Saturday, March 31, 2007
How many countries has Mommy been to?
Ronnie tried to guess the other day. Seventeen? sixteen?? He finally bugged me into it. Okay, fifty. He nearly fainted! Meanwhile, I'm thinking "When I was his age, I hadn't been to ANY and here he's been to the U.S.(Ca & NY), Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Morocco, Italy, England and briefly through Ireland & Luxemburg". Not bad for age 7 1/2. I told him "I bet you're the ONLY kid in your school who has a parent who's been to Antarctica". We looked it up in his kiddie Atlas. He asked me which continent it's on. I kept telling him, it's its own continent and finally found it myself. I even showed him the penguins and seals and told him how they're unafraid down there since they never see people. How scary and big the walrus seal was, just a few meters in front of me. How loud it was. There was also a picture of Machu Pichu (sp?). So lovely. Here in France, if somewhere isn't pretty, they say "It's not Peru". Too true!
I finiched!
That's another Davinaism.
Yesterday, I went to get Davina at the garderie. She usually tackles me with a loud "MOMMMEEEE!" Sometimes the other kids make fun of her calling me "Mommy" and she always turns around and says "Ça c'est ma maman" or "That's my Mommy" except that she's using "ça" which is usually reserved for objects...
Oh well. Instead of her usual greeting, she actually cried "no!" and kept playing. Davina, aren't you happy to see your Mommy. Well, I guess I didn't stack up to Playdough, which rules the universe.
That was a first. She's shifted from Freed Prisoner to Back to the Gallows.
Ronnie and Talia are all thrilled that I'll be getting them from school. Passover does not fall on vacation this year, even stranger since it does coincide with Easter. We have two strange short weeks...and then go on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks (the half due to yet another holiday). So no Switzerland. No babies in front of Alps photos this year. It'll be Barcelona, separately. Passover at home. The kids will eat here...but they haven't seen what we're eating! No bread. What fun.
Daniel's perfecting his matza-meal cakes. He did pretty well earlier today. I, of course, took the girls to the annual Easter Egg hunt at the Consul General's residence. Ronnie decided he was "too old" and I haven't told him that his buddies Killian and Matthew were there. One girlfriend came with all of her three...the youngest older than Ronnie. So he stayed home and cooked with Papa.
It was cold. I'm warming up with a cup of green tea our ex-neighbors brought me from Japan. They also gave us a massage chair and a bread machine before we both moved out. I was very grateful for it all.
Our old apartment has been sold, but it was to friends of the new owners so who knows if it was worth the 580,000 they paid. That's euros, not dollars. We're talking $600,000 for that apartment. Gasp! The view wasn't that nice...
So this afternoon, I'll be putting bread stuff away. No burning fests. I can only take "meaningless religious ritual" so far (a friends' quote).
Yesterday, I went to get Davina at the garderie. She usually tackles me with a loud "MOMMMEEEE!" Sometimes the other kids make fun of her calling me "Mommy" and she always turns around and says "Ça c'est ma maman" or "That's my Mommy" except that she's using "ça" which is usually reserved for objects...
Oh well. Instead of her usual greeting, she actually cried "no!" and kept playing. Davina, aren't you happy to see your Mommy. Well, I guess I didn't stack up to Playdough, which rules the universe.
That was a first. She's shifted from Freed Prisoner to Back to the Gallows.
Ronnie and Talia are all thrilled that I'll be getting them from school. Passover does not fall on vacation this year, even stranger since it does coincide with Easter. We have two strange short weeks...and then go on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks (the half due to yet another holiday). So no Switzerland. No babies in front of Alps photos this year. It'll be Barcelona, separately. Passover at home. The kids will eat here...but they haven't seen what we're eating! No bread. What fun.
Daniel's perfecting his matza-meal cakes. He did pretty well earlier today. I, of course, took the girls to the annual Easter Egg hunt at the Consul General's residence. Ronnie decided he was "too old" and I haven't told him that his buddies Killian and Matthew were there. One girlfriend came with all of her three...the youngest older than Ronnie. So he stayed home and cooked with Papa.
It was cold. I'm warming up with a cup of green tea our ex-neighbors brought me from Japan. They also gave us a massage chair and a bread machine before we both moved out. I was very grateful for it all.
Our old apartment has been sold, but it was to friends of the new owners so who knows if it was worth the 580,000 they paid. That's euros, not dollars. We're talking $600,000 for that apartment. Gasp! The view wasn't that nice...
So this afternoon, I'll be putting bread stuff away. No burning fests. I can only take "meaningless religious ritual" so far (a friends' quote).
Mystery family...
Daniel gets this call from a woman in Paris a few days ago. "It was moo-ing all over the place. I told her to email me". He was "in the cows" as he does on Tuesdays down in Manspach.
Anyway, I asked about it. He said there seemed to be someone who thinks they're related but he said he knows his family and how could that be, etc. I told him, yes, you know your dad's side, your mother's mother's but your mother's father's side is still a bit unclear. He died when my mother-in-law was 17. He only had a sister, who was married and had a son who were all deported in WWII.
At first I thought it was because of the paperwork I did for my mother-in-law when the Swiss were going to release those funds for Shoah survivors and family members. She did hear back awhile ago, unsuprisingly that there was nothing in their name. She said they weren't rich.
We got the email last night. Sure enough, it did have to do with the Kleins (Joselyne's maiden name) but not at all what we thought. The woman is doing research on a priest who saved quite a few during that period. I'm not sure why (book? reward?) but she found that my mother-in-law's name was on the paper's for her aunt at Yad Vashem (the Shoah memorial in Israel). Apparently, there was a woman, saved by this priest as a little girl who claimed the same name as my mother-in-law's aunt.
A long-lost cousin?
I was unsure but Daniel called his mother, who was clearly able to answer all questions. He confirmed the names.
This is exciting because Joselyne believes she only has one first cousin, Charles. Talia is named after his mother, Irène and Davina after Joselyne's mother Simone. The sisters also had a brother, Robert, who was also deported. Joselyne was very close to him and devestated when he was taken away. She was young and remembers him very well. Her Aunt Gabrielle, her father's sister, by contrast she remembers less of. They didn't live close and were sent very early in the war, she explained. She belived they only had the one son, René, who was only slightly older than this supposed sister. It's entirely likely that Gabrielle had another child, especially during that period when things were in chaos.
The daughter's name is Alice. She went on to settle right here in Strasbourg and has two dauthers herself. They would be Daniel's second cousins if this works out.
I'm kind of caught up in the drama of it all. Take DNA samples, I say. That's such an American reaction. Strange that it comes from such a detached third source. I'd like to learn more about this priest, and how this all occurred...
Anyway, I asked about it. He said there seemed to be someone who thinks they're related but he said he knows his family and how could that be, etc. I told him, yes, you know your dad's side, your mother's mother's but your mother's father's side is still a bit unclear. He died when my mother-in-law was 17. He only had a sister, who was married and had a son who were all deported in WWII.
At first I thought it was because of the paperwork I did for my mother-in-law when the Swiss were going to release those funds for Shoah survivors and family members. She did hear back awhile ago, unsuprisingly that there was nothing in their name. She said they weren't rich.
We got the email last night. Sure enough, it did have to do with the Kleins (Joselyne's maiden name) but not at all what we thought. The woman is doing research on a priest who saved quite a few during that period. I'm not sure why (book? reward?) but she found that my mother-in-law's name was on the paper's for her aunt at Yad Vashem (the Shoah memorial in Israel). Apparently, there was a woman, saved by this priest as a little girl who claimed the same name as my mother-in-law's aunt.
A long-lost cousin?
I was unsure but Daniel called his mother, who was clearly able to answer all questions. He confirmed the names.
This is exciting because Joselyne believes she only has one first cousin, Charles. Talia is named after his mother, Irène and Davina after Joselyne's mother Simone. The sisters also had a brother, Robert, who was also deported. Joselyne was very close to him and devestated when he was taken away. She was young and remembers him very well. Her Aunt Gabrielle, her father's sister, by contrast she remembers less of. They didn't live close and were sent very early in the war, she explained. She belived they only had the one son, René, who was only slightly older than this supposed sister. It's entirely likely that Gabrielle had another child, especially during that period when things were in chaos.
The daughter's name is Alice. She went on to settle right here in Strasbourg and has two dauthers herself. They would be Daniel's second cousins if this works out.
I'm kind of caught up in the drama of it all. Take DNA samples, I say. That's such an American reaction. Strange that it comes from such a detached third source. I'd like to learn more about this priest, and how this all occurred...
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Out of action!
Sorry I haven't been posting. I've been trying to organize our two vacations, Barcelona in April and the cruise out of Rome in August. Doesn't help with Daniel being vague about plans. I have to get a little firm with him to firm up dates, modes of transport, etc. What do you want? Whatever. When do you want to go? Give me a whole week. No dear, we need exact dates. Can't call a hotel or airline and say, either the first or the second...
So our cruise is, in principal, confirmed. Strangly, as is with low cost carriers, I have booked from Rome to here but not the departure. I also have booked going down to Barcelona but not back. I think that's part of Ryan Air's marketing. They get you to buy a good ticket one way and then jack up the prices going the other way. Gotcha! So the two cheapies are bought. Daniel wasn't sure if he wants to take the car to Rome. I'm all, whatever and booked just me and the kids. He can go do his own ticket himself!
The hotel search for Rome was ugly. I wanted something small and not too commercialized in the center. Everything was booked but of course, I've heard they don't like to make this micro reservations in the middle of summer (in case someone wants a longer booking). Who knows. One hotel supposedly doesn't take children under 5. I asked to confirm but was only told that they didn't have space.
We also needed two connecting rooms or a big enough suite. Most suites only take up to four. Plus the other family wants to be with us. Another complication. Hopefully, these guys are the answer;
http://www.hotelbritannia.it/en/index.htm
They had great reviews on tripadvisor (such a great resource!) The only bad reviews had to do with specifics, like reservation problems...
The weather here has been bizaare. We've had snow, but none that stuck on the ground. It was just cold and yukky. We had hardly any snow all winter and boom! right at the start of spring...
I took a cooking class the other day. I'm not sure what pocessed me but it was good, if a bit overpriced. Of course Talia's teacher was out, without a replacement and I had to arrange Davina in the local daycare since she doesn't normally go Friday mornings plus put Talia in another class, just for the morning and have Cheryl pick her up... It was a bit too much driving around and arranging stuff for me. Doubt I'll do it again but we made a nice "potage", a simple chicken, a "gratin" with spinich and cream and a nice creamy dessert. My lactose intollerance came back with a vengence!
Potty training is going terribly. She wont go when asked. She just wets her underware. She simply is neither interested nor will cooperate. Talia was so done with diapers at age 2. Ronnie and Davina have been an entirely different experience. I think Ronnie would still be in diapers today if I had let him.
I have honestly volunteered to accompany Talia's class for swimming. Not just the "vestaires" (locker rooms, helping with dressing) but actually in the pool. That's just because Cheryl, fellow American mom did it. Turns out that we have to be tested. Well, I doubt any Californian with four working limbs would have problems passing a swimming test to take kindergarteners to a pool in France. Okay, I'm smug. It's just that when I go to a pool, I kind of swim. Not the case in England. I swam there like the rest. Here, well, it's not as bad as Hong Kong (everyone clinging to the side, had to do laps basically as circles in the center because I couldn't get to the edge) but they are kind of dog paddling. At least they're moving into the center, a bit, if only to chat.
I thought I'd better practice so Monday morning, I went by myself, once I had unloaded my offspring, to the Bains Muncipales. This was a strange experience. It is an old Victorian (type? Can we call it that in France??) building. Even the showers had these funky nobs and almost British style toilets. It really felt like I was swimming in Kew Gardens or something (the real one folks, not the one I lived in in NYC). What was cool is that you get not a locker but a whole dressing room which you lock up. Great, hang the stuff and just go.
They only had the small pool open on Monday mornings. Old folgy agua gym going on in the slightly bigger pool. I could still do lappettes, if not proper laps. At least I'm enough out of shape that it worked.
They cancelled the swimming class anyway, thanks to the snow. The paranoid city of Strasbourg universally cancelled all school excusions due to snow. We're talking snow that was basically rain. Cheryl's from Alaska. She found that very amusing...
Monday morning, after the time change. This should be fun tomorrow! I'll be that much eager to get rid of them if they're cranky and jetlagged and hit the pool!
So our cruise is, in principal, confirmed. Strangly, as is with low cost carriers, I have booked from Rome to here but not the departure. I also have booked going down to Barcelona but not back. I think that's part of Ryan Air's marketing. They get you to buy a good ticket one way and then jack up the prices going the other way. Gotcha! So the two cheapies are bought. Daniel wasn't sure if he wants to take the car to Rome. I'm all, whatever and booked just me and the kids. He can go do his own ticket himself!
The hotel search for Rome was ugly. I wanted something small and not too commercialized in the center. Everything was booked but of course, I've heard they don't like to make this micro reservations in the middle of summer (in case someone wants a longer booking). Who knows. One hotel supposedly doesn't take children under 5. I asked to confirm but was only told that they didn't have space.
We also needed two connecting rooms or a big enough suite. Most suites only take up to four. Plus the other family wants to be with us. Another complication. Hopefully, these guys are the answer;
http://www.hotelbritannia.it/en/index.htm
They had great reviews on tripadvisor (such a great resource!) The only bad reviews had to do with specifics, like reservation problems...
The weather here has been bizaare. We've had snow, but none that stuck on the ground. It was just cold and yukky. We had hardly any snow all winter and boom! right at the start of spring...
I took a cooking class the other day. I'm not sure what pocessed me but it was good, if a bit overpriced. Of course Talia's teacher was out, without a replacement and I had to arrange Davina in the local daycare since she doesn't normally go Friday mornings plus put Talia in another class, just for the morning and have Cheryl pick her up... It was a bit too much driving around and arranging stuff for me. Doubt I'll do it again but we made a nice "potage", a simple chicken, a "gratin" with spinich and cream and a nice creamy dessert. My lactose intollerance came back with a vengence!
Potty training is going terribly. She wont go when asked. She just wets her underware. She simply is neither interested nor will cooperate. Talia was so done with diapers at age 2. Ronnie and Davina have been an entirely different experience. I think Ronnie would still be in diapers today if I had let him.
I have honestly volunteered to accompany Talia's class for swimming. Not just the "vestaires" (locker rooms, helping with dressing) but actually in the pool. That's just because Cheryl, fellow American mom did it. Turns out that we have to be tested. Well, I doubt any Californian with four working limbs would have problems passing a swimming test to take kindergarteners to a pool in France. Okay, I'm smug. It's just that when I go to a pool, I kind of swim. Not the case in England. I swam there like the rest. Here, well, it's not as bad as Hong Kong (everyone clinging to the side, had to do laps basically as circles in the center because I couldn't get to the edge) but they are kind of dog paddling. At least they're moving into the center, a bit, if only to chat.
I thought I'd better practice so Monday morning, I went by myself, once I had unloaded my offspring, to the Bains Muncipales. This was a strange experience. It is an old Victorian (type? Can we call it that in France??) building. Even the showers had these funky nobs and almost British style toilets. It really felt like I was swimming in Kew Gardens or something (the real one folks, not the one I lived in in NYC). What was cool is that you get not a locker but a whole dressing room which you lock up. Great, hang the stuff and just go.
They only had the small pool open on Monday mornings. Old folgy agua gym going on in the slightly bigger pool. I could still do lappettes, if not proper laps. At least I'm enough out of shape that it worked.
They cancelled the swimming class anyway, thanks to the snow. The paranoid city of Strasbourg universally cancelled all school excusions due to snow. We're talking snow that was basically rain. Cheryl's from Alaska. She found that very amusing...
Monday morning, after the time change. This should be fun tomorrow! I'll be that much eager to get rid of them if they're cranky and jetlagged and hit the pool!
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