Three wonderful unplugged days

Rosh Hashana 5772 (the Jewish New Year) was a real gift. Three days of family time, heart felt prayers, good food, and space from the outside world was wonderful. The kids really pitched in. dd1 took on sweeping the floor, dd2 clearing the table and dd3 setting the table. Over three days they had plenty of chances to help and they all really rose to the occasion.

We also had a lot of fun being together. Whether we were praying, reading, or playing just being in the same space with no outside pressure was a pleasure. We played a lot of Mancala, which is a logic board/strategy game. It is nice to see how may kids minds work and their personality through play. It is also nice to know that I can't count on winning any more, even if I am trying my hardest. My six year old doesn't even count spaces anymore when she plays and rarely misses a good move. All of my girls are strong players which makes it fun for me to play with them.

It is hard to get back into day to day life. Packing lunches, getting uniforms in order and backpacks ready is hard after three spiritually and emotionally fulfilling days. Going straight from one to the next is a bit of a shock to the system.

As I put away the leftovers I am also making lunches. Laundry from the last three days has to be washed and prioritized with what we need for tomorrow. Which comes first, chocolate covered little boy's white dress shirts that we don't want stains setting on or tights for the girls to wear tomorrow?

Tights, and the week to come, obviously come first, but once they are hung up, the white shirts will go in and we will work on incorporating the last several days of serenity and love into the rest of our week and year to come.