From What I Hear...

10 Random Thoughts

Lots of marbles have been rolling around in my head lately.  Hope I haven't lost any in the process.

1.  Spring in Budapest is transformative and summer is looking pretty darn wonderful.  It's awesome to open my windows in the evening and feel the cool crisp air filter through the house.  My garden burst to life in late March and now with summer practically here, I'm digging the idea of a pool.  I'm loving this 4 season thing.  Everyone should be doing this!
2.  Living in Europe has definitely boosted my score on Logo Quiz.

3.  Lincoln turned 12 in April, then he got the Priesthood and now he passes the sacrament and every week I'm reminded that he's not a little boy and it's still freaks me out.  On top of that, last week we went to the doctor for a checkup and Lincoln has gained 24 lbs and grown at least 3 inches since we moved here.  It's great 'cuz I have a few other things that require my mad worrier skillz.  (yes, skillz with a z.)

4.  I adore salsa.  Adam had a business trip to the states and he went armed with a list of US necessities, not the least of which came in a large Costco-sized plastic jar label El Paso.  The sheer awesomeness is without bounds.

5.  Having a maid is pretty darn perfect.  There's a lot of things that have gotten hard since moving here.  Laundry.  Finding tortillas or good BBQ sauce.  Laundry.  Avoiding pot holes.  Planning to get lost at least twice whereever you go.  Laundry.  But...having someone come clean my house 1 x week goes a long way to making up the difference.  She even does the ironing.  *Sigh*

6.  My guys can really rock a go-cart helmet.  And yes...they really sweat a lot in those things.

7.  David's school did an International Day.  I've been to these kind of things before, but for the first time since...well, ever...it was truly "international".  Every parent brought a dish or dessert from their home country and we had such a great time.

8.  Yesterday, while driving on a tiny side street, I had to stop for a huge cement truck to back into the driveway of a house.  The really super thing about it was he stopped, put the truck in park and got out with his front end still sticking out halfway across the street.  Plus, there was a car parked (1/2 on the street and 1/2 on the sidewalk) just opposite the truck.  It left a ity-bity teeny-weeny space for a car to pass through.  For a SmartCar it would have been snug but doable.  I drive a Honda CRV.  Not so doable.  I motioned for the driver to come back and move the truck but he ignored me.  By this time I had 4 cars behind me and they began to honk for me to get a move on.  So backing up was now out of the question.  I really didn't think I could make it, but the drivers behind me obviously thought I could.  I started to inch forward, heart palpitating.  I crawled at a snail's pace, adjusting as best as I could to manuever the tight space.  My side mirrors grazed the truck and car gently enough to turn them in without damaging them, but it still freaked me out.  I made it and came away feeling a weird sense of accomplishment.

9.  David makes a cute lion.  (Reminds me of "Little Lion Man")  I've never seen the attraction to the musical Cats but if they end up looking this adorable, maybe I could get on board.

10.  When Adam got home from the states, he brought us so many treats and surprises that it felt like Christmas.  I had to smile at Kyle though.  

Adam:  "I brought you guys a surprise.  You're gonna love it!"

Kyle:  "Did you pack our friends in there?"

Things don't matter nearly as much as people.  Especially, when they're your people.

 

Barcelona's Best

Two weeks ago, Hungary had a long 4-day weekend, so we took off the other 3 days and spent the full week in Barcelona, Spain.  We had beautiful weather.  Barcelona has an efficient metro system and makes great use of its outdoor space.  It seemed we couldn't walk 2-3 blocks without running into a playground, which for families with young kids, is a life-saver.  

The beaches were enjoyable despite being too cool for swimming.  

I'll say this about the Spanish people...they don't seem to have body issues.  

Exhibit A:  Old man wearing underwear, hat, tube socks and white shoes, fixing a bike before relaxing to catch a few rays.  

Bwah ha!

Below is a video clip of 2-on-2 Volleyball/Football played by some football enthusiasts.  You don't see it, but they serve too...by building little mounds in the sand and kicking.  It was awesome to watch.  

 

  

We tried paella and enjoyed fresh seafood, like prawns with the heads still on...but the kids were only so adventurous.  Eventually, we had to go with something that felt familiar.

Now I promised (with the ole teaser headline) our version of Barcelona's best:

BEST CHURCHES

#3:  Barcelona Cathedral--built in the 14th century and dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young girl of 13 who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times.  Behind the chapel there is a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, in memory of Eulalia and her 13 years.

#2-- The Church of the Sacred Heart.  Perched atop the highest point in Barcelona, with beautiful vistas inside and out, this church has a unique perspective on Barcelona.  This church is really two separate chapels.  The lower building has amazing and intricate tile work on the floors and ceiling, whereas the upper chapel is stark, white and filled with light. By the way--the tiny green and red-shirted boys are Lincoln and Kyle.

#1--Hands down winner:  Sagrada Familia.  
This immense structure is like no other church I've every seen.  The construction began in 1882 and Antonio Gaudi took over as architectural mastermind in 1883.  Gaudí devoted his many years to the project and at the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.  The final completion date is set for 2026.  Currently the church has only 8 of the 18 towers completed, with the remaining towers set to dwarf the completed ones.  It is so big that you can't really get a sense of its size from pictures.  You really need to see it to appreciate it.  The exterior is covered with vignettes from the Saviors life, depicted with statues set into alcoves around the entrances.  The interior is hugely vaulted, white and bright with the most amazing stained glass I've ever seen.  

One funny side note.  We unknowingly took the elevator to the top of one of the completed towers at exactly 12 noon.  The bells in the tower began to toll just as we began our descent on the stairs.  I can't express how loud that was!  Quite an experience.

BEST CEILINGS

#3-- Chapel Ceiling in Barcelona Cathedral in all its gothic awesomeness.

#2--Guell Park, specifically the ceiling in the Hall of 100 Columns, (although there are actually only 86 doric columns) which was another design of Gaudi's.  The tiny mosaic tiling is just amazing.

#1--the ceiling in the dining room of Casa Batllo.  Built in 1877 and remodelled in 1904-1906 by (you guessed it) Antonio Gaudi, Casa Batllo is one of my favorite experiences in Barcelona.  It seems that Gaudi's goal was to avoid straight lines completely.  Everything is fluid and curvy, inside and out.  This particular ceiling seems almost like curves of a seashell.

BEST FLOORS (Can't do one without the other, right?)

#3--Flagstone in the courtyard cloister of Barcelona Cathedral.

  

#2--Tiled floor in the side prayer chapel at Montserrat monastery, depicting a monastery atop a mountain, which is an apt description of Montserrat.  

To get to the monastery you have to take an hour train north of Barcelona and then a 5 minute cable car into the peaks of Montserrat.  This picture gives a sense of the place.

And on to...

#1--Tile floor in the lower chapel of the Church of the Sacred Heart depicting two deer drinking from the "Fons Vitae" or fountain of life.

BEST WINDOWS

#3 & #2--the windows at Casa Batllo, both from inside...

and out.

#1--Best windows were easy to pick:  Sagrida Familia.  So bright, so light, these windows literally filled the room with multicolored shafts of light.  

BEST DOORS

#3--Transept door in the very gothic Montserrat chapel.

#2--Hall door at the Casa Batllo.  The woodwork was amazing throughout.
#1--Sagrida Familia chapel doors are works of art, covered with the complete books of Mark and John written in Latin.

BEST ARCHES

#3--Montserrat outer walls

#2--Guell Park's arched pathway

#1--The Arc Triomphe

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

#3--City Park

#2--Casa Amatller:  sitting next to Casa Battlo along the Apple of Discord street.  Interesting design and sits in great company.

#1--Sculpture in the cloister outside the Barcelona Cathedral.  I chose this among the many other sculptures we saw because of the feeling it evokes.  

We had a great time in Barcelona and I've only posted about some of the highlights.  It is a beautiful city and we loved our time there. 

Take 5

5 Things I Love about living in Budapest:

1.  The amazing sites in and around Budapest.  Like churches and castles and monuments, just to name a few.

2.  How close everything is.  I can fly to Rome in 1.5 hours and in a month, I'll be doing just that.  I can drive to Vienna in 2.5 hours.  It's amazing, especially after being in Texas, where you can drive for 10 hours and STILL be in Texas.  I know, cause I've done it--an experience I'd like never to repeat.  This goes for commuting time.  In Houston, Adam's commute was something like 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on time and traffic.  Adam now commutes for about 20 minutes regardless of the time.

3.  Traffic lights.  I know it's a weird thing to love, but it's awesome.  In America, the traffic lights will turn from green to yellow and then red to indicate "stop" and then after a time, the light will go green again.  Here the lights go green, yellow, red but when it's time to go again, the lights go red, then yellow and then green.  This indicating yellow light allows traffic to gear up.  It may not sound like a big deal, but I love it!

4.  Croissants.  I love how accessible good quality pastries are here.  It's a blessing and a curse really, but there it is.

5.   Having four seasons.  We have loved having snow!  So fun for the kids and there's something special about watching big flat flakes fall peacefully to the earth.  Today the sun is shining and in the garden, green shoots are emerging.  I love Spring!!!  It's so refreshing.  

5 Things I miss about living in Houston:

1.  Wide roads.  'Nuf said.

2.  Target.  Really and truly, it is quite devastating.

3.  Tex-Mex.  BBQ.  Seafood.  (We're going with just a single item on this one, but we all know it could easily be #3, #4 & #5)  

4.  I miss my friends.  I've never lived closed to family, so I'm used to missing them, but this business of living in a time zone 7 hours ahead of my friends is messing with my chi.

5.  I miss "Easy".  I've heard other expats call it "auto-pilot", but it really comes down to being able to relax.  It's that intangible feeling of knowing you don't have to engage all your faculties to accomplish things like buying groceries, driving to your kids' school or ordering food at a restaurant.  Until you've lived without "Easy" for a while, you don't realize how much you take it for granted.  I'm trying to find my version of "Easy" here but it is an elusive little guy.

Have a laugh!

Love it!

 

My boys can't get enough.  My favorite is the greyhound AT-AT that walks in at the end!

Next road trip I doing this!  Okay...maybe not, but I'll think about it and then I'll laugh.  Bwah ha!

 

A Trio of Firsts

We have been in Budapest now for 3.5 weeks.  As you might expect we have had a lot of firsts, but I will share three big ones.

First day of school for Lincoln and Kyle:

As you can see, the boys wear uniforms to school.  Kyle's uniform is a white polo shirt, blue sweater and gray pants while, Lincoln's uniform is a white dress shirt, school tie, gray sweater and black pants.  They weren't all that excited about the uniforms, honestly, but now that they've done it for a while, I don't think they actually mind all that much.  The kids go to the British School of Budapest or BISB.  

 As I mentioned earlier, Lincoln has gotten to be friends with a boy who is also from Cypress and who has been here in Budapest about 18 months.  The boy's mother also works for Exxon and his dad works for Texas A&M (abroad, obviously) and they will be our neighbors, assuming we get the house we've been trying to negotiate for.  (Did I mention we picked a house.  Well, we have.  We like it and it's in a good location for both school and work.  Hopefully everything will go smoothly with the leasing negotiations and we can take occupancy once our things arrive from the US.)  Lincoln has also made friends with a couple other boys in his year whom I met briefly.  I've been very pleased with how welcoming the school and kids have been thus far.

 Kyle made some connections as well.  Just down the street from our future home about 1/2 mile is another family with a boy from Kyle's year.  This boy's dad also works for Exxon.  This family has lived in Dallas for 3 years and they've been here in Hungary for a while, but they're originally from Belgium.  The boy invited Kyle to a party over the weekend and the two seem to be hitting it off.  Kyle has mentioned several other kids from his class whom he has played floor hockey or soccer with during recess.  He seems to be easing into life here okay although I think he and Lincoln are both a little homesick for the comfort of home.

So, now for the second of our list of firsts:  David's 1st Day of Preschool:

 David really enjoys his school.  He goes Monday, Thursday and Friday from about 8:30 am until 3:30 pm.  It's a longer day than he's used to but he has lots to do while he's there.  They have art, music, language, math, and then a rotational activity of either Judo, Swim or Skiing.  He has 2 teachers for a class of 9 kids.  One of the teachers is Hungarian but she also speaks English and the other teacher is American and she speaks a little Hungarian.  About 1/2 the kids are Hungarian and the other 1/2 are from an international background.  As you can see, no uniforms for David, but next fall, he will begin going to BISB and then the uniforms with start with him, too.  He really wants to go with the boys to the "big school" but SuperKids is a good transition for now.  I just hope the academics are challenging enough.

Finally, here's the pics from our final 1st:  The first week of church.

So this is our ward building.  The building is the Stake Center and on the Pest side.  For now, it's taking us about 15 minutes to get to church, but once we are in our home, it will be more like 25 minutes.  The building is new and up-to-date, but small in comparison to what I'm used to.  There is about about 140-150 people to church every week and I'd say about 70% of them are Hungarian.  We use headsets for English translation during sacrament meeting and Priesthood/Relief Society, but we split up by language for Sunday School.  The ward is still in the midst of figuring out their combined status as the International/Pest Ward.  

Also, I've already received a calling.  I will serve as the Primary Music Leader, which will be interesting as I don't speak Hungarian or have any musical talents.  Another woman, who does speak Hungarian, but not much English, has been called to serve in the same capacity.  She and I will work together to do the music for Primary and I hope we can communicate enough together to get it done.  I'm sure this will be one of those things people always call a "learning experience".  Hmm.

Well, enjoy your week as you drive around on your wide, evenly-spaced, straight, pothole-free roads and think of me while I navigate the gauntlet.  *wink*

We arrive...

So where was I?

Oh yeah...we made it...sort of.  We got ourselves to the airport with our ten bags, which was no mean feat by the way, and eventually boarded our flight to Germany.  The company booked us business-class tickets and the kids were fairly entertained with the gadgets and buttons so the first 3 hours went quickly at which point, it was time to sleep.  We awoke to find that we were in Frankfurt where we had a short layover.  Then, we boarded our final flight to Budapest.

Once we arrived in Budapest, we collected our bags and prepared ourselves to go through customs, but as we followed the crowds exiting the building, there seemed to be nowhere to go to declare.  A fellow passenger saw our hesitation and he smiled and motioned for us to go ahead.  Maybe we should have looked harder but frankly customs is a pain, so we went through the doors and officially entered Hungary.  

Our taxi driver was waiting for us.  He and a fellow taxi driver took us and our bags to our hotel downtown.  My first impression of Budapest was gray.  Its winter and the trees are bare and the sky is cloud-filled.  The buildings are gray and the roads are gray.  Kinda depressing, huh.  But to be fair, the drive from the airport to downtown is through the industrial part of town, so that doesn't represent the majority of Budapest.  Downtown is quite European feeling, with buildings built at the end of the 1800's adjacent to new classically-styled buildings.  The only thing I don't enjoy is how the beautiful architecture is marred at the street-level by garish placards, billboards and advertisements.  Many of the buildings are built with limestone, the native stone of this area.  Limestone is highly susceptible to exhaust build-up, therefore I often see many lovely buildings either in the process of being cleaned or wearing a thin layer of black coating. The locals joke (but it's actually true) that the Parliament Building has been in the process of being cleaned for 70 years.  They just keep circling around because by the time they get to where they started, it's time to begin again.  

Quick geography lesson:  Budapest is actually 2 cities divided by the Danube River:  that of Buda and Pest.  Pest is to the east and is fairly flat, topographically-speaking.  The Parliament sits on its bank (District 5), surrounded by many of the museums.  The majority of downtown, the businesses, tourist sites, Adam's work (District 13), as well as apartments that let out flats are on the Pest side.  Further out on the Pest side is the industrial part of the city and the airport (District 16, I think).  

Buda, on the west side, is made up of "rolling hills", some of which are really steep with narrow roads climbing right up that very scary incline.  Buda is the home for many of Budapest's international families, all of the international schools, 2 of the 3 major malls, 2 of the international medical centers, as well as Buda Castle (another trademark building, this one in District 1).

We have decided to locate in Buda, specifically District 2 or 3.  We arrived in Budapest on Sunday, the 20th and began looking at homes to rent on Monday.  So far, I think we've seen about 25 homes and have narrowed the field down to about 5.  We are to visit the last home today, which has just come on the market.  It is supposedly, very suited to our needs and so we have held off a decision until we can see it.  

By locating in Buda, we hope to split the commuting distance between Adam's work, which is across the river in Pest, and the distance to the kids' school (the British International School of Budapest or BISB) which is located in Buda on the boarder between Districts 2 and 3.  

In addition to looking at homes, we have also selected a preschool for David, which is SuperKids.  We like the director and the teachers very much, but the real tipping of the scale was that the school seemed more academically focused than other preschools, which seemed more like play centers.  Because most Hungarian children don't start school until they are either 6 or 7, it is not an uncommon view that a 4-5 year preschool class be working only on shapes and colors.  SuperKids seems more connected with academics as we expect them in the States.  David will start at SuperKids tomorrow.  In addition to class/instructional time, snack time, lunch, outside play, David will also participate in swim, judo and skiing lessons.  He is very excited and I'm hopeful that it will be a good fit until next fall when he will join Lincoln and Kyle at BISB.

Speaking of, Lincoln and Kyle began school on Monday, November 28th.  Lincoln was pretty bummed that the first thing he had to do was entrance exams, but he managed to do just fine.  He is in Key Stage 3, which is similar to Middle School in the States.  His classes are combined, based on level or year, with kids in Year 7,8 and 9 (grades, 6, 7, and 8 in the states).  The classes are small, about 12-14 kids in each class.  He is taking Math, Science, Geography, English, French, PE and Drama.  Crazy coincidence:  Lincoln met a boy, Nicholas, that he knew from Sampson Elementary (his school in Cypress) when they were in switch classes back in 4th grade.  Nicholas has been here in Hungary for about 18 months.  He and Lincoln are now in nearly every class together.  Also, when we arrived for the first day, 3 boys were there to greet Lincoln and show him around.  He shares schedules with them as well.

Kyle is in Key Stage 2 (Elementary), year 5 (grade 4).  There are 2 classes of year 5's and his teacher seems very nice.  Kyle has a boy named Casper who is from Belgium but lived in Houston, Texas for 3 years and they were paired initially to help Kyle get to know his way around.  Kyle loves that he has 2 recesses and is jumping right into playing soccer with all the other kids his age.  Recess for Kyle is the whole Key Stage (grades 1-5).

Well, I've got to go.  I'm heading down to the local Christmas market.  Wish me luck.  More details to come.

We made it...

Well folks.  We made it.  We have arrived in Budapest, Hungary.  

After weeks of planning and stress, all our assets were liquidated and the few remaining household items were boxed, labelled and packed into various containers with the desperate hope that they arrive in the appropriate and various locations.  But I get ahead of myself.  I should really begin where I left off in my last entry.  Despite the title of said entry, I managed to escape the gauntlet of preparing for our expat assignment without actually losing my mind.  

Our first big break came with the blessing of an offer on the house within the first week of listing.  It was a huge relief to get things ready for the pack without the worry and headache of keeping the home in 'show' condition.  

The other big help came just after Halloween (yes, I'm aware I still haven't posted our Halloween pics.  They'll come as soon as I figure out which box holds the elusive camera cord), when Adam's dad and step-mom came by for a final visit.  Their presence gave me a reason to slow down and catch my breath, plus when it was time to get something done, they were great about keeping the kids occupied and happy.  Thanks Bill and Gale!

After Bill and Gale left, things kicked into high gear.  I had only 6.5 days to get ready for the big pack day, which was Monday the 14th and it loomed on my calendar like my own personal death-date.  Little by little things came together.  We had our fair share of mishaps (read: hair-raising catastrophes) but we managed to work around them (read: Cry.  Throw my hands in the air.  Swear that I'm giving up.  Cry again.  And then eventually put on my big-girl pants and take care of business.).   

On Sunday the washer and dryer disappeared into the hands of a new owner.  On Monday, my household good disappeared into boxes, as well as my fridge into the truck of its new owner.  On Tuesday, the van was presented to its new owner and everything else went off to its respective place (hopefully):  STORAGE.  SEA SHIPMENT.  AIR SHIPMENT.  And we...well, we, took ourselves off to the La Quinta.  (Living high now, huh?)  

Weirdly, getting to the hotel was such a relief.  So much of the pressure was off.  And without the pressure of a forever-long to-do list, I was finally able to process what was happening. (Read:  Hyperventilate a little bit) 

The reality of what I was about to do began to crash over me.  At times it was somewhat pleasant, like butterfly tickles in your stomach at the peak of a roller-coaster.  At other times, I'd get that feeling of falling you get when you miss a stair and for a second you're pretty sure you're gonna die.  

I couldn't freak out completely though.  At least not yet.  My kids still had to say good-bye to everything they've ever known.  They needed me to have my head on straight.  Plus, I had my own good-byes to say and I couldn't lose it or I just might decide to hide in my friend's guest room for the next 3 years.  No.  My panic was shouldered and shoved into the special box in my head, labelled:  "TOO PAINFUL:  PLEASE IGNORE FOR THE TIME BEING."

I think I need to check the seal on that box though, because when the time came for my last goodbyes, I seemed to have far too many irritating leaks.  Hence, my hazy recollection of how we actually managed to get ourselves and our 10 bags onto a plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany and eventually onto Budapest.

To be continued...

10 Ways to Slowly Lose Your Mind

1.  Decide to move your family to a foreign land where you don’t speak the language and allow yourself only 10 weeks to do it.

2.  Help your kids study for a science test, whilst wondering privately if any of it really matters considering they will be leaving school in a week.

3.  Create a menu of of something edible, maybe even delectable, from a dwindling pantry only to hear complaints from three little mouths.

4.  Worry incessantly about things over which you have no control.

5.  Choose to temporarily abandon your blog and then be needled with guilt for the radio silence every time you pass a computer, especially with Halloween pictures just begging to be posted.

6.  Wake from a nightmare in which no one understands a thing you say and then realize your dreams are about to be reality.

7.  Writing good-bye cards to your dearest friends.

8.  Inventory your home, from the furniture to the silverware, assign a value and determine if said item must be stored, shipped or sold, without knowing what the new home will be like AND entirely unsure how many of the items you ship will come to you broken and damaged.

9.  Get a wake up call from the dear ole hubby saying that you’ve given the wrong routing number to the relocation company and then spend several long hours wondering who might be the lucky guy with all the money from the sale of your home.

10.  While doing items 1-9, keep track of things like bills, appointments, school assignments, scout meetings and other frivilous items like whether or not you showered today.

All that being said, I still have a tenuous hold on reality, mostly due to the help from my friends and family.  More to come, but know that we appreciate the support and help you have given our family in this new adventure.

Welcome to the Madness

Based on the number of calls I've been getting from friends and family about my move status, it seems it's time for an update.  The Readers Digest version:  Things are progressing but not without a few grey hairs on my part.

For those interested in a bit more detail, keep reading:

THE DMV:  When a person applies for a visa in Hungary, the government confiscates his/her drivers license to be returned when said person leaves for good.  This wouldn't be a problem unless you planned to return for occasional visits and wanted to, say, drive or rent a car.  Solution:  apply for a duplicate license.  Normally, this would have required a few clicks at a DMV website but of course it wasn't that easy.  Ha!  Because of the nearing expiration date of my current licence I had to actually go in to a Texas DMV.  The Monday after my birthday, I dropped Dave off at the sitters (thanks Linda!) and hauled myself down to the DMV in Waller, TX.  It's a rural DMV and supposedly has shorter lines.  Only problem:  the whole office could have fit in my bedroom.  Seriously.  It was the size of a shoebox and had only one attendant.  Due to its minuscule size, the que had to wait outside.  In the sun.   In Texas.  In early September.  Two very long, sweaty hours later, I was admitted into the inner levels of Hades and 45 minutes later, escaped with only the slightest of scorch marks.  After ten days of recuperation, I received my medal of honor:  my brand-spanking new licence.  A hard fought win to be sure.

THE HOUSE:  We plan to sell our home.  The listing was a feat of monumental proportions because unlike a normal listing, I was involving our relocation company.  Normally, I'd have listed about ten days earlier than I did, but due to the bureaucratic grind the listing posted on Monday, Oct. 10th.  Tuesday, we had 1 showing.  Wednesday, 2 showings.  Thursday, 2.  And then nothing Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I was pretty convinced that the 5 people who were in the market for a home had looked and decided that they'd had no interest in my house and I was outta luck.  After taking a breath or two, I made it through the weekend, had a showing Monday and then Tuesday and today, we received an offer.  It's contingent, but I'm hopeful.  Only time will tell.

SCHOOLS:  We are still sorting out schools, but it looks like we will probably be sending our kids to the Bristish School of Budapest.  I have been very impressed with them so far and once we get in country we will interview them and do a final walk-thru of the facilities.

WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?:  This is the question I get asked several times a day and I'm finally staring to have an answer.  

Right now the packers are scheduled for November 17 and 18.  We'd probably take a flight on either the 20th or 21st.  This will mean that Thanksgiving will be in Hungary.  We will be in a hotel (interim living) and have decided to go to the Marriot Hotel, where they hold an annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the ballroom.  I understand it to be a lively event and it will certainly be different, but since it means I'm not cooking or doing dishes for 36 hours straight, it can't be all bad.

A MOVING TARGET:  As we struggle our way through this process, several things have become clear.  Everything is fluid.  For example, we thought we'd have a home finding trip, but that is NOT the case.  Initially, I was pretty frustrated by this, but over time I began to understand the reasons.  It will take 6-8 weeks (at least) for our things to arrive in country and because renting furniture is not an option, getting housing lined-out early doesn't really accomplish anything.  We would still need to be in interim living.  So, we'll be taking our flight over having never seen the city, it's housing or the schools.  While in interim living, we will house hunt, settle the banking issues and solidify the schooling for the kids.  By the time our things arrive, we will hopefully have a leased home and can move in.  This creates a lot of stress once we arrive for things to move along smoothly and that plays into why we are going early than originally planned.  With delays caused by the upcoming December holidays and vacation, we were informed that executing residence permits, leases and other necessary processes will be slowed or stopped all together from mid-December until early January.  As a result, coming in country a few days earlier (ie: November 20th versus December 2nd) is quite advantageous.  Again, things are fluid and plans change quickly, but that is how it stands for today.

OTHER THINGS I DO TO STAY BUSY:  You may be wondering, what exactly is so hard about all of this?  Well, I think the thing that I was surprised most about was the amount of paperwork.  There is paperwork for EVERYTHING.  The schools.  The work permit.  The passports.  The house listing.  The relocation package.  The list just keeps going.  My current 'job' is essentially paperwork.  I'm to inventory my home and break everything out into:  STORE, SEA SHIPMENT or AIR SHIPMENT.  

As an exercise, look around the room you are in.  Imagine inventorying everything in that room, assigning it a replacement value and then deciding if that item is something you need in the first 2-3 weeks after arrival or 6-8 weeks or if you can live without it for 3 whole years.  And if you can live without it for 3 years...why do you want it at all?  Should it be sold?

Other things I'm working on are selling the van and car, choosing a preschool for David, buying transformers/converters, cancelling credit cards and opening ones with good exchange rates, deciding what items I need to stock up on and what clothes to buy before we leave.  The list of tasks that I've completed looks decidedly short compared to what remains. But I've been assured by my dear friend, Andrea, who did this whole thing last year, that it will all get done.  

As a prize for completing this very lengthy discourse on moving, here is a picture of our recent family photo shoot.  Thanks goes to my wonderful photographer friend, Holly, for doing us a such a big favor on short notice.  You're awesome!

Kaput

It is done.  Over.  Finito.  

My youth.  

I am 35 and officially old.  I can't say as it bothers me, being old.  It's nice, even.  What does bother me though, is feeling frumpy and I've been feeling quite a lot of that lately.  Maybe it's that I can't wear heels. (The ankle just ain't what it used to be).  Or maybe it's that ten pounds I racked up sitting around on my tush trying to get well.  Or maybe it's my long, lank, drab hair.  

So, as newly elected mayor of Frumpytown, I needed to do something STAT.  I reluctantly restricted my diet to veggies and a few other things like veggies.  I dropped 8 pounds.  Yeah!  I forced myself into heeled boots for church.  Painful, but progress nonetheless.  Next, I hauled myself on into the salon for a shot of hair therapy.

I've still got a ways to go on the weight thing and my ankle isn't up for Manolo Blahniks yet, but I'm very happy with my hair.  This was my inspiration, but I wasn't ready to go that short.

So, here is me after the cut.  My dear friend, Linda, made me this key lime pie for my birthday and it was DE-LISH.  I allowed myself 1 piece and it was worth every single calorie.
My hair is shorter in the back than in the front but you can't really see from this angle.  I really like it.  It's so easy.  I highlighted this time, too, but plan to do a low-light next cut.   

Therefore, I happily resign as acting Mayor of Frumpytown.  Happy birthday to me.

 

Our News!

I'm reminded of the lyrics of Proud Mary, ala Tina Turner:  

'...you know, every now and then I think you might like to hear something from us that's nice and easy.  But there's just one thing...you see, we never, ever, do nothing nice and easy...'  

Amongst broken legs, torn achilles tendons, starting school and the upcoming holidays, we have decided to move...again.  Only this time it's much further.  Budapest, Hungary is our destination.

Adam has been offered a position in Budapest.  We are very excited and looking forward to the adventure. Our plans are still solidifying, but currently, we expect to move in late November or early December and we'll be there for about 3 years.  As you can see below, Hungary is completely land-locked in the center of Europe.  It shares borders with 7 neighbors: Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Yugoslavia, Croatia and Slovenia.  It's area is about the same size as the state of Indiana.  Budapest is the capital and largest city in Hungary.  The city is divided into two parts, Buda and Pest, by the Danube.  Budapest is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and its languauge, the one of the hardest to learn.
So, more to come on all of this, I'm sure.  Things have gotten incredibly busy around here and I haven't had minute to take it all in.  I kinda worry that I'll wake up in 4 months and suddenly realize that I live in Europe and that I'm completely unprepared.  Still, it's exciting, if incredibly scary. 

What...Enna Burning??? Grr!

Technology is great.  Until it isn't.  For example, my blog has a feature that allows my posts to list directly on my facebook wall.  Nice, huh.  

However, lately there seems to be something strange going down.  If I create a blog post without a picture, facebook automatically inserts a picture as part of the wall post.  That alone is kinda weird because I don't need a picture, do I??  The strangest part is the picture itself...it's always the cover of Enna Burning, a book that I began reading, but didn't finish because it was boring.  I've never blogged about it, so why would that particular cover come up?  I just don't get it.  Totally random, though.

Consequently, until I figure out another solution, I've decided that all my posts need a picture.  Hence, this:

 

Remember

9/11/2001:  I was a new mom, living in a new city with just a few close friends.  My typical day was filled with changing diapers and housework but this day wasn't supposed to be a typical day.  It was my 5-year anniversary.  Although Adam and I had no specific plans, I held out hope that my sweetheart would surprise me with something special.  As per routine, I turned on the morning news to fill the quiet while I fixed breakfast for myself and my 18-month old little boy.  

And then it happened...Katie Couric paused.  Her voice cut out.  She touched her earpiece.  Announced that she had breaking news.

Horror followed.  Tears.  Anger.  Anguish.  Fear.  I made so many calls that morning.  To friends and family, but first...first, I called Adam.  It was our anniversary.  What if what they're saying was true.  What if there were more targets?  High value targets like an oil-and-gas capital and port city of Houston.  It was our anniversary.  My gut twisted with anxiety.

By the end of that day, I got everything I wanted for my anniversary.  I got my husband home safe and sound.  But so many did not.

Remember 9/11

August 1st to Now...in 500 words or less.

I've been a little intimidated by the increasingly long and pregnant pause that has taken over my blog.  How can I do justice to the numerous events that have transpired?  I know.  Do it in 500 words or less. 

First, our trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama––a final fling with summer before school began in earnest.  We were joined by our dear friends, the Bybees and Kyle's face says it all.  Friends + Vacation = Pure Joy!  Please ignore the sullen girl in the corner.  She's not with us.  This picture was taken as we waited for our dolphin cruise.  We also let the kids try parasailing.  Kyle got props for being the only one brave enough to go up and the first thing he said after we landed was, "Can I go again?!" 

Still, the beach was the highlight, especially in the evenings.  It was glorious. White sugar sand.  Setting sun.  Warm breeze.  Happy kids.  Perfect.  Until...Adam tore his Achilles tendon while sprinting on the beach.

Yeah.  You read that right.  In a twist of cruel fate or some kind of vengeful karma just when I was finally walking normally Adam goes down with an equally debilitating leg injury.  What are the odds?  

We cut our vacation short and headed home.  Two days later Adam had surgery, armed with the knowledge that he would be facing a long and painful recovery.

The next day, I took Lincoln to his Jr. High orientation, leaving Kyle and David in the care of my immobilized and drugged-out husband.  Recipe for disaster, no?

But one problem at a time....first, Lincoln and Jr. High.  I could tell he was nervous about the locker thing and finding his classes but he rolled with the punches like a pro.  We left the school anxious to get home before the kids set fire to anything, but the van had other ideas.  Our wonderful, reliable, trust-worthy van simply refused to start.  Thankfully, I got a jump and after a quick run to Walmart for a battery, I returned home to find it still miraculously standing.  

The days between then and now have been a blur of school supplies, backpacks, lunches, nursemaid duties and doctor appointments.  Somewhere in there, school began thrusting Kyle into 4th grade and Lincoln into 6th.  Labor Day came and went.  Adam continued working from home due to his leg and David waits anxiously for the start of preschool, asking every day if "this day is my school?".  Thankfully, Thursday is the first day of preschool and I for one, am thankful for that fact.    So, that's the short version of my life from August 1 to today.  Sure there's more stuff to tell, but my word count is up. 

The Summer of 2011

I'm not entirely sure why it's taken me so long to post about my summer.  Maybe it's that I'm letting myself sleep in til 8 o'clock in the morning, so the blog is paying for the lost hours.  Maybe it's that I've been drinking the kids kool-aide ('no homework!').  Maybe it's that I'm feeling the need to spend some real time with the kiddos.  But whatever it is, I decided last night that I'd better post about the summer while I can still remember what we've been doing.

So, first off:  Basketball.   The boys have been doing a summer basketball league.  It's been quite a hit.  I've decided that's due, in no small part, to the fact that basketball is played indoors.  As much as my kids like to run around in an energy-induced rave, they do not like to sweat.  (I know, right!  This is a serious problem for kids raised in Houston) and sweating is greatly reduced when all physical activity is inside an air-conditioned gym.  The summer league is a great opportunity to get some real game time.  The coaches have been great and rotate the kids well, but for the most part, with families on vacation we usually have just enough for a team, which means the boys are getting invaluable game experience.  It's great to see Lincoln and Kyle's skills grow.

Second, My Nook.  Holy freaking cow!  I love it.  I fought the e-reader thing for a long time.  I never believed I'd need or use it.  But I really, really do.  I think I'd like to believe that I'm not a 'on-demand' kind of person.  That I have patience.  But it's a total self-delusion.  I like things to be ready when I am and when they are not, I lose all interest and patience with said thing.  Yeah, I'm that person.  Sorry.  It's taken me a long time to admit it, but once I did, I decided to allow my dear sweet husband to purchase a brand-new nook for me, so that I could read when I wanted to and not when the library gave me permission.  Um...AWE.  SOME.  It is so liberating to have the next book at my fingertips.    

Third, my vacation home:  This actually came first, but I'm reporting on it last.  Don't know why, but roll with it.  In late June, the kids and I hauled ourselves to Idaho.  And I'm not exaggerating when I say 'haul' because at one point I really felt like I was willing this beleaguered voyage to somehow work out alright.  We were supposed to leave on a flight from Houston at 7 am on a Wednesday morning.  We didn't arrive in Boise until 5 pm on the next day.  We were delayed, cancelled, routed through Minneapolis, and delayed again before we finally arrived.  The kids were troopers but I was kinda a mess.  My leg/ankle wasn't doing all that well, I had that stupid ugly boot and I'd neglected to bring any pain medications because I'd been off them for the better part of two months.  It wasn't the best way to start a vacation but as if fate wanted to throw this ole' girl a bone during the very worst part of the trip, I crossed paths with none other than Randy Couture in the Minneapolis Airport.  Good times.

Anyway.  Once we arrived, the rest of the vacation was great.  The kids and I rode 4-wheelers on the farm, picked strawberries and flowers in mom's garden, played cards with my Grandma, and the kids ran about like the cast of Lord of the Flies.  The kids enjoyed time with their cousins in Parma and then a week later, we had a reunion up in Donnelly, so the kids had even more cousin time.  I only wish I'd been more mobile, but even so, it was nice to relax and enjoy some down time with Adam and my family surrounding me.  

While in Idaho, we helped celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary and somehow we (kids) ended up receiving the gift.  My parents had spend most of the last year putting together their personal history.  I read the whole airplane ride home.  What a immeasurable gift––my world, from their eyes––a perspective and a history that I will cherish.  Thanks Mom and Dad.  Happy 50th!

So, that just about brings things up to date.  July is sliding into August.  School is just around the corner and I almost can't believe it.  Lincoln will begin Jr High (say a little prayer for me) and Kyle will start 4th grade.  Dave will be in preschool and another school year will begin.  Here I am trying to record the events of the summer, but all I can think is how I feel that I'm living on the precipice of Change.  (yes, change with a capital 'C'.)  

I'd like to stand still, holding onto the moments, but logically I know I would only be grasping at the very wind that will eventually push me over and into the next stage of my life.  It's a little scary and dizzying, but also kind of exciting.  So, I'm off...to enjoy the moment and hopefully prepare for whatever comes next.

The Eagles Reunion Tour...well, not really, but almost as cool

I read this article on NPR today and it just made me feel good.   Evidently two injured, but mated eagles were reunited at a New York rehab center after being separated by miles, circumstances and time.  The real serendipity is that the raptor experts had no idea that these two eagles knew one another.  Read below:

"Normally when we introduce raptors in a cage together that are not related, there's an altercation," Pencille told Michele. Sometimes, it's a fight to the death.

"I put the male in the cage ... and he was very frightened," Pencille continued.

Then, "all of a sudden he makes a call. ... And as soon as she hears that ... she goes just out of her mind trying to get his attention."

And that started a series of events that surprised Pencille: The female, after many attempts, taught the male how to hop up a series of steps to her perch. She actually jumped down and showed him what to do.

"Once he's up on the perch, they're touching each other," said Pencille. "They're standing so close to each other that their ... wings are touching each other. ... I'm absolutely shocked that there's no fight."

Pencille called a friend who has banded birds for 20-some years. He said "that sounds like a mated pair, that sounds like a bonded pair."

In other words, two mates who never would have seen each other again if the male hadn't also been brought to the center, are now together.

Sometimes life can seem pretty unforgiving but then you see something like this and it just make you feel good.

My favorite 9-year old

Two weeks ago we celebrated Kyle's 9th birthday.  

As you can see, he's pretty thrilled about his birthday in general.  His birthday menu included pancakes with ice cream for breakfast and pizza with no breadsticks (to stick it to Lincoln) for lunch. 
His present requests included a Pirates of the Caribbean lego set and a video game, both of which occupied his attention for the space of several days.  With school out, he and his brothers have spent some serious time reacquainting themselves with the Wii.  For his birthday activity, Kyle wanted nothing more than to go swimming and play Wii as a family.  

We sure are happy this guy is in our family.  He keeps us in stitches and is constantly a source of smiles.  More than either of the other boys, Kyle wears his emotions on his sleeve.  He is sincere, kind-hearted, enthusiastic and fun-loving.  In these past few months, with my gimpy leg, he has really stepped up to the plate and helped out.  He’s growing into an awesome young man.  We love you, Kyle! 

Breaking News

 

Breaking News:  We are staying in Cypress.  That's right.  We are NOT moving to the Woodlands, as previously planned.  Adam's employer will, in fact, be building a new campus and many, many employees will be officed there, but just not Adam's group.  

We terminated contracts with our builder last week and are settling in for the long haul.  

We are actually quite happy about this because we love our schools, our church group and our friends.  We enjoy the community and many things about where we live, but we are very sad to lose the opportunity to have a shortened commute.  It would have been life-changing to shorten Adam's commute from 1.5 hours one way, to 15 minutes one way, but alas...it was not meant to be.  

 

End of School (aka: SUMMER)

It's not exactly a news flash, but school is out in the Wariner House.  This year was particularly poignant for Lincoln, as the school's end marks his final moments of elementary school and the beginning of something bigger (and in my case at least, something scarier).  

Here is Lincoln at his 5th Grade Awards ceremony and graduation.    

Lincoln made the A&B Honor Roll all year long and was awarded the Citizenship award.  We are so proud of his accomplishments.  His dyslexia and dsygraphia hasn't made it easy, but over the years, Lincoln has stuck with it and made significant improvements.  Every single teacher Lincoln has ever had, even as early as Kindergarten has voiced nearly the same message:  "Lincoln is a brilliant boy.  He's going places." So I guess, regardless of how Jr High seems to me, I shouldn't worry too much.  Lincoln will manage to find his stride.  

I should keep the following statement in mind:

Trust me, keeping that in mind is way harder than it should be.  

Either way though, it's summer.  Time to enjoy life.  Worries can wait.  (They are quite good at waiting and take great pleasure in jumping you when you least expect it.  Darn things)

So, on to summer.  Is there anything that says summer more than a goggles on a 4-year old? When the boys aren't in the pool, their shooting each other with nerf guns, playing the legos, doing puzzles or games and of course, the spending inordinate amount of time on electronics.
And when our toys aren't cool enough, we simply invite over friends and suddenly our toys have a whole new appeal. And summer wouldn't be complete without food.  We made a Costco run last week and I came home with all sorts of new exciting things.  But I did have two additional helper and they did an amazing job loading the cart.  (btw:  I find that there is a great need for a sarcasm font)Hope your summer is going well.

Cub Scouts

Kyle recently completed his Wolf badge in Cub Scouts.  
He worked hard and got it done almost 6 months early.  He's very excited about anything to do with scouting and looking forward to Day Camp in June where he'll go as a Bear.  We are very pleased that Scouting is available for our boys.  It teaches some great skills and values.

Lincoln has also progressed in the Cub Scout program, to the point of graduating to Boy Scouts.  Before leaving Cubs, the big rite of passage, for the boys that achieve it, is the Arrow of Light ceremony.  The Scouting District sent in their guys (the Order of the Arrow) to officiate in the ceremony.  And afterward, we gave Lincoln is Award Arrow to commemorate the achievement.