Lying awake, as I do many a night, I realized that I probably "mis-spoke" on an earlier post, as is my want :S...
Of course, I miss all my wonderful family and friends more than I miss Pandora. :) For as long as I can remember (which, granted, isn't very long with my memory), I have said goodbye to people. I miss my dear, soul-mates of Yale, my friends from high school (pretty much all boys, since I got to keep being friends with Heidi :)...), the dear folk from my Kearns ward, beloved friends from our Kaysville area (homeschoolers and "churchies"), and even the new ones I made in our short stay in West Jordan.
And, of course, there is dear family!
However, I have found that saying goodbye is such a part of life, that we learn to live with it. Family in Oregon, Maine and Idaho feel like extensions of love reaching out. I love when we can get together, but, as it is with life, we have learned that those get-togethers are not as frequent as we would wish...
...so we learn to live apart :), and rejoice in the concept of eternity!
I love the connections, looking at family and friends on Q-dawg's facebook, skyping, and responses back and forth on this blog. It is like was said in one of the talks of conference: these are such marvelous tools for keeping together when other means of communication are not possible!
I just haven't learned to live apart from the significantly less-significant blessing of Pandora :). Sigh.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Halloween Party :)...
Super yummy and fun! Everyone chose an activity...
Hava and Pipalicious: bobbing for apples. Kind of like a walk in the park. I think they all got it on the first dive, even Papaya, although I did hold her apple for her (she had already eaten half of it, so I wanted to make sure she got the right one :)...). Next time we need to use the bathtub or something more challenging than the huge metal bowl I brought with us from the states.
Avot followed that with musical chairs in the backyard (since that is the only place big enough and with enough chairs, using their lawn chairs). She picked fun "halloween" songs to go with it: Purple People Eater, Little Blue Man, Monster Mash, Love Potion #9, and This is Halloween (from Nightmare before Christmas). When people got "out," I "face painted" with dry erase markers (my latest favorite since they come off sooooo easily!), which kept it fun to be in or out.
Next, Ghosts in the Graveyard by Lek. One person goes out to hide while everyone else counts. Then they go out looking for the "ghost," and, when found, they yell, "Ghost!" and then the Ghost chases them and tries to tag them before they get back to base.
Liliputian came up with a game called "Goblins and Humans" for our next activity, where a couple "goblins" put an object (a shoe) out in plain sight for the humans to find. The goblins then hide while the humans are counting, and then the humans go out looking for the object while the goblins try to tag them. It was pretty fun, and so darling to see Q-dawg and Lek for their turn let Hava make it back to base with the shoe. Lek also didn't tag me since I was with Papaya and she would start crying whenever someone ran up to me. Sweet deal :).
By then, the kids were pretty cold, so we went inside and looked for the treat bundles (a candy bar and little bag of gummies) with their names on it, hidden by Q-dawg. He did his usual hiding gradient from "easy for the littles" and "impossible for Lek," with everyone else in between. (The older kids almost always need a clue when he hides things. Lek's was in the cream of wheat bag in the pantry. Leave it to Q-dawg to find impossible places in our little space :)!)
While they were happily eating that, the Goob got his activity ready...eating melted chocolate bars out of diapers. Yum. We put in extra chocolate to make it extra creamy :). Some of the kids were more game for that than others, but I think most of it got eaten. The new baby volunteered some of their new package of diapers for it. Q-dawg said we needed to lick them clean so we could still use them. Hmmmm....
Chugger-dude wanted to eat donuts off a string, but, as donuts are apparently not to be found in the places we have seen in Hungary, we made some! Here is the most delicious recipe we used, which worked amazingly well:
Hava and Pipalicious: bobbing for apples. Kind of like a walk in the park. I think they all got it on the first dive, even Papaya, although I did hold her apple for her (she had already eaten half of it, so I wanted to make sure she got the right one :)...). Next time we need to use the bathtub or something more challenging than the huge metal bowl I brought with us from the states.
Avot followed that with musical chairs in the backyard (since that is the only place big enough and with enough chairs, using their lawn chairs). She picked fun "halloween" songs to go with it: Purple People Eater, Little Blue Man, Monster Mash, Love Potion #9, and This is Halloween (from Nightmare before Christmas). When people got "out," I "face painted" with dry erase markers (my latest favorite since they come off sooooo easily!), which kept it fun to be in or out.
Next, Ghosts in the Graveyard by Lek. One person goes out to hide while everyone else counts. Then they go out looking for the "ghost," and, when found, they yell, "Ghost!" and then the Ghost chases them and tries to tag them before they get back to base.
Liliputian came up with a game called "Goblins and Humans" for our next activity, where a couple "goblins" put an object (a shoe) out in plain sight for the humans to find. The goblins then hide while the humans are counting, and then the humans go out looking for the object while the goblins try to tag them. It was pretty fun, and so darling to see Q-dawg and Lek for their turn let Hava make it back to base with the shoe. Lek also didn't tag me since I was with Papaya and she would start crying whenever someone ran up to me. Sweet deal :).
By then, the kids were pretty cold, so we went inside and looked for the treat bundles (a candy bar and little bag of gummies) with their names on it, hidden by Q-dawg. He did his usual hiding gradient from "easy for the littles" and "impossible for Lek," with everyone else in between. (The older kids almost always need a clue when he hides things. Lek's was in the cream of wheat bag in the pantry. Leave it to Q-dawg to find impossible places in our little space :)!)
While they were happily eating that, the Goob got his activity ready...eating melted chocolate bars out of diapers. Yum. We put in extra chocolate to make it extra creamy :). Some of the kids were more game for that than others, but I think most of it got eaten. The new baby volunteered some of their new package of diapers for it. Q-dawg said we needed to lick them clean so we could still use them. Hmmmm....
Chugger-dude wanted to eat donuts off a string, but, as donuts are apparently not to be found in the places we have seen in Hungary, we made some! Here is the most delicious recipe we used, which worked amazingly well:
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Ongoing Laundry saga~
Okay...
I put off laundry last Wed and Thurs, so Friday was a big day...four sink loads!
Got them all out on the lines, nicely hung.
Big storm on Saturday...rained all day.
Rained again on Sunday.
Snowed on Monday.
They're clean, just wetter than when I hung them up out there.
Kid wet the bed on Sunday night.
Big laundry issues.
Blankets to wash, no line space available, and cooler temperatures ensure smaller chance of drying.
Hmmmmm....
Plan B? Use the radiant heating devices to hang things on! I wouldn't have thought of it, if it wasn't for the necessary drying of the snow stuff on Monday. Blessing in disguise! Now, if the kids have something they particularly want dried that day, I tell them to get them off the lines, and bring them in and I put them on the heaters :). Awesome.
Now I just need to figure out how to get them smelling better faster. It took me three soakings and four rinses to get the whites smelling like something other than...well, something unpleasant. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but not something I want to be smelling like :)!
I put off laundry last Wed and Thurs, so Friday was a big day...four sink loads!
Got them all out on the lines, nicely hung.
Big storm on Saturday...rained all day.
Rained again on Sunday.
Snowed on Monday.
They're clean, just wetter than when I hung them up out there.
Kid wet the bed on Sunday night.
Big laundry issues.
Blankets to wash, no line space available, and cooler temperatures ensure smaller chance of drying.
Hmmmmm....
Plan B? Use the radiant heating devices to hang things on! I wouldn't have thought of it, if it wasn't for the necessary drying of the snow stuff on Monday. Blessing in disguise! Now, if the kids have something they particularly want dried that day, I tell them to get them off the lines, and bring them in and I put them on the heaters :). Awesome.
Now I just need to figure out how to get them smelling better faster. It took me three soakings and four rinses to get the whites smelling like something other than...well, something unpleasant. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but not something I want to be smelling like :)!
Glimpses of yesterday
When Avot was at her party last night, one of her great gifts was missed: storytelling! She has such a soft heart, so when her little sisters come up to her, hearts in their eyes, pleading for a story "about ballerinas" or something like that, she always seems to take the time to do that. She even has a puppet she calls "Bugsy" that has a voice that drives Lek crazy. (He keeps hiding Bugsy :).) We missed her last night, although enjoyed Daddy's version of the 3 Little Pigs...they are always creative :).
Papaya has two little baby dolls, and apparently one is named Hans. No idea where that came from. The other one, affectionately named by Papaya, is...Baby. Sweet. She loves them, particularly Baby. She changes its diaper, gives it baths, and even brushed it's teeth yesterday and sat it on the toilet to "go potty." Nasty...
Papaya has a soft heart. Whenever someone is sad, she is one of the first to go and genuinely seek to help them feel better. What a lesson we could learn from these littlest ones! So many times, when someone is hurt in the family, people get defensive, "it wasn't my fault!" or just offer passing sympathy. Papaya places herself in front of them, trying to look into the hurt person's eyes, gently stroking their face or arms, with a cute little turn of the head. What a darling.
Pipalicious is busy making children's books. She writes a little story, decorates the pages, and then places them on our shelf next to our other children's books. I love it! There are so many things that are happening like this in our one room apartment with our slower pace of life.
-The Goob, Chugger-dude and Liliputian are busy researching animals to make prezis on prezi.com (super cool site!).
-The Goob and Liliputian saw Avot mending her own skirt and spent a morning mending whatever they could find: old torn blankets, stuffed animals, and clothes.
-Flashcards are whipping out as people see each other get faster and faster.
-The kids wrestle as a big group, play with legos together, dress up together, or play group games outside, helping each other get ready because they want them to be there with them
-when I read Beowulf to the kids while they color in their Beowulf coloring books, Papaya quietly goes to sleep in her little "bed" Lek makes for her out of mounded blankets surrounding a little "nest"
-it feels so good to get it all clean first thing in the morning!
-kids jump into help with cooking when they see me get the stuff out for "fixings"
Q-dawg is really ready for the move upstairs around 7 pm every night and in the middle of his work each morning :). However, most of the time, we feel a lot of peace, remarkably so...
I was thinking about it...there is really very little I miss. Anything that I don't have, I will have later when we move back, and right now I am really enjoying it. Things that seem like they could be a disadvantage, seem to always have their "upside":
--smaller space: easier to clean up
--kids always there: I get to see all the sweet little things they do! (my sister Heidi mentioned that when she moved out of a one-bedroom with her family into a multiple room place, she missed her kids...I can see what she means...)
--laundry in the sink: lots of thinking time...there really is peace in work
--constant fundamental, life-providing word that needs to be done: don't have to pick and choose between good and better :), and it all feels satisfying
--less options of produce and products at the store: less need to choose :)...
--no vehicle: see more people, exposed more to Hungarian, more exercise with walking, time spent with family waiting for transportation, no expenses
I know that I will be with people again, and do miss them, but at home, realistically, I did not see or interact with them daily, anyway. (Okay, except for maybe RaNae and Angie :)...)
One thing I do miss?
Pandora...did you know you cannot access it outside of the US? Sigh...Youtube is alright for music, but definitely not so great and varied.
Halloween party today! All the kids are coming up with things to do, activities like eating home-made donuts off a string, musical chairs, "Ghost in the Graveyard," eating spooky looking things, etc. Should be fun!
Papaya has two little baby dolls, and apparently one is named Hans. No idea where that came from. The other one, affectionately named by Papaya, is...Baby. Sweet. She loves them, particularly Baby. She changes its diaper, gives it baths, and even brushed it's teeth yesterday and sat it on the toilet to "go potty." Nasty...
Papaya has a soft heart. Whenever someone is sad, she is one of the first to go and genuinely seek to help them feel better. What a lesson we could learn from these littlest ones! So many times, when someone is hurt in the family, people get defensive, "it wasn't my fault!" or just offer passing sympathy. Papaya places herself in front of them, trying to look into the hurt person's eyes, gently stroking their face or arms, with a cute little turn of the head. What a darling.
Pipalicious is busy making children's books. She writes a little story, decorates the pages, and then places them on our shelf next to our other children's books. I love it! There are so many things that are happening like this in our one room apartment with our slower pace of life.
-The Goob, Chugger-dude and Liliputian are busy researching animals to make prezis on prezi.com (super cool site!).
-The Goob and Liliputian saw Avot mending her own skirt and spent a morning mending whatever they could find: old torn blankets, stuffed animals, and clothes.
-Flashcards are whipping out as people see each other get faster and faster.
-The kids wrestle as a big group, play with legos together, dress up together, or play group games outside, helping each other get ready because they want them to be there with them
-when I read Beowulf to the kids while they color in their Beowulf coloring books, Papaya quietly goes to sleep in her little "bed" Lek makes for her out of mounded blankets surrounding a little "nest"
-it feels so good to get it all clean first thing in the morning!
-kids jump into help with cooking when they see me get the stuff out for "fixings"
Q-dawg is really ready for the move upstairs around 7 pm every night and in the middle of his work each morning :). However, most of the time, we feel a lot of peace, remarkably so...
I was thinking about it...there is really very little I miss. Anything that I don't have, I will have later when we move back, and right now I am really enjoying it. Things that seem like they could be a disadvantage, seem to always have their "upside":
--smaller space: easier to clean up
--kids always there: I get to see all the sweet little things they do! (my sister Heidi mentioned that when she moved out of a one-bedroom with her family into a multiple room place, she missed her kids...I can see what she means...)
--laundry in the sink: lots of thinking time...there really is peace in work
--constant fundamental, life-providing word that needs to be done: don't have to pick and choose between good and better :), and it all feels satisfying
--less options of produce and products at the store: less need to choose :)...
--no vehicle: see more people, exposed more to Hungarian, more exercise with walking, time spent with family waiting for transportation, no expenses
I know that I will be with people again, and do miss them, but at home, realistically, I did not see or interact with them daily, anyway. (Okay, except for maybe RaNae and Angie :)...)
One thing I do miss?
Pandora...did you know you cannot access it outside of the US? Sigh...Youtube is alright for music, but definitely not so great and varied.
Halloween party today! All the kids are coming up with things to do, activities like eating home-made donuts off a string, musical chairs, "Ghost in the Graveyard," eating spooky looking things, etc. Should be fun!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Halloween party in Pécel
(Isn't it soooooo cool that I learned how to do the "é"?)
Q-dawg has been keeping up with events here in Pécel to help us become more involved in our community. That's how we have found out about a bunch of things, one of our favorites of which was a Halloween party thrown by a school that teaches English and German to its students. So fun!
They opened it up to everyone in the community, but we were the only other people that came. Q-dawg called ahead to make sure it was okay, and she sounded excited to have us there for the Hungarian-speaking kids to have someone to practice English with. The party, apparently, was the idea of their new teacher from the US, a guy from Michigan, who wanted it as a "cultural event."
It was for ages 5-12 (you could hear the disappointed cries of Hava and Papaya for quite a while after we left them with Avot and Lek to appease them with movies and treats). Liliputian, the Goob, Chugger-dude and Pipalicious were beside themselves with excitement as they prepared with some of the draperies we brought with us (dress up silks) and the couple random costumes that somehow made their ways in. Pipalicious graciously conceded the prince costume when Chugger-dude was left with golden and pink silks to make up his costume, so she and Liliputian went as princesses. I threw together home-made crowns (get this: the left-over bright yellow duct tape from marking our luggage taped into a circle to match their head size, and then aluminum foil wrapped around the outside and stuck to the inside to keep it in place...where there's a will, there's a way). The Goob threw on a "judge's robe"/graduation gown, and went as a warlock. We made quite a sight, I am sure, tramping through the streets of Pécel on our way to the party. People rarely have more than one child...occasionally two...and to be dressed up? Hmmmmm....
We made it to the party, and found out that our costumes were actually quite more fancy than most of the kids there. They were all awesomely home-made and fun,...those who dressed up :). They were all darling kids, so sweet and fun, and it was their first Halloween party! How cool!
They had bobbing for apples, pin the face on the pumpkin, and eat the "treat" off the string (they used chocolate covered ginger star cookies in lieu of not having donuts in Hungary...go figure!). The Goob finally warmed up to the Hungarian boys about half-way through: they and the older girls were all impressed with the dexterity with which our kids were able to get the apples out of the bowl. We have had lots of practice with our Biesinger/Buchanan birthday parties in the past.
We said goodbye and thanks and headed home. It was a great night, and we even picked up treats for the kids at home. Win-win for everyone :).
Q-dawg has been keeping up with events here in Pécel to help us become more involved in our community. That's how we have found out about a bunch of things, one of our favorites of which was a Halloween party thrown by a school that teaches English and German to its students. So fun!
They opened it up to everyone in the community, but we were the only other people that came. Q-dawg called ahead to make sure it was okay, and she sounded excited to have us there for the Hungarian-speaking kids to have someone to practice English with. The party, apparently, was the idea of their new teacher from the US, a guy from Michigan, who wanted it as a "cultural event."
It was for ages 5-12 (you could hear the disappointed cries of Hava and Papaya for quite a while after we left them with Avot and Lek to appease them with movies and treats). Liliputian, the Goob, Chugger-dude and Pipalicious were beside themselves with excitement as they prepared with some of the draperies we brought with us (dress up silks) and the couple random costumes that somehow made their ways in. Pipalicious graciously conceded the prince costume when Chugger-dude was left with golden and pink silks to make up his costume, so she and Liliputian went as princesses. I threw together home-made crowns (get this: the left-over bright yellow duct tape from marking our luggage taped into a circle to match their head size, and then aluminum foil wrapped around the outside and stuck to the inside to keep it in place...where there's a will, there's a way). The Goob threw on a "judge's robe"/graduation gown, and went as a warlock. We made quite a sight, I am sure, tramping through the streets of Pécel on our way to the party. People rarely have more than one child...occasionally two...and to be dressed up? Hmmmmm....
We made it to the party, and found out that our costumes were actually quite more fancy than most of the kids there. They were all awesomely home-made and fun,...those who dressed up :). They were all darling kids, so sweet and fun, and it was their first Halloween party! How cool!
They had bobbing for apples, pin the face on the pumpkin, and eat the "treat" off the string (they used chocolate covered ginger star cookies in lieu of not having donuts in Hungary...go figure!). The Goob finally warmed up to the Hungarian boys about half-way through: they and the older girls were all impressed with the dexterity with which our kids were able to get the apples out of the bowl. We have had lots of practice with our Biesinger/Buchanan birthday parties in the past.
We said goodbye and thanks and headed home. It was a great night, and we even picked up treats for the kids at home. Win-win for everyone :).
Church on Sunday
I think we have the hang of this Sunday thing, having done it for two weeks in a row successfully :). Of course, this Sunday was even easier because we had our daylight savings this last Sunday, apparently a week before the States. I don't mind :). I am always ready for the fall version of the system, even if I don't particularly care for the spring challenge of getting up an hour earlier. Like everyone I talk to, it is always so much easier to sleep in later :).
Well, the weather man said there was a 20% chance of rain. Q-dawg accurately predicted that it would rain on the way to the train and then during our transitions to church.
Yep.
Coming from Utah, you hear about places that actually have rainfall, like our sister Heidi who is just welcoming in the rainy season in Oregon, but I guess I never thought about the obvious adaptation that people who live there make.
They buy this marvelous invention called an umbrella. You'd think that after walking through my fourth downpour that I would have thought of this, but no. Apparently, I am not a very quick learner :).
Everyone has them here,...well, that or jackets that actually keep the rain off, which most of my family doesn't have :).
Anyway, after showing up at church happy but a little damp, we sat down next to this marvelous man from Russia. I think we are going to adopt him as a grandfather figure to sit next to each week. His name is Illés (Hungarian for "Elijah" but, he informed us adamantly, not the prophet Elijah :)...cute!), and he took great delight sharing some orange tic tacs with as far as his remaining supply would go. "How many kids do you have?" I was able to understand from him, as he began passing them out. It was cool to actually be able to communicate with him a little, although I did have to trap Q-dawg with Illés in the hall later so I could ask a couple of unanswered questions. He is from Russia, and is simply marvelous. He even gave Papaya a dry-erase marker towards the end of the meeting when she was starting to lose it. That kept both Papaya and Mommy's attention riveted on the coloring book she plastered with blue marker, Mommy making sure she didn't draw on anything she shouldn't. (I didn't have the heart to say, "Ahhhhhh! A Marker!!!!!!") Papaya was overjoyed and didn't make a peep for an entire talk. Of course, I got nothing out of that talk :).
I am understanding about one or two words a sentence, which is very cool. Unfortunately, the words are things like "then," "or," "much," "I know," "love,"...try making sense of a talk only understanding those words :). There are a couple more, like "God," "commandment," "Mormon" ("Mormon"...what a stretch), "Gospel," "family," and "children," which come in handy at church, but I still have a ways to go, and my concentration wanders towards the end of each meeting after intensely trying to pick out what I can.
It is still funny listening to Q-dawg introduce himself as "Q" to the Hungarians. They struggle with it, because it is not a letter they would say the way we do, but, he insists, it is far better than being referred to as "Queen."
Somehow, we always time it that we arrive at the train station five to ten minutes after it leaves on its Sunday hourly cycle. Fortunately, we brought a lunch to eat while we wait, and that helped pass the time. We were also informed on our trip home on the trolley that the trolley we were one would be stopping and everyone would be getting off and taking a bus. After dutifully getting off, we looked across at where all the other passengers were heading and saw, to our dismay, people going into different directions and loading onto different buses. Sweet. We waited for one bus, followed a group of people as they left that stop and headed somewhere else, then did a quick 180 degree change with everyone else as, apparently, it was another bus we were supposed to be on. We are just glad we got on, even if we didn't have any seats. The calmer ones of us were on the outside, while there was some type of bashing, wrestling match going on in the corner with the crazier ones. We must be quite the sight.
Most of the time, people just give us a quick glance askance, giving us a double take, and then they take up their stoic "Eastern European" "I am not noticing anything" facial expression that is so common. I honestly don't look too much, unless I notice the kids paying particular attention to someone who is obviously playing with them...most often Papaya. She plays peek-a-boo with all sorts of people on public transportation. I have only noticed a few that get irritated, or turn up their listening devices or turn into their corners to pointedly ignore us, so that's not too bad :). The kids are actually pretty fabulous on the whole.
Side note on our weekly adventures, whenever we get to the train station and have to approach the tracks (or get to the trolley and it is approaching), Q-dawg says, "If you play by the tracks, you will die. This is not the place to play." I think we should have it printed up on a shirt for him :). It is becoming as much a part of him as his dad's words of wisdom are a part of him: "You can always come back for more. Don't take more than you can eat." Both true, both need to be said often to remind us, and both very much a part of each of them in my mind's eye. :)
Final thoughts on church, I must confess I had a kind of lousy attitude about it the night before. I was tired, knew it was probably going to rain, and knew I wouldn't be understanding most of it, so part of me wanted to just say, "then why go?" Of course, having been blessed for years for going even when it didn't make sense from a "logical" perspective (kids, distractions, tiredness, etc.), I didn't really consider it. God definitely blesses us when we do all we can, and sometimes "all we can" is doing something we should, even with a lousy attitude. :)
Once again, I was blessed, and had a lot of great interactions with ladies in the ward, learned a few more words, had some successful communication with Hungarian sisters, and felt peace.
Thanks, Heavenly Father, for your patience with me :)....
The Primary president is excited to have some English-speaking children who actually want to learn Hungarian :). She gave us a cool blog started by one of the ladies in the ward who has translated a couple of (or found translations to) "I feel my Savior's Love," "Keep the Commandments," and "Stand for the Right." The kids are already picking up a few words from singing the hymns at church that they are familiar with at home, which is neat...especially repetitious ones like "You Can Make the Pathway Bright" in the chorus.
We have a marvelous translator in Relief Society. She speaks Hungarian, English, and German. It was inspiring to hear her translate for a sister who was visiting from Germany into English in the headsets for the English-speaking women of the ward and then the same thing into Hungarian for the majority of the sisters. So cool!
Avot and Lek were excited to hear about a YM/YW Halloween party this week. They went on their own tonight, to Budapest, using public transportation, including the train, walking a few times, taking the subway, and taking the trolley. They had Q-dawg's cell phone so we could call and check on them, but it was a little nerve-wracking for me. They both, however, seemed calm and confident, so I guess this is good for them :). We figured it was about $16 to send them to YM/YW, but the cost, overall, is cheaper than gas, car payment, insurance, etc., we figured :). We might check into the monthly passes, but figured that our trips into town for the doctor will be done after the baby is born, and it might not be worth it after that. They left about 4:45 and should be back around 10 pm. Wow.
It will be very fun for them, though. They both seem to be thriving in this YM/YW group, and Lek even gave the opening prayer in sacrament meeting last week. Cool! He has been passing the sacrament each week, and is determined to learn how to read and speak in Hungarian, so has been really focusing in our nightly practice of reading the Mormon Konyve together, along with our regular Book of Mormon reading. It is fun to hear them pick up on words and patterns already.
They only have YM/YW about every other week, so transportation isn't a weekly issue, and normally, it seems, it is at the church...a quicker and cheaper route to take, not to mention a more familiar one. It is good for them, I am sure, and building a lot of confidence in them.
Well, the weather man said there was a 20% chance of rain. Q-dawg accurately predicted that it would rain on the way to the train and then during our transitions to church.
Yep.
Coming from Utah, you hear about places that actually have rainfall, like our sister Heidi who is just welcoming in the rainy season in Oregon, but I guess I never thought about the obvious adaptation that people who live there make.
They buy this marvelous invention called an umbrella. You'd think that after walking through my fourth downpour that I would have thought of this, but no. Apparently, I am not a very quick learner :).
Everyone has them here,...well, that or jackets that actually keep the rain off, which most of my family doesn't have :).
Anyway, after showing up at church happy but a little damp, we sat down next to this marvelous man from Russia. I think we are going to adopt him as a grandfather figure to sit next to each week. His name is Illés (Hungarian for "Elijah" but, he informed us adamantly, not the prophet Elijah :)...cute!), and he took great delight sharing some orange tic tacs with as far as his remaining supply would go. "How many kids do you have?" I was able to understand from him, as he began passing them out. It was cool to actually be able to communicate with him a little, although I did have to trap Q-dawg with Illés in the hall later so I could ask a couple of unanswered questions. He is from Russia, and is simply marvelous. He even gave Papaya a dry-erase marker towards the end of the meeting when she was starting to lose it. That kept both Papaya and Mommy's attention riveted on the coloring book she plastered with blue marker, Mommy making sure she didn't draw on anything she shouldn't. (I didn't have the heart to say, "Ahhhhhh! A Marker!!!!!!") Papaya was overjoyed and didn't make a peep for an entire talk. Of course, I got nothing out of that talk :).
I am understanding about one or two words a sentence, which is very cool. Unfortunately, the words are things like "then," "or," "much," "I know," "love,"...try making sense of a talk only understanding those words :). There are a couple more, like "God," "commandment," "Mormon" ("Mormon"...what a stretch), "Gospel," "family," and "children," which come in handy at church, but I still have a ways to go, and my concentration wanders towards the end of each meeting after intensely trying to pick out what I can.
It is still funny listening to Q-dawg introduce himself as "Q" to the Hungarians. They struggle with it, because it is not a letter they would say the way we do, but, he insists, it is far better than being referred to as "Queen."
Somehow, we always time it that we arrive at the train station five to ten minutes after it leaves on its Sunday hourly cycle. Fortunately, we brought a lunch to eat while we wait, and that helped pass the time. We were also informed on our trip home on the trolley that the trolley we were one would be stopping and everyone would be getting off and taking a bus. After dutifully getting off, we looked across at where all the other passengers were heading and saw, to our dismay, people going into different directions and loading onto different buses. Sweet. We waited for one bus, followed a group of people as they left that stop and headed somewhere else, then did a quick 180 degree change with everyone else as, apparently, it was another bus we were supposed to be on. We are just glad we got on, even if we didn't have any seats. The calmer ones of us were on the outside, while there was some type of bashing, wrestling match going on in the corner with the crazier ones. We must be quite the sight.
Most of the time, people just give us a quick glance askance, giving us a double take, and then they take up their stoic "Eastern European" "I am not noticing anything" facial expression that is so common. I honestly don't look too much, unless I notice the kids paying particular attention to someone who is obviously playing with them...most often Papaya. She plays peek-a-boo with all sorts of people on public transportation. I have only noticed a few that get irritated, or turn up their listening devices or turn into their corners to pointedly ignore us, so that's not too bad :). The kids are actually pretty fabulous on the whole.
Side note on our weekly adventures, whenever we get to the train station and have to approach the tracks (or get to the trolley and it is approaching), Q-dawg says, "If you play by the tracks, you will die. This is not the place to play." I think we should have it printed up on a shirt for him :). It is becoming as much a part of him as his dad's words of wisdom are a part of him: "You can always come back for more. Don't take more than you can eat." Both true, both need to be said often to remind us, and both very much a part of each of them in my mind's eye. :)
Final thoughts on church, I must confess I had a kind of lousy attitude about it the night before. I was tired, knew it was probably going to rain, and knew I wouldn't be understanding most of it, so part of me wanted to just say, "then why go?" Of course, having been blessed for years for going even when it didn't make sense from a "logical" perspective (kids, distractions, tiredness, etc.), I didn't really consider it. God definitely blesses us when we do all we can, and sometimes "all we can" is doing something we should, even with a lousy attitude. :)
Once again, I was blessed, and had a lot of great interactions with ladies in the ward, learned a few more words, had some successful communication with Hungarian sisters, and felt peace.
Thanks, Heavenly Father, for your patience with me :)....
The Primary president is excited to have some English-speaking children who actually want to learn Hungarian :). She gave us a cool blog started by one of the ladies in the ward who has translated a couple of (or found translations to) "I feel my Savior's Love," "Keep the Commandments," and "Stand for the Right." The kids are already picking up a few words from singing the hymns at church that they are familiar with at home, which is neat...especially repetitious ones like "You Can Make the Pathway Bright" in the chorus.
We have a marvelous translator in Relief Society. She speaks Hungarian, English, and German. It was inspiring to hear her translate for a sister who was visiting from Germany into English in the headsets for the English-speaking women of the ward and then the same thing into Hungarian for the majority of the sisters. So cool!
Avot and Lek were excited to hear about a YM/YW Halloween party this week. They went on their own tonight, to Budapest, using public transportation, including the train, walking a few times, taking the subway, and taking the trolley. They had Q-dawg's cell phone so we could call and check on them, but it was a little nerve-wracking for me. They both, however, seemed calm and confident, so I guess this is good for them :). We figured it was about $16 to send them to YM/YW, but the cost, overall, is cheaper than gas, car payment, insurance, etc., we figured :). We might check into the monthly passes, but figured that our trips into town for the doctor will be done after the baby is born, and it might not be worth it after that. They left about 4:45 and should be back around 10 pm. Wow.
It will be very fun for them, though. They both seem to be thriving in this YM/YW group, and Lek even gave the opening prayer in sacrament meeting last week. Cool! He has been passing the sacrament each week, and is determined to learn how to read and speak in Hungarian, so has been really focusing in our nightly practice of reading the Mormon Konyve together, along with our regular Book of Mormon reading. It is fun to hear them pick up on words and patterns already.
They only have YM/YW about every other week, so transportation isn't a weekly issue, and normally, it seems, it is at the church...a quicker and cheaper route to take, not to mention a more familiar one. It is good for them, I am sure, and building a lot of confidence in them.
International calls...on the computer?
Did you know that you can make international calls on the computer?
Apparently, you can :).
Q-dawg needed to make some calls to the United States and was able to find some type of Google connection to make it happen,...pretty cheap, too.
So, just for anyone who wants to know, you can make calls from your computer for a lot cheaper than the rates our cell phone plan was giving us. International ones, too.
And thank goodness! He was able to straighten up some confusion from his credit union and make sure that our hospital, doctor, and pediatrician are on our plan. Woohoo! Now, I can have the baby :).
The only challenging part of the whole phone call business (well, other than finding out how to do it and getting it set up) was actually creating a bubble of quiet in our "spacious home" (oops! I'm trying not to be sarcastic :)!). Lek was a saint and took them outside, to play a bang-up game of "Mr. Boogety," an elaborate tag/hide-and-seek game. When his limits were being taxed and we were getting bangs on the door every few minutes, Avot rolled up her sleeves (figuratively speaking...she actually had to put on more "sleeves"--aka her jacket--) and jumped into the fray. Between the two outer guards and my inner-line of defense, we created the "bubble" Q-dawg needed.
It was sooooo tempting to keep them outside afterward, the quiet was so nice, but dinner was ready to come out, they were hungry from a late dinner, and they had already been fabulous, so....
...we made the right choice and let them in :).
Apparently, you can :).
Q-dawg needed to make some calls to the United States and was able to find some type of Google connection to make it happen,...pretty cheap, too.
So, just for anyone who wants to know, you can make calls from your computer for a lot cheaper than the rates our cell phone plan was giving us. International ones, too.
And thank goodness! He was able to straighten up some confusion from his credit union and make sure that our hospital, doctor, and pediatrician are on our plan. Woohoo! Now, I can have the baby :).
The only challenging part of the whole phone call business (well, other than finding out how to do it and getting it set up) was actually creating a bubble of quiet in our "spacious home" (oops! I'm trying not to be sarcastic :)!). Lek was a saint and took them outside, to play a bang-up game of "Mr. Boogety," an elaborate tag/hide-and-seek game. When his limits were being taxed and we were getting bangs on the door every few minutes, Avot rolled up her sleeves (figuratively speaking...she actually had to put on more "sleeves"--aka her jacket--) and jumped into the fray. Between the two outer guards and my inner-line of defense, we created the "bubble" Q-dawg needed.
It was sooooo tempting to keep them outside afterward, the quiet was so nice, but dinner was ready to come out, they were hungry from a late dinner, and they had already been fabulous, so....
...we made the right choice and let them in :).
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Attack of the Soldier Bugs
The kids wanted me to make sure I mentioned the "soldier bugs." I may have mentioned them before, but here are a few things they wanted us to remember.
We have been attacked in full force by what they call "soldier bugs" here in Hungary. Go figure, I always thought that our American name of "lady bugs" was so perfect and elegant. Yes, they are lady bugs. They come into the house through any opening they can, with often 20-30 milling around the windows or doors at a time.
When Q-dawg was talking to Tamas from upstairs about them, one flew up Tamas's nose. Q-dawg joked and said that that particular soldier bug was doing a good job. Tamas said, "That's not a soldier bug. That's a terrorist bug."
Fortunately, with the cooler weather the attack has diminished. Q-dawg is particular efficient at gathering multiple bugs in his hand and throwing them out. As the kids pointed out, they really stink if you accidentally smash them on your hands, even if we wanted to do that instead. They have a broad range of colors and designs, too...I have never seen such a variety, with large brown spots, orange, yellow, and brown wings, tiny dots, black with red dots...all sorts! How cool!
We have been attacked in full force by what they call "soldier bugs" here in Hungary. Go figure, I always thought that our American name of "lady bugs" was so perfect and elegant. Yes, they are lady bugs. They come into the house through any opening they can, with often 20-30 milling around the windows or doors at a time.
When Q-dawg was talking to Tamas from upstairs about them, one flew up Tamas's nose. Q-dawg joked and said that that particular soldier bug was doing a good job. Tamas said, "That's not a soldier bug. That's a terrorist bug."
Fortunately, with the cooler weather the attack has diminished. Q-dawg is particular efficient at gathering multiple bugs in his hand and throwing them out. As the kids pointed out, they really stink if you accidentally smash them on your hands, even if we wanted to do that instead. They have a broad range of colors and designs, too...I have never seen such a variety, with large brown spots, orange, yellow, and brown wings, tiny dots, black with red dots...all sorts! How cool!
Great School Day
It's been a great day so far!
We had "preschool," reviewing our "J for Joy" from the other day, and then doing our homemade coloring pages for "K for Kindness." Liliputian and Chugger-dude join Pipalicious and Hava with the letter practice, practicing cursive letters instead of the printing the littler ones do. We are doing a little "catch-up" so we are doing two letters in one week.
This applies to our spelling lists for the week, which range from "so, do, lo" for Pipalicious to "jujitsu, kumquat, kaolin" for Q-dawg and I. Our fun "challenge" list includes "kaleidoscope, joie de vivre, jeremiad, and empyrean." For that final list, I just look for the strangest words I can in our book of 20,000 Spelling Words (awesome find at the library surplus sale!).
The gentlemen won our contest last week *sigh* and Lek is already drooling over potential victory in a couple months (we take the most wins over three-four months). Victory comes with waited-on special feast for the winning team catered and cleaned up by the losing team.
Anyway, back to our day, we then did our time machine, learning about the Celts in ch. 2 of Medieval History Story of the World. Bring out the blue!
Any wonder why my kids are so crazy? I think they could have driven the Roman soldiers out of Britain single-handedly :).
Did you know that dry-erase markers wash off of skin pretty quickly and well? We tested it first on Lek :).
I sent the warriors out to drive out the Romans from Britain while I made the traditional sandwiches for lunch. (I am glad they like them so much...we have them every other day :)...)
After a most triumphant lunch, in which celts and captives (Lek, Avot, and Q-dawg who had been attacked and captured upon returning from their run) alike enjoyed the feast, we started reading Beowulf together. I found these awesome Dover coloring books that covered the story, so I ordered one for Avot through Pipalicious. I read the original text (which is surprisingly poetic to me--"wave-walker" for boat and "swan path" for seas), pausing to re-cap periodically, and they were remarkably attentive. In fact, Lek and the Goob didn't want me to stop, which was a nice change :). They all colored quietly, comparing and inspiring each other with coloring ideas (the Goob added some wounds to the sea creatures battling Beowulf that he thought were sadly lacking and Chugger-dude latched onto that idea predictably fast :)...). I was surprised all the kids understood. What fun!
Pipalicious then busied herself in the kitchen "trying to make it look nice" and did a nice job! Maybe I have one that will delight in straightening and making things orderly :). They all have their gifts, of course, and I wouldn't trade all the unique strengths of the older ones for anything: Avot's calm spirituality and dependability, Lek's sensitivity and passion, the Goob's eccentric brilliance and quicksilver temper and forgiveness, Liliputian's creativity and ability to nurture, and Chugger-dude's steadiness and purity. However, I definitely won't complain if I get one that loves to make the house look nice :).
Lek and Q-dawg are off to return a plug adapter and pay for another one, and then pick up some ice cream, our first since coming here. They only really sell soft-serve at "ice cream" stands, but we saw some ice cream bars in the local Penny Market that looked good, so we'll see if they come back with those...yummy! Lek likes to practice his Hungarian and is getting better and better.
We had "preschool," reviewing our "J for Joy" from the other day, and then doing our homemade coloring pages for "K for Kindness." Liliputian and Chugger-dude join Pipalicious and Hava with the letter practice, practicing cursive letters instead of the printing the littler ones do. We are doing a little "catch-up" so we are doing two letters in one week.
 |
| See! Simple and Easy...who needs a printer :). These are Liliputian's and Hava's respectively |
 |
| Chugger-dude's (top) and Pipalicious (bottom) |
This applies to our spelling lists for the week, which range from "so, do, lo" for Pipalicious to "jujitsu, kumquat, kaolin" for Q-dawg and I. Our fun "challenge" list includes "kaleidoscope, joie de vivre, jeremiad, and empyrean." For that final list, I just look for the strangest words I can in our book of 20,000 Spelling Words (awesome find at the library surplus sale!).
 |
| Again, not fancy, but it works :). Chugger-dude picked and wrote out theirs... |
The gentlemen won our contest last week *sigh* and Lek is already drooling over potential victory in a couple months (we take the most wins over three-four months). Victory comes with waited-on special feast for the winning team catered and cleaned up by the losing team.
Anyway, back to our day, we then did our time machine, learning about the Celts in ch. 2 of Medieval History Story of the World. Bring out the blue!
 |
| They insisted I participate, so I let them do small things for me. They had no such reservations. |
Did you know that dry-erase markers wash off of skin pretty quickly and well? We tested it first on Lek :).
I sent the warriors out to drive out the Romans from Britain while I made the traditional sandwiches for lunch. (I am glad they like them so much...we have them every other day :)...)
After a most triumphant lunch, in which celts and captives (Lek, Avot, and Q-dawg who had been attacked and captured upon returning from their run) alike enjoyed the feast, we started reading Beowulf together. I found these awesome Dover coloring books that covered the story, so I ordered one for Avot through Pipalicious. I read the original text (which is surprisingly poetic to me--"wave-walker" for boat and "swan path" for seas), pausing to re-cap periodically, and they were remarkably attentive. In fact, Lek and the Goob didn't want me to stop, which was a nice change :). They all colored quietly, comparing and inspiring each other with coloring ideas (the Goob added some wounds to the sea creatures battling Beowulf that he thought were sadly lacking and Chugger-dude latched onto that idea predictably fast :)...). I was surprised all the kids understood. What fun!
Pipalicious then busied herself in the kitchen "trying to make it look nice" and did a nice job! Maybe I have one that will delight in straightening and making things orderly :). They all have their gifts, of course, and I wouldn't trade all the unique strengths of the older ones for anything: Avot's calm spirituality and dependability, Lek's sensitivity and passion, the Goob's eccentric brilliance and quicksilver temper and forgiveness, Liliputian's creativity and ability to nurture, and Chugger-dude's steadiness and purity. However, I definitely won't complain if I get one that loves to make the house look nice :).
Lek and Q-dawg are off to return a plug adapter and pay for another one, and then pick up some ice cream, our first since coming here. They only really sell soft-serve at "ice cream" stands, but we saw some ice cream bars in the local Penny Market that looked good, so we'll see if they come back with those...yummy! Lek likes to practice his Hungarian and is getting better and better.
Sleep habits follow-up...
Papaya rolls all over.
Pipalicious climbs back and forth over Liliputian in her sleep.
And, my personal favorite, Hava oinks.
Yes, last night, about an hour after falling asleep, we hear a chipper "oink! oink! oink!" Stunned, we hurriedly looked over in the direction it came from and there, sure enough, was Hava, eyes closed, happily oink-oinking while rolling back and forth into a more comfortable position.
This sleeping in the same room has its perks! :)
Pipalicious climbs back and forth over Liliputian in her sleep.
And, my personal favorite, Hava oinks.
Yes, last night, about an hour after falling asleep, we hear a chipper "oink! oink! oink!" Stunned, we hurriedly looked over in the direction it came from and there, sure enough, was Hava, eyes closed, happily oink-oinking while rolling back and forth into a more comfortable position.
This sleeping in the same room has its perks! :)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Doctor/hospital visit
After leaving the house at 6:45 this morning, picking up some yogurt for breakfast, and catching an earlier train than we were planning on, Q-dawg and I were off to the hospital Szent Margits in Buda. The kids sleepily bid us a good-bye (and were absolutely fabulous while we were gone for the next 6 hours, thank goodness :)...).
We got off the villamos/trolley and started walking in a zig-zag direction to find Szent Margits. Unfortunately, the streets that were on the mapquest were off the edges of Q-dawg's official Budapest City map guide, so we winged it. After about 20 minutes of walking in the wrong direction, up a hill of 12% grade at the end (it had a sign...yes, it is about as steep as the one to our house :)...), Q-dawg found someone who directed us back the way we had come. Oh well :). It was great exercise, right?
We got to the clinic in the hospital just a few moments late (thank goodness we caught that earlier bus!), and had a time trying to find it. The hospital was old, cobwebby on the stairs, with broken glass in front of the fire extinguisher cases, but I guess it was nice enough. Our doctor who met us there, assured us it was a good hospital. Awesome :). We were whisked right in to get the baby's heart tested and everything was fabulous. Yeah! Healthy baby!
The doctor then took us in his Cadillac to the hospital that is actually covered by our insurance, Telki Hospital. We drove around for about half an hour, taking all sorts of cool, bumpy side-streets (for anyone who has been 8 months pregnant with lots of Braxton-hicks (sp?) the "bumpy" is significant) and making some awesome u-turns. We got to see where the honorable doctor lives, even. What service!
As he was making one of his cool u-turn moves, he pointed out that, even though u-turns weren't technically legal at that place, he, like all Hungarians, disregarded rules when they didn't feel like they applied to them. Interesting :). Maybe too many years of communist rules?
One good side to this "rule-policy" is that Dr. Szép said that hospitals don't have any rules against younger siblings visiting, because they know that people will just break them. I am so excited to be able to have the kids visit us in the hospital. Daddy is going to go and get them and bring them to visit. They will have a cell-phone to keep in contact, and we'll have all sorts of perks available to keep them happy, in the absence of Grandmothers (so sad :(! We will miss you both!)
After a beautiful drive through a forested area, we came to Telki Hospital...and it is amazing! There is a wing specifically set aside for a laboring woman coming in to be admitted. It looks like all the rooms I am going to describe are for one person at a time, too!
After she goes to a private room to be checked, she is taken to a "laboring room" that has all sorts of things to help with labor: jacuzzi/bathtub, large bed, birthing ball, rocking chair, and...a huge knotted rope hanging from the ceiling? That made Q-dawg and I raise our eyebrows. Who knew?
Anyway, then, there is a room for delivery right across the hallway, and then a room next to it for recovery, complete with a separate bed for the father, and all the monitoring stuff for the baby in a little alcove to the side, so the baby can be in the room the entire time with the parents. So cool!
The facility is clean, nestled snugly in a little forested valley with hills on either side, and seems heavenly. The cost of this building, although significantly more than the other hospitals in Budapest, is still far less expensive than in the United States. Let me put it this way, the bill for per day stay after delivery is $250 a day. Crazy! And that is before the insurance coverage that we have! What a blessing.
Q-dawg already has the route planned out for the way there, with the option of a taxi if it is an emergency. My last few deliveries have taken their time, so I am not worried. The key, I guess, is to recognize real labor, which I haven't been able to do so well so far. I know, you'd think the woman has done it 9 times before, she might know the real thing when she has it! Goes to show, experience doesn't amount to much in the area of child delivery...except to know how much you don't know and how different it can be each time :).
We got off the villamos/trolley and started walking in a zig-zag direction to find Szent Margits. Unfortunately, the streets that were on the mapquest were off the edges of Q-dawg's official Budapest City map guide, so we winged it. After about 20 minutes of walking in the wrong direction, up a hill of 12% grade at the end (it had a sign...yes, it is about as steep as the one to our house :)...), Q-dawg found someone who directed us back the way we had come. Oh well :). It was great exercise, right?
We got to the clinic in the hospital just a few moments late (thank goodness we caught that earlier bus!), and had a time trying to find it. The hospital was old, cobwebby on the stairs, with broken glass in front of the fire extinguisher cases, but I guess it was nice enough. Our doctor who met us there, assured us it was a good hospital. Awesome :). We were whisked right in to get the baby's heart tested and everything was fabulous. Yeah! Healthy baby!
The doctor then took us in his Cadillac to the hospital that is actually covered by our insurance, Telki Hospital. We drove around for about half an hour, taking all sorts of cool, bumpy side-streets (for anyone who has been 8 months pregnant with lots of Braxton-hicks (sp?) the "bumpy" is significant) and making some awesome u-turns. We got to see where the honorable doctor lives, even. What service!
As he was making one of his cool u-turn moves, he pointed out that, even though u-turns weren't technically legal at that place, he, like all Hungarians, disregarded rules when they didn't feel like they applied to them. Interesting :). Maybe too many years of communist rules?
One good side to this "rule-policy" is that Dr. Szép said that hospitals don't have any rules against younger siblings visiting, because they know that people will just break them. I am so excited to be able to have the kids visit us in the hospital. Daddy is going to go and get them and bring them to visit. They will have a cell-phone to keep in contact, and we'll have all sorts of perks available to keep them happy, in the absence of Grandmothers (so sad :(! We will miss you both!)
After a beautiful drive through a forested area, we came to Telki Hospital...and it is amazing! There is a wing specifically set aside for a laboring woman coming in to be admitted. It looks like all the rooms I am going to describe are for one person at a time, too!
After she goes to a private room to be checked, she is taken to a "laboring room" that has all sorts of things to help with labor: jacuzzi/bathtub, large bed, birthing ball, rocking chair, and...a huge knotted rope hanging from the ceiling? That made Q-dawg and I raise our eyebrows. Who knew?
Anyway, then, there is a room for delivery right across the hallway, and then a room next to it for recovery, complete with a separate bed for the father, and all the monitoring stuff for the baby in a little alcove to the side, so the baby can be in the room the entire time with the parents. So cool!
The facility is clean, nestled snugly in a little forested valley with hills on either side, and seems heavenly. The cost of this building, although significantly more than the other hospitals in Budapest, is still far less expensive than in the United States. Let me put it this way, the bill for per day stay after delivery is $250 a day. Crazy! And that is before the insurance coverage that we have! What a blessing.
Q-dawg already has the route planned out for the way there, with the option of a taxi if it is an emergency. My last few deliveries have taken their time, so I am not worried. The key, I guess, is to recognize real labor, which I haven't been able to do so well so far. I know, you'd think the woman has done it 9 times before, she might know the real thing when she has it! Goes to show, experience doesn't amount to much in the area of child delivery...except to know how much you don't know and how different it can be each time :).
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
October 23, Day of Remembrance in Hungary
Today, our family joined with the Hungarians in remembering this day that is very important to all of Hungary. To learn more about what happened, I have a post on my Lazarus blog about it, but basically, on this day in 1956, the Hungarians drove out the Soviets, an unbelievable feat, waited for the world to support their actions, and then were massacred 12 days later as the Soviets rolled back in to take over for the next 33 years, when nothing was done to acknowledge or support the Hungarians.
Footage from Hungarian Revolution
We watched this last night, after Q-dawg shared with the kids and I what happened so many years ago.
Well, back to today, we went to a local historical mansion where a memorial service was being held. Everyone was somber and reflective. They began by standing and singing the Hungarian national song together...a beautiful, powerful piece, especially so when sung by a room full of Hungarians, full of pride in their country, tears in so many eyes.
There were some school kids who put on a play re-enacting the scenes of 1956, complete with sound effects of bullets, tanks, and radio announcements from the day. They even sang some moving pieces, and I saw many more tears. It was an honor to be there with people that lived through the communist/Soviet occupation, and some, I am sure, that either lived during the revolution or participated themselves in it.
What an incredible opportunity. The kids were pretty good, asked lots of questions, and I even communicated a little with a gentleman that insisted that I needed to have a "szék" (a seat). I am glad I knew what he was talking about, unlike the man who tried to help me in the airport :). He was very nice, and we were able to hear better, but I don't know about the people around us. (Hava and Pipalicious kept asking what they were saying. When Hava didn't believe I didn't know, I made it up. It kept her quiet :). And, when she thought that they were singing because they were sad because all the princesses died, she was appropriately somber. Bad? Maybe, but the people around me probably appreciated it.
Footage from Hungarian Revolution
We watched this last night, after Q-dawg shared with the kids and I what happened so many years ago.
Well, back to today, we went to a local historical mansion where a memorial service was being held. Everyone was somber and reflective. They began by standing and singing the Hungarian national song together...a beautiful, powerful piece, especially so when sung by a room full of Hungarians, full of pride in their country, tears in so many eyes.
There were some school kids who put on a play re-enacting the scenes of 1956, complete with sound effects of bullets, tanks, and radio announcements from the day. They even sang some moving pieces, and I saw many more tears. It was an honor to be there with people that lived through the communist/Soviet occupation, and some, I am sure, that either lived during the revolution or participated themselves in it.
What an incredible opportunity. The kids were pretty good, asked lots of questions, and I even communicated a little with a gentleman that insisted that I needed to have a "szék" (a seat). I am glad I knew what he was talking about, unlike the man who tried to help me in the airport :). He was very nice, and we were able to hear better, but I don't know about the people around us. (Hava and Pipalicious kept asking what they were saying. When Hava didn't believe I didn't know, I made it up. It kept her quiet :). And, when she thought that they were singing because they were sad because all the princesses died, she was appropriately somber. Bad? Maybe, but the people around me probably appreciated it.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Papaya's baby's bath
After the hike with daddy, the kids came back filthy, especially Papaya. Of course, Papaya seems to come back dirty after every trip into the backyard :).
So, we did our bath in the sink last night. Hava and Pipalicious lean their heads over the sink while I wash their hair and so a washcloth bath of their bodies. (The upstairs has a bathtub and full-sized fridge and freezer...dreamy!) The water was still great, so I didn't need to heat any more up over the stove-top for Papaya before putting her in. She loves the bath. It is always a struggle to get her out at the end. This time, she snagged her baby that she has dragged everywhere with her since coming from the U.S. Yes, very dirty. Needless to say, when I checked on her (she was happily dumping cupfuls of water down the side of the sink...groan!), the water was so dirty I couldn't even see through it. Blegh! Two very dirty babies!
I did a quick rinse and got her out (again, amidst much protest), and rinsed the baby doll out as much as I could. It was at least three shades lighter :).
So, we did our bath in the sink last night. Hava and Pipalicious lean their heads over the sink while I wash their hair and so a washcloth bath of their bodies. (The upstairs has a bathtub and full-sized fridge and freezer...dreamy!) The water was still great, so I didn't need to heat any more up over the stove-top for Papaya before putting her in. She loves the bath. It is always a struggle to get her out at the end. This time, she snagged her baby that she has dragged everywhere with her since coming from the U.S. Yes, very dirty. Needless to say, when I checked on her (she was happily dumping cupfuls of water down the side of the sink...groan!), the water was so dirty I couldn't even see through it. Blegh! Two very dirty babies!
I did a quick rinse and got her out (again, amidst much protest), and rinsed the baby doll out as much as I could. It was at least three shades lighter :).
 |
| They're clean now! ...sorry, it's sideways...I am in a hurry :) |
The fly's death cry
Last night, while reading scriptures, Daddy swatted at a fly.
"Got it!" he said.
Avot looked around and said, "No, you hit it, and then it flew away to die somewhere else."
"How did you know that?" Dad asked curiously.
"I could tell by the sound it made."
Really?
She even made the motion and sound of a fly doing it's death buzz.
Hidden talents.
"Got it!" he said.
Avot looked around and said, "No, you hit it, and then it flew away to die somewhere else."
"How did you know that?" Dad asked curiously.
"I could tell by the sound it made."
Really?
She even made the motion and sound of a fly doing it's death buzz.
Hidden talents.
Oops!
Did I mention that I said the kids could dig holes in a spot that I thought was safe, back by the fence and out of the way of people's walking?
Well, I did, thinking it was harmless and a great way for them to have fun. And they have been having fun! (Although, I think I did post earlier how they were pretending they were toilets for their toys...hmmmmm.)
Well, apparently, the spot I picked for them is right over the cesspool (the catch-all for the outhouse) right next to it. Oh dear.
The landlord told us this, the holes are filled, and the landlord is planning on bringing some sand for a sandbox sometime in the next month.
Oops!
Well, I did, thinking it was harmless and a great way for them to have fun. And they have been having fun! (Although, I think I did post earlier how they were pretending they were toilets for their toys...hmmmmm.)
Well, apparently, the spot I picked for them is right over the cesspool (the catch-all for the outhouse) right next to it. Oh dear.
The landlord told us this, the holes are filled, and the landlord is planning on bringing some sand for a sandbox sometime in the next month.
Oops!
Unsettled...
For the record, there are definitely times of stretching while we are here...times where I find myself so out of my comfort zone that I wonder how I can keep going. Of course, maybe some of that is being so close to delivery of this new little one, but there really is something to what my dear friend, Lynda, told me. She has had to move several times with her husband in the military, and said to me that it always was hard the first month (at least). It is hard to believe it has only been a week and a half.
The kids do go crazy at times, Q-dawg and I lose our patience (this morning at breakfast, case in point), and sometimes we are just hungry because I didn't plan well enough for food on hand :). The kids feel the change, sometimes yearn for something different, but through it all, we find as many things to be joyful and grateful for.
It just seems so unreal at times, that we are walking down these streets with all our children, seeing what we see, hearing what we hear, doing what we are doing. I am grateful for God's guidance and trust His hand.
The kids do go crazy at times, Q-dawg and I lose our patience (this morning at breakfast, case in point), and sometimes we are just hungry because I didn't plan well enough for food on hand :). The kids feel the change, sometimes yearn for something different, but through it all, we find as many things to be joyful and grateful for.
It just seems so unreal at times, that we are walking down these streets with all our children, seeing what we see, hearing what we hear, doing what we are doing. I am grateful for God's guidance and trust His hand.
Hungary is not a third world country :)
I just realized, looking back in my blog and thinking about what I have posted (and what I have experienced), that it sounds like we are in a third world country...laundry in the sink, etc.
Well, that is just my experience to date, largely out of choice and being mindful of the stewardship that is mine.
Having come over with "so little" (although it feels like a surprising amount contained within 26 square meters :)...), we left much behind. However, rather than rent a car and bustle down to the "local IKEA" (yes, they have one, and it's in Buda, right on our way to church) and stock up my house with all the things I just got rid of, I am trying to be mindful of just what I truly need, not just want. I respect my husband's responsibility to support us all here in Hungary hugely, and try to be very careful about how I use his sacrifice to us.
It is surprising what we can do without.
As for the washing machine, I imagine everyone has one, since there is no local laudromat and everyone I see seems clean :). I don't see many clothes on the lines, but I know the people upstairs hang out their clothes in their living room on racks, so maybe that is standard practice.
I just need to learn more Hungarian to find out how people keep their clothes so clean and dry :).
We have found a bunch of washing machines online for sale. The closest is no where near enough for us to transport ourselves. Do you think we could transport it on a train? We couldn't find any truck rental places locally either, but that doesn't mean they don't have them :). It just means, again, we need to learn more Hungarian :).
My true dream? A piano. I crave it, as do the kids. Fortunately, Avot brought her violin so we get that musical inspiration and are not completely without. :) Pray for a piano for us :)...
Well, that is just my experience to date, largely out of choice and being mindful of the stewardship that is mine.
Having come over with "so little" (although it feels like a surprising amount contained within 26 square meters :)...), we left much behind. However, rather than rent a car and bustle down to the "local IKEA" (yes, they have one, and it's in Buda, right on our way to church) and stock up my house with all the things I just got rid of, I am trying to be mindful of just what I truly need, not just want. I respect my husband's responsibility to support us all here in Hungary hugely, and try to be very careful about how I use his sacrifice to us.
It is surprising what we can do without.
As for the washing machine, I imagine everyone has one, since there is no local laudromat and everyone I see seems clean :). I don't see many clothes on the lines, but I know the people upstairs hang out their clothes in their living room on racks, so maybe that is standard practice.
I just need to learn more Hungarian to find out how people keep their clothes so clean and dry :).
We have found a bunch of washing machines online for sale. The closest is no where near enough for us to transport ourselves. Do you think we could transport it on a train? We couldn't find any truck rental places locally either, but that doesn't mean they don't have them :). It just means, again, we need to learn more Hungarian :).
My true dream? A piano. I crave it, as do the kids. Fortunately, Avot brought her violin so we get that musical inspiration and are not completely without. :) Pray for a piano for us :)...
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Church success!
We did it! We got to church on time!
Leaving a little after our goal of 7:30 am, cinnamon rolls in hand, we made it in plenty of time to the train station. It was a bit chilly, but the sun came up and our walk warmed us up. The train was also nicely heated, so by the time we got to our stop, we were ready to go again :).
We walked a good Pipalicious speed to the villamos (trolley), which put us there just a smidge late-- we made a dash across the road and the tracks to it and fortunately the driver was nice and didn't just pull away...whew!
This put us to church 15 minutes early,...woohoo! It is strange having an international branch--I want to say "hi" to people, but don't know whether to greet them in Hungarian or English, and I can see they feel the same. I asked a lady later how it was and she said it is a little awkward being a mixed ward. She says everything takes longer for the Hungarians, having to wait for the translation. It is nice of them to allow for it, for those English-speakers who are sometimes only here for a couple months. However, I feel for the Hungarians and any potential investigator they might bring. I went to the Hungarian speaking Sunday School and, thanks to my translation of the first part of the Book of Mormon recognized the words for Jew and Gentile (Jew and non-Jew, literally, in Hungarian). Other than that and about one or two words per sentence, the rest was over my head, but you could feel the spirit.
Liliputian and the Goob share a class, Chugger-dude and Pipalicious share, and then Papaya and Hava have their own...all in English. Avot and Lek can choose which to go to, but have gone to the English-speaking both weeks. Apparently, they have teacher that is "like Daddy," i.e. funny :).
We had a "linger-longer" after church, where we all "hung out," and we got to meet a few more people. We brought our successful batch of chocolate chip cookies (although they look funny), and some sandwich fixings and bread. There was a delicious paprika, potato and sausage soup, and a hot dog soup, with whole hotdogs floating in it, that was "interesting," according to Lek.
We knew we had missed the next train before we left church by about 10 minutes (no matter how fast we hurried) so we took a leisurely walk along the way there. The trains/vanot come every hour on Sunday, so we had plenty of time :). I think the Goob and Pipalicious are going through growth spurts, because they are always hungry. The walnuts and apples in the orchard are just not sufficient!
We have Q-dawg's famous "Spaghetti Sunday" going behind me,...it smells delish! We are having a traditional uburke (cucumber) salad to go with it, which is finom, if I do say so myself. Just cucumbers, salt, sugar and vinegar, soaked for a few hours--wonderful!
We met one of our next-door neighbors, and she speaks English! Her name is Kinga, and she is super nice. She has been here for about 7 years and I am sure she has never seen the likes of us.
Leaving a little after our goal of 7:30 am, cinnamon rolls in hand, we made it in plenty of time to the train station. It was a bit chilly, but the sun came up and our walk warmed us up. The train was also nicely heated, so by the time we got to our stop, we were ready to go again :).
We walked a good Pipalicious speed to the villamos (trolley), which put us there just a smidge late-- we made a dash across the road and the tracks to it and fortunately the driver was nice and didn't just pull away...whew!
This put us to church 15 minutes early,...woohoo! It is strange having an international branch--I want to say "hi" to people, but don't know whether to greet them in Hungarian or English, and I can see they feel the same. I asked a lady later how it was and she said it is a little awkward being a mixed ward. She says everything takes longer for the Hungarians, having to wait for the translation. It is nice of them to allow for it, for those English-speakers who are sometimes only here for a couple months. However, I feel for the Hungarians and any potential investigator they might bring. I went to the Hungarian speaking Sunday School and, thanks to my translation of the first part of the Book of Mormon recognized the words for Jew and Gentile (Jew and non-Jew, literally, in Hungarian). Other than that and about one or two words per sentence, the rest was over my head, but you could feel the spirit.
Liliputian and the Goob share a class, Chugger-dude and Pipalicious share, and then Papaya and Hava have their own...all in English. Avot and Lek can choose which to go to, but have gone to the English-speaking both weeks. Apparently, they have teacher that is "like Daddy," i.e. funny :).
We had a "linger-longer" after church, where we all "hung out," and we got to meet a few more people. We brought our successful batch of chocolate chip cookies (although they look funny), and some sandwich fixings and bread. There was a delicious paprika, potato and sausage soup, and a hot dog soup, with whole hotdogs floating in it, that was "interesting," according to Lek.
We knew we had missed the next train before we left church by about 10 minutes (no matter how fast we hurried) so we took a leisurely walk along the way there. The trains/vanot come every hour on Sunday, so we had plenty of time :). I think the Goob and Pipalicious are going through growth spurts, because they are always hungry. The walnuts and apples in the orchard are just not sufficient!
We have Q-dawg's famous "Spaghetti Sunday" going behind me,...it smells delish! We are having a traditional uburke (cucumber) salad to go with it, which is finom, if I do say so myself. Just cucumbers, salt, sugar and vinegar, soaked for a few hours--wonderful!
We met one of our next-door neighbors, and she speaks English! Her name is Kinga, and she is super nice. She has been here for about 7 years and I am sure she has never seen the likes of us.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Hanging out with the locals
Avot and Lek are going to a local youth group "game night." Apparently, a local pediatrician got it going, and they do it on Fridays and Saturdays and are supposed to have things like basketball, ping pong, and group games. Q-dawg is taking them down for their first time, and they are both nervous/excited.
Both of them have really shown what they are made of so far. Lek is really jumping into finishing things (like seminary, classes, and jobs), and acts so much more responsible and mature with his interactions with the kids, all the while maintaining the full boisterous sponenaeity that is Lek :).
Avot has arisen to the challenge of cooking in a foreign place, with make-shift ingredients and tools, and is always offering to help out when I seem overwhelmed. Both of them have shown remarkable tolerance to the decreased space and increased noise (often increasing the latter :)...), and are being a golden older brother and sister. I am so grateful!
There are many times, when I have come home, tired, only to find one or the other has started a meal going, slicing and dicing, or has taken the kids for a group outing or made up a game.
Maybe, while they are at the activity, Q-dawg will finally find a pump and needle for his American football he has been carrying around off and on since we got here. We all know the Hungarian word for pump, "poompa" (phonetically put), since he has said it so much :). What a fun man :)...
Both of them have really shown what they are made of so far. Lek is really jumping into finishing things (like seminary, classes, and jobs), and acts so much more responsible and mature with his interactions with the kids, all the while maintaining the full boisterous sponenaeity that is Lek :).
Avot has arisen to the challenge of cooking in a foreign place, with make-shift ingredients and tools, and is always offering to help out when I seem overwhelmed. Both of them have shown remarkable tolerance to the decreased space and increased noise (often increasing the latter :)...), and are being a golden older brother and sister. I am so grateful!
There are many times, when I have come home, tired, only to find one or the other has started a meal going, slicing and dicing, or has taken the kids for a group outing or made up a game.
Maybe, while they are at the activity, Q-dawg will finally find a pump and needle for his American football he has been carrying around off and on since we got here. We all know the Hungarian word for pump, "poompa" (phonetically put), since he has said it so much :). What a fun man :)...
Pregnancy/Doctor update
Q-dawg and I took a longer trip into Buda yesterday to meet my doctor that we are going to deliver with. Apparently, it is a show-up and be seen kind of clinic. Well, before I go into my impressions of this clinic, let me share my impressions of the first one. It was nice, orderly, with many well-dressed clients and their husbands, and very comfortable...much like what I am used to in the U.S. The clinic I went to yesterday? Well...let me just say, it reminded me of the kind of clinic people would see during the communist regime: a little hole in the wall place with nothing like the obsession of sterility that seems to exude from other medical practices I have been to. The doctor? Shows up a little late, dressed in a casual, old polo shirt (complete with a couple holes in it), and looks like a white-haired version of the Russian in R.E.D. (for those who have seen that movie).
Fortunately, he spoke English, took plenty of time to answer our questions, and was eager to help us. He gave us all sorts of useful information for the weeks ahead, and is even going to take us to visit the hospital where we will deliver in his personal car next Wednesday after going to a clinic to get an EKG (I think he said) for the baby's heart beat. He did an ultrasound there at the office, and it was good to see the little baby within me again. I never get tired of seeing that, you know? I love these little ones, as Charles Dickens puts it, and it is no small thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. (Thanks, Niesha R., for blessing my life with that quote!)
So, feelings? People have been having babies since the dawn of time, right? It's mostly me, and I have been reviewing my hypnobirthing that made Pipalicious's delivery one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. I might be able to leave the hospital as early as one day after delivery, depending upon how the baby and I are doing (of course) and if we can secure our pediatrician by then, which we are working on. There are a few different procedures here--the PKU is taken 4 days after, and all Hungarian babies are required to get a TB shot. I need to look into that latter one...
Other than that, my feelings are, well...he's certainly nice enough, and seems to be competent. At least he seems to know all the answers to my questions about bonding with the baby afterwards (they let me keep the baby with me :)!), hospital procedures, and labor practices (they'll let me walk, sit, wander, sit on a birthing ball,...whatever, apparently). And, hey! His name is Dr. Nice or Dr. Beautiful, is how his name translates. It can't be that bad, right :)?
Q-dawg and I enjoyed a light dinner on the way home, courtesy of the local ABC market--yogurt, rolls, and an Alpine milk chocolate bar. Sweet.
We made it to the train station in plenty of time to catch one that was leaving soon for Pécel. We decided to walk further down the train to one of the first cars to make it less of a walk home when we got to Pécel, so we headed to the front end of the train. However, when we saw crowds of people doing the same--about half way down the train--, we went ahead and got on the next car, figuring our chances would be better at getting a seat then.
It was a good thing we had walked as far as we did! We got off the train in Pécel, expecting to have people walking past us to the town (which lays further down the tracks) and saw no one. We were on the last car! If we had gotten onto any of the other cars before that one that we chose to, we would have still been sitting at the train station or going somewhere else! We still don't know how that happened, but are grateful we decided to walk as far as we did, and will be careful to check for things like that next time :)!
The contractions are coming more and more often, harder and harder, but it seems that it is like this more and more towards the end with the more babies I have. I really like what the hypnobirthing book says about fear being the enemy...it really is. It is amazing how much easier the contractions are to bear when I let go of any fear about pain and just imagine trusting my body. They really do become easy to deal with. Nice book :).
Fortunately, he spoke English, took plenty of time to answer our questions, and was eager to help us. He gave us all sorts of useful information for the weeks ahead, and is even going to take us to visit the hospital where we will deliver in his personal car next Wednesday after going to a clinic to get an EKG (I think he said) for the baby's heart beat. He did an ultrasound there at the office, and it was good to see the little baby within me again. I never get tired of seeing that, you know? I love these little ones, as Charles Dickens puts it, and it is no small thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. (Thanks, Niesha R., for blessing my life with that quote!)
So, feelings? People have been having babies since the dawn of time, right? It's mostly me, and I have been reviewing my hypnobirthing that made Pipalicious's delivery one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. I might be able to leave the hospital as early as one day after delivery, depending upon how the baby and I are doing (of course) and if we can secure our pediatrician by then, which we are working on. There are a few different procedures here--the PKU is taken 4 days after, and all Hungarian babies are required to get a TB shot. I need to look into that latter one...
Other than that, my feelings are, well...he's certainly nice enough, and seems to be competent. At least he seems to know all the answers to my questions about bonding with the baby afterwards (they let me keep the baby with me :)!), hospital procedures, and labor practices (they'll let me walk, sit, wander, sit on a birthing ball,...whatever, apparently). And, hey! His name is Dr. Nice or Dr. Beautiful, is how his name translates. It can't be that bad, right :)?
Q-dawg and I enjoyed a light dinner on the way home, courtesy of the local ABC market--yogurt, rolls, and an Alpine milk chocolate bar. Sweet.
We made it to the train station in plenty of time to catch one that was leaving soon for Pécel. We decided to walk further down the train to one of the first cars to make it less of a walk home when we got to Pécel, so we headed to the front end of the train. However, when we saw crowds of people doing the same--about half way down the train--, we went ahead and got on the next car, figuring our chances would be better at getting a seat then.
It was a good thing we had walked as far as we did! We got off the train in Pécel, expecting to have people walking past us to the town (which lays further down the tracks) and saw no one. We were on the last car! If we had gotten onto any of the other cars before that one that we chose to, we would have still been sitting at the train station or going somewhere else! We still don't know how that happened, but are grateful we decided to walk as far as we did, and will be careful to check for things like that next time :)!
The contractions are coming more and more often, harder and harder, but it seems that it is like this more and more towards the end with the more babies I have. I really like what the hypnobirthing book says about fear being the enemy...it really is. It is amazing how much easier the contractions are to bear when I let go of any fear about pain and just imagine trusting my body. They really do become easy to deal with. Nice book :).
Sizes and adjustments
We are currently winning the war on our gas oven...I think :). Up until now, all the cookies we have tried to cook in it (there are no temp indicators) have burned. Our neighbor who lives upstairs, Tomas, is a chef/cook and he only cooks in the electric oven at his restaurant...he says that anything he tries to cook in his gas oven burns. At least I am not the only one!
So....I turned to my brilliant husband. His idea? Brilliant plan: Take a piece of aluminum foil, place it reflective side down on the rack under the baking pan, and then the heat will be reflected back down, out and around to come around the top to cook it more evenly.
The cinnamon rolls we tried tonight? Perfect. He is brilliant :). It's a good thing to, because it is what we are going to take with us to church in the morning.
Apparently, the internet was wrong and church begins at 9 am (maybe I already wrote that last week). Plan? Get up earlier :), leave for the train by 7:30, focusing on clothes and teeth exclusively, give them a cinnamon roll to eat on their way out the door, and finish up hair for the little ones on the train. The rest of the rolls will be eaten en route.
Brilliant plan #2!
So, while winning on the war on the oven and its obscure measurements, we turn to the other battlefront...the war on space.
Did you know that our apartment is a whopping 26 square meters? For all of us Americans, that equates to 280 square feet...a little more than one quarter of the square footage of our starter home :). However, the up-sides are:
-the weather has been fabulous so the kids spend most of their time out there...including eating. Today they were digging holes in a designated spot, and I overheard them referring to them as their toilets. Making sure they were figurative or part of their game, I shook my head after encouraging them to find something else to make-believe about. (Maybe with the one bathroom limited seating condition, it is a very real thing for them :)?)
-they have all actually done quite well adjusting and adapting, increasing their tolerance for each other
-it only took me a couple hours, with distractions (aka kids) to clean the entire thing. Of course, the vacuum is broken so I have to sweep the rug, and I did threaten to have the kids clean with me if they didn't leave me alone, which scared them away. (Actually, they took me up on my promise once with one of the usual stream of petty complaints, so they all had work to keep them busy for a little bit and help them decide if they really wanted to bother me again :). I'm serious...I just want to work--let me clean :)!)
-we get to find out all sorts of fun and interesting things about people's sleeping habits: Papaya snores, Pipalicious says all sorts of interesting things in her sleep, and a couple other things too embarrassing to mention (although Avot did capture one of the Goob on camera that I made her delete :)...). Lek loves to sleep with a chill breeze blowing on him, just enough that he can snuggle comfortably under his 10 blankets. Alright, so maybe it is just a couple blankets, but we are all figuring out a way to make it work. :) For my pregnant inner-heat-generator, it is actually not a bad arrangement, and everyone else seems to have sufficient blankets for it all.
The older kids have discovered a new game of putting the littler kids on their feet up in the air, and throwing them into the piles of blankets and pillows Lek so nicely stacks on the side of the bed, where they wait for their evening use.
So, un-brilliant plan #1 of the day: measuring/estimating how many groceries we need for the next week and whether or not I can carry them all myself. Q-dawg offered to take the kids on a hike for me while I went shopping by myself, so I could have some time alone, but I opted for having him go with me and taking the kids on the hike on Monday, since his work-load on that day isn't too bad. It is a good thing too! Apparently, the bus to the "ocean" (Auchan department store) didn't run at the same time we thought it did on the internet, so we went to the local Penny Market instead...which probably was also a good thing. Now, remember how I referred to my estimation job in this case as "un-brilliant" ? (As if there were such a word...)..the saga unfolds...
Well, we got everything we needed, plus two extras (yummy yogurt!), and discovered we not only filled our backpacks with over 25 pounds of groceries each, but we also filled a huge grocery store bag, had to carry a bag of 5 Kg of potatoes, and filled a banana box (which I carried).
Fortunately, at the bottom of our hill (which is probably more of an 11 degree angle, but seems like 45 degrees!), a kind lady took pity on us, and brought us home. It was fun to hear her and Q-dawg chatter back and forth, and I found I am understanding more and more. Woohoo! Of course, she was talking about children and Pécel and the streets we live on, so I recognized many of those, but still! So cool! She was definitely a God-send :). She also lives very close, so it was fun to meet one of our "neighbors" :).
So, thanks to divine intervention, my "mis-"estimation was not fatal and we made it home alright.
So....I turned to my brilliant husband. His idea? Brilliant plan: Take a piece of aluminum foil, place it reflective side down on the rack under the baking pan, and then the heat will be reflected back down, out and around to come around the top to cook it more evenly.
The cinnamon rolls we tried tonight? Perfect. He is brilliant :). It's a good thing to, because it is what we are going to take with us to church in the morning.
Apparently, the internet was wrong and church begins at 9 am (maybe I already wrote that last week). Plan? Get up earlier :), leave for the train by 7:30, focusing on clothes and teeth exclusively, give them a cinnamon roll to eat on their way out the door, and finish up hair for the little ones on the train. The rest of the rolls will be eaten en route.
Brilliant plan #2!
So, while winning on the war on the oven and its obscure measurements, we turn to the other battlefront...the war on space.
Did you know that our apartment is a whopping 26 square meters? For all of us Americans, that equates to 280 square feet...a little more than one quarter of the square footage of our starter home :). However, the up-sides are:
-the weather has been fabulous so the kids spend most of their time out there...including eating. Today they were digging holes in a designated spot, and I overheard them referring to them as their toilets. Making sure they were figurative or part of their game, I shook my head after encouraging them to find something else to make-believe about. (Maybe with the one bathroom limited seating condition, it is a very real thing for them :)?)
-they have all actually done quite well adjusting and adapting, increasing their tolerance for each other
-it only took me a couple hours, with distractions (aka kids) to clean the entire thing. Of course, the vacuum is broken so I have to sweep the rug, and I did threaten to have the kids clean with me if they didn't leave me alone, which scared them away. (Actually, they took me up on my promise once with one of the usual stream of petty complaints, so they all had work to keep them busy for a little bit and help them decide if they really wanted to bother me again :). I'm serious...I just want to work--let me clean :)!)
-we get to find out all sorts of fun and interesting things about people's sleeping habits: Papaya snores, Pipalicious says all sorts of interesting things in her sleep, and a couple other things too embarrassing to mention (although Avot did capture one of the Goob on camera that I made her delete :)...). Lek loves to sleep with a chill breeze blowing on him, just enough that he can snuggle comfortably under his 10 blankets. Alright, so maybe it is just a couple blankets, but we are all figuring out a way to make it work. :) For my pregnant inner-heat-generator, it is actually not a bad arrangement, and everyone else seems to have sufficient blankets for it all.
The older kids have discovered a new game of putting the littler kids on their feet up in the air, and throwing them into the piles of blankets and pillows Lek so nicely stacks on the side of the bed, where they wait for their evening use.
So, un-brilliant plan #1 of the day: measuring/estimating how many groceries we need for the next week and whether or not I can carry them all myself. Q-dawg offered to take the kids on a hike for me while I went shopping by myself, so I could have some time alone, but I opted for having him go with me and taking the kids on the hike on Monday, since his work-load on that day isn't too bad. It is a good thing too! Apparently, the bus to the "ocean" (Auchan department store) didn't run at the same time we thought it did on the internet, so we went to the local Penny Market instead...which probably was also a good thing. Now, remember how I referred to my estimation job in this case as "un-brilliant" ? (As if there were such a word...)..the saga unfolds...
Well, we got everything we needed, plus two extras (yummy yogurt!), and discovered we not only filled our backpacks with over 25 pounds of groceries each, but we also filled a huge grocery store bag, had to carry a bag of 5 Kg of potatoes, and filled a banana box (which I carried).
Fortunately, at the bottom of our hill (which is probably more of an 11 degree angle, but seems like 45 degrees!), a kind lady took pity on us, and brought us home. It was fun to hear her and Q-dawg chatter back and forth, and I found I am understanding more and more. Woohoo! Of course, she was talking about children and Pécel and the streets we live on, so I recognized many of those, but still! So cool! She was definitely a God-send :). She also lives very close, so it was fun to meet one of our "neighbors" :).
So, thanks to divine intervention, my "mis-"estimation was not fatal and we made it home alright.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Picture memories
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| The kids spend most of their time out of doors... |
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| Sometimes (alright, most of the time) they go a little crazy...good reason for them to be out of doors... |
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| Papaya and her baby... |
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| Yeah! A Sunny Day! |
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| Beautiful Pipalicious |
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| A hike with Daddy...Mom enjoyed the time cleaning without anyone underfoot :) |
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| Liliputian loves using her camera |
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| Eating outside is a regular, sanity-saving routine |
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| ...remember..."sanity-saving" is a key word :)... |
Third stage of the journey to Hungary
We got to Dublin, and had to disembark up some escalators, stairs, or an elevator. When I got to the top, I found it was a one way path around through security again even though we were leaving through the same airline and same "wing" of the airport. Crazy Irish. First, Papaya went crazy when I went ahead to check out where we needed to go (no way I was taking that tired bunch anywhere they didn't have to go!). I went back, brought her with me, found out we didn't have to exit through customs, but had to go through a check-point where they scanned our tickets again. All but three scanned in (apparently either the scanner or the tickets were not working too well), so I had to go back and get those three reprinted. She noticed that the seats were all scattered (nice job, someone :)...Papaya was seated by herself...), so she put those three together. Later I realized that I should have asked her to move all of us together, but oh well.
By the time I got back around the corner, Lek was on the ground, ready to sleep. (He had done the man's share of the job lugging equipment around the airport without my asking him too...) The kids all patiently put up with another security check, tiredly waiting on benches for me to finish loading things up. We made our way through the terminal, at one point dropping my sweater, dragging it behind me and catching scarves on the racks as we skirted some stores.
I always go for the option of the elevator, but the kids like the escalator. Normally, this is alright, but this time Chugger-dude ended up falling, losing a bunch of books all over the escalator, but Liliputian came to his rescue. What a wonderful sister.
We had some Irish take pictures of us, after commenting over and over about how many kids we had. The same two people walked past us three times and took pictures each time. Funny. I even posed for them.
The kids did a good job playing for 7 hours. We all were glad for the respite and sleep. With their food, toys, and Charla's games, we were set.
Our gate was deserted...as was pretty much the whole corridor next to us, and it was big and open. The next best feature? A huge ramp next to us that the kids would go up and run or "heelie" down. It was grand, and a marvelous way to stretch their legs.
I was glad for all the blankets and jackets we brought...it made for better sleeping :).
When the time came to go, we were all ready to go. I had re-packed and organized our carry-ons efficiently, and the kids were all up and ready to go on. Well, they didn't allow for as much loading time, so our "pre-boarding window" was very small apparently. I got up to the desk quickly, had to go through the same "passport check" and found out that Lek's ticket was not printed up right...he couldn't get on! What?! How is this possible? "Are you sure that this isn't for the baby? Are you sure she is two?" (Did I pay for her ticket?!) So we waited while she tried to get help and everyone else started boarding. While we were waiting, and I was digging for any kind of verification I could, Lek offered to take my extra baggage off me because, at that point, Papaya was done and wanted to go on, so I had to hold her. By the time they just said, "Go ahead and start loading,...we'll figure this out," everyone else was pushing past to board.
We waited in line (they had already taken our stroller), and as we were getting into the plane I hear a loud, "I cannot believe how much luggage people are bringing on!" Then, I was told in a very curt way, that there was no way Lek was going to come on with all his luggage. He was carrying Papaya's two blankets, the carry-on I had given him so I could carry the baby, his own backpack, her diaper bag...quite a mound, but, really, only one of them was going in the overhead. When I tried to explain this to the lady, she was adamant that I was violating their carry-on alllowance.
"I don't know what you are accustomed to with your international flight, but you are not entitled to the same allotment of carry-ons that you were for the trans-Atlantic flight."
Argh!!! I have nine people and she is telling me I cannot have five pieces of carry ons!
Yes, apparently so. She was unbending. They went through his stuff and checked the carry-on and his backpack that had his stuff for keeping entertained and fed on the plane. "Most of the stuff is for the baby," a man told the stewardess. I could have told her that! I was so mad, upset and frazzled at that point, because she was wrong and my poor Lek was suffering for it! Mother-bear instincts combined with the huge sense of injustice (not to mention her lack of listening) all kicked in. I was MAD!...and she knew it.
Later she came to try and soothe things, but I have relived those moments in my mind over and over, until I finally tried to adopt Elder Uchtdorf's advice, "Stop it." It worked for the most part, but I still have a residual feeling of ache where I feel that I let down my awesome son.
Good points of the flight: they arranged our highly scattered seats (only two of us would have been sitting side-by-side, and four more were staggered with one sitting behind another. The other stewardesses, while I was having it out with the lady up front, had arranged them so they took up a row of six and were able to be by each other...except for Lek. I think he was alright with that, as I did "battle" with Papaya for the last grueling flight. Pipalicious sweetly slept beside me for the whole flight. I couldn't compete for Papaya's attention with the movie for the little baby going on the seat in front of us, but fortunately they didn't mind her standing up and peering at it over the seat.
At that point, I just wanted to cry. Papaya would go between watching the movie and going crazy, but the other kids were angels, fortunately.
We finally disembarked, only to find there was not stroller at the end of the ramp. I kept insisting to the stewardess that I didn't want or need her help...I was not the most forgiving person at that point, unfortunately. Anyway, no stroller, a wired baby, a long, slow line through passports with men trying to slyly pass in front of me on the side. (I finally planted myself squarely across their "lane" so it wouldn't happen again.) Papaya was insane, noisy and protesting, wanting to hold her little grocery bag (that was stuffed with stuff at this point and dropping all over), and finally consenting to be taken onto my shoulders.
I just kept saying, "Daddy is on the other side, guys! Just a few more minutes!"
Well, apparently, he had to wait outside the baggage claim area. Awesome :). I covered this in the other post, so I won't go into many more details, but here is the triumphant picture of us all (and every piece of luggage, miraculously enough) in Hungary with Q-dawg at the end.
Q-dawg took Avot, the three little girls and as much luggage as he could cram into his little car on the first trip, Lek and Lily and more luggage the second time, and then the Goob, Chugger-dude and I for the last trip. The three of us had a great time in the airport. We found another ramp (go figure) in a relatively isolated hall where the boys would go to the top, wait for my discreet signal to "go" or "stop," and then race down the ramp: Chugger-dude on an airport cart and the Goob on his heelies. By the end, they had convinced me to let them try to push each other down...convinced that they could stop the cart before it (and the passenger) crashed into the wall at the bottom.
They were pretty good...Chugger-dude only had to bail once. (Q-dawg has a video of them doing it again outside while we were waiting for him to come.)
We made it!
By the time I got back around the corner, Lek was on the ground, ready to sleep. (He had done the man's share of the job lugging equipment around the airport without my asking him too...) The kids all patiently put up with another security check, tiredly waiting on benches for me to finish loading things up. We made our way through the terminal, at one point dropping my sweater, dragging it behind me and catching scarves on the racks as we skirted some stores.
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| The Goob finally getting some sleep...he got about four hours at the airport |
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| ...as did Lek. |
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| This can't be comfortable. |
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| Of course, Papaya only slept after much struggle...Lek wandered around with her in a stroller while I napped |
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| I just thought this was precious. Papaya insisted on dragging her bag all the way through the airports and on the planes. The jammies were a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Buchanan to keep them warm on the plane...Papaya didn't change out of it very often. |
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| Liliputian, modeling one of our handy-dandy wheeled carry-ons in action--loaded to capacity |
I always go for the option of the elevator, but the kids like the escalator. Normally, this is alright, but this time Chugger-dude ended up falling, losing a bunch of books all over the escalator, but Liliputian came to his rescue. What a wonderful sister.
We had some Irish take pictures of us, after commenting over and over about how many kids we had. The same two people walked past us three times and took pictures each time. Funny. I even posed for them.
The kids did a good job playing for 7 hours. We all were glad for the respite and sleep. With their food, toys, and Charla's games, we were set.
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| Hava enjoying the activities sent by Aunt Charla--a Godsend! |
Our gate was deserted...as was pretty much the whole corridor next to us, and it was big and open. The next best feature? A huge ramp next to us that the kids would go up and run or "heelie" down. It was grand, and a marvelous way to stretch their legs.
I was glad for all the blankets and jackets we brought...it made for better sleeping :).
When the time came to go, we were all ready to go. I had re-packed and organized our carry-ons efficiently, and the kids were all up and ready to go on. Well, they didn't allow for as much loading time, so our "pre-boarding window" was very small apparently. I got up to the desk quickly, had to go through the same "passport check" and found out that Lek's ticket was not printed up right...he couldn't get on! What?! How is this possible? "Are you sure that this isn't for the baby? Are you sure she is two?" (Did I pay for her ticket?!) So we waited while she tried to get help and everyone else started boarding. While we were waiting, and I was digging for any kind of verification I could, Lek offered to take my extra baggage off me because, at that point, Papaya was done and wanted to go on, so I had to hold her. By the time they just said, "Go ahead and start loading,...we'll figure this out," everyone else was pushing past to board.
We waited in line (they had already taken our stroller), and as we were getting into the plane I hear a loud, "I cannot believe how much luggage people are bringing on!" Then, I was told in a very curt way, that there was no way Lek was going to come on with all his luggage. He was carrying Papaya's two blankets, the carry-on I had given him so I could carry the baby, his own backpack, her diaper bag...quite a mound, but, really, only one of them was going in the overhead. When I tried to explain this to the lady, she was adamant that I was violating their carry-on alllowance.
"I don't know what you are accustomed to with your international flight, but you are not entitled to the same allotment of carry-ons that you were for the trans-Atlantic flight."
Argh!!! I have nine people and she is telling me I cannot have five pieces of carry ons!
Yes, apparently so. She was unbending. They went through his stuff and checked the carry-on and his backpack that had his stuff for keeping entertained and fed on the plane. "Most of the stuff is for the baby," a man told the stewardess. I could have told her that! I was so mad, upset and frazzled at that point, because she was wrong and my poor Lek was suffering for it! Mother-bear instincts combined with the huge sense of injustice (not to mention her lack of listening) all kicked in. I was MAD!...and she knew it.
Later she came to try and soothe things, but I have relived those moments in my mind over and over, until I finally tried to adopt Elder Uchtdorf's advice, "Stop it." It worked for the most part, but I still have a residual feeling of ache where I feel that I let down my awesome son.
Good points of the flight: they arranged our highly scattered seats (only two of us would have been sitting side-by-side, and four more were staggered with one sitting behind another. The other stewardesses, while I was having it out with the lady up front, had arranged them so they took up a row of six and were able to be by each other...except for Lek. I think he was alright with that, as I did "battle" with Papaya for the last grueling flight. Pipalicious sweetly slept beside me for the whole flight. I couldn't compete for Papaya's attention with the movie for the little baby going on the seat in front of us, but fortunately they didn't mind her standing up and peering at it over the seat.
At that point, I just wanted to cry. Papaya would go between watching the movie and going crazy, but the other kids were angels, fortunately.
We finally disembarked, only to find there was not stroller at the end of the ramp. I kept insisting to the stewardess that I didn't want or need her help...I was not the most forgiving person at that point, unfortunately. Anyway, no stroller, a wired baby, a long, slow line through passports with men trying to slyly pass in front of me on the side. (I finally planted myself squarely across their "lane" so it wouldn't happen again.) Papaya was insane, noisy and protesting, wanting to hold her little grocery bag (that was stuffed with stuff at this point and dropping all over), and finally consenting to be taken onto my shoulders.
I just kept saying, "Daddy is on the other side, guys! Just a few more minutes!"
Well, apparently, he had to wait outside the baggage claim area. Awesome :). I covered this in the other post, so I won't go into many more details, but here is the triumphant picture of us all (and every piece of luggage, miraculously enough) in Hungary with Q-dawg at the end.
Q-dawg took Avot, the three little girls and as much luggage as he could cram into his little car on the first trip, Lek and Lily and more luggage the second time, and then the Goob, Chugger-dude and I for the last trip. The three of us had a great time in the airport. We found another ramp (go figure) in a relatively isolated hall where the boys would go to the top, wait for my discreet signal to "go" or "stop," and then race down the ramp: Chugger-dude on an airport cart and the Goob on his heelies. By the end, they had convinced me to let them try to push each other down...convinced that they could stop the cart before it (and the passenger) crashed into the wall at the bottom.
We made it!
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