Logan's Birthday

This past Saturday we had a birthday party for Logan. He turned 2 earlier in the week but this was a far better time to celebrate. We invited over a bunch of our friends with kids so we had a good collection of people. I made pasta with both the classic red sauce I have been making since I was like 13 and my garlic Alfredo sauce along with an ample supply of garlic bread. We ordered a cake from a local bakery shop (pekárna) who delivered. We had selected a very nice yellow car with chocolate cake and chocolate cream filling...Indulgent and rich barely describes it. Logan had a great time with his friends and opening his presents, He received a lot of car toys which has become his obsession. Insisting he take a matchbox to bed with him the other night is one example of this. The Olympics provided entertainment and much food for discussion for the adults. It is always amazing to me to see the different points of views you get from having people from like 4 or 5 different cultures in one room. By the end of the day we were all well feed and very tired... and just a little bit older..

Happy Anniversary to You!!!

Happy One Year Anniversary to Kelly, Alain, Paige, & Colby :)

Yes, another family has made that miraculous milestone of making it through a year in Prague!!!

You may remember a past post or two right about this time last year when we were all exceptionally excited at their impending arrival - we would have new friends to go through this with and the kids are all close in age so there were play dates to be had as well. There was also the additional bonus of their extreme kindness in doing a weeks worth of shopping for us that shipped in their container ;)

It has been a wonderful year having them here and you can check out their blog to see how the Prague Experience has been for them: www.lavelanet.org

Happy, Happy Anniversary!!!

Train Ride to London

Thursday, April 28th

We started our first real day in the UK by traveling via train from the East Midlands area to London proper. The very first thing I noticed was that people here must not have babies/infants or be handicapped because there were no facilities to assist them from one side of the station to another. There were signs basically stating that you would be taking your life into your hands if you needed to use the access path across the tracks - they have unbelievable High Speed trains that pass through and the only way to guarantee safe passage from one side to another was to use the Upper Walkway...3o or more steps up and down. Oh what fun with all the bags and the defective stroller!

The joy continued as we got on board to the announcement that the Reservation System was was down and since they could not prove who had purchased Reserved Seating (God forbid they actually READ the tickets which state this) it would be open seating. So glad that I spent the extra money on seats for the kids! Ben and Alex made it into an actual car compartment while Logan and I were in the passage/doorway with a jump seat that I had to get out of at each stop. Oh and I cannot forget to mention that I got to move the stroller around quite a bit since each station platform was on a different side.

The icing on this journey was when I saw Ben coming my way and motioning to Alex to stay put - which of course did not happen. He was looking for wipes since Alex had been sick and he had used up his supply already. I took her into the bathroom and cleaned her up good as new. However the only thing she was upset about was that she had ruined her Brand New Barbie Magic Activity Book which she had received from our friend Lyuba and we had saved special for this trip. Now we had to look for a stroller and a replacement Barbie item as soon as we hit London!

Along the way we were treated to some very lovely picturesque scenes of English countryside, hamlets, and small burgs. Evening it out were a few spots that could easily pass for Oslo's backyard (Keeping Up Appearances for those not 'in the know') but it was simply gorgeous for the most part and made me wish that we could have a country home here....or just move in general :)

Logan slept for almost the entire ride which canceled out the purpose of his first "Thomas-like" experience but a sleeping Logan probably made things easier on the whole, plus he woke up in time to witness the absolute beauty of St. Pancras - Yes, it IS beautiful - so he got to see many trains and it was most likely an entire Isle of Sodor moment for him in the end.

With just a bit of an issue we were able to get all of our baggage off the train and begin our London Experience. So all we had to do now was find our way out of the station, find our hotel, try to find a new Barbie Activity Book, find a new stroller, and pray that there would be no more issues. The stress-free holiday I was hoping for was slipping through my fingers...bu it was still early so there was hope!

Not so Easy (Jet) Start to our Holiday

I received some flak for wanting to keep all these posts in chronological order...seems no one would scroll back to see that there were a bunch of new entries so I have changed the dates from the original time period (April & May) so that they will appear 'new'.

April 27th


Wednesday night we kicked off our trip with a 21:55 (that's 9:55pm to our readers in the States) flight to the Nottingham East Midlands Airport. We had the usual running around and crazy rush out of here but things were looking good in the schedule department and we were ready to start a stress-free holiday.

We have decided not to kill ourselves with rushing too much as long as Logan is under the age of 2. See, we still get Priority Boarding without having to pay for it so it does not matter what time we check in since we will be in the Second Priority Boarding Class until August 4th :) This means we can allow some extra breathing room using the Public Transportation to the airport - which we need when we have (3) bags for check-in, (3) Carry Ons, and a Stroller :)

We had a very nice, uneventful (read: no one got sick for a change) flight to the UK and were ready to just go through Customs, get our bags, and use whatever method necessary to reach the Travelodge we were staying at for the night. Ben took charge of getting the luggage while I ran off with Alex to find the nearest W/C - the poor girl had been holding it in for almost 20 minutes and we were reaching critical leg clenching.

When we exited the Ladies Room, we saw Ben with all the luggage and Logan in his stroller - Great, I thought, two things down and one to go. Insert typical Dramatic Music here. As we approach I notice that Ben is making a lot effort to make eye contact before I get to the desk he is standing by. "Small problem" he says...and moves over to the stroller to demonstrate the new fold over ability of the handle which was broken in transport. With the aid of a Service Rep we get the Damaged Bag claim filled out and our sheet of instructions for how to finalize the claim upon our return. Another attendant realizes we are SOL without two working handles and runs off to find something to use as a brace and something close to Duct Tape. This proved to be a good short term fix but it would not last more then a day or 2 max.

Now, anyone who knows what I have to do daily with this stroller can appreciate just how horrible this situation was for me. To make matters worse, it had to be broken on this portion of our trip...the first few hours, in the most expensive city of all.

With nothing to be done at 11pm at night, we gathered our items and I pushed the stroller one handed to an Information Kiosk. We were told our best bet would be a Taxi to our lodging and we carefully folded down the stroller and made sure it sat on top of everything for the ride. We checked in and collapsed since we had an early start the next morning to catch a train from Loughborough Station to St. Pancras International in London. With GBP signs swimming in front of my eyes, I fell into a fitful sleep...worries about finding a suitable replacement that I could carry up 8 flights of stairs plagued me most of the night and unfortunately blew the stress-free start.

What can happen in just a few days time...

When I left here on Friday afternoon, everything was just as it had been the day before...and the day before that...and the day before that. When I returned this evening, I marveled at the strange things that can happen in just over 48 hours:

When 2 Becomes 1

Friday, I lived off a two-way street, had two children, and two cats... Sunday, the street was now one-way and Dominic has become the one Cat in the flat...guess I should just be thankful that there were still two children :)

Overflow

When I left on Friday, I had the dryer going with a massive load of whites inside. Upon my return, the dryer was still full of the clothes and apparently had been dripping water from the condensation drawer which was chock full and splattering all over the floor. Hmmm...

Greater Appreciation

On Friday, while not content to be here in all honesty, I was reserved to the fact and ready to continue. By Sunday, I had rekindled my enjoyment with fresh air, open spaces, cleanliness, and having a girlfriend around to talk to. I may not be able to do anything at the moment about the first three things (although there will be a lot of effort involved) but I am DEFINITELY going to do as much as I possibly can with Kelly until she and her family return to the United States next year.


Mini Mine Fields

Friday the flat was as spotless as it can be with an almost 2 year old boy on the loose. When I returned it appeared that mini battles had been fought all over the place and we had the losing side. Oh well, at least I will not be bored my first day back :)

What is it with people?

Okay - this entry is a total 'need to vent to feel better' blog but if anyone has any insight, please share.

As anyone reading our blog knows, we live on the top floors of a 4-story (5 to the US) building. This building has no lift and my daily workout is carrying my son, Logan, the stroller, and whatever is in my backpack up 8 flights of stairs.

Today, we enter the building and there are two Czech women getting their mail and in conversation as they make their way to the stairs. Alex is right behind them and I tell her to hold back so we can have some space between us before starting the hike up.

I wait until they are almost up to the first landing and start my ascent. They stop and look at me lugging about 30 lbs or more up the stairs before continuing...now at a more leisurely pace. Perhaps they think I live on this floor so it would not matter if they are now about the same speed as your average snail.

However, we then turn the corner and start out way up the next flight. They are not at the next landing before they both come to a dead halt, blocking any access to move further.

Apparently, they needed to stop all movements to fish the keys they just had a moment ago out of their over-sized luggage-like purses. With keys in hand, they take two more steps onto the landing and stop once again.

I growl a "Pardon" and make my way by them in the smallest amount of space they have provided and I found myself thinking I would love it if the stroller knocked into them.

We continue up the last two flights of stairs and unlock our door in time to hear them say good bye to one another. One woman lived there on the second floor, and a few moments later we could hear the other woman opening up a door on our floor!

So I ask you, what is wrong with these (and all the others out there just like them) people? Are they blind? Stupid? Just plain rude? What is it that makes people everywhere stop in the most inconvenient places imaginable and what makes them then think they are so superior that there cannot possibly be anyone else on the planet around them that may also need that exact same space, at the exact same time?!?!?!

Top 5 Reasons (Today) Why I Hate Flat Living

5. No say in building maintenance (our section needs some outer beautification)
4. Cannot outfit it with the appliances of my choice
3. Cannot paint, hang up anything, or change the way a door hangs without approval
(and that is not going to happen here)
2. Cannot play my music anywhere near loud enough
1. Some fool is always doing reconstruction work right at nap time

Honestly, I think these will always be the same with the exception of Number 1 but it will be interesting to see if anything changes...

The cost of being stupid...

I bet no one knew there was an actual price list for acts of stupidity, but apparently there was enough of a need here in Prague where locks were concerned to create one and yesterday my Supreme Act of Stupidity cost 1840 czk (or $116.45 USD).

Heading out with Logan to pick up Alex from school, which is a daily routine that is so rote I could do it in my sleep, I somehow managed to leave my keys in the lock while pushing the stroller out into to hallway. Normally I would not even push him out until I had grabbed my keys out of the interior lock and placed them in the exterior lock but yesterday the routine hit a snag of the four-legged variety.

Apparently the enticement of a new area to explore outweighed the usual aversion Dominic and Erika have to Logan's stroller and they kept trying to escape when I would open the door. So I pushed Logan out as fast as I could and was only trying to close the door enough to contain the kittens, as I knew I had not grabbed my keys yet and I wanted to run back in for my backpack.

Well, as I was closing the door Logan let out an ear-piercing scream and I turned to see what could have possibly happened to him...realizing too late that I had moved my foot out of the door frame and turning back just in time to see Dominic rubbing against the door - which gave it the final push it needed to close all the way.

So now we were not only locked out of the flat but once we left the building we would not be able to get back in. So I sent Ben a text message and due to his meeting schedule I would now have to go downtown with the kids to pick up his set of keys. We went and picked up Alex and I told her of our new plan of heading down to Daddy's office. She wanted to go home because we were supposed to bake brownies and was not happy with what I had done. After a huge sigh and calling me silly, she resigned herself to the fact that this was not a choice I was giving her but our only option of getting into our home...maybe even in time to still make those brownies. We hopped on a tram and headed down to Narodni Trida. When we got off the tram, the first thing Alex saw was a display of slipper socks at Bankrot. Brownie visions left her mind as she spied two pairs of these that she simply had to have. I told her we could stop there on the way back from getting the keys and we were able to move on.

As we approached the office I had a terrible thought. Even with a key in hand, would I be able to open the door with my keys hanging on the other side? I had no idea if Ben's key would push mine out or if my key would block access. Ben came down with his keys and I mentioned this to him. Hmmm - this just might be the case but the only way to know for sure was to get home and try getting in. So, off we went back the way we came with a quick stop at Bankrot where Alex picked out her slipper socks and patiently waited her turn in line. The clerk thought she was adorable and was much impressed with Alex's math skills - she knew she needed change (I had not said this) so held out her hand - and even more so with her use of Czech during the transaction (she said Please, Thank You, and Goodbye all at the appropriate times). The time was now 5:45pm and I thought, perhaps if this works we can still bake those brownies.

Getting off the tram and walking toward our building, we ran into our temporary neighbors who are here for a month. After I explained to them what I had done, they graciously invited us to their flat in case Ben's key did not work. My fears were indeed confirmed when I tried to put his key in and it would only go 90% of the way in. A quick text to Ben and we were traipsing down one flight to take Bob, Gayle, & Linda up on their offer. They gladly watched the kids while I ran upstairs over and over again with numerous 'tools' we would come up with to try knocking my key out of the lock. This was of course interspersed with messages and calls from Ben asking if I had any success and letting me know that he had called Tomas at the management company. Tomas was in the hospital yet he still managed to track down a coworker, Pavel, to assist us. Pavel, in turn, managed to get a hold of a locksmith who could be here in 30-60 minutes to let us in. Time check: 6:30pm

With Ben's dreams of going to Poker dashed, he called me and said he was on his way and should he grab drinks for the kids. After 25 minutes we left our friends to begin our wait for the locksmith and as we were walking down the stairs, Ben arrived and called me to come let him in the building. Apparently he had stopped at the McDonalds nearest work and grabbed the kids some food and started dolling out the Chicken McNuggets. Moments later, a car pulled up and I guessed correctly that it was the locksmith. We all headed back upstairs, the kids hungrily consuming (3) nuggets a piece in the space of 3 minutes, and we ready to watch what we are sure will be an intricate job.

In less than 1 minute the locksmith had opened our door...without using any keys. The only one who had actually witnessed what he did was Alex who thought it was "pretty neat that a long metal thing and a hammer" could get the door open. Ben and the kids went inside and I dealt with the bill. I was told that we had a really 'super' door and that it was of high security. Really? So a junk door would have been opened in under 10 seconds with a string and a paper clip a la MacGyver? I am not sure how happy either of us were that it only took this professional fewer than 60 seconds to get in without using Ben's key to open the door however we can only hope that when locked, the 8 metal rods that move into the frame would cause more of an issue. Time Check: 7:35pm. Brownies were now completely and without question not going to happen unless I made them myself and that would be defeating the point of time with Alex... Thankfully, she had forgotten all about them as she happily ate her French Fries and watched 'Night at the Museum'.

So there you have it folks. The next time you lock yourself out of your flat, home, or auto...or have assistance from a four-legged friend...just go to www.goldkey.cz and find the matching rate to your level of stupidity :)

To move or not to move...

I am starting to get bored with where we live. This is one of those quirks that Ben has had to deal with off and on throughout our marriage. I usually will state that I can commit to 3-5 years somewhere before the 'itch' starts however things are a bit different in this situation.

Of course, we have always had our own homes before moving to Prague so I could hold off this issue by painting or moving around the furniture. There is nothing quite like changing the colors of your rooms, setting things up differently, or even hanging up pictures to make your place seem new again.

However, when you are renting a lot of that is taken away from you. Here, it is excruciating for me. I am not allowed to paint the flat and let me tell you right now none of the colors here would be of my choosing. I cannot hang up much...mostly because the walls are cement and we left our good drill and bits in the States, but also because we would have to pay for any excess damage or holes so Alex has her art work taped up in the playroom but the rest of flat is pretty empty. As for moving furniture this is also not much of an option. The rooms barely contain what we brought over and most of the layouts are forced due to slanted roof lines, built-ins, and door/window placement.

Please do not get me wrong, I love this flat for the most part...it is just not the layout of my choice and I am not happy with having to live with someone else's personality and color selections.

On top of all this, we have friends who have moved and friends who will be moving soon to our old neck of the woods. It is really making that itch of mine come out in full.

What is the final icing on this cake is that the stairs have finally gotten to me and my knees. I would blame it on the weather except I now know there is something wrong with my right knee and I will have to make an appointment soon to have it looked at. A house or villa would not have had as many flights of stairs and most flats are in buildings with lifts...the most you have to do is a half flight up or down to the lift, and a half flight when you are entering or exiting the building.

So, I have been giving a lot of thought to moving. I think about it almost daily. It has become a true obsession of mine to find something affordable (ha), the size that we need (ha ha), in a part of the city that I would find more enjoyable. Of course, I have now limited myself from ever finding the dream flat because there really will not be anything affordable, in this size, without being a Villa or House and that will certainly not be found in Vinohrady. To make matters even harder, I am really not thinking about renting the property, but buying it. The monthly mortgage would be cheaper than our rental fee...as long as we did not go overboard and buy a castle or something near Embassy Row...and we would be able to do whatever we wanted inside and out to make it truly our home. If and when we leave Prague, we could even keep it as a rental property and have somewhere to stay when we came back on visits!

Then reality rears its ugly head and I am forced to look at the one major con associated with moving next door or down a few flights, let alone across town. Two words sums it up: TOO EXPENSIVE

Different from our initial move, we would be the ones sporting the bill for having our items brought from one place to the other. We could certainly help keep some of the costs down by moving a few items by ourselves...clothes, toys, toiletries, and some other items in suitcases are all things we could handle. However, the amount of furniture we have, all the electronics, and all the kitchen/dining items would require professionals. Now add in the fact that we live on the 4th (5th in US standards) floor with no lift and that nothing larger than a box truck is allowed on our street and the numbers are not looking too good.

Beside the cost of moving there is the fact that when purchasing or renting you need a good deal of money upfront. When you rent, it is typical to pay fees that include the first month, the security/last month, and the fee to the agency that you would use...which is equal to one monthly rent payment. When you buy, obviously you need a down payment. After shelling out the money for one full year of health insurance for (2) children and (1) adult to VZP, plus the Annual Fee for my Mediconet coverage things are not looking too swell in that department.

Last thing I must consider in these monetary woes is that we signed a 2-year contract on this flat. I am not entirely sure what the repercussions are for breaking said contract. Some owners are very good about giving you an 'out clause' where if you notify them 90 days in advance and have a reason both parties find as valid you are free and clear. Others allow you to leave whenever you like...if you pay out the remaining time on your contract.

So, it appears that we will be staying here for the next year and I will just have to deal with that fact. I cannot argue the fact that we live in a tremendous flat, in a beautiful section of the city, with a great view, allowing Ben a terrific commute, and the 5 minute walk to Alex's school is nothing short of a major plus! Gee - when I look at that list, I almost want to stay here :)

One Year Anniversary...A Look at the Pros

Now, there are certainly a lot more pros than cons as we enter our second year and there have been many changes that are noteworthy. However we will start with the (3) Pros mentioned in the last post and go from there...

Pro 1 - Fulfilling a Dream
Most people only dream about living in a far off country, for us this became a reality. We have a great opportunity to explore all the places that we read about and are providing a unique experience for our children. Hopefully we will all get on board and start learning not only Czech, but languages of the surrounding countries that we visit and our educations will never end! The unbelievable amount of knowledge that is at our fingertips is overwhelming and we plan on taking full advantage while we are here!

Pro 2 - A Most Beautiful City
Sure, most have never fantasized about living in Prague or the Czech Republic but to them I can only say you have no idea what you are missing. The "City of One Hundred Spires" is nothing short of an architectural wonder. No matter where you look there is something beautiful and breathtaking that will catch your eye. Each part of the city has its own personality from the style of the buildings to the pattern of the cobbles on the main streets. There are castles, churches, statues, and fountains the likes of which you have never seen. There are so many green spaces it is hard to believe that there is a busy crowded city nearby. There are so many things to do and see without leaving the direct area that it all seems unreal at times. This is one of the easiest 'jumping off points' to other cities, countries, and all the amazing sights they have to offer. To top it all off, the beer is incredibly good and unbelievably cheap and a short drive away you can experience the amazing wines of Moravia while basking in the beauty of that region.

Pro 3 - Someone else paid to get us here
Without someone else footing the bill for the beginning of this adventure, it would have never happened. I do not know the extent of the expenses involved and I hope I can say the same for when we are packed up and moved to our next location. Surely it was not cheap - that much is a given. So Thank You Monster :)

Pro 4 - Prague is Home
Strange but true, it feels like home. Granted a somewhat dysfunctional, something is missing, not quite right type of home...but it is home nonetheless. On the few visits we have made back to the States we felt disjointed...we no longer quite fit in there and there is no easy way to explain that. Yes, our families are there. Yes, our best friends are there. Yes, even the vehicles and most of our belongings are still there. However, there is something very out of sync. Perhaps it is the fact that we no longer have a true home base there. We are still financially stricken with 18 Hardwood Road and our Drivers Licenses say NH but the house is empty and there is no returning to that place or time in our lives. It has become one of those "It's a nice place to visit but..." scenarios. After our fill of driving and paying for gas, eating the majority of meals out, and buying up Walmart we all start itching to get back to our Public Transportation, our view of St Vitas and the Summer Palace, and yes, our new friends that we have made. It is a very strange phenomenon that we never thought would happen but it has and we are prepared for a long stay in Europe.

Pro 5 - Out and About
Now that the Winter Season has subsided and Spring has come to Prague, we are all feeling quite happy about getting out of this flat and seeing more of what this city, this country, and what Europe has to offer.
Sure we are dealing with allergies but that is nothing compared to the Norovirus, the Severe Otitus, and the never-ending head-colds of early 2008! It is getting time for a final wash of the winter coats and clothes, we are starting to open windows, and best of all we are walking again. There is nothing quite like being healthy enough to bypass a few tram or metro stops in favor of fresh air and sunshine :)
In 11 days we start our 2nd big Holiday. Alex is extremely excited because she is finally going to see London and she is also returning to Spain. I am extremely excited because I am finally getting to see London which has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I also am looking forward to the second portion of the Holiday since our resort has a Kid's Club and we may actually get a few hours to relax on our own. Ben is pretty much excited in general to have so many days off...and still have more vacation days to use further on in the year!
This year we plan on visiting some nearby towns, spending a weekend in Moravia so that Ben and Alex can meet the Spevak Clan and enjoy the beauty of that area as Logan and I did, and doing some tourist-type things around the city. I am sure there will be some other long weekends to neighboring (and not so neighboring) countries and we are definitely getting to Dresden by the end of June. We also are trying to plan a visit back to the States so we are really looking forward to our upcoming months.

Pros 6 & 7 - Little Slices of America
American Television
For us nothing quite beats the fact that we can still access our favorite shows...albeit a few days after they actually aired...and as long as no one talks or writes about the episodes you are allowed to enjoy them as if they were being viewed on regular broadcast. However we truly get to enjoy this more than the average viewer thanks to the fact that ALL COMMERCIALS have been cut out. Not only does this cut down on the actual amount we are sitting in front of the 'boob tube', it also takes away the potential brainwashing of advertisements that may have one or all of us clamoring for the latest new fad back in the States! we have yet to think of a show that we cannot obtain - and we have time to enjoy all the ones we have on queue as we wait for the new seasons to begin. Oh this also works for movies as well and we have even been able to view a few of them before they were mass released on DVD or even to theaters so that is pretty cool :)

American Foods
With enough visitors - whether friends and family or Maynard employees - we have been able to place some shopping requests for items we just cannot live without and so far things have remained pretty well stocked. As long as we never run out of Annie's Homegrown Mac & Cheese we will be in great shape.
Now this is not to say that you cannot find a lot of things over here, because you can. However, the prices are astronomical and I refuse to pay for things that I can readily bring here myself or that will not take up too much luggage space or cause an excess baggage charge for those willing to be our pack mules. However, you cannot get Annie's, Quaker Oats Granola bars, Sun Maid Raisins, Mrs Buttersworth or better yet, real Vermont Maple Syrup, Brianna's Salad Dressings, Luna Bars/Z-Bars, Fruit Snacks & Yogos, and a whole bunch of HABA products that we are accustomed to using so until my email inquiries to these companies come back with "Yes Mrs. Hodson, of course we can ship that out to you" or "Here is the list of current distributors in Prague" I will be relying on the kindness of others and our visits back to keep us all stocked up!
With other things, we have finally learned what their closest equivalents are and have made the change over quite nicely. For other items that I did not mention above we have high hopes of finding them in Germany or Poland...cheaper than flying to the States and gives us the needed push to visit these two countries sometime soon.

Pro 8 - Expanding Group of Friends
We have been working on meeting new people and this has really provided us with some great new friends. When we first arrived, we were limited to what we could do and when we could do it. Logan was 7 months and took up a great deal of time, and we had never had a babysitter and were not quite ready to tackle that hurdle so we had to do kid-related things with people willing to be subjected to them. With the primary group of Monster Employees being young, single, and male the first 5 months were very difficult. There are a great bunch of co-workers who we did things with but we held back a bit since we did not want to make anyone feel like they had to babysit the entire Hodson Clan.
However, between some work contacts, school contacts, the other employees from the States, and some chance encounters we started having other people to hang out with. A lot of them have children close in age to Alex and Logan so that has been an extra bonus. We have play dates, we have adult nights out, and we have people who can relate to our experience. This has certainly made the biggest difference to our lives here and we look forward to adding to our circle of friends in the future.