On Wednesday afternoon the whole family left for a camping trip to "Fall kreek falls " in Tennessee, just about two hours away from Nashville. L. thought a camping vacation would be great fun for everyone and also cheaper than a regular vacation...oh, well...they had to buy a big family tent (600$), mats to sleep on, a cooker, dishes, shoes, bagpacks and many other little things that just kept adding up!
This was a very short trip (4 days) to try everything out, see how camping works out and get away for a bit. But when I say they whole family went, I mean EVERYBODY: the parents, three boys, the baby, me, grandpa and the two dogs.
Before the big day things had to be bought, tried out, repacked, cleaned, organized...so L. was washing laundry non-stop and just being busy, busy, busy...
Of course, by the title, you can guess that things did not go as planned... All the camping stuff was in the garden airing out, when it started to rain ! Naturally we were all out of the house and everything, from the tent to underwear, was WET!
The next day we wanted to leave after lunch....done that, left at about 5pm...why? One of the reasons was that the rental car the family had for the trip decided to break down on a last-minute trip to the supermarket...
We arrived way too late to still set up tent, so everybody slept in the hotel.
The next couple of days are a blur of rain, rain, rain, fear of drowning in my own little (30 year old) tent, which was -what a suprise- not waterproof! At least not for the amount and strength of the everlasting rain! At one point I found myself alone and responsible for three 9 year olds, a 6 month old baby and a 70something grandfather who kept talking angrily in a strong eastern european accent about how he had told them where to put the tent... yep, the family tent got flooded too...
The parents just went down (did I mention we camped in the middle of the woods, far away from any...oh, well, not THAT far, but still!) to get firewood when this rain started, but when they returned I was SO glad! Fears about the baby swallowing something or grandpa slipping were just too much for me!
Of course the fun did not stop there! One of the dogs jumped after another dog and went flying of a cliff, hanging on a harness, suspended in mid air until it fell into poison ivy, L. locked the car keys inside the car with the lights on and had to get a park ranger to break into the car, H. broke a finger, Tilly got bitten by spiders...
BUT-there were good times too! Roasting marshmallows over the fire and...well, really, that's it ;-)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Birthday and Harry Potter
First of all, thanks to all of you who have remembered my birthday (20st July) and sent me cards, flowers, emails and left me messages on the am !!!!
Don't worry if you have forgotten about it...just make it up to me with an extra special birthday present once I celebrate properly ;-)
The day was busy, busy, busy!!
In the morning all three boys came running down the stairs shouting and singing a happy birthday my way. L. and I picked them up around 11 am from climbing camp and after visiting the hospital for a check up (for Ni.) we went to the the movies and saw "Ratatoui". We had a nice dinner out at the "cheescake factory" which is a great place to eat out with kids since it's so busy and noisy there - nobody cares if kids get a bit louder or a baby cries. Taking home some delicious cheese cake was a must, even if 4 pieces came up to 27$...
The boys were great but also a bit sad, because they knew that I would go to the bookstore at night to pick up the new Harry Potter book. Of course they had seen the adds from the bookstore and read all about the party that would go on there that night. But L. and I kept telling them that they were way to young to be staying up that late...Once everybody was asleep however, we moved around the house searching for the boys old HP outfitts and wands.
At 9.45 L. went to wake them up saying " You're a wizard....". Ni. and H. looked at us and when I told them that they would get to go to the party and dress up, they flew down the stairs and excitement was in the air!
As for No...he was sooo sleepy! When we finally got him downstairs he wanted to go to the party in his PJ! All dressed up and driving to the store he kept asking if we could not just leave him in the car to sleep some more. Once he got out of the car and saw all the things going on in and around the book store he was wide awake!!
There were animals to look at and touch. you could get sorted into houses (Slytherin for me...oh, oh...), practice your beater abilities, tattoo the dark mark on your arm or have your furtune told...It was great!
We got my book at midnight and I read the first 3 pages to them. Of course at home I read on and finished the book on Saturday evening around 8pm...It was a great read and fortunately L. and Tom have also finished already so we can talk about it!
All in all it was a nice birthday, even though I missed celebrating at home with all my friends but I hope to be able to do that some weekend in September!
Don't worry if you have forgotten about it...just make it up to me with an extra special birthday present once I celebrate properly ;-)
The day was busy, busy, busy!!
In the morning all three boys came running down the stairs shouting and singing a happy birthday my way. L. and I picked them up around 11 am from climbing camp and after visiting the hospital for a check up (for Ni.) we went to the the movies and saw "Ratatoui". We had a nice dinner out at the "cheescake factory" which is a great place to eat out with kids since it's so busy and noisy there - nobody cares if kids get a bit louder or a baby cries. Taking home some delicious cheese cake was a must, even if 4 pieces came up to 27$...
The boys were great but also a bit sad, because they knew that I would go to the bookstore at night to pick up the new Harry Potter book. Of course they had seen the adds from the bookstore and read all about the party that would go on there that night. But L. and I kept telling them that they were way to young to be staying up that late...Once everybody was asleep however, we moved around the house searching for the boys old HP outfitts and wands.
At 9.45 L. went to wake them up saying " You're a wizard....". Ni. and H. looked at us and when I told them that they would get to go to the party and dress up, they flew down the stairs and excitement was in the air!
As for No...he was sooo sleepy! When we finally got him downstairs he wanted to go to the party in his PJ! All dressed up and driving to the store he kept asking if we could not just leave him in the car to sleep some more. Once he got out of the car and saw all the things going on in and around the book store he was wide awake!!
There were animals to look at and touch. you could get sorted into houses (Slytherin for me...oh, oh...), practice your beater abilities, tattoo the dark mark on your arm or have your furtune told...It was great!
We got my book at midnight and I read the first 3 pages to them. Of course at home I read on and finished the book on Saturday evening around 8pm...It was a great read and fortunately L. and Tom have also finished already so we can talk about it!
All in all it was a nice birthday, even though I missed celebrating at home with all my friends but I hope to be able to do that some weekend in September!
Friday, July 13, 2007
oh well...
The other day L. and I went out later in the evening to buy some flowers for my window...nice thought.
But we never actually made it into the flower shop...
Now, you wonder, how could that have happened...
Going down the rather old wooden stairs of the shop I slipped, popped my knee cap out and in and out and in, fell, landed on my bottom and hit the stairs with my lower back...
A very loud scream later I could hardly believe what had just happened, this was supposed to be a fun outing!
I sent L. off to get the things she wanted, but she returned not much later, insisting that we would go home immediately. She had to bring the car around, since I could not walk very well. Back at home I got pain killers and ice to put on my knee and A. searched the garage and found my crutches - which I only used that very night.
But, not to worry!!
I'm doing much better already! Since my knee had swollen to the size of a water melon (ok, some exaggeration here, for dramatic effect ;-) ) I did not drive for some days or try to chase the boys around. The swelling has gone down and the pain is reasonable. This unfortunately happens to me every once in a while and chances increase when I put on some more weight (more for my knees to support). So I guess I should really not join the boys in ice cream after dinner every night, chips for lunch and triple cheese sandwiches...
Hopefully I will be pain-free soon and able to walk normally. I do have health insurance while I'm here but I'd rather not have to use it, if you know what I mean. Normally I recover fast, but I expect it to take some more time, since I can't really rest my leg as well as I should.
So, that's that ! Got the drama over with, on to other things!
But we never actually made it into the flower shop...
Now, you wonder, how could that have happened...
Going down the rather old wooden stairs of the shop I slipped, popped my knee cap out and in and out and in, fell, landed on my bottom and hit the stairs with my lower back...
A very loud scream later I could hardly believe what had just happened, this was supposed to be a fun outing!
I sent L. off to get the things she wanted, but she returned not much later, insisting that we would go home immediately. She had to bring the car around, since I could not walk very well. Back at home I got pain killers and ice to put on my knee and A. searched the garage and found my crutches - which I only used that very night.
But, not to worry!!
I'm doing much better already! Since my knee had swollen to the size of a water melon (ok, some exaggeration here, for dramatic effect ;-) ) I did not drive for some days or try to chase the boys around. The swelling has gone down and the pain is reasonable. This unfortunately happens to me every once in a while and chances increase when I put on some more weight (more for my knees to support). So I guess I should really not join the boys in ice cream after dinner every night, chips for lunch and triple cheese sandwiches...
Hopefully I will be pain-free soon and able to walk normally. I do have health insurance while I'm here but I'd rather not have to use it, if you know what I mean. Normally I recover fast, but I expect it to take some more time, since I can't really rest my leg as well as I should.
So, that's that ! Got the drama over with, on to other things!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
4th of July
What a day, what a day...
All dressed in red and white we decorated the boys bikes and Tilly's stroller for the neighbourhood parade.
L. baked some cookies and everybody in the neighbourhood brings something to the parade. It's just kids on their bikes, with parents and their strollers walking up the street, turning around and walking back.
Of course there were lots of decorations and some people were dressed up from head to toe, with American flags, hats, earrings...
After the parade there was music and of course the singing of the national anthem. All food and drinks were free, so we had hotdogs, salads, cookies...basically too much of everything!
Around 5pm, after a break in the early afternoon, the whole family went to a BBQ at a friends house. There I had the chance to meet a Dutch couple again that works at Vanderbilt. An. and G.-J. are in Nashville since a year and live close to the A.'s. We already had them over for dinner one evening and had a nice time. They invited me over for a game night already...too bad Tom isn't here...
I could not eat much at the BBQ since I already had soooo much to eat in the morning, but I got the impression that the 4th of July is mostly about eating and drinking...;-)
Just after 9pm a small group of party guests decided to climb up a hill (mountain in NL :-0 ) to watch the fireworks downtown. It was worth all the trouble! The boys really enjoyed staying up late and they got to see the fireworks for the first time !!
All dressed in red and white we decorated the boys bikes and Tilly's stroller for the neighbourhood parade.
L. baked some cookies and everybody in the neighbourhood brings something to the parade. It's just kids on their bikes, with parents and their strollers walking up the street, turning around and walking back.
Of course there were lots of decorations and some people were dressed up from head to toe, with American flags, hats, earrings...
After the parade there was music and of course the singing of the national anthem. All food and drinks were free, so we had hotdogs, salads, cookies...basically too much of everything!
Around 5pm, after a break in the early afternoon, the whole family went to a BBQ at a friends house. There I had the chance to meet a Dutch couple again that works at Vanderbilt. An. and G.-J. are in Nashville since a year and live close to the A.'s. We already had them over for dinner one evening and had a nice time. They invited me over for a game night already...too bad Tom isn't here...
I could not eat much at the BBQ since I already had soooo much to eat in the morning, but I got the impression that the 4th of July is mostly about eating and drinking...;-)
Just after 9pm a small group of party guests decided to climb up a hill (mountain in NL :-0 ) to watch the fireworks downtown. It was worth all the trouble! The boys really enjoyed staying up late and they got to see the fireworks for the first time !!
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