Health Check - at 3 and counting

Sherman is at his WayBack machine again. After 3 years in Prague, this all seems (almost) ordinary.

It's time for us to keep with a blog tradition - our anniversary "health check." We'll keep the same categories as in our first check:

Happy?
2006: Dizzily happy.
2009: As happy as could be anywhere

Culture shocked?
2006: Oh yes
2009: Nope, not at all.

Homesick for...?
2006: Family & friends back home
2009: Family & friends back home

Local circle of friends...?
2006: 0 (a zero makes a circle, doesn't it?)
2009: Growing, but trying to balance.

Eating...?
2006: Take-out & ready-made meals (looked ready-made on the package)
2009: Maylia plans, shops for and prepares all meals...no worries.

Czech speaking ability?
2006: "hi." (sort of)
2009: Maylia working hard with improvement. Ella's shy but able. Jeff's flatlined and content. Mattias picking up a few words in an effort to woo his beloved "Nyna" (Kristyna).

Czech understanding ability?
2006: ..........silence. total f-ing silence.......
2009: May and Ella: "Ano, rozumím." --but-- Jeff: "What'd you call me?"


Entertaining ourselves by...?
2006: Trading pictures with Jeff K's "Prague scavenger hunt"
2009: Maylia taking classes; Jeff reading more; both spending more time with kids group


Who gets our paycheck...?
2006: Landlord & IKEA
2009: Bank (mortgage) and our indebted travel budget


High on the Priority List...?
2006: An iron, basic cookware and toilet paper
2009: Maylia and kids' flight home in 3 days (Monday morning) to welcome a new nephew/niece from Maylia's sister Erin (Big question: Who will arrive first, them or the baby?!?)

Fourth of July Weekend

It works out quite well for Americans living in the Czech Republic that, although the 4th of July is not a holiday, the 5th and the 6th are. That meant this year we had a 3-day weekend. YAY! And how did we spend our time?

On the 4th, we met friends (Valerie, Dan, Vincen, and Benjamin Reeves) at Zlute Lazne, a local swimming spot. Kids and adults alike had lots of fun playing in the playground, splashing in the pools, and soaking up the sun. The best part was, that being a local spot (versus a tourist trap) and being a holiday weekend, we had the place almost to ourselves!

Ella and Vincen in the bumper boats.

Later that day we were invited to a BBQ with the Reeves and two other families. What a treat! YUUUUMMMMMM! Jeff even won a prize for best red, white and blue attire - a Snickers bar, of course!

Jeff with Mattias and Benji.

Drum roll, please....

We took it easy on the 5th, but on the 6th we visited a new park called Gutovka. This may well be the coolest playground we have ever seen! Can't wait to take some of our engineering friends there the next time they come to visit. The park hosts a very nice regular playground, restaurant, rock-climbing wall, tennis courts, skateboard park, and beach volleyball courts. But, the best part is the water playground. It consists of a big, manmade hill with a small stream running around it. Along the stream are a series of stainless steel tools (water wheels, giant screws, buckets) that allow the kids (and adults) to experiment with water movement. What a great place to take a science class! The sandpit even hosted a mechanical excavator that kids could sit on top of and operate! This place was amazing - and it was free! (Big kudos to Prague 10.)

The rock climbing wall.

Ella, Jeff & Mattias experimenting with water.

Mattias reading Daddy a bedtime story.

The fun didn't stop there. Jeff had to go back to work, but the kids and I have had two more fun and exciting days. This week, some of the mothers that I work with through Class Acts (the group that does the toddler music classes and storytellings) organized an Explorers Summer Camp Week. Leah and I lead a dramatic "forest day" in Stromovka Park yesterday. The kids were tasked with finding the Witch Doctor and helping her remember her song. (Perhaps you know it...?) It went over really well...we played music at Ching Chang Bridge, did tree rubbings of the OOO EEE Trees, cooked up a potion at the Bing Bang Kitchen, made a living sculpture at OOO AAH Stump, and learned the Walla Walla dance from the Willow Tree Fairies. The climax of the day was most definitely meeting the Witch Doctor!

Although the rest of the camp events sound wonderful, we've opted out of them to be able to do some other things to get ready for our trip away. Today we had the pleasure of visiting our dear friends Ali, Dylan, and Bailey in their new home. We had too much fun to remember to take pictures! Oops!

Only 5 more sleeps til we fly to Canada...

So very excited!

But sad to be leaving Jeff/Daddy.

Happy 4th!

We had a very busy 4th of July weekend (we had a holiday weekend here, too!).

Post and pictures to come.

p.s. We were so so so much busier than we were on Canada Day (1 July), that we didn't even get to the blog until now. :)

O CANADA!

...our home and native land. Now 2 more Parkers can sing those lines in truth. Just in time to (not really) celebrate Canada Day, Ella and Mattias received their Canadian Proof of Citizenship cards. Yay! Now we only have to get Jeff on-board and Canadians can continue our mission to take over the world. Muahh ha ha ha! (evil laugh) Seriously, though, it's very cool and allows us to next apply for their passports.

In other news, Mattias got his first tatoo...

got his first punk-rock hair-do...

and had his first "solo" (as in, sans Mama) tram ride...

For her part, Ella completed her first year of skolka and had her first solo pony ride...

We also determined that we can contain our largest child in a locker if the need arises...

And we made friends with some lemurs...

Hmmm...that about covers it. Just sitting around waiting to be an auntie. Maybe also in time for Canada Day? Bets, anyone?

Have a Keiths for me, eh?!

Maylia

Bystre

That's the little village where we spent last weekend. It was a lovely trip. We rented a car for the first time and Jeff got us there safely and without incident. That was cool! Although, since Greece, Ella loves to say, "I'm just not used to cars", a statement she heard her mother say when she was whining after an hour or so on the road.

It was a group trip of 8 families, arriving and departing at different times over a long weekend. All of the couples were "half and half" (Czech & foreign spouse) except us as the only totally non-Czech couple there. So, it was neat to experience a typical Czech get-away. The hotel was wonderful! They have these family-style hotels here. This was our first experience with one. It was a basic 3-star, not very expensive, but the service was so friendly. It had a nice Czech restaurant in it, where we usually ate. It also had an outdoor playground, including pool and trampoline, and indoor pool which claimed 28C water, and a huge indoor playroom. Fantastic!

We arrived Saturday, met up with friends for lunch, explored a little and enjoyed the pool, which had been reserved for our group for an hour. After dinner and getting some of the younger children to bed, we had a disco party for the kids in the playroom.

And they all sang "Happy Birthday" to me and toasted me with champagne. Fun! I helped get the kids calmed down for bed by reading 2 Robert Munsch books, "Smelly Socks" and "We Share Everything". Always trying to sneak in some Canadian content!

Sunday we all made our way to nearby castle Svojanov and explored it.

There were dragons to look for, towers to climb (very proud that Ella was actually the only child to go to the top)...

...and windows to break (less proud about this accomplishment of Ella's.

The little kids were exhausted after supper and a 2nd swim. With all the toddlers off to bed, the parents managed a little adult time...well, except for Jeff, he was entertainment for the older kids....right, "Jeffie Baby"? (By the way, older is no more than 6 years old!) Did you know Jeff can juggle, do handstands and act just like a 6-year old? Me neither.

Monday, despite rain, the planned treasure hunt went on and was lots of fun.

The kids were really into it and the preparation for it was admirable. We ended at a local znamek (or chateau) and the final treasure was a coin with which to buy a treat. Ella ended up sharing an ice-cream sundae with her friend, Lola. Not to be outdone, Jeff and I split a banana spilt. After all, it was my birthday!

It was a friend-filled, fun-filled weekend for everyone...

(This is Matej with Mattias. Matej is 2 months the senior.)

~Maylia