Bye Bye RI

The girls and I had a great week in RI. We got to see all of our family which was fun. The girls really loved staying with grandma and grandpa. We did a lot of shopping which grew old for the girls so then we just had a day of doing nothing. The girls enjoyed staying in their pajamas all day. It was nice to see the girls playing with their cousins too. They had so much fun playing together that the girls were sad everytime we had to leave them. It was nice to be back in RI and see all things familiar. I also got in a couple runs which is something I never thought I would do. I used to think running was crazy nevermind running while on vacation! IT was nie to get out and run though. It made me aware of the difference between running in Prague and running in RI. As I ran, every car that passed me would give me the quick wave. I like this and it made me happy. It makes you feel part of the local community. This would NEVER happen in Prague. It doesn't bother me that it doesn't happen in Prague but it was nice to have it in RI. Also as I was running there was a guy riding his bike that slowed down to have a quick chat! It was definitely a different experience to run in RI.

We left RI on Friday morning and headed to NH to meet up with a friend and to stop at the kids pediatrician since Ali had had a fever for a few days and I suspected an ear infections. We drove up to NH in the snow and came close to being in two car accidents but luckily my mom is good at driving in the snow and we didn't actually get into any accidents. I'm glad we went to the pediatrician though b/c Ali had ear infections in both ears. It also gave me the chance to ask our pediatrician what his thoughts were on having Sofia's adenoids out. I feel more comofrtable with making the appointment now then I did before so we will call our pediatrician in Prague once we are back.

Anyway, Jason met us in NH and we transfered everything from my mom's car to our car and headed up to Maine. We stayed at my brother's condo up at Sunday River on Friday night and skied on Saturday. It was great to be back on the slopes. I was a little shakey at first but once we headed into the glades it all came back....something about not wanting to hit a tree makes the legs work properly! Hahaha. We had a great day of skiing and the snow conditions were excellent. It was a bit windy and at one point, while on top of the mountain, the wind actually blew me backwards but other than that it was the perfect day. I think we will get in one more day of skiing while we are here. I had hoped to squeeze in 3 days of skiing but we just don't have the time.

After renting skis for the girls to start skiing on we headed to Jason's parent's house. We are here for the remainder of our time in the States. The yard is covered in snow (which comes up to about the middle of the livingroom windows!) so we have already gotten the kids on skis and pulled them down the driveway. They both seem to like it but of course grew bored of it so we switched to snowshoeing and sledding. We will get them back out there today for a little more skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. Jason and I have already hit the outlets and had good luck. Now I just have to go to the grocery store and stock up on all my food supplies. I'll have those two extra duffle bags full very soon!

Enjoying vacation

After making the plane ride to Boston and figuring out how to install new car seats from the car rental company we made it to my parent's house. We arrived about midnight on Thursday and the kids were exhausted. We carried them straight to bed and soon after found our own beds. We have been busy since we arrived. On friday morning we made the drive to NH (about 2 hours) so that we could see some friends and get my license renewed. Even though we aren't living in NH anymore I had called to see if it was still possible to hold a NH license since I don't technically have a residence anywhere in the U.S. and I was told yes that I could just use my last Nh address. I thought, great, then it shouldn't be a problem. Jason had come back in September and had done the same thing without a problem. Unfortunately for me I got the grumpy DMV worker and was told I could not have a NH license. Needless to say I was a little annoyed. People get annoyed about the beaurcracy in teh Czech Republic but I get annoyed with the US beaurcracy. I feel like we are U.S. citizens in limbo since we don't have an actual residence here. I asked the woman at the DMV where she would suggest I get a license and she said she didn't know but just not NH. I thanked her and left. At least the trip wasn't a waste since we got to stop and see my friend Melissa and her husband and two beautiful children. It was fun to talk to them and hang out. Unfortunately we didn't have that much time since we needed to make the 2 hour drive back to RI to have dinner at my brother's house at 6pm. We made it back had a great dinner and the kids had a blast playing with their cousins, Michael and Johnathon. We got home and once again carried the girls up to their beds since we got home late and they fell asleep in the car.

Yesterday we celebrated my mother's 60th birthday. It was fun to see all my aunts and uncles and cousins. The girls had a blast playing with their cousins again too. After the party we headed an hour north to Massachusetts to visit Jason's brother and his family. We had a nice dinner and the kids were thrilled to play with their "big kid" cousins, Alex and Justin. It was nice to see the new addition to the family, Kiera. She was so cute and was sleeping almost the entire time we were there. I hope that continues for their sake! Today is the first day that we have really had to just relax. It has been nice. I'm off to play outside in the yard. It is nice to be able to just walk out the back door and be in the grass.

Preparing for travel

This week has been a week of preparing for travel. While we are away our landlords are having a new kitchen put in to our flat. In case you don't remember our kitchen cabinets fell off the wall just before Christmas so we really need a new kitchen. I am really looking forward to coming back to a real kitchen. We have gotten by for 3 months with out cabinets but it has grown tiresome. In order to be ready for the new kitchen we have had to remove everything from the current kitchen. I am almost done with this task now and I will finish it this morning. I have finished the laundry, which seemed to take forever to complete. I will pack all the clothes for the girls and myself today. It doesn't seem real that we are going back to the U.S. for a visit yet this trip has required the most effort in terms of prep. I'm looking forward to this trip. In addition to looking forward to seeing my family, I'm also looking forward to the big box stores (Walmart, Target) as well as all the outlets. Jason keeps joking that I am going to need a shipment container with all the things I plan on buying. Oh well! I'm going to enjoy myself and buy the things we "need". Besides, with the declining dollar it is getting cheaper everyday to buy things in the States!

Our restaurant...

Jason and I have our favorite restaurant in Prague that we go to quite frequently. I have written about it before but I needed to post about it again. This week Jason and I didn't know where we were going to go for dinner and we pretty much decided as we were on the metro going into town on Friday night. So, we showed up at "our" restaurant without a reservation. We were surprised to see that it was quite busy so early in the night since it doesn't usually get busy until later. There was another couple who had arrived before us so we weren't sure if we were going to be able to get a table. Fortunately for us we are known at this restaurant. The owner saw us and waved us in, "Prego, Prego, Prego." He immediately brought us in and gave us a table. I love being known at a restaurant. Of course, we had another excellent meal. Jason and I are always trying different main courses on the menu and we have never been disappointed. This week we tried the veal saltimbocca. It was outstanding. I think it is the best I have ever had. We lingered over our meal and wine and thoroughly enjoyed our night. One of the many things I love about this restaurant is that we can comfortably pass 2-3 hours over dinner and not feel rushed. Here is a picture of the owner and his son (at least we think it is his son.). It is definitely a family restaurant so we usually see the son and daughter as well.

Easter Egg Hunt

Today was the Easter Egg Hunt held by Sofia's school. Sofia was excited to go to the hunt and so was I. I have never been to an Easter egg hunt so I wasn't sure what to expect. The day was beautiful and we happily headed out to the Suchdol Woods. We hopped on the bus that we take to Sofia's school but stayed on it for 3 more stops. We got off and walked to the woods. At the entrance to the woods we collected our bags (to collect candy) as well as our map of the wood trails. We met up with Sofia's friend, Elisabetta, and her brother and parents and walked through the woods together. It was fun for the kids to be together and it was nice for the parents to get to talk while we walked through the woods. At each candy station the kids had to answer questions in order to receive their candy. At one station the kids had to choose a song to sing and then we all had to sing together. Twice we came upon two different "rabbits". Two of the teachers were dressed up as rabbits and gave the kids more candy. Sofia was a little nervous until she realized the white rabbit was Mr Chisholm whom she loves. (We don't know who was in the brown rabbit costume but Sofia tells us it was a high school teacher. ) Ali couldn't be convinced though and was very afraid of the rabbits. Chocolate couldn't convince Ali to go to the rabbit so we just moved on. At the end of the hunt there was a small BBQ so we sat in the sun on the edge of the woods and enjoyed drinks and hot dogs. The kids played together and had a great time. It still makes me laugh how beer is available at any event in Prague. We would never have a school event in the U.S. where beer would be available but here is Prague it does not stand out as anything strange. In any event everyone had a great time and no one (including the parents) wanted to leave when it was time to go.

Click here to see more pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt

Sitting by the river

I picked Sofia up from school the other day and was going to let her play in the school yard since the weather was nice but another mom asked if we wanted to join them by the river. I thought this sounded like a great idea so we headed over to the river with them. We stopped at the local potraviny (mini market) and picked up some food for the girls and headed to the bench by the river. It was so peaceful. We through some bread for the ducks but mostly the girls sat on the bench and ate their snacks and Susanna (the other mom) and I got to chat. It was nice to get to talk to her. Unfortunately we won't have many more trips to the river since she will be moving at the end of the school year to Stockholm. This is a downside to being an ex-pat - friends are always leaving for their next assignment.

Sofia's Party

Sofia had a GREAT time at her party. We got up this morning and got ready to go. I picked up the cake and loaded up the stroller and headed into town. We got there a little early and had to wait for the play place to open but we waited inside at the coffee area of the restaurant while Jason went to his office and picked up more of the party supplies. My friend Joanna and her husband, Lukas showed up early with their daughter so that Lukas could help Jason get the supplies from his office and Joanna could watch the kids while I set up. It worked out great to have them there. It was nice not to have to worry about watching the girls while I was trying to set up and it was also very helpful to have Lukas there since he could translate for me. The woman who runs the play area doesn't speak English so it was nice to have Lukas there to translate. It would have worked out if he wasn't but it was easier and we appreciated his help. Anyway, we got everything set up and all of Sofia's friends started to show up. The location was perfect since the kids could all play in one room which made it easy to keep an eye on them. Sofia really liked her princess cake and when it was time to cut the cake all the kids had a request for which princess they wanted. Luckily, I cut the cake and my friend, Kirsty, just handed them out no questions asked. Once there was a piece of chocolate cake in front of them there were no complaints about not getting the requested princess. It was funny to watch present opening time. All the kids gathered around and "helped" open the presents. I was frantically trying to see who the presents were from so that we could write thank you notes. I think we managed to write down all the gifts and names. I feel like the party was a whirlwind and I didn't get to talk with anyone but I think everyone had a good time. Thankfully our friends, Phil and Shanna, gave Jason a ride home with all our stuff so we didn't have to worry about how we were going to get everything back home. We are home now and I have put everything away. (Well, not the toys b/c Sofia is playing with all of them right now.) I figured I would write this before I relaxed for the day. I'm exhausted and once I stop I'm not going to be doing anything for the remainder of the day! Thankyou to everyone for coming and making Sofia's party great!

Click here to see more photos from Sofia's big party and her quiet celebration at home.

Party Preparation

Today is the day before Sofia's party and I am in party prep mode. This is the first party I will have to have at a location other than my home. I am realizing it is a lot more work! Of course the stress is compounded since we don't have a car since now we need to figure out the logistics of getting everything to the party site. We have had friends offer to drive us over with all the stuff but that adds another layer of organization that I was just not ready for so Jason and I are working it out on our own. I have made he fruit salad and cut the veggies and have them ready in Tupperware. Luckily I had cleaned out the fridge a couple days ago and I don't go grocery shopping until Sunday so we have some space in the fridge for the Tupperware. Jason is purchasing all the drinks today and storing them at his desk so that tomorrow we can walk down the road from the party location and get them rather than dragging them into town with us in the morning. Tonight we will drop off all the party supplies (hats, blower things, plates, napkins, plastic ware, favors, etc.) in Jason's office as well before we go out for dinner. I think everything is falling into place. Keep your fingers crossed that we can get everything done tomorrow morning before the party starts so that the party goes off with out a hitch. With 17 kids I'm sure it will be complete mayhem so I'm sure Sofia will have a blast even if I don't get everything perfect. I will post tomorrow (if I'm not too exhausted) to let you know how the party went and I will post pictures as well.

Benadryl

This weekend we found out there is no equivalent to Benadryl available in the Czech Republic. They have other antihistamines like Claratin but no benadryl. Needless to say we were very disappointed. I should say, Jason was disappointed since he was the one in need of benadryl. I have always been careful with laundry soap since, as a little girl, I had issues with different soaps giving me rashes. I was relieved when we moved here and Tide was available. It costs more than local soaps but I didn't care. I didn't want to risk a rash. Anyway, the last time I went to the store they didn't have the same kind of Tide I had been buying so I decided to just choose a different kind of Tide. BIG MISTAKE!! Jason was allergic to the new detergent. We are now using baby detergent and I am rewashing all our clothes. I will also be bringing Benadryl back with us when we go back to the US for a visit.

Happy Birthday Sofia!!!

Sofia turned 4 today at 6:17am EST (12:17pm Prague time). It is unbelievable to me that she has been here for 4 years. The last 4 years have seen a lot of changes and I feel like she changes every day. I was thrilled when she said to me today, "Mommy, I'm 4 now so now I'm a big girl and will always listen to you.". I know there is no way that will be maintained but it is a nice thing to hear. I sent cupcakes in to school with Sofia today and she had a good day with her friends at school. They sang her happy birthday and she had a great day. We let Sofia choose what she wanted for her birthday dinner and she chose Pad Thai! Who would have thought Pad Thai would be a favorite food of a 4 year old. In addition to the Pad Thai request she also requested chopsticks to eat her pad thai and she did a very good job with them. We opened presents before dinner and Sofia was very excited about all her presents. It will be interesting to see how excited she gets on Saturday when we have her birthday party with all her friends.

MythBusters

Here is a nice picture of Jason with the girls. What are they doing you wonder? Well, Jason has captured the girls interest with the TV show MythBusters. Jason loves this show. I, too, think it is a good show but it is one of Jason's favorite shows. When I came back from grocery shopping today I saw the girls sitting with Jason watching a show. I assumed it was some kids show until Sofia told me it was MythBusters. I was surprised that they were so into the show but they were really seeming to enjoy it. After dinner tonight and before bed the kids requested to watch a show and what did they want?? MythBusters!! I think Jason is in heaven. :)

Happy Birthday Shanna!

Last night a bunch of us went out to celebrate our friend Shanna's birthday. Shanna is a great friend to all of us and it was a joy to celebrate her birthday with her. There were 14 ladies, including Shanna, who came to celebrate and we had a great time. We had tried to make reservations at a vegetarian restaurant which I was excited about since the menu had sounded good but they were full so we went to my favorite Italian restaurant in Prague. It is probably just my favorite restaurant. I don't think I need to qualify it as my favorite Italian restaurant. I love the food. I love the interior. I love the service with the family attitude. It is a restaurant that Jason and I go to quite often so when I walked in last night the owner looked at me and said, "Maria?" I had to tell him that I was there with my friends tonight. I had to laugh when the owner would ask me questions for the group. I love having a restaurant that I am known at especially this restaurant that I love so much. Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed their food and drink.