Down By the Bay [for 1001 days]: Time is flying! Time to catch up!

Sunday Funday with ice skating and a special park in Sandestin

Wow, it's been so long since my last post! I'll give a little run-down of what's been happening, then post a whole bunch of photos! The next week will be exciting, so gotta catch up now! The Dodas (aunts) are visiting, the new rabbi's family is moving here, and (drumroll please!) we hope to be moving into our house very very soon! FINALLY!!!

I have a bunch of fun winter break pics so I'll post those in an additional catching up post.
Where did I leave off?

Not long after Thanksgiving, we had Chanukah and then 16 days of school vacation for the kids (not that anyone was counting!) The weather got cooler for a while, then warmer, then cooler. Basically we are loving our first Florida winter! So we ended up even being able to go swimming in the heated pool in our townhouse neighborhood over winter break! Photos of other fun winter break stuff are below.

One of the main things that filled my time was starting a Sunday School with my new friend Batya for the approximately 17 Jewish kids over age 3 in the community here. Batya and I became a great team and worked SO hard to set up four or five classes so far. It's been going really well and it's hard work but we feel that it's so important, and the community is so grateful. We've also had a weekly Torah class for women at her house every week, and planned a big community Chanukah party! That means that every week, we've needed to meet a couple times during the day or after the kids go to bed to plan things. It's been really fun but also keeping me busy. I always like being busy anyway, though, to a certain extent! If I'm not busy I look for something to do, almost subconsciously. (That is, after a little couch-warming and snacking is done. :) )

Everyday life has been going very similarly to before. The girls go to school around 7, start at 7:30. School ends at 2:15, they get home by 2:45 or sooner. We take a little time to hang out and snack, and then a really nice girl from the community comes 3-4 times a week to babysit 2 out of 3 kids for an hour to two hours while I teach Hebrew, Torah, etc to the girls, taking turns. Robert also does certain lessons with them each week. Then, because David wakes us up before 6, the kids get ready to be lights out by 7pm. Every week we do some fun things, like Robert taking the kids to the arcade on Half Price Tuesdays, and going to that awesome park which I showed photos of in the last blog post. Shabbat has been very quiet because we haven't had the energy or space to have guests. Robert takes different kids to shul at different times, and I take them out to play at friends or have some quiet time with them at home. I've been cooking nice food, ever creative vegan chef that I am, and I'm counting down the weeks and now just days until we move into our house nearby.

Robert went back to work December 10, but then had two weeks off for the holidays!! His office simply made it clear that their work and presence was not essential. So it was great to have him around more then. Now he's well into his regular routine, has run a few local races, and taken a couple short work trips. Thank G-d his schedule is pretty good and he continues to be super involved with the kids whenever possible.

The other new thing that I'm LOVIN' is going to the gym!!! Wish me success as I get stronger and stay injury-free! I am enjoying about 4 group workout classes a week and doing some extra weights, core work, and sometimes extra cardio. Zumbo and Zumba Toning, Tabata, and Strength Training is what I do. After one attempt at step areobics, I'm done! Way too dizzying and too much up and down while spinning. David goes with me and has adjusted quite well to spending some time in the babysitting room. I miss him whenever we're apart but it's time to get some more regular, more intense exercise. We also like going to Toddler Time at the trampoline place and Story Time at the library.

Once a week I'm going to Nesya's kindergarten class and doing a special reading program with her and about 4 other kids. They like getting the small group attention, the read-aloud, and the computer quizzes they take on the stories. David manages pretty well in the school's media center with the legos and white boards, or trying to use the computer, like the bigger kids.

It's going to be a fun and exciting time ahead, as we wait for "THE SEASON" to start- i.e. the in-pouring of tourists from March to September. Will YOU be one of them? Please visit!!

Enjoy the pics, and please keep in touch! We're looking forward to welcoming more guests in the months ahead too!!! Tell us when you're coming :) :)

David was dressed up as Matisyahu, leader of the Maccabees from the Chanukah story!

Rabbi Tennenboim got way up there and lit the menorah. Later he dropped hundreds
of chocolate gelt coins! And at the end the kids got to go up on that thing for fun :)