Take that - Babushki!

Since we've arrived, A has been chastised in Russian and Ukrainian by "well-meaning" babushki (grandmothers) for the state of poor S's dress. Even when the temperature is 20 C/68 F outside, they holler that she is freezing. Conveniently, he can't understand what they're saying, so he just says "Spasibo!" (Thanks!)
So finally, he caved the other day and bought a hat that ties in a market kiosk located in a street underpass - well, that's where all the good shopping is anyway. We had to buy a hat that ties as the whole problem all along has been a confinement issue - she just pulls the darn hats off.
We bought gloves today as well, and she managed to lose one within two hours. Such a smart girl...

I'm back - A bit like neon legwarmers, though, it could be a fad

I finally remembered my password! Hooray! And today we received the exciting news that A has successfully hooked up our internet at home and it is quick and easy. So you all (anyone who is left) will now be receiving fairly regular updates on our life here in Kyiv. Well, in the limited way in which I share information, that is. I think my employer frowns on sharing too much about work, but since we're planning on traveling and expanding our cultural awareness (and since I have interesting kids) there should be plenty to keep this blog hopping!

So the big news first. One, we have decided to add a third year to our time here. That means we'll finish up conveniently close to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Second, after ten straight days of torrential downpour and freezing weather, I am looking out my window at sun for the first time in forever. Praise be!

Third, my darling little sister has confirmed that her wedding will be on September 19, 2009. This means a confirmed trip to the States, for those interested in actually seeing my face ever again.

Fourth, my talented sister-in-law has begun her own blog, which is the impetus for me re-energizing here. Hers has music - I know, I'm behind the times. But next time I'll include photos, and perhaps even a video or two. We've got a great "bikembikem" photo of S with some of her first "words."

Fifth, Happy, Happy Birthday to my two fantastic kids, last Tuesday and next Monday. Every year I am more in awe of both of them....

Where have I BEEN??

December? I haven't posted since December? What have I been doing? oh, that's right. Slacking off. Shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Despite my facade of serious, studious behavior, I'm really a goof. Actually, I don't think that I'm fooling anyone. My facade is that of someone whose sense of humor got the best of her. I am improving at my ability to appear serious when called upon, but sometimes I just can't resist. In a training course I did once, they told me to only say one out of every three things that come to mind, if you are an interrupter by nature. I actually do that - and I still find that I interrupt all of the time.
Anyway, as they say in Russian, let's return to our sheep. (I don't know why they say that - perhaps they're secretly Kiwi?) I have been raising the baby, minding the teenager and caring for the husband. I've been in Russian since the end of February, perfecting my Russian. For the first time in the 16 years I've been studying, it's really coming together. I can pretty freely say anything I'd like to, and all of the sleeping vocabulary has been reawakened. Now if only i understood the damn grammar.....
The bub is sleeping through the night now, which is totally huge. 9 PM to 5 AM. Those without kids can scoff at the fact that that's "all night" but for 3 months she was waking up every hour and a half and refused to be comforted by anything other than nursing. I don't know how I survived. SHe's got teeth and character and can pull herself up, and is close to walking (I'm convinced she's a genius, but I could be a bit close to the issue.)
Headed overseas in August, but hopefully I'll post more on that less than 6 months from now.
That's enough of a wine-fueled stream of consciousness for now.

Long Hiatus - Of Burps, Burbles & Burfles

I had every intention of being a dedicated blogger while home on maternity leave. In fact, I was going to completely re organize the house, brush up on my Russian skills and learn how to knit. It's been 10 weeks and I have succeeded so far in, well, I've showered every day. And I am proud of that. It's not that I sit around all day, just taking care of the baby 24-7. I mean, A is here to help, so I'm much luckier than many other first-time moms. It's the combined pressures of not getting anywhere near enough sleep & being salary-free (which cuts down on options for daytime shopping trips) and the unpredictability of S's schedule. On the upside, I am intimiately familiar with the daytime TV schedule. So I've revised my goals to taking lots of pictures of S as she grows, and getting out the house once a day.

Last night I had another new parent moment. S had finished a bottle of formula, and then breast-fed some more. I suspected she was eating for reasons other than hunger, so I sat her up to burp her. She must have swallowed something the wrong way, because she had her first projectile "burfle." And my first thought wasn't "I should clean up my PJs & her PJs" but, "Wow, that went almost 6 inches, who can I tell how impressive my baby is?" It was really quite like Linda Blair in the Exorcist, & she seemed much happier afterwards.

So, I'll try to be better, and not to bore you all with the intricacies of daily mommy-life!

Big'n'Round

I'm entering the home stretch - definitely starting to feel it. I always thought of the basketball analogy as a bit trite, and that is definitely confirmed by the fact that this darling baby of mine feels like a medicine ball attached to my abdomen, not an air-filled basketball! I can sometimes forget that I am pregnant, but then I'll try to reach something far away, or, more likely, the baby will perform a barrel roll. Hard to ignore that. Photos of my belly are available for those that want them - just email me, and I'll send them on.

A and I went through childbirth class - it was very practical, thank heavens. There was some breathing practice (inhale... hee, hee, hee, full exhale or "think of a colored triangle") which was a bit hokey, but I'll tell you how it went after labor. Maybe I'll be happy I knew about the triangle? We saw lots of diagrams that should be mandatory training for teenagers as birth control - yuck! (No more details, sorry folks.) We toured Sibley Hospital - the "Country Club" of DC-area hospitals, and quite nice. Yeah, health insurance! Most importantly, they have a kitchenette for A's beers, and Wifi in the cafe for him to get rugby World Cup updates. We have a lot of the "stuff" associated with child-ownership, including clothes, diapers and transport system. What I am worried about is getting all 3 passports in time to get to NZ for Christmas. Relying on the DC public records system for a quick turnaround could doom us to failure. Pray for us....

More Baby Info For YOU!

The "bub" is growing rapidly at this stage, and I am looking obviously "in the family way." Still not pregnant enough to get anyone to give up their seat on the Metro to me, but I think that may be a bit of human nature. I think men are afraid they'll give up my seat, and I'll tell them that I'm just fat - not pregnant - and get offended. Ah, the PC life we live! So far, the heat hasn't gotten to me - I spend a lot of time inside at work in the A/C. DC can be brutal, although my inlaws are loving the heat - my father-in-law has a strange internal thermometer that is happiest over 100 degrees.

I'll be posting more - sorry about the delay- I have felt like Julie the cruise ship director from "Love Boat" lately as I get family to their necessary camps and locations. Busy, busy!

For those who are interested, we are registered at http://www.babiesrus.com and www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com (who knew they had good baby items!) and http://www.babycatalog.com - we can be found under Mayhew in Virginia. If you have any advice - things you found helpful if you have kids, or things your friends found helpful, let me know, and I'll look out for them!

I'm the Lead in Alien

It seems as though in the past two weeks this baby has taken on - literally - a life of its own. It went from "gentle flutters" in my abdomen to bizarre cases where my stomach appears to have hiccups. I'll be doing something quiet - like typing a blog - and suddenly my lower half will jerk spasmodically to the left. It's a bit disconcerting. I did learn, though that the baby likes it when I eat Kraft macaroni and cheese, and when I watch rugby. I think that this solidifies any debate about whether or not preferences are determined in the womb - obviously this will be an athletic, laid-back Kiwi kid with weird American food tastes and my big nose. (Poor thing - it's just genetics!) And now, back to trying to focus while watching "Mutiny of the Body."

Two Years of Wedded Bliss

We just celebrated our two year anniversary on Monday. Let's see how the numbers stack up: one trans-hemispheric move, three new jobs (one for me, two for A), one new school, two new sports (M's baseball and A's old-guy rugby team), one anticipated baby, one set of uncles in the basement, one blow-the-budget travel schedule that has taken us to San Fran, LA, Boston, NYC, Northern Neck VA, Reno, Philly, NH, Dublin, Krakow, London, Brussels, Tirana, ALbania, Budapest and a trip to NZ. I don't know how normal people function - spacing out major life events or staying in the same place for more than 3 years! But then they miss out of such exciting life adventures as the Jelly Belly Factory tour in Fairfield, CA. Best trip EVER!

Anyway - overall - life is good, the baby is starting to kick hard enough that I can feel it, the in-laws are coming in 2 weeks for their great American adventure, and the weather is beautiful! Wish you were here....

How Travel Has Changed!

We're off to the SanFran wedding of one of my oldest dearest friends. I have thought about this day a lot over the past almost 20 years. The ceremony as described in the invite is just like her - laid-back, "shotgun chic." (The wedding is at a Rod & Gun Club, and we can shoot skeet if we get there early - not quite her left-wing style, but definitely funky.) Anyway, the way I'd imagined celebrating with her isn't quite what this is looking like. Travel with kids has taken some getting used to - even though M is really young adult. You have to plan one "event" each AM and PM, instead of the 3 events with lots of walking and minimal snacks when it's just you. No bachelorette party - largely because a) I can't drink and b) minimizing school absence is important. But family is important, and I'm looking forward to just being with my boys and not working. I will find a balance here - hot mama party chick layin' it down with my buds, and stable mature mama chick, nurturing her kids and supporting her husband. I know I can do both, it's just a question of planning! After all, didn't we decide to have a kid since we don't often go out anyway?

Peer Pressure

In response to Alex's comment below, no, I am not poppin' 'roids. Nor can I drink caffeine or consume aspartame; I can't eat hot dogs or change cat litter; no brie for me, and definitely no aspirin, pepto-bismol or anything even approximating a drug without doctor approval. Why? Peer pressure. My co-workers were doing it, my friends were doing it, even my brother is doing it. Yep, we're having a kid. Due end of September. Yeah! Comments and questions welcome...

Brussels, San Fran and Points in Between

So after Christmas in Carson City, NV, we headed home to NoVa. Birthdays passed - mine in Kosovo, A's at home with M and the guys in the basement; snow and ice fell from the sky, after what had been a warm, warm winter. A had spent most of that winter praying for a snowfall, but after the first he'd had his fill, and wasn't too happy to shovel the driveway 2-3 more times. I had the chance to see Brussels for the first time on a whirlwind Feb trip of 2 days. Sadly, I was under the weather, and barely dragged myself to the Grand Plac once to get chocolates for office and home. In fact, most of February was spent miserably ill, but on the bright side, I am now more svelte than I have been, well, ever! (But watch this space for weight gain soon, if you know what I mean, hint, hint, wink, wink!) On the 10-11th we went to Phila for teh King Tut exhibit and the Philadelphia Flower Show (listed as one of the 1,000 Things To Do Before You Die.) Both were fantastic, but the crush of being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people made us happy to head back to the "quiet" of our full house. (Cousin O came to visit us that weekend as well, so we were 6 and a dog for one night.) And at the end of April, I've booked us tickets to the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends in San Fran. We've added a day to sightsee - suggestions welcome - and if we get to the wedding early, there's the opportunity to shoot. Not like a driveby in Oakland, the wedding will be at a Hunt club, so we shoot skeet. M is more excited than I can relay.
And that may have to be all the travel I can handle, as A's parents arrive in early June for EIGHT WEEKS! Busy summer.... More on the inlaw visit later.

Birthday Season Again!!

Hey, all - it's about that time again... A and I are celebrating our birthdays at the end of the month. This photo was from my 30th in NZ, which had a '70s theme. Amazing how good A looked in his feathered wig and purple leisure suit.

A and I are planning a bit of a do in early February when M is away on a ski trip. A grown-up gathering of friends in DC. If you're in the area, feel free to drop on by. This time, no costume required!

Chicken Kyiv??

Yes, we are going to Kyiv (aka Kiev for all you old-school out there.) Departure currently estimated at August 2008, following an intensive training program for me. Six months of economics and then six months of Russian language training. The boys are excited, since the school and bars seem to be top-notch. I'm excited, as I'll be combatting organized crime... well, really just managing the programs that actually do the combatting.
A note, though - in the State Department, nothing is final until you've already done it, so there's always a chance I won't get to go, and will be redirected somewhere else. Not a huge chance, but it still looms out there.

In other news, A has a nifty job. Email him and ask about it - it's in a field he enjoys, so we're happy. M is getting braces this month, apparently a new form of torture invented by parents to stunt a pre-teen's social life. And we all had a great Holiday break in Carson City at the "San Antonio Ranch." I explored my Nevada roots (didn't know I had any, did you!) and we got in some nice skiing and gambling. Aaaaahhhh, the American way!

The Stress of Gifts

In my extended family, we now do a Pollyanna gift exchange. I have 7 cousins, and 8 aunts and uncles. (Sadly, only one grandmother left, but she’s not the gift-receiving type.) In order to save cash, we decided last year to assign one giftee to each gifter. Then my immediate family (brothers & sisters & parents) decided to have another, smaller Pollyanna. So we’re on the hook for 6 different gifts, for people from Arizona to New Hampshire, and the planning and foresight to ship them in a timely fashion. Recipe for disaster. Some folks – easy to buy for. Others? Complete mystery. I have 2 cousins I have seen a total of 6 times EVER! Buying for a stranger is a real joy. I can barely think of suitable things for my son, for heavens sake. (I’m not a bad mother, I just keep straying towards new pants and socks, and away from BB guns, which is what he wants!) And Miss Manners says that gift cards are the penultimate evil, exposing your complete lack of sensitivity to the world. That would nevah do, now would it, Miss Vanderbilt? But I will note with pride that we are sending our last gift for the Pollyanna out tomorrow. Yeah! (Now I have to worry about non-Pollyanna people who deserve gifts, or might get me one and I’ll be forced to respond. Never ending.)
And the flip side here is that you know the system will break down, and I won’t get anything from my designated gifter. Not that it’s about gifts, but it is, a little. Christmas gets a bit thin when you’re older, despite the # of give-her-diamonds-each-year ads on TV. Don’t know about you, but I’ve been getting socks, undies, shampoo, USEFUL things. It is, however, part of a long tradition- after all, Jesus got gold and frankincense. Not a Playstation 3.

I am SOOOooooOOO In Demand... (I Hope)

The "Meat market" has begun, and all of those jobs I showed interest in are deciding whether or not I am worth their time and effort, and weighing my merit relative to other, generally equally qualified people. So far, I've been lucky. There are two positions - "Drugs and Thugs" coordination in Kyiv, Ukraine (see photo for worksite conditions) and a helath job in Moscow - working on Avian Flu, TB and HIV/AIDS. Both sound quite uplifiting (?) So - I hope to find out soon, but in the meantime, feel free to register your vote. Moscow or Kyiv (aka Kiev)? Both have equally icky cuisine, tough weather conditions, poverty, and corruption. But they also both speak Russian, have great Communist tchotchke for sale, and good high school for the little one. Oh, what to do!

RUGBY!

Looks like my dear hubby will be competing in the upcoming Ambassador's Shield, November 19 here in DC. He hasn't tried out yet, but either way we're going to sit by our All Blacks flag and drink Speight's (or Miller if we can't find any Kiwi beer) and harangue the backs about their lack of fluidity, and how much better Dan Carter looks in a tight top than any of them. I'm excited! It is sponsored by the NZ Ambassador (a colleague from my time there) and promises to be some of the best rugby you'll see in the US - for whatever that's worth.
Come one, come all!

Oh, The Humanity!

The latest victim of the escalating U.S. conflict - the internal war between our "native" citizens and our immigrant population. And yet another example of an ally in the War on Terror being rebuked for their service....


US bans Vegemite
Kelvin Healey
October 22, 2006
THE United States has slapped a ban on Vegemite, outraging Australian expatriates there.The bizarre crackdown was prompted because Vegemite contains folate, which in the US can be added only to breads and cereals.
Expatriates say that enforcement of the ban has been stepped up recently and is ruining lifelong traditions of having Vegemite on toast for breakfast.
Former Geelong man Daniel Fogarty, who now lives in Calgary, Canada, said he was stunned when searched while crossing the US border recently.
"The border guard asked us if we were carrying any Vegemite," Mr Fogarty said.
"I was flabbergasted." Paul Watkins, who owns a store called About Australia in San Antonio, Texas, said he had been forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago.
"We have completely stopped bringing it in," he said.
"(US authorities) have made a stance and there is nothing that can be done about it."

Bidding Is Like A Lottery With Your Life

Unlike past years, the focus now is on filling difficult jobs first, and then the relatively "cushier" positions. And unlike past years, where "difficult" meant Tbilisi or Beijing or Jerusalem, this year is means Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a number of other countries with unaccompanied postings - i.e. I can go, but my family can't. This just isn't a time in my life where I want to head off by myself, and with M heading to high school soon, school is supremely important. And this pressure is really unfortunate because we ARE willing to serve in a hard spot - I"m looking at Beijing, Moscow, Lima, Bogota, Lusaka (this is a test of your geography skills!) - all places with difficult living and/or working conditions. I don't know how it's all going to turn out, and I know we'll land on our feet, even though it may be somewhere we'd never, ever considered serving. If I play my cards right, I could know by the winter holidays, but it's also possible I could be into March and have no clue where we're headed. It really is like reaching into the lottery ball machine and pulling out a random number sometimes... except without the $1 mn jackpot.

Craigslist Funny about Foreign Service

I want to be a foreign service wife - 29
Reply to: pers-197008060@craigslist.orgDate: 2006-08-21, 4:18PM EDTJust that. I'm a decent, single, normal guy, good looking and fluent in Arabic, French, and Spanish. I have an advanced degree in international relations, I don't smoke and never drink to excess. I'm white, tall, in good shape physically, irrepressably optimistic and funny, love kids and am friendly to dogs and all other creatures. Here's my story: I grew up overseas as the child of diplomats, and I passed the foreign service exam this year, but find the idea of being Condi's minion a little tiresome. Instead of being a foreign service officer, I think I'd like to be a Foreign Service Wife. I'd be a great party host, help you make good contacts, impress your colleagues, do morale-boosting things at the embassy, organize school things, take on photography and travel writing, cook, drive, organize vacations, and have whatever marital and sexual relationship you want. I'd live frugally and manage your money so you get more instead of less, and sign any pre-nuptual you want. I'm a catch, so if you want someone to go along with you to the Kerplackistan or wherever, I'm all yours. I'll even buy you a nice fat diamond ring. I just want to travel and enjoy the foreign service life and I think I'd like to be the bit part instead of the main player. If it can work for Queen Elizabeth, it can work for you. So? Let's start with an email, move on to pics, hook up for coffee, and who knows? Maybe we can walk down the aisle before you wrap up your A100 class!
no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Being Kid-less

The son is in camp until mid-August. Hubby & I are living more like "singletons" than "smug myriads." We've gone out to dinner twice (!!) this wee, and are planning lots of adult activities this weekend (not, that's not dirty - more like going to bars and eating places that don't have an obligatory chicken fingers/fries/burger kid's menu.) I'm actually really enjoying it, but I am a little guilty. Shouldn't I be pining for my lovely son?

I do miss him, and we talk daily, and it's kind of disconcerting how well he gets along without us. He's going to formal dance classes, and swimming with bikini-clad 12 & 13 year olds, playing tennis, sailing and getting in some golf, so he's not exactly suffering. (I am, though - see "bikini" reference above!) My attitude is - enjoy the relative freedom and celebrate while we can - walk around the house naked! (Oops - TMI, sorry.)

In other kid news, a big welcome to 2 new girls on the planet - the daughter of Uber-Brit couple resident in Wellington S&S, who arrived in July, and the brand-new daughter of M&E in Boston, who arrived a couple of days ago. I bet both moms are happy to begin the sleepless nights, endless feedings and the confusion of "How is it I can competently make foreign policy decisions for my country and manage millions of dollars/pounds, but I can't figure out a child who has three needs - food, sleep, diaper?!?" Good luck, ladies - call me at 3 AM if you need to. (I have an answering machine...)