Chips' Diagnosis

Just got back from the vet. All the tests have come back and the news is sad. Our sweet Chip has cancer of the spleen. The 'stroke' he had wasn't caused by a blood clot but instead from a small piece of his spleen breaking off and traveling to his brain, causing a block. The meds he got soon after opened his veins wide enough to pass the clot, and he has recovered his normal behavior.
The bad news is it won't go away, chemo isn't an option and removing it is very dangerous because of his age. So for now we will give him the meds plus vitamins to strengthen his immune system and keep him as healthy as we can. His spleen is breaking apart slowly so this will happen again. We will take him to the vet every week to check the progress of the cancer and hope for the best. The main thing is to keep him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.

Right now he is very happy and you would never know how sick he was. We can only take it a day at a time and live in the moment - as with all things, right? I've packed up the last of our things in our little apartment and we are just waiting for Eric to get off early from work to settle up with Shandor and move everything to the house. The only thing keeping me from being totally excited is knowing we won't have Internet, probably for awhile. Since that is my only connection to friends and family and the "outside" world, I will feel very disconnected. I will also miss posting something daily on my blog. I'm sure that there will be many good things come from not having internet that I won't discover until it happens. Signing off for now. :-)

Moving Day and vet appts

Had a very long night with not nearly enough sleep. Chip slept at the foot of our bed and was up and down a lot. I even slept part of the night with my pillow down where my feet usually go so I could be closer to my sick dog. When morning finally came he seemed in better spirits and wanted to eat, but kept circling in tight circles to the right. Definetely not normal!

We had to meet at the house at 8 am to sign the final lease papers and go over all the details. After all that I had Eric go off with the interpreter to get all the utilities in our name while I took TJ back to the apt to be with Chip. The moment Eric walked in the door we were back out again with Chip on our way to the vet. This time there was a long line of people and dogs ahead of us. I ended up waiting with TJ and Chip in the car while Eric waited inside for our turn. We were so lucky that Marti, the Hungarian Boeing worker who organized our lake excursion last weekend happened to be at the vet helping a Swiss couple get a passport for their dog. Dr Attila's wife wasn't there today but Marti offered to stay and intpret for us. She was a Godsend! Dr Attila is pretty sure Chip had a stroke but we caught it very early and between the meds and the shots (2 more today) he seems to be doing much better now. One more appt tomorrow and hopefully the blood test will show something.

After finishing up there we went back to the apt to begin moving everything to the house. Almost everything - since the AC guys are going to the house tomorrow to install it in the upstairs we'll keep a few things at the apt and stay there one more night. Eric took two loads over by himself, such a sweet man, and came back the third time for us. We picked up some cleaning supplies and went into our Hungarian House as a family. It was so fun to let Chip and TJ out to explore while we cleaned shelves and put stuff away. Chip was too nervous to be out of my sight very long and ended up curling up on a pile of packing paper to keep an eye on me.

We finally got everything pretty much unpacked and put in the right rooms to the point we felt we could call it a night. Dropped Chip off at the apt, cleaned up and met the guys for dinner at a little restaurant with outside seating. TJ gets so excited when any of 'the guys' from the base hang out with us he gets a bit crazy as only a 6 yr old boy can - it about drove us nuts but the guys had had a few beers before we met up with them and were fine with our little energized bunny. TJ ordered a cheeseburger and it was the closest thing to an american one we have seen yet. He was very happy!

I'm so tired I find I can't even think of all the little things I wanted to write about. It's too bad too because the house doesn't have internet yet and by the time it does it could be almost 2 weeks from now. I will certainly forget much of what I wanted to put down if it takes that long. Maybe I'll write it out the old fashioned way - in a notebook! LOL Time for bed!

A New Week

Monday, June 14, 2010
Today is Flag Day in the US. It made me think that we don't have a flag anymore after the wind ripped our last one. I never replaced it and now I miss having one.

This morning started slowly - I barely heard Eric after he got up and began getting ready for work. He kissed me goodbye and told me something but I have no idea what. TJ wandered in a little later so I got up. Saw right away that Eric had forgotten to take his cell phone to work, leaving it plugged in to charge. This didn't bother me as much as it would have last week. I knowing my way around and having a vehicle to use makes a world of difference!

As I was getting fresh coffee ground and TJ's breakfast dished up I noticed that Chip was acting a bit strange. His head was down and he was walking very carefully. I poured out his dog food and he went over and sniffed it so I figured he was ok. When we got back from the festival last night he was perky and dashing around with me, seemingly fully recovered from his illness from a week ago.

I sat at the computer with a cup of steaming coffee, ready to catch up on what happened half a world away during my night, when Chip came next to me, head down and trembling. Instantly I was kneeling next to him, petting him and speaking gently to him when he let out a pitiful moan which turned into a high pitched cry. Chills went through me - he sounded and acted so much like our sweet Buddy (our Jack Russell Terrier) did just before he died of a liver disease several years ago. I went to get my phone to call the vet (thankfully Lisa had given me that number on Sat) to see about getting Chip seen. I was told his wife speaks English so was hopeful I could make myself understood, although I had no idea how I was going to lift him into the car let alone find my way to the vet office. Just as I reached for my purse to get my phone I noticed the keys to the Reeds car missing. Heart sinking, I walked out to check and sure enough, Eric had taken the car. The only reason I was surprised was because I had planned on taking TJ to the HAW's Family Center by TJ's school today. I had thought Eric was going to take Dan's car into work (Dan and Cherub won't be back until Thurs) so I could use the other car. Suddenly not having a car combined with Eric leaving his cell phone home made for a more serious situation! The only other phone numbers to anyone I personally knew was Lisa and Corey - and they were both flying to Ramstein today! I had to reassess what I could actually do now and quickly undertstood, not very much!

I helped my sweet Chippy curl up on TJ's bed, covered him with a sheet so only his face was visible (as warm as it is today, he seemed cold) and lay by him, whispering what a perfect, wonderful dog he is. Tears flowed as I struggled with the knowlege that he is over 11 yrs old, which for a Whippet is a long life, and he might not recover this time. All I could do until Eric got home from work was to give him comfort and be close to him....and hope that this spell works itself out and he once again is back to normal. He is the most gentle soul I have ever known and I'm not prepared to lose him just yet. Currently he is resting comfortably and seems a little better. I will take my nook, sit beside him and read. TJ is busy with his new friend (Shandor's daughter) which will help keep him occupied.

At 11 AM Eric called to tell me he had forgotten his phone. As soon as he heard about Chip he asked what I wanted him to do. He was home within 1/2 hour and although there was no answer at the vet, we all climbed in the car and set off to find him, TJ me and Chip crowded into the back seat with Chips head on my lap. Numbers on houses and businesses don't run exactly the same way they do in the states, so it took a bit of searching, but finally we arrived at the vet with the English speaking wife. Eric went in to make sure we could be seen and then came out to carry Chip in. Dr Attila was with another patient so we waited in the waiting area. His wife immediately came out to talk to us and get the story of what was happening. She is a small woman, very direct and very attentive. Of course being in a strange place that had obviously been teeming with other pets seemed to energize Chip (how many of you with children have taken an ill child to the Dr only to have them perk up and seem totally fine?!), but even so it became clear he wasn't quite right.

When it was our turn, we brought Chip into the examination room. Dr Attila is a big bear of a man who handed the young toddler he was holding in his arms back to his wife, then instantly turned his kind attention on Chip as he listened to his wife tell what we had told her. He listened and nodded then knelt to examine Chip himself, running those big hands over his head, along his neck and over his back and sides. He would ask questions in Hungarian as his wife nodded and listened, then she would in turn tell us what he said and ask his questions for us to respond. Often as I explained he would begin to nod and ask more questions for her to translate, leading us to believe his understanding of English is far better though he feels comfortable relying on it alone. As I explained things I knelt beside Chip to keep him calm. It brought fresh tears to my eyes and I found I could barely talk as I wept with the fear of my sweet pup being frightened and in pain. The exam continued in another darkened room where Chip was given an ultra sound of his chest and stomach, his eyes were examined as well as having blood drawn and sent to a lab to be tested. It seems he didn't have a stroke but his spleen is very enlarged. Hopefully the blood test will come back with some answers or at least some clues. In the meantime we were given 2 medicines and a 3 written down to pick up at the pharmacy and an appt to return when they open around 10 AM tomorrow. In Jersey an appt like this would have been hundreds of dollars and mounting - in Papa it was about $80 - which we were told we could pay after our next visit, no rush. WOW

After we got home I tucked Chip into bed and ran to Inter Spar to get a few groceries and to the pharmacy for Chips other med. I'm getting around with ease and was totally confident finding the pharmacy and requesting what I needed. I even counted out the correct coins to pay for it without any problem. Amazing the difference a week makes. We returned to the apt to find workers inside installing the new air conditioner. With moving day tomorrow it won't do us as much good as the people that follow, but at least tonight we can sleep with the windows shut and no mosquitoes - if Chips condition allows for sleep that is.

I've spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with Chip. Poor dog can't get comfortable and his need to be constantly in sight of me makes it difficult to even use the bathroom without him painfully getting up and following me. Once Eric got home and could keep an eye on TJ, I went into our room and lay down for over an hour with Chip stretched out by me, hoping it would bring him comfort and reassurance. We've searched the internet for what he might be suffering from, but in truth we have no idea and hope so much the vet will have an answer that includes a full recovery. Tomorrow we move - I'm so hoping Chip gets a chance to love this new house with the yard we chose in part for him.

Friday Night Fun and our First Full Saturday in Hungary

Friday evening, June 11, 2010
The festival began today in Papa. Between the heat everything I had to do to put a claim in on our stolen stuff, we had decided to wait until evening to take TJ to it. Eric and arranged with John, Louis and Kevin (all from the HAW) to walk to it together around 6 PM. TJ was so excited he fairly skipped into town, chattering away and talking about what there might be for us to do. The streets were bustling with activity and we could hear a band playing at the city center. When we arrived we could see there were two bands (the kind that you see at football games, not at a rock concert) one in blue uniforms and one in red. They took turns playing for the crowds that were sitting or standing around the square listening.

We eventually wandered off to the park where all the action was. We hadn't eaten so we first searched out the festival tent which had a stage with a local group playing music and singing Hungarian songs, lots of long tables and booths selling food. We got a hot dog for TJ, I bought gyro platter - which had the meat and lots of veggies piled on top of french fries instead of a pita, and Eric got a skewer of pork and veggies and fries. Once we ate we were ready to hit the carnival. Eric and I are pretty cautious about letting TJ go on rides that are moved around a lot. Those rides having the highest rate of breaking and people getting injured, but there were a few things that looked pretty safe. First TJ rode on a children train/roller coaster. The track was different than any we had seen. I'll post pictures at the bottom of my blog as I can't explain it very well. We were impressed at how long the ride went. TJ loved it. Nest we bought a ticket for him to go on a bouncy castle type thing. Once again our little Mr Aloha made friends with the other kids there, the language barrier was nothing to any of them. When the time was up on that, Eric took TJ on his very first bumper car ride! It was a riot watching the two of them. Eric managing the gas pedal and TJ steering the car. They aimed for the cars driven by Louis and John and Peter, crashing into each other and laughing with delight. Thankfully Eric kept shielding TJ's head after a few mishaps of TJ getting thrown around a bit. The age and height limits in the US have their reasons! LOL After that ride we walked to the end of the carnival and found some giant inflated slides which TJ HAD to try out. So the adults stood around, talked and swatted mosquitoes while he climbed up and slid down over and over. It was getting dark and almost time to head back home so we did one final 'ride' - we paid to have TJ strapped into a harness and he was hoisted up a bit and spent about 5 min jumping and doing 'tricks' on a large trampoline. He never wanted to leave but Eric was going to stay late to listen to a rock band, scheduled for 10 PM to past midnight. He needed to walk us home and then be back in time for that. Once back at the apt we made a quick trip by car to get Eric back downtown, then came back and got TJ showered, fed a snack and tucked into bed. He was asleep within 2 min of laying down!

Saturday, June 12, 2010
It's hard to believe that it was a week ago this afternoon that TJ and I flew in Vienna and then drove to Papa. It feels like we have been here much longer! I glance through my previous posts and realize we have packed a lot into a single week. I'm sure that once TJ is in school and we get into a routine we will slow down a bit - but I'm hoping the summer continues to be full of activity and exploration!

The festival in Papa is still going on but we ended up not going to it. It's a VERY hot weekend and the thought of walking on hot cement streets with crowds of people fighting off the swarms of mosquitoes is unappealing. Thankfully the Reeds provided a wonderful alternative. Marti, one of the Hungarian people who works for Boeing, had arranged an excursion. She is anxious for us to all discover Hungary and love it so she plans weekend adventures. I love that! Anyway, the adventure today was to drive to Balatonfured (the double dots that our pc can't do go over the U in fured). Balaton is the largest inland lake in Europe. The Reeds (Corey and Lisa - the sweet couple that has allowed us full use of their 2nd car until ours comes - amazing!!!) came by about an hour before we were to meet the group. Lisa and I have been talking via Face Book and has given me some of the best advice I've had to prepare for the move here. They have been here since the beginning of this NATO mission and have helped blaze the trail for the rest of us to follow. They are as nice in person as thru FB and it's nice to finally get to meet them. They brought a bottle of wine and a container of homemade choc chip cookies (TJ's favorite) to welcome us. So nice - I have been trying to think of an appropriate way to thank THEM for the use of their car!

The three of us rode with Corey and Lisa to ALDI (the small grocery store) where the group met. Then the several families caravan-ed to Veszprem (the county seat I think). On the way there I felt moments of concern as cars and motorcycles that wanted to go much faster than the speed limit whizzed past us, seemingly unconcerned if we were approaching the top of a hill or a curve in the road. I tried not to think of the potential unseen car barreling equally fast from the opposite direction...defensive driving here is key! Corey is a great driver and got us safely there. Marti's boyfriend drove the lead car - very fast. Corey drove very safe, which means we lost sight of the group and followed the GPS. We had been told by Marti that we were meeting at an ice cream shop, which Corey had put in his GPS and we drove directly to. No one else from the group was there even though we were the last car. A quick call to Marti directed us to another location down the street. One of many lessons of how things get lost in translation or that explanations may only be partial. :-) The adventure was to begin with parking and walking down to the lake to feed the swans. It didn't take long for TJ to make friends with some of the other children his age and to scamper off ahead. To a 6 year old it doesn't matter what country you happen to be in as long as there are other kids to play with. He was enjoying have other kids that spoke the same language.

The humid heat had us all sweating so it was lovely walking down the tree lined street toward the lake. Balaton is beautiful, doted with sailboats and lined with stretches of beach where sun bathers sat on chairs and couples walked along the edge. As soon as we walked to the bank alongside the pier, the ducks and swans paddled up expectantly. Everyone (but Eric and I - we didn't catch this part of it) had brought bags of bread to feed the swans. They are HUGE and beautiful and like geese, somewhat ornery. I was less afraid of TJ getting bitten than I was of him falling into the lake. They were standing on the edge of a cement wall and TJ was perilously close to the edge. He often is so focused on the excitement on hand that he doesn't pay attention to little things like edges and drop-offs. Although the water wasn't extremely deep, it was murky and I envisioned the swans thinking that any child that fell in was an offering - not to mention the creepiness of the black water snake that slithered past. ick After awhile the swans and ducks tired of bread and swam off to find the bugs and fish they preferred. The group wandered down the pier to where the boat tours dock and where the public bathrooms (WC) are. It's prudent to always have a few 100 forint coins in your pocket as that's what is required to use bathrooms, park cars or 'rent' shopping carts. The breeze off the lake was cooler and the view was beautiful. Eric and I plan to return another weekend to take the 2 hour cruise as well as stay at a military owned beach area where Lisa said we could stay at a hotel for about $25 a night. I can't wait.

Next we ended up back at the lake's edge where the kids all played in a spot that had water shooting up from the ground in several places, designed specifically for kids to cool off in. I started by warning TJ to only get his feet wet since we were riding back in the Reeds car and I didn't want him to be soaked and sit in their car. But as I watched the other kids getting drenched and having so much fun I wasn't going to be 'that' mom that doesn't let her kid participate. Many of the local kids were stripped down to their underwear of totally naked so I bit the bullet and allowed TJ to play in his nascar underwear. He was briefly concerned if "the other kids were doing that too", and when I pointed out several that were he quickly joined in. They had a blast! We had rung out his lightweight shorts and when it was time to continue on we just took off his underwear, put on the damp shorts and trusted the sun and the breeze to dry him out. As we walked back to the cars we passed several booth es that were set up along the tree-lined walkway. The handmade baskets. ceramic bowls and wooden platters are beautiful. Before I leave this country I'm certain I will have acquired a selection of each. We bought pizza baked in open brick ovens at one of the stands - delicious! TJ was hesitant to try it (what a surprise - not!) but once he took a small bite he came back for several more. Once back to the cars we continued on by driving to Bergmann's, the ice cream shop we originally went to. Most of the tables were on an outdoor patio, our favorite way to dine. By this time in the afternoon it was mostly shaded and the breeze made it very pleasant. The ice cream selection was small (about 8 delicious flavors) but there were also amazing looking pastries as well as a small selection of sandwiches. TJ ordered his favorite - basic vanilla. I am hopeful that he will broaden his ice cream horizons while we live in a place where there are such amazing choices. It seems such a waste to stick to simple vanilla, although I admit even that tastes better here than in America. A few in our group ordered sundaes. When they were delivered to the tables we were delighted with how cute they were, created to mimic animals or clowns, etc. It reminded me of my mom teaching me that "we eat first with our eyes, then our mouths". TJ enjoyed hanging out with other kids even more than the ice cream, and by the time we began the hour long drive back to Papa, his shorts were dry and he was worn out. It barely phased him when we passed the familiar golden arches of the McDonald's in Veszprem. Corey kindly drove us to wear we will have to go in a week to get our visa's at immigration. We are grateful for this as it would have been difficult to find the correct building which is tucked around a corner and up a flight of stairs. TJ slept the remainder of the ride home as Eric and I sat back, soaked in the view and asked questions about whatever we could think of. It was a really fun day!

When we got back we saw several tables set up on the driveway by the patio. Shandor explained (through his son) that they were hosting a party for his friend to celebrate his 'name day'. It seems that there are days throughout the year that celebrate people who share certain names. It was obvious there would be many people attending, some were already arriving with gifts of wine or food. We were invited to join them, but as this was for his friend (who we didn't know) and not for Shandor, we felt the invitation was more Hungarian politeness than anything else so we thanked him for the invitation and went back to our little apartment. TJ, well rested and ready for action, was whining about wanting to return to the festival where he had had so much fun the night before. But Eric and I were hot and tired and just wanted to relax. Eric had planned with John to go to a metal concert on the border of Austria and Hungary this evening (they would have left around 2 PM so he hadn't planned to do the ice cream excursion with us), but when he woke up he wasn't feeling great = just really tired and not up for a concert. He was still feeling that way so we told TJ we'd maybe go again on Sunday.

Eric grilled hot dogs/brat's and I cooked up veggies and we enjoyed an easy diner at home, listening to the music from Shandor's party. One of the highlights of this evening was skyping with Marci and Dejah and then again with Nate. What a wonderful invention, skype! As the sun went down we were careful to leave lights off as the mosquitoes are so fierce and our windows have no screens - but it's too hot to close them as we also have no AC in the apt. Eric made me go in the bedroom and close the window and door so the light I needed to skype didn't attract the little insects. When I was finally done I turned off the computer and the lights, plunging the entire apt into darkness. It was so hot TJ was having a hard time falling asleep and he was afraid to lay on his little bed awake and alone. I laid down by him. placing a cold wet wash cloth on his tummy and tickled his arm until he drifted off. Eric and I lay in the dark, listening to the loud music and singing going on just outside our little yard. It made me smile.

Sad, Angry, Frustrated!!!

Friday, June 11, 2010
Once again I was teased awake by a dream, this time in a panic! I dreamed I was taking pictures somewhere in Europe. I reached into my camera bag to change lenses when I suddenly noticed the bag was empty. I awoke with my heart racing, a feeling of certain dread filling me. Jumping out of bed and rushing to the suitcase where I had packed my very expensive Olympus E-510 camera, I searched frantically. GONE! Knowing it was useless but unable to stop myself, I tore through the 3 remaining suitcases that were stacked along the wall of our temporay bedroom (just as I had done that first day searching for my laptop and TJ's Wii). And just as before it was impossible to find what was no longer there. Bursting into tears I sat on the edge of the bed, my sense of loss overwhelming.

Not only was this camera very expensive - one I had dreamed of owning for so many years and so happy when I finally got it, what it held was even more precious! I had backed up the pictures from my laptop (yes, the one that was stolen) onto extra SD's that I had tucked into my camera case. Looking at it now I realize that putting them both in checked baggage at the same time is like having both parents fly on the same plane while leaving your kids home with nana...no problem unless the plane goes down! OK, a drastic comparrison but the one that comes to mind.

I begin searching the internet for claim forms to report stolen items from checked baggage. Lufthansa has a really cool site but there is nothing that really helps me. They address many issues like missed, delayed or cancelled flights, missing or damaged luggage, what to do if you leave your glasses on board - but it's like they don't want to offer a solution for stolen property as if ignoring it makes it not happen. More likely they don't want to alarm their customers by alerting them to this danger. What I did find plenty of was post after post of people who had things stolen and their frustration at never getting any satisfaction from the airlines. Not just Lufthansa, all of them. Of course the obvious thing is to never put anything in your checked baggage you don't want to lose, right? Sounds simple. In my case I had few options. My camera case with lenses was large and heavy as was my laptop and TJ's Wii, not to mention I already had maxed out my allowable carry-ons with items that are essential when traveling alone with a 6 year old.

I have spent the remainder of my day writing letters, finding a place to make copies of my baggage claim stubs, airline ticket and receipt for my laptop (yep - for some reason I had that in my papers instead of on a boat with the rest of our stuff), and then finding a place in Papa where I could fax it all to the 2 Lufthansa #'s I found (one in Germany and one in NY). I'm not hopeful this will be addressed, let alone resolved, but I had to do something. sigh I need to make my peace with this since it happened and there's no way to change it. I've had to make my peace with so many things the last 6 months - I should be getting good at it!

On a happier note, we went and signed out lease this morning. We will be allowed to move in on Tuesday. I'm excited to be able to start getting settled here.

Different Things I Like!

Many things here are different. The language, the culture, the money, the kitchens, the toilets...the list goes on and on - and we've only been here 5 days! On the way back from the base today, TJ and I discussed the word different. Often we think that different equals bad or weird. We talked about how much of the food here is different but yummy and that people talk different but cool. We agreed that from now on, when we say the word different, we are going to translate that word to automatically mean, good or cool, yummy or interesting! I've decided to begin a list of things that are different that we like while they are still novel enough that we don't become so accustom that we forget it's different. I suspect his list will be constantly edited and added to over the next 2 years:

* Separate blankets. The queen size bed came with 2 twin size comforters instead of one larger one. Not sure if this is the norm or not but I like it! I'm usually either too hot or too cold compared to Eric. No more tussels over blankets!

* 2 way windows and doors. With the turn of the handle, the windows in this apt either swing open or tip out from the top while staying secured at the bottom for air flow. NICE!

* Privacy blinds. These same cool windows and glass doors have plastic blinds on a track that you lower or raise with a cord. Hard to explain but very cool. They have vents for air if you want along with the privacy or you can close them up completely. They are on the outside of the window so out of reach from little hands.

* Hanging your clothes out to dry. I remember my mom doing this when I was little. I still love my clothes dryer for convenience but I forgot how nice everything smells drying in the sun. And I love not using the electricity if I don't have to. So while I will still use the dryer I get from the base I will also opt for air drying much of our clothing when possible.

* Boxed milk. No one was more surprised than I was when TJ announced that he LOVED the new milk. What I love is it's shelf stable so I don't have to keep so much in the fridge. I suspect that it's not the best choice if we had organic milk that requires refrigeration as a choice - but since we don't I will embrace the good things about what we do get.

A day of Firsts

Thursday, June10, 2010

I woke up around 4 AM from one of those dreams that are so vivid, it lingers in your mind for a long time as if it is a memory of a real experience. 8 hours later it still feels that way. Dreaming, I walked through a doorway and to my right I saw my mom sitting in a comfortable chair and smiling at me. I immediately went to her and wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace - the kind reserved for someone dear to you and much less fragile than she was in the last few years. "Oh mama, I have missed you so much. It's good to see you!" I pulled away to look into her smiling eyes and even in my dream I suddenly remembered that she had died less than 2 months ago. What happened next was pretty interesting. I smiled back at her and said, "I know this is a dream and that you aren't really here, but I'm going to enjoy this time with you and remember how much I love you. Thank you for being here with me." I can feel in my mind how warm her palm felt as she reached up to rest it on my cheek, pure love coursing through me as we smiled at each other. Then I drifted away and one dream faded into another until I woke with the memory of my sweet mother resting in my heart. As tired as I was I struggled to stay awake and hold onto this dream. It felt as though my deepest desire, to give her one last hug and say my goodbyes in person before she left us had been granted. There was no grief, no saddness - only sweet peaceful joy in being together. I feel like just as I have journeyed away from my family for a time to live in Hungary, my mom has journeyed to another place far from me. And just as I will return in a few years to America, there will be a time when I will once again be in my mothers presence and we will have much to talk about. This dream of her, so real and yet with none of the grief that has filled me since her passing, is a first. I hope for many such dreams.



Another first, Eric took TJ and I to the base. Soooo different from the ones in the U.S. Before he drove through the gate, TJ and I had to get out and go to a window at the guard building and show them our passports. This visit was so I can get a photo ID to come on base by myself, but that process takes about a week so this time we had to remain in Eric's presence. While we were getting our guest passes, Eric drove through the gates alone. Apparently only the driver is allowed to remain in the car while the passengers must go through on foot. Hmmmm, not sure how that will work when it's just TJ and I going through. Maybe their goal is to discourage me from going on base without Eric? I had the distinct feeling as the guard took our passports and began entering data into his computer before finally giving us guest passes that it must have felt very much like this not that many years ago at other check points in more somber times. I found myself being reminded that the freedoms we have grown up with should not be taken for granted.



Another first, driving a car in Hungary without Eric. This is the first time I have moved to a new place as an adult and not personally driven there! I am very independant and like being able to go where I want when I want. And I love exploring new places. But I have never before lived in a foreign country where my language is in the definite minority. I've never lived anywhere (since getting my drivers license at age 16) where I have gone 5 days without driving around. But today I was NERVOUS! We started small. After Eric left for work TJ and I talked about where we might want to go first. He suggested we go to "that big store down the street" (the Inter Spar) "so we don't get lost!" LOL Good plan. So we braved the streets of Papa and drove a few city blocks to our first destination. Piece of cake! The next 'first' was to purchase something on our own. Eric has been trying to teach me the forint, which is the Hungarian $. We really don't have room in our tiny kitchen for anything so we walked around becoming familar with what was on the shelves, picked up a few non-refrigerator type items and checked out with my Visa. Someone is seriously going to have to teach me how to buy produce here. I've tried to buy bananas twice but they need a sticker on them with a bar code and I can't see where to get that taken care of. That's my next challenge! After that I was feeling confident and wanted to try a few more things. The rest of the afternoon consisted of finding an ice cream shop (a different one than our fisrt walk into town) and conveying that TJ wanted a vanilla and chocolate twist cone. We even got the correct change figured out! Woo Hoo! Armed with his ice cream cone, we next found the Aldi (a smaller grocery/sundry item type store) and bought a few things with forint. Next we went in search of the house we're going to rent, which I managed to drive directly to, thank you very much! And finally we searched out a more direct way to walk from the new house to downtown, a route with a biking path so we can ride our bikes there. I am sooooo glad I ventured out. Papa already feels more like home and less of a mystery.

Our Temporary Apartment

Wednesday, June 9, 2010
I have to double check the day and date on the computer toolbar before I type it. I'm struggling to regain my internal calendar, a clue to one of the many ways my sweet daddy first struggled with the alzheimers that has been slowly stealing him from us. The sense of being lost and having no idea how to find my way from point to point is another clue to the frustration he must have felt in the beginning. The difference of course is that each day I will do better, find my bearings and once again know where I am in this world. How I would love to walk with him around Papa and have him teach me how to view it through the camera lense that he knew so well. He was such a wonderful photographer until the disconnection in his brain took away his understanding of how to hold the camera to his eye, adjust the lense to distance and light, and snap the perfect picture that allowed us all to see the world as he saw it. I miss him, most especially when I'm with him and yet he's so far away. Hungary seems close compared to where his mind takes him now.

This morning Eric told me he would call later to tell me if we would be signing our lease today. As I anticipate the move to our final home here I realize I better describe our first place before I forget my impressions. Before moving to Hungary, Eric's friend Dan became our sponsor here. They had known each other in WA state when we were at McChord. Dan and Cherub moved here when the HAW was in it's infancy, part of the original trailblazers and thus extemely qualified to give us advice and help us navigate our first move as a family to Europe. When we asked about where we would stay when we first arrived and were searching for a house to rent, he offered a couple of options. There is a nice hotel in the center of town, a great place to stay as well as a good way to get a feel for Papa as we would be right there within walking distance of everything. The other option was a one bedroom apartment in the same place where the house they are renting is located. It's a walk from downtown but has a fenced yard (a definite plus with both TJ and Chip needing a place to run) and the landlord is very nice and lives on site. Not only would we be right next to Dan and Cherub but also some other people from the HAW, several which are fellow americans. I will admit that although we want to have Hungarian neighbors and NOT live in a little America type area, it was appealing to think in the beginning we would have friends close by who could show us around and answer our questions in a language we are both fluent in. No question - we wanted the apartment.

The day TJ and I arrived I learned the 2 girls I had been talking with thru facebook were both out of the country with their husbands (Dan and Cherub were one of the couples). I would have to wait to meet them. We drove through an electronic gate which closed securely behind us. The "compound" (for lack of a better word) has a nice patch of lawn with a gravel area that will soon house play equipment for children (too late for TJ to use but will be awesome for others that come here). There is a new brick patio that is covered with a red tile roof, a BBQ grill, table and chairs and a few canvas hanging swing/chairs. All very inviting. The driveway has parking for several cars. The building, new looking stucco with the same red tile roof, includes the office and I believe three apartments. Shandor (I am totally guessing at how to spell his name correctly) lives in one of them with his girlfriend and his 17 year old son. Connected to our ground level apartment is the house that Dan and Cherub are living in. I haven't seen inside it but understand it to be very roomy and nice inside. They also have access to a private swimming pool and sauna. Walking out their back door and across a different driveway there is a matching building where Summer and Brenton live. All of this is owned by Shandor who is in the construction business. Next to the covered patio is a wine cellar with a room to hold parties. I'll be a little sad to leave all this so soon, especially before Dan and Cherub return after the middle of the month. On the driveway closest to the patio is a new little trampoline with the net walls around it. TJ has expended much of his excess energy jumping on it. I'm seriously thinking it might be an excellent investment to get one of our own for him while we are here.

Before our first shipment of stuff arrived yesterday, the apartment was perfect for a temporary stay. Everything is too small for long term but much nicer than living in a hotel. We have a small kitchen with 2 burners and a tiny fridge as well as a microwave. There aren't many cupboards or drawers but it is enough for now. When we shop for food we have to stack some things on the kitchen table until other stuff is eaten and there's room in the cupboards. We just don't buy much at a time. Our bedroom is big enough for our low-to-the floor queen size bed and the wardrobe and dresser - but just barely. To be honest it was roomy before I arrived. Since we will be leaving soon I have left everything in suitcases and so we have 3 large ones on my side of the room taking up a lot of the floor space and Eric's large one on his side. I will take pictures after our stuff is moved out so it shows the place off better. The bathroom is interesting. The shower is a corner stall with sliding doors on either side. The opening is kind of narrow even after both doors are open. The toilet is different. The bowl is shaped with a flatter bottom that doesn't hold water and in the very front a smaller round deeper bowl, almost tube shaped, that holds the water. The handle is on the top of the tank - you push it down for a forceful full flush or can push the opposite side to stop the flushing when less water is required to clean the bowl. Very interesting. A funny story about it (TMI for some of you, feel free to skip this part). TJ announced that he had to poop and went in to the bathroom to do just that. A few minutes later I heard an amazed, "Mama, come here, quick. You've gotta see this!" I hurried in only slightly alarmed at his tone and was invited to look into the toilet. (If you don't have a child under the age of 8 you might not understand how often you are requested to examine and endlessly discuss poop). I looked and actually burst out laughing. There on the flatter waterless part of the bowl sat a tower of you-know-what, as if someone had purposely balanced it on it's end. TJ was delighted by my reaction and we both got a little hysterical over it.

The wash machine is a front loader and very small. Above it is the hot water tank. And nowhere to be seen is a clothes dryer. Apparently Hungarians hang their clothes to dry. I forgot about that when I decided to throw in a load of wash yesterday afternoon, including the sheet for TJ's bed. Lucky for him it's also pretty warm lately and so when I moved the clothes rack out to our small patio (just out our back door, not the larger one with the grill), the clothes were dry by evening. Speaking of heat, I guess it's typical here to go without air conditioning. The first day I was here we stopped at the Tesco (similar to Walmart - sort of) and along with our food picked up a small inexpensive fan. Thank heavens! Hungarians are much tougher than me. I need cooler rooms when the humidity and heat index collide! Electricity is different here. Well, electricity is the same everywhere but the voltage is different. According to my husband, who travels extensively around the world, we are the only country that insists on using 120 volt power. Here and everywhere in Europe I guess it's 220/240. If I were to plug my 120 appliances in here they would blow up. Not making that mistake is helped by the plugs here, which are for 2 round prongs and not our flat ones. I am also learning the difference between adapters and transformers (boy, was TJ excited when he heard us saying we needed to pick up some transformers! And disappointed when he discovered what they were). An adapter is a small piece that fits over our type of appliance plug and has the round prong one on the other side. This works well for things like my hair blower or curling iron which are made to use for either 120/220 without blowing up. The coffee maker on the other hand can't handle the stronger current so it needs a larger transformer to lessen the current that reaches it. On a side note, can I tell you how much I enjoyed the fresh coffee I made this morning by grinding the beans I sent along with the coffee maker in our first shipment? I did forget to include filters for it and so we got to search all over the Inter Spar (a store that's closer to us right now and is more like Target - a bit more upscale than Tesco) for filters. We searched the coffee and tea aisle, the paper products, and every other aisle to no avail. I finally went off on my own and found a store worker stocking shelves next to actual coffee makers. I happily tapped him on the shoulder and prepared to point to the box and pantomime coffee filters when he asked me in pretty good english what I needed. We both walked back to the coffee aisle and after a minute or two he found boxes on the bottom shelf that held filters. To be honest, I never would have found them on my own!

We have been in Hungary for 4 full days as I write this and I think we are adjusting pretty well. TJ watches his favorite cartoons and the fact that they are all in Hungarian barely phases him. We have enjoyed chatting with Shandor and Yanni (his girlfriend - and I have no idea what her name is but that's the way it sounds to me) with the help of Shandors son whose English is good. His secretary, Agatta (she's polish, speaks Hungarian very well and has a 4 yr old son who TJ loves playing with) is so nice and friendly as well. Her English is great and they are all trying to help me learn Hungarian. I'm going to miss them when we move. We sign the lease this afternoon at 4 PM - I'm hoping it takes a few more days for them to paint that upstairs bedroom!

It's OFFICIAL. I'm a real Hungary Girl!

Saturday, June 5, 2010:
After a long flight over the Atlantic, and only a small amount of trauma (shortly after arriving at Philly International we discovered our flight was cancelled to Dulles and we would miss our connecting flight to Vienna, but we got on a Lufthansa flight about 6 hours later to Frankfurt connecting to Vienna - whew....and after getting settled I discover my laptop and TJ's Wii have been stolen from our suitcase - the only one TSA checked, hmmmmm) - TJ and I finally landed in Vienna, Austria Sat afternoon. I collected our luggage, headed through the doors for the people who didn't have anything to declare to Customs, and immediately saw Eric waiting on the other side of the gates. Finally, together again as a family and ready to begin our Hungarian adventures!

Driving from Vienna to Papa was so nice. It was a beautiful sunny day and everything was lush and green, exactly how I pictured it. Eric pointed out the signs along the way so that when I begin driving I'd have a clue as to what they mean. Of course I was pretty tired since I don't sleep on airplanes (darn it) so my ability to absorb anything useful was fading quickly. It took about 1 1/2 hours to make the drive to Papa and our little temporary apartment. It was fun walking in the door and having Chip discover that I had come back to him. It's hard to know exactly how a dog preceives the world but I'm pretty sure he had given up that I would ever find them in this strange new place Eric had taken him to. He began whimpering and jumping on me, greeting me with all the joy he could express. Young children and dogs give the best greetings ever!

After unloading all our bags, we got back in the car (a borrowed one - ours is on a boat somewhere in the Atlantic. It's possible it won't be delivered til the end of August) and took a tour of Papa. I was excited, soaking in as much as my tired brain would allow. The houses close to downtown are all either attached to each other or very close with small plots of land behind as their only yards. There is only a narrow walkway between the street and the front of these houses. Most have red tile roofs and the stucco walls are often a plain tan or grey, although some are painted with bright colors that contrast sharply with the houses close by. Many of the houses and building have decorative white medallions that seem very european to me. We drive past many of Eric's top choices of places to live (he's met with the translator and realtors twice before I arrived) and I find myself wondering with each house he points out, "Will this be my new home. my new neighborhood, my new life?" I find myself anticipating Monday's arrival when I can go inside each one and see for myself the pro's and cons of each area. But I find that exhaustion is quickly overtaking me and am barely able to stay awake through my first Hungarian dinner in my first Hungarian restaurant. I order the Paprika Chicken as this is a specialty here. It's excellent but I am more tired than hungry and I end up taking much of it back to our apartment. It's time for bed! We get TJ tucked into his little fold out bed in the livingroom, settle Chip at the foot of our bed and I fall into a dreamless sleep.

Sunday, June 6th, 2010:
I woke up on the fold out chair that is intended to be TJ's bed. He woke up disoriented and a bit scared around 11 PM and crawled into bed with us. It quickly became apparent to me that if I wanted a decent night sleep with no interruptions it would be best to leave the little boy curled next to his sleeping father and sleep on TJ's bed. Not the most comfortable nights sleep but exhaustion has a way of minimizing discomfort. I was still in a bit of a fog so the first order of business was to make myself a cup of coffee. One of the many adjustments to life in Hungary is to the food and drinks that are available to us in lieu of what we are accustom to. Coffee is one of them. Since we have no coffee maker Eric picked up some instant coffee. I'm not a fan - however I decided the moment we got this assignment that I will make all the necessary adjustments with as good of an attitude as possible. So I heat my cup of water in the microwave (that alone took me about 5 minutes to figure out), add too much coffee (certainly this is one reason I wasn't such a fan), add the sugar we picked up night before (thank heavens it really is sugar - I was making my best guess as there was no english on the packaging), powder creamer and a bit of hot chocolate mix I had brought along. Hmmmm, this process was going to take some adjustments and a lot of getting used to, but the caffeine was a definite plus in getting me started for the day. A shower helped me feel like a real girl and by early afternoon I was ready for our walk into town.

Our apartment is pretty close to the center of town. It took about 20 minutes to get to the center of things. It's very different to walk in an area than to drive it. Everything feels more real, you get the smells and the sounds that a car insulates you from. Walking next to the buildings it was apparent to see how old they were - most of them had been standing for hundreds of years. The area the apartment is in is a bit run down. There are more gypsies here, although you find them all over Papa. Many of the gates and buildings are in need of repair and sprucing up, although like anywhere you will find nicely maintained places sprinkled amongst the shabbier ones. As we walk we pass couples walking together, women on bicycles, children playing. I quickly learn it isn't a Hungarian practice to smile and greet strangers that you pass. The people here are reserved, careful, making only the briefest eye contact (if any) as they pass. In the beginning I would smile and nod, using my minimal Hungarian in greeting. The startled almost panicked looks I got in return or the way I was pointedly ignored taught me my first lesson in my new culture. 1) Don't frighten the locals with my western friendliness! I find myself wondering in what other ways I will be changed by living here.

It's quiet on the streets of Papa. It's Sunday afternoon and with the exception of a few restaurants and ice cream shops, everything is closed. I am thrown back to my childhood when Sunday was a day for families and church and little else. I am surprised at how big my new town is. I had been under the impression that it was small with little commerce. I am charmed by the walking paths through the shops, the magnificent old buildings with the amazing architecture, the beautiful statues sprinkled through the town. Apparently Papa was in it's glory back in the 1700's and the building reflect this. I wish I read Hungarian so I could understand the historical markers and know what kinds of businesses we passed by. Some are easy to decipher, some have pictures and some have the english version of the word included on their signs. But most of it's a mystery, and I'm impatient to know everything at once! It's a warm day and the walking is making TJ tired, so we find a little shop that sells gelato (the most amazingly creamy ice cream ever made) and with the help of gestures and a few shared words in Hungarian and English, we manage to order three cones with the flavors of our choice. As soon as we start eating I realize we will be back to try more of the flavors. Delicious! We walk to the park and fall in love with the massive tree lined paths that wind through the expanse of lush green grass. We spot the playground and TJ runs eargerly ahead to play, only to be stopped short by the pools of water at the base over all the play equipment except the swings. They have had a record breaking winter snowfall followed by a record breaking rainy spring and all the low lying areas are saturated and have standing water. It's clear we will need mosquito repellant throughout the summer here. TJ is happy to swing for as long as Eric and I are willing to swat the biting little insects from our arms and legs. When we've had enough we start the long (for our tired little 6 yr old) walk back to our apartment. It's good to be home, which truely is where our hearts and family is!

Dinner is chicken and veggies grilled outside. It's the first time Eric has used this grill, which the flames are set too close to the grill top so our asparagus and potaoes are pretty well blackened by the time the chicken is done, but it all tastes great regardless. We are eating outside so when the couple that lives next door, fellow americans with the HAW (Heavy Airlift Wing) spots us they come through the gate to say hello. Summer and Brentdon (hmmm, did I get his name right? I'll have to ask next time we meet) and their little 3 yr old girl and 2 yr old boy. TJ is thrilled to have children to play with and they quickly join him on the trampoline. It's nice to talk in english and to be able to ask some of the many questions that I have about things here. When it's time for them to leave, TJ sadly says goodbye and desperately tells us to get his new friends phone number! I thought it would be a few more years before he was asking girls for that, but considering the circumstances I guess it makes sense. He's unwilling to allow any potential friends slip through his fingers.

Monday, June 7, 2010
Eric wakes me to say goodbye as he leaves for work. It was a long night with TJ waking several times and Chip getting pretty sick. I even woke Eric at one point to help me get the dog outside as he was too disoriented to do anything but stand with his head down, legs splayed wide and shaking. I ended up sleeping on the couch so I could reassure TJ each time he woke and get him settled back to sleep as well as keep an eye on Chip and help him each time he stood on trembling legs, eyes wide and frightened and looking to me for help. Tired, faced with a sick dog and no idea how to get in touch with a vet or knowing how to get to one even if we got a phone number, I suddenly feel a bit overwhelmed by the knowlege that I have NO knowlege of this new and strange country. I don't speak the language, I don't have a car, and when I do I don't know my way to any place let alone how to get back here once I get anywhere. I don't have a single phone number of another person in Hungary with the exception of my husband sound asleep in the other room. A man who has only slightly more information than I do. I have to fight down the panic that is invading me - what do I do when my child gets sick, especially when Eric is gone for several days or longer on a trip, and I have no car? What have I done, agreeing to come here and taking my child and dog so far from everything familar and safe and accessable?!? What felt like a wonderful adventure has instantly become what feels like a stupid crazy idea. I allow myself to feel the panic for about 5 minutes, and then I force myself to breathe and put things in perspective. The morning will come, each day I will learn more about the area, I will reach out and make contacts and get the necessary phone numbers, and we will be fine. People have lived here for hundreds of years, raised families, survived sickness and emergencies - we will too. I also remind myself I am a competant mother who has raised 3 children to adulthood as well as countless dogs, cats and other animals. I can handle emergencies. And I'm not alone. There is a support group here waiting for me to reach out and meet them. Finally I fall back asleep, and thankfully both TJ and Chip manage to sleep as well.

Eric returns from work around noon and we wait for our translator to come get us to look at houses to rent. I'm familar with the outside of all but the 2nd house we see, since Eric had driven me around to look at them and to tell me about each one. I have looked online before moving here so I am expecting the home we live in to be very Hungarian - attached to the homes on either side, small yard in the back, rooms without closets and small old fashioned kitchens. I know these homes are going to be old because I had already decided I wasn't interested in the new american style homes that were being built specifically for this NATO mission and the families that will be moving here. First of all, the new homes are on the outskirts of town with dirt roads (a nightmare in the winter or rainy periods). We want to live within walking distance if possible to the town and TJ's school. Also, the new homes are only 3 bedrooms and we are really wanting 4 so we have enough space for all of Eric's guitars (yes, this is a priority) as well as for the company we hope will visit, and dedicated space for Eric's mom, Patty. We anticipate she will be here as often and for as long as she can since we have taken her only grandchild to a foreign country so far away from Idaho! I'm not even interested in looking at a 3 bedroom house. We look at the first place, which is close to town. 4 bedrooms, older but with some recent renovations and a dirt cellar that is 200 years old. This cellar has brick walls and a packed dirt floor and it's a combination of creepy and cool and would make a great place to store veggies, cheese and wine but also dead bodies and I can't help but get a small shiver. I like the rest of the house and it's still on the list of potential homes. Throughout this day I find myself wanting to commit to renting many of these places simply based on the sweet older couples that are showing us their properties. There isn't a lot of money to be made in this area, but with the influx of foreigners coming to work at the air base the last 2 years and with more soon to come, renting homes has become a real boon to the area. Most of the ones we look at are currently occupied by the owners who are willing to renovate to our specifications however is reasonable, then they would move to another cheaper rental themselves. I want to help them all, the sweet retired ones who would benefit so much by the money they could make on renting to us! I have to stay focused on what is best for our family. We go look at the next one.

Eric tells me as we get there it only has 3 bedrooms but is very nice, newley renovated and it has a single garage in front which could easliy be his 'man room' as well as a detached 2 car garage in the back for the car and Harley. As soon as we pull up I feel like I've come home. Although it is a bit further from downtown and TJ's school than I wanted to be, it is in a neighborhood that feels perfect for a young boy to grow up in. The homes here are free standing, they each have gates to the front door as well as one for the driveway, and front porches with cool looking balconies above. This home in particular is charming, with beautiful rose bushes in front, grape vines neatly growing long the side of the back yard, a beautifully maintained yard and house. We walked in to find a spacious living area, a kitchen that was larger than most (I stopped comparing to american kitchens before I ever arrived after my internet searches), a large pantry and plenty of storage by Hungarian standards. The upstairs opens to a small common area with a small bedroom and bathroom off to the left, 2 small bedrooms to the right and a small sunroom straight ahead. Everything is painted a buttery yellow with the exception of the peach colored livingroom (I can live with it for 2 years) and a 2 toned bright orange bedroom (the largest so it would be ours - a color I could NOT live with for 2 years, but they said they would paint for us). The 2 bedrooms to the right each have a doorway onto the small balcony overlooking the street. Nice. I have our interpretor ask the homeowner if there are children close by that are TJ's age. She said none on that street but many close by. It looks like a good neighborhood for him and I begin looking closely to see if this would make a good home for us. We went out the back door onto a covered porch and into the beautiful back yard. This is a home I would happily retire in, let alone spend the 2 short years we have here. The garage in the back has room for my car, Eric's bike and much more. There's even a cement firepit in the back. I smile at Eric and tell him we should look at the other places just to rule them out, but I had pretty well made my choice. I could be happy raising TJ in this house, in this neighborhood. We go look at the others, including Eric's top pick. I can see why he likes it - it has lots of rooms, a full basement, not especially nice but cool and with potential. And the most important thing is it's very close to downtown, something we both really wanted. Living close to town made everything so much more convenient - walking to TJ's school, to the shops, to the gym and the muli-culture family center would be a breeze, making our one car family situation so much easier. But the small unkempt backyard, the unfriendly feeling neighborhood, not to mention my little guys constant reminder that "the other house is still our number one, right mom?" had me trying to find a way to tell Eric that this one wouldn't be our house while we lived here. He could see it in my eyes but he was still hopeful he could convince me. I'll be honest, if he couldn't be happy in the other place and only wanted to live in this one I would have found a way to make it work and loved all the good things about it. But since he liked them both the decision was pretty well made. We made a list of things we would ask the landlord to fix or install and agreed to tell our interpetor to work with the realtor on securing our new home. I'm already picturing ourselves there and in my mind it feels perfect!

Later we took our borrowed car to get filled up (oh heavens, gas is expensive here) and washed as would be returning it the next day. We go out to eat (it's often cheaper to buy dinner for the three of us at a restaurant than to purchase the food at the store - I'm not complaining!) and have a delicious meal. TJ discovers that he loves cordon bleu, I have a veal paprika goulash that is to die for, and Eric has some beef dish with 4 different sauces and a little heat - yummy! A few things got lost in translation - I ordered a side of steamed veggies by pointing to what I wanted on the menu, and instead they replaced my noodles with steamed rice, no big deal as it was still delicious, and when we ordered our drinks we asked for 7Up for TJ and Canada Dry for Eric and I, yet we all got 7Up. It made us laugh and we just went with it.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Finally, I sleep all night with my husband in our bed and I wake up feeling alert and not as though I was drugged in the middle of the night. Chip is back to his old self and miracle or miracles, TJ sleeps through Eric getting ready for work and his kiss goodbye as well as me making coffee (I'm actually aquiring a taste for the instant concoction I have refined) and starting my morning. I relish a little quiet time to just putter and check my email. Just as TJ is waking up I get a call from Eric telling me our first small first shipment of stuff is scheduled to arrive in a few hours. I can't remember everything we thought we would need right away (the rest of our stuff won't arrive for at least another month) so it's kind of like Christmas. TJ and I discuss what might be arriving and what we hope will be in those three boxes. The truck comes at 9 AM sharp and I make room in the kitchen for our stuff to be brought in. There are three large boxes, each banded with metal and our name written across them. Once inside, the metal bands are cut, I am handed an inventory of our stuff. As I glance though it I remember what was shipped and find myself thinking, "Is this stuff really what we considered most important to get first? Seriously?" Brown paper wrapped packages with numbered stickers are pulled out and I check off each number on my list with the contents of that package listed on a line. It's a 10 min process, I sign the paperwork and soon TJ and I are left with piles of brown wrapped packages and wondering which to open and which to leave wrapped. We could be moving in a few days and the more we leave wrapped the easier our move. About this time TJ is hungry again and I suddenly know exactly which one to open first - the box with the peanut butter in it!

We knew feeding our very particular 6 year old was going to be a challenge in a foreign country where most of the foods he preferred were NOT going to be available. I had gotten advice from many people who came here a year or so before us about what you can't get here - peanut butter topping the list. And since this is currently a staple for TJ, I knew we better get a pretty good supply of it and ship it to ourselves. Our first night here began with an issue about food, or rather, milk. Note to all parents: do not use the word different when describing new food or drinks to a 6 yr old in a place you will be living for several years. Eric made the mistake of telling TJ that the milk we got here comes in a box and tastes different but is ok. The only word TJ heard was 'different', and it lit up in his brain in neon flashing lights! He refused to taste it, look at it or touch it in any way. I knew that this was something we had to nip in the bud immediately, a battle I was unwilling to allow him to win. After all, he loves milk more than peanut butter and I wasn't going to spend the next 2 years listening to him whine about needing american milk! It might seem harsh, but I told him he had to at least taste the milk. I drank it in front of him (I was surprised that it actually tasted good - I was prepared to put on an act) and asked him to try it. He refused. I said ok but told him he didn't get to eat or drink anything else until he at least tried it. He dug in his heels, sat on the couch and pouted. This is a very stubborn child. Long story short, he spent time on our bed with the door shut, crying loudly, until he was finally willing to give it a try. Watching him you would have thought we were forcing him to drink poison. I wish I had been video taping it as he slowly and painfully sipped a small amount of milk. Suddenly his tear streaked face got a sheepish look as he said, "mmmm, it's good. Can I have some more?" This was an important bridge to cross as he will have so many new things he needs to try if he's going to eat between now and the time he turns 8. It was this incident that gave him the courage to try the cordon bleu - and love it! But even so, sitting down with a peanut butter and honey sandwhich was a particularly comforting moment for him. Of all the things that came in those three boxes today, peanut butter was the most valuable!