Bits and Pieces
Some more annoying than others...
The less annoying:
Bought a white sleeper for NS and a green hat at the Gemach. Now I have to buy green dye and some fabric and his Godzilla costume is on its way. I need to buy fabric for my Mothra wings.
I also found a Chicco animal sounds train there (with working batteries!) so for 2NIS (roughly 50 cents) NS has a new toy. And he LOVES it. He was pushing the buttons and when the animals started making their sounds, he started yelling along. Of course as soon as I took out the camera to start taping it, he stopped and started hamming it up for the camera.
Zach and I took the tour of Ariel and we're really excited. There are several minuses though. The new, mostly completed housing is already all sold and there's a building freeze so who knows when the next block will go up. After living on small settlements for the past 11 years, the fact that it's so sprawling has me a bit worried. The fact that there isn't a set location for the Anglos. I'd really prefer my near neighbors to be English speakers. I'd prefer that the English Shabbat shiur isn't 20 minutes away and uphill in both directions. Also my impression is that rentals are hard to come by. Which reminds me, I need to get in touch with the guy to get some info on real estate agents so we can get things moving along. (Ok, done).
And on to the more annoying.
According to the custody agreement, I'm responsible for paying for summer camp for the girls. Now summer camp in Israel is only until about age 12 and it's only for July. But basically what we've done is the girls go to the States for August. The two summers they didn't, I believe they helped their step-mother run a camp from her home.
My ex called me Saturday night and told me that his sister R wants the girls to come and be a mother's helper for July. I asked if they'd be working in the US or Canada (R lives in Canada) because if they were going to work in Canada, they'd need work permits. I asked if they'd be working for her or someone else. He has no idea and he said they'd be working off the books so they wouldn't need permits if they were going to be working in Canada (they have American passports so I don't think they need a visa to enter the country). Between you and me, I'd prefer everything to be above-board, but what do I know.
I told my ex that we were thinking of going for July, before the Three Weeks. He said he'd speak to his sister about changing the dates. I also said that we'd pay for one, he'd pay for the other and we'd forgive the bond that usually has to be posted for the girls to leave the country. This is where he reminds me that I have to pay for the girls summer camp and I should pay for both tickets and 'he'd be open' to forgetting the bond. I said I'd talk to my parents about this.
Ok. I'm annoyed. Paying for the girls' summer camp, where they'd be having fun and not working is one thing. But paying for them to fly to the US, to work for someone else (presumably his family) is another thing entirely. That's not summer camp. I'm going to have to check the wording on the agreement. In addition, of course the bond will have to be forgiven. Not only that, but papers will have to be drawn up and signed by me, my ex and his sister that no funny business will take place. If the whole reason bond is posted in the first place is to ensure one parent doesn't abscond with the girls while abroad (as ridiculous as it sounds in this case, it has been known to happen)... well say I do post. And the girls go off to their aunt's.. what's to stop her from disappearing with the girls or refusing to return them. Then my parents are out $25,000 and more importantly, I'm out the girls!
The less annoying:
Bought a white sleeper for NS and a green hat at the Gemach. Now I have to buy green dye and some fabric and his Godzilla costume is on its way. I need to buy fabric for my Mothra wings.
I also found a Chicco animal sounds train there (with working batteries!) so for 2NIS (roughly 50 cents) NS has a new toy. And he LOVES it. He was pushing the buttons and when the animals started making their sounds, he started yelling along. Of course as soon as I took out the camera to start taping it, he stopped and started hamming it up for the camera.
Zach and I took the tour of Ariel and we're really excited. There are several minuses though. The new, mostly completed housing is already all sold and there's a building freeze so who knows when the next block will go up. After living on small settlements for the past 11 years, the fact that it's so sprawling has me a bit worried. The fact that there isn't a set location for the Anglos. I'd really prefer my near neighbors to be English speakers. I'd prefer that the English Shabbat shiur isn't 20 minutes away and uphill in both directions. Also my impression is that rentals are hard to come by. Which reminds me, I need to get in touch with the guy to get some info on real estate agents so we can get things moving along. (Ok, done).
And on to the more annoying.
According to the custody agreement, I'm responsible for paying for summer camp for the girls. Now summer camp in Israel is only until about age 12 and it's only for July. But basically what we've done is the girls go to the States for August. The two summers they didn't, I believe they helped their step-mother run a camp from her home.
My ex called me Saturday night and told me that his sister R wants the girls to come and be a mother's helper for July. I asked if they'd be working in the US or Canada (R lives in Canada) because if they were going to work in Canada, they'd need work permits. I asked if they'd be working for her or someone else. He has no idea and he said they'd be working off the books so they wouldn't need permits if they were going to be working in Canada (they have American passports so I don't think they need a visa to enter the country). Between you and me, I'd prefer everything to be above-board, but what do I know.
I told my ex that we were thinking of going for July, before the Three Weeks. He said he'd speak to his sister about changing the dates. I also said that we'd pay for one, he'd pay for the other and we'd forgive the bond that usually has to be posted for the girls to leave the country. This is where he reminds me that I have to pay for the girls summer camp and I should pay for both tickets and 'he'd be open' to forgetting the bond. I said I'd talk to my parents about this.
Ok. I'm annoyed. Paying for the girls' summer camp, where they'd be having fun and not working is one thing. But paying for them to fly to the US, to work for someone else (presumably his family) is another thing entirely. That's not summer camp. I'm going to have to check the wording on the agreement. In addition, of course the bond will have to be forgiven. Not only that, but papers will have to be drawn up and signed by me, my ex and his sister that no funny business will take place. If the whole reason bond is posted in the first place is to ensure one parent doesn't abscond with the girls while abroad (as ridiculous as it sounds in this case, it has been known to happen)... well say I do post. And the girls go off to their aunt's.. what's to stop her from disappearing with the girls or refusing to return them. Then my parents are out $25,000 and more importantly, I'm out the girls!