Where in the world is this????

UPDATED: If you haven't received our Christmas letter, the answer to the question is..... this building complex one of three possiblities for where we will call "home" during our upcoming travel to China. We are leaving on January 7, the WHOLE fam!, and staying for 7 weeks. We will need to look at and select our apartment after we arrive... Overwhelmed? Yes.

BINGO!

Well, the chiro really didn't do much for the pain I've been dealing with. Although the electrode massage/ ultrasound/BioFreeze treatment could easily become an addiction. Or maybe it was just the fact that I DID'NT spend those 2 hours hauling temper tantrum throwing kids up and down the stairs for timeouts.... Hmmmmm.....

Anyway, prayers were answered. This morning.

My neighbor (a surgeon) finagled his colleague's schedule this morning so that I could be seen at the hospital bright and early for a fifth opinion. They took a 3rd set of xrays, and BINGO, third time is the charm -- I have a fractured rib! There's both good and bad to this since there's really nothing that can be done to treat it. But at least I have a reason for the horrendous pain, and I know I'm not just losing my mind. Ok. Maybe I am losing my mind, but that's another post for another day.

Makes me wonder what doctors 1, 2, and 3 were looking at when they examined my first 2 sets of xrays??? Anyhow.... I have doctor's orders to take it easy, rest lots and LOTS, consume 6 oz. of chocolate 2x daily, don't do any laundry, bathroom cleaning, dishes, etc. Hey, I'm sure that's what I heard him say....... and no one else was there to prove otherwise.

So please excuse me, it's time for my prescribed chocolate truffles and R&R.... ta ta!

Prayer Request

I have been dealing with severe pain in my rib/side since coming down with bronchitis well over a month ago. The actual pain began exactly one week before Thanksgiving, so I'm going on week 5 now? I've seen 3 doctors, had two xrays and the most I've gotten is "take 3 ibuprofen 3x a day" later changed to "take 2 alleve 2x a day.... and don't call me. Some people just have to take alleve for the rest of their lives......".

Well, the pain has remained unchanged/increased and I cannot resign myself to a lifetime of Alleve. So, out of frustration/desperation, I made an appointment to see a chiropractor for this morning.

We are currently getting the Mother of All Snow Dumps (8 in. since about midnight and still going strong). However, the pain was so bad yesterday that I simply must make the trek to the dr. today. So, I would appreciate prayers for two things: 1. Safety while driving in this incredible snow storm (and that the office is actually open when I finally arrive there!) and 2. That the visit will go ok. I have to admit I am completely. freaked. out. by the thought of going to the chiro. I've never gone before and the thought of someone placing pressure the equivalent of an elephant's body weight on my ribcage about makes me want to crawl back in bed and put the blankets over my head. After I throw up first. Yes, the fear is that great.

I only hope that I come out of there walking upright and without cringing in pain any longer. Oh, and a spring in my step would be kind of fun too. Lydia, for one, has been telling me lately that she sure hopes I feel better again sometime soon. Is it possible she's tired of hearing me say "I just need to lay on the couch for a few minutes....".

So, here's to getting better soon. I 2nd that motion.

Metamorphosis

met-uh-mawr-fuh-sis:
1. Biology. a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism
2. any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.


In honor of my 2nd Wisconsin winter I purchased a fluffy red hat. I haven't owned a hat since I was approximately 8 years old and my 3rd grade teacher wouldn't let me go out for recess without one.

When dropping Lydia off at preschool this morning, the thermometer read 9 degrees F.... right now it "feels like" 0 degrees F. Having lived here for a little over a year, I have come to realize that death comes quickly to those who deny the reality of Wisconsin winter. Gone are the days of worrying what my hair looks like. Honestly, if the hat doesn't destroy my best grooming intentions, the 45 mph wind will. I may as well take the reins in determining the exact moment of destruction.

I fear that I've embarked on a slippery slope. One where, ulitimately, I dress up in my Green Bay Packers sweatshirt for a nice dinner out... and order *gasp* deep fried cheese curds and brats.

Fluffy Red Hat, you have set the wheels of metamorphosis in motion.

Who let the bug in?

It's been a little quiet around this here blog..... Let's just say "bronchitis-pleurisy-costochondritis-sinus infection-pinkeye-ear infection" and leave it at that.

Hopefully there will be some more pleasant updates soon as the antibiotic(s) seem to be finally kicking in.

Oy vey.

6 + 3 =

9 inches of snow to date.

Marcus' observation: "Trees White!"

Brandon's observation: (after his 1-1/2 hr snow removal extravaganza) "I... need... a... bigger... snowblower..."

Lydia's observation: "Mommy, it's SO cold out there! It's like Antarctica..... only it's.... Wisconsin. The coldest place in the world!"

It happened....

UPDATED:
In answer to grandma's post... This is NOT a black & white photo. This is a color photo, straight from the camera... no edits. Yep. Wisconsin winter in all its glory.

Six months of Wisconsin winter commences.... NOW.

The fact that I loathe winter with such intensity is slightly dampened by the sheer joy Lydia displayed upon awakening this morning. She has declared 3 times this morning that this is "the BEST day of her ENTIRE life!"

After managing to build one 6 inch show fort and consume 12 mittenfuls of snowy goodness, she was ready to come in for some hot cocoa. Me too.

Overheard by the fly on the wall......

Daddy: What are you going to be when you grow up Lydia?

Lydia: A Cowgirl.

Daddy: But what are you going to do?

Lydia: Ride horses.

Daddy: But how will you make money?

Lydia: Cowgirls don't need money.

Marcus: Yup!

Lydia: Marcus, what are you going to be when you grow up?

Marcus: BIG TOWWWWWW! (translation: BIG COW!)


Yes, we raise our kids to believe they can be anything they set their hearts on...

I'm a little dutch girl dressed in blue.....

Lydia has been learning about different parts of the world in preschool this month. As a special celebration, her class had a Parade of Nations today. The kids were asked to come dressed in an ethnic costume and they would parade throughout the preschool. Since I'm such a procrastinator Since I strategically waited until the day before to put together her costume, I had to work with supplies purchased at Walmart during a post-lunch / pre-nap frantic well-planned shopping spree.

Two sheets of yellow foam, one yard of calico material, one lacy table runner, one set of cafe curtains and 2 hours later... Voila! A Dutch girl! Complete with "wooden" shoes, a skirt with apron and a shawl. And the cutest little dutch girl I've ever seen.... if I do say so myself.

I. WORK. BEST. UNDER. PRESSURE.

Missing Prague Today

My friend, Michael, put a smile on my face by posting this video on his blog today. That smile made possible by Michael was an amazing feat in and of itself since I am quite tired, sick and worn out these days. (And No, do not let your mind wander there....We are not expecting Verbrugge #3. I'm just a SAHM with 2 small children and 1 travelling husband).

Now, back to the video... I enjoyed it so much I had to post it here as well. Enjoy! (And thanks again Mr. Michael)



Story of the Song
The song follows a man driving through Moravia, and finding a village terrorized by a bog monster named Jozin which eats mainly tourists from Prague. The man asks the mayor of the village to give him a cropduster plane to defeat the monster, and the mayor agrees, promising half of the collective farm and the hand of his daughter in marriage if the man is successful. The man takes the cropduster into the air, and defeats Jozin, trapping him, and selling him to a zoo. (courtesy of wikipedia.org)

Aw man..... you GOTTA love the Czech Republic! There's just no place quite like it.

Destined to be a meteorologist

Lydia's weather prediction for this morning:

"It's going to be colder or warmer. OR it's going to be fally or wintery."

Hey, that's more reliable than most weather reports I get. I'm going to her from now on... good-bye weather.com. I have a NEW source!

Report from China

I received this email from Brandon. Made me smile and I had to share....

-------------

What's going on, the sky is blue today? I wonder if the government installed a big fake sky screen way up in the air? Dude picking me up went to the wrong terminal, apparently he thought Chicago was a domestic city in China. I am oh so patient though...

-------------

Insider's note: I'm pretty confident that the last line is loaded with sarcasm. In my experience, 18hr traveling does not generally lend itself to an "oh so patient" Mr. Verbrugge :) Poor Chinese Pick-Up Dude.....

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day........

Literally and symbolically. Today, winter came to Wisconsin. We haven't had "real" snow yet; Just some flurry temptations. But the temps are in the 30s and I am F.R.E.E.Z.I.N.G. I heard parents cheering for their soccer-playing kids on the fields behind our house and I immediately thought "Eww. Maybe I DON'T want my kids to play soccer...." On days like this I would probably win the award for "Worst Soccer Mom"... How bad would it be to just drop your kid off for their windy, freezing game and then head home to sit by a fire in the fireplace, with a fleece blanket and some hot chocolate? After a few years of counseling they'd get over it, right?

And then Brandon left this morning for another week in China. Some symbolic grey, cloudy, coldness heaped on to the real deal.

So where does the sunshine come in? Well, I stumbled across a quiz on facebook that tests one's "True Age". It asks 30 questions about your environmental, social, physical status and then provides you with your true age. Imagine my glee when the results were tabulated and I was proclaimed to be (drum roll please)................ 21 years old! Could there BE a better result?!? I was even honest about occasionally being discontent with my "job" and that I drink 0 alcoholic drinks per day (which doesn't seem very 21-esque to me!). But the results are in which makes it offical. I'm already feeling years younger, much more content and am walking with a renewed spring in my step!

So, please excuse me, but this 21-year old is heading to bed. It IS 10:30pm and WAY past my bedtime after all......

------Postscript---------
If you don't want to sign up for the full facebook quiz you can just google "True Age Test". But be forewarned..... they generally ask only about 5 questions and the first one I took ranked me at "Grandfather/Grandmother Age". Yeh, total bunk.

My heart was hugged tonight........

Dear God,
Thank you SO much for this day.
And thank you for this food.
And please keep Daddy safe in China this week.
And please make Daddy feel good about meeting the people in China.

And thank you for the animals.
And thank you for the sun and the moon.
You are a GREAT God!
Amen.

--Lydia, age 4-1/2

Fall Photo Shoot

It was a rare cooperative-Lydia day so we headed out for a fall photo shoot... I absolutely, positively, most certainly did NOT take approximately 142 pictures in five backyard shooting locations before realizing there wasn't a memory card in my camera. What kind of a scatter-brained mom would do something so ridiculous? Definately NOT me!

Take Two.
It was a rare cooperative-Lydia day so we headed out for a fall photo shoot............ ahem.

My Little Monsters

Before You

Before you, I had no idea there were so many trucks on the roads.

Before you, I didn't know sand could be embraced. By all 230 of your joints.

Before you, I thought people who put plastic down on the floor while their toddler ate were nuts.

Before you, I never knew how much fun it is to watch a big sister and her little brother play silly games together. Now I think it's the best sound in the world.

Before you, I never experienced the sheer joy that rocks, a shovel, and a toy dumptruck can bring.

Before you, I didn't know little boys could be so kissable and huggable!

Before you, I thought curbs were to keep cars from driving up on the sidewalk... I never knew that they're really there so we can jump off of them!

Before you, I thought that swinging a toddler high enough to "bump" at the top was too high.

Before you, a watermelon-juice-stained white t-shirt never looked cuter.

Before you, I didn't even know where the truck aisle in Target was!

Before you, I never thought little boys clothes were very cute. Now I think clothes with puppies, trucks and cars couldn't be more handsome.

Before you, I had never noticed so many American flags. You point out every single one!

Before you, I didn't know a $0.97 hot wheels car could buy so much happiness and contentment.

Before you, I never thought of milk as a breakfast, lunch, dinner AND snack.

Before you, I wondered if I could ever love another child as much as I love your sister. And then you melted my heart.

Happy Birthday, Marcus-y!
You have brought so much fun, craziness and love into our family. I love you loads Little Buddy.
xoxo Momma

*Note to grandmas and grandpas and aunts.... you'll get a copy of the pic at the top when you come to the big party! No need to rush out and make your own prints! Just hold tight! :-)

Harvest Fair

Last year, about 5 days after moving into our new house, we took a break from sorting and unpacking to check out the Harvest Fair at the fairgrounds. Lydia never forgot it and has reminded us throughout the year of the Pig Slide, scarecrows, jumping castles, and cookies. So when I told her Harvest Fair was this weekend, she simply HAD to go. The only problem: Brandon is still out of town. And I did not relish the thought of hiking to the fairgrounds, solo, with both kids... trying to keep them both content and within arms-length. BUT... I ALSO didn't relish the thought of spending all weekend at home with no break and no energy outlet for the kids. So, we went. Aside from Marcus losing it at the fishing pond (classic 2-year old 'I want to fish! I DON'T want to fish! Now that you dragged me away from the pond I want to fish again!' meltdown) things went pretty well. At $2 a pop per inflatable jumping monstrosity, we blew through a lot of money. But we all left in a good mood and ready for GOOD naps! Amen!! And I even thanked Lydia for insisting that we go.

Yes. That IS a slide coming out of a pig's rear end. We live in Wisconsin, remember? It is SO not out of place in these here parts.
Happy pig poo #1
Happy pig poo #2
Farm fresh peaches with juice running down your chin. Yum!
What cookie is complete without a pound of sugar sprinkles and gumdrops? $3.50 for that sugary goodness.
Lookout world! We live in Harleyland and Lydia has had her first taste of the call of the open highway... Oh dear am I afraid. Very afraid.

Root-tootin' Time!

Disclaimer: This video is long! But there is a daddy in China and grandparents in Iowa that will want to see the whoooooole thing. All others should click play at their own discretion. But at least skip ahead to the end for the classic cowgirl-shirt sleeve-slobber-wipe!

We had "Mom's Night" this week at Lydia's preschool and the theme was (you guessed it!) a country ho-down. The kids could pan for gold, do cowboy etchings, eat vittels and other fun cowboy/girlish things. I am amazed at Lydia's teachers this year. The amount of planning and prep that must've gone into the night leaves me in awe. And the teachers even seem to be having a blast... dressed head to toe in their prairie and cowgirl getups. At the end, the kids performed this song for us. The whole night was fine as cream gravy. Yee haw!

Goin' to the chapel.....

Since Marcus and Eva have been playing SO well during their past two playdates, we have decided to go ahead with an arranged marriage. Here are some engagement photos of the happy, radiant bride-to-be and her dazed and bewildered future groom.

Half a world away......

Unfortunately, the time has come yet again to be a solo parent. Brandon left yesterday for 10 days in China. I'm already oh-so-tired and feeling like I'm coming down with some bug and it's only Day 2. And that chair in the living room is gonna HAVE to start growing if it expects to hold any more clothes that need to be folded. Maybe if I just select our daily clothing options from the pile on the chair, I won't ever have to fold it! People might start to wonder when I'm cloaked in a white undershirt, lavender bath towel and men's boxers. Okay, okay... I'll fold it. Tomorrow.

On a positive note, my weekend away was all that I could've wanted. We went to bed late (VERY very late), woke up late, ate breakfast late and scrapbooked late, late into the night. Sheer bliss! We even managed to smuggle my sis, Emily, into two crop nights. Hooray for lenient, laid-back scrapbook store staff.

The weekend only had two downers:

1.) Mamma Mia Sing-along version. "Dear row-mate, it's not your 'singing' that's the problem... It's your accompanying body gyrations (causing my seat to tremor along to YOUR beat) that are, shall we say, distracting me from my movie-viewing experience. And really, was it truly necessary to go tell the senior citizen usher lady that no one else was singing along... leading her to TWICE barge into the theatre and command us to sing?!? REALLY. Was that necessary?

2.) Greedy scrapbookers. Instead of rabidly snatching up toppling stacks of the $1.99 hot buy paper pack of the night, perhaps we could each take what we really need thereby leaving enough for everyone to have a pack or two. Just a thought. Perhaps.

Aside from that, the weekend was heavenly. Mom, Emily and I are already scheming how to turn this into a semi-annual event including my other sis and sis-in-law. Brandon didn't know what he was signing up for by agreeing to do this, "just this once". HA!

The kids and Brandon were all in one piece. The house was nice and tidy, and he was all caught up on the laundry. Talk about Super Dad. Hmmmmm.... Now I'm self-conscious; He wasn't trying to show me how "easy" it is to care for the kids AND keep the house clean, was he? No, he was definately just trying to show me love, Right? RIGHT?

Lydia was SOOOooo excited when I walked through the door. I got the biggest smile and hug; it warmed my heart. Marcus rolled out of the bed in the morning as if I never left. Upon seeing me for the first time, the first word out of his mouth was "Milk". Ah yes, confirmation of where I rate on the totem pole of life's necessities.

And just for proof: Lydia DID in fact get her hair curled and pretty while I was away. Go Dad!

Countdown

3 hr 33 min.

I never did get my coffee this morning, microwaved or otherwise. But just for today, I'm ok with that because...... the Starbucks on I-94 is calling my name and I have gift cards!!!!

If life was a game of Monopoly.......

...it'd be time to play my card! Woo-hoo! I cannot contain my giddiness.... tonite at approximately 5:00 pm (a mere 9 hr 29 min away) I will skip out the door to Lightning McQueen (Lydia's name for my car) and head for the lights of Minneapolis, MN! I will be meeting up with my mom and sister for a girls-only weekend. We're actually going to spend a good bit of time at a mega scrapbooking event at the Mall of America, but our list of non-scrappin' activities is growing by the minute. I'm not sure how we'll fit it all in, but I'm sure "sleep" will be the first activity scratched from the list! That's ok... because I'll get up in the morning when I want to get up... I will make breakfast for ME and slowly sip my freshly brewed coffee (not my microwaved version from home because I never got a minute to drink the first brew!). Sheer bliss. Can you tell I'm excited? Do you know how much I desperately need this break?!? My stomach gets butterflies and my face breaks into a smile every time I think about it (for the past month!)

So... I went to the library and got myself some books on CD and a lovely ABBA CD to blare as loud as I like. (Went to the Mamma Mia movie... LOVED it, LOVED it. A repeat viewing will hopefully take place this weekend). There will be no "kids" music allowed in the course of my 5-1/2 hr drive and I may just stop for coffee every hour and a half. Just because I can! Oh baby, this is gonna be fun!

I thanked Brandon profusely for "allowing" me to do this. He reminded me I hadn't gone yet. I said it didn't matter, just the thought that I WILL be going is enough for me to say thanks. So think of Brandon running the house solo this weekend; say a prayer for dear Lydia (Daddy has to do her hair for school on Friday); prayers for Marcus (he's a bit of a mama's boy); and just that I will be able to relax, have fun, and truly enjoy every moment of the precious time I get with my mom and sis. What a blessing! Oooo... there's that giddy feeling again.... :-)

My Little Dragonfly

Today was Lydia's first day back in preschool. She seemed rather ambivalent* about the whole deal, but given the fact that my precious daughter generally has either strong positive OR strong negative opinions on the topic at hand... "ambivalent" is, well, just peachy! She'll be in school for 3 mornings each week and her teachers, Mrs. Arambula (that's fun to say! :-) and Mrs. Ratliff, seem so very nice. I think it's going to be a good year! Her class is named the Dragonflies. Last year she was a Butterfly. I'm still trying to figure out that progression....

*the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.



Before




Post-First-Day-of-School 2nd Annual Celebration at Maggie Moo's (flavor pick: Blue Cotton Candy with Marshmallows mixed in.)




Marcus isn't nearly as lucky. I still get to choose for him (ha!). Mommy's choice for Marcus: non-staining Vanilla with Marshmallows mixed in. Can someone say "Bo-ooooring!")

While the Cat's Away

Marcus plays and no one takes his toys! It was fun to enjoy a morning one-on-one with Marcus. And more than once I noticed how much simpler and quieter it is with only one at home. Not only did I stop at the grocery store, get the dishwasher emptied and reloaded AND all the other items hand-washed... I had time to color and play trains and go truck-sighting with Marcus. All this before 11 a.m.!

With a water-pipe drilling project taking place at the end of our driveway, Marcus is in his glory. In fact, Marcus spells "heaven": T-R-U-C-K. A little insight into our son's personality.... he has only two 2-word phrases in his vocabulary: Go High! and Big Guck! (Big Truck). Yep, it's called "priorities".



Displaying his secret scooter riding abilities. I did not know my child could do this!



Our boy can run... fast!

The winner by a nose.......

Sweet Lydia! And what a relief, since returning the painting book would've meant less in-car entertainment during our 5 hour drive to vacation today (hence, more mommy duty!). So I was really rooting for her -- desperately seeking out any hint of sweetness to reward!

The Jury is Out

Day One of Lydia's Behavior Modifcation Chart System has come to a close with no definative verdict. Sweet or Not-Sweet? THAT is the question.

Yes, we have been battling some oh-so-unbecoming behavior lately (um, for the past 4 years) and I'm at my wit's end. Today began my first stab at "positive parenting". Timeouts, spankings, loss of privileges, loss of toys, no candy, no movies, or donating her new favorite shoes to Goodwill (yes, I really did that!) have little or no effect lasting longer than 5 minutes. So I decided there was nothing to lose by trying to focus on Lydia's positive actions for a change. Actually, Lydia's on probation right now: she's "earning" the right to keep her brand-spanking new Littlest Pet Shop painting book which I've told her I'm returning to the store because she *gasp* STUCK HER TONGUE OUT AT ME! The chart works like this: She earns a sticker for doing sweet things. She earns a black "X" for doing not-sweet things. Day 1 has come to a close and we have a tie. So the chart will continue tomorrow -- her last chance to earn more stickers than X's. If we have a repeat tie, the paint book goes back to Target.

Will Miss Lydia get to paint or will her brushes run dry? Stay tuned.

If the judge accepted bribes.........

Look how far we've come?

It is our 1-year anniversary of flying out to Brookfield, WI for Brandon to interview at Milwaukee Power Tools. Last night, Brandon and I were remembering that fact and honestly I had to tell him I'm still up in the air: is it an anniversary celebration or whatever the opposite of that would be? Thankfully, I do recall that the 1-1/2 year mark was the turning point in Prague. That's when things really started looking up and taking off for me... just in time to enjoy it for a year before moving back to the States.

In this past year Marcus has learned to walk, talk and has grown into just a sweet little boy. Lydia is blossoming socially and will even answer stranger's questions in the grocery store (in contrast to her gutteral grunts and avoidance of all eye contact a year ago). She's been overheard approaching little kids at the playground and asking their name and age and providing the same to them. She's also learning to read (when SHE wants to) . She is officially 4 going on 14 and is going to keep me on my toes for a lifetime. We have become members of the local mega-church and are still seeking where we best fit serving there. Brandon is thoroughly enjoying his job and keeps getting more and more responsibility. I have recently joined a newcomer's club that has made all the difference for me and just yesterday I agreed to co-lead a MOPS group next year. Me? Leader?!?!? We're still actively searching, praying, hoping for some good, Christian couple friends to live life with. They've GOT to be hiding out there somewhere!

All in all, I have to admit that blogging has been a struggle for me. (I know, shocker!) Maybe I've allowed myself to become too busy. Maybe I have trouble seeing the adventure in life Stateside. Maybe it just reminds me too much of what I still miss about life in Prague. Perhaps selecting a more appropriate title would help me transition this blog to Wisconsin. I'll take suggestions so send them over... If your title is chosen, you'll be sure to receive recognition via the blog!

The best news is that Sunny is coming to visit for the weekend. She's flying up from Atlanta, GA as I write. She gets the credit of walking and talking with me through some of my most difficult moments in Prague as Brandon and I were deciding where to go next. She's about to begin her degree in counseling so this is her last hoorah before life kicks in. We can't wait to spend time with her (it'll be so strange since the only context we know her in is Prague)... Lydia has already "claimed" Sunny for playtime every time she wakes up. There should be some good blog fodder in the next few days...........

It's WINDY in Wisconsin...

Observing Wisconsin

There are plenty of culture-shock inducing occurances around these parts o' the country. I came across a website that defines the lingo one might encounter in Wisconsin. Many of these were confounding to me upon our arrival in these lands. Now, I'm afraid to admit, I scarcely blink an eye. Here is a sampling:

BRAT (Braht)
Short for Bratwurst, Wisconsin's favorite sausage. Brats contain pork, beef, and spices. Lots of spices. A brat-fry is the social equivalent of the New England Clambake or the Texas Barbeque. Brats are not fried at a brat-fry, they are grilled over charcoal, simmered in a beer-and-onion broth, then served on a bun with mustard, onion, kraut, and a cold brew.

BUBBLER
A drinking fountain. Originally named after the valve, which caused the water to "bubble up" when turned on. Ask where the water-fountain is, and the Wisconsinite will direct you to the nearest bubbler.

COFFEE-KLUTCH
A friendly gathering at which coffee is drunk, schnecks consumed, and gossip is spread.

SCHNECK
Any sweet pastry, roll, or doughnut. The proper way to eat a schneck is to dunk (doonk) it in your coffee.

DAIRY AIR
Also known as HEIFER-MIST. Although some may think that this natural by-product of the dairy industry smells like manure, to a dairy-farmer it smells a lot like money. Just watch where you're walking.

FROZEN CUSTARD
A sinfully rich form of ice-cream made with real cream, real eggs, and real good! Not to be confused with "soft-serve", true frozen custard bypasses the digestive process and converts directly to body fat.

IMPORTED BEER
This is any variety of brewski that is not produced in Milwaukee. When you ask for an imported beer in a Milwaukee tavern, you'll probably get a Coors.

STOP'N GO LIGHTS
Traffic signals to you, but isn't that dull? After all, one light means stop, the other means go, so what else would you call them?

WINTER (Also known as a "WISCONSIN WINTER")
This is one of Wisconsin's two seasons which lasts approximately 9 months. The other season is the ROAD CONSTRUCTION season, lasting roughly 3 months.


Ahhhh yeh.... this is an "interesting" place we now call home.

Source: http://wisconsin.mattymo.com/lingo.htm

A well-rounded life

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to be LOTS of things..... like a mommy, and a face painter, and a rock star, and a cowboy, and a car driver, and a pirate. And also, I want to be one more thing... I want to be a ballerina."

I couldn't have summed up my sweet daughter's personality any better.

Mmmmmmmm?

Nothin' like McDonald's broccoli nuggets with cranberry dipping sauce!

Mommy Dinosaur

We are blest with comfy accomodations, staying with Sunny in Jonathan & Daniela Augustine's flat. Their son, Josiah, has quite a collection of dinosaurs that Lydia remembered quite fondly. My dear sweet Lydia (whose dollies never venture outside of their baby beds) is proving to be quite a doting momma to Josiah's dinosaurs. The dinosaurs took lots of naps today, during which the rest of us could only talk in hushed whispers. After naptime they all climbed on the couch for movie time. Such lucky little dinosaurs!

Life on the wild side

Enjoying playground equipment, the likes of which would never see the light of day in America. Danger is just so darn thrilling!

We're Back!

We're back in Prague and it feels surprisingly "normal" to me. I thought I would feel out of place, but it feels like we never left. Lydia seems to remember most everything and I assume she'll get tired of me asking "Do you remember........?" by the end of the week.

We had an insanely tight connection in Atlanta as we were flying over. Our flight from Milwaukee kept being delayed, and what was supposed to be a 1-1/2 hour connection ended up as a 20 minute connection. For those of you who are familiar with Atlanta's airport, you realize how seemingly impossible it is to make it from Concourse C to E in 20 minutes with a small child and 2 overloaded backpacks! I was shouting "Come on Lydia, run FAST!" all the way. After dropping her backpack, complaining her pants were falling down and telling me she had to go potty (of course!) I ended up carrying all the bags AND her. We made it to the gate with -10 seconds to spare. The door to the jetway and airplane were already closed and locked. I am sure that the fact I was toteing a small child (along with my frantic prayers) was the only reason they still let us on the plane. It honestly was a miracle that they reopened the doors. Lydia was an angel on the flight (it's SO easy to travel with ONE 4 year old!). But, as you can imagine, none of our four checked bags were traversing the baggage claim belt in Prague. Thankfully, we're staying with Sunny and we're in good hands. She supplied us with sleeping shirts and laundry facilities and our bags arrived today at noon, in good order.

Signs I am in Prague:
- Public places are smokey.
- While waiting in line for passport control, Lydia said, "Mom, I don't think we're in Wisconsin anymore..."
- Could customer service BE any slower???
- Personal space? I think NOT.
- Beer. It's not just for breakfast anymore.....
- "Hi. I am a beer truck and I will drive right up on this public sidewalk and you WILL move out of my way. Because I am a beer truck."
- Sunny + Latte



Oh, it's good to be back!

Self-Imposed Gag Order Lifted

Ok. As you can see, I haven't written much lately. Truth be told, I've been in a really rough place lately and finding the words, much less the desire, to blog has been difficult. I'm not sure what the deal is, the brutal Wisconsin winter, (all Wisconsinites eagerly reassure me this is an unusually harsh winter), moving to a new state, or just the continual affects of repatriation. I suppose it's a combination of it all. It's been 7 months in our new surroundings and I think I expected to be so much farther along by now: friends, church, home. In many ways, I think it is just as hard (maybe even harder) to find my place in an unfamiliar American city than a foreign city. Every one seems so busy with their own lives and circles of friends that it's hard to break in socially. In contrast, in a foreign environment, people are so anxious to meet other people in their same situation and *gasp* that speak English that it's not long before you have a pretty good network going. So there you have the explanation behind my self-diagnosed my "Funk Syndrome".

In any case, Lydia and I are venturing back to Prague for a week March 6-13! We are both very excited to meet up with friends and have a little taste of the place that is now so special in our hearts. Brandon left this morning on a 3 week business trip that will take him to Japan, China and Germany. So he will meet up with us for a long weekend in Prague. Marcus will be staying in Wisconsin with Grandma Verbrugge (I'm not sure who I'm more concerned for: Marcus without Mommy, or Grandma with Marcus!). I find it humorous though.... when living in Prague, we found it necessary to escape the grey winter of Prague for a sunny getaway (usually sometime in March). Now, we flee the winterscape of Wisconsin via a getaway to Prague!

Here's to irony!

Fabulous Four

We celebrated Lydia's 4th birthday in grand style.... by celebrating for a week! We had a small family party on the day of her birthday and then grandparents, aunt and uncles, and friends came for a bigger-small party on Saturday. We had so much fun and Lydia was SO excited to finally be FOUR! She's already talking about being five next.

Happy birthday sweet girl. We love you!

Lydia and her best friend, Rob. (It's an intense "can't live with you, can't live without you" kind of friendship! Isn't that the best kind?)