long time no write

Wow it's been ages. I kinda got tired of writing bits and actually literally tired too! Staying up late almost every night was gettign the better of me. There have been some very interesting things going on for us though. Emotional stuff. Sorting out stuff.
I also wanted to put photos of the family guinea pigs here. Actually there are quite a few photos I'd like to put here...

It's getting to that busy time of year. I have gigs every weekend so it's quite active. On the other hand we've had a few lovely weekends!

Darren rigged up a tyre swing for Roxie today. Her lastest passion aside from animals and veterinary activity is Go Diego Go! She loves the show and concepts, got the Diego showbag at the Melbourne Show which included a Diego backpack, safari vest, cap, lunchbag, kaleidoscope etc...! Rox loves wearing the vest and wants to swing on vines and ziplines like Diego rescuing wildlife and cute animals!
After she talked with me yesterday about loving swinging on her monkey bars and wanting to do more of it - higher, longer, different; we decided that the old rope swing needed revamping and got some old tyres and rigged up a high, long rope with the tyre at the end of it. It's very cool!
Darren is so clever that he can just rig things up like that....For Christmas we're planning to rig up a zipline in the front yard, that goes from the platform in the tree next to the sand pit to the tyre swing - which would be great fun for her. (Rox asked for a flying fox for Christmas last year, as well as a trampoline. We got the tramp...so this year we'll do the flying fox I hope!!!)
We had such gorgeous weather today. Warm and sunny. The garden feels very inviting at the moment...

Anway, it's late. I am keen to write about some other bits - the more intense, recent issues. But will do it later on after I've got the photos off the camera and onto the hard disk. Guess what? It's nearly 2:30am... I worked tonight too and have 2 gigs tomorrow... better get some rest!

Melbourne Museum, 30 August '09

These pics are from the museum trip the girls did with Daz when I was working in the city. It was a very busy weekend for me. I was really glad they could go somewhere nearby and have fun! I was exhausted that Sunday night though. Early bed...
argghh..by the way....this new formatting of photos within a post is driving me crazy! Why did it get changed? it was MUCH better before! Maybe I'm not doing it right? hmmmm.

PS: I worked it out today! Apparently they updated the blogger editor but I found the old editor still there! So I changed it back. Hooray!

Bubbles, bubbles & busy life....

It's been a while since I've been able to do a post...lots happening, busy lives...April's falling asleep routine preference is changing so I haven't had the evening time that I used to. She likes to go straight into bed now with me lying next to her bypassing the rocking chair completely. I fall asleep too now! Can't stay awake like I used to with the rocking chair method! Probably much better for me to get earlier nights and more sleep but I find myself waking up at 2am! Hence here I am doing a bit of blogging. 

So what have we been up to? Yesterday I had to play a gig and Darren took the girls to the Melbourne Museum which they love visiting. I've had quite a few gigs coming up. With Spring coming up the gigs become more frequent and by November we're playing every weekend... I have noticed that with the frequency of long gigs my energy during the week can flucuate a lot more.

Anyway we had a fantastic day last Thursday. There was a home education network event a 'Bubble Show' where this guy created amazing bubbles, and shapes and had the kids inside huge bubbles, he was really funny and energetic. Even I went inside a bubble holding April. Rox met up with her friend Bridie (whose family was there) and I met a few homeschoolers I didn't know before who were very nice, down to earth, kind people. It was such a blast! There were lots of kids running around, doing bubble activities or not, or just hanging out. April made friends with some girls whose mother I was amazed to see so respectful of April, listening to her and talking with her. I hope to meet up with her again. It was wonderful to meet people in my local home-ed group.
After the Bubble show I took the girls to their regular Thursday creative dance class, which Rox and Bridie seem to love. It was a lovely day!

Inspiration and reminders in a list!

Principles - a list for unschooling by Claire Horsley on the 

Always Learning unschooling discussion board...

" ... - my relationship with my child comes first (any act of mine should promote a loving and respectful relationship with my child)

- arbitrary limits and controls do not promote such a relationship and should not be used

- strewing things, activities and opportunities is vital to creating a rich and vibrant learning environment

- I am my child's partner in negotiating the world; my child learns from my example

- I am energised by making conscious choices; feeling that I 'have to' do something drains my energy

- each child is a precious, unique person; it is a parent's joy to be able to nuture and encourage their child's individual personality..."

Cool huh?! Thank you Claire.

Guinea pig day!

Friday was Guinea Pig day! Rox has been loving guniea pigs for years. Photos here are a few of the many times over her life form about age 2.5-3 yrs old when we've visited the Collingwood Childrens Farm, Bundoora Farm, Macadamia Park Byron Bay, Budapest Zoo and other places where she can hold and pet guinea pigs and rabbits.

 

So anyway, Rox has been counting down the days and planning this day with her friend Bridie for a while. They were both very excited. Bridie already has a guinea pig and Rox has been asking for one months before we went to Europe. We agreed that on returning from Prague we would find some pet guinea pigs to join our family. 

And they truly are divine little creatures. We got 3 tiny baby guinea pig sisters! Sooo cute! We've built a great 'cage' for them - really quite large and have put it in Roxie's bedroom. It's like a dream having them here living with us!

So Friday we brought them home and Bridie came over with her piggie Squeak. The girls had such a lovely time cuddling them and making them snuggy places to hide etc.. B. stayed for dinner and afterwards she and Rox went to watch Creature Features a kids animal show made here in Australia. They are both animal crazy! It soo fortunate for Rox, that Bridie is down the road from us, another home educating family, I reckon they're unschoolers too, although they'd don't label what they do as such. 

Roxie is really happy with her pets. I know she really wants a dog too (and so does Darren!) but we'll settle with these gals for the moment - and Bluey Olive the blue tongue lizard that Rox also loves, and Sniffy the cat, our old cat that Daz and I found before we got married (!!!!) as a kitten dumped outside 'Friends of the Earth' organic food co-op where we volunteered. Of course we dearly love Sniffy too, even with all her furball vomits!! Maybe we've got the energy for a dog as well? We'll see. I know Rox would adore a dog. She'd love to have the relationship with a pet that one can have with a dog...She hasn't really asked and asked for one like she did the lizard and the piggies though. So maybe down the track. Oh, not to mention a horse! Rox'd LOVE a horse. We've talked about it and are still talking about it. Both Rox and April do pony rides as often as possible and Rox wants to take riding lessons (??) but I haven't found anywhere relatively close by that accepts her age. Only from 8 years old. So we can wait a bit. Rox is cool with that... for the moment!

quoting Sandra Dodd...

I love Sandra Dodd's writing. Such clarity  and honesty, and slices through any bullshit. This post from Sandra's Always Learning list struck a chord with me...there are many but I've only just thought of putting them here on the blog for me to be able to find and read again when I feel overwhelmed. (By the way the italics and bolding are mine to highlight for myself the key points!)

Re: keeping friends

Posted by: "Sandra Dodd" Sandra@SandraDodd.com  sandralynndodd

Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:38 am (PDT)

-=-I said something similar to the above, but it always feels like I'm 
going from nice person to bully in seconds flat. I think the trick is 
to say it, mean, and let it go.-=-

But it's not about being a different person, unless you're faking the 
niceness.

Here's a perfect example of why it's crucial to live by principles 
instead of by rules. If you have a rule that you will be nice to 
guests, that can be inviting a snake into the next. Even baby snakes 
can be poison.

If you live by the principle that your house will be thoughtful and 
peaceful, then you can defend that peace and that principle in all 
kinds of situations without having specific rules to cover them.

You can tell her without any bullying whatsoever that if she adds to 
the peace of your house, she's welcome to be there, but you wouldn't 
let strangers come in and yell and demand, and you won't let friends 
do it either.

-=-I never think I'm setting anyone up for a go-crazy day, but I might 
be. Have to watch that. With this friend, I am probably less worried 
about that happening than I am about her bullying me-=-

Think about peace and cooperation and joy, and that should prevent 
bullying. If you set the day up in ways that it's clear to the girls 
what fun thing you've planned and when and where the food will be and 
what their many options are, that's better than "anything on earth 
that will make you happy, you can have." That's beyond your power. 
It it were also beyond your principles, you'd be closer to balance.
http://sandradodd.com/balance

-=- I do have a hot temper, which I used to believe was just part of 
my personality. I have learned that I really can change parts of me 
that I am not happy with.-=-

http://sandradodd.com/breathing
http://sandradodd.com/parentingpeacefully

-=Anyway, I think I will offer to take Emma and her friend somewhere 
and see how it goes. I'll just play out the possibilities in my head 
for a day before I do. (If she says this, I'll do this. If she does 
that, I'll do ____.) -=-

You could tell her you will take her if she will help make the day 
peaceful and happy. You could say "Do you have a more peaceful way to 
say that?" if she seems bullying, or some very-short reminder of your 
deal. Or you could not respond directly to whiney begging, but say 
"Let's go to the slides!" and head there happily yourself. Emotions 
can be contagious, moreso for some people than others I think, but if 
you be the way you want her to be, it will be easier for her to move 
toward that than if you seriously discuss happiness instead of being 
happy.

Still, if she crosses the line three or four times, it might be time 
to cut the day short, or to go back to the house and watch a quietish 
video, or to put some loud music on and dance--something that switches 
from conversation or acquisition mode to focus on something non-verbal 
and that isn't "to keep" anyway--like a movie, or dancing.

Sandra

the tricky how tos...

...just had a big emotional discussion/outpouring/revelation with Rox and I. She was in tears.

I'd suggested we try the gym class again to try and reconnect more with the other homeschoolers she liked in our community (who we were having trouble catching up with for one reason and another..). She seemed eager to give it another try. 

The class starts at 10:40am. Rox, April and I were playing a great game with the horses to fill in the time. Well they were playing, I just had to move the 3rd horse around following them! The girls always find something busy to do - they hate waiting round.  Rox had made hay and a water trough etc... in other words it became an involved game - I could see this was going to be tricky... it got to the time we needed to start getting ready to go. So far so good.  I prepared sandwiches, fruit and was ready. Told Rox it was probably a good time to get dressed and she raced to get ready! Great  i thought!

But then I heard the tears. Her undies were uncomfortable...her pants were the wrong color, nothing was right. The time we had to go had gone. We'd be late. Then I realized that there was something else going on. So I said of course we didn't need to go...more tears. Then it came out. So sad. She thought I wanted to go to gym for me so I could chat to my friends!!! Oh dear. So I sat down and we talked about it. I told here I thought she wanted to see her friends L & R more and this was a good way to connect on a regular basis. She was very emotional and my heart was open for her. She said she loved regular things. But she was unfamiliar (her word) with gym class. It became clear to me that she really loved the regularity of Thursday's play with Bridie and then going to dance class. She said gym class happened to soon after dance. She loved that playgym was a long period of time and it didn't matter if you were late. Basically Rox wants structure and regularity but not necessarily a class structure, although she also doesn't mind a class structure if there's a way of getting there and being there that works in with her play. She didn't want to interrupt  her great horse game with the 3 of us to rush to gym. She's ok about it with dance because she's with her friend beforehand and it's a great social/play/class event  all in one! The gym class always seems to become an imposition on her time. SOO. How to connect with the people she wants? I need to somehow set up a regular day to catch up with certain people. Mainly L & R. But they seem to have lots of stuff already booked in so there doesn't seem to be any clear regular day we can set up, although I've never seriously proposed it so feel like I need to do that. I'm thinking it'd be helpful for Rox if I start to make a beautiful weekly calender that states what happens when and to stick to it. She'd find that comforting I think. I will try and include one other class and get another friend or playdate tagged onto it beforehand. Or find an activity that happens after lunch. She seems to like slow mornings. Or if I say we're going to the zoo or some other excursion like that she seems ok to get ready because we can finish any games at our own pace and go when we're ready. It also means that I need to accept that she loves spending lots of time playing with me and April. 

It's funny 'cause I think some of the other homeschoolers think we're anti-routines and regularity. Which we're not. We enjoy and need rhythm in our days and weeks - just not necessarily the class and 'clock' based schedules!

learning maths...

Rox stated this morning, "...so 3 +3 = 6..." this was after making pretend playdoh birthday cakes for Nagymama (my mum) and playing with the candles to put on top. Rox was counting the candles. She noticed that April had 3, and she herself had 3 too. She counted the candles as 2 groups of 3. Then after her observation, she removed 1 candle from each group and said, "3 minus 1 leaves 2" , then noticed the 2 groups and said "2 times 2 is 4". She found it interesting but 'normal'!  I was amazed (well, I went to school and struggled with math and here's Roxie discovering numbers and their relationships all on her own) - she had discovered her own way of grouping and counting and used language she'd heard from I guess tv and aroundabout. We have never 'taught' her maths. She would've rolled her eyes at me if I'd even started to! What I love is how she found her own understanding. It was a classic moment for me. And I'd forgotten about it till tonight. We then Skyped Mum for her birthday because she's in Ballina at the moment with my sister Ja! 

And to think I was frustrated and depressed out of my head tonight with how intense this unschooling thing is still...I need to work out a few things ...playdates and a few other extra bits, and I'm still such a complainer!!...argh. but really, I have to admit,  it's going great!

illness strikes...bugs save the day

I've been out of action for a few days due to bad bronchial coughs or flu or cold of some sort. I just love my homeopathics, herbal potions, vitamins and organics fruit and veges. They kicked it in a couple of days... oh that and a couple of early nights 8:30pm (!!!!!!) and restful kinda days. The girls were very patient with their sick, grumpy, complaining old mother!! Illness brings out the worst in me...particularly angriness and resentfulness...pah...I was apologising to Rox and April every second for being rude and cantankerous. But we did discover Disney movie trailers online whilst we were all lying on the couch together! The 'It's a Bugs Life' DVD trailer (underneath the longer blue ray one) was a hit! They watched it about 50 times for the precious moment in the bug bar when the waiter cries out "Who ordered the poo poo platter???" they cracked up with laughter every time. It cheered me up hugely too. Poo poo is HUGE in our family at the moment. Especially for April! But Rox loves the joke too.  The girls haven't really seen any big movies yet. Rox has always been very concerned about scariness factor and boomy noise and sound design. She got the idea from some trailers she's seen that freak her out. She's very sensitive I guess. April is the same sensitive but in different way....

So we've never really seen more than trailers. All in good time. I'm certainly looking forward to the day that they seem ok and ready for a good movie!

Movie Night!

Hey Daz and i got to watch a dvd tonight! Yippee! We haven't been doing that much at all because we're just too tired or keep prioritising cleaning up (what? how crazy is that??!!) 

So we finally decided to chill out, grabbed a few dvds and enjoyed the final of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy 'The Return of the King'. I love a bit of good old fantasy! Particularly sophisticated fantasy made by a director who I knew from films like 'Attack of the Killer Tomatos' and 'Meet the Feebles'...

Anyway it got me thinking that I really would like to go through and list my favorite movies and books. Especially books. I love so many and some have made a huge impact on me. So when I have a 'free' moment next (ha ha!) I would like to go through my book case and list my faves. It'd be a walk down memory lane too. I love it how remembering a book can zoom my mind straight back to the time and place I read it, what I was thinking at the time and where I was at in my head.... Anyway blah blah... 

I really did enjoy watching the movie with Daz. We used to do it all the time. Big movie buffs. I'd like to prioritise more time doing things like that together... 

And we're looking forward to the day that Rox and April are up for  movies that have more meat (for me and Daz, purely selfish) than Little Einsteins, Barney and Barbie's Thumbelina. Rox has always been really super senstive with stuff she watches so she's quite picky. Shows need to be very nice and NO scary bits. Even the Barbie Thumbelina was a bit much. The first time she watched I sat with her and we paused and I explained any confusing or angry bits to her. She'd been admiring the cover of this dvd in the shops for ages so when I found a copy on special I got it for her. Wow was she thrilled! So she was quite determined to see it! She eventually likes to watch things a million times if it appeals at all, which is what she did with this one. Now she's pretty over it, and has a new obsession with Bindi the Jungle Girl and other Animal shows!

early Halloween?

Roxie loves Halloween. It's not a big celebration in Australia but she loves the scariness, ghosts, black of it all and the sweets of course! We had another big day today. In the morning Rox wanted to go to Rare Bears an indoor play centre. I have to say I really dislike these places. They have crap junky food and it's very noisy. The constant noise of vacuum cleaners blowing up the jumping castles and giant bouncy climbing castle. Anyway, not real fun for me and April didn't really get into it either but Rox loves it. In the afternoon April had a nap and Rox really wanted to play with the trains - we have a large collection of wooden Thomas the tank trains and tracks. She set up a track & wanted to make it scary & bumpity like the jungle train at the Vidám park (Amusement Park) in Budapest. She made some bumpy rock 'lions' and set them up with a dinosaur, some more rocks & I found an old zebra mask that we put a torch behind the eyes to light them up scarily. We found some old fake spiderweb, some plastic bugs... then she wanted it dark, so we pulled the curtains. Then she made a warning sign for the trains & asked me to write it. Which I did. Then Rox decided we needed to make costumes for the trains (!) & made this amazing frilled neck lizard outfit out of painted paper and tape for Thomas the Tank.  By this time April had woken up & was making something for Emily & painting Emily's face as well. Well, then Rox wanted to dress up as a witch complete with face paint & declared that she wanted it to be Halloween today. It was a massive creative constant play! Of course they didn't stop there. Daz got home & they went for a jump on the trampoline while I cleaned up the Trains' Halloween jungle scene! When I went out to the tramp Rox & April were all soaked as she'd been jumping & sliding on the rained-on wet tramp & was inspired to pour extra water onto it with her gumboot (very resourceful). So much fun! Then back inside to do playdough...Finally, I had to go to work playing at the Vodka Bar. I left when they were having dinner, finally deciding to chill out watching a Playschool dvd! Busy, busy! 

Tomorrow will be too. Bridie is coming over to play & then there's creative dance class. I love this life. It's intense, busy and fun! But it's now 4am!!! What am I doing up so late? 

sunny winter's day...

We had a great day today. First up Rox we went to Balance Gymnastics gym in Research for play gym. Basically Rox gets to play, climb and jump on all the equipment. Trampolines, foam pits, high beams, bars, ropes and hoops etc. Was a lot of fun and April loved it too. She was jumping into the foam pit with so much joy!

After that Rox requested mini pasties and I needed bread so we got some. Then I dropped Rox at Bridie's house for a play and took April home for a nap which she relished. I had time to lie in the sun with my computer and do a few 'work' calls. Very nice really. Rox got walked home by Bridie, Anne and Jasper and they'd brought along Squeak the guinea pig to visit. So Squeak has finally met Bluey the lizard. We get our guinea pigs soon too...!

Made a cauliflower timbale for dinner. And apple and pear crumble. YUM! Rox and April of course did their frequent evening concoction making but this time it was cake. Rox wanted to make a chocolate cake and they both did a version! Looks delicious but they went to sleep before it came out of the oven so tomorrow we will sample together... 

My 'stuff-we-do-at-home' slideshow of some fave pics

Find more photos like this on Radical Unschoolers Network

I Love these photos, some of them are really old ones from when Rox was around 2 and others are more recent. Another view of our little life here in Melbourne...

Thinking about our sleep and body clocks...

We've only just gotten over our jetlag and our body clocks have finally adjusted ro Aussie time. I had no idea it takes so long. All these things are highlighted with children. I'd never really noticed before because I'd just push through it but kids just don't work that way. (Well maybe some kids are forced to wake earlier to get ready for school on time etc. and forced to go to bed at 7pm which possibly suits only the parents so that the kids lie awake in bed not able to sleep for ages etc.! rant rant ...) but when you're really wanting to honour their natural rhythms and allow for body clocks to reset themselves it's a very different thing. It took Roxie about 2 weeks to be back on her personal diurnal rhythm of waking at 8-8:30am and going to bed at 9-9:30pm. Her timing is very strong. I love being aware of her rhythms, I love that Roxie is aware of her own rhythms! I love allowing her the space and time to get sleepy herself and she often says "I want ot go to bed now" so we'll tuck her in and read to her till she falls asleep. Rox came to a Stiletto Sisters concert on Saturday night - it started at 8pm (she loves coming to my gigs on her own) and finished late. By the time interval came along at about 9:15pm, she was pretty tired, lay down on the floor in the dressing room and promptly fell asleep. We'd set up the snoozy spot with her earlier so that she'd feel comfortable and warm and safe. She rarely stays up really late unless her body clock's been mucked up (like when we got back from overseas!) Darren and I were pulling our hair out thinking that t would never change that tehy'd be going to bed at 3am or 2am or 12am every night from now on but of course if we would've trusted the process and the girls a bit more we wouldn't saved ourselves some stress! I wish I would learn by now to just TRUST!!! I am able to allow things to unflod but I stress and worry that it won't...sooo crazy. I mean by now I ought to know better!
It's very interesting. April is the same although her clock is a bit different. She initially set her body quicker than Rox but went a bit back and forth with a little sniffle interfering too. She's back on track now too and is still needing her nap in the daytime.
Really to honor the sleep/wake times Darren and I just need to be aware, chill out and accept where we're at, watch things unfold and then aid the signals.
Tonight ROx and April got creative and busy, I made a bath at about 8:30pm and let everyone know that there was a bath ready if anyone felt like it. I washed dishes, Daz hung out with the girls while they continued with their activity. He went off to do some emails. Then just before 9pm Rox took herself off to have a bath, got out on her own and came out to where I was with April who was still concentrating on her project. (I was admiring April to myself tonight - she is incredibly skilled with scissors and drawing for a 2 year old and was very focused on her work and having a great time!) Rox asked me to come with her to read a story and put her to bed. Which I did. Not long after April came in wanting me to keep her company in the bath. So Daz took over Rox's story and I went with April. Rox asleep by 9:30 April asleep at 10:30. This is kinda late for April but she had to do her project! April often finds nightime a good time for work. Like me I guess! My body clock is all over the place. I'm still awake late at night often. I had to be in bed very early 6 or 7pm when I was little. I remember singing myself to sleep with my clown toy. I' wonder if that's got anything to do with it or whether I'm just a night owl... I'll continue this later...but just wanted to add this link too.Sleeping with Butterflies by Sarah Parent. It's a podcast about 'unschooling' sleep or simply following natural wake/sleep rhythms. You can listen online or download. A lot of her podcasts are great!

Remembering our Trip...

Have been reminiscing about our sojourn to Europe and realised that I didn't really write much about Prague. So I thought I might do a bit of that here now in retrospect...I'd love to have more pictures but I may just have to make another smilebox slideshow for each section of the journey! The girls and i enjoy looking at those every now adn then. The pics include one of the venue at the Waldstein gardens - soooo amazing and spectacular. More so in real life than pictures. I'd seen pictures before we went there, but on entering the gardens...wow. They are formal arranged gardens and i never would've thought it'd be something i'd like. Usually I'm more for the romantic natural forests and gardens...
I also very coincidentally caught up with an old friend of mine who is now living in Prague. Anezka Novak - who is a wonderful, creative and eccentric woman. She happened to walk up wih some friends of hers during our soundcheck in teh gardens. It was so unexpected for me to see anyone familiar that I nearly fell off my feet! We caught up for dinner with her on one of our last nights there which was so fun.

Going public?

I'm toying with the idea of going public with my blog.

I've just joined another 'unschoolers' social network and that's got me thinking about it, that is putting the address out there on my facebook and as part of my signature on personal emails. Basically letting people know about it, maybe even get some comments??...yeah why not? I just hope it doesn't make me change too much how and what I write! I still would like to keep this blog like a diary and venting place...for all sorts of stuff. Definitely a good thing for venting and grumping (though probably not so fun to read?)...also good for trying to sort out my stretched old brain and reminding me of the things we do...don't want to be editing for any 'just in case' someone doesn't like...

Mermaid

We had an amazing day yesterday although ended up being very energetic. Rox and April did some painting in the morning then Daz got home early in the afternoon on his study day and we decided to go to the pool. Rox really wanted to go to the pool because the night before in the bath she went underwater. bigtime. Which is amazing cause till now Rox has been quite fearful and cautious about putting her head right under the water and swimming under water. But in the bath with goggles on she just did it with great gusto and decided she wanted to try it in the pool. So off we went. Roxie was swimming underwater! She was jumping in, experimenting with floating and holding her breath. I was floored at how suddenly she just was able and so confident to do it. All on her own without us or anyone else 'teaching' her how to do it. Of course I ought to just expect that this sort of thing happens all the time but everytime something suddenly really comes into focus like that it really is astonishing. Especially out of season! That's very like Roxie!
It got me thinking too...she said to me as she was playing around with floating that she could never do that with her bubble and it felt unsafe... Why did we even bother with any kind of floatation device to aid swimming? I can't believe I actually took Rox to swimming lessons when she was 2! (didn't last long thank goodness - cause I thought the kids were treated crudely and insensitively, even with parents in attendence) It seems obvious now to just be with them, no parapharnalia (unless specifically asked for) until they decide to do their thing when they're absolutely ready. I think I'm going to leave the whole riding a bike thing alone now too. All Rox's homeschool friends are into riding, some on training wheels most are off them. I'm now realizing what I felt deep down that Rox will do it when she's ready. Training wheels feel really unsafe for Roxie. She doesn't trust them. She'll work out her own way of learning to ride. Then it'll be safe for her cause she'll design her own method.
It's tricky for ME not to feel pressured by others! Isn't that crazy. I go on about freedom and choice yet thwart Rox's slient choices because of mummy peer group pressure...gotta let go. gotta chill out. I'm learning all the time!

Back home!!!

Ahhh it's good to be home! We had an amazing trip. Except that rotten plane trip. Oh my how loooong is it? was very hard for the girls. Very hard for us! Still I guess a small price to pay for a phenomenal experience. I always learn sooo much when i travel. This time it was an incredible learning experience in Hungary with my family - Darren, Roxie, April and with my wonderful family in Kisvárda... They are so warm hearted, generous and kind but there are lots of cultural issues that have only become obvious to me now, this time with them and my kids! Very interesting! Things that were easy to cope with as me a student then adult visiting. Thinking a lot about cultural differences with regards to food, manners, gift giving, being a guest and how others deal with visitors...how one can maintain one's integrity to ones own ideals whilst also keeping in mind others differences and expectations...
But I'll have to continue this later. We're still awake at it's 1:30am. I think it'll take a few days to get back in sync with Aussie time. The girls wake up Hungarian time - for dinner! And we woke today at 3pm which is 6:30am! Very strange... I want to post a few more pics from Darren's camera at the gig in Prague and some other bits. There's also lots of little mini movies that I will try and stick on you tube or something like that and link to the blog...
goodnight for now!

NEW PHOTO SLIDESHOW!! scroll down...down...down!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I've put up a new smilebox slideshow for your amusement! The first slideshow I made can be found amongst the archives (scroll down to the bottom in June) I've just updated this Hungarian Adventures slideshow because one of the movies on the previous version was too long and boring! This version is shorter and with slightly better music (music choices for free Smilebox shows are hmmm... limited!)
I plan to put another slideshow up (cause they're fun to make), with the remaining bits from the trip and also another one from Prague. If you're interested in photos from the Prague Festival check out the Stiletto Sisters site which has a link to Flickr - Jo has put up a heap a pics from the concerts and afterwards but I have a few behind the scenes like one of Jo and me after the concert both breastfeeding our little ones. I love that pic. Roxie thought it seemed very peaceful...

Hungarian Adventures Smilebox Slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I have 2 of these that are similar, couldn't decide which I preferred. Hence both are here! This one's shorter....

Last day in Kisvárda

It's arrived already. The last day. We decided to go to the Nyiregyháza zoo. Get to catch up with Gabi one more time. It was pretty good. Nice day. Even saw some creatures I'd never seen close up before. 

Took us a while to get there Zsuzsi's car broke down on the highway, Rox wanted to buy the sme remote control helicopter that Levi had from Aldi and April some new paints so there was delay but once we got there it was fun. 

Got back to have another big meal. Chicken and vegetable soup, then homemade doughnuts with homemade apricot jam from home grown fruit! YUM!

Yesterday we went to Sonkád and Turisvándi. Both gorgeous, bucolic places with swimming areas. The first place was a flowing river the Túr, the second place was the site of an old mill (still there) and now a camping ground. It had a little swimming hole that was just so pretty. The girls jumped in straight away! We had some food there and beer. And got home very late. 

I have to apologise for being so brief on this post but it's very late again and I'm planning to post another smilebox slideshow and get some sleep before our drive back to Budapest. 

Dombrád, Tisza, graveyards...

Today we had  a quiet day at Zsuzsi's but not so quiet too..Another scary mealtime! with tension you could carve regarding Roxie's behaviour and fussing over her food...Poor Roxie. She's just being honest. She is very fussy with her food for whatever reason and everyone thinks we ought to have told her that she has to eat  what's in front of her or you get nothing, or, you can't have your mother bending over backwards to get you what you want..aaargghhh!!! 

Later that day though, was lovely. Once we finally escaped scary food rules. We went to see Dombrad. We went to see Csutoros Nagymama's grave. Roxie was gorgeous. She made a special garden there with flowers and grasses she picked and was quite reverent. It was very peaceful there. And the view from the top of the cemetery hill was indeed restful. A field of sunflowers to the right with rows of giant poplar trees. Acacia trees and meadows of wild flowers. A small village home roof. A church steeple. Blue sky. Suuny day. Really quite idyllic. From here we went to the Tisza river. Perfect for Roxie and April and the boys. A small dark sandy bank and lots of muddy shallow water to play in. My girls were naked and having a ball! Darren hopped in the water too. His undies were red and newish so he got away with it! Then we got icecream. And went to see the kis vasut and some old leftover carriages from the small train line opposite which was a little very old fashioned playground complete with traditional seesaw! Rox and Levi climbed high up an old chestnut tree. Then finally we went to see Feri bacsi's (Gyongyi's late husband)  grave. Different cemetery. Picked some wild chamomille flowers for him. Rox picked some flowers too. April made friend with some veyr young gypsy girls who then gave us some ornamental plums as a present. It was quite a beautiful and innocent gesture. Finally back to Gyongyi's house for dinner. Creamy Kohlrabi soup followed by apricot dumplings. YUM! April enjoyed it too. I had a brief gentle word to Rox before dinner and she managed much better so we'll keep working on it. Tomorrow we go to another place to play in the water - Szilard's suggestion. Although our hire car has a problem that needs looking at. Very boring and annoying since we're paying so much money for it... Ah Hungary...

Kisvárda adventures..

We had a lovely time yesterday. Szilard thought we should go to some thermal baths in Sárospatak. So we packed sandwiches and drove off. Szili, Gabi, Levente and Zsombor  in one car and us. Wasn't too far and a lovely drive to Sárospatak. We kept spotting lots of Stork nests (and stork families!) on top of electric wires, fields of glorious sunflowers, Akácfa (acacia tree) forests etc. it was quite lovely... arrived at the baths and had a great time in the water. 

There were about 7 or 8 different pools to choose from including a big slide and baby pool and very hot medicinal pools. I even got to have a proper swim! We were there all day in and out of the water. I'd blab to my cousins, then play with the kids in the water. Lots of fun! Had snacks of lángos again - the girls had palacsinta (pancakes) with chocolate... We got home late. Rox wanted more ice cream (her ice cream passion is way out there at the moment! - she's really desperate for lots of it...I think I know why. Will briefly mention later...) so we stopped at the local Tesco store to get some. It had started to storm and thunder just as we left the store. Again! Anway, we got back to Gyöngyi's place and of course she had prepared a huge Hungarian meal for us. Húsleves and chicken in sour cream sauce with galuska. And ice cream for dessert of course. Anyway it wa a fairly relaxing fun day. 

But we 've been having a problem. It's to do with food/manners thing. Roxie is having a really, really difficult time of the meal times. She doesn't like a lot on offer and certainly dislikes being mainpulated or talked into trying to eat what she doesn't want. Unfortunately it comes across as ungrateful, demanding, fussy, bratty, spoilt and wastful. I feel sad seeing Roxie in this position,  and I also don't like seeing our hosts feel that Roxie's ungracious because she's not but doesn't express herself hmmm...conventionally... I certainly don't relish defending myself and Roxie, but I do defend her.

The Hungarians are very forceful with the whole eating thing. You're a 'good' or 'clever' child if you eat your entire plate of food or if you try all the of variety of things on offer!!!!! This is awful for Roxie. I think her idea of hell perhaps! And she gets soo soo grumpy and impatient at the slightest hint of adult expectations that she feels she cannot fulfil (fair enough too!). There was also praise and lavish attention for April who happens to eat anything and is full of demonstrative love and connection. Roxie is defiant - she won't parrot the please and thank yous in Hungarian that everyone is suggesting she try as a way of 'learning' the language. I dont blame her. On the other hand I feel like we're not guiding her at all well or helping her navigate through this foreign, food/manners thing successfully at all. Darren and I have decided that at this stage we need to avoid the big meals by being more assertive about what we want to do. They'll probably be relieved not to have to cook if we say we're going out. We've also decided to make sure I word up Roxie about what's on offer and see if I can explain enough for her to understand the whole mealtime tradition...In a way it'd be much easier not staying in someone elses home. One can't completely relax. Especially the children. I could offer to cook a meal myself and purchase the ingredients to do it. Maybe I ought to make a risotto?? Or just tejbe griz for the kids?? Cheese toasties?? But they'd probably shoo me out of the kitchen and feel upset, almost insulted if I buy anything (which happened for breakfast bits!!!) "You're our guests! Let us cook for you!" It's lovely, but unbelievably hard for Rox. I think she's also really mssing her friends, familiar things and familiar communication

I've had headaches everyday here!!! I think it's the heat and speaking mixed languages (makes my brain swirl and squish!!) and possibly not enough water ( I'm working on that one...!)

The drive to Kisvárda

ARGHHHHH!! What do you do when your plans got awry because you get a really crappy baby seat in the hire car, and you've forgotten to bring the ipod connector for the car to play soothing music on, and there's no favorite car CD to play either to soothe the baby and the computer keeps sliding off. The ipod keeps crashing. April is screaming and so is Roxie!!!! And Darren is trying to drive on the totally opposite side of the road to what he's used to?? It was a really tough journey up to Kisvárda. When we finally arrived  it was lovely to see everyone. We dumped our stuff at Gyongyi nenis and went to see Zsuzsi's place. Wow. What an amazing garden with fresh vegies growing and fruit trees and raspberry bushes. Roxie was enchanted with picking raspberries off the bush and popping them into her mouth straight away, April was equally impressed with teh fresh peas that Gyuszko picked for her, opened up and she ate heaps of them. All very sweet and tasty. April was in her finest form, being very cute, and appealing to everyone!! She was giving hugs and kisses to everybody and obvioulsy relishing the attention of admiring adults and kids - even though they alll spoke Hungarian! Roxie was pretty quiet and contemplative. But said she loved the garden and relaxing on the swing seat with family all around her. Zsuzsi's kids are very sweet. Levente (7yrs) and Zsombor (10yrs). They got out a bottle of coke and mentos and showed us the classic geyser explosion that i'd been eager to try after seeing it on you tube! How funny that we should be seeing it here in this little village!!! Anyway, April was so impressed with the geyser - she talked about it to everyone excitedly for ages! Rox loved it too and ate the mentos aftewards with the boys. The we went inside to watch some Hungarian claymation from the 70's which the girls loved as well!  It was a lovely afternoon. Though Daz and I could see some 'issues' raising theirs little heads...

Better go to bed now. More later. I'ts getting late again!!!

Budapest day 5 - Vidám Park AGAIN!

So our final day in Budapest and what were we going to do. hmmmm. Well Roxie decided to choose her favorite pace of all the places we'd visited thus far. The Jungle Story Park section of the Amusement Park. April was equally keen to go there so we did. It great fun. The girls got to go on all their favorite rides and swings and sanpit and hand powered train as they wanted. It was another hot humid day. Threatening to downpour in the afternoon with thunder but strangely no rain. We went for cover when it got grey and thundered but went back to the play areas for more rides when it didn't rain. Well of course we had our favourite lángos and some pancakes when it started. The biggest thunder storm i've ever been caught in. It was quite late round 7pm. And it poured down. Bucketed like crazy!!! Torrential. Really!!!! Roxie was quite terrified - the thunder was very loud, very close. We were sheltering under the awning of the lángos stall. April was in her pram and promptly fell asleep to the sound of the violent rain! Rox was in Daz's arms. We waited it out. Took longer than the other storms. Was a big one. Eventually we were able to get going the rain eased the thunder left and we went quickly to the metro, then the tram. April was asleep for quite a while! It was good to get back to our apartment but we had a great time nonetheless. 

I'd also finally caught up with Zsuzsi on the phone and we'd decided to rent a car ( not a campervan as we originally had thought) and we'd been offered a place to sleep at Gyöngyi néni's house. So we thought we'd go with that. Thinking it'd be good to be with the family closely and to save some money on hiring a campervan and also not offend the family by saying no to their generous offer!  

Anyway, Darren and I had some packing to do that night and the following morning....

Budapest day 4 - Állatkert (Budapest Zoo)

Roxie was a excited about going to the zoo as to the Amusement Park. So off we went. It was another hot day. Ice creams and cold drinks day! Got to the zoo and I was amazed to see people feeding the animals. (with special pellets but still...) I found it fascinating but unpleasant at the same time to see a hippopotamus come up really, really close to people and open it's mouth WIDE to receive the food pellets. It reminded me a bit of old fashioned animal tricks in the circus. It was teh same with the giraffes. Amazing to see their black tongues so close up and have them licking a child's hand for pellets (not Roxie's by the way!) but also very sad. Such a wild animal - tame. For food. 

Anyway except for the uneasy feeling I had for this side of things the zoo was a fun place to visit Roxie loved it of course. The highlight for Roxie was the Guinea Pig city. Seemed like hundreds of guinea pigs in a very large area with a village of clay (?) model houses, cars, buildings and even a windmill for them to play in. Very eccentric! 

Roxie and April both had their faces painted Rox chose a Zebra and April a Tiger. It was a hot day and the zoo had set up these gates to walk through that sprayed water in very fine streams so that peoplecould cool down. IT was most refreshing and the girls loved getting cool and wet and mucky! There was also a very cool playground in the zoo and we stayed there till closing time. Ropes to climb, an amazing whale scultpture that squirted water for it's 'spout' at unexpected intervals...a fantastic boat style seing that al 3 of us could lie in, a flying fox and an enormous adventure climbing wooden plyaframe in the design of a pirate ship with lots of ropes, ladders and underground tubes...very funky! Finally at closing time we left for the metro homewards. It was another big and satisfying day.

Budapest Day 3 - A Romai Fürdö - The Roman Baths swimming complex (not really Roman!)

Day 3 was hot hot hot. 34 degrees. so we thought we'd brave it on the suburban train to a reccommended swimming pool complex. It was pretty easy to get there and it was a short gentle walk through an amazing oak tree lined path to the entrance of the pools. Wasn't expensive which was nice! It was huge. There were many pools. an absolutely enormous slide thing that was just too huge for Roxie to tackle, she's not too keen on water slides yet, although she loves the idea of them, she isn't quite ready to brave them!

We walked around for a while annoyingly looking for the lockers - had to ask  in the end - they weren't easy to find and were up a long flight of stairs so we rented a 'kabin' which was your old style changing cabin. It came in very handy later in teh afternoon when the rain poured down and the thunder rumbled!!

Roxie loved the pools and had a ball swimming without her bubble! April took a while to get used to the water and people, after she'd had a sandwich and some mummy time she was happy to splash about.  Anyway we had a big lunch of chunky hungarian food well I did anyway - i had kolbasz  ( sausage) with mustard and bread and beer. The girls had pizza and Daz had a hungarian burger and beer! I took April for a walk after lunch as she needed a nap so once she was asleep I went in the water with Roxie to have a bit of fun with her. Darren was sitting with April sleeping in the pram but kept giving me looks about the sky and the weather. So I gently mentioned to Roxie that it may start thundering and raining soon and perhaps we ought to get out of the water. Almost the moment after we stepped out of the water it started pouring down. We were on our way to the cabin which the lady opened for us and told us to stay there until the storm had stopped. Poor Roxie was really having to deal with her thunder fears. We've had storms EVERY afternoon! Almost at the same time too. She still panicks wildly and needs to be cuddling very close to either me or Darren. April is fine about it but not so happy about the rain. She gets concerned about tables and things getting wet??!! Anyway once it stops it stops. So we were able to get changed and head off home on the train. I suggested that it might be nice to walk to the Chain Bridge for a bit of sightseeing. Turned out to be a bad idea. It was amazing walking towards the bridge and seeing the Danube totally flooded but by the time we got the the Pest side of the bridge the girls were hungry and tired and we were at the expensive side of town so Darren was not keen to sit in a big hotel and pay huge amounts for food. I thought we should jsut get an ice cream fo the girls which we did but it was much pricier. And we both got cross with each other...oh dear...anyway then I remembered a playground nearby and we were all able to chill out there. Got home eventually on the metro. Was another BIG day. And Roxie was very keen to go to the Zoo the following day....so ...to bed!

Prague to Budapest 'Smilebox' mini slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I haven't written in a few days, but thought i'd put this little experiment up here. Just a few more pics of our adventures. I'm interested in getting some feedback on this smilebox approach. You like it? or is flickr ok? I am yet to write on day 4 (the Budapest Zoo) and day 5 (Amusement Park, again!)  It's getting very late now and we have to get up early to pack and drive up to Kisvárda. But I want to write briefly before I forget details! Goodnight.

Budapest Day 2 - Margit Sziget

The island today. Hot and sunny... Rox and April were both keen to visit the petting zoo on the Margit Sziget. April fell asleep before we got there but Rox certainly enjoyed it. She fed a spotted deer (doe) and some ponies and we saw some golya (storks). We had lunch at an expensive touristy place. It was ok. But i think i preferred the langos i had yesterday at the Vidam park!! We went there only because we'd run out of forints and wanted to pay by credit card. The Somloi Galuska I had for dessert was yum as was Rox and April's icecream...

After lunch we headed for the playground recommended in the Benjamin book. We spent ages here. It did start to thunder at about 5pm again and rain a bit. Roxie got upset and worried again and as we started back towards our apartment the strom cleared quickly and we were able to stay on the island and admire the music fountain. The girls loved it and had a nice time dancing and getting a bit wet by the huge fountain! Then we went back to the playground till about 8pm! Rox got this amazing game going in the sand pit - she decided to make Margaret island and Buda and Pest with the river and flooding etc etc. It was beautiful and she involved a curious little Hungarian child too. We all had a great time! Came back home for a bite of pasta.

 Tonight Daz and I are facing decisions about how to deal with the trip home and getting to Kisvarda. How we get to and from Kisvarda will impact on how our homeward flights will work so we need ot start considering it all now... tomorrow we haven't worked out what to do yet...Its going to be 34 degrees hot and sunny so a visit to a pool would probably be a great thing! Széchényi or Romaifürdö the destination I think!

Budapest day 1 - Vidám park

When I asked Roxie what she wanted to do on her first day in Budapest, she said without hesitation that the Amusement PArk was number 1 on her list. So, I bought a delicious breakfast of fabulous hungarian pastries - cherry, apple, cottage cheese, brioche - yum! And then we slowly got ready for the day out. It was exciting catching the metro. We walked a bit and then there we were. What fun to be had. At first it was tricky becuase apparently the entire park even the jungle story littlies park was for kids 3 years and over. So we couldn't get April into anything. I got a bit upset about this as April was wanting to go on everything Roxie did and was not allowed. So i went and talked to the kasa and told them that April was 2 and a half and had an older sister and would be fine. The said to me simply "well just say she's 3 years old then."  oh. ok that's how it works here...hmmm. Anyway, so I bought a Jungle littlies pass for April and she was much happier. Actually she fell asleep, but only after we managed to get some delicious and cheap lunch. A couple of Lángos with sour cream, bacon bits, red onion, cheese and chilli, some wedges, a schnitzel zsemle, beer, fröcs, lemonade, then Roxie spotted the fairy floss...She had 2 and half of April's! Anyway whilst April slept Rox and I had a great time going on a few things that April wasn't allowed on with her littlies pass - like the Caterpillar Roller coaster. We screamed and laughed! We went into the Varázsolt Kastely with crazy moving chairs, wobbly staircases, mirrors and Rox and i laughed so much exiting via a rolling spinning barrel. We also went on the boat ride tunnel which was very gentle and I remember that from when i was a kid and went in 1975! As we left the boat ride it started to rain. Pour with rain. And Thunder of course. LOUDLY! Poor Roxie... we ran for shelter and had some ice cream whilst waiting for the strom to pass. Rox was very nervous the whole time wanting to be with me, snuggled close. It did finally subside and the sun shone again. Rox wanted to get a cab back to the apartment but was convinced to go to the Jungle Park so that April could have a ride on something. Turns out that was a great idea. We spent the rest of the day there till closing time! Both girls LOVED it. There was a hand pedal powered train track aroudn the mini park a great large sandpit with a dinosaur climbing thing in the middle. There was a variety of carousels. The 'car' one in particular was popular. There wa a mini ferris wheel, a flying pedal carousel thingy that we all went on together, a fire engine ride game that Darren and Rox did together. Rox and April both spent ages on a little boat shaped swing and then we went into the Tréfás Dzsungel ride. This is one I also remember from '75. This is the one that got stuck, with all the crazy curves and dark bits, things jumping out at you...anyway April did not like this one at all. Much too scary for her. She said she was scared of the lion. It was pretty full on, even Rox got a bit worried apparently 'cause at the end was a thunder noise and fake wind!  Anway we talked to April about it and I gave her some 'mama tee', then she was on the boat swing for ages. 

Anyway at closing time we left and on the way back to the metro station Rox and April wanted some balloons that we were tricked into paying much too much for. Of course once he'd tied it around Roxie's wrist it was then too hard to walk away and say that it was too expensive! Always ask the price first!! Lesson reminder.

Got some baic takeaway food and home to apartment. Big day. Fun day!!

Tomorrow we pla to take it easy,get some groceries in the morning and hang out the rest of the day on the Margit Sziget which s soo close to us....ahhhhhh. goodnight.

Praha and the Waldstein gigs...

Dobriden! The concerts were great! What a buzz! I'd have to say that the Waldstein Gardens where the Czech senate sits, is the most stunning outdoor venue I've ever played in! Really beautiful. Just a pity about the grey weather and rain. It was disappointing! Rainy, grey and coolish -  or - rainy, grey and humid... We had to purchase gumboots for all of us and a new raincoat for Roxie. I do love my new bright red 'Bata' full length gumboots! We got soaked in the pouring rain quite a few times in Prague. And poor Rox really had a tough time with thunder storms almost everyday! 

The trip over - that monstrously long , arduous airplane journey was yuk as always. The girls coped amazingly well on the flights but it was just too, too long. By the time we got to Brussels and had a 5 hour wait, Rox and April were delirious. Rox fell asleep on the floor at the transfer lounge even before we could board the plane so Darren was carrying her asleep onto the plane. April insisted on rolling Roxie’s suitcase and I carried the rest of the bags!! Darren couldn’t quite get Rox into her seat and she woke up. Boy was that bad! She was sooo tired and beyond it, her body was so sensitised, poor thing that all she could do was complain loudly.  She complained that her ears were hurting, she was hot, she wanted to lie down, her tooth hurt… everything, I felt so bad for her. 

Eventually once the plane had taken off she fell asleep again and we gave her a pillow etc. By this time April had fallen asleep too with headphones on watching playschool! Very cute. Anyway Rox’s head slipped off the pillow and looked uncomfortable so I tried to move it and lie her down over 2 seats which was a really bad idea as she got stuck in her seatbelt which was still on her and woke her up. She screamed and cried. All I could do was listen to her  - she was still inconsolable. I felt uncomfortable for the other passengers on the plane too. But, that was nothing compared to when April had to be woken up because the plane landed! She didn’t want to be held or anything and I was carrying her through Prague airport whilst she was screaming and arching her body. I haven’t seen April like that, it was awful. Worse still the floor was hard ceramic tiles everywhere and April wanted and needed to have a big kick and scream on the floor, but she was thrashing so much she would have really banged her head on it. So I tried to prevent her head from being injured. Darren and I were at a loss as to what to do. We knew that if we could get them into fresh air it would be ok. 24 hours in artificial environments coupled with changing time zones, lots of quick and not very nourishing 'food' - sweets and plane food and very little restful sleep is really damaging for any human being! It was hard to explain this to them though of course (it didn't even seem fair to try) and it seemed like we’d just have to wait it out and try to remain ourselves, as ‘calm’ as possible… Eventually after we’d managed to retrieve our luggage and the pram, we put Rox in the pram, I gave April some  'mama tee' (breastmilk) and gave all 4 of us  some Rescue Remedy. Things then calmed down enough for us to get out of the terminal and see if anyone had come to pick us up. It looked dire at first – no signs with our names on it! We were about to try and get a hotel when a guy came up holding the sign with Stiletto Sisters on it. Classic! We were saved. Finally walked outside into the fresh air, felt the rain on our faces - what joy! and got into the van. Lucky it was an interesting vehicle so that the girls were ok about sitting in it and travelling the final distance to the hotel. Of course they both fell asleep in the van! We carried them into the hotel - Judy was there, it was great to see a familiar face. Rox had woken up and cheered up to see Judy, but as soon as Rox got in the room she crawled into bed and fell promptly asleep. April went back to sleep pretty soon after too. And so did we. Bliss to sleep in a bed. 

In the morning I had a shower. It felt amazingly fortifying and restorative!! Human again. The great thing about that horribly long Australia to Europe plane trip? A renewed appreciation for those simple everday luxuries. A bed. A shower. Fresh fruit. Soap.

Our bodies are still adjusting. And it was helped by the hotel buffet breakfast. I love the hams, kifli, cheese, paprika and tomato brekkies they have  here. Yum. There was also chocolate muesli. (Rox's fave)  Yummy Debrecen style sausages with mustard and Horseradish!! Eggs, toast, lots of yoghurts etc. etc. We all ate heaps. Rox loved being able to help herself to lots of different things. And April was not so interested in eating her breakfast as in making it into a concoction! She was very intense and insistent about making these concoctions. I bet the waitresses enjoyed cleaning our table....oops.

 We missed the Nigel Kennedy opening concert. Apart from the fact that it was pretty cold and miserable (although the rain eased up) Rox fell asleep at 7pm! (Australia 3am) Again just put herself to bed, and April not long after at 8pm. Darren also crashed early. 

Anyway we soon adjusted to the new time zone and weather in Europe. It was hard for the girls being in a small hotel room with such wet weather. (The festival put us up, and we graciously accepted the accommodation they offered, but we found out later that the cost of a room per night at this place was an outrageous 260 euros!!!!!!no way!  And no one with a family would ever stay in a hotel like that - too posh, no kettle or toaster , but only 24 hr tea and coffee service, pah.)

When the weather was ok enough to venture out - it was lots of fun. We went to 'Children's Island' which was a giant playground - lots of climbing frames and sandpits. The girls were very happy!

Food was a big challenge because we didn't have any kitchen/cooking facilities at all. We were eating out a lot and that's tricky in an unfamiliar city on a budget with very specific food requirements. At least French fries were a safe bet for Rox and April. Not a lot of variety for them. Thanks goodness for summer berries. We bought punnets of strawberries, cherries and blueberries for next to nothing which Roxie loved! We did mangage to go out for dinner a few times and ate real typical Czech food, the girls fell asleep and we'd walk back to the hotel with them and put them into bed. 

We managed to rehearse which was wonderful. In a very nice 'Salonky' in the basement of the hotel with a fabulous acoustic for us! 

I'll put in a few picks of the early part of the trip here and write some more in the next post.