Vacation Part two (3rd week in August, 2010)

Although I am now writing this a year after it happened I wanted to at least make a brief post about this vacation. First of all it was pretty wonderful having this much family time. Eric had been deployed from mid-Oct 2009 until March 2nd 2010, followed by a flurry of activity with me having major surgery, us trying to do all the paperwork, running around and packing for a move across the ocean and then the unexpected devastating death of my mother on April 14th 2010. Not totally healed, TJ and I flew to Utah for her funeral, staying for three weeks help settle affairs and be with family. Eric stayed behind to prepare the necessary military work for our upcoming move. The return to Jersey was full of all those things that had been hastily left undone and then instead of making the flight to Vienna as a family, there was a screw-up at the State Department with TJ's passport which caused him and I to have to wait in Jersey for 2 weeks while Chip and Eric flew out as scheduled mid-May. With all of that we were definitely due for some family time1

Part two held special excitement for us as we were heading to Aviano, Italy where there was not only a military base that boasted a large Commissary (i.e. grocery store stocked with American food) and Base Exchange (think Walmart), our good friends from New Jersey, the Bathe's had PCS'd to Aviano AirBase the year before. Their son Trevor had been TJ's best friend since they were 3 years old and their family was like an extension of our family. The drive through more of Austria (which is where I'd love to have a summer home if I ever get super rich somehow) was wonderful and then crossing into Italy was just beyond exciting! I could hardly believe it possible that little ole ME had been to all these countries in such a short time and was now in Italy. This is a feeling I was to experience over and over again and doubt I'll ever really take for granted!

The Bathe's have a wonderful big Italian home on a quiet street, with 6 bedrooms and a good size fenced yard. During the 5 days we were their they showed us all around, taking us up the MT to the little ski resort they could practically see from their front porch, eating at wonderful restaurants (it was at one of these that I was first introduced to Sgroppino - yum) taking a day trip to the marvelous watery Venice and even spending a day swimming in the Adriatic Sea. We ended our time with a major shopping trip on base for all those American essentials we thought we couldn't live without and finally headed back for home. TJ was so sad to be leaving Trevor and Torie (Trevor's older sister who was sweet enough to play with the boys even though she was twice their age. TJ is a bit in love with her). We stopped in Gyor to pick Chip up at the kennel and were much relieved when we saw he was safe and none the worse for us leaving him for two weeks in a Hungarian kennel. Whew!

Driving back into Papa I felt my heart leap at the now familar sights of the church bell towers and the InterSpar water tower I was glad to be home!

Bloom Where You're Planted!

When I first began this blog it was with visions of me detailing my life here in Papa and our adventures throughout Europe. I was going to keep current with pictures and stories so when we were done here we would have this wonderful journal. Funny how life gets in the way of our plans. The main drawback of my 'perfect plan' was by insisting on blogging life in order, as it happened, when I fell behind mid-way through our very first major vacation I missed writing so many little things as I experienced them. And of course I will never get back those exact thoughts and feelings. A great lesson in being less rigid and instead really embracing the 'now'! So from now on, my blog is going to be random and scattered. I will write as the mood takes me and may or may not detail our vacations in any order.

As always, my mantra is "Embrace the moment, Live in the now and Bloom Where You're Planted"!

Vacation - Part one (08/08 - 08/12, 2010)

One thing I love about Eric's job in the military is he accrues 'use or lose' leave....which means mandatory fun! The only difficult part of this vacation was choosing where to go with all the amazing options in front of us. Eric quickly solved that little 'problem' by making plans to visit many of the ski resorts in Austria and Germany so he could better plan for our winter ski vacation. OK by me - all of these locations are beautiful in the summer!

We'd found a kennel just outside Gyor that was pretty new and looked really nice, so Sunday morning we took Chip there and managed to convey the necessary info to the non-English speaking kennel owner and drove off hoping they would take good care of our sweet puppy. Around lunchtime we stopped in Sopron, a beautiful Hungarian town closer to Vienna than to Budapest and sporting many signs in German. Back in the early 1920's Sopron made the choice to remain part of Hungary instead of being included as part of Austria - so in tribute to that decision, 'The Gate of Loyalty' was erected. After walking around a bit we started looking for a fun place to eat lunch. We found one based on an old time American saloon that specialized in steaks cooked over an open fire. We figured we could find something there TJ would eat. It ended up being a pretty pricey lunch but very good. After lunch we were on our way to Austria.

Our first night we stayed in Bad Mitterndorf, a possible ski destination. It was clear early on that one of the major sources of income in Austria is tourism. With it's breathtaking scenery, awesome ski resorts and down right charm it's no wonder that most of the towns we drove through have streets lined with Bavarian Gasthauses, colorful flower boxes decorating their windows. The countryside was amazingly lush and green for August, a fact that became less surprising as we discovered an umbrella is something you should have close at hand no matter what your plans. By the time we arrived in Bad Mitterndorf I was seriously trying to think of ways to afford a vacation cottage on one of those picture perfect slopes. Our room included a private deck with a view of the alps, a delicious breakfast and an indoor pool (a rare feature in Europe). Of course TJ couldn't wait for us to get into our suits, although when we finally did he wanted right back out since it wasn't heated and the initial dip took your breath away. Being sympathetic parents, Eric and I forced him to stay in with us and swim! No way were we going to go to the hassel of getting into suits and getting wet and then let him wimp out on us. After moving around a bit we warmed up (or rather became numb enough to stand it) and stayed in for a fun swim.

From there we went on to Zell Am See, a charming town with beautiful views of the Alps (remember we were on a mission to find the best skiing available come winter) and a bustling walking district. America needs to develop some walking streets with shops and restaurants and no cars. We found great pizza and of course ate outside at one of the many umbrella covered tables, enjoying watching people stroll by and children playing. We loved our room that overlooked all the action and had a lovely view of the church (which was made less lovely as the night went on and the bells continued to ring on the hour...ending at midnight and beginning at 6 AM). We eventually made it over to Berchtesgaden in Germany, also referred to as The Eagle's Nest. A hideout that was gifted to Hitler and has a notorious name but was barely visited by him. All the same it was a bit creepy to be there. The views were pretty amazing and we could totally see why it's called The Eagles Nest! From there we made our way back to Papa for a brief rest, quick batch of laundry and re-packing to prepare for Part two - Italy.


Wow - I just clicked back onto my blog almost one year later. There is much more detail I could have written about this first BIG vacation we took while living in europe, but with so many under our belt since I'll just post this unfinished one and start from there.

Bratislava, Slovakia July 31 - Aug 1, 2010

Before moving to Hungary I had never heard of Bratislava. And after being in Papa a few months the only thing I knew was it was close (about 1 1/2 hours away) and that is was interesting. So when John and Eric settled on going there for the weekend I was curious but with few expectations, and excited when I learned that Cherub and Dan were joining us with their two kids, Logan - 6 months old and Anson - who is a dog but also their 'first child' and every bit a member of the family. TJ was thrilled to know Anson would be with us and looked forward to playing with him.

The Burnett's had left several hours before and were settled into their apartment by the time the rest of us hit the road. When we reached the border of Slovakia we had to pull over so Eric and Dan could buy the necessary vingettes (a tag that is essentially a toll to use the super highway) allowing us to drive without paying a huge fine. The border crossing looked much like the toll plazas in Jersey except old with peeling paint. One of the interesting things about the traveling we are doing while here is I'm learning/re-learning about geography and history. Like everyone, I took History in school and actually liked it. I also had Geography which was less interesting, something that is becoming embarrassingly obvious. For example, driving into Slovakia, Eric (who has always been great at geography, made even better at it with a job that takes him all over the world - a job that requires him to know where he's at and where he's going) 'reminded' me (is it a reminder when I forgot I ever knew this) that Slovaki is only part of what used to be Czeckoslovakia and is now divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Light bulb moment....it's coming back to me....sort of. When you visit different countries, especially when you drive to them, where they sit on a map begins to become fixed in your brain. Nice.

Entering Bratislava, the irony of Europe is apparent with modern buildings rising amongst the more beautiful ornate edifices that have stood the test of time. As we crossed a sleek modern bridge into the old city, Itried to snap pics from the car of the castle up on the hill. I couldn't wait to climb up and see it up close! Good thing Eric had gotten a good feel for the city on google because the streets were a confusing web with cars zooming past us. I was lost before I even got there! But Eric managed beautifully and drove to a street very close to where we were staying. Eric found a parking place in an open spot and we wondered if it would be safe to leave the car there overnight. John and Toni had found parking for 56 euro per night and had opted for street parking instead - but they had a rental car. After a little discussion we decided to take a chance.
Toni had found us the rooms on the walking street. Instead of staying in a hotel this time we had seperate apartments that were really cool. Since they had gotten here ahead of us they had picked up the keys so all we had to do was bring in our luggage. Our key opened an exterior door right off the walking street into a small courtyard. We walked up the old stone stairs to the 3rd level and used another key to open our apartment. It had been renovated and had 2 bathrooms (one huge with a spa tub and seperate shower), a small kitchen, a livingroom with a fold out couch for TJ and a bedroom with a fireplace for Eric and I. The bedroom and livingroom windows looked out onto a small courtyard. It was cute and roomy and the weather was such that the lack of AC wasn't going to be a big deal. One inconvenience we have faced with many of these older hotels is they usually only offer one room key which makes it a bit tricky at times if Eric and I want to go in different directions, but we've managed it ok. After getting our things settled we went down to the street to meet up with the Burnett's and wander around a bit. The kids loved the sense of freedom to be on a street without cars and dashed joyfully around. I think I felt a little of their excitement, I just had to channel it in a more appropriate and grown-up fasion! Soon we walked a few streets over and met up with Dan, Cherub and little Logan. They had gotten a room at the Radisson hotel close by. We made our way through the walking street to an restaurant with outdoor seating, a perfect way to enjoy the evening air and give the kids room to stretch while the adults talked. After dinner we strolled to the center plaza where an orchestra was set up on a stage. The setting was perfect with stars appearing as the sky turned dark, the elegant old buildings lit and a mixed crowd of people all enjoying the music. Looking around I wondered how we Americans had gotten so far away from this type of "community" where people of all ages gathered and enjoyed such simple things. I love the slower pace of europe. The guys walked the rest of us back to our rooms, locked us in with the one key per room and wandered off for a little male bonding.

Next morning the kids were awake (and therefor the mama's too) long before the daddy's were ready to start their day. Toni and I brought the noisey little creatures down to the street in search of breakfast. We had seen a lot of fun eateries the night before but discovered most of them didn't open until a more civilized hour....which meant good ole McDonalds! Before we headed in that direction I wanted to make sure our car had made it through the night safely so we walked the few blocks to where it was parked, only to discover it had a boot on the front tire. Lovely. I sent Eric a text sharing this fun little tidbit (there went his idea of sleeping late) and then we took the kids to McD's. By the time they finished eating Eric and John were awake and dealing with the boot so Toni and I got packed up and ready to check out. It ended up working out great because the paid parking was 56 euro a night and Eric talked the guy that took the boot off the car down from 60 to 30 euro - who knew illegal parking was such a good deal!

After re-parking in an acceptable location we met up with the Langs (including Anson, much to TJ's delight) and set off for the castle. I love walking the narrow streets of these cities and marvel at the intricate details of even the simplest buildings. The castle itself was in a beautiful setting on top of a hill and we were treated to a view of the city and the Danube. Just below the castle we discovered a park with play equipment, just what the kids needed. At this point we left them with their daddy's and Toni, Cherub and I enjoyed several hours of girl time. As much as we love our kids it was so nice to be without them and have a chance to think only about us and what we wanted to do! We found a Cuban restaurant and enjoyed a leisure lunch of food you can't find in Hungary, which included the best mojito I've ever had. And then, just because we could, we went to the yummy bakery we had spotted the day before and ordered dessertand coffee! Just as we were finishing up Cherub got a call from Dan with the news that Logan had had a blow-out and was currently sporting only a diaper and swaddled in a small blanket and screaming for his mama (as only a nursing baby can). We finished the afternoon at the cheese shop and left the city with a selection of delicious cheeses.

So far, of all the places we've been, I love Bratislava the best!

July 24th, 2010 - Daddy's Birthday

I woke in the early hours full of longing, four countries and an ocean between me and the hug I want to give you on this, your 83rd birthday. I have been searching for a gift I can send you, something you would enjoy, something to let you know I am thinking of you and missing being with you, something to celebrate what should be a wonderful milestone marking a life filled with, among other things, seeing to my needs. I am still searching, for the truth is that the things that reach you now are as basic as a touch, a kiss, a back rub. The real truth is that the distance between us is not the miles but your mind being able to access the memories that keep you connected to me, and those memories are slipping quickly. Daddy, I remember! I remember walking with my small hand in your big warm one, stretching my stride as far and fast as I could to keep pace with you as we walked on ahead of mama. I was so proud when I could keep up - to this day I tend to walk briskly where ever I am walking. I remember you with nails in your mouth and a hammer in your hand as you built and fixed and remodeled our houses. I thought you could do anything! I remember how you carried me home from conference at The Tabernacle, my head nestled on your shoulder, smelling Old Spice and feeling safe and loved. I remember you in a crisp white shirt and tie, sitting on the stand at church or walking out the door to work. I remember family home evenings - my favorites being the ones where you got down and played with us, becoming the big bad wolf to our little pig selves. I remember you doing gymnastics with us, going hiking, going camping. Oh how I loved our camping trips with you pitching our tents (I can still smell the heavy canvas one that had only the dirt for our floor), building our fires and cooking those amazing breakfasts! I remember you with a camera in your capable hands - how many of my memories are set firmly in place because of the pictures you took? These are the sweet tender memories that shimmer with rose color and warmth. There are also the other memories...of long car trips with few stops regardless of an aching bladder, and tight lipped conversations and clenched teeth. Memories of anger flashing quick and hot and the uncertainty of what might bring it on. I remember wanting so much to make you break into that brilliant smile yet fearing the rage that seemed to simmer just beneath the surface. I learned to walk lightly, blend in, not make waves. - longing for your embrace yet flinching away. All of this is what shaped my life and helped make me who I am. I hold each memory, good and bad, tenderly, grateful for remembering - knowing now that what connects us to the world is memory. And there you are, having lived your entire life taking care of others; your mom, our mom, us kids, all the pets and people that mom brought in for you to provide for, being the best son, husband, father and man you knew how to be. Imperfect. Vulnerable. Human. And now you spend your time with nights and days blending into simply moments of wakefulness and sleep, locked in a body whose brain is becoming so disconnected that the very memories who let you know who you are and what your life has been are virtually unreachable. Like an infant, dependent on others to meet your needs and where people only exist to you when they walk into your line of vision.
I remember standing next to you in your dark room in Brigham, amazed as you dipped white paper into trays of chemicals and seeing images appear like magic, enchanted when the photo's you liked were dipped into the final tray that fixed the picture and then clipped to the wire to dry, forever captured. Remember too, the way the photos that weren't submerged into that final bath of liquid would begin to fade until they disappeared. Is that what you feared daddy, when you learned of this disease? Did you try and fix your memories in such a way you could sort through each one? I think of how it must have felt as you began to watch each one fade away, unable to make them stick. If I was there with you, as I long so much to be, I would hold you in my arms, hum some familiar tune so you would dance with me. I'd rest my cheek against your soft stubbled one, savoring each precious moment. I'd pull back and gaze into your familiar blue eyes, hoping they would light up, even briefly with recognition that I was someone important to you, accepting when your gaze became distant and vague. Hoping that as your mind wandered that you were walking through the best parts of the life you have lived. I'm searching for that perfect gift for your birthday daddy. In truth, all I can give you on this day is to remember. Remember you, remember the stories I've been told of you, remember who you are and were. I will do for you what you can't, for as long as I can. I love you daddy. Thank you for everything!
Love, Duayna Lee

First trip to Vienna - July 16-18, 2010

I was so excited to be going to our first "destination" weekend trip, and very excited that it was Vienna! We had talked about going somewhere fun with Luis,a single guy Eric works with. He's a pilot on a short tour and since it's no fun to go to new places alone he hadn't been very far from Papa on his time off. The Burnetts, our friends from WA state that are also here on a short tour decided to go to Vienna too so we made plans to all go together (in two cars of course).

The first thing to do was find a hotel with three rooms meeting our requirements (one for a family of four, one for a family of three and a room for one) that was affordable. Sounds easy, eh? Not so much. Remember this is Europe and the hotels are renovated buildings that were built sometimes hundreds of years before. Another thing we learned from our stay in the Panzio for our 4th of July party was that air conditioning is a good thing - and a rare thing as well. And screens on windows is also rare. After much research by both Toni and Eric, the choices were narrowed down.

The next thing was what to do with Chip. Normally we would just find a dog friendly place (pretty easy in Europe) and bring him with. But it was going to be another hot, muggy weekend so the hotel could get miserable during the day and the pavement would be scorching. Lucky for us Laura, one of our friends here was at the house Fri morning for our weekly playdate which I was hosting and she said she and her girls would be willing to take care of Chip during the day and stay over at night. We have a/c in our bedrooms and they don't and the girls wanted to swim in our little pool to beat the heat so it was a win/win! Playdate over, Eric picked up early and things ready for having Luis and the Burnetts over for pizza and playtime (the kids played upstairs and the men 'played' in Eric's Man Room....watching TV and playing loud metal music whilst eating pizza and drinking beer) = no packing for our trip til morning time! Totally worth it!

Saturday morning came too early and I was in a rush to straighten up the house, change the sheets on the bed for Laura and her girls and get TJ and I packed and snacks together. It was a huge relief not to have to worry about Chip this time around so that helped. The Burnetts and Luis were here by 8:15 - time to nail down the hotel. Each new thing is a learning experience and this was no exception. Lesson for the day: if you want three rooms AND air conditioning, book early! After much juggling of sites and phone calls we finally got rooms at a Best Western, sans air conditioning. Oh well, you do what you have to do to have fun, right? Finally got on our way and made the drive, stopping for the required vingettes (it's like paying a toll to use certain major roads) and making a side trip to the airport to drop off the rental car Luis had been using and wouldn't need while he was doing training in the states til the end of Aug. John and Toni and gone on while we did the car rental thing so arrived at the hotel and got us all checked in. Nice! We scored parking on the street right in front (parking in Vienna can be costly and difficult) and we took our bags inside. The elevator was one of the old fashioned kind with a wooden door and little room for many people and luggage. Taking the stairs up three flights to our room seemed like a great idea until the elevator proved to be reliable.

As we walked up the marble steps we could feel the air become warmer and I wondered how it would be trying to sleep without the comfort of air conditioning. Eric worked the lock to our room with a combination of holding the handle at just the right angle, pushing on the door and jiggling the only key. Locks can be tricky in Eurpoe. The door swung open and I was instantly charmed by the beds neatly made with crisp white linen, the large wood framed windows that swung open into the room and the large tile and marble bathroom, complete with bidet! The slight breeze on my face gave me hope that air conditioning wouldn't be an issue. Anxious to start exploring, we unloaded our luggage, stashed a few things in the little fridge and headed down to the lobby to meet up with the gang.

As soon as we hit the street we felt fine drops of misty rain. No big deal - all of us were from Washington state at some point and this felt like home. Much better than hot and humid - we raised our umbrella's and set out to explore Vienna! I tried to take it all in, the sights, the sounds, the smells of this city. Such a mixture of past and present. I imagine everyone born to such a "young" country as America feels much as I do when walking amongst building that have been standing so long in a place that was a bustling city when the 13 colonies hadn't yet been established. The architecture is stunning. Church spires that soar towards heaven (as was the intention), statues carved in such amazing detail scattered throughout the city, gracing not only the parks and streets but also the tops of the buildings everywhere you look. Gargoyles glare fiercely next to intricately carved flowers and graceful arches adorned with amazing designs. Each building an obvious tribute to the purpose it was erected. The Theatre. The Opera. The Sciences. The Parliment. And then there are the fountains! Granite and marble, brushed in gold or left naked to show the beauty of the stone. Carved with elaborate robes, others barely draped to reveal immodest glimpses, many completely nude with only water cascading over marble skin. All glorious tributes to the human form and spirit.

After meandering through old Vienna for awhile (we never made it to the new part of the city I guess. Didn't realize this until we returned home and someone asked what we'd seen), the kids began to complain of being hot and tired. We had put the umbrella's away and the sun and humidity wrapped around us like a cloak. John and Toni suggested we catch one of the open car tours and we all jumped onboard. We drove in a large loop through the streets, passing historic buildings and learning a little bit about the most prominent ones. It was a perfect way to see the city while resting our feet and containing the kids. Totally worth the money!

When the tour was over we hopped off and began searching for a place to eat. Toni and I had purchased tickets from one of the costumed "Mozarts" in front of the Opera House for an early evening performance of Orchestra, Opera and Ballet. They promised we could attend dressed as is, the kids got in free and there would be air conditioning. Sold! Thanks to Eric's impeccable map reading and sense of direction, we made it through the walking district and found a restaurant that was not only across from the performance but also had a wonderful park for the kids to burn off their energy. Perfect!

The park had a zipline and even better, John jumped right in playing with the kids and kept them running, jumping, swinging and climbing while we crossed the street and ordered our food (always a long casual ordeal over here). By the time the food came the kids were hungry and thirsty and ready to settle down a bit. We barely had time to eat before we needed to head over for an hour and a half of Mozart and Strauss with Lauren and TJ. Johnny stayed with John, Eric and Luis - a trade that John felt was totally worth it not to have to endure opera and ballet. The palace was beautiful and ornate. I'll be honest, I was expecting more of a theater with descending rows and a large stage and cool air wafting over us. In reality it was a long beautiful room with rows of plush folding chairs facing a smallish raised stage with none of the promised air conditioning. The Viennese orchestra consisted of a flute, an oboe, a clarinet, some violins and cello's. The conductor was also a violinist and she stood in front as the rest were seated behind her. The next 1 1/2 hours drifted by with the music of Mozart and Strauss, a couple who came on stage every few songs to dance ballet and another couple who came on stage during other compositions to sing opera. I had to smile as I watched TJ struggling to be quiet and to realize that Eric had thought his son's first concert would more likely be closer to his genre of Metal than this one. TJ did remarkably well for a six year old boy and I enjoyed it all. After it was over we went back outside to wait for the guys to meet up with us. Walking back to the hotel we stopped at a little bakery for gelato and Sacher-Torte, a must try chocolate cake Vienna is famous for. A wonderful way to end an evening! It was John's birthday so the mommy's settled the kids in bed and the daddy's (and Luis) set out to a nearby bar for a few additional hours of fun and music. I laid in bed with the windows thrown wide, listening to the rain pound the pavement and thunder chase the lightening flashes, smiling to myself. I was in VIENNA!

Sunday morning came earlier than I would have liked with TJ whispering for me to wake up, he was hungry. Shortly afterwards I got a text from Toni saying her kids were up and raring to go. Being nice wives, we got the kids dressed and left our sleeping husbands to enjoy a little more quiet while we enjoyed the hotel breakfast. Besides the typical european offerings of rolls and meat and cheese and yogurt, we could also choose pastries and cereal, fruit, juices, milk and coffee and hot chocolate for the kids. I could really get used to coming downstairs each morning to find a beautiful breakfast waiting for us and someone bringing us whatever we asked for! It was still a bit drizzly but not enough to keep us from walking the kids to a nearby park. They were disappointed it wasn't the really fun one with the zipline, but as kids always do, they made the best of it and managed to have fun regardless. Soon Eric and Luis joined us at the park and eventually we walked back to the hotel to wake up John, get packed and check out. The plan had been to stop at the outlet Mall on the way home but like many places of business in Europe, it is closed on Sunday. A bit anti-climatic, but still a wonderful weekend.

One of the things I loved was to watch the kids skip ahead through the streets and splash each other as they leaned over the fountains - oblivious to the history but alive with the joy of this place. Love that we can bring Thomas to places like this, making his connection to the world more intimate, more concrete. Each new experience changes us and we are hoping to make his life richer and his view point more open with each opportunity.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesday - Jumped in the shower first thing and soon wondered why I bothered. It's so hot and humid lately that you always have a thin layer of sweat on your skin. No moisturizer needed! I am finding I need to get more sundresses as that is the coolest thing to wear. TJ was bouncing off the walls waiting for it to be time for Toni and the kids to stop by and take us over to Kelly's. Another day to play with Lauren and the little kids under the watchful eye of Kelly's nanny meant another fun mommy's day out with the girls - we were all happy campers!

Soon we had the kids settled (if you can call having them run wild in Kelly's backyard settled) and Kelly, Toni and I climbed into Summer's SUV for our outing to Gyor. I'm not usually much of a shopper but having a chance to do more than walk by all those fun shops on the walking street (like I do when I go with Eric) was going to be fun. Sumer was making it a girl day with her 3 1/2 year old Jocelyn and I found myself in the seat next to her on our way to Gyor. When you think of a day out without kids it doesn't sound fun to have a 3 year old tag along, but she is so adorable it was fun. When childless couples begin longing to reproduce, this child is what they are envisioning. She is sweet and quiet and happy to be coming along. Sumer claims that much of the credit goes to the early schooling in the Hungarian pre-school and Kindergarten. The children are kindly but firmly expected to take turns, be respectful and follow instructions. She could be right that some of that helped, but I think combined with good parenting that Jocie basically came this way.

Gyor is so beautiful with it's centuries old buildings and flowers everywhere. The walking street is perfect to just stroll and talk and wander in and out of shops. I even tried on a few things and ended up buying some shorts and a top. I assumed they accepted visa (wrong, silly me) but luckily I had enough forint on me. We made the mandatory stop to get gelato (to die for here and sooooo cheap) and then a few more shops. None are air conditioned so you really have to find something you love to be motivated enough to try things on - after the first shop I was done, but it was fun watching the others. By the time we got to the big plaza we were ready to eat and picked a restaurant that had outdoor seating with plenty of shade. I ordered the salmon for the first time since moving to this land-locked country and was delighted to find it cooked perfectly. Lunch of course was like every restaurant meal here, long and casual. Thank heavens the nanny was happy to stay longer so we could extend our fun. By the time we got back to pick up the kids and go back home we were all wiped out. I told TJ he could watch TV or play his Wii but that I was going to take a nap in my cool air conditioned bedroom! As it turned out I only slept for about 10 min but it felt good to just relax. When I woke up I saw I had missed a call from an unknown number. I flipped on the computer to check Facebook (a major source of communication here with each other) and saw a message about a girls night of dinner and a movie (DVD of course) that had been thrown together as a last one for Dawn before she left for the states. A quick check with Eric to make sure he was up to have TJ and Sean for the evening, a change into a cool shirt (my pj top wouldn't fly) and Dawn swung by to get me for another girls night out. FUN!

Dinner was at The Storks Nest (the first place Eric, TJ and I ate the day we arrived in Papa) which is aptly named due to the giant stork nest on the roofs' chimney, complete with stork and babies. We ate outside and were treated to the mama stork's interesting sound when she landed to to feed the babies. I found it fascinating and borrowed Kelly's camera to take several pics. She was less than thrilled by the stork - she hates birds of all kinds but finds large ones with long beaks particularly creepy. Dinner was a few hours long followed by walking over to The Family Center and picking from their selection of movies. We settled on Alex and Emma (or is it Emma and Alex???) which turned out to be looooonnnnggg and booorrrriiinnnnggg. It got to the point where we had invested too much of our lives watching it to just turn it off so we put on the sub-title feature and fast forward until it mercifully concluded. It was fun nonetheless. I met a few new women from the HAW and got to share Dawn's last movie night. Too bad it was spent watching such a boring movie. By the time I got back home Eric had dropped Sean off to his dad, tucked TJ in to bed and was fast asleep himself.

Wednesday - Another early morning taking Eric to work. I sooooo want to find a cheap 2nd car he can drive back and forth to work in, especially before winter! I needed the car because it was the weekly playdate at The Thermal Baths. It was so much hotter than last week so we swam in the outdoor pools. TJ is doing so well simming under water that I think by the end of summer he'll be able to be in water over his head. If not then he'll probably get the whole swimming with his head above the surface in swim class during school. After awhile Dawn offered to keep an eye on TJ so I could swim a few laps in the deep pool. Wow, I feel like I've really recovered from my surgery in March until I do something like that. My stomach muscles are sooooo weak! I need to go swim laps every morning to stretch out and get strong again - maybe when Patty comes. After several hours of swimming and going down the outdoor slide things started to get crowded. Large busloads of kids were arriving and soon it felt like all the people in Papa that weren't at work were coming to the pool. Can't blame them, it's a great way to beat the heat!

We finally pulled the kids away from the water and had lunch at the little cafe attached to the Thermal Baths. When we got home, TJ and I both sighed with relief to be in our nice cool house. I told him no more playdates for the rest of the day, but then the phone rang and Aga was calling on behalf of Sandor. He had Panka at the house and wanted to know if TJ could come over and play. It was too hot to go out again and besides, he was always going there, so I had Aga ask if she could instead come to our house until I went to pick Eric up from work. Not long after Sandor and G delievered Panka and the kids ran off to play. I chatted with the guys for a bit about not wanting Eric to simply get a scooter to get back and forth to work because he can't drive it in bad weather (which is when I most want to NOT have to take him to work). I told them I was pushing a Maruti on him but Sandor said we need to look at Trabant's instead. They are much cooler beater cars than Maruti's I guess, although to me they look about the same. It was good to get this opinion I could pass on to Eric. I don't care what kind of car he gets as long as it makes it to the base and back every work day for the next 2 years!

After the kids played in our pool and then chased around the house with nerf guns, I dropped Panka off and picked up Eric. We had a relaxing evening of puttering around the house, organizing a few things and visiting with Eve and Tamara when they stopped by to get the rent. We showed them the dirt piles that keep springing up in the lawn from some little critter, likely a mole or something. Apparently they have fought the beast for years to no avail. They showed us the latest weapon, a small alarm mounted on the garage that emits a high pitched noise that is suppose to drive all such critters away. Obviously it's not working. Eric stomped the mounds down last night but I noticed a fresh one has risen in the same location this morning (Thursday). I am beginning to take it personally and am going to read up on what our next move could be.