Monday, November 19: a trip to Galilee and to the library with August

He was up at 6:30. We all got ready in the morning, as my parents and I were going up to the Sea of Galilee today. He talked about a Silo machine that was made out of concrete. We left, all in the car, and he played the injured animals game with Carly—he was a beaver that had lost its big teeth, then all of its legs.

We dropped Carly and August off, then drove north and east. A fun drive, into territory I hadn’t been to before. Israel is building a freeway up there, so it really messed with the traffic flow. We got to Capernaum at 9:30. This is the town where Jesus did much of his preaching and miracle granting and recruited his first disciples from the fishermen. We went in and down to the shore first. Then up to look at the archeological site. The new church is built above (literally, as it is suspended in air) above the ruins of the 5th century octagonal church, which itself was built over the remains of the ‘traditional’ home of Peter. We then walked through the ruins of the synagogue (built on the site of the synagogue that Jesus visited several times), looked at the mill stones, and headed out.

If time had permitted, we would have driven around the sea, but instead drove straight to Tiberias (which, I noticed, is actually Tiberia, no S, in both Hebrew and Arabic). We parked next to the remains of a 15th (or so) century fortress, which is now an art gallery. We walked down the hill, past other artsy places, and found the pedestrian promenade. We really only had some time to gaze upon the sea again before we headed out. I did, however, learn that the nikud vowel system of Hebrew was developed in Tiberias (Tiberias being one of the four holy Jewish cities, and where the Talmud was compiled).

We then drove to Nazareth. The highlight of the drive was when Waze first took us through an industrial area, then through the winding streets of an Arab town at the top of the hill. All sorts of vehicles going every which way, blocking traffic, etc. A bit stressful, but an interesting drive.

We got to Nazareth and parked a block below the Church of the Annunciation. It was a very quick visit: we went in McDonald’s and got a quick lunch (the right thing to do at the time, but it turn out that just around the corner the other direction were more interesting shawarma/burger places that would have been just as fast) and we went up to the church and they looked around and inside, then we walked up and through the market. We were keeping our eyes out for Christmas wrapping paper, but besides a few ‘Merry Christmas’ signs about and a few ornaments for sale here and there, the town isn’t really in Christmas mode yet. We got back to the busy main street (down a steep set of stairs by a school that had just let out) and even the shop that Carly and I had seen with all the Santa hats didn’t seem to exist.

We walked back to our car. Passed a guy selling fruit juice. Dad had been talking about having a pomegranate juice, so I got one. Really an honest business man, because I held out a 50 shekel note and asked him how much it was, after he had made it, and he said 10 shekels. Crazy, as the ones in Jerusalem are much more. And parking only cost us 15.

It was then a race back to school. Spotted the site of Megiddo, but no time to stop. Traffic was moving fine, but I was afraid it would back up at any moment. Luckily, it did not. Our ETA when we left was 2:45, and by the time we turned into Even Yehuda it said 2:46. One disappointment: I pulled into the strawberry stand, but there were no strawberries. They had probably sold out for the day.

We went and picked him up. They had made zucchini bread and zucchini soup today. He showed me the patterns he had made and was hanging up. I had Mom and Dad come in to see them. There was a structure on a table, and August spent several minutes adding to the “house” before he was ready to leave. We joked about getting him to leave and he said, “It no use…until I get my self out.” He told me they hadn’t had yoga today as the teacher is sick.

We then headed to the library. He meandered around the grass area, playing and singing to himself, for a few minutes until we got there. He and I went back in the kids area after returning the five books we had. We found the Amulet book and checked out that, and I found three picture books: 7 Ate 9, The Antlered Ship, and How to Find an Elephant. And August spotted The 91-Story Treehouse and wanted that.

August then did some art on the computer, completing a few shapes pictures to his liking. Mom and Dad had been sitting out looking at magazines, etc. but decided to walk home. We did more art, then checked out the books, and went outside on the bench and he had some snack until Carly was ready and we drove home.

We were home before 5. August was playing with his tape and started singing the Gaston song. He was making up words, but settled on “No one poops like Gaston…” as his favorite. In asking him about school he claimed he had seen the play again. They went right at the start of school – no time for morning meeting. Which was interesting, as Carly has some of the students in her homeroom.

He was cutting balloons and stuff with scissors, then we read part of Amulet. We played the injured animal game, then he read 7 Ate 9 with Carly. We had dinner, and Dad peeled the pomelo and we tried that. August was trying to keep some secret from me, and Carly almost gave it away, and he covered it up by explaining it had something to do with poop. He then said, “I’m always in the rescue when mama forgets to keep secrets.” He was talking about animals or something and we ended up talking about “Madagascar” and that became the word of the day.

He had eaten a good dinner, so I let him have a pancake that was in the fridge. At one point he said,”Oh jeesh.” He was copying Carly. Yesterday he had told Gramma she said “Nice” a lot.

We read The Antlered Ship and Carly went and took a shower. We then read How to Find an Elephant. I had previously asked him if he had a favorite part of Beauty and the Beast and he had said no, but he now volunteered “’If you don’t believe me, ask the dishes’…that’s my favorite part.”

He then typed on my iPad, changing font sizes, etc., before switching to do art. He made one picture that he said was a chicken bone container in the ocean and one which was a giant’s tooth. At some point he said he was doing abstract and I said that was my favorite. He dismissively said, “Yep. You Like Abstract.”

Carly took him up to his bath. As he went up he asked, “When can I read Captain Underpants again?” I was supposed to put him to sleep, but after his bath they were playing around. He was hyper one minute, but she started rocking him in her arms and suddenly he fell asleep, by 8:45.

House building after school: