Restaurant Satya

With Schatzi back, we'll continue on our culinary tour of Bucharest. Today we took the girls to Satya, a vegetarian restuarant located in a lovely restored villa. The food was tasty (lots of avocado), very filling (all those whole grains, you know), and it felt good to eat, too (no guilty conscience).

Upstairs the villa has a reading room, where you can meditate, or as the girls did, run around and jump in the pillows and bean bags. So our time in the reading room was short.

The girls also enjoyed taking the little quotes from the bowl out by the elephant statute and incense sticks in the foyer. Audrey brought me this wise saying from Buddha: Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. When I asked her where she got it, she replied: "From the elephant, mommy."

Piano Lessons

Ava had her first piano lesson today at gradinita. I can't but help she'll love it, but, no pressure. Unlike her other classes, her piano instruction is in Romanian, which she is picking up very well. She puts together little sentences now, such as the other day when we were leaving gradinita, she said to a classmate, "Uite, pot deschide usa." (Look, I can open the door). It's so fun to watch the girls learning and growing.

In summary, Ava's extra-curriculars are: tennis, karate, modern dance, singing with guitar accompaniment, French, German and now, piano. Phew! And we'll be adding swim lessons soon, too.

Sometimes it just hits me, and this is one of those times: Isn't it random that we wound up in Bucharest, Romania?

Welcome Home

Yeah! Daddy's home! The girls were at gradinita late today for a smashing birthday party (the second one this week), when lo and behold, guess who showed up at the end.

The puppet show at the birthday party was all about eating fruits and vegetables. Immediately following, they brought out the cake, cookies and juice.

Charlotte didn't notice the incongruency.

Reunited.

Daddy, I was a good girl while you were gone.

We've been so good Daddy, what did you bring us?

Surveying the loot. The girls were so excited with their Christmas presents and goodies that Daddy brought back. Multumim! (Thanks!)

Meltdown of the Century

I had a very nice Saturday afternoon planned for the girls: lunch at McDonald's to be followed by playtime at the park (finally, sunshine!) and then the new show at the circus. Well, en route to McDonald's, Audrey decided she had different plans. As I parked the car, Audrey announced "I don't want to go to McDonald's. I'm tired. I just want to stay in the car and sleep." Yeah, right. I tried coaxing her out of the notion but she would have none of it, all the while Ava is whining about how HUNGRY she is, and can't we just go inside. Finally, I just had to wrestle Audrey out of the car and carry her, screaming, into McDonald's.

I try to get in line to order, but Audrey is trying to run out the door and as I grab her, she flails her body to get loose, manages to kick off her rain boots and prostrate herself right smack in front of the door, blocking the patrons who are ready to leave. Meanwhile, Charlotte is having the time of her life as she heads over to climb the staircase (how many McDonald's have staircases?), and Ava continues her cries for food.

Luckily, there are always lots of helpful folks who come to tend my children when I obviously cannot. "De ce plungi?" (Why are you crying?) Although the question is addressed to Audrey, the questioner is usually looking at me. (If I knew and could fix it, would she be crying?)

I know that it is just a matter of time and this storm will blow over. So I let the Romanians try and figure her out while I grab Charlotte and place the order. A group of 20-somethings interrupted their lunch to snap photos of Audrey on the floor. Two of the young men even came over to our table once we were seated to check on Audrey.

But the crowning moment was when the food was ready and the helpful employee carrying our tray also decided that she needed to hold Charlotte's hand (no one can resist Rockstar) and . . . you guessed it . . . dumped the tray with the drinks spilling all over the floor. Ava went into hysterics, fearing that she wouldn't get another apple juice (because when she spills at home she often doesn't). Somehow, I got them all seated in the back corner booth, where Audrey continued to cry, but with less force, and I consoled Ava that she would get a replacement juice.

After Ava, Charlotte and I finished eating, Audrey decided she really did want a happy meal after all. See, storm over. We almost had a relapse though when we tried to order dessert and there was no chocolate soft serve. Out came Audrey's bottom lip and she started to stamp off, but I pointed out the chocolate muffins and she graciously decided that was a suitable alternative.

Daddy, you missed a good one.

Charlotte enjoying her lunch.

At the park after McDonald's. The girls made a friend. I pulled them away from playing to walk over to the circus only to be informed by the box office attendants that the show wasn't starting for another month! (That would have been a really useful piece of information on the posters, huh?)

Progress Report

Well, we're surviving without Daddy. Charlotte has discovered photography. Here she's captured the market stand. The patio is just about clear of snow--the sun has been slowly melting it away.

I've watched a little bit of the olympics . . . this shot of the coffee table leg and tv is Charlotte's creative photography.

The girls have been staying 'til 6pm at gradinita and taking naps there in the afternoon. Which translates into not wanting to go to bed and running around wild. One night they snuck out of their room and actually fell asleep on the hardwood floor in the hallway.

Self portrait.

Charlotte loves cleaning day. Her preferred scrubber is the toilet bowl brush--she uses it on everything.

Happy Valentine's Day

Love you Dah-DeEE! (Romanian inflection in "daddy")

I love you Mr. Daddy

Thanks for the roses Schatz. Like the vases?

The girls and I headed out to church this morning and Daddy headed for the airport. Off to San Francisco for a business trip. The girls have promised to be on good behavior in hopes of receiving some nice surprises when Daddy gets back. We'll miss you Daddy!

Hansel & Gretel

Today was our last day with Daddy before his trip to the US. Preparing the list of everything we want him to bring back got us thinking about things we miss . . . so Daddy treated the girls to breakfast at the Marriott hotel where they relished their pancakes with maple syrup.

After stuffing their little bellies, we took them to the opera to see Hansel and Gretel. Sung in Romanian with supertitles, I translated what I could, but the girls are familiar with the story so they knew what was going on in general and enjoyed the show. Charlotte was more interested in walking up and down the aisle or climbing the stairs at the exit.

After the opera, we headed over to the other meetinghouse for the party celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the church in Romania. Good times . . . traditional Romanian singing, and dancing in the round, followed by dinner with, yes, fresh lemonade. La multi ani!

Under Water

The headline in the paper ran "Bucharest Streets Under Water". Truer words were never spoken. As we warmed above the freezing point, it rained two nights ago, melting snow and creating a huge, slushy mess. Seriously, we could have rowed a dingy over to gradinita. The girls pants were sopping wet when we got to school. After walking to tennis, I had to take Audrey's pants off and dry them over the warm air being pumped into the tennis court enclosure/tent. So, last night I went to the mall and purchased rain boots for the girls. We're going to need them.

Nothing cuter than Charlotte in her tiny rain boots

Pics from a past flood in the city:

Snow Shots

Sunshine! Ah, yes, the sun came out today. I did mention that it snows in Bucharest, right? Lest we forget our glorious winter, here are a few shots of the snow. . . before it melts.

Fixer in the snow

Walking home from gradinita

Our street

Snowball maker

Snowball target

Do you see the impression the car left?

This was last Sunday driving to church. What a difference a little sun makes!

Ava Ski Video

A few reels of Ava in the powder at ski camp last week. Enjoy.





(The last video showcases Ava's Romanian yodeling.)

Tabara Postavaru (Ski Camp)

Ava has returned triumphant from her week-long ski camp at Poiana Brasov. Here's some of what we, the less fortunate ones who had to stay home, missed out on:

Ski buddies: Kaspar, Teodora and Ava

Mrs. Pic kept us apprised of Ava's doings via online chats once the kiddies were in bed: One day she described Ava as "eating like a wolf", the next day it was "like a bear."

Ski school

Ava crashed into Kaspar during one of her "runs."

Morning drills

Down, but not out

Relaxing (aka watching tv) in the "mess hall"

As if skiing by day weren't enough, check out the kiddie disco that rocked the cabin by night.

I just had to post another. We can't stop smiling watching 5 -7 year olds rock out.

In Memoriam

Last week at church, I noticed several of the members crying, and wondered what was wrong, but didn't get a chance to ask until after church. It was then that we learned that two of our Elders serving in the city of Timisoara died in their apartment from natural gas asphyxiation. Such news is so shocking, it stuns and numbs you as you try to make sense of and process what you've just heard. Immediately, you think of their families, and you pray that Heavenly Father will comfort them as only He can.

Today during fast and testimony meeting, Sister Lundberg, the wife of the mission president, shared some of her impressions from the past week and her experience as she has been in regular communication with the families. Check out Sister Lundberg's blog (and don't miss her link to Romania Mission Miracles.) It was comforting to hear from her that the families of these special Elders have expressed their faith and well-being in the gospel of Jesus Christ that will give them the opportunity to reunite with their sons eternally.

A neighbor who had heard the sad news, expressed her condolences to Sister Lundberg and remarked that she didn't know how Sister Lundberg could deal with such seeming tragedy. Sister Lundberg's response was that she didn't know how her neighbor does it--how do people face mortality with its trials and hardships without the gospel?

Indeed.

This tribute is on the bulletin board in the foyer and the flag in front of the church has been at half mast.