A Ella in Preschool Story

Being a parent is pretty great overall, but last Wednesday was a real "proud parents" moment for Maylia and me.

I'll copy here an e-mail I sent our friend Catharine last week:

Oh Catharine, early this morning I was such the proud daddy... we brought Ella to school today and stayed again for 10-15 minutes to watch. The teacher announced "Deska budeme malovat!" (Today we will paint!). All the kids gathered around. May and I both caught it, but Ella didn't, so I got a little tinge in my stomach for her. Ella joins them and the teacher poured paints into jars. The teacher asks Ella what the colors are and helps her with the first one, starting with yellow, "zluta". Then as the teacher just pointed to green, red and blue, Ella said the czech words for each first. The teacher seemed genuinely excited and Maylia and I were besides ourselves. It was the coolest feeling. I couldn't have been happier if it were me saying the words first. This was the first time I've felt such a proud feeling. So cool.

Ella seems to be adapting well to school and school seems to be growing well on her.

-Jeff

FAREWELL TO NOVA SCOTIA...

If ever I felt the inadequacy of the blog to capture our lives, it is this entry. The first portion of our North American vacation was spent in Nova Scotia. Ella, Mattias and I flew July 21 with the help of Auntie 'Chelle. Jeff joined us August 9. We were there until August 18.

This was the first time everyone (except Mom and Dad) met Mattias, and the first time most people had seen Ella since she was celebrating her first birthday. We want to thank our family and friends for their hospitality and generousity during our stay (My gracious, the gifts!!!). As usual, we are overwhelmed by the love and support that continues to be showered on us even as we insist on carrying out this hair-brained adventure an ocean away.

During those few weeks we tried not to do too much...take it easy...relax...recover from the jetlag...and yet we still...

Celebrated Ella's birthday...

Finally met Uncle Michael in person...

And Baby Henry...

Visited with friends...

Had lots of beach time...

And, of course, there was THE WEDDING!

But the best part was the hugs!

First Day of School for Ella

Today was a big day; today was Ella's first day in pre-school.

Took this picture this morning when we reminded her.  Think she's excited?

The school is not far from home.  In fact, it's around the corner from our place, less than a minute's walk.  Once we're in a routine, Jeff will bring her to school on his way to work.

Here we are at the school front door.  Sign reads "Nursery School of Teaching Department of Charles University".   We're feeling pretty lucky to be able to offer this to Ella, even if she is only 3 years old.

Ella's daily schedule?  She starts with early play, then a mid-morning snack,some outside play and lunch.  Whew.  Then mom comes to pick her up after noon.  We'll start her at 3x a week, half-days.  For this in $US, about $75 a month, for 'tuition' and board.  (It's on the "expensive" side, since we're paying for full days.)  :)

We get in the school grounds and find out Ella is in the Kotatka class, or kitty class.  Immediately inside the kitty class area, the kids place their shoes in a shoe cubby and change into their inside shoes.  Kids recognize their space by some picture.  Ella is the 'jablko' (apple) in the lower right.

Inside, Ella has her own 'jablko' cubby to keep her bag, jacket and, of course, her Dora the Explorer hat.  (we're still recovering from leaving our Boston Red Sox hat in Nova Scotia) 

What's the language?  Czech all the way.  Looking at the student roster in her class, Ella is very likely the only native English speaker.  No doubt this is a source of anxiety for mom & dad, but we watched a teacher and Ella play with some toy animals, and we believe Ella will adapt and grow pretty darn quickly.

This is mom after we finally left.  We stayed with her for about 45 minutes.  The teachers were supportive of us as "first day" parents.  Ella didn't seem concerned (at all) when we left.  Maylia, on the other hand, ...she felt it.

Mom went to pick her up at planned after their lunch and found Ella still eating.  Here's a pic of her and her plate.  They started with soup, then had fish, potatoes, beets.  To drink, the ever-popular local 'detsky caj' (children's tea).

When Jeff called to hear how Ella felt about it, Maylia said that she had trouble getting Ella to leave.  We sort of expected that, but not on the first day.   Well, we'll see how tomorrow goes.

Vacation in Indiana

(Jeff's parents & the Parker Farm)





We had a great summer vacation in Canada and the US, but summing up several weeks in one write-up seems too daunting and unfair. So, we figure we will split up this vacation into 3 parts- Nova Scotia, Indiana and New Hampshire.


This post is for our time in Indiana, visiting Jeff's parents, a.k.a. Grammy & Grampy, at the Parkers' farm.

On the Saturday we were in Indiana, Jeff and family drove down to Indianapolis to meet up with some of Jeff's ol' college gang.   Some of these folks hadn't seen each other since the mid-90's, which made it extra great to catch up, let alone meet all the new kids.   Thanks Bill for making it all possible!!

Mattias looking rather cute in a sailor outfit from Auntie Erin & new Uncle Michael.

Grammy seemed to always be baking and cooking...and Ella often helped. Ella kept a stepstool nearby, in case Grammy needed any taste-testing. Judging by the pajamas, this is Ella testing blueberry cake well before lunch. (What can we say?)

Grammy and Grampy keep a golf-cart and a "Gator" handy to help get around the farm. We took both for rides every day.

On our first day, we took the 'Gator' for a tour of the property, past the rows of blueberry bushes, around the chickens, the pond, pole barn, fruit orchards and into the "back 40" before returning. Ella loved riding in the back. Mattias was 'safe' on mom's lap as Jeff opened the Gator up to see what it could do.

For weather, we couldn't have been more fortunate. Sunny and blue skies most every day. But on some days, the humidity made Ella long for a dip in her pool. In this picture, the pool takes a rest as Eric makes a sprinkler for Ella to run around (and away) in. This picture so reminds me of Chris Farley imitating the Flash Dance movie: "She's a maniac, ...maniac!" (what movie was that??).

A highlight for Ella was a day spent at the nearby Fair Oaks Dairy Farm. (Not a real cow pictured, in case you wondered!) We did a bus tour showing us where the cows lived and how they're milked. We also went to the "birthing barn" where we got to see (in stadium seating, no less) a mommy cow give birth to her new calf. (Video taken, not posted) But maybe Ella's best memory of the dairy farm is when we sampled ice cream, made on location from the fresh milk.

And Eric and Jeff would think this post isn't complete if we didn't mention how Ella got to meet Indiana's Governor Daniels at the diary farm. Ever the politician, Governor Daniels spent considerable time with Ella for the local news cameras. To his credit, we ran into him a half hour later and he remembered her name.

Again, we had quite the packed vacation - and this is only part of it - the Indiana part. We hope to post our Nova Scotia and NH parts soon. Till then -

Home, Exhausted, Happy, but Missing You

Taxi dropped us 4 and our collective 350 pounds of luggage at our place around 2:30pm today.  Needless to say, we're totally beat.  We're able to post this because Ella & Mattias just fell asleep.

The flight, according to Maylia, was 100x easier than her & Michelle's July flight to Canada.  For starters, we had only one, not two stops to Prague.  We also had the advantage of flying out late in the evening, rather than their early morning start.

Ella and Mattias both were asleep soon after dinner was served out of Boston's flight.  Mattias slept in a pre-ordered bassinet, which the crew attached to the wall ahead of us (first row).  He was a bit restless, but managed to get 5 hours sleep.

Ella... she slept clean through the whole flight, right through the landing and onto the connecting flight.  She stirred a bit as we departed Zurich to Prague, but then she kept sleeping right to our doorstop.  Sorry, Michelle - Jeff had it made!

Pictures to come -- thanks to all!!!