Monday, May 19, 2008

And that's a wrap

Another year, another festival. This one though was one of the best we've had in years. The music was fantastic, the addition of a whole extra day made the entire festival feel more relaxed and less rushed, the kids were wonderful, the weather was perfect, literally dozens of dear friends were there, the pool was cool and refreshing (and Itai even remembered how to swim), even the camping went off without a hitch. Better than just without a hitch actually. It went so well that Maya and I will be joining the boys (Jay, Itai and a few other fathers and sons) for a Lag B'Omer campout on the beach this Thursday night after all.

Have I mentioned that the kids were terrific? Itai is now old enough to wander around freely with his friends (something only possible at a closed, extraordinarily safe and family-friendly festival like this one - I know that must sound appalling to some of you out there, but trust me, Jacob's Ladder is truly a land unto itself. I'd never let him wander alone at any other event.) Itai also had his first celebrity crush on a group of young bluegrass musicians. He bought their cd with his own money and came home clutching not one but two different autographed photos. Maya is still a bit young to sit still for the more formal indoor performances, so we mainly stuck to the outdoor stages (where most of the music is anyway) and she alternated between sitting on the side blowing bubbles and playing quietly at our feet. (The addition of a well-timed ice cream or two didn't hurt either.) For the first time in years Jay and I actually came away feeling like we'd heard a lot of music rather than that we'd spent most of our time kid-wrangling.

Times like this are what make it all worthwhile. They make the stresses of daily life (and we've got some whoppers right now) fade away for a few days and give us the chance to just be. To do what we love with people with love.

Who could ask for more?

9 comments:

mother in israel said...

Welcome back, Robin! I think that the fact that you brought them when they were young, too young to appreciate it, helped them enjoy it now. They knew what to expect, had made friends, etc. If you wait until they're supposedly old enough it may be too late. So all the hard work in past years, and missing all that music, paid off in a way of making an enjoyable experience this year and in the future.

Anonymous said...

Ooooh sounds wonderful babe! I am so glad you had a relaxing time and the kids enjoyed themselves.

Robin said...

I'm sure that's part of it MIL. They (and all our children's friends who they know well) have really grown up at the festival and look forward to it as much as their parents do, for their own kid-sized reasons. While we didn't hear as much music in earlier years, we certainly enjoyed ourselves anyway. You can't go wrong in such a beautiful setting. Worst comes to worst you spend more time at the pool listening to the music over the noise of all the Marco-Polo'ing LOL. This year was something special though, really a pleasure.

Shermanim said...

We were invited to go with friends who were playing there but had other commitments... from your raving review I think we may try to get there next time. Sounds like fun! Glad you enjoyed yourselves.

Shannon said...

Welcome home! I am so glad to hear that you had a good time. I definitely want to give it a go now! I swear there is nothing better for the soul than spending some good quality, fun time with the family.

Robin said...

You should definitely try to go next year. It's such a special experience, there's nothing else like it in Israel. Good for the soul.

Phyllis Sommer said...

oh oh jealous. this sounds so great... i think that mom-in-israel's comment applies to lots of things if you think about it -- if you continually wait until they're "old enough" not only do you miss out, but i think sometimes we miss the window of opportunity without realizing it. good for you for sticking out the marco-polo years:-) clearly, it's paid off!

Jack Steiner said...

It sounds pretty interesting.

Anonymous said...

How wonderful that sounds! I'm so glad you got the chance to just drop all your worries for a few hours and "just be."