I'm grateful for: a quiet, pleasant day; certain lawyers; having more than one computer (since my laptop was NOT returned to me. Yet. I hope.).

This was sent to me with no author listed, so I apologize to whomever for not giving proper attribution, or if it shouldn't have been passed on. I found it too good not to share:

If the Passover Story Were Reported by The New York Times

The cycle of violence between the Jews and the Egyptians continues with no end in sight in Egypt. After eight previous plagues that have destroyed the Egyptian infrastructure and disrupted the lives of ordinary Egyptian citizens, the Jews launched a new offensive this week in the form of the plague of darkness.

Western journalists were particularly enraged by this plague. "It is simply impossible to report when you can't see an inch in front of you," complained a frustrated Andrea Koppel of CNN. "I have heard from my reliable Egyptian contacts that in the midst of the blanket of blackness, the Jews were annihilating thousands of Egyptians. Their word is solid enough evidence for me."

While the Jews contend that the plagues are justified given the harsh slavery imposed upon them by the Egyptians, Pharaoh, the Egyptian leader, rebuts this claim. "If only the plagues would let up, there would be no slavery. We just want to live plague-free. It is the right of every society."

Saeb Erekat, an Egyptian spokesperson, complains that slavery is justifiable given the Jews' superior weaponry supplied to them by the superpower G d.

The Europeans are particularly enraged by the latest Jewish offensive. "The Jewish aggression must cease if there is to be peace in the region. The Jews should go back to slavery for the good of the rest of the world," stated an angry French President Jacques Chirac.

Even several Jews agree. Adam Shapiro, a Jew, has barricaded himself within Pharaoh's chambers to protect Pharaoh from what is feared will be the next plague, the death of the firstborn. Mr. Shapiro claims that while slavery is not necessarily a good thing, it is the product of the plagues and when the plagues end, so will the slavery.

"The Jews have gone too far with plagues such as locusts and epidemic which have virtually destroyed the Egyptian economy," Mr. Shapiro laments. "The Egyptians are really a very nice people and Pharaoh is kind of huggable once you get to know him," gushes Shapiro.

The United States is demanding that Moses and Aaron, the Jewish leaders, continue to negotiate with Pharaoh. While Moses points out that Pharaoh had made promise after promise to free the Jewish people only to immediately break them and thereafter impose harsher and harsher slavery, Richard Boucher of the State Department assails the latest offensive.

"Pharaoh is not in complete control of the taskmasters," Mr. Boucher states. "The Jews must return to the negotiating table and will accomplish nothing through these plagues."

The latest round of violence comes in the face of a bold new Saudi peace overture. If only the Jews will give up their language, change their names to Egyptian names and cease having male children, the Arab nations will incline toward peace with them, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah declared.

***

Okay, that was just silliness.

It's quite quiet here today. S2 was able to get caught up on washing the laundry in one day. D3 and I washed and put away dishes, she made cupcakes with chocolate chips in (unbelievably yummy) and she and I also folded some laundry.

I'm completely done in physically, the body being at rather low ebb. Also, I woke up to the delightful news that we had been denied an issur (in this context permission to homeschool) from the ministry of education. According to the ministry, this means that we are supposed to put the kids in school forthwith. According to our lawyer it means she gets to yell at stupid education ministry functionaries, and according to the homeschooling group/panel of experts who are negotiating with the ministry as we speak almost, the ministry does not actually have a legal right either to approve or deny us the right to homeschool.

It still involved several hours of phone calls to get it all sorted out, which is to say everyone has been notified who needs to be, our lawyer has contacted the kabas (truant officer), and it is now officially not our problem. Occasionally lawyers are a very good thing.

I told S3 and D3 as soon as I heard that we'd received the refusal. S3 had a moment of fear, D3 merely worried (lower level of fear). I reassured both of them repeatedly that neither of them would be dragged off to school against their will. I told them that we (TH and I) would worry and be stressed about it, so that they wouldn't have to.

For whatever reason I was reminded as this was going on of the people who have told me that that is bad parenting. That I shouldn't have told them about the refusal, thus causing them unnecessary fear since we were going to get it taken care of anyway. I had a brief moment of worry, or rather considering the question, but concluded, as I always have, that being honest with my kids (age-appropriately) is the only way to go.

On top of all the other benefits - like knowing that they can trust me to tell them the truth, and not being kept in the dark if (Gd forbid) everything should somehow fall through and the police show up at the door to take them off to school - there is the learning process of having big scary things come up, get reduced to little scary things, and then those things being taken care of over and over and over and over...

When my kids have crises in their lives, they will undoubtedly be more able to get through the initial fear to reason and coping because they've followed that path so many times already. At least, I hope that's how it works. ;-)

I'm sitting here trying to chew my pasta while TH is out feeding the goats and chickens for me. *sob* I would really have liked to do that, but there was no way I was going to get outside in time. Once the sun is down, that is it - you just can't push the chickens supper off.

My nutritionist told me it is okay to eat pasta as long as I chew it well. It is not so easy to chew pasta as one might think. I really wanted tonight's supper though, some of it anyway. TH will make me a baked potato later as well.

I guess that's it for now.

I'm listening to Itzchak Perlman and Isaac Stern playing a Bach double concerto. Lovely.

:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::

~~~Last Five Entries~~~
Hi and goodbye - 2010-10-15
I'll be moving on - 2010-10-10
Gold membership and stuff - 2010-10-10
Decisions, decisions - 2010-10-07
Days to go - 2010-10-06