First day

It was a great first day of school -- only one of us (me) cried!

Jack woke up early, showered, ate breakfast, and helped his sisters get ready so that we could actually leave on time. Jack was excited, singing "it's the first day of school, school, school, and it will be cool, cool, cool", while Kate and Liv were nervous and excited at the same time.

Before we left, we got the obligatory photos on the front porch:

In the car on the way (Jack will start taking the bus tomorrow, and the girls will take it later in the week):

And at the school:

Kate and Liv were all smiles when we picked them up, and Madame A. said that they (and a little boy who lived in France last year) did a color activity especially well -- yay Kate and Liv! We then went to eat lunch at Bonny's cafe to celebrate and that's when the heartache was the hardest for me, I think.

Bonny's was where John and I went after the ultrasound when we found out there were two babies in there... and while we ate today, as Kate and Liv talked the ears off all of Bonny's regulars -- people who remember them in their stroller and when they were small enough to walk under the counter, people who were SO excited for their big day -- John and I looked over and saw a family with a small baby in footed pajamas... and we wondered when our kids stopped wearing those. Some of the rites of passage you notice, like the first day of school. But there are so many other ways that they show they are growing up -- feeding themselves, putting on their own shoes, wearing regular pajamas... and these just slip away without ceremony or fanfare. It's a bittersweet feeling to be sure, for the parents, anyway.

But as for the kids -- it was a great day. They loved it. And they can't wait to go back.

End of the summer

Apologies again for such a delay in posting. I find it harder to get into a rhythm of writing back home than I did when we were traveling. I had the same problem after we returned from Japan... we had such a calmer life there, as we did in France, and so finding time to upload photos and write witty stories of our days seemed to come so easily. Now, we are happily surrounded by chaos and a busy calendar, and so I have several weeks worth of photos on our camera still waiting to get uploaded to my computer (much less added to the blog), and a backlist of good stories and updates to share.

Well, tomorrow's event -- the first day of school -- will hopefully help with that a bit. It is a BIG day for all three of our kids. Jack will be starting Grade Three (comparable to CE2 in France) and Katie and Olivia will be starting kindergarten (comparable to the Grands section of Maternelle in France)-- their first time at "real" school. Jack is so happy to be going back -- he found out on Friday that he will be in a class with one of his best friends, the amazing Ailene, and they will have a male teacher (Monsieur M) whom we've heard great things about. Kate and Liv will have the same incredible kindergarten teacher Jack had, Madame A. She is a truly remarkable educator who really understands (and enjoys!) five-year-olds! And... they will know at least three other kids in their class of 18 -- all of those friendly faces are sure to help them, I think.

Jack is pretty cool about it all, although he set his alarm extra early to make sure he was ready. Kate and Liv are pretty nervous... but I am sure once they get there, they will be fine. We have reminded them how much French they actually know -- phrases like "asseyez vous sur le tapis" (sit on the carpet) and colors, numbers, greetings... all of those things will be new to all of the other kids, but happily familiar to them. They're still nervous (and bossy... tonight Olivia said "It's the night before kindergarten... I command you to bring me string cheese!")... and excited, too.

I am not nearly as worried about Kate and Liv starting as I was when Jack started kindergarten (or when all three started school in Japan and France). It's nice knowing the ropes (and yes, Jack WILL in fact have a lunch with him tomorrow) and more than nice to know they are heading to a wonderful public school and into the classrooms of some great teachers.

I'll try to post first-day of school photos tomorrow. They all have their outfits all picked out!

***

In other news -- we enjoyed a great visit with my parents last week, including a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of my 18th birthday on Wednesday night with friends young and old. My parents are such great party-throwers... and it was so fun to have them meet or see again some of the most important people in our lives here. They are on their way on another incredible driving adventure (with stops in California and Las Vegas, which aren't exactly on the direct path from Colorado to Alberta!) and we miss them already.

When I get caught up on photos, I also want to post photos from our outing Friday to pick fresh strawberries at a nearby farm. The strawberries felt so French to me -- small, full of flavor, and best consumed immediately. The kids loved it (and probably should have been weighed going in and coming out, as they helped themselves to many of the ripest berries!). We have also been indulging in another local delicacy -- Taber corn. It's "late" this year -- usually you can find it earlier in August -- but all of the rain has put off its arrival until now. And yes, it was worth the wait!

The university classes start a bit later -- September 8 -- so hopefully we'll have a chance to get the kids settled into their new school routines and organize our classes before actually teaching them. As we said so often in France... on verra!

Fun at the Flathead

Every summer for the past 17 years (well, I guess we took a few years off when work was crazy or babies were born), I have had the pleasure of spending time the first weekend in August with John's family in some of the most beautiful parts of Montana -- Big Fork on Flathead Lake, and Ronan, in the Flathead Valley.

John's Aunt Dee has a house in Big Fork right on the lake, and most years, John's dad and his dad's brother and three sisters meet to eat, talk, walk, and play (as you can see by these great photos). There is extended "family" next door, too -- good friends of Dee and Ron's who have kids (and now grandkids) our age and our kids' ages. John's generation -- the cousins -- comes when we can, bringing kids who range from 9 to brand new (with every year in between represented). We all have had a lot of fun introducing them to the wonderful lake lifestyle, which includes a lot of running back and forth between Dee and Ron's and their neighbor's house (and hottub). Olivia was especially fascinated with the 1-year-old Megan, Katie couldn't get enough of the water, and Jack had the thrill of his life riding a jet-ski with the neighbors at sunset one night.

We also usually get to spend a day with Judy's sister, Joan, and her family, at their property in Ronan. The horses, the chickens, the dogs and the barncats, the garden, the shady back yard perfect for a horseshoe-like game... it's just a magical place in every way. This year we got to celebrate Joan's great-granddaughter Sabra's third birthday, too. And what better way to do that with pony rides?

I posted 100 or so of the photos from our four days on our Shutterfly site. Just go to:

jackkateliv.shutterfly.com

and enter the password (my middle name). If you don't know my middle name, email me (lisnjohn at gmail dot com) and I will send it your way. For best results, click on Flathead Lake 2010, then VIEW ALBUM, then SLIDESHOW.

We're already looking forward to next year's reunion!

P.S. No, I don't know what John's cousin Lisa and Sabra's dad are laughing at when Jack is on the pony. I just *love* that they are laughing! And the bottom photo shows our Kate with her second-cousin, Kate B.

P.S. #2 And  doesn't Sabra's dad look a LOT like my brother Steven? And they not only look alike, but have the same easy-going, gentle personality (and are great with little kids). Long lost twins, maybe?

This and that

Hello there! My apologies for such a delay in posting. I will get to work with photos of our great weekend in Montana soon, but wanted to write with a few updates first.

Top of the list -- happy birthday, Dad! And happy first birthday to Hazel, the daughter of one of my oldest friends. You two are proof that August 13 is truly a great day.

Second -- I made THREE French desserts last night for a dinner we had here for the next family heading to Hokkai Gakuen University in Sapporo and some other families who have recently been on that exchange. There were 17 people there (17!) and we all had a great time laughing about our time in Sapporo and enjoying the food and friends. On the French side of things, I whipped up a quick gateau au chocolat in the morning, and then in the afternoon, in between marinating the salmon, creating a pesto pasta salad, and making my grandmother's cucumbers and cream recipe, I turned out a tarte au citron and tarte aux pommes. The chocolate cake and lemon tarte were the favorites (and the salmon wasn't bad, either)... and I had so much fun doing it. Anytime I make these recipes, I am transported back (almost) to "our" kitchen in La Maison des Chaumes, to cooking with Geraldine, to the night my French "host mother" taught me how to make her delicious gateau, to picking out the best produce at the market, to all those moments sharing food with friends. Such good time, both there and here.

Third -- I got an email yesterday morning that I wanted to write about, even though it has nothing to do with France, Japan, kids, or travel. It was from the photographer at the newspaper I worked with on SO many stories from 1997-2003. The email began "Hey Lis, didn't ever want to send you a message like this, but I spent a good portion of last night at the hospital with Bob."

I met Bob in the spring of 1998, when he came into our office with an announcement about the local AIDS walk. He said he hoped the newspaper would be there -- he would, he said, because it was on his birthday, his 36th, and his doctor had just told him this birthday (in 1998) would be his last.

Bob was diagnosed with HIV in 1992 and full-blown AIDS in 1996 (I had to go back into the newspaper archives to look that up... I can remember a lot but some details have gotten fuzzy), and he told me that day in the office that he had decided to spend his last year educating people -- children, nursing students, anyone who he could talk to -- about AIDS.

So Cat and I followed Bob and Joe, his partner who also had AIDS, through their medical appointments, birthday parties, public talks, and quiet hours in their home. We heard about and saw and wrote about a different side of life in Allentown and Bucks Country and Philadelphia, one far more colorful (and dangerous) than the life I was living, that's for sure. And along the way, we all became friends.

And although Cat and I didn't know it at the time, our story of how one man decided to spend the last year of his life instead became a story of the moment AIDS turned from a deadly disease to a chronic disease, as well as a story of two people who loved each other very much. You see, Bob's new cocktails of drugs his doctor was giving him in 1998 turned out to be ones that would keep him alive until 2010.

And keep him alive still. That was the stunning thing about Cat's email. The night she spent in the hospital with Bob and Joe was because Joe -- Joe who never seemed as sick as Bob, Joe who was always there at Bob's side, loving and supporting and caring for him -- had had a heart attack brought on by kidney failure. Cat emailed again yesterday to tell me that Joe died at about 2 p.m.

The news has brought back so many memories of that year we spent with Bob and Joe, as well as the visits and stories and Christmas cards and letters and baby gifts and updates that followed, even when we moved to Canada. Joe's death has filled my heart with an unexpected sadness... partly brought on surprise (Joe is sick? I thought as I read that first email... don't you mean Bob?). But most of all, the sadness is for Bob, who loved Joe so much. 

This morning, I went back in the archives of the paper and read one of stories I had written about Bob and Joe, this one after Bob had been hospitalized. It ended this way:

***

All the while, Burton's partner, Joe, stood quietly by his side. He said this was the first time he was truly worried about his partner of three years, because this time he didn't know why Burton fell ill.

After offering his usual encouraging words and making sure the hospital had the right medicine for Burton, Joe said it was time to go.

"You'll be home soon," Joe said.

"I know."

"Love you," Joe said, and walked out the door.

After taking a few steps in the quiet of the hallway, Joe turned around and returned to Burton's room for one more goodbye.

A moment later, he left again, walking quickly.

"I hate saying goodbye," he whispered.
***

Go Panthers! (or, a story about how you can go home again)

There was really only one thing I was certain of when we finally made it back home after all of our travels this year: I had no desire to leave again any time soon.

So even though John`s 20th high school reunion was approaching, I confidently decided that he should go and enjoy himself in Montana, but I would not be going anywhere. And when I began to get reminders about my own 20th high school reunion, I said no way would I get on a plane, not me, nope, not happening.

And then Jason came to town (yes, Jason, it is all your fault!). He and John have been friends for 32 years. They met when they were seven or so, and their boyish humor still surfaces whenever they are around each other. They had so. much. fun. talking and reminiscing and laughing and remembering during the two days Jason and Christy stayed at our home en route to their reunion... that I decided that, well, maybe, perhaps, it seems,as it happens... that I kind of wanted to go to my reunion too.

I was able to get an OK price on a ticket from Great Falls to Denver, and on July 23, off I went. And I am so glad I did. I got to see my own oldest childhood friend, Suzanne, and so many other people with whom I talked and reminisced and laughed and remembered. It was the right choice. I still hate flying, and I still love being home... but I am glad I was able to go back to my childhood home for a weekend, too, and reconnect with some really wonderful people. Dad even let me take his convertible to the party Saturday night, and I picked up three great girlfriends and we felt FABULOUS as we cruised through the familiar streets of Colorado Springs. Thanks to Suzanne for this photo -- it is one of my favorites of the whole weekend.

(And for the record, we all agreed we were aging VERY well. For one thing... our hair is not nearly as big as it was in 1990. Check out me and Suz walking to graduation... you would not believe the amount of hairspray that was needed to get those looks!)

I`ll add some other photos of the weekend  below-- there was an all-school reunion on Friday night, an all-school picnic on Saturday, and a party for the class of 1990 (go Panthers!) on Saturday night. I want to thank both my mom and John`s mom who encouraged me to go (and worried, I think, that I would regret it if I stayed home). I think they were right! It was a great weekend start to finish.

And speaking of reunions.... we are heading off to a gathering of John`s family this weekend at Flathead Lake in Montana. I hope to get some great photos there - it`s a beautiful place. Maybe it will be OK to occasionally leave this lovely Lethbridge home from time to time, after all.

Bicycles built for two

One reason for the mosquito madness is that we are spending a lot of time doing this this summer:

Jack is a whiz on two wheels, and as of Saturday they are new wheels. Yes, Jack grew so much this last year that even with the seat and handlebars raised as much as they could go, his knees were still hitting the handlebars... and so we had to buy a new bike for him. (Sadly, we do not have many friends kids older than Jack  to pass down these kinds of things... although we are the lucky beneficiaries of many such hand-me-downs for Kate and Liv).


And they have been having fun on their little bikes... and might be able to figure out two wheels (and no training wheels) by the end of the summer. In the meantime, when we want to take a long ride, they love riding on the tandem bikes. This is a great attachment that allows a small child to ride along with an adult, figure out balance, and go much, much further than they could on their own. We found one at a garage sale, and one was (no surprise here) a hand-me-down.

Yesterday, we rode several kilometers to Nicolas Sheran Park and raced around the lake. It was a perfect way to spend the holiday (Heritage Day here in Canada... better known as the August Long Weekend). Now if only those mosquitos would go away (yes, that is Jack swatting one while riding below!)

Poor Liv

Lethbridge has had its wettest summer in memory, and so the landscape is still shockingly green (instead of the brown and yellow it usually is this time of year). While we like the green, we do not like the small critters that have accompanied all of this rain -- mosquitos.

The kids and John, especially, have been getting eaten alive. We carefully plan our bike rides and park trips for the middle of the day, hoping the heat will keep them away. Even so, the mosquito bites continue to appear. Poor Liv suffered the worst of all bites this weekend -- one got her on her EYELID. We noticed it Friday night, and when she woke up Saturday morning, she could not open the eye. The picture here was taken after the Benedryl start to do some of its work... but even so... poor baby.

Thankfully, she and the others with delicious blood are as good as usual today. They all have a few more bites on legs and arms, of course, but that seems to be the price we are paying for this glorious green summer.