Forgive me father...

...for it's been WAY too long since my last blog. But the holidays just crept up on me. It seems like it creeps quicker when you are a grade one teacher. The good news is... today begins 3 weeks of peace and serenity. Christmas break has arrived!

Well, I thought it would be peaceful, but during our 9:40 break today, I got a call that Xavier was in the nurse's office with a yucky tummy. By the time I arrived there he had vomited everywhere and was trying to apologize to the nurse for making a mess between heaves. By 10:40, Anouk was complaining of an upset tummy too. It was then that my Friday night plans began to take shape and here I am, sitting between two sick babies while I type out our family recap. It's not so bad though--we have tried the Greek apple remedy, the Indonesian remedy of young coconut milk and rice, and the mama remedy of garbage cans strewn around the house. Though we are completely out of sheets I have this feeling that we'll get past this soon.

Anywhere, here's where last I left you...

At the end of November, Bomma came bearing loads of luggage from Belgium and was here to celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday with us. Since I had to work all Thanksgiving day, we ordered a turkey (with mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, and cranberries) from the Sheraton Hotel, and my house ladies supplemented our feast by cooking delicious sweet potatoes, buns, pumpkin pie, and an interesting interpretation of stuffing which turned out delicious (but extremely crunchy). On Black Friday, we drove up South into the mountains of Malang whose city center is still greatly influenced by Dutch architecture and Chinese history. We spent the afternoon in the nearby city of Batu where we visited the secret zoo full of rare and exotic creatures including white peacocks and the orange footed tamarind. The kids fed vampire bats and got up-close and personal with river otters and parrots.

We spent the evening in the amazingly gorgeous Hotel Tugu which is rich in antiques mixing the art of the native Javanese with that of the Chinese immigrants to Java. If only I had known this spot would be so amazing, I would have planned better. They offer a number of on-site classes--from cooking to floral-designing, massage workshops to antique tours. I hope I can talk Rob into a weekend away where we can enjoy the beautiful destination on our own.

The next day we exchanged the old for the new and travelled to the International Cultural Centre. The ICC is a favorite location of ours in the mountains of Pandaan. We enjoyed the modern sculptures that were displayed around the grounds as we swam for hours in the garden pool. We wrapped up our day with a lovely Italian dinner and a gift of red wine from the Manager (my kids have some great friends... and their parents are fabulous!).

The first term wrapped up with both of my kids' classes hosting their learning expos. Xavier demonstrated his knowledge of natural disasters and their effect on cultures and world economies to both Rob, myself, and Bomma! Last week, Anouk's class completed their transportation expo teaching us how transportation systems are developed because of the needs of the community or the requirements of the geography. Her expo took place just before the elementary music concert where she got up and played the violin like a pro!

We ended our last academic week with a small holiday party. After a rather disappointing board meeting, Rob and I returned home and threw our frustration onto the cutting board as we made a delicious array of appetizers for our buddies. The evening was fantastic with a few too many cocktails and way too many laughs. I woke up Sunday morning and my cheeks still hurt from laughing so hard.

And so tonight, as I listen to the subtle whimpers from my babes (after cleaning up yet another bout of sickness), I am oddly happy. The smell of apple cinnamon candles wafts around me as the movie "A Christmas Carol" plays in the background. Our trip to Thailand is planned out and despite the yuck I am surrounded by--I am reminded how lucky we are. We have what we need. We have (mostly) what we want (though a Christmas Eve with our family in a snowy destination would be amazing!) When all is said and done, we are lucky. We are very lucky!

picture by Kevin Stowe

As so, I leave you with the words of Tiny Tim: "God bless us, every one!"

-Ang