Archive for August, 2008

Long Overdue Update

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

Its just taken us forever to get back into the swing of thigns, between sheva brachos, unpacking, getting back to work and trying to get back into normal life, we haven’t had time to blog. But I will try my best now. Warning: As I want to include details (just for you, Leah) and a few pictures which take forever to organize here, the updates will probably be broken up by day. I will try my best to do all the updates as quickly and comprehensively as possible.

OK, so lets start with Tuesday late afternoon/early evening, when we packed everything up, did the last minute things (Shainas gown did NOT come in on time so we used back-up dress) and we loaded the car and drove to the Kosters. We got there at about 6ish and the Greyhound bus was leaving at 8:30 so Aharon K kind of rushed everything a little even though I knew everything would be fine.aharons-wedding-010.jpg I gobbled a slice of pizza there while they took the stuff out of the car and waited for the car service to come. When the car came, ALL of the luggage went into it along with me and Yaakov (Koster’s youngest) in his car seat. The rest of the clan, including Shaina and stroller went by train (SR drove them cuz she was flying the next day). We got to Manhattan in record time. Like 20 minutes all the way crosstown. There are for sure less tourists in the summer. The driver dropped us off on an alleyway around the corner from Port Authority (most places are just for yellow taxis) and we waited for the rest of the folks with all the stuff.  Everyone else came like 15 mintues later, and the Manhattan contingent came like 10 minutes after that. We looked like a scene. 11 people and about 50 bags. And we headed downstairs to the Greyhound terminal where we’d be spending many hours in the coming days.

Somehow with huffing and puffing and schlepping we made it to Greyhound terminal at about 7:45 and were like number 20-31 on line.aharons-wedding-011.jpg aharons-wedding-012.jpg aharons-wedding-014.jpg   We had fun waiting, met another frum lady, went to the bathroom and than loaded on. We actually pulled out a few minutes early cuz the bus was COMPLETELY full.  The way there was fun, somewhat bumpy (physically and emotionally) and not without some dramatics from our friendly neighbors who decided it was part of their ‘religion’ to sing loudly at midnight. Whatever. All went pretty well until about 4:30 AM when we pulled up to the border and EVERYONE (including sleeping kids) with ALL of the luggage had to be taken off the bus, declared at customs and brought back on. This was a pain and also caused the bus to come in about 40 minutes late which essentially messed up our plans for the rest of the day.TBC….

Trip to Toronto

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

Amazing. Crazy. Unbelievable wedding. No sleep for days. Bonding with cousins. Chosson and Kallah so happy. Memories for a lifetime.

More to come IYH when I find some more time….

The aufruf was beautiful!!

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

Lots of hard work by all of us, but b’h the aufruf was wonderful. Everyone was comfortable, the mommies all got to join the simcha for the most important parts and the actual programs were great. Adiel MCeed Friday night and he did a fabulous job. The speeches were all great and from the heart, the food was good and the guests enjoyed and were very much b’simcha.

Today I did a bunch of errands. CVS, Legacy, etc. My main goal was to find a white sweater for Shaina’s sleeveless wedding gown. After coming all of the fancy children’s stores on Central Avenue, and coming up emptyhanded I was getting discouraged. As a last resort, I went to Wee Bee Kids (think kiddie Amazing Savings) and found a perfect sweater for $8.99! I bought stockings and snoods and a huge butternut squash for $6.50. Gosh is baby food expensive!! That better last Shaina all through the Toronto trip!! Sara Rochel came over and we planned some fun shtick for the kallah. She also brought be some suits that fit so I don’t need to go shopping, yay. Still need to go to cleaners and make sure everything is ready by Tuesday afternoon.

Still to do over the next two days:
Find shaitel macher (mine is due any day, not taking any more shaitels), drop off and pick up sheitel.

Drop off and pick up stuff at dry cleaners

Appointment with Shaina at Dr.

Work at On Our Way for a few hours  on Monday

Manicure and Pedicure (whiel Adiel watches Shaina, yay). Maybe waxing too?

Frishman Bris Tuesday morning in Yeshiva of FR

Clean house

Finalize on all of the Toronto plans (cell phones, plan Niagara itenirary, confirm hotel rooms and cars, etc)

One more load of laundry

PACK!! For me and Shains

Go To Queens and then to Port Authority!!!

Countdown to Aharon’s wedding!!

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

It’s hard to believe that it’s the middle of August. The summer is FLYING by, Tisha B’av and the sad days before and after are gone and we’re very much in the ‘wedding mode’. There is SO much to be done before the wedding; and there are two things that are making this more complicated than a regular wedding.

1) The aufruf. We haven’t done a Shabbos simcha in the  Lower East Side since Sara Rochel’s Sheva Brachos in ‘98, almost 10 years ago. We had a few aunts and uncles, and a few single cousins. My Shabbos Sheva Brachos was done in Brooklyn cuz it was just easier. But it is apporpriate to have Aharon’s aufruf in the good ol’ LES. However, b’h our families have grown and there is a nice little crowd coming in. Making an aufruf in the LES is complicated because of the fact that A) There is no eiruv. Makes a problem for carrying and for the three families with babies, myself included.  B) there are stairs. I might use the shabbos elevator, but not everyone would and it’s not always on. C), Most of the apartments are somewhat small and it has been a little challenging figurnig out where to put everyone including a few families of 4+.

Then there is the regular planning of an aufruf, who will speak when, what to serve, what to put in the guest bags, where to have the Kiddush, etc. Mommy has been working so very hard to figure everything out and make everyone comfortable. And I’ve been helping as much as I can. There’s a lot of back and forth of who will be staying in which apartment and where it makes sense to eat. I think we are starting to finalize things, but things probably won’t be really final until Friday! Whatever, it’s been a lot of fun though slightly overwhelming ( I can only imagine how much work it is for Mommy).

2)The other complicated factor is that this wedding is ‘Out Of Town’. I have not been to an OOT wedding in years. I forgot what they are like. But for us, the family, there is a lot of extra planning going on. B”H, we got that great $1 fare on the greyhound bus.  But there are LOADS of other plans to make in a city that up until a couple of months ago was a completely strange one to me. As the local family Internet / travel guru, obviously a lot of the planning is falling on me. I don’t mind as long as everything works out. So far I’ve saved the family a nice amount of money by researching which car rental is the cheapest and doesn’t charge a drop-off fee to return it elsewhere and doing my homewhere and reserving a nice 3 * hotel on Priceline for $70-75 instead of $110+.  I’m also looking into minyanim, Kosher food and activities to do — in Niagara Falls. Amazingly, my mother’s sister Chanie lives a couple of blocks from where the bus drops us off in Downtown Toronto and she’s being so hospitable and taking care of driving us places and giving us breakfast. This should be LOTS of fun but also a bunch more work to finalize.

Besides for all that, I still need a suit or two for the aufruf / sheva brachos, need to finalize on a dress for Shaina baby, make some shtick for the wedding and arrive early on Friday to help Mommy out. Oh, and also like go to work every day, cook,  clean and do laundry. And take care of my baby.

B’h for being busy with simchos! We’re so excited, just one week and two days left! (and one week till we board the bus. And three days till the aufruf)