Dog days

The heat's been dreadful, with lots of humidity for some time.  Today is cooler with a great breeze, so we all slept better.  For now, all the kids (including Spooner and Lek) have migrated to the main room, so it is 9 kids in a room and all pleased as punch to be cooler.

Here are some things we have been doing to beat the heat:

-Lek and Avot continue to duel over chess. Avot read up on some tips online so it has been about 50/50 winning for both.  Here is a game Lek wanted documented:

The opponents:

The game!  Checkmate on brown!

Here are some shots of when Lek was chasing the little girls around taking pictures...

Papaya decided to pick up a little light reading and has chosen "Uncle Tom's Cabin" for her first book

Avot's doing a little house cleaning and took a picture of her periodic chart that she put up to memorize the elements...or at least see how they fit together...nerd. :)

Adventure in the Hills of Hungary and Girls at play

Today, the kids went off on an adventure, enjoying some last times in the beautiful nearby forests in Hungary.  They finished up their chores and basics and then loaded up popcorn, nuts, water, cheese, mushrooms and apples. They headed to the store to pick up kifli and chips on the way, and they were off! 

"When do we need to be back?" asked Lek.

"Before the plane leaves," was his father's answer.  No problem!

My little naturalist!

The valley where the medieval weaponry tournament was held...time to explore!

I love this little hiker!  So amazing!

Made it up!

There were a bunch of pools inside the trees that were were completely black and went down really deep

Another cool beetle from Hungary!  It was huge, about 2 inches!

Meanwhile, Papaya and I did puzzles, went on a walk with Spooner and Daddy, and took a nap.  I think she was bored with me.  When the kids came home six hours later, she went racing up to them, excitedly calling out their names.

A little while later, I looked up from where I was studying to see Papaya and Hava on the bed with Spooner laying contentedly next to them, as I listened to the following bits and pieces of "their" conversation:

"Do you speak English?" Hava asked.

"Suh!" ("Sure!") replied Papaya.  This is an important first question for Hava with her friends here in Hungary.  (Most of them say, "nem," but we have had lots of fun with them nonetheless!)

"I'm the biggest queen and the princess," said Hava, "And (Spooner) is the big baby."

No complaints from him.  I think he missed them, too.  He was just lying there, playing with whichever of the toys the girls sent his direction.

Papaya went along with whatever Hava said, thoroughly enjoying her Hava and Hava's new-found talent for sharing her fifty million ponies with her. :)

Swimming time fun!

I am sooooooooooooooo grateful for my friend Rachel and her family...the friendship we enjoy and the awesome pool that saved our family's sanity in this humid heat!  Just picture...98 degrees F and lots of humidity.  And no a/c.  Or breeze.  :)

I'm not the only one with an adorable fat baby :)!

Pipalicious was sad because Chugger-dude didn't want to hug her for the picture...

So she did some posing on her own!

And here is my beautiful friend!

Here is the house across the way.  I noticed that cool wall down the alley as I walked Rachel and her boys out, and had to get a picture of it while I had the camera in my hands.  Behind the fences of Hungary lies so much beauty, both in their gardens and hearts!

Who needs toys?  Pie tins, water and watermelons.  Heaven on earth.

Papaya and her buddy...so cute!

I think the people who came up with the pools maximum of four were incorrect...

The little photographers themselves!

Pictures of our new house in Biatorbagy

Here is a link for the pictures from the website where we found it...they do a good job of the backyard and outside of the house, although you cannot see where our yard extends beyond that little brown gate in the backyard in one of the pictures.

Real estate pictures of house at Biatorbagy

Here are some more pictures for grandparents who like to envision where their children and grandchildren are living :)...and a few other random photos.

Lek's cool chess set that he bought in the castle district for $20...so cool!  He's already smoked most of us on it :), at least once.

This is the bridge we crossed on our way to find the wooded hills near our new house.  This part is a little less than a mile away...

These are the bushes that Hava fell in and got poked with some type of poisonous...thing (I'm pregnant--words are not my strongpoint right now :).)  With some quick application of mud, it helped ease the pain, but we want to try and figure out what it is.  Maybe Niesha B., our resident plant researcher, could find out for us :)?  She did such a great job on that peacock flower, or whatever it was, in El Paso :)...

Our cool new table and cushion chairs in our dining room

Dad in his office...in his "work" clothes.  Did I mention his fettish for cool hats?  It's probably what bald men do to compensate for not being able to style their hair for personal expression :). Whatever it is, I love it!

Me posing in the kitchen, through the cool rock archway that we have in a couple places of our house.  See those rock ledges with pictures on either side?  Perfect position for "taking Pipalicious out," until she learns to be more careful, poor dear!

Check out that fridge!  Look at all those liters :).  ("Tej" is milk.)

Papaya helping make palacsintak (crepes) tonight.  She loves to help!

Sorry, sideways... :S

Papaya set the table for us.  What cuties!

Our beautiful new bathroom...check out that space for a shower in the back!  Lots of room for this pregnant body and a nice deep bath for the little ones.  And take a look at that fine piece of machinery on the right...just listening to the spin cycle whip out that moisture was like listening to the heavenly choir!  No more squeezing from these arms, at least not for a while :)...