When the Elephant in the Room Is the Bun in the Oven

I don't know if it's because it's my sixth or what, but I am showing SO early in this pregnancy. And I'm secretly enjoying the reactions I get as people deliberate whether to say something or just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. Because I'm only 12 weeks along and the baby is only about 2 inches long or so, word hasn't had time to spread as quickly as my waistline has. It has led to some pretty funny comments.

The best reaction was that of a friend of mine, who if I were to use any word to describe her, it would be "polished." She is poised and well spoken. The kind who knows what to say when. She delivered a little girl the day before I delivered Kian, and now we have our kids in a toddler group together. I was hosting on Monday (hence no coat or big clothing to mask my belly) when my friend dropped her daughter off. I spied her catching a glance at the tum, and sporting a slightly suspicious expression. Then as she was tying her daughter's shoes at pick-up time, she looked right up at my belly. She paused, and said, "So, um what's new with you?" I smiled at the thought of not telling her, just making her agonize a little, but I'm not that mean. I told her the news, and she was thrilled--said all the right things, and it was a happy moment.

I've had these comments as well, "So, I noticed a little pouch. Congratulations!" "You're looking a little. . . (pat, pat, pat on the tummy). And how many will that make your little flock?" And my personal favorite, in the middle of a ward volleyball game ,my opponent at the net blurts out in disbelief, "Do you have a bun in the oven?!" I spent the next several serves trying to tell the everyone on the opposing team when I was due and how I was feeling. Not an easy task in between volleys and bumps (no pun intended).

I'm pleased to say that 99% of these interactions have been positive—met with smiles, jokes, and congratulations. But often I find an element of incredulity and even trepidation. SIX kids! One church acquaintance said, "So are you just going to keep going?!" I responded, "I don't know. They come one at a time. We prayed hard and felt really good about this one." And that has been my philosphy all along, I think. We have carefully considered the factors with each baby (except for Aiden, who had a mind of his own and was coming no matter what), and made our decision accordingly. For this baby, all I know is that we have been so blessed--not completely without opposition, but all things considered, pretty darn blessed. I've had fairly wonderful pregnancies (minus the varicose veins, insomnia, and contractions through the last half), great deliveries (minus the pain), beautiful children (minus the willfulness), a husband who provides well for our family, and a generally happy family. We do enjoy being together. So, why not add more to the chaos and joy of it all?

I said to one teacher at the school who was amazed at the number SIX, "We're happy, and that's what counts, right?" She smiled and said, "Yes. That's all that REALLY counts! Good for you. Congratulations." So, taboo or totally cool, faux pas or first-class, we're having another baby, and anyone can ask me about it. Because, let's be honest, I can't hide it at this point anyway. Even if I wanted really to. ;-)

Heather, pregnant with number 6 at 12 1/2 weeks along

Coulson on the Brain, and in the Heart

I feel badly that I never did get Coulson's birthday posted this year. We really did have a good time--over a couple of days. On Saturday, we went as a family to the Scratch patch in Seattle. It's a little shop covered in polished minerals; they even have some semi-precious stones. We had a great time treasure hunting. And then on Sunday, Steph and Trav came up from Puyallup, and we had a little family celebration for the big 11-year-old!
He had sugar-free brownies, because his year of no sugar isn't up. His partner (Aiden) went for nearly nine months, had enough, and ate some candy right before Halloween, but Coulson has stayed firm in his resolve. Amazing!

So Cute.

Kian at the Scratch Patch.

Aiden doing "mineral angels."

Treasure hunting kids--we had the whole place to ourselves!

My cousin Marilyn blogs every day in November about something that she's grateful for. So, as I was thinking about what I'm grateful for, Coulson immediately came to mind. He's getting older--he's in middle school now--and I'm so proud of the young man that he's becoming. He's starting to notice that others around him are making choices that don't necessarily jive with what he's been taught, but he's talking to me about it, and we're trying to sort it out together.

Spence just got back from New Delhi yesterday. He's been gone for a week. It's been a pretty busy stretch of travel the last several weeks, and while it was so amazing that I got to go with him to Prague, by the time he had to leave for India last Saturday, none of us were ready to say goodbye--including him. And by Friday, 6 days without him was beginning to take its toll, and I was feeling kind of blue and a little bit nutty. I realized I needed a break. It had been a while. But then Coulson walked through the front door from school. I was cooking or cleaning in the kitchen, and he joined me, fixed a snack, and started talking. I realized after just a couple of minutes, that he was facing challenges that were kind of tough for him, but that he was still so positive about it--an undying trait that he has. And I admired how he handled himself. He lifted my spirits even when his could have been low.

Then I told him I was hiring a babysitter so that I could run some errands around town for an hour. He told me he'd like to come. It was heaven-sent. Hazel came over and played with the kids, while we picked out a birthday gift for the girls' friends' birthday party the next morning, bought some ice cream (some "no sugar added" as well) and found a "spooky" Scooby Doo movie for Friday the 13th! He was so fun to hang out with and easy to talk to. I finished the hour totally ready to party with my kids, and I had Coulson to thank for it.

He's been so thoughtful and resepectful of me lately--especially when he found out about the baby. He has been working hard in school and on his music. He was even student of the month 2 weeks ago, for his "outstanding leadership in all areas." As he got ready for his last primary program today, he asked me and Spence how he looked. Spence took one look at him and said, "Like a deacon. You're getting so tall." He has grown in so many ways, and we are SO proud of him. I'm grateful every day the Heavenly Father sent him to us. Thanks Coulson, just you for being you. I love you!

Prague Pictures

So, it was too hard to try to put all of the pictures in the right place in my text of what we actually did in Prague, so I decided to just post them all here anyway. That way, if you want to skip the novel that tells you all the details of the trip, you can just scroll through the pictures and get the gist. A picture's worth a thousand words, right? Be warned though, I was lucky to even get them on here, so they are not necessarily in order.



This is after our hike up the Rozhledna Tower and on our way to Prague Castle in the distance. We were so excited to be there that I don't think you'd ever know we had been up for over 24 hours!

This is Spence and Michael, his co-worker. Sorry for the nostril shot. I was sitting, and we were all on a crowded tram that took us straight up to the top of the hill where the tower was perched.

On the upper deck of the tower.

The Rozhledna Tower itself. It was trying to be a replica of the Eiffel Tower. Hey, it looks good to me, but Spence said it was about 5 times to short. I was told that with the height of the hill on which it stands, it actually reaches a higher elevation than the Eiffel Tower. it was a good workout anyway. There are no elevators!

Us on Charles Bridge. It was starting to get dark; we'd already seen the Castle Square, and it was a perfect time to walk across the bridge. Prague is a very romantic city. I highly recommend it!

Spence rubbing the statue of St. John of Nepumuk on the Charles Bridge for luck. Hey, why not? We're tourists!

Just a cool canal running through a foundation of a couple of buildings--all the buildings look like that, btw.

A view of Charles Bridge over the Vlatava River and the Castle Complex on the hill. It was a lovely walk!

The cute little Italian restaurant where we ate the first night. Spence loved his pizza, and I thought my pasta was pretty good, but the ambiance was great. We should have returned.

I know; it's silly to take a picture of a subway door, but there's a story. Spence and I both just stared at the door when the train stopped, and then finally a man next to us pushed the button. Who would have thought of a subway with doors that don't automatically open? Clueless Americans.

Interior of St. Vitus Cathedral (one of the 13 or so chapels in the building). It is HUGE! This is a relic cabinet--ew--with cool stained glass all around.

What can I say? We were excited to catch the subway.

This was Tuesday afternoon, when I just caught the changing of the guard at Prague Castle. If you look up at the 5 windows above people's heads, you'll see soldiers standing there. They played trumpets and drums. It was a big deal. Micheal said that the palace guards all have to be at least 6 feet tall and handsome to get that job.

This also occurred on Tuesday afternoon. You can't see it very well, but this was the interior of the Lobkowitz Palace. It is part of the Prague Castle complex, owned by the Lobkowitz family, and is now a museum of sorts. I listened to an amazing concert here, performed by a flutist, a violinist and a pianist. They were all masterful, and performed arrangements of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Debusy, Vivaldi, and D'vorak, to name a few. It was beautiful.

This was Monday morning--the Mozart Museum. This was the farm house of some friends of Mozart's. He lived here to get away from the business of life and finish his work on Don Giovanni. It was an adventure getting here!

The gardens outside the Mozart museum . It was easy for me to imagine what kind of inspiration could come in a place like this.

The Municipal House in Old Town. All the lanterns in Old town are gas--it makes for a really cool atmosphere.

This had to be the longest escalator ever! We're already about 1/2 way up!

At the ballet on my birthday!

Prague Castle

This is one of the very official buildings in Prague Castle Complex. It was from here that Obama spoke a couple of months ago.

St. Wenceslas Chapel inside St. Vitus cathedral. Good King Wenceslas was a 10th century king of the Czech Republic. Who knew? They were doing some repair work for the independence day celebration that would be held the next day. The building is about 700 years old.

This is a tomb inside the St. Vitus Cathedral--2 tons of silver!

National Museum and statue of St. Wenceslas.

John the Baptist appearing to Ivan the christian pilgrim in the 9th century. I had to peek through a hole in the chapel for the pic--hence the bar at the bottom.

Resting at the top of the hill after our hike on Wed.

View from the hill and the monastery below. The monastery was built around Ivan's cave where he lived. The Soviets occupied the monastery and turned it into a school. It fell into disrepair and is currently under construction. They let us go in anyway, and the cave was amazing!

Karlstejn Castle (undergoing some minor repair) Built in the 1300's to house Charles IV coronation jewels.

Us eating a traditional "Bavarian waffle" with Karlstejn in the background. The tour was cool, and this little street is where we picked up souvenirs for the kids.

We stopped here at the Fred and Ginger building on the bike tour I took on Thursday. The original-centuries old building that was here previously was accidentally bombed in WWII. The mayor of Prague hired a world-class architect to come up with something modern and beautiful to replace it. This is what he came up with.

Me and my bike xoxo. I loved the basket.

Look closely and see "Hanging Out." So there's this crazy Czech architect who has created pieces like this throughout the city. This guy is hanging with his arm on a post; he has the body of Freud and the face of John Lenin. We saw 2 other pieces on our tour, but I didn't have enough memory in my camera and they were a little creepy.

The building where Mozart performed when he was in Prague. In "Amadeus" (the movie), the performances were all filmed in this building. MI1 and Narnia are also movies filmed here in Prague, because most of the original architecture is still in tact.

John Lenin Wall. Under the Soviet Rule, John Lenin and other music celebrating freedom was banned, but the embassy of Malta allowed youth to come and pay tribute to whatever they wanted to with their grafitti during the occupation. The Soviets couldn't do anything about it, and the wall still stands today as a tribute to freedom. I even wrote a little something on the wall myself (you'll have to go to Prague to see what it is) ;-)


All in all, it was a GREAT trip!

Friday, October 30

Well, I'm writing this from the plane. We took off at 8:30am Prague time, 12:30am Seattle, and I'll be ready to hold my babies in 16 hours or so.

My Adventures in Prague—Thursday the 29th

Thursday

My last day in Prague: I will admit that I was tempted to stay in my room and write all day. I got up and got ready, had breakfast, and then came back to do scripture study in my room. I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I slept until noon. It was heavenly! And then I debated about whether or not to venture out again, but alas it was my last day! I had a full 13 hours of flying time to write and sleep, but when would I be in Prague again? Carpe Dium, right? So, I hate to admit it, but I had to get something quick for lunch, so I went to McDonalds right down the street. The Big and Tasty was big and tasty, but very different from the American burger. Not only did the meat taste different, the sauce and the cheese were different too. So, I didn't really have a big and tasty, and it is all justified.

After that, I caught the metro to the old town, and set off to find Praha Bike shop. There was something appealing about taking a bike tour around Prague, and I had about 45 minutes before it began. I had an address and a map, so I felt pretty confident about finding the shop. The problem is that there are blue numbers and red numbers on every building, and I didn't discover until I had walked far too far, once again, that the addresses are the blue numbers. I would find out later that the red numbers are historical numbers that represent the building. Also, someone stole the bike shop's outside sign (which was what I was looking for), so it really wasn't my fault that I missed it. Once I figured out that the shop was in a courtyard of sorts, and I went inside to find it, I was good to go. I got a cute little mountain bike with a basket on the back for my purse, and away we went.

There were also 3 cute, American girls there who were studying in Spain and two men from Lithuania. Our tour guide was born outside of Venice, looked Italian, and spoke with a crazy Italian/Czech accent, and was really nice. I took pictures of everything that we saw that was worth mentioning. So, see the pictures for more on that adventure. Let's just say that I'm SO glad I did not stay in the hotel. It was great!

I got back to the hotel about half an hour before Spence, and we met Michael, Lucy, and Andreas in the lobby where we took off for our evening out. But, regretfully, we couldn't leave without some drama from yours truly. By the time we had made the 5-10 minute walk to the metro station, I realized that I didn't have my coin purse with me. After yesterday's adventure, images of it falling out of my coat pocket and onto the street filled my mind. I couldn't relax. So, even though Spence wanted me to just let it go, he ran all the way back to our hotel room to look for it—where it was sitting on the desk. Uggg! What a pain! So, after stressing us all out and making us late, we took the metro and then a tram to a bowling alley on the far north side of Prague.

There we met the rest of the team. They weren't really very social with me, and I was feeling a little shy, so I didn't talk much with them, but I had a record bowling night—the worst bowling I have EVER done in my life, a 32 on the first game and a 41 on the second. One really bad game a long time ago I got a 42, so there you have it. I bowled worse than I ever have in my life in front of an alley of complete strangers. Oh well. I did get one strike though—when Spence was chatting and so we were taking turns bowling for him. He had great games, and the bowling alley had GREAT food. So, no complaints here. I was just happy to go home.

My adventures in Prague—Wednesday the 28th

Wednesday

Wednesday was Czech's Independence day—actually the day they were no longer under the Austrian Empire, and the day that they became Czechoslovakia. Soooo, Spence couldn't go to work today! We got ready and ate breakfast and were ready for Michael and Lucy who picked us up at 10:00. Michael wanted to take us out of the city so we could see a little of the Czech countryside. It was alive with fall colors, and the charming cottages in the villages were fun to see. We started out with a hike above a monastery built around a cave where a Christian pilgrim, Ivan lived. This Ivan had John the Baptist come to him, and there was a statue built in the 1300's commemorating the event. They also built a chapel around the statue, so first we hiked to the cross at the top of the hill overlooking everything. The view was amazing! And it felt so good to be outside.

Then we went to the monastery below. It was under construction, and really not in very good condition. Michael said that in Soviet times it had been converted into a school, and since the Czech Republic is unlike most European countries which use taxes to maintain their churches, the churches have to depend on the people to give them money, and it's hard to maintain them. Still, the altar and art was beautiful. But the cave was the coolest—literally. I guess after Ivan had lived there, it became an abbey of sorts. So they put up some concrete and made this cave into living quarters. I couldn't imagine living there.

After that, Michael took us to Karlstejn Castle, and this was something else. We followed a narrow, windy road to get there, and we didn't tell Michael and Lucy I am expecting, so Michael just zipped along. By the end, I was really not feeling well at all! Luckily, we had a fairly long walk up a hill before we got there, and we grabbed a sandwich before we left. The fresh air and food settled my stomach. The castle was built in the 1300's by Charles IV, who was not only King of Bohemia, but was also chosen as the king of the Holy Roman Empire—he seems to have been the great builder and visionary of his day, most likely to the detriment of his people. This castle was a series of towers with tall narrow staircases, and stone walls that were over 20 feet thick in areas. It was built to house his coronation jewels along with holy relics that he had collected. The chapels in the castle were the most amazing. The most important chapel which housed the jewels especially was well-preserved and unbelievable. The walls were covered with encrustation, which was plaster that had semi-precious stones embedded and gold leafing surrounding that. It gave the appearance of walking into a solid gold and red room. I was amazed when I walked in and saw the walls, and then I realized as I looked up that the gold gilded the massive vaulted ceilings as well. Of course we couldn't take pictures, so you'll just have to imagine. It was incredible. The walls were also lined with portraits of saints painted on wood, so they too were well-preserved. Some saints had holes drilled in their hands or other parts of them, and our tour guide said that was where Charles stored parts of the relics that belonged to them—supposedly giving them more power. Anyway, it was pretty crazy and cool.

I think our walk back to the car is what endeared the Czech people to me the very most. This was a very touristy part of town, and there were cute little shops that lined the street the whole way up to the castle. It was here that we bought souvenirs for the kids. We also got to eat some traditional Bohemian pastries. Yummy. Well, as we were almost to our car, there was a shop lady chasing after us, waving a black rectangular thing. I didn't even recognize her, but she was returning my coin purse that had my driver's license, my credit cards, my money—everything! She had run all the way down the hill to find us, and I was so grateful. So, there might be pickpockets on Charles Bridge, but I think you'll find good people all over the world.

After we got back from the castle, I rested while Spencer worked, and then Michael picked us up again at 7:00 for dinner at Svata Klara restaurant. This time Andreas joined us. Andreas is the Microsoft contact for Prague based in Munich, Germany. He is easy to talk to and very funny, so it was great to have him along.

This was by far the fanciest place I have ever eaten in my life. Full on, with chefs in hats, waiters in tuxedos, taking your coat at the door, candle light and fine wine. We had 2 or 3 men who attended to our needs. It was located also in a cave that was converted into a wine cellar. It had low lantern lighting, fine linens, red tapestries, and beautiful ambiance. We had an option of either choosing the special 6-course meal that was on the menu that evening or else ordering from the book that was the a la carte menu. Spence was the only one who got the 6-course meal. It kind of became a joke, because he was eating long after we all were done. I had a French onion soup and then the traditional goose with dumplings and pickled cabbage. It was delicious, but so heavy. I could only finish maybe half of my entrée. But not to fear, Spence helped me out—which I'm sure was not kosher for where we were dining.

It was such a lovely evening to finish off an incredible day, but then we came back to the hotel and listened to our messages. A stressed out Kim was on the other line saying she needed to have a little guidance regarding Elyse. Come to find out, both she and Stephanie had an especially hard day. I felt so bad for them. While Kim was upstairs, Elyse climbed on the counter, got the scissors, hid behind the couch and did what she does best--cut her ponytail and a lock of hair right to her scalp in the very front. Aww, Elyse. I felt worse about how badly Kim felt than I did for what happened. That's par for the course for Elyse. I think this will make the third or fourth time doing it, and I don't know why she does. She's always so sad with the results, but poor Kim was pushed to her limit that day, I could tell. And poor Stephanie. I guess Kian had a day as well—throwing two of his record temper tantrums. They make me, his own mother, a little crazy. I can't imagine what it did to Steph. It was time for me to resume my rightful place, and take over my terror children once again. J Steph and Kim will so value their own children after this experience.

My Adventures in Prague—Tuesday the 27th

Tuesday

So, today was the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral day. Once again, I took a long time getting ready, read my scriptures, grabbed a late breakfast, and just took my time in the morning. By the time I got on the metro, and walked through the winding streets up the hill to Prague Castle, it was just about noon. Every hour they have the changing of the guard, but they have the special big changing of the guard at 4:00pm and at noon. The trumpets and drums started just as I was approaching the gates. The crowds were a little too big to see the actual march that the guards did, but the music was cool. It was fun to see nonetheless.

I then bought an audio-tour that would let me punch in the numbers of whatever I was looking at, and I could learn the history of everything I wanted to at my own pace. I also bought a ticket for a 1:00 matinee in the Lobkowicz Palace. Prague Castle itself used to be just a large building, but has been added onto, having important and royal families living in different palaces all attached to the castle itself. The Lobkowicz Palace was the last palace in the castle, and the only one that is privately owned. The family lost all of their possessions twice in the 20^th century: first to the Germans, and then to the Soviets. After the wall came down in 89, William, the son born and raised in America, came back to the Czech Republic to see if there was anything that could be done. They were awarded 6 properties in the Czech lands, including vineyards and the palace itself. Plus they got back their 3 original manuscripts of Beethoven's works, priceless works of art, and an extensive, very old library. I didn't actually tour their collection, but I enjoyed what I saw in their small concert hall. They had 3 skilled and talented musicians on the piano, the flute, and the violin. They played arrangements from Vivaldi, to Bach, to Beethoven, to Debussy, to Mozart, to D'vorak. It was an hour long, and it was masterful. Very fun to attend.

After that, I went on my tour. St. Vitus Cathedral was incredible. It was build in the 1300's and was as ornate and gothic as anything gets. There were so many creepy stories, dead saints, relics, and amazing art there. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Then I learned a little about the history of Prague Castle itself. To be honest, I got tired, and couldn't finish the audio tour. I didn't get back home until 5 or so.

On the way home, I saw a little model train shop. They had Thomas the Tank Engine in there, and so of course I thought about Kian. I couldn't tell if the shop was open, and there was a man at the door at almost the same time I was. I tried to pull the door, but it wouldn't budge. The man said, "Tlagit," and I looked at him blankly. So he pointed to a sign on the door and read what it said, "Tlagit!" I couldn't tell if he was trying to tell me they were closed or what, so pointed to myself and said, "English." He just looked slightly annoyed, and pushed the door open for me as he said, "tlagit." So I know 4 Czech words now: hello, excuse me, thank you, and push. How do you say stupid American tourist?

That evening, Spence and I went out to a mall in the Old Town and ate at another Italian restaurant which was more expensive, and not as good. We then got a movie from the concierge and watched it until 1:00am, and then called the kids. All was going well with them, so that made me feel better.

My Adventures in Prague—Monday, the 26th

Monday Morning

So there are three days that I'm totally on my own here in Prague: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Secretly I was a little nervous about being a woman traveling alone in a strange European city, having ridden a metro only on a handful of occasions, and knowing a total of 3 words in Czech: hello, excuse me, and thank you. But, I've learned that you won't do anything in life if you let fear rule, so if no one else seemed to have any qualms about me touring alone, then I would proceed. Besides, I knew that Prague has a very low violent crime rate, but a fairly high number of pick-pockets, so I would just have to be careful.

First I slept in, (which was awesome), took a long time to read my scriptures and get ready, ate breakfast at the hotel, and even took time to pluck my eyebrows. After all of that, I decided on the Mozart museum first, since it was within walking distance—it didn't seem as daunting to me because I wouldn't have to navigate public transit. What I didn't anticipate was the poorly marked narrow streets that run into each other, and cross and change names without any rhyme or reason, and Czech names of places that my brain could not hold onto for the life of me. The whole vacation, I struggled remembering names that people had just told me moments before. So, after I got directions from the concierge at the hotel, I set off. (This is lesson #1, btw, the concierge at the hotel is your best friend. They know everything!) So, I walked in the direction I was told to go, and kept walking, and walking, and walking—and never saw "Mozartova," the name of the small side street I was supposed to turn left on. I also could not remember the name of the hotel that was the landmark, the Movenpick. After several minutes, I realized that I would have to ask someone on the street for help. I knew I would have to be smart about it, so I avoided talking to anything that looked male. I found a kind looking older woman, and addressed her, but she spoke only Czech, and couldn't describe how to get to "Mozartova." Then I saw a nicely dressed young woman, just about to get on the tram. "Prosim," I said (excuse me). "Do you speak English?" I could have hugged her right then and there when she said yes! She gave me great directions, and I learned lesson #2: If you are ever lost, a professional looking woman is your best candidate to ask for help.

The Mozart museum was actually just an 18^th century home that was the "country" estate of one of Mozart's friends. He lived there to get away and finish his work on Don Giovani. It contains a few original manuscripts from Mozart, a harpsichord that he played on, a lock of his hair, information about the family who owned the home, and instruments used at the time. It was fairly interesting, but my favorite part was the beautiful gardens surrounding the estate. Concerts were held there, and you could just imagine being there; it was easy to see how Mozart could gain inspiration from such a beautiful place. I think the craziest thing about that museum was that when I arrived (in the middle of business hours), no one was there. There was a computer on at the front desk, an empty office chair, and not a person in sight. I waited and waited, but finally just went through the museum without paying. There was nowhere to leave money in a safe place. Even afterwards, I waited for an attendant because Kari asked me to pick up something for the music class. There was a small 3-inch bust of Mozart and Dvorak that I wanted to get for her. I was just about to give up, but walked the grounds instead and then tried one more time. Finally! A greasy guy was there, and he helped me. It all worked out.

On the way home, I found a shopping mall where the concierge told me that I could find an adapter for Spencer's and my laptops. If anyone has any question about whether the Czech has recovered from the communist regime (less than 20 years ago), all you have to do is go to a shopping mall. It's the same as anything you could find in Des Moine, Iowa. It was big enough, that I couldn't find the electronics shop. After walking the whole ground floor, I again had to ask for help. Once I found it and got the adapter, I headed for the hotel, but not without finding "TESCO," the oh-so-cool American-style grocery store. It was great! I bought fruit, baguettes, cheese, and what I thought was chocolate milk for my lunch (and snack for later). It was actually a chocolate yogurt drink that I choked down. I'm sorry, but chocolate should never taste sour. Ewwwe!

I was going to figure out the public transit as well, and go up to Prague Castle to tour St. Vitus Cathedral during the afternoon. So, I once again asked the concierge how I would get up to St. Vitus. I forgot to ask, and she didn't mention how I actually paid for and used the tram. So, I figured it was pretty easy, and expected to pay once I got on. I found the number of the tram I should take, and I hopped on. No one was there to take any money. Everyone just sat down. So, I sat down too. But then felt a little panicky that I hadn't paid, so I asked the nicely-dressed professional woman next to me how I was supposed to pay for the tram. She spoke enough Engish to understand me, but not enough to answer. There was a British man in front of me who asked if I needed any help. Once I told him my issue, he told me I needed to get off at the next stop and buy a ticket, at any news stand or store, and then get back on. So, I tried that, but not only did the woman at the drugstore not speak English, she didn't have any tickets to sell. So, I decided to use my feet again, and just start walking. I knew I could make it back to the hotel.

Once I got there, I remembered rule #1, and asked for the low-down at the concierge. The guy there totally hooked me up, told me I could by a 24-hour ticket that would work for the metro or the trams; I just had to validate it with a stamp the first time I used it. I bought the ticket from him, and I was good to go. By this time, I figured I should just try out my new adapter, to make sure my phone was charged in case of an emergency, and my camera too was running out of juice. Couldn't have that before my tour, so I thought I'd take some time to take care of things.

Once I got to my room, I figured out that the adapter wouldn't work for our cords—it was a 2 pronged one instead of 3. We would need all of our electronics for our trip, so out I went again! I went back to the electronics store, and it took 20 minutes just to try to return the adapter with a receipt. And then I had to find the other shop that carried the right one to buy. My plans to go up to Prague Castle again and tour St. Vitus were looking pretty slim. Spence will be back at 6:30 for our evening together on my birthday, and it was already 4:30. I also wanted to "freshen up" a little before we went out, so that is how I ended up staying here and writing. Not all is lost. I've learned much, and I'll be ready to go tomorrow.

That Evening

So, because of all my experiences, I am becoming a pro at the public transit thing. Spence bought a ticket from the hotel; I checked out the location of our event on the map, and we headed toward the metro to get off at the old town in the heart of Prague. It was beautiful. All the old buildings looked even more amazing with the gas lanterns that they use to light the Old town. We asked a Marriot concierge (rule #1) for directions to our building, and then we headed to see the "Best of Swan Lake" ballet. We debated getting the $30 or the $60 tickets, but I told Spence to go for the cheaper ones. I was spending plenty of money on this trip! It ends up that the difference of price ended up being about 10 rows, and we still had great seats. So, the ballet was beautiful.

The main character, Odette, really stole the show. We figured it was probably a B-rated group or so, because they didn't have much for sets, there was no live orchestra, and aside from the stars, the dancers in the company were not as clean or precise. But, it was fun just to experience the beautiful music, and the artistic dance. And for the price, you couldn't beat it. Afterward, we headed toward our hotel, and found a cute little Italian restaurant and ate pasta and pizza there. It was tasty and cheap for what we got. What a birthday! Lesson #3: I have a great husband who knows how to take care of his wife.

My Adventures in Prague

So, really right now I'm supposed to be marveling at the gothic interior of St. Vitus Cathedral built in 1344, (Columbus wasn't even born yet!) but my being clueless about travel in Prague and the events of today have led me here, to Room 444 of the Andels hotel, to watch the pedestrians below me, wait for my phone and camera to charge, and for my photos to upload. But alas, I've learned a lot (and that's worth something), and I have a moment to write and reflect (and that is priceless), so maybe it's all for the best.

I'll start where it began, which was of course Friday night. Well, let's be honest. It started with planning weeks before Friday. By the time we were ready to go, we (meaning some help from Spence, but mostly I) had arranged three fulltime caregivers in three different homes for our kids, found rides to and from preschool, ballet, and football, notified Kian's playgroup of his upcoming stint away from home, notified teachers of Evie and Aiden being under the care of others this week, wrote bus passes, worked out teenage babysitters for the little kids for Aiden's playoff game on Saturday and during sacrament meeting, ensured costumes were in order for Saturday's Halloween party, tried to find SOMEONE to sit with Coulson during his "Student of the Month" ceremony, wrote out a schedule and "best practices" for Kim, printed out and signed medical release forms for all five kids, packed myself and Kian for the week, made sure that the van no longer had fries and rotten banana peels in the cup holders (Aiden will do anything for x-box time), dug roots from mud and raked branches clear from trails with Aiden so he got in his mandatory service for football, baked a cake for Coulson's pumpkin carving party that he was dying to go to, wrapped a birthday gift for a party Evie's was going to, washed about 5 loads of laundry (but did NOT get them all put away), drove Kim around town so she would know how to get everyone where they needed to be, called the insurance company to get approval for a retail prescription that I HAVE to have rather than the mail order one that will have arrived today, and (I'm sorry to say) even arranged for our kids to live with my sister had our plane plunge silently into the black Atlantic, which I'm happy to say that it didn't.

So, regretfully, I was so busy taking care of details for the kids to have a nice trip while I'm gone, that I had no time left to actually plan mine. That's the joy of being a mom. It also adds to the joy of taking a little time off! But to be honest, I knew that I wouldn't be planning until I got here, so I can't be disappointed if my makeshift plans go awry! Besides, a little improvisation never hurt any vacation, and it's certainly not about to hurt mine.

Back to the story: Friday night we said goodbye to the kids, and were giggling all the way down to Stephanie's at Kian saying "K-Kian" at every sign that we saw or "Mommy, Moon!" After we arrived and I had explained that Mom and Dad were going on an airplane, I tucked him in bed and felt a real pang for the first time. I always kiss him on the cheek and say "Good night, Kian. Love you! See you in the morning!" I got to "Love you" and had to stop, because I knew that Spence and I would be on a Delta 747 heading for JFK International airport when Kian would be waking up. It hit me again at midnight, and 1:27am, and 2:20, and again the next day when Steph told us that Kian came down the stairs when he woke up and said, "Mommy, Daddy, sleep" and the pang has never really left. It's not so sharp now; I keep telling myself that he's having a good time, (which I know he is), is in GREAT hands, and will understand one day. But I can't help being in love with that little blondie. But once again, not to worry! Being in love with a toddler has never hurt my trips in the past, and I won't let it hurt this one. It will just make it that much sweeter when I come home and hold him again. And let's be honest, would I even have time to be writing this if he were with me? Moms need time too.

So the flights here were uneventful, which is always good when you're flying. I would recommend however, NOT playing Scrabble on the computer with the love of your life through rough skies when you've been holding it for over an hour, you're 8 ½ weeks pregnant, and your plane is descending into JFK! It was a long 20 minutes, and I was searching for an airsickness bag like you wouldn't believe. Luckily, I held my lunch, but it took a good 30 minutes to recover.

We arrived early here in Prague at 6:20am after a total of 14 hours travel time (including the 2 hour layover), and that's when the marathon started. We had to resist the jetlag, and stay up until at least 6:30 pm. Spencer's coworker Michael picked us up from the airport and took us to our hotel (Andel's) in the heart of Prague. Michael drove quickly and efficiently, and I tried not to think of my stomach as I poured over all of the buildings. I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of the boxy, grey, communist regime architecture next to the rich original architecture of earlier, freer times here. And with the freedom of capitalism, there was graffiti on walls of old masterpieces right below red geraniums in brown window boxes. Each to their own, right?

Spence commented to Michael about how empty the streets were. The city seemed deserted! They laughed at how it was because it was Sunday morning, and everyone was trying to recover from their evenings of party and pivo (beer—which is a big part of the culture here. Ever heard of Budweiser? Guess where it came from? You got it: Czech Republic, baby). Michael joked with Spence that he'd have to try it someday, and Spence just laughed him off. He was incredulous when I told him that no, I didn't drink either. He was at least equally dumbfounded with the fact that we were about to shower and get ready to go to church for THREE hours. He asked several questions about what we do for three hours. It was pretty funny.

Church was a highlight of the day, and I have a feeling will be a highlight of the trip. It was held in a small building on a street under a lot of construction. There was no access to the building from the street it was on, so it took our taxi driver a LONG time to find it. He seemed less than hopeful that he ever would. Finally after I said several silent prayers and Spence found a more specific address on his phone online, we saw a man in a suit carrying a satchel walking with purpose. Spence and I both agreed that he looked like a Mormon, so we rolled down the window and asked him if he knew where the Mormon Church was. He said that he did and was going there now. We got out and followed him.

We listened to much of sacrament meeting with headphones on. The meeting was conducted in Czech, and interpreted by a young woman named Marketa. She seemed a bridge between the young ex-pat moms and the more time-weathered Czech women. And I could tell that everyone loved this little, short woman with her smart glasses, super short hair, and suit (no skirt). The talks were given by a new couple in the branch—the Robinsons. They had just moved here from Warsaw, Poland, but were originally from the states. They had four kids, oldest 12, and youngest (I think) was 4. They seemed a little older than us, but very much in our same stage of life. When Sister Robinson talked about the adventures their family had had in the last 10 years living in Eastern Europe, I felt chills all up and down my body. I was amazed that this family had survived and thrived for so long so far from home! She said no matter what country they were in or what language they were speaking, there was always something constant—McDonalds! No, she meant the Gospel. I'm sure that has been the key to their success. It always is!

Gospel Doctrine was taught by a Canadian in English, and Gospel Essentials was taught in another room in Czech. It was on the value of work and self reliance—very good—except that I found myself fantasizing about lying on the ground and taking a nap. And lastly was Relief Society. Opening exercises was held together in Czech with Marketa, and then we divided into Czech and English Relief Societies. A really nice senior sister missionary, Sister Robbins sat by me. Come to find out, her husband was in our stake presidency when we lived in Murray. We knew many of the same people, and had much to talk about! There were 7 of us gathered in a small room on couches and chairs. It was a comfortable setting, where many were sharing very personal things about dealing with change. I had to think that many of these women had experienced change that I knew nothing about. And I admired them.

So now, our sightseeing was about to begin. Michael, his girlfriend Lucy, and son Izzy picked us up from Church to take us on an overview walking tour of Prague. Spence and I were starving and had to change into jeans and tennies for the trip, so we stopped at a little sandwich shop. The crusty bread and tasty cheese would become a staple for us here, and this was the first time I experienced it. Mmmmm. Michael had to ask the girl behind the counter if she could take us to the restroom. She led us out of the shop, down the street a little, through a tiny ancient-looking door, through a dilapidated hallway with plaster crumbling off the walls, across a picturesque little courtyard to the bathroom. I wish I would have taken a picture! It was so cool.

After lunch, we walked, and walked, and sang as we walked and walked and walked and walked (just kidding). No we started with a tram at Ujesd that went straight up a hill to the Roshledna tower (a replica of the Eiffel Tower, but about 1/5 the size). After Michael bought us tickets we climbed several flights of stairs to get to the first deck and then to the second. The incredible view of the city really provided a good way to start the tour. It gave us a great idea of where we were going. From there we walked to Prague Castle, which is essentially a large complex of several connected palaces in a huge rectangular shape, with the Royal palace being the most grand at the topmost part of the complex. The President still works there, and has a residence to stay there when he needs to. Obama visited there a couple of months ago, and while the other palaces used to belong to nobility and important families to the state, they are now mostly government offices. In the middle of the rectangle was the huge St. Vitus cathedral that I mentioned earlier, and I'll tell you more about that later.

Even though there were tourists everywhere and tours done in every language, there was something about the place that as Rick Steves said, makes you feel like you should be clip clopping along in a carriage, dressed in royal garb going to a ball or something. The buildings themselves are truly majestic. After seeing the castle, we took the walk down what used to be the procession where royalty paraded down the hill through lesser town (where the influential citizens lived), to the historic Charles Bridge which led to the old town where the people lived. Charles Bridge was built in the 1300's and is flanked with statues across it. But it has a modern charm with street musicians, marionettes, artists, and small vendors. Even the fact that it was under construction was cool. You could see that the whole thing was just stones and masonry, and they were repairing surface stuff. We loved Charles Bridge.

Michael was also disappointed to discover that we don't drink coffee or tea either, and even asked if we have any pleasures in life. But he was slightly satisfied when we told him we do hot chocolate. Come to find out, he had a quaint little street café located on a canal just beneath Charles Bridge that he wanted to take us to. We went, and he sipped his coffee, Lucy her latte, and Spence and I our chocolate (just like Izzy had a little earlier), and we had great conversation. We were there for probably about an hour. So long in fact, that I found myself drifting off a little when Spence and Michael started talking about the office. I think Michael could see that I was tired, and he asked if we were getting ready to go back to the hotel. We had had a great day, and I was more than ready to go.

We've discovered that the people here are just not quite as expressive as we exaggerative Americans, so between that and the fact the Lucy spoke no English, I couldn't tell what she thought of us. She truly gave us a warm goodbye though, and Izzy as well. It felt good that maybe they had a good time even though they were totally catering to us.

When the Cat's Away, the Mice Will Play. . . at Birch Bay

Spence and I have this deal, right? When He's out of town, I'm on vacation too. So, instead of getting Coulson a ride home with a friend from math competition (which would have been the path of least resistance), I loaded the kids in the van, drove just south of the Canadian border to pick him up, and took them on an adventure of our own!

This was Birch Bay: Ice Cream, chowder, crabs, clams, kites and more kites, seaguls, bubbles and rocks. I'm just sad that I didn't get more pictures. I was too busy living the moment to record it.

It was a blast!

Just as everyone reeled in their kites, and we were walking up the beach, Elyse yelled, "Mom, look what Kian found!" I went over there and peered into the few-inch deep tide pool only to see dead crabs. Then I looked more closely, and noticed the water was alive with quick little hermit crabs scuttling across the rocks. I called the other kids over, and that started a whole new form of entertainment. Coulson and Aiden caught hermit crabs; Evie caught dead crabs; Kian threw rocks; and we all tried to avoid getting splashed by them. It was awesome!

On our way out of town, we drove along the bay. Evie and Elyse were imagining what it would be like to live in the houses we were passing--how they would spend every day flying kites and catching crabs. Just as we were leaving for home, a bald eagle flew right above my window. It was truly majestic.

And when I found my bag untouched with my CAMERA in it that I had left in the women's bathroom, I really fell in love with the place! Whew! The kids were asleep by the time we got home. --All except for Kian of course. And the house was clean, because I made everyone tidy before we left. Can I just say that I'm SO glad that I didn't take the path of least resistance today?

Home Sweet Home!

Favorite Things about Today

Well, I have so much to be grateful for today. I'm grateful that my mom is here! I'm grateful for Coulson, and that he leaned on my shoulder during sacrament meeting today. I love how he's not too cool to love his mom yet. I love that Aiden danced and sang in the kitchen (with Coulson, of course) during dishes tonight to the "Star Wars Cantina," a version of "Copa Cabana" that we found on Youtube. I love that Evie ate 6, yes I said 6, cupcakes at Coulson's end of basketball season party last night. I love that Elyse came down for prayer tonight wearing an under t-shirt, pink bloomers, and a pink baret--where was my camera when I needed it? I laughed out loud for that one. And I love that Kian has to get a kiss from every member of the family before he goes to bed. Too cute.

Confessions

In Church today we learned that there are 4 cancers to relationships: criticism, comparison, complaining, and competition. When I heard that, right away I knew that I needed to work on criticism. My mind went back to Friday afternoon:

At about 3:00pm, I got an email from Ms. Isler (Coulson's teacher) giving us a weekly progress report. This is one section:

"READING: As part of an incentive to keep kids reading, I would like to congratulate the following students for reading and taking AR tests during the course of the year. Congratulations to: Jaime, Jake F, Katie, Vaibhav, Corey, Isaac (25 point club), Kira, Piper, Susanna, Xandria, Jake B, John (50 point club), Christian, Bryan, Noah, Wesley, Nathan, Andy (100 point club), Jackson, Hannah (250 point club) and Coulson (500 point club). That’s a lot of reading, keep it up!"

So I was amazed. AR tests are comprehension tests that kids take on books that they have read. Points for each book are determined by the book's difficulty level as well as the student's comprehension. You have to read a LOT of books to score high. And wow! Not only was Coulson in the "500 point club," he was the ONLY one in it. I admit that I received this news with mixed feelings. One one hand, I am so proud of him! He's trying so hard to acheive and is doing it, but on the other hand, his nose is so often stuck in a book!

At 3:50, he, Aiden and Evie got off the bus to a 50-degree, sunny day here in February. The first thing Coulson did after his backback hit the floor is plop on the couch and read. Did I mention that it's beautiful, and it's the Pacific Northwest? I'm ashamed to admit what happened next.

"Coulson, it's a gorgeous day outside. Why don't you go shoot some hoops, or something?"
"Naw. I just want to read."
"Yeah, but you won't get many more days like this, and you know? There's more to life than books."
Well, this offends him and he says, "Mom, it's not like I read all the time. I just want to read today."
"All right, Mr. 500-point-club; I know you read a lot, and you'd better get outside!"
So Coulson stomped out and cried, "You can make me go outside, but you can't make me do anything!" He then slumped down on a stool on the back patio and glowered at the ground.

On the one hand, he was being a stinker, but on the other hand, what was I trying to gain by using this incentivizing info in a negative way to try to force my kid to enjoy the outdoors?

I opened the slider, "Coulson, forget it. Come in and read if you want." He knew how I felt, and he could make his own decisions.
"Mom, I just feel bad that you think that all I do is read."
"Coulson, your dad and I both spent a couple of hours a day playing outside. It's just hard for me to understand."
I didn't really say anything else. I just kind of went back to folding laundry, and he went back to his book, and that was where we left it.

Then Spence came home a couple of hours later, and I was chagrinned to hear what I should have said. With a great big smile, he walked over to Coulson, slapped him on the back, and said,
"Great job for being in the 500 point club, Coulson! I'm really proud of you!"

Yeah, ouch. That simple. Why didn't I think of that? Thank goodness there are two parents! In the meantime, I'll still encourage him to enjoy the outdoors, but I'll also try to be a little more positive and supportive about the good choices he's already making--even if they wouldn't be my choices. Besides, there are worse things in life than reading too much, right?

No Sugar!

So, Aiden came up to me a few weeks ago and asked what we would give him if he didn't eat sugar for a year. I kind of chuckled and told him I'd give him a big hug and kiss (that's my default answer for any "what will you give me" question. So then he tried his dad. His dad told him he'd give him a crazy amount of money. (I'm too embarassed to admit what it was) Well, he got motivated. And then Coulson said he wanted to jump on. You can't promise one thing to one kid and not have a universal policy. So double the antie.

I was sure this would last only until the following Saturday when Aiden was going to Smiley's birthday party (yes, that's his name. He has another name which nobody knows, and a very friendly mom named Mo). I was sure the minute the cupcakes and goodie bags came out, it would all be over, but no! Apparently the kid has a will of iron! What kid eats carrot sticks when chocolate cupcakes are being served?! Not MY kid, that's for sure. Well, he did.

And so it has continued. I bake cookies. They don't touch them. I put candy in their lunches; they trade it for chips for drinks (not pop). They've already started planning Halloween, starting with how they will stay home and help hand out candy, but have since moved on to going trick or treating to earn some "trade loot." Aiden, the younger, more naive brother has decided to donate 1/2 of it to his sisters. They are learning so much--delayed gratification, business dealings, confidence in their ability to resist temptation. But where does that leave their parents? I'll tell you where: in the poor house. Proud, but poor. As I'm pounding my third brownie, I stare--amazed and shocked at their ability to glance at me momentarily, and then walk away. I admire and chew, because I CAN multi-task afterall.

It's been a month now with no candy or sweets--oh, they can have light syrup on their waffles, homemade wheat muffins, and a pudding if we have it. Aiden's birthday is on Wednesday, and he's getting a "banana cake" (banana bread). He says that it's easy and that he's fine without it. He was even happy that a friend brought over treats for his birthday, so his family wouldn't have to go without. What does this mean? We'd better start saving. At least it won't be money spent on dentist bills.

Flowcharts? Really?

So, I don't know if I would ever have believed that a family would need a flowchart to navigate a Saturday until two Saturdays ago. I think that this is the phase we have now entered. The Saturday before last started with a basketball game at 8:30, testing from 8:45-noon, a birthday party at 12:30, a ballgame at one, a nap from 1-3, another ballgame at 2, math competition practice from 4-6, another birthday party for ALL the kids from 6:30-8:30, and a father/son night out. All of these events were in separate locations, and NONE of them were in Duvall where we live. Two of them were in Carnation, which is only about 14 minutes away--and we were grateful for that.

Spence and I sat down with a pad of paper and willing hearts as we mapped out who would "D.O." (drop off) and who would "P.U." (stop chuckling Spence, we both know I'm not stooping to restroom humor here--Pick Up). We also had to figure out who would have which kids in their car at what time. We each got our schedule, and then perfectly performed our choreographed day. It truly was amazing, like a work of art forming before our very eyes. Spence even got our basketball hoop put together and up, and I even cooked all our meals. Who knew that we could stand up to the heat SO well? And come out on top!

Well, that's all fine and dandy untill you realize that every Saturday for the next sixteen years is going to be like that. This isn't going a one-hit-wonder, folks, because it CAN'T be! We must pull this off time and again if we want to give our kids the opportunity to be athletes as well as "mathletes," as our friend Jeff put it. Not to mention have social lives!

Yesterday shaped up to be much the same as the previous week, only take away the birthday parties and the testing, add a primary activity, baseball tryouts, a "girl's night out, and an intensive workout for Mom's new obsession--triathlon training. And that about sums it up. I was so confident after the previous Saturday, that I didn't even really prepare. Have you ever heard the line, "If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail?" Well, that applies here.

The morning started off horribly, with me still in bed and Elyse panicking that I wasn't downstairs reading or fixing her breakfast. I heard her crying on the stairs, and yelling "Mom! I can't find you!" The stress increased as Spence had to make a mad run to Target for baseball gloves for the boys, and a swim cap and goggles for me. And I lost Elyse's friend's birthday invitation, so I had to call and find out if the party was indeed the 24th (and thank goodness it's on the 31st), WHILE I was trying to get everyone ready for the day. The day just took off without me-without a real plan. What can I say? It was intense. I still had confidence we could make it while I was asking Coulson to keep Kian out of the toilet and the refrigerator for 10 minutes while I finished our "plan." And then he started to cry. He's too cool to cry by now, so he had my full attention. He said, "Mom, can't we just all stay home and play like we normally do? I don't want to do this. I hate this."

Talk about a stop you in your tracks moment. I looked at myself and thought, "Am I the over-scheduling, stressed-out, yuppy parent that I never thought I'd be?" What am I trying to accomplish here? So I asked him if it was the tryout. Yes. Did he wanted to play baseball? Yes. He just hates the tryout. He was the same for basketball, but has LOVED playing! And he was just fine the previous week when he didn't have to witness the careful planning it all took. Execution was fine; the stress of planning was not. So, executive decision made. He tried out, and we proceded with the day.

The result of the day wasn't exactly pretty! Coulson's tryout went over 20 minutes, which made him miss his basketball game completely. Aiden was 20 minutes late to his basketball game. They both missed the primary activity. Spence had to sit alone with 5 kids for Evie's game; everyone forgot about Coulson's math competition practice, and I missed the girl's night out (which was FINE by me). Maybe I've been deluding myself in thinking we can juggle all these schedules. But hey, it's not my kids' fault that their parents chose to have so many kids, and I don't want them to miss out on anything.

Maybe planning will solve all our problems. Maybe I should start Saturday's planning tomorrow (Monday). Maybe I'll post flowcharts in every hall and door in the house; everyone will know exactly where they're supposed to be and when. Maybe? Maybe I should just bag it and let them play all day on Saturday. And get in eachother's hair, and get bored, and jump on the furniture and get food all over the kitchen, and yeah, we're stickin' with what we've got for now. But I'm taking any suggestions from you veterans out there. How do you make it work? Does anyone have a flowchart I could borrow?