Kim and Cindy arrived on Thursday to spend the weekend with us! Cindy brought her beautiful puppy - Sadie/Lil Bit/Damien/Mini-Me - who has captured all of our hearts. She's still not allowed on the carpet but somehow has managed to pee on it three times or so. :-(
Yesterday we went for a car tour of D.C., visited the Marine Corps Memorial and then had lunch in Arlington. All of us chicks went to a chick flick last night. We went to see "27 Dresses" and it was a hoot!
Today we went to Arlington, watched the changing of the guard and then headed to the airport to pick up Lisette's boyfriend Dylan. Cindy's feeling under the weather so we're staying in tonight and heading to bed early.
I also got the news today that John's sister and her family are coming to visit next month! I absolutely love visitors so I'm a very happy camper!!! Now if only we could get our furniture!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
"Youth" by Samuel Ullman
Youth is not a time of life;
it is a state of mind;
it is not a matter of rosy cheeks,
red lips and supple knees;
it is a matter of the will,
a quality of the imagination,
a vigor of the emotions;
it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance
of courage over timidity of the appetite,
for adventure over the love of ease.
This often exists in a man of 60 or more than a boy of 20.
Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.
We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin,
but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart
and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16,
there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder,
the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next
and the joy of the game of living.
In the center of your heart and my heart
there is a wireless station:
so long as it receives messages of beauty,
hope, cheer, courage and power from men
and from the Infinite, so long are you young.
When the aerials are down,
and your spirit is covered with snows of cyncism
and the ice of pessimism,
then you are grown old,
even at 20,
but as long as your aerials are up,
to catch waves of optimism,
there is hope you may die young at 80.
Samuel Ullman
it is a state of mind;
it is not a matter of rosy cheeks,
red lips and supple knees;
it is a matter of the will,
a quality of the imagination,
a vigor of the emotions;
it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance
of courage over timidity of the appetite,
for adventure over the love of ease.
This often exists in a man of 60 or more than a boy of 20.
Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.
We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin,
but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart
and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16,
there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder,
the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next
and the joy of the game of living.
In the center of your heart and my heart
there is a wireless station:
so long as it receives messages of beauty,
hope, cheer, courage and power from men
and from the Infinite, so long are you young.
When the aerials are down,
and your spirit is covered with snows of cyncism
and the ice of pessimism,
then you are grown old,
even at 20,
but as long as your aerials are up,
to catch waves of optimism,
there is hope you may die young at 80.
Samuel Ullman
Monday, February 11, 2008
It's So Cold Here!
I'm freezing my puttooti off. It's cold. Brrrrr.
Thankfully it seems as if my flu is on its last legs. I did require a nap this afternoon but John and I ventured out to have dinner in the city with a friend of ours from way back who was visiting on business. We went to an Irish pub and the boys had a pint while I warmed up with an Coffee/Baileys concoction (for medicinal purposes only!) Dinner was pub fare, nothing to write home about - literally! But we had a nice visit and we're hoping he'll be visiting us in Bolivia this November.
The kids are doing great - seem to be faring well, even with the weather...did I mention how cold it is??
John's doing great - even with the weather. Yeah, okay.
Tomorrow's another day off of school for me but I have much to do around the house and beyond! Sure hope it warms up! :-)
Thankfully it seems as if my flu is on its last legs. I did require a nap this afternoon but John and I ventured out to have dinner in the city with a friend of ours from way back who was visiting on business. We went to an Irish pub and the boys had a pint while I warmed up with an Coffee/Baileys concoction (for medicinal purposes only!) Dinner was pub fare, nothing to write home about - literally! But we had a nice visit and we're hoping he'll be visiting us in Bolivia this November.
The kids are doing great - seem to be faring well, even with the weather...did I mention how cold it is??
John's doing great - even with the weather. Yeah, okay.
Tomorrow's another day off of school for me but I have much to do around the house and beyond! Sure hope it warms up! :-)
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Seriously Folks...
I do plan on blogging more than weekly.
Tuesday afternoon I headed home from school at lunchtime, feeling quite weak and woozy. Things spiraled downhill from there. I was feeling so sick on Wednesday evening I was contemplating a trip to the ER. Thursday was better, Friday was worse and today was so-so. Seems like there's been quite a few people sick at our school so at least I feel justified for my misery. Funny how I need that eh?
Jake had his tryout for lacrosse today. He was pretty testosterone driven when John and he returned...must be the cup he had to wear! LOL John said he kept up pretty well with the other dudes and he's about average height wise...I'll still keep you posted!
The girls have had a quiet week. Tonight Lisette is out at a movie with a girlfriend and Nicole is going to a babysitting job. They've been helping take care of me but John has been wonderful. He just won't kiss me! ;-) Germaphobe that he is! He took the girls out on yesterday to get their learners permits but the computer was down. They had a "Daddy-date" and then came home none to disappointed.
Tuesday afternoon I headed home from school at lunchtime, feeling quite weak and woozy. Things spiraled downhill from there. I was feeling so sick on Wednesday evening I was contemplating a trip to the ER. Thursday was better, Friday was worse and today was so-so. Seems like there's been quite a few people sick at our school so at least I feel justified for my misery. Funny how I need that eh?
Jake had his tryout for lacrosse today. He was pretty testosterone driven when John and he returned...must be the cup he had to wear! LOL John said he kept up pretty well with the other dudes and he's about average height wise...I'll still keep you posted!
The girls have had a quiet week. Tonight Lisette is out at a movie with a girlfriend and Nicole is going to a babysitting job. They've been helping take care of me but John has been wonderful. He just won't kiss me! ;-) Germaphobe that he is! He took the girls out on yesterday to get their learners permits but the computer was down. They had a "Daddy-date" and then came home none to disappointed.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
My Weekly Blog
I'm a creature of habit - in the past that meant turning on the computer once there was a coffee in hand and the kids were on the bus. That's no longer the norm so writing on the blog has dropped off my habit radar...so to speak!
This week was filled with Protocol. I'm not sure if Protocol requires a capital "P" all the time but for the next few years, it does for me. Wow! Lots and lots to learn and then retain when it comes to diplomacy and Protocol. If you'd like I could go over all I've learned - yeah, right! With my love for tradition, entwined with my love for fun and covered with my obsession with creating harmonious places I think I'm ready for this. Famous last words.
The last few days life's been about cleaning, groceries and family. Not nearly as mindnumbing but it's been fulfilling. Thursday started with Jake and I noticing Buddy's absence from the house. Lisette had put him out about 30 minutes prior and forgotten him. Doesn't sound like her, right? Ha! I whistled for him and he returned, bounding, from the neighbour's front yard.
Yesterday, Jake was registered to play lacrosse. Should be interesting. I'll keep you posted. :-) We have a local phone line here with Cox, using our Vonage for long distance. Nicole didn't understand the difference so our $155 phone bill about knocked me off of my feet. For now, she's paying but we might approach Cox for clemency. Sigh.
Today is sunny and cool. Pretty perfect for me. I can't remember what's on the agenda but sure wish it was with you guys!
Besitos!
This week was filled with Protocol. I'm not sure if Protocol requires a capital "P" all the time but for the next few years, it does for me. Wow! Lots and lots to learn and then retain when it comes to diplomacy and Protocol. If you'd like I could go over all I've learned - yeah, right! With my love for tradition, entwined with my love for fun and covered with my obsession with creating harmonious places I think I'm ready for this. Famous last words.
The last few days life's been about cleaning, groceries and family. Not nearly as mindnumbing but it's been fulfilling. Thursday started with Jake and I noticing Buddy's absence from the house. Lisette had put him out about 30 minutes prior and forgotten him. Doesn't sound like her, right? Ha! I whistled for him and he returned, bounding, from the neighbour's front yard.
Yesterday, Jake was registered to play lacrosse. Should be interesting. I'll keep you posted. :-) We have a local phone line here with Cox, using our Vonage for long distance. Nicole didn't understand the difference so our $155 phone bill about knocked me off of my feet. For now, she's paying but we might approach Cox for clemency. Sigh.
Today is sunny and cool. Pretty perfect for me. I can't remember what's on the agenda but sure wish it was with you guys!
Besitos!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Cheat
I completed the crossword in today's newspaper. I totally cheated. Google is awesome - so is the Thesaurus on Word. All I really needed was some names...who really knows who "Actor Claude" is?? :-)
Getting up early has never been my thing but I've been beating almost everyone up these days. Jake was watching TV when I arrived downstairs this morning. Everyone else was snoozing. He normally sleeps in too so maybe the sunny weather is "getting" to us.
Our bedrooms have been getting messier and messier so I tried another tactic today. I gave everyone 5 minutes to start in their room. After that, I gathered all the kids in Nicole's room and we got to work. Somehow the camaraderie and the idea of organizing somebody else's room helped. In less than an hour, all of the kids' bedrooms and bathrooms were spotless. There is no way they would have done that on their own. I'm putting that idea in the good pile for future reference!
Tonight I went out and did some grocery shopping. It's the South America's group's turn to bring snacks to school for the week. I bought a lot of stuff. We'll see how long it lasts!
I'm feeling homesick for my friends. The ladies in the attache class are lovely but they aren't my buds. I went so far as to job search today. Although I am not required to attend the attache classes, there's a feeling of obligation - mostly because I've been planning to go. I miss being around people that don't have anything to do with my husband's job. There's also the fact that pretty much everyone I meet over the next few years will be directly because of John's job. Hmmmm. Not much I can do about it. Time to suck it up! Such a good wifey I am! Bleah!
Getting up early has never been my thing but I've been beating almost everyone up these days. Jake was watching TV when I arrived downstairs this morning. Everyone else was snoozing. He normally sleeps in too so maybe the sunny weather is "getting" to us.
Our bedrooms have been getting messier and messier so I tried another tactic today. I gave everyone 5 minutes to start in their room. After that, I gathered all the kids in Nicole's room and we got to work. Somehow the camaraderie and the idea of organizing somebody else's room helped. In less than an hour, all of the kids' bedrooms and bathrooms were spotless. There is no way they would have done that on their own. I'm putting that idea in the good pile for future reference!
Tonight I went out and did some grocery shopping. It's the South America's group's turn to bring snacks to school for the week. I bought a lot of stuff. We'll see how long it lasts!
I'm feeling homesick for my friends. The ladies in the attache class are lovely but they aren't my buds. I went so far as to job search today. Although I am not required to attend the attache classes, there's a feeling of obligation - mostly because I've been planning to go. I miss being around people that don't have anything to do with my husband's job. There's also the fact that pretty much everyone I meet over the next few years will be directly because of John's job. Hmmmm. Not much I can do about it. Time to suck it up! Such a good wifey I am! Bleah!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Learning to be a Diplomat
I'm back! Hope you missed me! :-)
So here we are, John and I at school, learning to be diplomatic. Hopefully they don't actually pass or fail you. We aren't star pupils!
Yesterday we learned how to deal with customs/immigration if they really aren't interested in honouring your diplomatic status. When it was my turn to play the tired mom, with my kids, no husband (he was to join us on this "trip" later - typical!) and the "health monitor" for the foreign nation wanted to give us Yellow Fever shots or at least wanted a $50 waiver "fee" (cash, thank you very much) - I politely refused both and offered to wait for a supervisor... right answer!! Yeah me!
Another couple playing the part of a couple re-entering an Asian country where the customs agents were looking for a donation as well (the guys playing the agents were hysterical!) seemed at an impasse. John and I urged them to "buy" the agent's hat (it was cool!), thereby paying money and getting the heck out of there. They followed our advice but it was the wrong advice! Oops! I'm sticking to this one though, I really liked the hat! :-)
So it's been very interesting and lots of good info so far. We haven't been doing our homework - let me tell you, between the drive and school its a ten plus hour day. Then home to make dinner, kids and housework. Momma ain't used to such hours! And yes, I have been cooking and yes, I'm doing housework though with an empty house it isn't much! So bedtime is much, much earlier than normal for me. Thankfully school isn't M-F for me.
We're sleeping on air mattresses still. Our stuff won't arrive from Argentina for another month or so. Our car is...somewhere between here and there, hopefully! Our Express shipment arrived - and was delivered exactly on it's deadline day. :-( We haven't been reimbursed for any of our expenses. Just another international move. Ugh.
But I'm back! Glad to be here.
So here we are, John and I at school, learning to be diplomatic. Hopefully they don't actually pass or fail you. We aren't star pupils!
Yesterday we learned how to deal with customs/immigration if they really aren't interested in honouring your diplomatic status. When it was my turn to play the tired mom, with my kids, no husband (he was to join us on this "trip" later - typical!) and the "health monitor" for the foreign nation wanted to give us Yellow Fever shots or at least wanted a $50 waiver "fee" (cash, thank you very much) - I politely refused both and offered to wait for a supervisor... right answer!! Yeah me!
Another couple playing the part of a couple re-entering an Asian country where the customs agents were looking for a donation as well (the guys playing the agents were hysterical!) seemed at an impasse. John and I urged them to "buy" the agent's hat (it was cool!), thereby paying money and getting the heck out of there. They followed our advice but it was the wrong advice! Oops! I'm sticking to this one though, I really liked the hat! :-)
So it's been very interesting and lots of good info so far. We haven't been doing our homework - let me tell you, between the drive and school its a ten plus hour day. Then home to make dinner, kids and housework. Momma ain't used to such hours! And yes, I have been cooking and yes, I'm doing housework though with an empty house it isn't much! So bedtime is much, much earlier than normal for me. Thankfully school isn't M-F for me.
We're sleeping on air mattresses still. Our stuff won't arrive from Argentina for another month or so. Our car is...somewhere between here and there, hopefully! Our Express shipment arrived - and was delivered exactly on it's deadline day. :-( We haven't been reimbursed for any of our expenses. Just another international move. Ugh.
But I'm back! Glad to be here.
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