"Mikooool Halyeloooot"

Well Pesach is just around the corner although it feels like it's been Pesach for about 3 weeks now.

Here in Israel there is an interesting custom which I am working on amending for next year. The custom is - let's close the gans a week and a half before Pesach. Now I know that those 12 year olds who charge 250 NIS for a "kaytana (mini-camp)" for 3 - 5 year olds in their backyards truly enjoy this time of year. But I don't. Not that I don't love driving around in our rental car with Tani to do all of my various errands while hearing him sing over, and over, and over - "Mikoool haleylooot" or "Dy dy yaynu, dy dy yaynu, dy dy yaynu....." - yes, he refuses to sing the rest of the songs, even though he knows them quite well.

Anyway, it's been quite busy. As many of you know, this is the first time that Elie and I are actually making Pesach. Our first 2 Pesachs married we were in Israel and and the last 2 we were in Baltimore. On the one hand, it has been kind of nice being able to start amassing our Pesach pots and pans that we will use, G-d willing, for many years to come. However, in case you didn't know, Pesach is freakin expensive! Geez! It kind of makes me wish we lived during the time of cavemen and we could just find a new cave for Pesach, build our fire, break off new twigs to use as cutlery and be done with it.

And to make things even more difficult, we are currently living in the land flowing with kitniyot and kitniyot. Seriously. Everything that one could possibly want to eat on Pesach that may taste remotely normal is "L'ochlei kitnityot bilvad". Kinda makes me wish the Kleins were sefardi.....if only.
It's a very different experience shopping here for Pesach food. One would think that it would be easier seeing as this is indeed the land of Jewish people where one can say "Chag Sameach" to the cashier. However, one would be wrong. The Pesach stuff didn't really come out until last week. For all of you in the US who are like my mom, shopping for Pesach started about a month ago. If you went looking for Pesach products in Israel a month ago, you would be laughed at, literally. So all of the preparation, cleaning, buying, etc. basically happens within the span of one week. Oh right, and that's the week that you have your 2 year old home with you, all day. Enough said.

However, I do believe that we are doing a pretty good job preparing. The kitchen is almost completely done and most of the shopping has been done as well. Tani and I are actually having a very nice time together, although I am beyond exhausted, and it's definitely been nice having that rental car.

Most importantly, Tani is able to recite the Ma Nishtana in its entirety and loves singing his Pesach songs so much that he actually wakes up at 3 a.m. to sing. That's right, from about 3 - 4 a.m. one night last week I woke up to hear "Avadim hayenu, hayenu" for about 20 minutes and then "Ma nishtana halayla hazeh mekoooool haleyloooot" for another 40. He's got a great little Israeli accent and we will definitely try to get him to sing on video for all to see.

If I don't get to update again before chag - have a Chag Kasher V'Sameach and may we all celebrate Pesach together in the coming years. Enjoy!