Happy belated Memorial Day! It's June on Thursday - not even possible. Guess it's been about three weeks since my last bout of revelations. It seems like I've blinked and my parents have been here for two weeks already. We spent a few days on the coast of beautiful Slovenia in Piran and north of Llublijana at Lake Bled last week, which was amazing. I recommend Piran for anyone looking for a seaside getaway off the beaten path. It's such a cool place to hang out for a couple days. Hotel Piran worked for us. It's not five stars but it's clean, and it sits right on the seaside. We came back to Budapest late Thursday night, did some laundry, repacked, and headed off to Somlo (Hungary) for the weekend. We had the kids with us the second trip out, and they really loved being out in the countryside. I should say they loved being on a beautiful hill, which was once a volcano, in the countryside. Our friends Sue and Peter have a vineyard there, with a big welcoming, weekend home/retreat. We drank lots of their wine, and relaxed like crazy. I had informed the monkeys before departure that there would be absolutely no electronics on board for the weekend - no DVDs, no PSPs, no PS2, etc. (Liam is actually grounded from the PSP, PS2, and his skateboard until this coming Friday). The moans and groans lasted awhile, but in the end they had the best weekend ever, just being outside and finding things to entertain themselves. Sue and Peter have a giant wine-making tub that became their instant best friend (see photo blog). They hid in it. They splashed in it. They got inside and rolled eachother around until they were exhausted. They used it for a basketball hoop. Who knew that a big plastic tub could give so much joy. Somlo is a heavenly place. I think Bill and I would be totally happy to spend the rest of our days in a place like that, away from the world. Neither of us are particularly into the 'one with nature' scene, but a lifestyle like that really appeals to both of us. Maybe someday we will figure out how to make it happen.

Frolicking deep in the Hungarian jungle over the weekend, I also witnessed a very important passage. We went down to the local farmers' market/flea market/swap meet in Ajka (ah-ee-ka) Saturday morning, 12 kilometers from Somlovasarhely (Somlo), which in itself was something to experience. After only eleven years in Hungary, Bill ate a langos (Lahn-go-sh) for the first time ever. A langos, for those of you who haven't experienced this Magyar delicacy, is nothing more than a big lump of greasy bread dough, deep-fried, then piled high with sour cream and shredded cheese. Talk about a heart attack for breakfast - the grease actually drips off of the thing - but I must tell you that it is yummy. We all got one and then sat in the grass outside the market devouring them. To passers by who heard us speaking English, this must have been quite a sight. Afterwards, we drove back to Sue and Peter's place, stopping to take pictures of the fields and fields of poppies along the roadside. We have decided that it's very likely we will spend another weekend in Somlo this summer.

No great plans for the rest of the week. We were contemplating another two-day jaunt somewhere but have decided to hang here for the weekend. Thinking that we'll check out either the new Spiderman or Pirate movie tomorrow, depending on the weather and how the mood strikes. I could happily miss both, but unfortunately they won't go for a chick flick. On the topic of chick flicks, I played catch-up last night and watched the last four episodes of Veronica Mars. I love that show! And it didn't get picked up for a fourth season, so I will have to find something else to love come September. What will it be? Something between Heroes (too much doomsday and gore for me) and the fluffy stuff like Gilmore Girls. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Front page news here at Chez McGann - Liam lost his other front tooth last night. He was so cute - way beyond distraught when he realized that he could no longer say 's' words without sounding goofy. We layed in bed and talked about it for awhile, discussing the fact that his teeth will be back in no time. And as soon as he found the 400 HUF under his pillow this morning, the rest was history. Who says money can't buy happiness? :) We are all camping out in our room at the moment, the boys because my parents have taken over their room, and Keira because she just never wants to stay in her own bed. She starts out there, but it never lasts long. I remember going through this with Riley, but somehow we had alot more stamina then. Three kids and ten years later, we just roll over and let her climb up. Need to work on that. Maybe after the summer chaos.

The boys are home again from school this week, the last of many, many, holidays they have had this year. They start back on Monday and continue through June. We are still planning to lay pretty low for the summer, with the exception of a couple weeks in France in August. We will drive down, spending a couple days on the way there and back to make the drive a bit easier. Not sure how long it takes actually, but will leave the logistics of that effort on the hubby's plate. Riley and Liam will go to pottery camp the first week of July, then Riley has a tennis camp from the 16th-21st. We are still pondering a camp at Lake Balaton in August, but that may end up getting cut from the budget. Camp sure as heck doesn't cost what it used to. Thinking back to my wonderful youth, I was overjoyed at the thought of an unencumbered, un-action-packed summer. I probably remember it differently than it was, but organized camps and exotic vacations certainly weren't on the docket. And guess what? I turned out just fine. At least I think I did.

I should probably go open the fridge and hope something screams out to me in the way of dinner. I haven't done a whole lot today, but I'm convinced that there is a direct correlation between the business of the day and my desire to cook dinner. If I've been running all day, it just seems easier to hit the kitchen running. If not, I'm not so motivated. Not complaining, just noting. Anyway, will close for now. Ciao!

TGIF. Hi guys. Thought I'd get a few minutes of QBT (quality blogging time) before the monkeys arrive home and chaos ensues. Had a fantastic Friday actually, did absolutely nothing and enjoyed it :) I went out with some girlfriends last night for a bday celebration and did a bit too much celebrating myself, so was happy for the downtime today. We are having a home improvement weekend, tiling the bedrooms upstairs, so the peace and quiet came and went in the same breath. The boys have a football tournament tomorrow, followed by a bday party and then a sleepover here, so the weekend will be business as usual. On Sunday we are headed to friends', where the kids will set up and man a good old fashioned lemonade stand. That should be an interesting concept for the Hungarian passersby.

I keep saying that my true wish is to have a garage sale, but nobody thinks it will work. They are probably right, but on the other hand, I could be a pioneer and really start something here. In anticipation of 'dump your junk day' (explanation to follow), coupled with the need to completely pack up the kids' rooms for tiling, I have been rigorously compiling bags/boxes of things we don't need. It's a bummer that there isn't more of an eBay setup here in Hungary, I could supplement Bill's income (when he as one again) very nicely.

'Dump your junk day' is a semi-annual event whereby each district/town picks a day when everyone can get rid of their bigger household/outdoor items, as well as things that the gypsies are likely to come by and salvage. It's amazing - the gypsies obviously have the schedule posted on the fridge, for wherever you see junk being dumped, there are droves of gypsies loaded up in Ladas, Trabants, and the odd pick-up truck, going up and down the streets looking for that special something that time forgot.

Bill and I had the garage door open a couple years ago on a Saturday afternoon which didn't actually coincide with this celebratory mass disposal, and a gypsy guy pulls up to the house with his wife, a little trailer attached to their 1972 Wartburg, to see if there is something we don't need. We had just finished cleaning out the garage, and there was indeed a stack of stuff in the t0-go pile. He took every last drop of it and went on his merry way.

Let's move to this topic for a moment, shall we? Organizing your house. I have spent countless hours reading magazine articles and internet chat about simplifying and decluttering your life. Obviously it's a pretty hot topic, since it has become a virtual industry in the US. I am the first person to scream about the amount of 'stuff' cluttering my house, my garage, my life, but there is no possible way that Martha friggin' Stewart's '10 tips to get your house in order' is going to get me whipped into shape. I would venture to say that at least one full day in a two-week period (in terms of hours spent, spread out over two weeks) is consumed by my incessant and never-ending need to tidy up some corner of this house. Let me just add that we don't have a basement, we have a pretty small garage, and only a small amount of storage space in the laundry/dump-it room. Last Sunday, I spent 6-7 hours just sorting through the toy room, trying to put the game pieces back in the right boxes, pulling out stuff that the boys don't play with, etc.. When I was done I peered back into the room, thinking to myself that there is still a whole lot of work sitting there, and that I will no doubt be doing that again very soon. Arghh! No feeling of satisfaction ever comes, because I'm immediately focused on the laundry list of other places in the house that need to be sorted out. So, what does one do to truly stop the 'stuff' from ruling their life?

How about that saying? 'They' say (Martha and associates?) that anything in your closet that you haven't worn for more than a year should be tossed to the used clothing store fashionistas. I disagree wholeheartedly; there are a ton of things rotting in my closet that have been pulled from the years-gone-by abyss and worn somehow/somewhere. And what about kitchen gadgets. Take my meat grinder, for example. Now there's a perfectly good use of storage space - I think I've used it three times in eight years. But what if I develop a sudden urge to make sausage one day? :) Do you see a pattern here? Perhaps I should spell it out - no matter what I pick up and think I might not need, I always find a reason to keep it.

Don't even get me started on Bill in this department. I throw stuff away and then find it tucked in some corner of a shelf in the garage after he has plucked it out of the trash can. Double ARGHH! If I have actually made an executive decision to eliminate it from my life, don't I deserve the satisfaction of seeing it go? So, I have a new approach. I wait until trash day when the cans are out and Bill's not looking so that I can truly toss it.

How did I get started on this topic? Not sure, but it's clearly one that warrants discussion on many levels. I think George Carlin summed it up best in his bit about 'stuff'. Basically, you spend your whole life trying to get more stuff. Then you have to get a bigger house to hold all your stuff, a bigger car to transport your stuff, and you spend most of your life moving your stuff from one place to another. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense really, does it?

Well, kiddies have returned, dinner unfortunately won't make itself, and Liam has decided that he needs help with his homework. It's Friday night and he wants to do his homework, something is very wrong here.

Have a good weekend. Will write soon. xo.

First, let me just say to the two people out there who actually log on to read my ramblings, I apologize for the fact that I've been MIA since January 15th. No proper excuses available, I've just been distracted with other things and haven't made the effort. Second, let me dedicate this posting to my dear friend John Fekete, without whom this would not be possible (he's actually the only faithful reader I have and keeps bugging me to get my butt in gear and get back online).

Before I do anything else, I will also mention that I've just posted a slew of new photos (in two separate postings, one on 4/30 and one on 5/1) on my photo blog, which is located at: http://mcgannphotos2006.blogspot.com/

So, how is everyone? Hopefully you are all well on your way to Summer'07 and are making plans for an exciting holiday or something along those lines. Hard to imagine that another four months have gone flying by and we are almost at the end of another school year. The French school runs through the end of June, but we are already trying to figure out the logistics of camps, visitors, and holidays for July and August.

It's May 1st here in sunny Budapest, a national holiday, and we have been fortunate enough to have a four-day weekend with amazing weather every day. Unfortunately, Bill and I have been knocked out with a cold/sinus infection for the last three days and have just been moping around in our PJ's. We did manage to go out socializing Friday night and Sunday night to have dinner at friends' houses (with kids), and I went out again yesterday afternoon/evening to hang at our friends' Curt and Erika's place for a BBQ. Left poor Bill on the sofa though, he was a right mess. Liam has now gone off to visit a friend, Keira is sitting at her little table working on her 'homework', and Riley is somewhere on the Adriatic sea aboard a sailboat currently in some sort of competition. He was invited by one of his Hungarian friends to join them for the long weekend. They started off in Zadar, Croatia, but I'm not sure where they are at this point. Such a rough life these poor little guys have, eh?

What to report first from the hustle and bustle of our exciting lives? Well, truth be told, there's not much that's newsworthy. Bill is still enjoying his 'pseudo' retirement. He has been home for four months now, without bloodshed on the marital front, which would seem to me a good indication that we will be able to survive as a married couple once we get to actual retirement down the road. I guess he might have another opinion :) Anyway, he is still weighing his options and networking here and there, but we don't really have a definite idea of where we will be this time next year. We are still very much hoping to stay in Hungary, but life is indeed what happens while you are planning it.

The kids are all doing well. Grade cards came home right before the Easter break and were very satisfactory. I met with Riley's teacher last week, in fact, to see how things are going, big picture. She is happy overall with his work, but we need to focus on his reading and comprehension. He has 2-3 lessons a week outside of school at the moment, which he is less than thrilled about, so hopefully that will get hime up to speed. Next big hurdle I need to jump is to get him excited about a 'summer of English'. He is headed into fifth grade next year, and the focus up until now has been on Hungarian and French. We are considering dropping the Hungarian from September, but the verdict is still out on that one. From sixth grade, he will have the option to study either Latin or Ancient Greek, but I'm not sure how that will play out either. I realize that kids can take on multiple languages with little or no effort, but they still need to be absolutely proficient in at least one. Should be English, no?

Liam continues to dodge homework and generally gets by with minimal brain activity :) but is well-adjusted and seems to get it. His passion at the moment is the newly discovered extreme sports channel and related accoutrements (i.e. his skateboard, his Heely's, and his BMX bike). He will definitely be the first of my small but dynamic brood to break a bone, it's just a matter of where and when.

After another very successful ski season, the boys have both stated that they want to start focusing on snowboarding. This, after we spent a pretty penny outfitting them in new skis and boots, of course. I told them that they can rent snowboards for a day or two next year and give it a try, but that I think they need another year or two of skiing before they switch completely. I can look around and see the attraction - snowboarding is just far cooler from a teenage point of view. My little men although not yet teenagers, are mature for their age. I say that sarcastically, but the truth is that it frightens me a bit that they are operating with a much more advanced frame of mind than I ever dreamed of at their age, snowboarding and extreme sports aside.

Liam, for example, when asked, will tell you that he's in his third serious relationship. First, there was Fanni (pronounced fah-nee), then there was Kira (who never really returned the affection), and now there is Mariane. Mariane has been over to play several times and seems to like him back so I guess that's as good a place as any to start. He's made her a few cards, and gave her a bracelet for Valentine's Day, so one might say it's getting serious. Riley, on the other hand, has a love interest, the identity of whom he has no intention of divulging. He's not really into girls, I don't think he could be bothered.

We are still fixated on the Playstation 2 here at Chez McGann, although the focus has shifted a bit to the recently acquired PSP. The games make it slightly cost-prohibitive, especially here in Hungary where the average game is $60-70, even the old ones. Riley says he's thinking about asking for a Nintendo DS for his birthday - I'm thinking that is not even in the realm of possibilities. How many different systems does one need, for crying out loud? Keira has a pink Leapster, which gives her hours of enjoyment. She got a Fisher-Price FP3 player for her birthday in January, which she refers to as her 'pony iPod', and that also keeps her very happy on long car rides. If you haven't seen the FP3 player and you have small children, it's on the need-to-check-it-out list. You can download stories and music from their website, or you can just put your own music on it. I was amazed to see all the stories that you can download, many read by the author him/herself, and many that I already had the book for, which is great when they can listen and read along. And it's virtually indestructible. Ok, tangent, how did I get off on that topic.

My days are filled with the usual - taxi-driving, scrapbooking, ladies-who-lunch, etc...The scrapbooking sessions have picked up again and I have three or four groups on Tuesday and Wednesdays. I'm not getting many of my own projects done, but I enjoy having people here for classes and it pays for my hobby. There is another link to a separate blog with my scrapbook pages, although I haven't updated it for awhile. it's: http://kerryskreativekorner.blogspot.com/ If only there were 48 hours in the day, I would be so productive.

We have spent the last few weeks trying to get the garden back in working order for the summer. Bill and I planted tons of new flowers and bushes and we got everything painted, from the shed to the furniture to the playground. Next project starts this Friday, tiling the upstairs bedrooms. We would never endeavor such a feat on our own, that would surely be a deal-breaker for us. Anyway, bit by bit, we are getting things done. Problem is that no matter how many things we fix, there are two more that need to be addressed. I need to get the inside of the house painted soon, but am thinking that will be a fall project.

No big plans for summer holidays, although we may drive to France for a couple weeks. I have two good friends from the US travelling in this vicinity in July, so hopefully they will stop and visit. My parents are coming on May 15th, my mom is here for almost a month, and my dad will stay for two weeks. I'm trying to plan at least one trip out of Hungary with them and have narrowed it down to Piran, Slovenia or Cesky Kromlov in the Cz.Republic. There are still hundreds of things in Hungary we haven't done yet, so we will try and squeeze a couple of day trips in as well. I'm planning to go to the Novarock Festival in Austria (www.novarock.at) June 15-17th, but haven't been able to convince my hubby yet to come with me. I will go with a girlfriend anyway, like I did last year, but it would be more fun with a group of people. They have a great lineup so far, but I keep checking to see if they will have a big name headlining. So far, there are some heavy hitters, even if they aren't on most peoples radar screens anymore - Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Linkin Park, The Killers, and a new band that I absolutely love, 30 seconds to Mars. Should be fun. Not sure if my friend is up for the camping thing, so we may just stay in a hotel nearby and take a taxi back and forth. Somehow even with all the things I've outgrown in my very responsible 30's, crazy rock concerts isn't one of them.

Speaking of my responsibilities, it is probably time for me to go and think about lunch for my little ones and maybe the odd household task. Tomorrow we're back to business as usual. So I shall say 'so long for now', and I will promise to be more on top of my blogging efforts. Enjoy your day, where ever and when ever you are. xoxo. K