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Yay, the chag is over! Passover is OVER; it has now PASSed us by...
These last few days of Shabbos/Yom Tov were rather difficult. Firstly, it was a very short week, and one barely had time to finish up with the first days, when the last days were suddenly upon us.
I was supposed to be back to work for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. But on Thursday there was some "family drama" happening and I couldn't go to work. In relation to that, en route to deal with the family drama, we had a major tire blowout on our van, and hubby took it upon himself to change the tire.
Now maybe changing a tire isn't so bad, but hubby, who has a history of back trouble, and already had surgery some years ago, and has been doing ("pu, pu, pu") pretty wonderfully ever since, slipped a couple days earlier and slightly hurt his hip area. Add that macho change-a-tire mode, to hurt hip area, to standing all afternoon for the family drama, and we've got troubles...back troubles...troubles that are reminiscent of all those years ago when surgery was the only answer.
So, we have major pain happening, with lots of immobility, we have company Friday night, we have gross rainy weather for the next two days, we have three young children... What does that amount to? CABIN FEVER!
Last week for Yom Tov, it was different: my children had cousins to play with for one seder night and one lunch, family friends' kids to play with second seder night. This weekend, no kids, save each other. Yes, they read books, they played board games, they played card games, they played indoor hockey and soccer, they performed simple magic tricks. But what else did they do? They got on each other's nerves; answers weren't given -- they were SHOUTED! Tears flowed generously; "What can I do now?" was heard countless times. Incoming messages to the Complaint Department exceeded the department's patience and tolerance. If my kids were to ever be contestants on "Survivor: The Children's Edition" they wouldn't make it very far -- there would be no winners, only accusations of "He cheated!" "You cheated!" "She cheated! I don't want to play with her anymore!" They would each storm off in different directions, kicking up sandstorms, and disturbing the native wildlife and island inhabitants.
Thank G-d the weather cleared for some time this afternoon and we could finally take a walk and let out some of that pent-up energy and frustration. Eema, children, and pug took a walk to a nearby park, leaving aching, longsuffering Aba to rest (even more!) for a little over an hour. The COLD fresh air was good for all involved and we came back home a little refreshed, a little tired and a little happier.
This evening, Yom Tov was to be out around 9:09 (depending on which calendar you refer to); at about 9:00, my children started their famous chant and dance, "Nine more minutes till Yom Tov is over...eight more minutes till Yom Tov is over..." (if they're not in shul, they also do this dance to decree the end of Shabbos, and some of their friends, who've stayed for Shabbos, have learned the chant/dance, too)
I have to admit: sometimes that dance/chant is rather appealing...
Hopefully you all made it through the matzoh, the maror, and the mayhem.
Next year in Jerusalem...or Miami Beach...or Phoenix...or Orlando. No, scrap Orlando -- during Yom Tov, the kids would be wailing, "Hey, we can't even go to Disney World 'cause it's Yom Tov. Why did we come here, anyway????"
