Kirst Afloat

Congratulations, H!

You did it!  I'm so proud of you!!!

Kim's Comment

Kim wrote the following comment.  I've been meaning to get back to her but haven't yet.  And can't right this second.  It's 4:30 am and I'm heading back to bed...I'm also not feeling that great at the moment...my throat is very sore.  (Claire's throat is also sore and her fever was 103 degrees last night.  Tylenol doesn't seem to be bringing it down all that much.  However when I felt her head 15 minutes ago, it doesn't seem as hot.)

Hi Kirst,

I was searching on-line for some info about the Mega Ice 5's and came across your blog.  I skimmed through some of your daily entries and chuckled... There's a list somewhere about events that occurred, and the last line reads "Chaos and Mayhem" ... Guess what my hockey teams are named ?!?!?! 

I'm a hockey player and manager for a couple hockey teams here in Toronto, ON, Canada.  I just finished running a 4-team women's division for the 19th Annual Asian Hockey Championships this past weekend.  Some of my friends and I were approached by men who are on the committee which sent a men's and a children's team to Hong Kong for the Mega Ice 5's.  They said they'd like to get a women's team going for 2009.  I've pitched the idea to a few of my friends, and there's about a thousand ideas and questions rolling right now!  I have relatives in HK; I've only visited twice as a child.  Both times, I was unable to go ice skating at the mall.  It would be a huge thing to check off my life's to-do-list as "played hockey overseas" if I could get to HK !! 

Anyway, it's almost 1am here so I should stop rambling.  I just wanted to message you because I found your blog interesting.  Have fun playing hockey!!  Maybe some day (in 2009 !!!) I'll see you on the ice... 

--Kim

PS:  I hope James is all better now. 

This is a very cool comment and I will get back to you soon, Kim.

Deja Vu

Yesterday Claire was hysterical when I picked her up from school.  The play that she's been talking about for the last several months and that she's helped to write...the teachers actually started assigning parts (in a random way, at least in her mind).  She ended up with being a sleeping guard who just lays on stage at the very beginning.  She is still SO upset.  And very disillusioned with her teacher who said afterwards, "Not everyone got a part and you don't see them crying".  This lady has two kids of her own...you'd think she might have a bit more compassion.

Claire then had soccer for the first time in what seems like ages.  It started to rain during her soccer and she said it felt nice...not so hot.

But later in the evening, after dinner, Claire said she was freezing.  And she was.  She took her own temperature and it's 102+.  And it still is now...

A Great Ceremony!

Claire's First Communion was a success.  The church looked beautiful, but not as beautiful as the children.  Everybody did their part well and it was excellent.  I don't have many photos as we were (fortunately) not allowed to take any photos during the ceremony.  This being Hong Kong, though, there was a professional videographer as well as a professional photographer.

Each child received a professionally printed First Communion Book just for their class.  All relevant names, dates, etc were printed inside already and there are places to add in the photos once we receive them.  Afterwards there was a reception outside in the courtyard...catered, nice kid-friendly food & drinks.  We stayed a little while and then went shopping in Stanley.  Claire picked out a silver dolphin bracelet and her first pair of (small) hoops at Ellis Jewellry.  James was then thrilled to go to the Army (the Salvation Army Thrift Shop).  Claire then decided she wanted to eat at the Chinese restaurant in our Club in Clearwater Bay.

Way to go today, Claire.  We're so proud of you!

First Communion Day

It's finally here...the day of Claire's First Holy Communion.  There was some stress about finding a dress (difficult in HK).  We tried at Christmas but there was only one dress in stock in her size...and it was pretty tatty.  Fortunately we got lucky in Michigan.  After Claire had her ears pierced at Libby Lou we browsed through the girls department in the Parisian department store where Libby Lou was located.  And we found three dresses in Claire's size.  (There were only 6 dresses on the rack...FHC must be much earlier in Livonia, MI.)  All three fit...all three looked nice.  Claire picked her favorite and when we went to pay...wow, the dress was half price.  Perfect!  Later that weekend we found a veil in a different department store (same price as the dress...ha!) and we were set.  We already had the shoes from the Rite of Enrollment shoe buying venture. 

Claire is all set...we had a 90 minute rehearsal on Thursday.  Claire did really well with her reading...she was poised, she read at a good speed (a lot of the other kids read WAY too fast) and enunciated.  She also held her hand up when she read the response. 

We have piano this morning and then a bit of time (not a lot) to eat something and get ready.  I'm going to try to do an "up-do" on Claire but I'm hair-do challenged.  If I could French braid, I would.  I understand how to French braid but I'm just not very good at it.  Same with parts.  Guess not being a "girly-girl" growing up is a disadvantage at times.  Not often, though.  (The up-do went well...the photo here was taken after the First Communion ceremony and dinner so the style stayed in pretty well.  I followed these directions.)

My worry today is that James is going to be horrible at church.  He already went off last night about "I DON'T WANT to go to First Communion.  I want to stay home", etc.  On the plus side, Tom arrived back last night and James will want to hang with dad.  I'm thinking of bribes...I'll bring a lollipop which worked well for Claire but James isn't that motivated by food.  His only current obsession is DS Lite and I draw the line at video games at church.  No way.  I'm currently downloading the new episodes from the two shows that I have season passes to on Itunes:  Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl.  I've crossed over to the dark side and decided to download two episodes of Ben 10: Season 4 as my secret weapon in the "James be quiet at First Communion" battle.  If all else fails, I'm plugging him into my Itouch.  Bad mom!!!

Should go take the old nail polish off of my toes...sad, but true.  Due to James missing 3 days of school this week, the plans for my manicure at The Feel Good Factor and my Shanghainese Pedicure at the Mandarin Oriental Spa got derailed.  There's always next week, though!

It's HOT!

Waiting for James' shuttle bus in the shade and I'm sweating like crazy. It is so humid and hot. And it's only going to get worse as summer arrives in Hong Kong. Once I get James, we'll catch a taxi, pick up the car and swing back to get Claire early. Then it's off to swimming lessons for which James has already expressed his displeasure. Tom's home later this evening! And Claire's First Communion is tomorrow after piano.

Hanging in There

James is much better...Mariz came to the boat early yesterday and when Claire and I left for school, he was still asleep.  I decided to go for coffee with G & S and then to the gym, but I told Mariz that if James was not well to let me know and I'd come home instead.  I received a text while at Pacific Coffee and thought to myself, "Oh, no!"  However, I was pleasantly surprised when Mariz told me that James was awake, happy and that his temperature was back to normal.

Claire decided that she would skip gymnastics class yesterday since James couldn't go.  Also because she has First Communion rehearsal today (typically her only day without an activity) and because she was tired from being up late on Tuesday due to all of the commotion after James was ill.  I took advantage of this and booked hair cuts for both kids with Hair by Mike.  James was beginning to look like a Q tip (or cotton bud depending on your background) and Claire's fringe was in her eyes.  All went well and both look a lot neater today.

It's a bit ironic that James cannot go back to school today because it's only been less than 48 hours since his fever broke and yet at Claire's campus, a girl with pink eye was sent to the secretary who rang the mother.  I'm told (by Claire) that the mother said she come and get her daughter later and that this student was allowed back into class (with bloody PINK EYE!!!).  She and Claire go to Chinese together in the morning (the only two in their group---everyone else either moved out of HK or moved to other schools in HK).  Fortunately Mo Lao Shi noticed the pink eye and ordered her out.  Then Mo Lao Shi sanitized the table.  (She's my hero of yesterday.)  The vice principal (!)  (there is no real principal but the two women who run the school won't actually give someone the title of principal because they don't want anyone to have more power than them or so it seems) was then told about this and he put his foot down and ordered the girl home.  WTF?  J cannot go back to school even though he is fine and yet a kid with highly infectious pink eye can hang out??? 

I'm bringing James into the city with me this morning as he wants to come AND I have to leave him at home this afternoon when Claire has First Communion rehearsal.  It will be a bit like old days...James at Pacific Coffee!  It's where his formative years were spent.  Seriously.

Need to get going...done ranting...hopefully today will be better.

Tom is home tomorrow evening from his Saudi Arabia/Norway/United Arab Emirates/South Africa trip.  (What a crap itinerary!!!)

Crap Day

This has pretty much been an all around sucky Tuesday.

First off: it's rainy and miserable out. 

I rushed to get the kids ready for school because the traffic is always miserable in HK when it's raining.  (Yesterday Claire made us late.  It was Monday AND raining which is a double traffic problem.  We turned the corner to get onto the road which you then turn onto Salvation Army St to get to Claire's school as James' bus was pulling out of that street.  Aagh!!!  I actually followed the bus down two streets until it pulled over and chucked James onto the bus.  Not fun.)  James was ready early and was waiting.  I took his temperature while Claire finished whatever it was she needed to finish to be ready.  Fever!  Oh no!  No other symptoms.  We trekked down the dock and I drove Claire to school.  Would have made the bus for James but had to bring him back home.

Secondly:  James is still feverish.  I think.  Haven't checked since this afternoon.  He was at 100.7 then.  Had Tylenol and then actually napped which is VERY unusual. 

Third:  Received the dreaded rejection letter from HKIS.  Well not exactly a rejection, but the "Yes, it's great your kids qualified for our school but there's no space" letter. 

"I am pleased to inform you that Claire and James have met all the necessary requirements for the qualification into Grace 3 and Reception 2 at HKIS for the 2008-2009 academic year.  Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a formal acceptance at this time, as space does not permit.

This year has proven extremely challenging in that the number of applications have greatly exceeded the number of available spaces.  In light of this, the likelihood of space permitting for the 2008-2009 academic year is not encouraging.  We will, however, place Claire and James' name in our wait pool.

If you have not heard from us by July 31, 2008, please be advised that Claire and James' application has not been successful for our first semester (August, 2008) intake.  Should we find that space permits for our second semester (January, 2009), we will contact you the latter part of November/early December."

I can handle James staying at IMS next year for his last year of Casa but I'm upset that Claire is stuck in Elementary again next year.  Tons of kids are leaving and there won't be that many kids left in her age group.  I think. 

Fourth:  Just received an email from James' teacher--- a response from my email this morning stating that James is feverish. 

"Thanks for your note.  I am very sorry to hear that James is sick.  I also hope it is not hand, foot, and mouth.  There is another child in our class home with a high fever today.  We have not had any cases of hand, foot, mouth disease or scarlet fever but continue to be on high alert.  Could you please let us know if anything changes with James’ symptoms?  We are trying to do everything we can and appreciate the information.  Unfortunately, we must ask you to keep him home for 48 hours after his fever breaks as we are trying to reduce the spread of germs during influenza season.  There seems to be a virus going around our class and I have been asked to reinforce the policy more strictly.  I do hope you will understand."

Well if James is better tomorrow he's stuck here for another two days.  AAGGHHH!!!  I have so much that I'd like to do this week...and hanging out in Clearwater Bay is really not in my plans.  While I do understand the policy, James is not presenting with any influenza symptoms other than a fever.  If something else develops...I totally understand.  However James is a kid who sometimes gets high fevers for no apparent reason.  Perhaps it's his immune system fighting off whatever nasty bug that's invaded.  Thus far at nearly five, James still hasn't had ANY antibiotics.  His body has managed to fight off everything on its own.

I'm hoping tomorrow is an improvement. 

Tuesday, 7:50 pm:  Just took James' temperature.  It's now at 103.5  He's still smiling and flirting, though, and states that nothing hurts.  Weird.

8:42 pm:  After a bath (which James was FREEZING in---lots of goosebumps) and while freshly clothed in clean pajamas, James threw up all over my bed.  Why do kids always seems to get everything?  One pillowcase, top sheet, bottom sheet, mattress pad, duvet & duvet cover!  Only one pillowcase escaped unscathed.  Poor James...

9:32 pm:  After a second bath, still wrapped in two towels...J went to sleep laying on my leg in the living room...my poor sweet BEAUTIFUL boy.  (Claire used my digital camera for the first time...she apologized for cutting off my head...took two perfect pictures after this one...but I still like this shot.)

(and, no, that's not gak on my shoulder...it's a stain left by lily pollen...)

Heather

My god-son, Eric, and Heather 

I met H in August of 1992 when I moved (sight unseen) to Tampa.  Accepted my first full-time teaching job at a school which I had never seen after interviewing for the job sitting on a common (large grass area for those of you not from New England) somewhere in Connecticut.  My future boss was on holiday and took time out to meet with me.

After driving to Tampa from Old Saybrook, CT in my black 1989 Jeep Wrangler, I managed to locate the school which was in the middle of nowhere (or so it seemed).  The executive secretary (who shared a house with one of the coaches) invited me to stay with them for a few days.  It was a bit awkward but also a very nice welcome to a new place.  Coach and Darla drove me around the area to show me potential places to live...we swung by Heather's flat to check it out (and to meet her).  She answered her door in full belly dancer regalia!   An interesting start...who knew that we'd move in together less than a year later and first live in a complex called Hidden Palms (not reassuring to those you gave directions to) and later her cute "shotgun" house in a then-questionable area of Tampa.

Here is a random list inspired by my friend, H

• "Hotel California" to be sung when viewing scary places during flat hunting
• living "Fins to the Left, Fins to the Right" for real one night at a bar in St. Pete
• The Royal Order of the Moose Shuffleboard Club.  Seriously.  Still mad that you lured me to that vaudeville show under false pretenses!!!
• Our great parties  ("What happened to the badminton racquet?" asked quizzically early morning post-moving-in party.  Answer:  "We put out the fire with it.")
• Jelly Rolls in Ybor City
• Married the same year, giving birth the same years!!!
• Living overseas
• Jet ski adventures
• Nights with the hockey guys!
• Ensemble Halloween costumes for Coach B's parties
• Taking THAT photo (none too discreetly) at the Tamara Winery (& horrifying other people with it)
• Sledge hammering the butt ugly "closet" in my bedroom while watching the OJ Simpson "chase"
• Puking on New Year's.  (And you didn't even ATTEMPT to open the car window...my brother was traumatized.)
• Puking on the side of my Jeep.  (And I wouldn't let you in the house until you hosed it off!)
• Matisse
• Kitty Cat
• The psycho rabbit that stalked Matisse
• Pretty Boy and Tequila (and all those random birds from your parents' friend...and the fact that Kitty Cat slaughtered several of them)
• The damned lizard
• TECO macing the dog
• The demise of the pool slave
• Gelato on the streets of Rome
• Laughing at me when I agreed to dance with the scary, gross guy.  And then getting your comeuppance when an even ickier guy asked you to dance!
• Having to leave the before mentioned bar to escape the scary guys
• Nachos with lots of cheese
• "Lynn, you camouflage well!"  Said sincerely.
• The turning 30 ultimatum. 
• Bagels, cream cheese & tomato and the Sunday paper
• Being a good listener
• Being told we had to iron better by our boss
• Rushing down I-4 to get to work on time; trying to sneak by SGD if we were late
• Late night/early morning phone conversations;  a 12-hour time difference can be difficult!
• Summers!!!
• Sleep deprived mothers of babies
• Trying to get away with stirring my tea with your coffee spoon.  Caught you every time!
• Brothers!
• The weekly dinner with your parents at our house
• Preparing to bake potatoes before making potato salad
• Red Suzuki/Black Jeep
• Harry's @ St. Pete Beach
• Pirate Adventures (and the cute pirate guys)
• Matching tye-dyed shirts
• 4 kids in the tub
• Toot toot tugboat man
• Core Knowledge
• Darts
• Chick flicks
• Chicken Soup for the Soul
• Hallmark Commercials
• Do you know what that means???
• Chaos & Mayhem

Santorini

Have only just started editing photos from the Michigan/Greece/Dubai trip.  Thus far, this is my favorite photo.  I took it in Santorini.