Beach camping with the swim club

Last week we went camping on the beach with the Gals and Amrams (Yaellie and Lia from Mikael's swim club, and their parents). We went a bit further north this time, to Hof Habonim, next to Zikhron Yaakov.

Matti Gal (barechested) and Ran Amram (bareheaded) arriving with the food.

Setting up the tents after we arrived.

Mikael helped us light the fire, but he kept a respectful distance.



Opher and Ran took primary charge of the cooking. Here I'm burning the beef in the poike pot.
The three kids enjoying the sun while we set up. After this they all went swimming, but nobody got swimming pics on camera.
Anat Gal taking Liya and Mikael for an evening walk. I really like it when the parents and the kids get mixed up (Anat is actually Yael's mom). Also, maybe you can't see, but Liya and Mikael are holding hands. They do that a lot now, which is really heart warming.

Getting ready for bed.

You can feel the coolness of the evening settling in here.
Anat plays guitar and sings. Liya helps her. Mikael eats corn.


The next morning, the beach was great: the water warm, the crowds elsewhere, the weather comfortable.


We all played in the sand, and then later we went swimming, while coffee cooked and breakfast was magically prepared.





Having breakfast together

Friends (ours, not Mikael's) at the birthday party

According to Maya, Liya's sister, the rule is supposed to be one friend (of Mikael's) at the party for every year of age. There were bunches of babies at the party, but it's hard for us to be sure that any of them are actually friends of his. On the other hand, some great friends of ours came. That should count for something.

Saba Rami, Savta Hava, and Doda Maayan

More from the birthday party. This time it is the Givat Ada / Tel Aviv branch of the multibranched Kallir family.

Ido and Hila and Yalli and Noa at the Party

The Rehovot part of the Kallir family seemed to have a very nice time at the party. For me, it's amazing to have seen Yalli and Noa transform from babies into children. Yalli has become very social, and came to play with me quite a few times during the evening. Noa seems to be watching everyone and everything. I wonder if she will be a writer or make movies.

The Brils at the Birthday Party

The Bril family came to the party in full force. Alit really enjoyed the sand, and Adan worked on Liya's water rocket (I think they couldn't get it to go). Itan took pictures with her new camera. Boy, it sure would be great if Itan sent us those pictures. :)

Birthday part: Israeli version

On Friday afternoon, we celebrated Mikael's birthday for the second time; appropriately enough, today is his actual birthday. In any case, we had a return to the 'scene of the crime.' The party was on the beach below Tamuz restaurant, where Liya and I got married. In fact, after the beach party we had a nice dinner at the restaurant, but it'll take me a while to get those pictures uploaded.

Mikael goes to the beach a lot. In fact, Liya and I take him to the beach basically every other day. We never bring a camera (we always mean to), so this beach party is also sort of standing in for all the beach trips that you guys have missed. I say that because one of the things Mikael loves to do most of all on the beach is to sit in holes. I dig the holes and he sits in them. At the party, Noam and Einav heard this and decided to dig a huge hole for him to sit in. In the end they dug two holes. Of all the presents he got, I think this is probably the one he most appreciated.

The girl who is playing with Mikael is Ronny, Eran and Inbar Gotliev's daughter. She also seems to really like holes in the sand.

Tel Aviv Beach

Mikael and Liya and I met Mike and Ayala down on the beach. It was
pretty late in the afternoon, so it was a little bit too cold to
actually take him swimming (as he let us know in no uncertain terms
when we suggested it), but it was nice for him to sit in the sand and
feel the texture. Later, Liya convinced him to feel how the water
felt on his toes. After his adventures in the water, we took him back
to Ayala and Mike and he told them all about it.