Reuniting with Family

The end-of-year trip to Vienna had originally been planned as a way to meet up with 'Cott, 'Becca and Lizzie but it soon turned into an opportunity for everyone in the region to head over there for a reunion. The family was soon "on board" and uncle 'Eko was able to pull together tickets and accommodations so that everyone was happy as can be. Pappou and Moca arrived, followed by uncle 'Eko and then Sammy and Vince.

Between the church where 'Eko was baptised (and, of course, the city he was born), the city of Pappou's youth and the history of Monica's family Vienna was the perfect spot to reunite with them all. Add the Christmas touch to the entire event and we were good to go!  From the Christmas dinner at a Greek restaurant to meeting up with cousins Vince and Sam to get to know the city it was a bit of a whirlwind tour in pretty chilly weather. Still, the days went by merrily and we had the opportunity to see the apartment they were renting, to visit with them a bit and to explore the city. For pappou it was a chance to talk to us a bit about the days of his youth, when he and giagia were young and we were are "twinkles in their eye". 

But the here and now was important too. We had a wonderful Christmas brunch and a good deal of time checking out the sites and just chatting up a storm. Though the time was short (3 days) it was a much needed bonus of family time for us. The girls, of course, were thrilled to see their extended family too!  Thank you for coming over!

Run, jump and Throw Day

 

 

 

 

It seems that it's a semesterly thing. Run, Jump and Throw Day is the culmination of work in Physical Education class, one of daddy's favorites!  Both Irini and daddy were very happy to see Irini's progress in the events that she participated in. The event was held on the field at their school and they moved every 15 minutes or so to a different 'station'. 

What one can't see from the pictures above is that daddy had to leave in the middle of the event, on a trip to Singapore and Indonesia. Irini's goodbye was emotional and as she started to cry her teacher invived her to become a helper in organizing the events instead of a participant. It seemed a good fit, especially when the popcicles came out for the celebratory end-of-event get together!  Bravo Irini!!

Tiger Whiskers

International Fest is an annual affair at the school and the family is generally there, to mosey around with the other 2,000 or so visitors on campus on that day. It's busy. It's fun. It's packed with things to do and great great food from all over the world!  But this year there was a little special twist.... the Green Council, that daddy works with, was doing their "thang" to increase awareness of the plight of tigers in Malaysia. So, our little ones were the very first ones to support the cause. And they look pretty cute being tigers too! 

Two-Wheel Hot Rods (well... sort of)!!

The girls have, on and off, headed with mommy and daddy to the "Blue Top" at the school. It's an open air but covered basketball/volleyball court that is covered by a rubberized surface in blue color (thus the name!). They do all sorts of things there: The play soccer, the chase each other, they dribble the basketball and... they try their skills out with biking!

Well, on one such day just a while back both girls managed to bike on two wheels on the very same day!  Irini started it off while her sister just kind of watched from a distance but then, as she was able to do it rather easily, Amalia decided that it was time for her to give it a shot. The bike, which was originally a Chiristmas present for Irini, is now on the small side for her and, as such, it's pretty perfect for Amalia. So, as of Sunday, November 9, 2014 our girls are "up and away"! Here are some short snippets of their short travels (for not). 

Guess How Much I Love You?

It's a beautiful book; one of daddy's favorites, in fact. On occassion he is asked to read it to the girls. On this occassion, though, it wasn't the reading that prompted this post. It was a conversation between our little one, Amalia, who, taking the concept of the book, decided to make her own version. Here it goes:

Amalia: "Do you know how much I love you?"

Daddy: "How much?"

Amalia: "From here to India."

Daddy: "That's a long way. I love you from here to Greece."

Amalia: "I love you from here to Bangkok."

Daddy: "I love you from here to Sweden."

Amalia: "I love you from here to.... where are Sasha and Yoda, daddy?"

Daddy: "Miami."

Amalia: "I love you from here to your ami."

Daddy hugged his little girl and gave her a big big kiss. Little conversations that make the world go round, filled with love all the way from here to your ami, and back.

Note: For those who don't know, Sasha and Yoda are the little lovable dogs that share the home with tia Millie and uncle Lucho's where we visited last summer. Our girls, obviously, still talk about 'em.

Paintin' & Chillin' & Divin'

It's been a while since we've had a nice looooong vacation and this semester gave us a chance to have one, giving up two Saturdays in return. All in all it was a good bargain for us. The week was divided nicely into pre, during and post apartment painting. The painting, requested by mommy a while back, was supported by the landlord a while back and we had all been waiting for this break to get the paint rollers out. 

During the prep time, of course, we needed to make sure that apartment was 'paint ready' by putting things away and moving the big items into the middles of rooms, etc. After it was all over we had to make sure that things were as they should, with the colors in the right places and the place looking as nice as we'd hoped. 

But the time in between - those three days - was just the right amount of time to head out and about. For day one we just popped into town and spent a night at one of them hotels down there that tourists normally stay at. It was grand, but with the passage of time, and the arrival of the rain, our plans for a "night on the town" ended up dwindling to more of a "watch TV and veg" with a room service meal by our bed. Either way, it wan enjoyed thoroughly.

Days two and three allowed us to head a bit further afield to a place called The Dusun, about an hour's drive away. It is a family owned hotel, largely self-catered, nestled nicely in the jungles of Malaysia. Though getting there requires driving through the mess that is today an expansion (and moving) of urban sprawl and palm plantations, once there the experience is quite delightful, filled with the little things that make vacations just right. An infinity pool, for exmaple, just meters from our front door. And a small kitchenette to do our own cooking. Breakfast was of traditional Malaysian fare and arguably the best we've ever had!  The girls gobbled up that coconut rice!  

We also did a bit of hanging out with our friends Leandro and Anita, whose daughter is in the same grade as our own little one. They spend almost an entire day (we counted 630 minutes) outside either enjoying lunch under the umbrellas, playing various card games or taking turns trying out new styles of diving into the water. 

By the end of the two short days out of town it felt like we'd relaxed quite a bit and even encroaching urban sprawl couldn't detract from our positive outlook. The new colors in the apartment were just that added exclamation mark for a well received vacation. Now on to unpacking and replacing paintings on those new but barren walls...

Jumpin' (again)!

The first time around it was daddy and Amalia. This time it was the whole family and more!  We descended on Jump Street en masse, with our friends Jen, Eryk and their daughter Isabella. The gang was happy as can be and Irini and mommy, in particular, were extatic with their first run around there. The things that had made Amalia happy just two weeks earlier made us all happy this time but, of course, different people ended up gravitating to different things. Irini made her way to the area with the foam blocks that her sister had loved so much, but she also moved over and tried her luck at the basketball area, with a good deal of success!  They all went nuts at the dodge ball section too, where everyone enjoyed a good game!

The hour long session was followed up with a great meal at a nearby restaurant and a visit to our friend's new abode on the other side of town. There, with filled stomachs, we jumped in their tree lined pool!  It was a good good day!

Little Tumbler

It could have been a day like any other. A weekend. Not much to do. Her sister and mother deciced to go visit friends but she wanted to do things differently. So why not head over to a place we've never been before and spend an hour, quite literally, jumping around. It's a place called Jump Street, packed with trampolines of many sizes for the young and the old. 

Amalia loved every minute. For one entire hour she was jumping, sometimes joined by daddy. Whether it was on the smaller trampolines for the little ones, the one with the runway to do flips, the basketball ones or the freestyle ones she was having a ball. Toward the end, looking for something new to do, she moseyed over to the practice area where a young woman with a good deal of experience showed her how to jump from one trampoline to the other and over to the wall, trying to bounce off of that and back into a standing position. You can see the attempts for yourself but boy was it one fun morning!  

Upon our return, and with all the adrenaline of fun and excitement still running high, she announced to her sister that next time we all had to go together and Irini, now having started gymnastics as an after-school activity, would LOVE it. Irini agreed. Perhaps next time it'll be a family affair!

Journal Entry: Sept 22, 2014

On page five of Irini's class journal daddy noticed the following entry the other day:

Sept 22, 2014

"To bad I am mising You I hop you hav a grat tim! and is Leve: Irini!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Her teacher's note above it:
"Hi Irini,
Is this a letter to you dad? He will be back soon.
Love,
Mrs. Martin"

It was a note written during one of daddy's trips (this one eight days long). He did return, to smiles and excitement and hugs (lots of hugs) and cuddles for several days.

We have wonderful children. And they are growing up. Fast.

This aint no kindergarden

When we returned to school this year we were reminded, rather quickly, that this year would be different than the rest. Apart from the fact that Irini is now "upstairs", there was also a stark change from the previous year, both in style and feel to the grade 1 area. No more colors adorning the walls and playful statements all over. This was a wall "to be filled by student work" and on day one, as we entered it was a solemn reminder that our little one was about to embark on a whole new world of academic rigour. Daddy, as always, wasn't convinced that putting higher expectations was worth the effort (he's all for fun and games) but Irini took it in stride. 

This year was also a shift in the way things are being done with Irini too. Not so much coming home by way of "what's going on in school". She is happy to share when we ask the questions but the self-motivated sharing has diminished markedly. We also don't know many of the kids in her class which, of course, has grown in size as well. It seems that the institution is starting to take charge and, with it, the future of our children's educational success. 

Still, despite daddy's concerns, Irini happily wakes up in the mornings and gets herself ready. She is eager to go to school each and every day. She is also very much enjoying the "writing workshop" and "reading workshop" time that she is given in class as well. When asked which one she prefers she said "writing". 

Almost every day she arrives home with two books to read. Her task it so read them herself (to mommy and daddy) and then write down the title as well as the a quick review on whether it was eady, hard or just right. We've been delighted by the development. In fact, she is now starting to read our own emails and notes as if to confirm that it's not confined to the classroom. We get the sense that, any day now, she will break out into a whole new dimension of communication. She's eager. We're looking forward to it. She impressed us each and every day.

Amalia's New Digs

The girls are a-growin'. Little can be done to hold them back now. Whether it's their physical size (and the relative smallness of their beds) or their ability to talk and write and read they are impressing us with each and every passing moment.  

Amalia's class and teacher is the same as the one that Irini had in her grade. It doesn't matter, though, that this is the same class as her sister's. Apart from already knowing her teacher, there is little doubt in anyone's mind that this is "her" class. She does things her way and with gusto. She is taking bold steps in taking on the world and we love her for it!  Among other things she can write the alphabet, count out loud to 110 and read basic words. She does a lot of pretending to read too, especially when her sister is doing her own reading. Leaps and bounds. Love and smiles. Everything in between.

Return to Athens

Our return to Athens gave us a few days of respite. In fact, the first three days there were the only days we had to ourselves at all. For daddy it was a good opportunity to re-charge a bit, and the girls managed some time with the neighbours in the garden, of course. The weather was strangely cool (for Athenian summer standards) and mommy was delighted that nights didn't involve sweat rolling down her brow.  The balcony was opened up once again, extending the living space into the outdoors, with a front view to the park. It was the perfect space to sit and sip on some coffee while the children played in the garden. Between the animals (Gizmo the dog and a number of cats) and the smattering of neighbours on their respective balconies, and the small army of little people in the garden, summer in this space generates quite a buzz. One stands up to say hello to the lady downstairs. Then answers a question from the kids downstairs, walks inside to fetch a ball (or something analogous) and throws it into the garden for play to commence. Downstairs is a diverse group of people, from little children playing ball to parents with their infants walking around and talking to their relatives. It's a virtual village-in-a-building. Daddy loves it. 

But as timing would have it - and generally does - July is also the time when local friends head out on vacation. It was a good chance to visit Stelio, Maria, Mikeala and Anastasia in Tolo, a couple hour drive away. So what do you do when you've just arrived from an intercontinental trip and your friends are out of town?  You go on a road trip!  We spent a day with them and had a wonderful time, getting to know a place that was new to us and adding it to our "to do" list for another time. 

Then it was back to Athens, and the visit of Adri and Luca from Milano and Tia, TTmouz and Avi, who were on their return from the other side of the world. Between outings to Sounio and breakfasts on the balcony, a trip to Varsos and hanging out in the playgrounds of Athens (some in a not-so-good state), as well as a return trip to Tolo with the extended gang, the end-of-vacation was a busy and happy one. 

Our final days saw us trying to maximize time with friends and our finally getting to meet Arsenis, Peter and Vika's two year old son!  Then, with the suddenness of a clock striking 10:30 am on the day of departure, the luggage was, well, lugged into two waiting cars (a taxi and Stefan's car) and off we went. Our final goodbyes were to Stefan who, as always, is a real angel in our lives. It was the end of a wonderful summer!  

Small, Quiet, Natural. A Family State of Bliss.

It was quite a shock to get off one airplane and go from the large expressways of Southern Florida to the smallness of highways in rural Sweden. The change was abrupt but nonetheless wonderful. As we drove to visit Pappou and Moca we passed through miles and miles of green, and two lane highways that turned to small country roads. The trip took three hours and ended on the edge of a small town in central Sweden:  The gingerbread house by the lake!

After the requisite hugs and kisses and the like we unpacked and as no sooner were we putting our bags into place that Uncle 'Eko and Vince rolled in!  Vince, in particular stole the show with his fishing gear and, within minutes all the girls (who now included Moca's grand daughter Alize) were sporting their fishing prowess. Drinks were brought out lake-side and the running of North America turned into a sloooooow Scandinavian experience. 

The next few days were filled with everyone sharing the house (and houses next door too) and walking around the woods, fishing or just jumping and, once, taking a boat ride down the river to the old palace of the King. You can imagine how excited our girls were for seeing a real palace!  A few days later, when Aleko and Vince had moved on, we look a tour of the place too. 

The time there also brought with it walks and visits to downtown, as well as seeing the World Cup final in an american style sports bar / restaurant. But it was the time together doing nothing in particular that was the best. Slow time. Laughing time. Sharing time. Nothing in particular time. Relaxing and recharging. 

Merritt Island Love

The Florida panhandle is a gooooooood distance from the Miami metropolitan area and it would seem logical that one would work in a transit point to break up the trip, so why not make a quick (outgoing) and a not-so-quick (return) stop in Merritt Island to visit Con and her husband Chad, their beautiful 19 month old daughter, Myah. They were flanked by a dog, Sierra, and a cat Luna. 

The breaks on either end worked out beautifully and we hope that the disruption was not too great. Our girls fell in love with Myah and insisted that they play and feed her all the time. Luna also became quite a center of attention but only ventured beyond the bedroom doorway on rare occasions.  We were also given the option of where to stay and opted, unanimously, for the trailer out front!  It was a pseudo camping experience that allowed us all to share one big sleeping space (origially intended for two). There were also shopping trips, and food extravaganzas  provided by the hosts, and a good deal of "wow" moments as we realized that practically the entire house was fitted, re-built and re-purposed by Chad himself. Daddy was quite embarrassed that his capabilities were sadly lacking in the home improvement front. 

Then there were the visits by Abuelita Emilia and Myah's grandparents, with the requisite hugs and baby carrying and family pictures and chatting away. The love was ever present in many forms. It was the love of family, from husband to wife and back, the love of parents to children and back, the love of friends and the love of one's own space. We felt instantly at ease there and our days passed quickly, always a sign of good times. 

Panhandle Reunion...after 16 years!

One would think that Natalia's extended Latin family is the only one there is with the sheer numbers and enthusiasm (especially during Colombian national team games at the World Cup), but no! In fact there was more to this US foray. 

The gang got into their fancy rental car and drove up to a place called Merritt Island. It sits about 10 miles from Cape Cañaveral of Space Shuttle fame. There we stayed with a long time friend of Natalia's (more on that on the next post), her husband, their daughter, dog and cat. It was a delightful evening, but the very next day we had to drive off to Orlando, park the car in long term parking and board a plane (Silver Airways) to Pensacola.

The flight was less than exciting, with the feeling of being stuck, literally, a tin box, but only took an hour and a half and brought us into Pensacola airport in the mid afternoon. The sky was clear with a few scattered clouds and we called Mary, Laurence's grand aunt (is that a formal relationship?). The car would be there shortly. And it was. After meeting Bill (a friend of the family) and reuniting with Robin (Laurence's youngest cousin) we were off, roaming the rather calm streets. 

We finally arrived and there was Mary, with a broad smile, waiting for us! Ray and Mary moved into a retirement community a while back and are loving it, but for our girls this was something new altogether. They were quite popular with the residents and, when dinner came around, we reunited with Scott (Laurence's cousin) and Aloma (Scott's wife) as well as Dean (Bill's wife) and, of course, Ray, who was turning 87 a couple days later. Dinner was in his honor and we sang happy birthday on the only evening that all of us would be there.

This was to be a wonderful visit, with lots of chatter and discussions, a good deal of food (often brought to the table by university student waiters). Aloma (and, after Aloma & Scott left, Robin) played cards with our girls ("Go Fish" and Crazy 8's were the big success). The girls got to go swimming too and we had a visit to the Naval Aviation Museum as well as a run to the beachfront to have lunch before our departure. In there, of course, was the requisite bringing everyone "up to speed" on whereabouts and what we dos from all sides. Robin shared pictures of their new house and shared stories of her three daughters. We shared pictures too. Ray shared old family pictures and cutouts of newspaper articles, piecing together the family history going back to the early 1800's. Aloma and Scott shared plans to move to Richmond to be with the "grandchildren". We even had the chance to talk to my Dad and Monica who were in Sweden. Connections from all over the world! 

All in all the two days spent there - after 16 years - were filled with as much chatter as one could expect. Our departure brought sad hugs and the feeling that it wasn't quite enough time, but also the talk of possible trips to Greece one day. You think? It would be so wonderful to have the ever expanding clan come visit us there one day! As we were about to head into the airport, we asked Robin if there were any news yet. There were none, but a few days later she became a grandmother for one more time! 

... And On to Family Reunions

Getting off the plane in Fort Lauderdale we rented a car and headed to Tia Millie and Tio Lucho's place!  Adrian drove in to say hello too. By the time we got there the gang was waiting. Taita and Abuelita and TTmouz, Tia and Avi who had flown on a different route to the same place half way around the world. It was family reunion time!

And the reunion was a grand one, filled with lots of little wonders and lots of family time. It included the belated 70th birthday of both Beto and Emilia and they were happy as can be. It also included lots of World Cup soccer, and the Colombian flags were out in force in the household.  Between the shopping the water park, the food and the visits to all sorts of friends - not to mention the family dinners and chats and hanging out - it was a full schedule here. 

But really this was a special chance to see Millie and Lucho. They had yet to meet our girls and, as we discovered, they were (and are) accompanied by their little dogs Sasha and Yoda. And then, of course, there was Adrian, who arrived to fanfare and cheers of cousins and parents alike. For us it was a great chance to see them, to share their life for a short while, and to create connections. The family tree and the web of life in one.