Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, we are all very relieved that things have quietened down over in Israel. It was very surreal to be observing it all from afar. We are aware that the ceasefire is a controversial choice, but at this point we are just pleased that our friends and family, especially those in the south, can have some well-earned respite.

Meanwhile things here have been plodding on quietly. This Thursday was Thanksgiving, and luckily Tzofia had learned all about it and was able to fill us in on all the salient points. She explained about the Pilgrims arriving on the Mayflower from England and how the "Nadive Americans" helped them. (When she learns new words here - like "native" - she learns them with an American accent and we all find it rather amusing. Though when she sang adon olam today with an American accent, we found it less amusing.)

We didn't go in for the whole turkey thing (sorry, Americans), but we did get up bright and early on Thursday morning and headed to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan. The kids didn't know what to expect, having only ever experienced the Ra'anana Purim and Yom Ha'atzmaut parades. I think they were half expecting to hear an announcer introducing "rrrrrosh ha'ir, Nahuuuuuuum Chofriiiiiiiii" over the loudspeaker. They certainly weren't prepared for the humungous balloons and the real-life celebrities (not that I'm saying that Nahuuuuuuum Chofriiiii isn't a celebrity....). It was quite an experience and it wasn't freezing cold so we had a good time and proudly added it to our list of quintessentially American things to do.

We then wandered around Manhattan and popped into the enormous Toysrus store in Times Square. We didn't buy anything (aren't we clever?) but the kids got to meet a Lego hulk, so it certainly wasn't a wasted trip:

Yesterday was Black Friday, which is a huge day for sales across America. We were warned by friends here that we should avoid all malls and highways because people go slightly bonkers on Black Friday. Given how much I hate shopping at the best of times, they didn't have to tell me twice and we happily barricaded ourselves in our house all day. I did pop out to the supermarket for a few essentials (no need for highways, thankfully) and was pleased to find it deserted. You see, the locals had bought out the entire shop for Thanksgiving and weren't planning on cooking again for another year, so it was nice and empty (apart from all the Jews of course, who had to cook for Shabbat. I felt bad for them - it was like a self-imposed 2-day yomtov. Poor things....)

Tomorrow we are making a birthday party for Maya. The most exciting part of it is that we are going to Costco tomorrow morning to buy a birthday cake!!! (I have never bought a birthday cake before - I always make it myself and decorate it with sweets in a pathetically amateur fashion - certainly not the kind that people like to brag about on Facebook.) I was told by various American friends that not only are all Costco cakes kosher but they taste really good too. So, as part of our American adventure I agreed to forego the honour of lovingly baking and decorating the cake myself and go the Costco route. I will have to find another way to demonstrate my motherly devotion. Perhaps I will knit her a scarf...

That's all there is to report from here, other than to say that it is now ridiculously cold here, and people are still telling us to wait until the real winter starts. I have a feeling I'll be ordering all our food from Amazon between December and February and homeschooling the children. Well, maybe not.