily feeling.

Three of the seven of us bailed within a few minutes  Poor Kylen's skin reacted violently.  He started screaming "stop it" and plucking at his clothes like something was biting him.  He rashed up everywhere.  Ethan hung in there longer before getting some water in the eye.  Emily lasted all of a minute.  If you have you have a cut, burn or rash anywhere, the salt begins to do its job and it BURNS!  So sweet baby girl ran off screaming too!  Laughing now : )


So Scott was all too happy to get out and wash off little ones while Emma, Ryan and I played and laughed awhile.  It was burning us too, but you decide to deal with it just to experience the sensation of not being able to swim and to float without any effort.

Finally, washed off and made our way to a young city of Arad.  Spent the night in a quasi-bed and breakfast, less the breakfast part.  Very simple home with leased out rooms.  Kids enjoyed it because it had an above-ground pool to splash around in.  They wanted to stay there the rest of the summer just for the pool I think.

Whew!  Good to be back "home" again.

Shlomo enjoys Royal Feast

Forgot to mention Father's Day!  Happy Daddy-day to all those great dad's out there.  Israel does not celebrate Father's Day, but that didn't keep kiddos from getting creative with Emma's help.

Scott was named Shlomo (Solomon) in his Hebrew class.  So in honor of the day, they made a King Shlomo hat - along with American style pancakes.  They tasted more like cornbread, but pour enough "pancake" syrup on them and it worked.  At least he had his regular cup of joe - not.  Sweet baby girl Emily wanted to make it and accidentally put grape koolaid mix in his mug in lieu of sugar.  "Thanks honey, this is great," says Scott, with a panicked "What the ____?" look at me.  I just giggled while making my own cup that morning.  Thank goodness Mother's Day has already passed ; )

The kids adore their daddy.  He is a wise, patient and loving father.  Thank you God for father's with hearts after you.

Normalcy?

We found a new, modern park nearby called Independence Park.  The great part about it is that it is made for kids, even adults of all ages.  Uniquely made pieces force you to look at it and figure out how to use it.  Reminds me of some of the challenges from the recent years of American Gladiator.

We laughed ourselves right off the discus.  It is a round disc, about 5ft. across.  It slants on an angle so that as you move, it moves.  Just when you think you've got it, it throws you off balance and you spin off or fall towards center.  It was heaven to hear kids genuinely laughing and just being themselves.

Later that day, Emily trotted off with a neighbor friend to library.  Mom Rachel called to let us know there was a play going on, so Kylen, Ethan and I went to join.  Of course it was all in Hebrew, but again, kids were laughing and getting it!  Small dance troupe danced in costumes and sung short stories.  It was so nice to just be a part of things.  I do feel that people are warming up to us.  Probably helps that we are warmed up and might not have so many edges on us as well.

We have also managed both the light rail and buses.  Ethan loves the buses because of how fast they drive.  You hardly are on before they zoom off.  No waiting for everyone to sit and get settled!  Funny looking back - when packing, I didn't want our clothes to emphasize that we were from US - wanted to go low key and not draw attention.  Ha!  It is so obvious we are not from around these parts!  We definitely get noticed, but it is curiosity which is exactly how we are in turn, looking at all of the people around us.

Even had ourselves a decent B-que.  Great day.  

Yad Vashem, Holocaust Memorial

Emma, Ryan and I visited the Holocaust Museum today, Yad Vashem, meaning a place and a name.  From Isaiah 1: “For so says the Lord to the eunuchs who will keep My Sabbaths and will choose what I desire and hold fast to My covenant, ‘I will give them in My house and in My walls a “Yad vaShem” (place and a name), better than sons and daughters; an everlasting name I will give him, which will not be discontinued.’”

Appropriate name for a memorial remembering those not offered the dignity of a funeral.

I've never been so moved by a space before.  Yes, it was filled with photos, video, artifacts, etc, but the architecture of the space made me feel as confined and trapped - just a small taste of how it may have felt in a ghetto or concentration camp.  The largest part of a museum is shaped in a steep triangle.  You zig-zag from side to side moving through the progression of anti-semetic thought, rise of Adolph Hitler, initial persecution of Jews, relocation to ghetto's, concentration camps, the war and then resettlement camps.  The walls were hard, cold, flat, grey, endless rock.

I started out reading and listening to everything.  About half way through I had that first sense of just wanting to flee.  I wanted to escape the pain, injustice, tragedy of it all and not think about it anymore.  But my sweet Ryan kept me there.  He was lost in it.  I had a sense not to rush him as he read, listened, watched it all.  So I tried to act like the grown-up he was being and forced myself to continue.  We made it through, holding hands and hugging most of the time.  Won't ever forget doing that with him.

We finished around 3:30 and went downstairs to a cafe for a late lunch.  We have not seen tomato soup anywhere here yet.  Would you believe they had it there for us?  That is Ryan's and my favorite comfort food.  God loves us in the sweetest little ways.

This is a sculpture of Janusz Korczak.  He was a children's author, pediatrician and eventual director of an orphanage in Warsaw.  He refused freedom and remained with his orphans when they were first sent to a ghetto, then a concentration camp.  He died along-side the children he cared for.

My favorite spot was the Hall of Names.  A circular dome filled with pictures of some of those who died, while a voice read out names of others.  You look up and get lost in a dizzying sea of people.  Directly below that is a dug-out hole with a reflective pool of water at bottom.  Then along side you, the walls are filled with volumes of books, listing names and what information they had on the people that died.  Overwhelming.

Summer Fun

So this is swimming in Nahal'ot.  (And yes, I'm spelling it differently than in the past.  Every map or street sign I've see spells it differently, so there.)  And yes, I'm also keeping a safe distance, filming from our floor, two levels up.

There are 14 little ones in our apartment complex that were all feeling the affects of warmer temps - they needed water play.   Our sweet neighbor Rachel and her crew rounded up buckets and bins and filled them up with water.  So on our Sabbath morning, all of the kids except for Moshe and Joel, (Orthodox) ran for swimsuits and water squirters.  They watched, maybe a bit sad that they couldn't play too, but I respected their family for having clear rules and for sticking to them - even when "everyone else is doing it".  Good conversation point for out crew later.  Doing what is right by, regardless of other pressures.

The kids were precious, each standing in his or her own bucket.  Ethan did not want to be sprayed, but little girl Margo, who reminds us of niece Riley, couldn't help teasing Ethan.  We say spraying, they say "spritzling".  Rachel kept telling Ethan, "If you don't want to be spritzled, just tell them not to spritizle you."  Ethan was a bit lost in translation, but ended up going with the flow and having fun.

Can I just say that Rachel - even pregnant and in the heat - seems to have endless energy.  I've never seen her seated.  She is always up and running, working tirelessly to take care of her family.  And I'm not just saying that cuz she might be reading this.  It's obvious her husband and kids adore her.  She is blessed - a Proverbs 31 kind of woman for sure.

"Merica" n Bomb Shelters

As I am putting Kylen down for a much needed nap, he is crying out, "Merica, merica."  I'm sure our neighbors are thinking he is crying out for home, America, as thats how Israeli's refer to the States.  But he's not.  He's missing his Captain America action figure.  I don't remember if it made it into the suitcases or not.  Praying we find it under a bed somewhere today.

Night before last, I was kind of crying out the same thing.  Something I ate sat wrong with me and I was sick.  Outside our windows that face into a street, neighbors were finishing up a block party of some sort and shifting cars around to be able to get out.  Horns and shouts of directions were already interrupting my sleep.  So I flop over to the other side of our room.  There we have windows facing the courtyard.  I think we have a neighbor that works late, because they don't turn off the porch sun (light) until around 4am.  We are going to have to find some dark material to hang up on that side of the room!

I was up sick until around 6 when I remembered we brought some Zofran for the kids - yes, I stole my kids Zofran.  Then Scott had the brilliant idea to send me up to the bomb shelter for some proper sleep.

The bomb shelter for this apartment, aka Emily's room, has a regular door and then a large metal one that keeps out most noise and all the light.  There is a good size window as well which we initially thought defeated the point of the door.  Then we saw from the outside one day, the large metal door that you can reach out, grab and swing close.  We chose not to knock the screen out and close the window, but instead hung a dark blanket over it.  I have never been so happy for a quiet, dark and cold bedroom.  Emily may just have two more roommates from now on.

So from Israel to Merica, make sure to enjoy your comforts of home today.

A Morning Stroll

The sun starts peeking out around 5:30am.  You start hearing sounds around the apartment at around 6. Somewhere an infant is crying for something.  I sigh with relief when I recognize it is not one of my own and drift back to sleep.  Scott rises about 6:30 to get ready for school, leaves by 7.  The streets and apartment are now buzzing with activity, but I still manage to snooze.  My sweet baby-boy monkeys arrive to bounce on my bed by 7:30, ready for breakfast - and the day begins.

After everyone is fed and settled with activities and while Emma is home getting ready for her day out, I run up to the Shuk for a few items.  Bread, vegetables and fruit are fresh, ripe and ready to eat when you purchase them and they don't hold up for more than a day or two, so you shop frequently.  I purchase some fresh pita bread and some version of Tide laundry detergent.  Kids want a home day so good time to catch up on laundry.  Grateful to have washer and dryer.  Most everyone hangs their laundry out to dry.  Don't know if that is to save electricity, if most don't have dryer or if they don't want to heat up their house.

Love wandering through the Shuk on my own.  It feels more like home now and its just fascinating to watch, smell and be in.  Vendors call out the price of their goods, every stahl smells so differently.  I even compare prices of grapes today.  Our favorite watermelon stand hasn't gotten his delivery today or something because he is just sitting there with nothing to sell.  I go to our favorite baker - 6sh for 6 pitas.  I pop into a little convenience store for my detergent and bag of milk.  Then feeling almost like I could be starring in a foreign film, I make my way over for a treat of iced coffee - much like a frap.  I get really bold and pick out some bourekas for the kids and I to try.  Little pastries with different savory fillings.  I sip on my drink and wander home, bags hanging from my arms.

I arrive back at home to find one of our neighbors having her apartment cleaned, water pouring down the steps as I walk up.  They wring out wet, dirty towels used in cleaning directly onto the floor outside their front door.  You can tell who has recently cleaned or mop by the trail of water coming from their apartment.  

Home again - my movie debut cut short - kids are ready again for attention again.  Picturesque neighborhood and perfect outing.

Circular one pizza flavored with green olives.  Circular one cheese - ricotta?  Third, mostly munched on one spinach with some sort of salty, light cheese.  Yummo to all 3 - not a place for paleo.

Scott's 41st B-day!

Happy Birthday to my sweet hubby!

We celebrated at an amazing Israeli restaurant - H'atsot, meaning midnight - many biblical references to midnight.  You order by meat dish, then you start feasting on all these delicious salads, served in tiny little bowls.  You eat family style.  Fries and pita bread included of course.  Ryan and Emma had steak while Scott and I enjoyed some grilled turkey.  Boys and Emily munched on Schnitzel - chicken nuggets.  Check out Scott's shirt - University of Texas in Hebrew!

 

Potato salad with green onion

Carrots with cilantro in vinegar like sauce - yum!

Salsa!

Cole slaw-ish

Beets and carrots

Pickled veggies

Grilled eggplant - another yummy

Lentils and some other sauces and pickles and olives

My day in Jerusalem-Ryan

Hello my friends and family-
My mom has suggested I tell y'all what my average day looks like. And if your kids are having trouble sleeping have them read this and they will be snoring in no time! Just kidding, actually my days are full over here.
     
I'll start my day off trying to sleep in, no such luck when you have Kylen as a little brother. But anyway, I usually have a quiet morning. Then at about 10:00 in the morning, I go downstairs to the courtyard and shoot hoops with my friend Mordeci, (but everyone calls him Morty) and we have lots of fun. Then sometimes, (more often than not) the elderly lady that lives in our apartment comes out and barks at us. She is old, and we aren't sure if she really knows where she is or why she is there. Everytime she yells at us we tell her we don't know hebrew, but she keeps yelling. I would very much appreciate it if y'all could pray for me about this, it would help.

Anyway, after we are done playing I go up and help get lunch ready. After lunch we usually do one of two different things. A. Have some more downtime because mom and emma went to the market and everyone's tired. OR B. We head into the old city! So basically we decide if kylen and ethan will go to bed on time or not. Which is a factor for mom and dad, mind you. So let's say we take option A about 3 in the afternoon there is a familiar rat-rat-rat on our door. And Ethan and Kylens um...excited friend enters. His name is Viggy and he is nuts. He is a great kid, and really funny but sometimes he goes crazy. He is also Mortys little brother. So at this point I would go ask Morty to go to the park and we would head out. On the way we would pick up our friend Luvuv. After a good afternoon of basketball and soccer we leave and come home around 6:30. I then eat dinner and shower then relax before crashing.

B. We head to one of my favorite places in the world.... The old city of Jerusalem. I cannot explain it and pictures cannot capture it. You will have to come and see for yourself. It is a place where as my dad puts it, "You could throw a stone ten feet and hit history in the face." And its true. Hundreds of people walk over stairs that Jesus probably walked on. Let's get this straight people, JESUS!
 
Anyway, after touring we come home to a early dinner, and early showers and bed. This is the day that God himself barely had time to teach Ethan and Kylen the words that they RARELY utter, "Mommy, I' tired."

And that's my day in Jerusalem- Ryan Heare

American Day, or Not

Well - turns out we are still naive Americans who believe the world should/does cater to us.  We woke up proclaiming "America Day".  A day where we would smother our kids in all things American to reassure, comfort and entertain in the manner they are accustomed to.  (Not saying that's a good thing necessarily, but felt they needed a little TLC.)

So McDonalds for lunch was pretty easy to figure out since we had spotted one in our City Center.  We thought swimming would be easy to pull off - not so.  There are a few public pools around, but most an hours walk.  Bus service is not operating today due to Shabbat.  It would also have cost about $100 for us all to get there and swim - a bit steep and a lot of work.

So we switched ideas and thought we would hit a movie.  Even more difficult.  Many "theaters" around, but most showing documentaries on Israel or local artistic productions.  There are a few cinemas that show "Hollywood" style movies.  The ones they are currently featuring included American Pie.  Enough said.  Definite no go.

So, we ended up feasting at McD's - $68 bucks later, we decided our feasts would have to be monthly and that little toy that comes with the Happy Meal had better be played with!  We did enjoy Royal's with cheese - to Scott's chagrin.  If we ever go back we won't go on a Sabbath so as to not distress sweet hubby.

Emma in pict with fam if you look closely.  

Check out Tiny Clips on www.inruins.org for clip of us eating and peeks of our meal.  Ended day at the park, skyping with family and a little chocolate ice cream to top off our sweet day.  

Israel Museum

In honor of our friend Linda's ordination and since the kids are still reeling that everything is so "different", we are claiming today as "America Day!"  We have promised the kids McDonald's for lunch - it will be a kosher version of course, so no Quarter Pounder with cheese.  We are also tracking down a swimming pool to go jump into and believe there is a public one in the German Colony.  

This comes after a small revolt yesterday led by the kids after going to yet another museum and attempting to eat more unrecognizable food.  We went to the Israel Museum.  You could spend a good week there truly.  Much to see, read and learn about including the Dead Sea Scrolls.  They have a kids wing also which included a play room that helped the kids get some energy out mid-day.  But then came lunch in their small cafe.  I ordered an alvocado sandwich - the most recognizable food on display.  It has a guacamole like spread for the dressing, then layers of goat cheese and I believe grilled sweet potato.  I enjoyed it but kids just looked at me like I was crazy.  In the end, they all shared a wheat roll, a bag of peanut-butter flavored cheetoe-like chips, and some cookies.  Oh well.

I was blown away at the Shrine of the Rock where they house the Dead Sea Scrolls.  These are scrolls with different books of scriptures that now make up part of the Old Testamant.  They were discovered in this century - written on parchment around the 1st century.  How amazing that God allowed us to find them and attempt to further preserve them for future generations.  

This map shows out section of Jerusalem.  The Old City is to your right about a mile and a half.  Nahloat is our neighborhood - top right on map.  Bezalel is the main street off of ours where it it is intersected by Shiloh.  Pronounced Sheet-loh.  We are in the tiny square little nich in very top right.  Sacher Park is a huge public park where people are continuously playing sports, exercising, enjoying the green grass and flowers.   The Israel Museum is at the southern end of park on western side where you see it reads Shrine of the Rock/Israel Museum.  We are in such an amazing part of the city.  The Shuk - shopping area, 5 minutes walk to the north.  Old City about 30 minute walk to the East.

Boys with our neighbor Viggy at another nearby park.  He loves us and runs up and knocks on the door all the time to play.  I've nicknamed him Tigger.  He never quits bouncing - all fun, all the time.

Our Highs

We sometimes play the High/Low game at dinner to discuss our day - what was the best part of the day/what was the worst?  We didn't make it to the lows, but here were the reported highs:

Ryan - Playing basketball in the courtyard with his dad and brothers.

Emily - Frozen yogurt with Emma.

Ethan - Playing at the park.

Kylen - Eating yogurt with sprinkles.

Emma - Exploring the Shuk and discovering a new park with the kids.

Scott - Having gelato with me on an afternoon date.

Cathi - Seeing Grannie, 96, discover Skype - she couldn't believe we were getting to see each other.

Scott starts school next Tuesday, 12th.  We are all falling into some comfortable family routines.  Good for us all.  Emma watched the kids today.  Scott and I headed out by ourselves for the day and explored.  Found the bus/rail central station to buy bus passes.  Also found a mall the kids with love - complete with a food court that includes a McD's.  We will be going back with the kids for sure!  Bought a fun long skirt and enjoyed some gelato while sitting on Jaffa street and looking for Israeli twins of friends back home.  So far we have found Esther George, Kelley Ritchie and Lynn Stafford!  Will try to snap picts if we are fast enough.

Tomorrow is Emma's day to go explore.  She's already located some art shops and galleries.  Kids are looking towards the weekend again.  Attempting to make Sabbath a really special day.  Going to see if there is a Reformed Synagogue to visit?

I started reading The Source, by James Michener.  I read it years ago before coming to Israel the first time, but only got about 2/3 through.  It completely changed my thinking about God and faith.  Check it out if you want a great read.  So fascinating to read it here.  It is resonating with me already on another level.  Understanding some of the nuances of relationship between Jew and Christian a little more clearly.  Tricky business.

Loving all the feedback.  Thanks everyone.

Everyday picts for family

Ky's new friend at apartment.  He says "hello" to us.  We say "Shalom" to him.

 Flowers from the Shuk for Emma, our yellow rose of Texas.

 Em bopping to her tunes.

 Mens group chatting it up on Sabbath - reminded me of you and your gang Jerry!


Flowers outside an office building.


And Ethan- reminding Scott of Heather and how she'd stop along the trail when she needed for some water and rest, then pop back up and keep going.  He just stops and sits down anywhere!

 

 Em snapping picts of Emma and I messing about.  We'll try to get some improved, focused shots : )

Enjoyed a quiet home day today.  Found another neighborhood park with playground equipment for little ones.  Ryan played another round of ball with some big kids in the neighborhood.  And Emma and Emily spent some time drawing together.  Scott worked on pre-school assignments, mapping mostly.  Nice to have a normal day.  Tomorrow we return to the Tower of David for an evening light show.