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On a Shabbat afternoon, our family (Kylie, as well) went on a bike outing to an area near the 9/11 Monument, outside Jerusalem. There are great bike paths and a hiking area. ELA had her bike, BEN his mountain bike and GEFEN had her bike with a basket in front, containing DADDY’s IPhone. BEN decided to go far in front and GEFEN and ELA stayed a few lengths in front of us (RUTH & I). Suddenly, we heard ELA screaming that GEFEN had crashed down in the ravine! RUTH and I ran along with Kylie to see what happened: GEFEN lying on the ground, crying in the ravine. We hurriedly helped her up and comforted her. She had some minor scratches but, thankfully, nothing serious. We then looked in her basket and found that my IPhone was missing. We searched around the area and couldn’t find the phone! We finally left for home without the phone. Upon arrival home, RUTH did a search through the “Find Your Phone” app and located my phone on a satellite map in the ravine (wadi) near where the accident had occurred. However, the dilemma was that the map showed the proximity where the phone was, not the exact location! However, RUTH noticed she could activate a buzzing sound on the phone even though the phone is on mute! BEN and I hopped back into the car and returned to the scene of the “bike crash” and called RUTH to activate the beeping sound. We then heard the sound and located the phone under some tree branches. BEN and I celebrated with sighs of relief and returned with the phone. GEFEN was happy and everyone is proud of themselves! [Written by Daddy Mike & edited by Papa.]

3/9/14 – Could not sleep so well today [Daddy, Mike]. Got up at 5 am and at 6 am decided to make the kids lunch. As I was cutting the roll, I heard ELA yell out from her bed, “Daddy, please make me peanut butter!” and then repeated it again, “Peanut butter!” I yelled back and confirmed. Five minutes later I went into her room and she was sound asleep. I thought she was dreaming, but she said she just went back to sleep very quickly! [Submitted by Daddy Michael. Edited by Papa Norb.]

Over a foot and a half of snow fell in Mevaseret Zion triggering electrical outages, road closings and trees breaking!

From Thursday night, Dec. 19 to Friday night, Dec. 20 – we had no electricity and then on Sat. night the electrical post in front of our house caught fire resulting in no electricity for all of Rechov Kramim (our road) for nearly 24 hours!

Some highlights:

1. Taking in Orthodox family of 7 for 5 hours while their car was stuck on the only road leading to Jerusalem. Kids fighting. Yehuda, the Dad, (driving with kids to see the historic snowfall and getting stuck in a snowbank) and wife, Mazal, using Ruth’s Kohl’s jacket to keep warm! Yehuda wore my socks and his wife slept in Ben’s bed for a long nap after being up all night.

2. Ben and Daddy rescue a man whose car was stuck in front of the house. Ben and Daddy shovel his car out of the mess.

3. Daddy calls Yoram Shimon, the Mayor of Mevaseret Zion, to expedite repairing the electrical outage!

4. Famous Eglash talent show in evening with no electricity: Ben plays guitar, Gefen is the MC and Ela performs her great dance routine.

5. Shabbat dinner in candlelight and then an hour later electricity comes on and we all applaud!

6. Eating noodles in candlelight.

7. Kids fighting.

8. Kylie [family dog] enjoying the snow.

9. Catelina [Kylie’s cat pal] taking refuge in the house.

10. Washing machine kept on going off as electricity continued on and off.

11. Wearing “ziplok” bags over shoes for protection from snow!

“Tooth Fairy” Revealed – for many years when an EGLASH child lost his tooth, the next morning anywhere between 10-20 shekels could be found underneath the pillow. This all changed when ELA “revealed” the “Tooth Fairy!” For over a year previous to this incident, GEFEN would ask and question Daddy on who was really the tooth fairy. She would say it was Daddy, but Daddy would always deny it. This changed when ELA woke up at 6:30 am the morning after her main front tooth fell out.The night before she placed the tooth in a plastic bag and put it under her pillow. When she woke up , she yelled that her tooth was still there! Daddy rushed into the room and told ELA to look again as the tooth fairy secretly put a 20 shekel note under the pillow and took the tooth. Daddy told ELA to look again and ELA discovered the 20 shekels! But she looked at Daddy and said, “ You did it, you’re the tooth fairy!” She demanded that Daddy empty his pockets… and sure enough, the tooth fell out and Daddy was revealed as the tooth fairy!

“HOLIDAY IN THE SUN, Pesach 2013 in Taba”… Some Highlights:
BEN – snorkeling along the Coral Reef and seeing exotic fish; not playing “Mind Craft”; giving dollar tips to hotel staff & not allowed to play the “Game of Life” as he was punished for running away!

ELA – snorkeling in the pool as well as 30 seconds in the sea, losing the “Game of Life” [Granma Judy had bought it this past winter for the kids]!

GEFEN – skipping in line at the omelet station, winning the “Game of Life”, getting free drinks at the pool, & being in a bad mood at the Karaoke Bar until the Russians started singing. ELA said they all sang like “Kermit the Frog!”

MIKE forgot the suitcase at passport control, played golf for four hours and had two pars!

RUTH – brought home room cards from the hotel & hit her head on the wall fire extinguisher!

“All in all a great trip!”

Kylie – Uncle Simon and Aunt Mimi and not remembering

GEFEN – On a beautiful Saturday morning we all left our house and went on a picnic to Nataf, a beautiful area near Male Hacahmisha. We went with a few other families. On arrival we got a picnic table and staked out our area. Gefen asked if she could get something from the car and Daddy gave her the keys. A few minutes later she came back and said the keys are in the back seat and the car is locked. We proceeded to attempt to unlock the car and Daddy called the towing service to see if they could send someone out to unlock the car. Since Daddy’s insurance coverage didn’t cover this problem and it was too costly, Mummy and Nir (father of Ela’s friend, Mayan) went back to the house to see if Shoshi (upstairs neighbor) was home with the family key or to try to break into the house to get the extra car key. Well, they arrived at our house and proceded to the back and to try and find a way in. Nir said he’d check to see if the front door was unlocked. Sure enough, it was “unlocked”! Yes, Daddy forgot to lock the door when we left the house! So this was an ironic situation where Gefen locked the keys in the car and Daddy forgot to lock the front door!

ELA – is doing great and really progressing with her reading skills in English and Hebrew. She is reading various books just for fun! She continues to love dancing and singing and recently dressed up as Queen of Sheba for Purim. She loves the game, “Life” which Granma Judy bought for the kids.

KYLIE – (Family dog) is now an official Eglash after being with us for over 2 months! Kids love her and she is very adorable! However, she’s still small and not 100 percent potty trained!

BEN – We had a bit of a scare with Ben this week when Daddy took him to the emergency room after Mummy was told by our family doctor that he could be having an appendicitis attack! After 5 hours in the emergency room and an ultra sound at Hadassah they ruled out appendicitis. However, the medical staff decided to monitor him overnite. Daddy slept with Ben overnight in the Emergency room! Ben was great and did not cry when they took his blood sample. Not long after leaving the Emergency room Ben was preparing for Purim. He bought a Morphite suit in Milwaukee and it was a fabulous hit, so unique, to say the least! He enjoyed wearing it while shopping, etc. and getting great feedback and so much attention (lots of “double-takes”). Ben is also obsessed with Mindcraft!

[Original stories by Daddy Mike, edited & slightly “enhanced” by Papa Norb.]

BEN’S MOST FAVORITE, EXCITING EVENT: Papa took Ben to Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park & purchased an all-day pass, including bike rental, helmet & body protectors! Ben rode 3 different times in one day, equivalent to 3-1/2 hours! Papa had to be with him each time, as a minor’s guardian [Papa read the newspaper & several chapters of a mystery between snapping pics & videos when he could track the speeding Ben!] Ben enjoyed many restaurant & homecooked meals compliments of Granma and Papa, including favorites Culvers’, Hibachi Grill (where he only ate fried rice and eggrolls) and Granma’s hotdogs. Another of Ben’s highlights was visiting [with Granparents & Auntie Laura & cousin, Eden] the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry & touring on the captured WWII Nazi submarine. Ben also spent a lot of time with his best American friend, Ryan Haines where they went ice skating, bowling, had a sleep-over and went sledding at Kletsch Park in 15 degree weather, along with 3-1/2 year old cousin Eden who had a blast! We [Dad & Ben with Granparents] also had two wonderful Shabbat dinners with Ben leading the Kiddush very loudly & beautifully. Ben willingly accompanied Papa to a few minyonim at Temple & participated in the Alenu! The final lunch was at the Cork ‘n Cleaver where we had a sampler plate of very salty onion rings, mushrooms and washed down with Mountain Dew. Ben loved it.. being spoiled by his loving Granparents! He said one of his favorite moments at Granma’s was having ice cream every night & bagels & hot chocolate prepared by Granma every morning. Further funtimes included a surprisingly beautiful & interesting visit to the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Museum , willingly pitching in with Dad & snow shoveling Papa’s driveway, playing Mind Craft and buying a blue MGP Pro Scooter. The metal scooter was disassembled & packed into a suitcase for the long trip home. A TSA agent at Mitchell Field Airport inspected the suitcase and said parts of the scooter could be used as a weapon, but still let it through… fortunately! Dad says Ben has been a great travel companion who sleeps regularly and loves to watch the movies on the long flights. [Granma & Papa thoroughly enjoyed having Ben for the exciting, busy & wonderful 10 days!]

Daddy Mike says to Ben’s Granparents: “Thanks for a great time!”