Catching Up - June 16th - 22nd

We were without internet for over 2 weeks so I started just writing my blog on word with the intention of keeping track every day....but that didn't happen. So here are the few posts that I wrote and I will do a new one from memory. I also have some new pics to add to the photo's at the bottom of the page but I need to remember how to add them. :-)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
We moved to the house yesterday and slept here for the first time last night. TJ was soooooo excited! He kept telling us how much he loved our new house. I think part of the charm is he was excited to have so much space after living in a one bedroom apartment for 1 ½ weeks. Even more, he likes how accessible Eric and I are to him all of a sudden. We took breaks sitting together on the porch swing, He and I played WAR on the couch (thank you USO in Philly for the deck of cards) and his favorite activity – he and Eric spent an house riding on the scooters around the large detatched garage and down the long driveway. There’s NOTHING better than fun time with daddy!
Eric and I were discussing the sad fact that among all the other things that are on the boat in our household goods is our cork screw, making it difficult to toast our first night in our Hungarian home with our newly bought Hungarian wine (from the Balaton region, thank you very much)! Eric was debating if he wanted to make a run to the store to get a cheap cork screw when TJ announced we should have a party! I asked him how we would go about having a party and he suggested that we go outside on the porch swing and drink. Eric and I looked at each other a bit sheepishly at this and I hesitantly asked him what he thought we should drink. He thought for a minute and then suggested, “soda?” With a sigh of relief from the parents, Eric asked if he thought they should run to the store for some of the yummy orange soda they liked along with some ice cream to make orange cream floats!? He was totally onboard! So daddy and TJ went to the store, got the goodies (along with the necessary corkscrew) and after returning and a much needed bath for TJ (so much for those showers that he loooovvvveed), the 3 of us sat out on the porch swing, ate orange cream floats and took turns saying what we loved about living in Hungary. It ended up being a pretty perfect first day, all things considered.
TJ was excited to sleep in his new room in his new bed. I had had the foresight to pack his favorite airplane sheets and comforter and the pillow with our family picture on the pillow case, so even though it was so new it also felt very comfy to him. Eric laid by him and talked about guys stuff while I showered. By the time I was out, TJ was asleep and Chip had been carried up the open wooden staircase (which freaked the poor dog out). Nice!


Thursday, June 17, 2010
Owwww – chhhhhhh! Waking up this morning was painful. The mattress on the bed the home owners left for us while we wait for our furniture is terrible! It is only slightly better than box springs. I had major surgery the first of March and my body still needs to be pampered. The beds at the apt were very new and very European (i.e. FIRM) but 1000% better than the one here. Regardless of how I felt, TJ and I needed to get going as we were taking Eric into work today. The air conditioner guys were coming at 9 AM to install 2 new units in our bedrooms upstairs, but I figured when they were done TJ and I could take the car and go on an adventure – code for exploring new territory. After dropping Eric off outside the gate at the base, we hurried home and got a few things don while we had the house to ourselves. Around 8:45 AM I heard a car stop and saw a dark haired girl get out. The driver left and she remained in front of the house. Hmmmm TJ and I discussed who this stranger might be. His guesses were interesting but my guess that it was our landlords college age English speaking daughter was the correct one. I went outside to confirm my guess. She said her dad had dropped her off but had neglected to tell her why she was there. It made me laugh. I explained that I suspected she was going to be our interpreter and that workers would be arriving soon. We stood outside waiting and getting to know each other.
It was wonderful to have someone to ask many of the questions we had had (like how old the house was and how close her parents lived). She had just graduated with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and was planning on going for a Masters in the fall. She would be living with her parents over the summer which meant we would have someone to translate for us for the next several months. After awhile she excused herself, explaining she had to study for some tests. I suspected that she had stayed as long as she had out of politeness. Selfishly, I didn’t care. It was nice having her to visit with and make that connection. When she was leaving she mentioned she would like to return sometime to play with TJ, possibly bring a 10 yr old cousin with her as well. I asked if she babysat. She said not for money, just because she enjoys children. WOW I had promised TJ we would go on an adventure when the workers were done, but they finished barely in time for us to run to Inter Spar for some dinner and then to the base to get Eric. Sometimes adventures must wait til another day. On the way home Eric reminded me he was going to Vienna in a few hours to pick Dan and Cherub up from the airport. Good. I’m anxious to meet them in person.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010
It’s funny how not being connected to the internet has changed my focus on keeping up with my blog. Even though I know I can cut and paste this from a word document once I’m re-connected. Somehow it’s not the same and I have lost the intensity. I guess the instant gratification of having it posted is part of the draw, not just keeping track of our experience. So almost a week since my last post I will attempt to capture the highlights. Last Thurs when Eric got back from the airport he had the most wonderful thing in the world under his arm…a thick foam mattress topper! He had mentioned to the Langs that I was needing something to cushion my poor body from the hard mattress that was on our bed. They offered to let us borrow the foam and I have slept wonderfully ever since! On Friday a guy came to install screens on two of the three sun room windows. We can now get a breeze from that direction sans mosquitoes. For dinner we went to pick up John to go to dinner. Once there I discovered (I say I, and not we because I suspect this was no surprise to my sneaky husband) that he was hanging out with his neighbor and fellow military guy who had tickets to attend a huge metal concert in Prague, and was working on getting 2 more tickets so John and Eric could go as well. Of course Eric was playing all innocent and making sure I was ok with it, but I get the feeling that was more out of coutesy than anything else. LOL So we left John behind to get things worked out and Eric, TJ and I went to the Hotel Classica for dinner. I wanted to try it because this is the place we would have stayed if Dan hadn’t hooked us up at Shandor’s apartment. We sat outside (of course) and ordered our meal. This was a little more expensive than most of the other places we have eaten at but they had a big flat screen playing the soccer game – USA vs some other country (I’m not yet a fan – I’m sure I’ll pick it up though). Shortly after our drinks came but before our meal the skies began to get dark, the wind picked up and the rain began. We were under cover so I wasn’t too worried, but then a few people came out to turn off the TV and cover it. Before they were done a bright flash of light was followed almost immediately by a giant clap of thunder (the kind that deafens you) and we decided it might be safer to go inside after all. The food was fine, although not remarkable. The highlight of the meal was that TJ tried his huge mound of mashed potatoes and declared them WONDERFUL! The child hasn’t allowed a mashed potato to pass his lips since he was 2 ½….Hungary is doing great things for his appetite!