Children's Day Celebration

Here is Callie's class coming out to join the lines

Each of the classes lined up.
They stood like this for hours!

The schoolyard was slammed full of people vying for position.

This was my view.

The kindergarteners 

This class had small groups that represented different parts of the world.
These are the kids representing our country.

These are the Americans.
They danced to "Cotton-Eyed Joe."

These boys were dressed as Arabs.
They were so adorable.  Everyone LOVED them!

This is Callie's class lined up and ready to perform.

Callie in action.

More Callie

Callie again.
Don't let that frown fool you- it's just intensity.
She LOVED doing this dance!

This is towards the end.  They were moving their feet so fast.
Callie practiced this part of the dance constantly.
I bet our downstairs neighbors are so happy it is over!

Lucy's performance was in the afternoon.

Singing

Lucy loves this little boy.  She was so glad she got to stand next to him.

Finishing up their song.
(Can you spot Lucy in the crowd? HA! HA!)

Half of the class saying a special poem.

Singing a butterfly song.  This was Lucy's favorite.
All she could talk about for weeks was this butterfly song and the special wings she got  to wear.

2 If By Sea 3 If By Land

Today I went to have tea with Callie's classmates' mothers.  This is just what I was hoping for, when she and I decided to throw her a birthday party back in February.  Today was a good time to get to know each other better.  I really like these ladies.

One of the ladies is a hoca (religious teacher) so we had a time of reading from the Koran and prayer.  She also did a short devotion/ lesson sort of thing.  I was a bit surprised, but it was no big deal.

Then we ate lunch and drank tea.  As we were talking, the ladies asked me how long it takes to get back and forth to America.  I told them that it usually takes two fights, a layover, etc.  So, in total about 20-24 hours.

The sweet lady sitting next to me explained that she has some relatives in America.  One of her relatives is afraid to fly, so they come by car, and it takes 3 days.  I politely explained that that is not possible because there is a big ocean between here and there.  To which she responded, "they must come around the other way."

That's worse than when my friend's mother asked if America was above or below Lithuania!

The Things They Say

When you are raising your kids in another culture, where they don't speak their mother tongue most of the time, you get some funny sayings. 

For instance:

They say "open" instead of turn on.  Like, "can you open the light?"  or "open the TV." 

They don't sharpen their pencils.  They open them.

The girls don't "do" their hair, they make their hair.  "Mom, look at my hair.  I made it all by myself!"

They drink soup and [say] drink cigarettes.


I know in due time they will learn how we Americans say things, but for now, I let it slide.  

What a Weekend!

So, as I mentioned before, this weekend was on the busy side.  Don't get me wrong, it was GREAT... but it was busy.

It seems like that always happens.  We'll have nothing for the longest time, then all the sudden, several things pile up on the same day.  I even had to turn down an invite for Saturday.  My friend called to invite me to her niece's henna party.  (Its the special night that a bride-to-be along with all her female friends and family get together to celebrate.)  I was bummed that I couldn't go, because I LOVE that sort of thing.

Here's what we did get to do:

Callie's Children's Day performance- 3 hours- two of those spent standing too close for comfort while slightly pushing those around me to keep my space.  The performances were fantastic.  The costumes were beautiful.  Callie's feet were moving a mile a minute- she was awesome.  The audience was lucky that I didn't karate chop someone in the throat!

We ate a quick lunch at home and I hot-rolled Lucy's hair.

Lucy's Children's Day performance.  We got there too close to the starting time to get a decent seat.  So I stood in the back to take pictures.  Unfortunately, since I left a bit of breathing room between me and the folks in front of me, people came and stood in front of me.  Lucy was adorable.  But again, the folks around me were lucky that I did not karate chop anyone's throat.

Can you feel my aggression building?

We hurried home from Lucy's performance and dropped Noah off at our neighbors.  He was so excited to get the opportunity to go see his favorite futbol team play.

Justin, the girls, and I came home for about 30 minutes to relax.  Then it was off again.  We went across the Straight to the other side of the city to meet some old friends that were coming through on a cruise.  We had a lovely dinner with them.  It had been a really long time.  So, it was fun to catch up with them.  We made them eat all sorts of local food.  I think they liked it.  At least they acted like they did!

We got home at about 11.  Justin put the girls to bed and I started cooking for our Easter picnic.  Noah got home at about 11:30.  He was so wound-up.  It took forever to calm him down and get him to bed.

I finally fell into bed at 1 am.

The next day we slept in a bit and then went out to meet our friends at a nearby national park.  We had such a great time.

We worshipped.  (I always wonder what the occasional passer-by thinks when they see us singing along to the guitar.)  We had a devotion and communion.  Then we ate.

All the kids had so much fun just being out in nature.  They ran and played.  Lucy and her little friends had the best time.  They planned this elaborate wedding.  They made pretend food and a pretend cake.  They were just precious.  The older kids and some of the men played volleyball and/or frisbee.

I just talked my head off.  I must have needed some good adult interaction in english because, mercy, my jaws were smokin!

A great day had by all!

The kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.  We managed to all get ourselves up to our flat and crashed.

It was a great weekend.  Now I'm going to take a nap... for a week!

Yall, what a weekend!  I'll write and post pictures throughout the week... when I've had a chance to recover...

and do some laundry...

and buy some groceries...

and SLEEP!

Sunday Sneak Peak

Happy Easter, Yall!

He is Risen!

Now, here are a few quick pics from Lucy's Children's Day performance:

Snack Time

She's not feelin' it

My sentiments exactly!

Children's Day

National Children's Day performance

Organization 101

I am writing this post as a part of Kelly's Show Us Your Life series.  Every week she highlights a different topic.  When I saw that this week was going to be on organization, I knew that I had to join in.  I LOVE to organize!  When things are neat, clean, and simple life is good in my book.

So, this is my simple organization tip:

We live in an apartment in a huge city, so this is my little laundry hub.

My kids' laundry bins.

Each of my kids has two laundry bins.  When I fold laundry I sort their things right into their bins.  Also, when I pick up stray toys, papers, etc. that get left around our apartment I toss them into their bins.  Each day they take their bin to their room and put all the contents away.  Once emptied, that bin stays in their room to collect dirty clothes.  Then they bring the other bin to my little laundry spot so I can sort and wash their clothes.

Even when we lived in America I used this system.  And, I started when my kids were quite young.  It does take a bit of patience as they learn to put their things away.  I have had to get used to the fact that their drawers are not as neat as I would like them to be.  But, as my kids grow they are getting better at keeping their drawers neater.  And really, since they dress themselves and put their own clothes away, I don't even really have to see their drawers!

That's my little tip for today.  It is so simple and really is a big help around the house!

Go over to Kelly's site for more great organization tips!

Election Time

I am so glad that it is election time.  Sure, the buses blaring who knows what and the flyers with propaganda everywhere aren't that great.

But...

Everything is getting fixed around this town!  They are finally starting to tow the cars double parked in the no-parking zones.  They are fixing streets and sidewalks, planting flowers, fixing up parks, helping schools. 

I wish election time came every year!

I.Q.

I used to feel really guilty about sending my kids to the local public school.  I worried that they were not getting a very good education even though I had heard pretty good reviews from other expat parents.

But now my mind is at ease.

You see, Justin had to hire an employee for his office here.  His company requires all applicants to take an IQ test.  Every single candidate here passed the test.

But, as he has been helping to open up the Atlanta office, not one of the applicants there has passed the IQ test!  He has interviewed GA Tech graduates, people with masters degrees, etc.

Surprising, isn't it?!

This and That

The sun has finally found our city and we are so busy trying to burn off an entire winter's worth of being cooped up in an apartment off.  Not only that, but this Saturday is a big holiday here.  It is the Children's holiday.  Both Callie and Lucy are in special performances.  They have been practicing at school for months with special teachers.  Elaborate costumes are involved.  The whole thing is a BIG deal.

Excitement is in the air!

Not only is this Saturday a big holiday for the kids, but as it turns out, we've got several other things brewing that day.  My sweet friends across the street invited Noah to go with them to see his favorite soccer team play.  He is so excited.  That is a really special treat, because tickets to games like these are like gold.  He is a really lucky boy!

Also, one of my brother's best friends' parents are coming through the city on a cruise.  Justin, the girls, and I are going to meet them for dinner.  It will be fun to see them- its been a long time!

Sunday is Easter.  Every one from our company gets together and we have a picnic out in the woods every year.  It is just such a great time to celebrate the Risen Christ together.  The food and and fellowship are great, too.  It is one of the few times during the year when the kids can run a bit wild and actually, you know, see a tree.  So, they love it, too!

Speaking of fun...

Today I played dodgeball in the parking lot with all the kids from our building.  Women don't really do that type of thing here, so I drew quite the crowd of street kids.  It was one of the few times where I just didn't even care that people were looking.  We just cut loose and had fun.

I was knocking those kids OUT!   It was so satisfying!  HA!

Let the Machines Do the Work

Justin's employee: I heard that there were these machines in America that dry your clothes.

Justin: Yep, there are, and actually they are here now, too.

Justin's employee: What a waste!

Justin: We just got one.

Justin's employee:  Well, I guess it could be a good thing.

This May Be A Stupid Question...

Don't laugh, but I really want to know:

Does putting multiple skin creams on my face make a difference or am I just wasting my time and money?

Every night I use an eye cream, a wrinkle cream, a cream to take away dark spots, and an acne cream.  After the first one goes on, are the others able to really sink into my skin and work?

Also, does the fact that I am soliciting advice about wrinkle, acne, and age spot creams officially make me an old hag?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Bedtime Conversation

Lucy: Mom, its hard havin' these fwee kids, right?

Me: Yep!

Lucy: You should get rid of one of 'em.

Me: Nope!

Lucy: It should be Noah 'cuz he farts a lot!

Sunday Sneak Peak

One of the last pictures that I took before moving here.

We had a little un-birthday party for Lucy at the Fortney's.

One of the first pictures I took once we got here.

Noah and Callie standing on the balcony of our first flat.

Happy Birthday

Today is my mom's birthday.  She is the best!  I can't even describe how awesome she is.  I tried to do it here and here.  She is so fun and full of life.  For Pete's sake she's sixty- somethin' and I'm 33 but she has more energy than me!!

Check her out:

Momma,

Happy Birthday!  I love you so much and think you are just absolutely wonderful!  The way that you love others and give so much of yourself is such a blessing and inspiration.  You are absolutely gorgeous- inside and out!  I love you more than words can express!!!

Hope your birthday is GREAT!!

Love,

me

Give Me a Cigarette

Every day cars, vans, trucks, and/or buses go up and down trying to sell something, get us to vote a certain way, or announce the opening of something.  It seems like every third car has some sort of loudspeaker system.

Most often it is the potato and onion truck going up and down the streets hollering over the loudspeaker.  Now we are moving into election season, so huge buses blaring music and propaganda slowly weave up and down the streets.

A few week ago a band of gypsies pulled up in a van that would make the A-Team proud.  They didn't even have a loudspeaker.  The women and children went up and down the street hollering.  Then they set up camp on the side of the road and started pulling out some sort of machine.  They convinced someone in the building next to us to let them plug it in.  And then he began polishing pots with the machine.  He probably polished the electricity provider's pots for free.  While the man was polishing pots, and the children were going up and down the streets trying to drum up business, the women started a fire and were cooking up some fish.  It was a sight to behold.  Unfortunately, I spent the whole time watching them from the balcony and did not take one picture.

Well, then there's this guy.

So today it was another van of gypsies.  This time they were selling rugs.  My friend across the street had recently bought rugs and remembered that I had liked them very much.  So she summoned me down to check out these rugs.  I found a set that I liked, and my friend talked the gypsies down to a really good price.

As culture would have it, I had to go up and ask my husband if I could buy the rug set.  The lady told me that if I'd bring her a cigarette down when I came back she'd take 15 lira for the rugs.

I didn't have a cigarette, but I still got the price.

Even though I live in a huge city, it feels like I live in a village sometimes!  This place ALWAYS surprises me!

You Might Be A Redneck If...

your wife has to remind you to put on your black underwear so the folks at the important business meeting won't see the holes in your suit pants.

Epic Mail Fail

I wrote our Compassion child just the other day.   I was so excited to mail a letter to him... until I tried.

FAIL! 


The mail system here is unbearable!!  I hurried up to the farther away post office because you can park near it.  At Christmas time I waited in line for an hour and a half (which is normal, it's not like people here were trying to mail Christmas cards or anything) in line at this post office only to find when I got up to the ONE guy working that they didn't have stamps!

Talk about goin' postal!!!

Anyhow, like a dog returns to its vomit, I returned to the post office of death.  It was closed for lunch.  UGH!  I tried to convince the guys on the cargo side to mail my letter for me.  Not happening.

So, with utter sadness, I forced myself to go to the good post office.  The two guys who work upstairs in this post office are so nice to me, and they make things so easy.  The only problem is, the post office is located right smack dab in the middle of the busiest part of our area.  The building is straddled by three lane roads (which means that at least 10 rows of cars are squeezing their way by).  Traffic is crazy.  There is no parking.

I circled the block 5 times trying to convince myself to just do what everyone else here does and just park right out front of the building and throw on the flashers.  It would only take a second to run in and mail my ONE letter.

I couldn't do it.  Defeated, I parked about a mile away.  When I finally got there, it was closed for Friday prayers!!

UGH!  I forgot!

I trekked back down to my car and made a vow or two against the local postal service.

The next day, Saturday, I had Justin drop me off while he circled the block.  In and out.  No problem.  Mission accomplished!

2 hours and 2 days later!

Well, except for today, my letter arrived... HERE!  TO ME!

They sent the letter to me!  They read the return address and delivered it right back to me.  Its not like there was a problem or it was returned.  It was just mistakenly delivered here.  I guess they could only read the address written in the local language.

So, tomorrow, I'll start the mailing process again!  I hope our sponsored child, Mohammad, knows how much we love him, and that he is worth every bit of the effort!!

Rite of Passage

Well, it's finally happened.  Lucy has reached her 4 year old rite of passage.

She cut her bangs down to the scalp!!!

I am in shock.  This is the child who treasures her hair.  For Pete's sake, she wants to be Rapunzel when she grows up.  I did not see this coming.

Right around her 4th birthday we had her hair cut.  She hated wearing things in her hair and it was always in her eyes.  So, we decided to try bangs.  Lots of her little friends have bangs and she was excited to have bangs, too.

The cutest part was that she calls them "bangles!!"

Anyhow, she got tired of the bangles really quickly and decided to grow them back out.  Fast forward 6 months.  The bangles were just about catching up with the rest of her hair.  But she decided REALLY didn't want bangles anymore.

So, yesterday at school, when the teacher turned her back, she chopped them off!!

When I found out, we went straight to the salon.  Now she has lots of bangles- some are 1 cm long and some are about 5 cm long.  It's attractive.

The Rapunzel dream is over!

Although I am surprised that Lucy cut her hair, I don't care too much.  It was quite a different story 4 years ago when Callie chopped her hair off.

I was about 48 million months pregnant.  I was already past my due date and I was mad at the world!  I went upstairs to my bathroom and there on the counter were my big scissors and some big chunks of hair.

I flipped out!  I went running through the house hollering for Callie.  When I found her, sure enough, she had scalped herself... the day before picture day at preschool and just before her baby sister was born (which everyone knows is like major paparazzi time).

It is a wonder that I didn't pop that baby out right then and there 'cause I was having convulsions.  Eyes bulging, veins popping, full on crazy pregnant lady convulsions.  It was not pretty.

I snatched her up and went next door to my sweet neighbor who just happened to be a hairdresser.  I was crying and freaking out so badly that her husband, who was mowing the lawn, thought something catastrophic had happened.  He dropped the mower and came running.

She calmed me down and did her best to fix Callie's hair.  She looked a little off for awhile... a long while.  But in the end it was no big deal.  Her school pictures were cute and the millions of baby pictures- a few of which included her- were just fine.

In other words, the world didn't stop spinning then, and I guess it won't this time either.  Lucy will just end up being a hair dresser instead of Rapunzel!

Noah is the science homework checker for his class.  He makes sure that the kids have done their homework right and that their notebooks are neat.

His friend is the fingernail checker.  He makes sure that all the kids' fingernails (and the rest of them, really) are clean.  Cleanliness really is next to Godliness here.

Surprisingly, Noah has all stars in both areas!

Sunday Sneak Peak

Its tulip time in the city.  Yesterday we went to a big park to play.  They have planted thousands of different types of tulips.  Tulips are the national symbol of our country, and we boast to have more tulips than Holland.

This red type with pointed ends is our national symbol.

A Day at the Park