The K-H Family Blog

Un But Nouveau (a new goal)

2010-06-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

So I have a new goal:

One photo per day. One story or thought to accompany it. One month. We'll go from there.

It's simple. It's brief. It's ambitious - for me.

We'll see how it goes.

;-)

Here goes:

Day 1

Joshua took this. It's on my facebook page.

I've been trying to encourage an interest in photography.

He's not biting.

But he did take this photo.

It's great, don't you think?

Technically, I couldn't speak as to whether or not this is the case.

But my aesthetics tell me it's a good one.

Artsy?

Avante garde?

Do I even know what that means?

Or just plain cool.

What is curious to me is that I was driving when he took the photo. He was sitting directly behind me as I handed him the camera and casually said, as we were approaching the Eiffel Tower,

"hey, why don't you take some photos..."

I was hoping something inside him would spark.

He took this photo first.

Then I quickly glanced back and realized that he was shooting through the window...

Inside, I'm thinking:

"This was not what I had in mind, dear son!"

...so I suggested he put down the window.

And of course with my handy-dandy multi-window car controls,

I rolled down his window myself, after which he continued to take a few more photos:

These were all taken in order and

you can decide for yourself...

They're nice

but I'd say his first shot was the best.

It's interesting.

It has character.

It captures light,

the speed we were driving,

and

it has a sense of magic to it.

Those last three?

Standard. Lovely and still cool but

standard.

I took from this a lesson.

My son had an inclination.

Granted, he took the photos because I asked him.

But HOW he took them was a decision he alone determined.

Until I inserted my opinion,

or rather, my expectation on how

he should do something,

(take photos 'out the window')

(I never said 'roll the window down-before you take them...')

which -

was my own

opinion.

it -

was not his

opinion.

Had I let him be,

had I just allowed him to 'have a go'

who knows how much more magic

he may have created.

Ah, parenthood.

We live.

We learn.

We [must] let go.

And allow the magic that is within our children -

To thrive.

This is the hope.

(Ça c'est l'espoir)

I love my mother.

2010-05-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

It's Mother's Day in the US today. Here in France I send my mother, Vera, the very best Mother's Day wish I can muster from thousands of miles away and in front of a virtual audience.

My mother is the best mother

Anyone could ever wish for.

I know this because

I've watched her make sacrifices for me,

All of my life.

First, most important but only the beginning,

She gave me life.

She was a thoughtful mother...

Which is something I appreciate now as an adult mother...

Trying to be conscious myself.

She is a loving wife,

She is a loving soul.

She is a wonderful Nana

to her grandchildren.

She is passionate.

She loves the earth.

She loves nature and hiking.

She loves sustainability.

She loves Goodwill.

;-)

She brought with her a heritage I am proud of

Not only a fascinating history of Russian, Swiss and Welsh ancestry...

but

A heritage of

love

kindness

goodness of heart

positivity and optimism.

My mother loves to be healthy.

She loves to eat well.

She is my friend,

She is guileless,

She wishes the best for everyone,

from the mailman

to her children.

My mother is the best mother.

I know this because

she loves me

she knows me

and she still loves me.

My mother trusts me.

And I believe she always has.

My mother has faith in me.

And I believe she always will.

I am a blessed and lucky woman

To have the best mother ever.

Happy Mother's Day, Mum!

Tash.

I love you.

xo.

from France.

oh, that would be Paris.

;-)

see you soon!

"Spring is here," said the bumblebee

2010-05-04T00:57:00.000-07:00

This month

Elijah turns 3!

we took the week

to play...

here

and there...

come play.

"Spring is here," said the Bumblebee

"How do you know?" said the Old Oak Tree

"I spy yellow daffodills [or crocuses, as the case may be]...

Dancing with the fairies on the windy hill."

[said the Bumblebee]

l-o-n-g

last,

we can go outside without a coat,

plant some crocuses without a chill,

take a bike ride

to Parc de Sceaux.

and so...

l-o-n-g

last,

we did!

Leading up to his 3rd birthday,

Goggles

have been his favorite toy of choice.

At first they went everywhere...
the store
the neighbors house
the park

and then it was...

to church

and eventually
...to bed!

While on one hand he is

contemplative
and a doer of
what all newly turned 3 year olds do:

picking up precious stones

from even stone buried-in-cement pathways

"...they MUST come out somehow!"

...to begging for someone to kick the ball with him!

And so of course,

we do!

Who wouldn't?

...and then it's time for a rest,

but only on Mummy, of course.

2010-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

It’s been snowing, raining and is just plain cold.

Perhaps this is why the refrain  

‘Paris in the Springtime’ 

rings loudly in my mind 

as I watch the huge snow flakes and rain drops 

take turns falling out of the sky

…I’m just waiting…

with images of cherry blossoms 

at Parc de Sceaux waxing tauntingly in my mind.

it's certainly not happening in real life -

yet. 

We took the bus to the store yesterday in the latter part of the afternoon, and like today, it was freezing cold!  

I took heart, however, as I realized that it was actually

still light

and by the time we returned home,

darkness was only just starting to fall.

Not so would this have been the case even the week before…

or maybe I just didn't pay attention?

Regardless,

I could feel the beginnings of those blessed

extended days eeking it’s way

back into lives.

I can’t wait.

Elijah and I recently took in the woods up behind our house...

Note: this long stone wall is the wall to the school.

Cross the street and here we are! Horses on the left.

Climb the tree and looK - I'm high! 

Elijah took over photo duties for a while...

Then it was mama's turn again...

These are the horses who live on the trail as we enter the forest. Midline to the left is a stone wall where lies
the school.

As I shoot this photo, Elijah sits in a tree...

Ah, such a good life.

Then we head back...and stop at the gate to the school 

on the way home...

Little brother is looking for big brother.

Sorry little guy...

Must wait...

a little longer.

It may be cold but it is fresh air!

Examples...and Crêpes Citron

2009-10-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that I have the best kids ever!

Ever!
Do you know what they did tonight?
They were thoughtful,
kind
and great hosts...
I was SO impressed with them tonight!

Let me tell you about it:

Our friends from Ireland, Zélie, and her two kids, Aaron and Inés, who recently moved to Paris, came for their first visit to our house this evening. We had just finished a walk around the neighborhood and showing them around, when it was getting dark and it was time to wrap up the evening.

As we entered the kitchen for a brief sit down before they left, Joshua and Sasha, who had made crêpes for breakfast this morning and had leftovers, offered to cook some up! Who would turn down homemade crêpes by Joshua and Sasha? So Sasha turned on the stove, cooked up the crêpe itself and Joshua dressed the crêpe with a very old family favorite:

le crêpe citron - butter, sugar and lemon.

I watched them as they organized themselves,
as they served Zélie and her kids,
making sure it was just they way she wanted it,

and I was just so impressed,
and so proud.

Maybe I'm being
presumptious, but...

It warmed my heart tremendously
to think that they really are watching us,
and they really are learning
...even when we're not paying attention.

Oh, the pressure.
Not really.

Just a reminder.
To be aware...

that while they learn about the world

from the perspective of their

own individual and

unique selves

our impact
as parents
is tremendous.

and we do them a disservice
to underestimate this.

I have long believed that
we are the lense through which our children learn to see the world.

Raising a child
is such a gift.

Raising a child
to become a wonderful human being

is an honor
beyond belief.

I love my children.

E.T. and the Writing Workshop

2009-09-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

We drove in to Paris Friday night to take Joshua to a writing workshop for kids age 12+ at the American Library, which as it happens, is a block from the Eiffel Tower! As we drove in, we passed this incredibly cool Art Nouveau builting just as we were about to turn the corner to park at the Library. I had to walk back down the street and take some photos! After a little online research I discovered that this is called the Lavirotte Building, designed by architect Jules Lavirotte, and is one of 9 of his buildings in the 7th arrondissement. It was built between 1899-1901. The photos just don't do it justice:

As I turned around to meet meet up with the family who had already entered the Library, this was the view which greeted me:

Dropping Joshua off at the Library for his class, we crossed the street to enter the park, the Champ de Mars where lies the Eiffel Tower. It was about 7pm on a Friday night. His class was only two hours and I didn't realize we had a little treat waiting for us. It was simple, it was sweet, and if I hadn't been paying attention, I would have missed it.

Walking through the park, I marveled at the activity at the foot of this world renowned monument. People picnicking in the mood of the Friday night end-of-week/beginning of weekend joviality, two guys, literally, walking a tight rope on a strap they tied between two trees and the guys selling their miniature Eiffel Tower key rings on huge metal rings, making them stand out a mile off.

Walking up the path toward the Tower, it struck me, how on a Friday night at the end of September, this place was still packed...the line to get into the Tower was still a mile long, folding on itself multiple times until they reach ticket counter.

We wander up to the Tower, under it and through to the other side. It was all very simple. We headed straight for the carousel and crêpe stand on other side of the street. The festive mood reached even across the street.
Such a funny guy, looking high above him, with food in his mouth, swinging his arms...the Eiffel Tower is E's moniker for "Paris"....while driving to Paris...he's looking for the E.T.!

It couldn't be helped.
This was Paris, after all.

As twilight approached and the sun set
the lights of the Eiffel Tower
came on

I buy some crêpes

and I look over to Paul who had just purchased tickets
for Elijah to ride the carousel.

Joy
Beauty
Sweet
and Simple

All this even despite the Angry Crêpe Guy,
who really was just ready for a career change.
So I didn't take it personally.
Angry crêpe guy's associate kindly gave me my savory crêpe for free.
He understood.

So I go back to my family with my
free crêpe and share.

Night is falling
Festive mood ensues
All is well.

Happy children
decent crêpe
Carousel rides.

Under the Eiffel Tower, I played with my husband, daughter and son as the sun went down [while the other son is being intellectually enlightened]. The lights take on a dramatic feel as the sun sets and the sky blue of the day turns to dark indigo, then black.

Set against the night sky, the Tower is so striking.
Awesome.
If you think about it, it's really just a pile of iron.
Oh but really,
the magic, the awe
it's tremendous.

I saw people taking photos of themselves with the tower in a way that previously hadn't occurred to me. I thought, oh why not! Being a generally modest person, I didn't do things like this, but hey, this was Paris and I was at the Eiffel Tower! So I took a photo of myself against the Tower!
Then I grabbed Sasha! Magic...I could feel the joy in the moment. I loved my daughter so much! This was one of those grab moments. Take it before it's gone.

Back to the carousel, we jump on, trade off with the little guy for his 5th ride! He knew the joy, and needed no words.

Trading back and forth, I'm now waiting and watching Paul and E going around and around. Sasha was chasing them around the carousel while it spun, the night was falling and the magical carousel had us under it's spell.

Almost time to return to pick up our big brother in his writing workshop. We begin to head back, walking under the Tower once again, the line and crowds as long and packed as ever.

As we get to the other side and by now it's dark, I'm struck again at how many people are still picnicking at the foot of the Tower, and they're not necessarily the same people as before!

Some came prepared for the mood. We passed a couple with a little candle on their blanket as they ate their dinner.

This must be Paris.
And this fact gets by no one.

As we leave the Tower and park behind us, we return to the Library to find Joshua having thoroughly enjoyed his writing workshop. The teacher was a published author and walked the kids through the process of finding their topic, and researching their subject. We didn't know when we dropped him off if this would be a one time thing or not. We were thrilled to discover that he really liked it and wanted to return.

I guess this means we'll have to come back next Friday.

Darn.
Oh well.

Paris we love you!

See you next Friday...

Life Essentials - Clean Dishes / Dry Clothes

2009-09-25T00:02:00.001-07:00

We've experienced two things in Ireland and now France which a typical American lifestyle doesn't always accommodate.
These are things which are completely optional, which are known to happen and are not shocking to your average American,
but...when you look around you, it's just generally not done.

Washing your dishes by hand.
Every night.

Air drying your clothes.
on dryer racks
or outside (preferable).
everything.
sheets, socks
and underwear included.

IOW - no electricity is consumed for either activity.
Inconceivable.

Oh, but it's true, madame!

#1
Washing Dishes
Together

for our family this has come to mean spending time
Together

Often it's crazy and I just wish I could throw
the dishes in the dishwasher -
like last night.

But most of the time
if I'm organized...
we go straight from dinner to the dishes

it's a rhythm
the children have come to expect

and this makes it easier
to get them to do it...
because
it's just what you do...
you know?

dinner
dishes
shower
bed

or some variation
thereof.

unless
homework has not been finished.

A recent revelation this year
was the fact that the two oldest kids
ten and twelve
are old enough to WASH and DRY
so I can go and do other things...

oh why didn't I think of that sooner?
(I was too busy doing it myself)

et voilà

REVELATION!!

The next and more beautiful benefit of this
SERVICE TO THE FAMILY
has been to discover that

Elijah

loves to wash dishes

if that's where his brother and sister are...

actually
he loves to wash dishes no matter
who
is washing with him.

and he has his vinyl covered apron
with Irish cows and sheep
to prove it!

and it keeps him dry!

but to see them interact with him
is so beautiful.

Many beautiful moments are created
in the course of

washing dishes
together.

For this -
I am very grateful.

#2
Drying clothes.
We don't have a dryer.
Neither do the neighbors...
except the neighbor down the hill
(in Ireland)
who runs a B&B
B&B owners MUST have a dryer
but not anyone else.

And so it is

in Ireland and France.

Much more mundane.
but
as with the dishes

essential
critical to life

dry clothes.

and
as with the dishes
getting the kids to participate
has been

beautiful to watch
critical to life

theirs
and mine
and ours.

To know that the wind
doesn't just

mess up our hair or
blow down our fences

(though it does
power our sailboats-
most critical if you're a sailor
which I am
(was)
as a teenager)

but

it dries our clothes
and is

fresh
and beautiful.

I love hanging laundry.
It makes me slow down.
It makes me pause

to enjoy my children.

and even though I sometimes miss the
convenience
of the machine dryer

I'm still glad
I don't have one
because...

I have to stop.

and the clothes still
need
to
be
dry
.

And so we hang them
and breathe deeply,
smiling.

a walk in the woods...

2009-09-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, Elijah and I took a little walk

through the woods near our house.

Autumn is here...
and we've been enjoying ourselves.

heading down the road we stop
to enjoy
the old railroad station
from the bridge...

just feet from our house.

E loves the bridges
and moving water...

and on we go
over the river
and through the woods...

I love the cobblestones...
under the tarmac.

and the doors...

and the signs
telling us the season is turning...

onward we go
into the woods...

Lusciously smooth brown chestnuts popping
out of their prickly seed pods...
oh boy!

Autumn is here...
though in Paris it's still warm, except
when you're standing by the rushing brook,
feeling the cool air
rush through narrow spaces creating
negative ions.
freshness.
life.
vitality.

The forest of Verrières
is so beautiful
le bois de Verrières
est si belle

the way back home...

back home...

2009-04-09T06:32:00.001-07:00

Sasha and E and I went to Paris on a field trip with her class this past Wednesday.

Barring the day's long accumulated pain from wearing the boy on my back all afternoon, while walking hither and yon (albeit beautiful!!!), it was a very fun day!

How many class field trips are to Paris?! Obviously if that's where you live, that might be where you go!...we're still pinching ourselves and I wanted to share:

The teacher's goal of the trip as far as I understood it was to give the children the sense of the landscape, structures and streets that they walk as they correspond to and are reflected on the map they see in their hand...

We walked from the school to Igny, a neighboring town, connected by beautiful paths...

...took the train (25 mins) into Paris and were dropped off just a the northern tip of Jardin Luxembourg. From there we walked and walked...Sasha's teacher, I learned in an earlier outing, is a very fast walker and kept the kids at a very good clip. Today's destination was Notre Dame. It was wonderful walking through the streets, which at 10am on a cloudy, rainy day in April, weren't crowded in the least....until we reached Notre Dame Cathedral.

The approach was quite spectacular... (not this photo, camera was still buried in my backpack...) Inside, hundreds of people milled around. It was a shame it rained. I think we entered just to get a break from the rain. That said, the stained glass was spectacular, hundreds of years old and so beautiful!
Hundreds of people were in the main worship area...I say this cautiously, as they were selling little do-dads inside, headphones for the tours, etc...I wouldn't normally put the two in the same breath, worship and sales, but this is what it is. That said, it's a spectacular piece of gothic architecture and construction. Back in November we had taken a tour of the cathedral...it was amazing!
Here is Sasha's teacher, Emmanelle Bialas on the left, talking to some of the mothers who accompanied the group, and the kids as she is telling us about the history of the rosette windows...

When we leave Notre Dame, it's time for lunch .so we go to Hôtel Dieu, the oldest hospital in Paris (maybe france?), it was built in 671!
We ate there because it was pouring rain and they had a long hall with benches which they gave us permission to use. It's still in use today. You can see Elijah in the lower right hand corner...Much of the history is illustrated down along the walls of this hallway.

...the hall above is where we ate, it is actually through those windows to the right of this photo below. As we exit, we see more of the hotel, which was still a fraction of what there is, I'm sure:

Here we are exiting the hospital literally through the center out through the front. The exit is straight ahead, through the doors and to the left is the courtyard and Notre Dame itself. They're neighbors. The blocks Sasha (above) and the kids are walking on, I'm guessing, are ceiling windows to a floor below...giving natural light...I'm sure one of the more modern upgrades done over the years. Below, as we're exiting out the front, I turn around to take a photo...we had exited from the left out the center, where the two trees were.

Below, turning back around, we exit out the doors ahead, and enter the courtyard shared with the front of Notre Dame.

Hôtel Dieu was very cool!..a bit scary too, to think you're in the same place where you KNOW there were cholera (and who knows what else) outbreaks and hundreds/thousands/millions(?) patients over centuries were brought there. All that aside, they've kept it up beautifully.

As we left the Hôtel Dieu hospital-not hotel, we walk down along the northern side of the island, Ile de la Cité, heading west, we pass several bridges the last of which will be Pont Neuf, the bridge that crosses over the tip of the island. It was here the teacher pointed out the point at which the river splits. Ile de la Cité is the oldest and original part of Paris.

At last it was time to head back home...after arriving at our stop, we still had a 30 minute walk back, but it was a beautiful winding path alongside a bubbling brook, so I don't think many complained. We've been loving this area!

How cool is it to say you went to Notre Dame for your class field trip that day?!

Poissons d'Avril and Fish...Happy Birthday to my Great-Grandfather 2nd April~!

2009-04-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, (or if you're reading this from the US, today), it was (is) April Fool's Day! Happy April Fool's Day everyone! Not that this is a standard greeting one uses to acknowledge such a holiday, on the contrary, it's generally acknowledged that April Fool's Day is the day when jokes are played on one another, and if you had forgotten the date, you'll be quickly reminded if you happen to be the target of someone's merry pranking.

Here in France (read upcoming post on that new bit of news if you're not already aware...), as I was dropping my daughter off at school, we crossed the threshold of the classroom and were greeted by much happy noisemaking and found Sasha's teacher across the room covered with little pieces of paper. As she crossed the room to greet us, we could see that the little pieces of paper that covered her sweater had fish drawn on them...they were taped all over her! She was laughing and smiling, and the kids around her were busily laughing at the funny gifts to their teacher. She told us that today was "Poissons d'Avril"...of course that explained everything! In my mind I was quickly putting it together that today was April Fool's Day and this is how they celebrated it in France! Great!...so I communicated this to Sasha and went on my way. Poisson, by the way, is the French word for 'fish'.

Later, after Sasha had returned home, I heard more about the jolly mood of the day, then went to put E down for a nap. When I returned I found her cutting out little fish shaped pieces of paper with which she spent the rest of the afternoon trying to sneak (and tape) onto each of us! The trick, as far as my currently limited understanding has come to realize is to tape a fish to someone without them knowing it.

It was still later in the afternoon today that a series of emails between my mother, aunt and husband floated around regarding 'Poissons d'Avril' during which my husband pulled the following from Wikipedia:

"Poissons d'Avril is first mentioned in a 1508 poem written by Eloy d’Amerval, a French choirmaster and composer. The poem is titled Le livre de la deablerie. According to Wikipedia, it consists of “a dialogue between Satan and Lucifer, in which their nefarious plotting of future evil deeds is interrupted periodically by the author, who among other accounts of earthly and divine virtue, records useful information on contemporary musical practice.” (It seems that in 1508, Satan and Lucifer were two not one individual...)

The poem would only be of interest to historians of music, except that it includes the line, “maquereau infâme de maint homme et de mainte femme, poisson d’avril.”

The phrase “poisson d’avril” (April Fish) is the French term for an April Fool, but it is unclear whether d’Amerval’s use of the term referred to April 1st specifically. He might have intended the phrase simply to mean a foolish person.

In 1564 France reformed its calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1. Those who failed to keep up with the change, who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them. Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so the tradition was born."

Paul then included this from the Irish press (on 1st April):

"The origin of April Fools' Day is obscure. One likely theory is that the modern holiday was first celebrated soon after the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar; the term referred to someone still adhering to the Julian Calendar, which it replaced. In many pre-Christian cultures May Day (May 1) was celebrated as the first day of summer, and signalled the start of the spring planting season. An April Fool was someone who did this prematurely. Another origin is that April 1 was counted the first day of the year in France. When King Charles IX changed that to January 1, some people stayed with April 1. Those who did were called "April Fools" and were taunted by their neighbors. In the eighteenth century the festival was often posited as going back to the times of Noah. An English newspaper article published on April 13th, 1789 said that the day had its origins when he sent the raven off too early, before the waters had receded. He did this on the first day of the Hebrew month that corresponds with April." (reference to come shortly)

...and so progressed this email exchange today, and now ends our broadened understanding of the varying traditions of an annual holiday the origins of which hardly anyone remembers. It was a fun day!

So here, at the end of the evening, by now the 2nd of April, as I closed my email to my mother, who reminded me it was way too late to be writing (yes, still up and will be heading to bed shortly...), she reminded me, that it's my maternal great-grandfather's birthday today!...born 128 years ago today!

Alfred Ernest Hefford...while I have never met him, my memory of him exists in the form of stories of told to me by my mother: How he was a marine biologist, how he loved to garden in his home in Wellington, New Zealand, how he spent 2 years in the 20's (?) in Bombay, India away from his family, doing marine research for the government of India, how he spent his career studying fish and how to manage fishing practices (and exports) in such a way so as to not deplete New Zealand's rich fish supply, how he became the Director of the Department of Fisheries in New Zealand and spent 20 years advocating for such practices. No fool by any stretch, I'm sure it's a fact that my great-grandfather loved fish and spent his career trying to ensure their longevity. Happy Birthday Great-Granddad!

Adventure Hopping...

2009-03-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

so you may wonder...Why Are We In France?

Hi everyone, blogging for me is in fits and starts...small bursts of energy expended on our life and events, then nothing. Then small bursts of energy again. The goal would be to manage an even output over time...so updating can be in real-time. But these days that's been in my world of dreams.

France! It all started with the fact that our lovely little Kildare Steiner School in Ireland ends for Joshua at 6th grade -or class, creating a need for us to find a school for Joshua next year. That lead us to the French School in Dublin late November. All good, go check out the school, talk with the principal, get a tour, etc...

Little hitch: Joshua ne parle pas français, and was contingent upon his acceptance to have some french...! So we think: tutors, study, post-it notes around the house...couple months go by. This isn't going to work. So one day, Paul says he had a dream... that we did a full immersion for a few months, from January until the end of the school year.

That's when it really started.

Still on Christmas break - Early January: Wrote letters to 6 Steiner/Waldorf schools in France. Received 4 responses. Narrowed the choices down to 2: Paris Steiner School or Lyon Steiner School. Make plans to visit each.

Mid January: Make appointments with the schools. Travel to France (cheap Ryan Air!), Lyon then Paris. Visit the schools, meet with the teachers, look into housing options. It's all good, but which would be the best for us?

End January: Decision made - We're going to the Libre Ecole Rudolf Steiner School in Verrieres-le-Buisson 20 mins SW of Paris. Look into housing, move date, etc... Joshua and Sasha start school 3rd March, 2008, first day back from mid-term break.

21 February: Trains, Planes, Ferries and Automobiles - Arrive in Paris, car loaded with 4 months worth of goods! Move into a 3 level 'maison-ville' rural townhouse just seconds from the school's entrance! Incredible! Here we are, Ireland temporarily relieved of a few inhabitants...we'll miss you, dear Old Barracks!...but can't wait to tell you of our Adventures!

The following was a letter I sent to my parents and brother when we landed...

Dear Family,

I hope this finds you all well. I just wanted to let you know that we are now 'installed,' as they say here, in our new house 20 mins sw of Paris. Current plan is that we will be here for 4 months. Our address is as follows:

Paul and Natasha, Joshua, Sasha and Elijah Kewene-Hite
Verrieres-le-Buisson
France

THE WEBSITE and the SCHOOL
The School: Libre Ecole Rudolf Steiner
Look for the 'Enter Cet Site' then for an English Flag for an english version

Inside the site, photos will be scrolling through; you may see two photos of a teacher in front a blackboard, in the middle of a lesson. His name is Jean Pierre Ablard and he will be Joshua's teacher, and that will be his class. When you see the Grand Maison, or a large mansion, it is where all the classes (1-8, I believe) are held. Joshua's on the first floor, on the right. You can see it's the one with all the windows, like a main room. Sasha's class is on the opposite end of the same building.

WE'VE ARRIVED
Joshua, Elijah and I arrived on Saturday night, with Sasha and Paul having driven the car, loaded with 4 months worth of living 'stuff' the night before, loading it into our new place, just in time to sign the contract and return to the airport to pick us up!

IKEA
School starts next Monday, and we're very happy we have this week to get settled in. With IKEA only 15 minutes away, and get this, it being one of at least 4 to choose from in relatively close proximity to the house, we've been able to stock up on a few basics beyond what the car would hold (which, by the way, was stuffed to the gills!...though luckily, it didn't sink the ferry!).

THE HOUSE and NEIGHBORHOOD
Except for Paul, the rest of us moved into this house sight-unseen!...and I'd say we got lucky! It is funky in that it's sort of ad hoc in it's updates over the years, and has been in recent renovations, but is seriously cool in it's character, it feels very French, local and has history. We are, most importantly, literally steps from the entrance to the school, so we are all thrilled about this, especially the kids! Because the school is on holiday, most everyone around us are gone, so it's been very quiet. We do, however, get the feeling that we are in the middle of a neighborhood rich in community and feeling. The house is one of a row of townhouses, each facing one another with a little 'street' running through it, past us, off the main street, each town house being 3 stories high, from the ground floor, up 2 more flights. Our house is the second one in from the main street, on which sits the entrance to the school. With the houses facing one another and being side-by-side up a slight incline away from the street, people seem to walk up and down this path past the front of our door to get to the main road, but I would guess they would all be neighbors; this is not regular street traffic. It's very interesting and feels very local.

Just tonight, we met our first neighbor, Danielle, who lives about 3 houses up from ours. She was extremely welcoming and warm to us. She is a retired physics and science teacher, I'm guessing from the school here, but not sure yet. Paul and Sasha had learned from our landlord on the day they signed the lease, that the house she lives in was built sometime in the 1500's (!!), and she has a certificate that has authenticated it's age. While no one else in the neighborhood has anything like an authenticating certificate, the general thought seems to be, that based on the age of her house, most of these houses here are about the same ages, as well. They are certain that none of these houses is newer than the 1700's Isn't that amazing! THey've all been modernized and, from what I can see from the outside, they look really nice on the inside...i've seen lots of exposed beams. All, very, very cool! While our place is imperfect, and a bit funky, it has great 'bones' and there is a lot of cool stuff that can be done to it!

SPEAKING FRENCH
Lastly, it's been wonderful to be soaked in the french language. And it's just beginning. The kids are increasingly getting their bearings, and I think as they hear more and more and begin to get context for what things mean, it'll start sinking in. I believe they're excited for school to start, but nervous at the same time...it's the unknown. We're very open to this experience, and I must give Paul a tremendous amount of credit for making this whole adventure possible! Seriously, his adventurous spirit never ceases to amaze me, and I'm very grateful for his interest in creating experiences like this for his family.

COOL CARS and CRAZY DRIVERS
On that note, because the drivers here are so aggressive and parking is often tight, Paul has let us use his car, a little Mini Clubman, to get around! It's a great car...and most critically, small. The Volvo Estate (Irish for Wagon) has been left at home! So, due to the great abilities of "Kate" our very own, personified GPS, we can get around with her verbal cues and maps with great ease! So, getting from our new house to Ikea, was no problem at all!...neither was driving on the right side of the road again, in a right - wheel (however it's called) car! As long as I have Kate, I'll be okay!

VERRIERES
Today on a hunt for fresh produce, before the further hunt for other basics like places to put towels, things to keep our books on, we briefly discovered the local town of Verrieres-le-Buisson, and found it to be extremely beautiful, old, characteristically French and not at all touristy. I look forward to exploring it further. As our school is 50 years old, I get the feeling it's influence is known and felt. That said, we discovered today an 'epicerie' called Tonton, which has all kinds of organic and bio-dynamic produce. I think it's like being in Provo, UT and being in BYU bookstore and finding all kinds of church books, only this is food and produce and it's full of the food grown based on the agricultural writings and studies of Rudolf Steiner, which is known as bio-dynamics. It's where the Demeter brand comes from if that means anything to anyone. If I had internet, which we're in the process of getting, I would include links to what that's all about, but for now, i'll just say it's very interesting!

More updating to come...for now, we're here, have been here now for 2.5 months...and have been enjoying it very much, though we really miss the Old Barracks!...

Updating...

2009-01-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

The year has come and gone...Happy New Year! It's 2009 and all kinds of things have happened: kids growing up, trips come and gone, photos taken, moments passed. Life is a beautiful thing, something to share, something to reflect on; lessons learned, things to do again, things not to repeat. Here is our [long] holiday letter from 2008 we hope you enjoy! Click on the Holiday Letter link to the right in the side bar. Photos included. Sending love to all and peace and joy for the new year.

The Kewene-Hite Family
Paul and Natasha
Joshua, Sasha and Elijah

Stop over in Dogs Bay, Connemara

2008-03-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, day before Easter: Having spent the night in Clifden, in Connemara, we spent the next day driving home through the incredibly scenic route around the coastal roads of Connemara. Superlatives abound in our experience of this trip. While the temperature was absolutely freezing, the sun was shining, and the water and landscape was striking! I think we all felt as if you could have pulled over every 10 feet. As it was, there were lots of pull overs to take snaps, but Dogs Bay was worthy of the hour plus we gave it. Rounding the coastal roads, we came upon this spot, which could just have easily been in the Caribbean-only about 40 degrees colder, plus intense wind chill factor.

Parking the car, we made our way down to the beach. I think it's human instinct to make a b-line for the waters edge. This shot below is Paul holding Elijah, talking to Sasha about the little sea life in the water. With my new, handy dandy camera, I got a great 'close up' from very far away!

Having finally made it to the beach, Paul took this shot of me holding Elijah with J&S in the background. The water was much more intense in color than I think what shows up in the photos, but I think the message gets across. It was a stunning beach.

Paul took the E to the car, which left me with the big kids. A very nice Englishman, apologetically wearing a colorful scarf wrapped around his head to keep his head warm, wearing his hat on top of the scarf, offered to take this photo of us. With the wind whipping all around us, I think it was all we could do to stand up straight long enough for him to snap the shot. Yea, I think we did it!

Facing the water looking out toward the coastal road.

On the way back to the car, Joshua stole a few last moments before we had to squeeze back into the car. It was hard to deny him the opportunity. We loved Dogs Bay...Next stop: Roundstone, then home.

Last Stop in NW Ireland Tour: Roundstone in Connemara

2008-03-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

We loved Connemara! To say the area is picturesque is an understatement. There were incredible photos at every turn. Our last big stop was in a town called Roundstone, where we found the shop of bodhran maker, Malachy Kearns, who is one of Ireland's master Bodhran makers. To add to the local flavor of the area, after looking around and having decided that we were going to get each of the kids a small personalized bodhran, we met the man himself! He shook each of the kid's hands and wished them well with the instrument. I took this video on the [long] drive home, just after leaving the Roundstone:

It was a fun [if not long, did i already say that?!] drive out of Connemara! Of all the towns we visited, Roundstone was among my personal favourites. We will come back again and again!

Weekend in Dingle Bay!

2008-03-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago, at the tail end of a school holiday, we took off …to see what we could see…We squeezed ourselves into the mini (that’s a feat for five!) and drove 4 hours to Dingle Bay, a wonderful little resort town in the south west.. One of Paul’s friends and Vyro board member, Brendan, very generously offered up his holiday home for our use. What a treat! We promptly took him up on it and, by the days end, found ourselves in a fully stocked home-away-from-home.

In the morning, we readied ourselves for adventure. It started with fresh fish and chips (caught that morning!) and while I took Elijah home for a nap, Paul took the kids out on a little tour boat to meet the lone resident dolphin who had been living in the Bay for as far back as 20 years!

As the story goes, this dolphin, who is a HE, has been a bachelor all this time, and apparently over the years the town has offered up she-dolphins to expand the pack, but to no avail…he’s shown no interest. This has lead many to wonder….

Next morning, we drove up the road to Dingle Horse Riding, where Paul took Elijah and the big kids and I each took a horse back riding trip for an hour. What great fun! We drove up at 11am, where the young 20s-something riding instructor, Louise, had our horses all saddled and ready to go! I was excited, but couldn’t remember the last time I had actually sat on a horse, let alone ride it! Was I an old lady already, being anxious about something like that? Louise, set Joshua up on his horse, Fuschia.

He was happy enough. I don’t think any of us had ever really ridden a horse the way we were about to for the next hour. I had no way of knowing whether or not the horse was going to buck him off. It was one of those moments, where I had to trust and get on with the experience.

It was also interesting to note, as I watched Louise help Joshua get settled into his saddle, that we had signed no waiver, had not yet paid; we just got out of the car, walked over, found our riding boots and hat and climbed the horse. Welcome to Ireland!... the last frontier of trusting and non-litigious societies.

Then it was Sasha’s turn. Her horse was Blackie. Very excited to be there, Sasha climbed the horse and turned to wait for me.

While Louise was saddling her up, I climbed up onto my own horse, somewhat awkwardly, but…I made it up with some semblance of grace, I’d like to think, then was told that my horse was a lazy one. It was in that moment that any fear of my horse bolting off at a gallop uncontrollably –died away. Lazy horses don’t do that. Now I could enjoy myself. After a few directions we walked over to the staging area, circled a few times...and headed out on our hour-long ride.

Three young girls, whom I learned along the way traded stable help for riding time lead the way, followed by Joshua, Sasha then myself. Leading up the rear was Louise. As it turned out, the ride was calm, pleasant and just great fun! Louise turned out to be a very kind riding companion who, as we were following the trail along the base of a hill, which we shortly thereafter would turn right to ride to the top, as I was asking her about her background, it just so happened that the valley scene were passing off to the left at that moment, she pointed to saying, ‘see that house way off in the distance? That was my grandfather’s fathers house. My father was born in that house and my brother is now renovating it. I live in that house over there [pointing off to the left]; that’s where I grew up.’ It turns out that all the land off to our left was her family’s land! As she was telling me this, I was admiring the life this young girl had and wondered when it would occur to her what an amazing gift she had been handed; to live in such a gorgeous land and be so close to nature.

As we climbed the hill, Louise offered to take a few shots of us, then we climbed over to the other side of the hill and descended back down. As we came closer to the town, and our ride came to an end, we quickly noticed that our hour long ride passed literally within feet of the Brendan’s house! Had we known, we would have Paul standing out there with Elijah to welcome us back! It was a wonderful and unforgettable ride. We know we will return to Dingle again and again!

Copyrights Rule!...really?

2008-02-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Aside from the Trailer, which you'll be able to view below when you click on the word, you will find the following when you try to click the other two links below for the Performance and Speech: This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oh, well...YouTube had it's moment, and i guess it's over. Enjoy the film and let me know what you think of it!

The Movie Once, Ireland...for all dreamers and aspiring and working musicians

2008-02-26T17:11:00.002-08:00

I'm endorsing a fabulous little film called Once, which we just saw last night. As a small indie film set in Ireland, it's done well, having just won an Oscar for Best Song as well as a Grammy, and a number of other awards.

Many of the scenes, including the scene in the music shop, where they improvise the creation of the hit song which ultimately won the Oscar, we've been to and know well. Bonus fun factor. The whole opening sequence is right around the corner from Paul's office.

Trailer

Watch the movie, then click on the Oscars acceptance speeches link below. As soon as we finished the film, we were interested in the actors and their histories, and watching the combination of the film/real life successes was a wonderful testament to the impact of art, music, hope and following your dreams.

Oscar acceptance speeches

Performance at the Oscars

Even if you've already seen the film and the Oscars, viewed back to back, the impact of the message will bring on the tears...in all the best ways!...

Lastly, over the weekend, we also just discovered that the new film from the holidays, PS, I Love You, which was made two years ago in the Wicklow Mountains, contains scenes which were shot just on the road by our house. ...I guess Ireland must be a beautiful place to be...

Waiting for the day to start…

2008-02-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

So here are Joshua and Sasha waiting on the other side of the road, out the front door, on Garbage Day, or Rubbish Day as they say here, for our friend Linda to pick them up to take them to school. School starts at 9:00am. It's a 20 minute drive to the school from where we live.

8:30...

Linda is the mother of Joshua’s classmate, Paul, who live down the road from us and with whom we’ve started ride sharing. It’s been wonderful! Linda happens also happens to be the woman without whom we would have not found our house! She’s a wonderful, delightful woman with whom I’ve gratefully found a fast friendship. We have great hopes of dyeing lichen together and felting slippers for our children…

8:35...

8:40...

8:41...and we're off...thanks, Linda!

...as the dust settles. Looking back on 2007

2008-01-16T05:09:00.003-08:00

Somehow, the need to bridge the gap between my last posting in July and now in January, brings with it the perfect opportunity to send holiday greetings and wishes for a Happy New Year!

2007 was a good year for the Kewene-Hite Family! In the Spring, we welcomed our third child, Elijah Manahi into the family. He was born April 20th at home, in the water. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of our lives.

In the Summer, we did the summer things we all love to do...one highlight being a week at the lake where Joshua, who turned 10 this year, experienced his first year of Sail School at the Eugene Yacht Club! Natasha, who learned to sail there growing up, has fond memories of this place, so it was quite wonderful to have her own children attend, in addition to two of his best friends, Sage and William! We are most grateful to our Grandpa for this opportunity. It was a week of great fun and building memory.

By Summer's end, we confirmed that Ireland would be in our future!...this left only the question of when to leave... Ultimately, we packed up our house and pulled out of the driveway the end of September.

Autumn, as it turns out found us landing in Ireland on October 5th, and after a month searching, moved into our new house on November 1, the kids started school on Nov 6 and we're now settling into a new life on the other side of the planet. Halloween came and went. Then Christmas brought Natasha's father from the States and her brother, his wife and child over from Germany for a terrific holiday together. The holidays have come and gone and now here we are...2008! Whew!...what an adventure.

Now, the dust settles and life is falling into a routine. It's beautiful here in Ireland! We are getting to know the lay of the land, Paul is enjoying his work, the kids are making friends and we're just starting to be able to make use of the weekends to see some sights. Now life is beginning anew...

To all our friends we left behind in the States, we love you and miss you! To our family near and far, we love you and miss you! We look forward with great anticipation for the opportunity to see you again and, if you're so inclined, to have you come visit us in Ireland!

Not to leave anyone out...

2007-07-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

February 3, 1999. Sasha at 3 weeks old.

A bit older...in the kitchen (8 years ago!)

2007-07-13T02:14:00.001-07:00

Elijah at 6 1/2 weeks.

Joshua at 6 and 1/2 weeks.
See any resemblance?

Getting some fresh air on Spencer's Butte

2007-07-13T02:05:00.001-07:00

May 28th. My first hike. Seven weeks. I was very proud of myself, being so freshly post partum. I'm very proud of the fact that my kids are great hikers, and they were eager on this day. We headed out...we would have, could have gone to the very top. Certainly the kids could have. It would have been a treacherous hike down with such a bundle in front of me, so we just went half way up and turned around. The bounties of this earth are simple.

So I'm getting ahead of myself

2007-07-13T02:00:00.001-07:00

These last two postings were from June 20th and June 30th. At this point, Elijah is approximately 8 weeks old! Here we are on May 30th, at about 4 weeks; and this budding relationship is taking off! Big brother and sister are most enthusiastic to share with their little brother all the joys of reading. Here they are, one soothing, the other pointing out the finer features of animal life in book form.

She did it again!

2007-07-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

That last posting showed Elijah and Sasha taken June 20th. Ten days later, she did it again!

She's Got The Touch

2007-07-13T01:03:00.000-07:00

As the weeks have progressed, each of the kids have been developing their own relationship with Elijah. Sasha will offer up her babyholding skills ever so freely and often. She has displayed a wonderful ability to put Elijah to sleep. Here, he fell asleep while she was holding him...and then...she was able to successfully transfer him to his lambie where he actually stayed asleep! What skill, what bliss!

First Days...the land of milk and honey

2007-07-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

The birth of any child, whatever circumstance is amazing and awe inspiring. Ours was no different. A friend recently described for me that she saw the time we were in, these early days and weeks, as the time of milk and honey. Truly, in our house, despite the mess and apparent chaos, it feels to me as if we're in the land of milk and honey.

Welcome Baby Elijah!

2007-07-01T23:34:00.000-07:00

On April 20, 2007 at 7:49am, we welcomed Elijah Manahi into our lives. In that we were already at home, the early morning saw him enter the world with joy and love, while big brother Joshua and big sister Sasha watched on, and Daddy, with our loving midwives attentively tubside. With the rising sun, light breeze blowing through the windows and geese flying overhead, Elijah rose to the surface where we joyously watched him take his first breath as his siblings and father blew on his yet uncut umbilical cord.

We are all well and in love with our boy.

Star Performer!

2007-02-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

So we just started this blog, but I didn't want to leave out the following: Looking back to the holidays for a moment, it seemed fitting to mention a wonderful opportunity Sasha had to perform this past December 23rd in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, Eugene's annual Christmas performance by the Eugene Ballet Company at the Hult Center. Taking a ballet class was great fun, but to do so at a ballet school in which the culmination is a performance in a world class professional venue for a 7 year old is a great treat. Sasha, and her fellow ballet-mates, were angels this year, opening the Second Act with a dramatic curtain rise with dry ice pouring out over the stage as the curtain was lifted. It was very thrilling to see her perform for over 2400 people! Sasha was a natural with no stage fright whatsoever!

Connection is everything...

2007-02-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

This post is my first step out the door into blogger cyberspace... With me I bring a welcome from all us here in the Kewene-Hite household to you, our family and friends.

Our first bit of exciting news is to announce that we are expecting baby number three to our little nest! We are quite thrilled, as you might guess, and expect an arrival this Spring. Stay tuned for more updates...