Kulas in Kyrgyzstan

More Essential Winter Fun

2012-02-18T08:17:00.002-08:00

It's just not a real winter until you have built a snowman. During a recent weekend when conditions were perfect, we got to work creating our little snowmen.

Misha starts building a base while giving advice to Sebby.

Looking good!

I helped Sebby build his snowman while Misha ran inside to get a few carrots. Actually, one carrot cut in half the long way. :)

Ta da!

Misha gave his snowman a "sword," for self-defence against kids who might wish to knock the snowman over.

Our apartment building. If you look closely, you can see our second-floor window open with Josh peeking out.

Sebby is all bundled up, ready to go outside.

Father and sons out for a stroll (with mother lagging behind with the camera). This was several weeks ago when we didn't even have any snow!

Of course, much of the winter season is enjoyed indoors. Thus, I bring you the "indoor installment" of photos from the past several weeks:

Misha, as always, loves any kind of project. Here, he's creating a secret code. After this, we found little scraps of paper around the house written in his code.

We also drew our own jungle puzzle on the back of real one.

We spend lots of time reading books. Here, Misha is reading a book in Russian about colors to our friend Alihan. Misha reads in Russian slowly but pretty well, thanks to the very phonetic alphabet that Russian has. He is also making amazing strides in reading in English - he is a master of Dr. Seuss, can successfully read various "leveled" books, and easily reads Frog and Toad - and now he is moving onto reading beginner chapter books like the Magic Treehouse series. We attribute much of his sudden acceleration in reading to Calvin and Hobbes - we often find him pouring over the comics in his room.

Sebby has the same thirst for books. He often brings us books to read to him, and not only at bedtime.

Time for some play-dough.

To get out of the house, we went to a play-area in a mall with friends. Misha and Sebby loved riding this horse. Reminiscent of Sue and Ed's house, I think!

Sebby and Alihan on the choo-choo.

Back home - three kids squeezing into the storage spots.

The three musketeers?

Cleaning the house is an endless task ... but at least the kids pitch in.

Cooking - another endless task. We keep cranking out the uchpuchmakis (pictured), gan fan, pancakes, cookies, and brownies. :)

Another fun project - cardboard ramps for the boys' many cars.

We're all enjoying the guitar. Sebby gives us a concert, singing his favorite Russian holiday song with his improvised strumming.

Last but not least, an all-season favorite: bubble baths.

Our little sledding hill

2012-02-18T01:28:00.000-08:00

We discovered a little hill near us where someone has poured water to create a few slick paths for sledding. Even though the hill is small, the ice makes for great sledding, and walking back to the top of the hill is a piece of cake! This has provided lots of entertainment for Misha and Sebby, as well as dozens of other children who live in our area. They come bringing wooden sleds with metal runners if they have them, and if they don't, they simply sled on pieces of cardboard, plastic bags, or nothing at all. If you're wearing snowpants, you're set!

The place to be.

The camaraderie of the kids is nice. Toddlers with their mommies, elementary schoolers out with friends, Kyrgyz kids, Russian kids, girls, boys - everyone is out enjoying the winter together. Whenever a kid is poised at the top of the hill ready to go down, he or she yells out "otiditye!" ("get out of the way!") before cruising down. Following suit, Sebby has also taken to bellowing "otiditye!" before he takes his turn.

Sebby the Abominable Snowman

Hooray for snowpants!

Snowboard-style!

A little push ...

Misha gets a ride from Styopa, a nice kid in the neighborhood.

When the boys are sufficiently soaked through (despite the snowsuits), I entice them back inside for some hot cocoa!

Family Ice Skating

2012-02-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

We are happy to report that we have resumed one of our favorite activities - ice skating! In Saudi Arabia, unfortunately, it was impossible for us to go skating as a family because the rinks were either for men or for women, but not for both. Bishkek, however, has several rinks around the city. The one we have been frequenting is a large rink filled with men, women, and children of every ability level.

We weren't sure if we would be able to find little skates for Sebby, but we were pleasantly surprised. Not only do they have skates for the smallest of customers, but they have helmets and knee pads to boot!

Misha was thrilled to be back on the ice, zooming around in no time, and Sebby absolutely loved his first time on the ice. I guess he's just dying to keep up with Misha. He can't skate by himself, of course, but he loved hanging onto our hands and getting spun around the rink again and again. Every time we took a break, he begged, "I want more ice skating!" Skating while supporting Sebby takes a big toll on Josh and me, so after taking Sebby along for the first two times, we found a sitter and enjoyed skating for ourselves the next time. Each time we have gone, we've taken friends along who have never skated before and were excited to try something new.

The enjoyable exercise wears us all out - especially Sebby! He fell asleep in the brief time between taking off our skates and loading back into the car.

Have a Holy Moly Christmas (as Misha says)

2012-01-04T03:55:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve arrived at last, and Misha reveled in the idea that Dyed Moroz was coming that very night. We took some more pictures in front of the tree,

admired the decorations at the Vefa Center,

and finished last-minute gift-wrapping. Since wrapping paper is only found in certain places and it's a bit expensive, we only bought a small amount. For many of the presents, I recycled Sebby's beautiful and numerous drawings to use as Christmas wrapping. It worked extremely well, and Sebby was proud to have his work displayed in such a manner, never forgetting to point out that "Sebby do it!"

We left the cookies by the tree and the kids went to bed with bottled-up excitement - and visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

At some point during the night, the scene in our living room changed to this.

Misha was the first one up at 8 a.m. He came bounding into our dark room, chattering in a voice that couldn't quite be contained by his attempted whisper, "Mom, Santa CAME! There are MORE presents! And one of them is wrapped in Calvin and Hobbes paper ! Wait, let me go see if the cookies are gone!" Off he dashed, quickly returning to announce, "They're GONE! He ate them ALL! And the stockings are full! And they're on the GROUND, Mom! Come see!"

Having stayed up far too late, Josh and I were exhausted, but I dragged myself out of bed to keep Misha from opening everything himself. He was ready to rip right into the Calvin-and-Hobbes-covered package, knowing full well that inside was the Hobbes I made for him that he had decided he really wanted a few weeks before Christmas. When he saw the tail that I had purposely left poking out from the package, he said, "Look! It looks JUST like him!" He also started test-driving the remote-control car that Santa left by his stocking. Appreciating the quick steering response of the car, he said reverently, "It must be made with magic!"

He then began peering into his stocking. To slow him down a bit, I told him we should wait for Daddy, and that he should go wake up Sebby. On a normal day, Sebby wakes up so slowly that I usually have him completely dressed and am putting on his coat and boots by the time he opens his eyes. But when Misha shook him awake exclaiming, "Sebby, wake up! Santa came!" that little boy hopped right out of bed and went running so quickly toward the living room that he crashed right into my legs and fell down. Without stopping to cry, he jumped up and charged into the living room asking, "Where's Santa? Where's Santa?" Misha had to explain that he wasn't there - but the stockings were.

Josh staggered out to join us as the boys dumped out their stockings to find toys and candy. Misha got his laser light and Sebby got a mini flashlight. Sebby downed at least three chocolate bars before we managed to stash the remaining candy up high for later.

Then we moved on to the presents. Sebby loved ripping open the packages, no matter whose they were. The only thing that was able to halt his relentless unwrapping mission was a Santa coloring book. After opening it, he ran out of the room, returned with his box of crayons, laid down on the floor, and started coloring.

On to the photos. Here are a few highlights:

First order of business - opening Hobbes

Misha and Hobbes

Sebby with his new bear, just like Misha's Growl

Driving the remote-control car

A little dragon Misha drew for me

Opening books with Sebby

Sebby with his new flashlight and spiffy Spiderman tights

Westlandia - a fabulous book from Aunt Tanya

The game that Misha and I made for Daddy, modeled off the Munchkins Board Game, with rooms to explore, monsters, treasure, and more.

Opening their presents from our friend Saule ...

... to reveal adorable sweater vests she knitted :)

Sebby modeling his sweater and checking out his zoo sticker book

a new puzzle

Sebby's Dr. Seuss matching cards from Grandma and Grandpa

All-purpose little Legos to beef up Misha's collection

Sebby with his Santa coloring book.

My big surprise: I opened a little present that said "For Mom" to discover a balloon, inside of which was a piece of paper containing a pick and a note: "Ask Misha to bring you your present." Misha ran off and came back with a guitar!

The Story of Hobbes

Since about age four, Misha has enjoyed having Calvin and Hobbes comics read to him from time to time before bed. We brought several of the books with us to Kyrgyzstan, so we have been reading a lot of Calvin's adventures lately. A few weeks before Christmas, Misha told me that he really wanted his very own Hobbes this year. When I told him that Hobbes just isn't sold in stores, he was undeterred, and knowing I couldn't let him down, I decided to make one. Meanwhile, Misha spent his time preparing for Hobbes' arrival. He made origami clubhouse hats for himself and for Hobbes, as well as treasure maps and telescopes. He even drew a "Misha and Hobbes" cartoon. In his room, he taped up a little sign for Hobbes that read, "Come heer on Day 25." (He was originally hoping that Hobbes would make it by Christmas so he could participate in the New Year festivities with the family, but I didn't get around to it in time.)

I made a trip to Madina Bazaar, a large market known for having everything from fabric and sewing machines to insulation and building materials. There I found an amazing array of fabric and I easily found soft, strong, non-fraying material for making a Hobbes. I also got a half kilo of cotton stuffing, which, as it turns out, is an awful lot. During Misha's last morning at school before the break, I spent four hours cutting, sewing and stuffing, just barely finishing in time to go pick up the boys.

Here he is all cut out and ready to be sewed. I drew the stripes on with permanent marker.

The end result!

I wrapped him in Calvin and Hobbes paper, printed from our computer, with his tail peeking out. (Josh added the sock.)

Happily, Misha thought Hobbes was just right. He only requested one modification - claws on his paws drawn with marker. Check!

Of course, fulfilling the prophecy of my parents and sister, Sebby wanted one too. So the next day, to keep the peace, I made a second Hobbes. This one went a little faster, since I had two helpers to turn limbs and stuff them. As I worked, Sebby kept popping over to see my progress, saying happily, "Sebby's Hobbes! Not Misha's."

When he was done, Sebby clutched his Hobbes in a tight hug, and now he carries him around everywhere.

Everywhere.

Now that it's winter vacation, we are spending quiet days at home, playing with new toys, reading new books, eating a lot of pancakes, and enjoying the snow in the afternoons.

Sebby explores the fluffy, freshly-fallen snow.

Misha gives Sebby a lesson in snowball-making.

There's not a lot of snow to work with, but Misha managed to create a small snowman!

Happy New Year!

Presenting Misha the Snowman

2011-12-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

Since New Year is the focal point of the season here, school children don't even start their vacation until around Dec. 28. That fact plus our work schedule, the cold weather, and being sick made us decide to celebrate our Christmas on New Year as well, thus magically gaining an extra week to do Christmas shopping. It wasn't hard to explain to Misha that Dyed Moroz (Father Frost, aka Santa) comes on Dec. 31 in Kyrgyzstan. All the children here have to wait until then for their presents.

Even so, we did let the boys open a few presents on Christmas Day, and we enjoyed a breakfast of snowman-shaped pancakes.

On Wednesday, I got to see the results of Misha's much-anticipated, much-rehearsed Novi God (“New Year”) school program. It was adorable! (I am aware that I am probably biased).

Before the big event, we had to buy Misha a white shirt and white pants to wear under his snowman costume. We found a good shirt, but to Misha's dismay, we could only find grey pants in our last-minute shopping run. However, we discovered that if we turned them inside out, the soft white lining looked just like snow. With Misha appeased, we took his white clothes to school the next day. I sent Misha off to his classroom, only to have him come running back out saying that his teacher wanted to talk to me. Oh great, I thought. (His teacher is a nice Russian lady, and Russian people in my experience are extremely blunt.) Didn't you bring any white tights? she asked in Russian. I confessed that the only pants we could find were these sweatpants. She looked at the pants and gasped in surprise, "Ani na-iznyanku, chto-li?!" (which would translate rather like, "You meant to tell me they're inside-out?!") -- to which I explained that Misha and I thought they looked nice and snowy. She paused and said, “Nu, da, mojet-bit.” (Well, yes, maybe.) In the end, they worked out perfectly. After all, it's only a party for six-year-olds and their own parents!

My cute little snowman

Santa, Kyrgyz style

Misha and his partner performed a Snowman Dance

All the kids in Misha's class were dressed up in various costumes, from mini Santas to snowmen to animals and even pirates. The teaching staff also dressed up to give the performance its own Dyed Moroz (Father Frost), Sniegurichka (Snow Girl, the granddaughter of Father Frost), Baba Yaga (the Russian witch of folktales), a snow-woman, and an animated bag of toys. The kids sang and danced and remembered their choreography quite well! This time, Misha was able to sing along much better now that he has learned more Russian, and it was easy to tell he really enjoyed doing the songs and dances. At the end of the show, Dyed Moroz reached into his bag of toys and gave each child a big bag of candy and a game.

This is a short clip from their performance. They sing, "Ni zamyorz! Ni zamyorz! Ni adin iz nas. Dyed Moroz, Dyed Moroz, greyet nas sechas" - (Don't freeze, don't freeze, not one of us. Father Frost, Father Frost, warms us up right now.)

Afterward in the hustle and bustle of parents collecting their children and getting them changed back into their normal clothes, Misha whispered to me conspiratorially , “Mom, do you know who that Dyed Moroz REALLY is? He's our teacher, the one who teaches us the dances!” He is firm in his belief that the real Santa is indeed out there, although his questions are getting more detailed, like his recent query, “Is Santa really real, or does he have an airplane?” Way back in summer, he came up with one that still makes me smile: “Do the elves make ALL the toys, or only the wooden ones?”

A few other cozy moments:

Sebby loving his hot cocoa.

Little watercolor painters

Misha's masterpiece

A moment of peace: brothers watching the Grinch.

We have just witnessed the craziest fireworks display we have ever seen at midnight. People have been setting off firecrackers all day, gradually increasing as the hour grew later, but nothing could have prepared us for 12:00. We watched open-mouthed from our window as some people shot Roman candles directly from their apartment windows while other groups of people spread out below to blast firecrackers across the small courtyard. Little children as young as five and six clutched firecrackers as long as their arms. Huge city fireworks lit up the sky in green and red in the background as misfired balls of sparks went spitting across the lawn, crashing into our building and exploding. Car alarms went off left and right from the jolts of deafening explosions. A mini hot-air balloon drifted as high as the 9-story building across from us before catching fire, falling rapidly, and burning out from its position stuck in a tree. This went on for more than half an hour, with intermittent firework fun continuing the rest of the night. Thank goodness for winter and cement buildings!

Today, Josh and I finished last-minute wrapping, while Misha conspired with Daddy about my presents and then conspired with me to finish up our secret gift for Daddy that we've been working on for quite some time. We also made oatmeal chocolate-chunk cookies, some of which we left out for Santa. I asked Misha, “Do you think Santa needs one or two?” “Mom, he's HUNGRY! I think he needs four!” was his response.

Now the boys are sleeping peacefully (they missed the midnight madness), and Josh and I are looking forward to watching them discover their stockings and toys in the morning.

Anticipation

2011-12-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

Our family time in December was spent mostly adding ever-more decorations to our house, playing outside for brief periods at a time, and listening to our Christmas music classics (thanks to Misha, who has been playing them steadily since early November). Here is a barrage of recent photos:

The boys proudly display our Christmas chain:

Our count-down to the 25th has all of its doors open ... so we made another week-long calendar that goes until New Year's Eve!

Misha and I cut out snowflakes, and he helped me tape up the cut-out letters for our "Merry Christmas!" message. Misha has since made origami bells as well.

Sebby has been pretty good (most of the time) about just picking up and moving around the presents without opening them. He pretends to read the labels, running his finger along the paper and saying, "To Sebby!" And instead of saying "Christmas tree" or "Merry Christmas," he simply refers to everything as "Merry Christmas tree!"

Through the stomach

2011-12-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the way to the heart of a culture is through the stomach. If that's the case, then we are doing an amazing job. Not only have we been enjoying national dishes at the restaurants, but we have been cooking them at home (with lessons from our friends) and accepting invitations to neighbors' feasts - all of which have been keeping our bellies full and our hearts content.

A few weeks ago, an acquaintance who lives in our area invited us to his home to have an evening meal with his family. When we arrived, we were promptly led to a table packed to the brim with salads, fruits, cookies, and tea. The boys nibbled and played with a new friend, the four-year-old daughter, while we drank tea, chatted, and obediently followed the commands of our hosts to eat more. A short while later, out came the main course - even though we were already stuffed! Of course we ate more anyway, as it was delicious manti, a type of steamed dumpling stuffed with meat and onions.

Jyldyzbek and his daughter.

Sebby at the feast.

On to the cooking lessons! In this photo is the gan fan that Saule and I made. Since I used to cook with Saule last time we were in Kyrgyzstan, it's about time we did it again. Gan fan is one of my favorite Kyrgyz dishes. First, you fry lamb (or beef) in a generous amount of oil. Later, you add the veggies - peppers, carrots, onion, garlic, raddish, cabbage, or whatever you like. Add a bit of water and season with a bit of tomato paste, salt, pepper, and hot peppers if you like. Serve over rice. Delicious! We've been making this at home a lot lately.

Then Anara taught me the Kyrgyz way of making plov, something I've attempted to recreate but haven't gotten quite right. Again, you fry meat in oil, later adding rice, onions, carrots, and garlic. It's delicious served with a salad of tomato, cucumber and onion.

Anara also makes fabulous manti. On a cold snowy night, we happily walked the short distance to her house to eat finger-scalding manti taken straight from the mantejnitza - a cool stacking manti-steamer (like this).

Anara's manti, waiting to be gobbled up along with spicey salads and hot tea.

Misha and I enjoy the meal.

On another occasion, Anara showed me how to make samsa, made from triangular-shaped, layered dough (rather like filo) filled with your choice of meat (chicken, in this case) and onions.

Fold them up ...

Bake them until the kitchen smells wonderful ...

and enjoy!

Misha and Alihan dig in.

Another of my favorite Kyrgyz dishes is uchpuchmaki. Not only is it fun to say, but it makes a perfect portable snack. The uchpuchmaki that I buy on the way home from work look far more professional, but mine still turned out pretty well. The dough is bready, which I made from a rather arbitrary mix of milk, yeast, egg, flour, and salt. For the filling, I prefer lamb (or beef) with potatoes, green onion, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper, and a bit of oil or lamb fat. Brush a bit of beaten egg on the tops before baking to a golden brown.

Of course, we don't eat Kyrgyz food all the time. We make our fair share of pancakes, crepes, French toast, Ramen noodles, pizza, chicken with broccoli, omelets with hashbrowns, and stew, lots of stew. And now that we have brown sugar (thanks to my parents' care package), we are back to making cookies! Our oatmeal-peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk turned out so satisfyingly American that they disappeared in two days. We may need more brown sugar ...

Misha and Sebby are always quick to volunteer to help with the cookies!

Let it snow

2011-12-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful.

Since we've got no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

After a few teases of snow which melted within a day, we finally have a white world. The grass is no longer visible, and the sidewalks are covered with icy patches that no one shovels or salts, making for interesting walks around town. Misha is always thrilled to look out the window and see the flakes swirling down, and snow always makes me feel nice and cozy as well, especially as snow brings the promise of Christmas.

Misha got a head start on his letter to Santa; he wrote it in November! He cleverly asked for two laser flashlights so that Sebby would have no excuse to steal Misha's.

We have been busy with all the fun traditions of the season. First up, sugar cookies! Mix, roll, cut, bake, cool, frost, sprinkle. They turned out pretty good, although not exactly like my American version.

And of course, Misha and I have an annual tradition of making a Christmas-tree shaped calendar with doors counting down to the big day. This is our third ever Christmas calendar. It certainly helps motivate Misha to wake up in the morning. I simply say, "You can go open another door!" and his eyes pop open. Off he runs to the calendar - even though he's the one who drew all the pictures behind the doors in the first place!

The big, bright stockings that arrived in the mail from Grandpa and Grandma really make the house feel Christmasy. And this week, Josh and I went to the bazaar to get a (fake) tree, so now we are in full Christmas mode.

Misha eagerly decorated our tree. We used our play-dough snowmen and hearts, as well as a few origami things and some ornaments we bought at the bazaar.

Misha's play-dough snowman.

Sebby's star

After Grandma mentioned that walnut shells could make great turtles, Misha decided we should try it out. Our turtles turned out super cute!

The only logical follow-up was to make a few Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Sebby is delighted with the Christmas tree. He keeps running over to it, shouting out the color that the lights are glowing at that moment. "Bluuuuuuuuue!" he cries, jumping up and down. He also keeps touching the ornaments to make them move. "See dat? See dat, mama? I make it wiggle!" He has already opened one of his presents, which I had to re-wrap. So far, he has tipped the entire tree over only once.

Misha has been busy creating his own projects and games to wrap up and put under the tree. He made a top-secret origami present for me, but he needed a bit of help with step 4 so I gave him a consult. And again for step 6, and 7, and 8. So I unintentionally saw the final product, but as Misha said brightly, "At least you won't know what I'm writing on it! How do you spell 'Happy Merry Christmas'?"

Holiday celebrations at the boys' school are in full swing now as well. Both boys come home singing "yolochka" (little pine tree) songs in Russian and Misha has been showing me the dances they practice for the New Year Show they will soon perform.

In Kyrgyzstan as in Russia, New Year is the big holiday which includes the tree, opening gifts, and visits from Dyed Moros (Grandfather Frost) and Snegurichka (Snow Girl, the granddaughter who helps deliver presents). A huge, towering yolka (pine tree) has recently been erected in the downtown plaza of Bishkek, and soon Dyed Moros and Snegurichka will be there to visit with excited children.

I really appreciate how the New Year holiday here encompasses the fun children's traditions as well as the generosity and good will of the season without binding itself jealously to one religion or another. The Kyrgyz people are generally Muslim, though not in a very strict sense, while the Russians are generally Russian Orthodox (they celebrate their Christmas on Jan. 7) -- but everyone celebrates a joyful New Year.

A Shashlik Picnic

2011-11-27T03:22:00.000-08:00

Our Kyrgyz and Turkish friends invited us on a shashlik grill-out last month, just in time to enjoy the last bit of fall before colder weather crept in. We drove out of the city, not far from the mountains, and set up camp. The three guys set to work on the shashlik, while the kids played soccer and ventured down by the river to toss rocks.

At long last, it was time to dig in! Alihan tested it out for us first. The verdict: very tasty. We had chicken, lamb, and liver shashlik, with salads and fruit to complement the meal. We all ate to our hearts' content and still had leftovers.

A perfect fall day!

A day out with Misha

2011-11-26T01:23:00.000-08:00

On a nice fall Wednesday, Misha was home sick from school, so we decided to go out and enjoy the city. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Hmm. Just don't tell his teacher. We walked downtown, eager to catch the Changing of the Guards - and we were just in time!

Every hour on the hour, the solemn guards of the Kyrgyz flag rotate. Misha watched with fascination as the stoic men with their impressive swords, oversized hats, and perfectly synchronized steps marched out to relieve the two guards already on duty.

Then we walked a bit farther until we came to Panfilov Park, an outdoor amusement park. Of course, we took Misha up on the ferris wheel.

We admired the city from up high, and I took this nice shot of the White House surrounded by autumn colors.

And we couldn't miss the Komnata Smekha - the Room of Laughter - with its dozens of funny mirrors guaranteed to make you giggle.

And when we saw pony rides in Derjinkska Park for 50 som, we indulged.

And we spoiled him a little more with some hot chocolate at Fatboy's cafe. Perfect to warm up!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-23T23:39:00.000-08:00

Since Halloween as we know it -- with the pumpkins, costumes and trick-or-treating -- is really only celebrated in America, our recent Halloweens have been a bit toned down. Last year, we were in Saudi Arabia, where celebrations apart from Muslim holy days are not acknowledged, so all I did was draw monkey features on Misha's face for fun.

In Kyrgyzstan, children certainly don't take to the streets to collect candy; however, there is a popular curiosity with this unique American tradition. My students loved looking at pictures from our past Halloweens, eager to see if it was really true that we go door to door asking for candy. My students also love scary movies and all things vampire and werewolf, especially since that new Twilight movie just hit theaters here. We had a fun day of pictionary using Halloween words, and several students even brought candy to share.

Misha's class at school had a full-blown Halloween party. The boys got to dress up as black devil cats, the girls became witches, and even the teaching staff donned costumes (something that would never happen in Saudi!). They even performed a dance to the Adams Family song and collected candy from the parents who came to watch their children.

To complete the fun, Misha and Sebby and I went out to buy a big pumpkin of our own to carve. The pumpkins here have a bit of a different shape, but never mind - we wanted our pumpkin to have a distinguished forehead.

Misha showed Sebby how to scoop out the seeds.

Misha designed the face on paper, but I carried out the hack job. Our friend Alihan came to see the final result - candle and all.

Misha liked it so much, he wanted to keep it in his room.

The boys often dress up in their superhero outfits, and though this wasn't actually for Halloween, it fits the spirit of the day. :)

Kyrgyzstan's fourth president: Atambayev

2011-11-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

The election is over - and Almazbek Atambayev is due to be sworn in as Kyrgyzstan's next president before the new year.

I thought there was considerable interest leading up to the election, with huge billboards up and down the main streets, and pamphlets, cards, and newsletters passed out to voters in the micro-regions. However, even though it had the outward appearance of a competitive campaign, some of our friends say that real democracy is still out of reach.

Overall, the election seemed to go smoothly. The OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) noted many "irregularities," such as names left off voter lists, multiple voting, and direct encouragement for state employees and students to vote for Atambayev - but nothing so flagrant as to warrant a recount. Atambayev received 63 percent of the vote, while his top two competitors, Kamchybek Tashiev and Adahan Madumarov, both from the south, took about 15 percent each.

A billboard for Tashiev

Another for Madumarov

Most of our friends and acquaintances here expected Atambayev to win. He has ties to Moscow, favor with current interim president Roza Otunbayeva, and a name well-known in politics as acting prime minister. And judging by the number of billboards sporting his smiling face, he has money too. His campaign slogans centered around unity - вместе мы кыргызстан ("Together we are Kyrgyzstan"), thus gaining support from the Uzbek population in the south where there has been much ethnic tension.

Kalimatov was another of the 20-some candidates that made the ballot.

Suvanaliev's poster overlooks Sovietskaya.

Tashiev and Madumarov contested the election results, but nothing has come of it, and the south saw only a few protests. I, like most people, am hoping that Atambayev will have a positive impact on the country.

Interestingly, Josh and I have been in Kyrgyzstan under each of its presidents. The first, Akaev, ruled with increasing corruption from the country's independence until 2005 when he was ousted by protestors in the first revolution. Bakiev became the second president, but the people's hopes for a new start turned sour as he proved as corrupt as the first. Riots and protests errupted in April last year with much more violent results, particularly in the south of the country where 400 people died in ethnic clashes. Bakiev fled, at which point Roza Otunbayeva became interim president. Now, having returned to Kyrgyzstan in time for the campaigns and election, we're about to see Kyrgyzstan's fourth president take the stage.

Going to Gawaii

2011-11-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

We feel extremely lucky to have met a wonderful family that lives just one building over from us. They have been so generous and helpful, from helping find a school for the boys to inviting us over to their house to taking us out to do fun things on the weekends. When I was sick, Anara even brought over a pot of hot, fresh soup! Everyone needs a neighbor like that.

They have a son who is almost three, so Misha and Sebby have someone else to run, play, and fight with. Alihan is learning English words from Misha (like "peanut butter and bread") and of course my little boys are picking up Russian (and Kyrgyz!) from him. (Misha can expertly say "Eta moyo!" to be sure Alihan knows "that's mine!" Ah yes, the essential phrases of children.)

One weekend in October, Turat and Anara invited us to Hawii (or "Gawaii" as its pronounced in Russian), a spacious park and restaurant area about an hour drive from Bishkek, on the road to Lake Issikul going East. During a pit-stop, we had to take advantage of this great photo opp in front of the golden trees.

When we arrived, we admired the wide open, green spaces, animal statues, bridges, and swings before heading to the lake. A large dock extending over the lake lets customers eat right on the water while watching the swans and fish.

Our table bordered the water, so the kids could all throw bread crumbs to the alarmingly huge and greedy fish below. The swans and ducks also came over for a taste. Meanwhile, we enjoyed delicious duck shashlik, manti, and gan fan, with hot tea to drink.

Alihan decides he needs a nibble of bread too.

Watching the swans. The little island gazebos were also available for customers for an extra fee. A motor boat transported the hungry families - and their food!

Also on the grounds were these caged falcons

and even squirrels. We love the long-eared squirrles in Kyrgyzstan! I have taken many photos of them running around the parks.

The fountain was a big hit with the kids.

Sebby yodels away, content to sit and watch the fountain for an eternity.

Anara and Turat with little Alihan.

Marching on walls and jumping off - another captivating activity.

By the time we got home again that night, it was time to put the kids to bed. A perfect day!

To the Mountains

2011-11-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

Kyrgyzstan is famed for its mountains, which cover 94 percent of the country and boast the highest peaks in Central Asia. We were eager to spend some time in nature, so we happily accepted our friend Bakyt's invitation one warmish weekend in September to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery. With our two boys and Bakyt's little niece in tow, we headed out to Ala Archa, a national park about 40 minutes away, to walk, talk, and picnic.

The kids loved playing by the river.

The yurts offered food and hot tea.

Bakyt, Josh, and the kids - and a beautiful view.

Back to Bishkek: Settling into Kyrgyzstan

2011-10-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

We were half wondering if our decision to come back to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with kids was slightly crazy. And in some ways, it is. However, all the reasons that pulled us back here are just what we had hoped for.

We are immersed in the languages and cultures of Kyrgyzstan. We have Russian and Kyrgyz neighbors and friends. The kids hear Russian in school and day care all day. And we interact with friendly local shop-keepers, fruit vendors, waitresses, and taxi drivers, doing our business and having conversations. We have many friends from our previous two years here with whom we immediately reconnected. They have been so very helpful and generous with helping us settle in, find apartments, scope out schools, take us to the mountains, and help us find out anything we need to know. Being in a country where we already have such a support network and already understand the language has made coming back to Kyrgyzstan far easier than it would have been to start over in a new country.

Misha and our fabulous friend, Saule. Everyone is amazed at how big Misha is now! He was only a year old when he left.

The boys in Derjinski Park, one of my favorites.

Walking downtown

Eternal Flame monument

It's still the same old Bishkek, and yet so much has changed. The last time we were here, five years ago, the streets were filled with dilapidated Russian Muscovitches and Jigulis. Now, new cars abound - lots of British and German models and even Lexuses. The new Turkish three-story mall, which was under construction when we left, has long been operating on the corner of Sovietskaya and Gorkiva, making that area of town home to many other new bars, casinos, and stores. The mall, called the Vefa Center, has name brand clothing stores like Zara, as well as a supermarket, a play place for children, and restaurants offering everything from Kyrgyz and Turkish cuisine to pizza and sushi. These restaurants even deliver, something which was very rare before. To top it off, the whole mall has free Wi-Fi, making it a popular place for high schoolers to come after school to sit around the fountain and chat on their phones with the internet. While it is still very rare for people to own a laptop and even our most internationally-oriented friends have never seen an iPod Touch, almost everyone has a phone with internet capabilities. Popular restaurants throughout the city offer Wi-Fi, and of course internet cafes are everywhere.

The boys love watching the fountain in the Vefa Center.

The average salary has gone up, but not always in proportion to the rising prices. The cost of meat and gasoline has doubled, for example. (Gas here costs about the same as in the U.S.) Apartments are more expensive. Taxis also cost more, and it's harder to just grab one on the street like before because most companies work through call-ahead ordering services. Like before when we lived here, it's often hard to break a 500-som bill, even though it's worth only about $12. Even with inflation, you can eat a good meal in a restaurant for under $5, and our electric bill for the entire month of October was only $4.

Misha and Sebby are adapting to all the changes very well, with the amazing flexibility and curiosity of children. They have their staples that make life predictable - Legos and watercolor paint - plus new experiences like trips to the mountains and new playmates at school who talk entirely differently than what they're used to. The food and the city are different, but they're adapting, especially since we've taken them to four continents within the span of a year.

Soon after arriving, we got Misha a little scooter to ride. At first, as he attempted to ride it on the cracked and broken paths, he asked, "Why are the roads like this?" I explained, "Because the Russians made them a long time ago." Misha continued riding for a bit, and then asked: "But why did they make them so bumpy?" With a laugh, I told him that they were once new, but now they're just getting old and it's too expensive to replace all the sidewalks.

Out for an afternoon walk as the schoolchildren head home.

The kids love playing outside. Soviet-style parks are all over, each essentially a copy of the same design. In the sunny afternoons, the parks fill up with the children who live in the neighboring apartments to play on the slides, swings, and gymnastic bars. And Bishkek is filled with trees, making the rather drab city look beautiful when draped in overgrown, untethered green. With fall in full swing, the trees are even more striking as Oak and Locus leaves turn colors and swirl to the ground. Now that winter is already showing its face, the city is losing its color, but we are all looking forward to a real winter nonetheless! When Misha saw the first snowfall this weekend, he got so excited that he's dreaming of making snowmen already. It has been two years since he's seen snow.

Swinging by our apartment

Making friends: four kids in a tree.

Our first month in Bishkek was dedicated to getting everything set up - namely, finding an apartment, finding a school for the kids, and stocking our place with needed supplies.

Apartment Hunting

Because of the kids, we opted not to stay in the small dorm-like housing provided by the school, even though we're paying out of our own pocket to rent our own place. With the help of friends and an apartment-seeking service, we checked out six different apartments in the city. Seeing all these apartments whose exteriors and interiors looked so similar really drove home how very Soviet the city is. First, the apartment buildings themselves all look the same. Countless times, the boys have run up to a door that wasn't ours, ready to head upstairs. Then, the layout of the apartments themselves are very familiar, following the same general pattern with only minor adjustments as to how many rooms are inside. Most apartments have identical kitchens, often with the same table and bench-seat set. There are almost always two bathrooms, one with the toilet and one with the bathtub/shower. I was very amused to see that all six of them had identical bathroom mirrors mounted on the wall. Other furniture is also standard - almost everyone has the same style wardrobes, couches, and living room chairs. The closets and overhead storage places are usually in the same places. In the end, we chose a nicely furnished place close to the school where we teach, in the area of the city we lived before. We are really happy with it because the kids have their own room, and we have an enclosed balcony and a washing machine. Also, our apartment has a lift - much-appreciated with a stroller.

Painting in our brightly-colored kitchen.

School and Sadik

Another top priority was finding a good school for Misha and a sadik (day care) for Sebby. We talked to the director of the public school near us, who recommended that Misha attend the "podgotovitilni" courses, which is what six-year-olds in the school system here usually do. These preparatory classes teach kids to read, write, and do math so that they're ready for first grade at age 7. It's essentially kindergarten. After looking at a few day cares, private schools, and combinations of day cares and kindergartens, we were able to get both kids into the same facility, a small, private place called Pochemuchka. Since the word for "why?" is "pochemu?" the name of the school refers to little kids who ask a lot of questions, something like "Why-Askers." Sebby goes to the 2-year-old class for day care, and Misha goes to the prep-classes with the other six-year-olds. Their classes are small, about 14 in a group, and they get to participate in lots of activities. For example, Misha has reading, writing, math, dance, exercise, nap time, English, art, and recess. Naturally, art is his favorite.

Misha's classroom

Sebby's classroom

For Josh and me, one of the most exciting parts about being here is watching Misha and Sebby acquire a second language. School is a bit challenging for them because their Russian is so limited, but they are learning quickly. In a few months, we are confident that their comprehension will be impressive. They get hours of Russian input every day - a great opportunity for them.

Every day, Misha comes home telling us the new words he learned: "tiha" for quiet, "ni trogai" for don't touch, etc. He can answer basic questions about himself as well as count to 50 and name colors, animals, and body parts. He also knows most of the Russian letters and can write simple words by sounding them out. (Russian is very phonetic.) He finds the Russian alphabet fascinating, especially because it's similar to English letters with some funny and easy-to-remember differences. Naturally, it's daunting to interact with new kids in a new school in a new language to boot, but even after just a month of going to school, Misha is starting to understand a lot more and say a few things to the other kids.

Sebby, after quietly listening to the unfamiliar language in the beginning, now attempts to repeat what he hears. He cheerily shouts "Dos Vidania" when he leaves the school, although it sounds more like "dosi-dania!" He also likes to say "Paidiom! Let's go! Paidiom!" Recently, he has stopped saying "no" altogether, instead opting to use "nyet" to respond to everything I ask of him. "Sebby, let's put your pants on!" I say, only to hear his quick retort "Nyet, mama! Nyet!" as he runs out of the room. To Sebby's advantage, many young Kyrgyz children speak Kyrgyz at home and only learn Russian when they start going to day care. In many ways, Sebby is like a good many two-year-olds - just now learning Russian.

Misha's shkafchik (cubby)

The school had a 10-year celebration party one Saturday morning.

On the swings with their friend Alihan.

Bazaars

We have a love-hate relationship with the bazaars. On one hand, the huge bazaars are noisy, dirty, very crowded, and time-consuming - a good half hour drive out of the city, not to mention a good deal of wandering around searching for what you need. On the other hand, going to the bazaar is a great adventure, where we are surrounded by vendors shouting in Kyrgyz, the smells of shahslik, and colorful rows of fruit, bread, and everything from saddles to pots and pans and pillows. Nothing makes you feel that you are truly in a different country like the bazaar, and that is what I love.


Socks, coats - it's all at the bazaar.

Freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice.

There are two main bazaars which are famous for their immense size, amazing selection, and cheap prices. Osh Bazaar is better known for food, while Dordoi is the place to go for household items and toys, though you can find a little bit of everything at both. We have already made several trips to the bazaars for warm blankets, kitchen supplies, and toys for the boys. The last time we went, we took Misha and Sebby along. The result? A crazy afternoon of trying coats and shirts and shoes on the kids, appeasing the hungry boys with ice cream, and chasing Sebby down crowded aisles as he wove his little body among the shoppers. Luckily, I think we're done shopping for their winter needs for awhile, so they won't need to join us at at the bazaar next time! If you're wondering why we simply don't buy things at the mall, it's because the mall is extremely expensive. in Bishkek, there is no middle-ground - there is either ridiculously expensive or, if you're willing to make the trek to the bazaars, very cheap.

"Lepioshka" bread for sale.

Fruit, glorious fruit.

Beautiful Kyrgyz cushions called tushuks.

Marshrutkas
Even though personal cars and taxis pack the streets, the mass transport system of marshrutkas is still the cheapest and most popular way to get around. For only 8 som (about 20 cents), you can jump onto any minivan and ride it until you want to get off. There are only two downsides: the winding routes and frequent stops take time, and the vans be can unbelievably crowded. With two children, riding the marshrutka is anything but fun, so we rarely do it as a family. If it's just Josh and me, though, it's something else entirely. Some anthropologist part of me thinks I could stand squished against the window all day, hanging onto the bar on the ceiling for dear life as people keep climbing while almost nobody gets off, until you simply can't believe there could be room for even more person. And yet there is. Eventually, as the marshrutka follows its route, jerking to frequent stops as more people flag it down, the passengers decrease and those remaining can decompress. But only temporarily, as the ebb and flow of people continues all day.

Misha rides his scooter as marshrutkas cruise down Sovietskaya.

Food

Josh and I love the national dishes of Kyrgyzstan, especially plov (rice with carrots and onions topped with lamb and a salad or fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions), gan fan (rice topped with spiced veggies and lamb), and lagman (veggie and lamb soup with thick homemade noodles). We also love shashlik (marinated grilled lamb, beef, pork, or chicken, usually with chunks of fat grilled on the skewer as well, eaten with vinegar and raw onion). The boys, however, didn't warm up to the restaurant scene so quickly. "Normal" food like chicken nuggets and grilled cheese doesn't ever appear on a menu at most places. After several attempts and ordering various dishes for them, we have found a few things that they like, and they are starting to like others. Blinchiki are something we can always count on - they are basically crepes, served with sour cream and sugar. Misha likes chicken shashlik. And Sebby is a big rice fan, meaning that he will usually help me with my plate of plov or gan fan.

Gan fan.

Misha and I enjoy plov and blinchiki in the popular restaurant Faisa.

Sebby outside Fatboy's, a famous Western hang-out.

Of course, we cook a lot at home, especially now that we are starting to get a supply of ingredients at our disposal. Fruits and vegetables are easy to buy on the street corners or at little markets all around. Grapes, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, and apples are all available at this time of year. For veggies, I can get carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, squash, and sometimes even zucchini and broccoli. Meat is the more challenging food group. Americans are used to pristine-looking, boneless meat, so anything less looks a bit scary to me. Instead of buying room-temperature meat from little markets, with splinters of bone from chopping, I pay a bit more and get the meat at the mall, where I can get nice slabs of beef and lamb and even frozen chicken breast. I am getting more creative with cooking at home, but the kids' daily favorites continue to be peanut butter and cream of wheat.

My shopping buddies.

Teaching

Josh started teaching immediately after arriving in the country, meaning his first week was rather surreal. Luckily, I didn't work the first month, because we still had to figure out the school situation for the boys. I started teaching two classes a day in October, which has been very enjoyable. Most of our students are Kyrgyz or Russian high school kids, with a few older working adults or a few younger kids, depending. The small classes (8 or 9) mean that class-time is fun and comfortable, and the students are very good-natured and curious. My students make me laugh every day.

We are still adjusting to everything and learning a lot. Presidential elections are Oct. 30, so we are curious how they will turn out.

Fitting it all in

2011-10-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Though we spent the whole summer in vacation mode, we had the "what next?" dilemma constantly in the back of our minds. Hoping to travel again for a better opportunity to learn languages, we continued to apply for teaching jobs abroad, but our hopes were dimmed by rejections based on the fact that we had some extra baggage - children. In the end, an ad caught our eye from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where we had taught in 2004-2006. We had always planned on showing Misha his place of birth - we just didn't know it would be so soon! Since traveling with kids is stressful enough as it is, it was reassuring to think about going to a place where we could get around in the language and where we were familiar with the city. We were also excited about seeing old friends.

Meanwhile, we were busy fitting as many summer activities as possible into the last few weeks of August before flying out!

Fishing with Grandpa was a huge success. In Misha's words: "I caught the fish by myself. Grandpa didn't reel it in for me. Grandpa told me when to pull it up. Grandpa caught two and I caught three. All together we found eight, but we threw some back in because one was too small and some were bullfish that Grandpa didn't like to clean. And the bullfish didn't taste good in the summer time of year."

Three grandkids in the tub!

Clean little boys in pj's.

Bubbles in the backyard:

Up to the campus bookstore to see Grandpa in action

... and to engineering to see Grandma!

Cookie-making fun with Aunt Tanya

and watching ever more monarchs hatch:

A fun evening of croquet in the park.

and a great visit from Gloria and Bill

Grilling on Tanya and Aaron's deck

Mmm...

Sebby and Nara help with the husking.

Back to the kids' museum...

and McCrory Gardens

Soccer with Grandma and Grandpa ...

And you can't forget raspberry picking at Sanderson's Gardens! We had fun making jelly, jam, and pie with our treasures.

Our family threw us a wonderful goodbye party before our departure. We miss you!

Stay tuned for an update on life in Bishkek. :)

6 Kulas in Houston

2011-09-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Next, Sebastian and I met up with Josh and Misha again in Houston, to see Bud and Ashley. The boys always love seeing their Uncle Bud and Aunt Ashley, who has officially been an aunt since the February wedding. We haven't seen them since we all met up in Egypt last summer. They were happy to have us in Houston and treated us like honored guests, spoiling us with good food both at home and in restaurants, exciting trips out in Houston, and the best bed in the house!

Ashley is an amazing cook.

The older set of Kula brothers.

Josh had such a good time hanging out with his little brother that he may even agree with me that there is a plus side to having two children. Brothers can make good friends ...

The boys also got to meet their Beagle, Sherlock. Sherlock was a bit confused when Sebby was the one chasing HIM around and even more baffled when the boys took over his crate home.

One evening, we dropped the boys off with Ashley's parents so that the Kula couples could enjoy a fancy dinner with cheese fondue, meat platters to fry, and brownies and strawberries to dip in chocolate. We definitely indulged.

We also got an insider's look at Bud's line of work, which is more interesting than most, as he is the star actor in a mystery dinner theater. Here he is dressed up before the show as Dr. Do-Bad. Ashley makes everything run smoothy behind the scenes as she does the sound system.

Bud and Ashley insisted on taking us to Moody Gardens, which features fabulous aquariums as well as an indoor recreated rainforest.


Misha admires the sea dragons.

Penguins!

Misha with the penguins.

Sharks!

A butterfly for Sebby!

On another outing, we hit the Space Center, and even took the tour to see the real Mission Control center.

Of course, we spent time relaxing around their apartment, too. We took advantage of the swimming pools, but not the lake. Check out the warning.

Bud was determined to fit into his new thobe from Josh.

Thanks for the great time in Houston, Bud and Ashley!

The Boston Trip

2011-09-05T03:21:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said Josh and Misha flew to Boston for two weeks? Here is a photo collage of what they were up to. They went to see Josh's good friend Chris, who studies in Boston. Chris and his wife Gulya have a son the same age as Misha.

Misha and Nikita hadn't seen each other since they were 2 1/2, and though they have quite different backgrounds, kids can always find something in common!

Amazing architecture

Green walking paths everywhere

Beautiful river views

Chris on the river

A special treat for the boys - a ride in a crane!

Geese ...

and a heron

Fun at the science museum

Misha, the river, and the skyline

Touring on the river

Coming through!

Chris and the boys in the museum

Sebby and Nara in the Black Hills

2011-08-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

In early August, Tanya and I decided to take our littlest ones, Nara and Sebby, out to experience the magic of the Black Hills, and more specifically, the fun of Sue and Ed's house. With our husbands temporarily absent, our traveling team was simply two moms, two babies in car seats, and a Volvo. The road trip went reasonably well (all things considered), but everyone was more than happy to arrive at our destination.

The moment we got out of the car, Sebastian was thrilled with the three dogs circling around him. He kept running up to us to show us where the dogs had "kissed" his fingers. The fun continued when he and Nara got to watch the horses eating and pet their noses. More outdoor fun included picking raspberries and beans, swinging on the rope swing, and jumping on the trampoline.

Inside, the kids found plenty more to entertain themselves, from Legos and Tinkertoys to pianos and books and stuffed animals, and even Rebecca's retired play kitchen set!

Ready for bed!

Sue is always full of lots of ideas for fun things for the kids, like this creek down the road

... and Story Book Island, where we met Rebecca for a fun afternoon of memories.

Both Sebby and Nara found a kindred spirit in little Piglet:

Life at Sue and Ed's was just like we remembered it. Making chocolate chip cookies, green bean casserole, and banana smoothies all at the same time. Finding your favorite photos on the wall collages. Saddling up a horse for a trot through the beautiful hills. Eating new foods, like buckwheat, and old favorites like raspberry jam on toast.

Sebby and Nara loved being outdoors, enjoying the sunshine, the animals, the cool breeze, and room to run.

Write your favorite caption for this photo in the comments section. I'll make the winning caption into a greeting card!

Sebby had no reservations about riding Spark with Sue. He looked so proud to be riding a real horse!

Our ride and walk took us down the road to visit Easter, who grazes peacefully in his pasture as he lives out the rest of his years. He is already 35 or 36 - older than me!

With the overflowing excitement of a two-year-old, Sebastian found equal fascination in this bug as in the horses. I love how he exclaims "WOW!" several times a day, followed by, "Look! Mom! Look! Come 'ere!"

Nara glances back at Sebby on our walk home.

Here he comes!

Back at Sue's. I love the red, green and blue.

We made it to the end of one unicycle session at the YMCA, so Sebby and Nara got to try it out!

All too soon, it was time to head back to Brookings, because Sebby and I had a flight to catch to Houston. Here are a few shots of our time on the road.

South Dakota has fabulous clouds.

Hay bales shine in the sun under a blue sky.

Cousins are the Best

2011-08-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

July was a busy month from start to finish. It started with me flying out to New York for a four-day Sisters Road Trip as I helped Tanya cover nine states in her Volvo all the way back to Brookings, with her one-year-old in the back seat and her greyhound in the extended back. If that's not fun, I don't know what is - especially with the soundtrack options we had, not to mention the great quantity of hot fudge malts! The month ended with Misha and Josh traveling to Boston to see friends and later our whole family of four visiting Bud and Ashley in Houston.

But this post is about the in between, which has been filled with lots and lots of fun getting the cousins together. Here are the three of them at the Kids' Museum:

Of course, what really makes summer summer in my book is heading out on the bike trail. It works perfectly with Nara and Sebby sharing the buggy ("sharing" is loosely defined) while Misha cruises along on his new bike, keeping up quite well with Tanya and me.

Let's go!

Ready to roll.

Leading the group.

Misha's favorite destination - the pond. Great for picnics, bugs, and frogs.

Homeward bound.

Grandma and Grandpa's house is also a daily destination.

Just before the 4th of July, Misha joined Grandpa and Grandpa for a trip to Murdo.

A few shots of Sebby with his big brother:

Treasures from the library.

Fun at the park.

When Misha and Josh left for Boston, Sebby barely noticed because he still had Nara as his full-time playmate. He woke up every morning saying, "I want Tanya Nara." We took advantage of the kiddie pool ...

baths at Grandma's ...

Gary's trampoline ...

and riding on toy cars indoors and outdoors.

We also welcomed another monarch to the world,

played at the Kids' Museum some more,

fixed up our big unicycles for the Brookings Tour de Gardens,

and played in the backyard wading pool.

We even whisked Grandma away to spend a relaxing afternoon in Sioux Falls, chasing after the toddlers to make sure they didn't fall into the water at Falls Park and carrying the tired and the grumpy after too much excitement on the sculpture walk. :)

Luckily, the weather was perfect. A beautiful day!

Rhinos and Giraffes

2011-07-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

We woke up one morning a few weeks ago and noticed how perfect the weather was. Cool, not humid, not sunny. That settled it. We all threw our clothes on and jumped in the car. We were going to the zoo!

The Sioux Falls zoo's biggest draw at the moment is its adorable baby rhino:

We also love giraffes.

To make the day even more perfect, we brought along a picnic of sandwiches and enjoyed them in the great weather.

Other highlights:

Well, I couldn't resist.

Misha falls in line with the other ducklings.

Hooray for camels!

We brought Misha's scooter along, which worked out very well.

Sebby's first scooter ride.

Sebby is getting remarkably good at identifying loads of animals, from giraffes to lizards to owls. So what if he sees a picture of a horse and calls it Karst? When you're as short as he is, a full-sized greyhound is definitely horse-like.

Just Can't Get Enough (Butterflies)

2011-07-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Since we've been having so much fun raising our own monarchs, we thought a trip to the Butterfly House in Sioux Falls was in order. It was a bit hit, as always.

Josh and I had fun photographing the different species, while the kids concentrated mainly on getting a butterfly to land on them.

Waiting patiently ...

There it is!

This blue morpho made friends with Josh.

Some more colorful creatures:

The Butterfly House has recently added a beautiful collection of salt water fish tanks. Their stunning aquariums have it all: clown fish, anemones, tangs, triggers, a shark, cichlids, clams, and even sea horses.

And right beside the Butterfly House is a huge playground - the perfect conclusion to a day out.

Butterfly Fever

2011-07-23T21:57:00.001-07:00

This summer, we have jumped into raising monarch caterpillars like never before. Tanya started us off with a bang when she found us five newly-hatched caterpillars. We went searching in McCrory Gardens for more and found a few bigger ones. Misha has been very good about making sure our little friends have enough fresh milkweed to eat, and our whole family watches them grow bigger and bigger until they are ready to make their chrysalises.

Here they go!

Then it's a matter of waiting for them to hatch. A week and half to two weeks later, the chrysalis becomes transparent, showing the black and orange patterns of the wings inside. Then, out it comes, and the real fun begins! The butterfly grips its vacated chrysalis and lets its crumpled, wet wings dry off for a few hours. Its fat body pumps fluid into his wings, and after awhile, it tries a few tentative flaps. It will easily hang onto our fingers during this process, and we can sit outside until its ready to fly. Misha loves to hold the butterflies as they dry, free to admire the beautiful insects as long as he wants. Sebby got a kick out of holding one too.

Just like magic.

As we've learned, there are several generations of monarchs each summer. While most monarchs live less than two months, those born in the last generation of the summer can live upwards of seven months; these are the butterflies that will make the long journey south to warmer climates. Their rapid life cycles mean that we can have a constant rotation of butterflies hatching out. We have a new batch of babies that are busy eating and growing as we speak!

Going to the 'Zeum

2011-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

This post is basically free advertising for the new kids' museum in Brookings. Really, it's impossible to have anything but praise for it. It's that good!

Everyone had told me that the Children's Museum of South Dakota was really impressive, and they were exactly right. It is so professionally and creatively done that it's a kids' paradise. We bought a membership on our first trip - and we've already more than paid for it. The kids both love it. Whenever we come within a block of the museum, Sebby starts saying, "I want 'zeum! I want 'zeum!" He gets so excited by the activities inside that he forgets all about me and dashes off to whatever attracts his attention. Whenever I reach that panicked stage of "Where in the world is Sebby?" I can usually find him in the water room.

Misha gets into everything too, and he can make use of all the features that Sebby is still a bit young for, like the clay day and soap-carving lessons.

The soap snowman!

The inside still retains its old-school feel of Central Elementary while bursting with rooms full of various experiments. In addition to the water room and the art area, kids can (to name just a few) "fix up" a little car, make sand designs on a turning wheel, explore a sod house and a teepee, relax in the baby-safe nature room, experiment with music and sound, and climb to the clouds.

Another hugely popular area is the farm, where children can do everything from collecting eggs and milking a cow to picking corn, tomatoes and carrots to fill their wheelbarrows to take to market. The conveyor belt transports all the veggies to a big bin, from which kids can sort them into cartons to be sold at the store. Misha loves sorting the produce, while Sebby loves loading his grocery cart!

In the fenced outdoor section of the museum, even more awaits. The museum's mascot, Mama T-Rex, peeks from behind the trees and roars, wiggling her scrawny arms and swishing her enormous tail. Her furry baby answers her call from his cave, with enough realism to prompt Misha to ask, "Is it real?"

But the dinosaurs are just one part of the outdoor features. A river winds through the grounds, with nicely-placed stepping stones to jump onto. Shooting fountains, enticing tunnels, landscaped gardens, and a sandy dino-dig spot invite the kids to come and play.

In short, the kids' museum makes a wonderful addition to Brookings, and we are, like everyone else, making good use of it.

Summer Is ...

2011-07-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Corn on the cob.

Blowing dandelions.

Blowing bubbles.

Puppies

The morning sun.

New bikes.

Swings.

Relaxing outside.

Riding on the bike trail.

A nice soak after a busy day.

Celebrations of Life

2011-07-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Josh Thomas and Misha share a big hug outside the church.

Just a week after returning to South Dakota, we attended Carol's funeral. Her relationship to me is wordy, something like a cousin-once-removed-in-law, but I feel like she was more of an aunt. Looking at my grandparents' recent funerals and now Carol's, I have been comforted by how positive funerals are in my family. They truly are celebrations of life, filled with memories, talking, laughing, food, and family.

Isaac, Amanda, Rebecca, Ed, Josh, Kathy, Sarah, James, Susan.

Josh and Sebby

The gathering at Gary's was a great place to relax and catch up with family, just like a family reunion. Rebecca, Isaac, and Amanda supervise the boys on the ever-popular trampoline.

A week after that, Sebby turned 2! We had a small party for him. Uncle Joe took us out for pizza, and then we had cake at home.

Chow down!

New legos!

Sebby has been learning and talking so much. Having Grandma Kate with us in Italy meant that we were all using each others' names more than we usually would, and Sebby picked up on that. It was in Italy that he first said Misha's whole name "Misha" instead of just "sha." He can say it soft or loud, inflecting it in a long "Miiiiiiiisha" when he's trying to find out where he has gone. He also learned how to say his own name, "Sebby," plus "Cake" for Grandma Kate, and Tammy and Josh as well.

Now that we're back, he has quickly learned to say Gomma and Gobba (you know, Grandma and Grandpa!) and Tanya and Nara. He even knows the names of the pets in his life - Kuzco, Karst, and Tonka. He is communicating much more, using sentences and lots of new words. In the morning, he wakes up and announces, "I wanna make a house, kay?" and starts building with Legos. Or he puts in his requests for breakfast - "Cheerios and pizza" or "I want chicken rice."

He can sing a few songs, including "Happy Birthday to you" and "Row, row, row, row BOAT!" I'd say he's just about ready for a round. :)

Now this looks familiar!

2011-07-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

We are happy to say that, as of June 7, we are back in Brookings for the summer, with the sole purpose of spending time with the kids and with family.

Misha was exhausted after the long flight with all its layovers (we all were), but he perked right up when we landed and dashed out to hug Grandpa as soon as possible. By the time he got back to Brookings, he was dosing off again, but he had enough energy to give Grandma and hug and snuggle into the sleeping bag she set up for him. And as for Sebby, he wasn't shy at all, remembering Grandma and Grandpa from his younger days or from the webcam.

With impeccable timing, Tanya flew in the next day, giving us all the chance to finally meet one-year-old Nara!

With my two boys and my little niece, who is all smiles and barely any teeth.

Cousins!

Grandma blowing bubbles with her three grandchildren.

It definitely feels like summer should - playing with the hose in Grandma and Grandpa's yard, playing with play-do and Legos, and of course taking lots of trips to Lions Park.

Out for an evening walk in McCrory Gardens, the grandparents get all three grandkids on their laps at once.

Enough Legos to go around.

And thanks to Tanya's husband's cousin, we are renting a great house to relax in.

It even has a tire swing in back, as I never fail to point out.

Sebby and Nara: Just one year apart, they can have double walks, naps, and even diaper changes!

Sebby is pretty excited by the fact that there is someone smaller than he is - and sometimes he even manages to find a way to share!

One Month in Italy: Part 2

2011-07-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

After enjoying Tuscany, we spent a few days in Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. He founded the Franciscan Order in 1208.

Like many towns in the Umbria region, Assisi was built on a hill for protection from invaders.

Into Assisi's narrow and steep passageways.

The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi.

The view from the Basilica.

We stayed in the village of Santa Maria degli Angeli, at the foot of the hill. The view from our little hotel room let us admire Assisi.

A very enjoyable evening out in a restaurant, with a helpful and friendly Italian waiter. Between his recommendations and our interpretation of the menu, we ended up with a delicious meal of gourmet noodles and tender steak. And tiramisu for dessert!

Italian is wonderfully easy and fun, especially already knowing French and Spanish. We were often able to understand enough Italian to follow along with the important things. (Important things being mostly food, numbers, and directions.) Many words are identical to Spanish, while others were more similar to French ("domani" for tomorrow and "formaggio" for cheese, for example).

On our first night when we arrived in Rome, I spoke Spanish to purchase Sim cards for our phones. The man behind the counter answered me in Italian with something that would translate like, "Honey, you are in Italy. Why are you speaking Spanish?" I responded - in Spanish - that I didn't know Italian, and he seemed to think that was a valid reason. A few minutes later, when another English-speaking tourist was asking him a question, he even enlisted my help to translate the question into Spanish and his answer from Italian back into English.

We loved this fountain in Santa Maria degli Angeli. The kids loved running around the edge, which inevitably led to ...

falling in. But Sebby quickly cheered up when we stripped off his clothes, and he went dashing down the cobblestone in just a diaper.

We spent a day enjoying the outdoors. We found a nice walking trail that Misha loved.

It must be the South Dakotan in me - I had to take a shot of these beautiful bales outside of Assisi.

City Mouse

Then, it was off to the city! We hopped a train and arrived in Rome, where we located the great little apartment we had rented one block from the river and two blocks from the Campo de Fiori. The famous Campo was a busy market by day and a fun restaurant/bar/street-artist scene by night.

Campo de Fiori by day ...

... and by night.

Our apartment was in such a perfect location that we could walk to practically everything. We never needed to take a taxi. We enjoyed stretching our legs and being outside. Even better, so much to see was simply free and open, from sculptures and ruins to fountains and bridges. Our first thought was that we wished we had booked more than 9 days in Rome. But in the end, like before, it proved enough time. While we eventually grew tired of the crowds, we reveled in the beautiful anonymity of a big city.

Rome is a feast for the senses. Here's a sampler platter:

Trevi Fountain - you can't really tell, but this square was packed shoulder-to-shoulder!

I adore cities with rivers running through them.

Piazza Navona

The Colosseum, of course! It was not far to walk to, so we worked it into our outings many times. One of those times, we paid the entrance fee and stood in the horribly long line to see the inside. It was worth it!

Playing gladiators

Mmm... formaggio.

The Capitoline Museum, noted for its sculptures.

Inside the Capitoline.

A favorite activity - chasing pigeons in the park.

Gelato ... another favorite activity!

Two little monkeys in the Rome Zoo. Well, actually one of them isn't really a monkey - it's a lemur. :)

This just ends up happening sometimes when one is eating ice cream!

Good thing there are always fountains around to wash off in.

The Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica

Inside St. Peter's

Inside the Sistine Chapel, part of the Vatican Museum

The one and only

The Piazza del Popolo

Relaxing in our Rome apartment

The boys loved the little loft area.

Mimes everywhere! This one is in Piazza Navona.

The famous mythical symbol of Romulus and Remus suckled by a wolf.

The gravel pathway Circus Maximus, once a chariot racing arena, is directly behind us, with the Palatino ruins behind that.

The winged chariot racers atop the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II silhouetted against the sky.

Grandma Kate and Sebby at the Roman Forum.

Josh strikes a philosophical pose at the Forum.

Enough of being a tourist! Time to head back to South Dakota.