TREMOR

We had an earth tremor last weekend, registered 4.7 on the Richter scale. We were all home, still awake and what initially sounded like a train passing by quickly turned into something much more powerful.

I couldn't help but think that this was timely considering the state of the world around us (bush fires, drought, financial downturn... crisis! crisis! crisis!).

And in my own nervous world, three friend's husbands lost their jobs recently, so it was rather real & close when my company announced almost 2000 jobs were to go. I prepared myself for the worst while Luke prepared for nothing "Why worry? I'll worry if and when we have a reason to worry." His worryless attitude both irritated and incited envy as I struggled to control my erratic head.

I was so consumed that on a grocery shopping expedition with the girls I didn't notice when Mia's shorts fell down to her ankles as she trailed behind me calmly explaining "My shorts Mummy, can you see, they've fallen down!"

Meanwhile Luke did try to offer some support in the form of a preparatory role playing exercise for 'the meeting'. Some of Luke's helpful lines were: "If I draw the blinds and give you x will you reconsider?" and "Is it because I'm Jewish?". Needless to say, I had my own back up lines.

So after spending the last few weeks endlessly speculating with my colleagues on what was to be, and developing a nervous and ridiculous habit of laughing at the most inappropriate moments (dubbed 'funeral laughter'), most of the team was relieved to receive good news on Thursday that we were in fact still employed! A bittersweet feeling remains as some people weren't so lucky.

Perhaps Poppy sensed the future and was sending me a signal when the day before 'the meeting' she was motivated by Mia's chocolate ice cream on the coffee table to stand! She was generously rewarded with Mia voluntarily sharing her ice cream, pity little of it made it to Poppy's enthusiastic taste buds.

Other new Poppy achievements:

Doing: Pointing, clapping and placing hands on he head ('mechi mechi capa-im'), crawling, snooping

Saying: Mama, Dada, Or (light in Hebrew), Boodi (Bear in Hebrew backwards), Book (for Bakbook which is bottle in Hebrew)

Meanwhile Mia continues to amaze me with her compassionate and playful approach to sisterhood, I just hope that continues and that when these girls are in their 80's they still enjoy each other's company

Sister, you're so funny you make me want to gauge my eye out

Today I had special time with Mia, she has a fever but the poor love is still deliciously gorgeous and hasn't complained one bit. It's the first time we've shared a day at home since Pre-Poppy, no offence Poppy, but we've had a time.