I know, I know...

I have been extremely delinquent about updating the blog. I could list all my excuses but that would just be blah, blah, blah. So, with a promise to start catching up this week, let me give you a family picture we just took on Ryan and Lisa's last evening in Poland.

Those wacky Poles are at it again

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_odd_poland_zoo_cavemen

A Star is Born!

Despite having a long list of things I should be doing, I had to upload a couple of videos of Kyle's performance last night in Much Ado About Nothing. Kyle plays Constable Dogberry, head of the watch in a modernized version of Shakespeare's comedy. The setting is now Messina Beach Club run by Queen Leonata. Some sailors arrive for shore leave, fall in love, plots are hatched, and farce and folly ensue. The watchmen are now life guards carrying pool noodles rather than billy clubs.

The entire production is created, managed, and run by the IB theater students. They started with the original play and keeping only the original language, transformed it into contemporary times. Kyle isn't doing IB theater, but he was asked to audition. Ironically, Tim's only drama experience was the same play his senior year of high school! Drama was my major after-school activity throughout high school but we never tackled Shakespeare.

We are immensely proud of Kyle and his performance as the buffoon that is Dogberry- enjoy the two scenes I have uploaded!

I Did it!! (sort of)

What you see before you are all our outbound Christmas gifts wrapped and packaged for shipment to the US. I took them all to the post office at the embassy and $91 later, they are headed your way. I can't tell you what a relief it is to have this task completed. Although I didn't make my original target date of 31 October, this is close enough.

Maybe we'll do our Christmas cards this weekend (yeah, right).

Early Morning in Poland

This was the view this morning as we ran my favorite route around a pond and among the fields near our house. Makes crawling out of bed at 5:15 kind of worth it.

Vice-President Biden Visits Warsaw

Vice-President Joe Biden was in Warsaw on Wednesday to meet with the Polish government. Before he headed over to his meetings, the embassy families were invited to the Sheraton for a meet-and-greet. The new ambassador, Lee Feinstein, made some introductory remarks and then the VP spoke casually for about 15 minutes. He was warm and personable and interesting to listen to.
After speaking, the VP walked the rope divider taking time to shake hands and speak with everyone in the group. He took time to talk personally with all of us. The video below begins with the two people to our right and then you can see him talk with Kyle, Katy, Michael, and then Tim. When he finds out that I'm the mom, he grabs my camera, gives it to one of his agents, and then grabs me for a hug!

Tim's Birthday, Part 2

Following our tradition, the birthday person chooses either their favorite home-cooked meal or restaurant which is followed by the birthday present treasure hunt. Tim wanted to go to IKEA after work so we ended up eating at the mall across the street. Not very exciting but the birthday person gets absolute choice without whining or complaining from the rest of the family. For his cake, Tim wanted a chocolate chip cookie cake. Thus concludes our last birthday of 2009.

Happy Birthday Tim!

Poor Tim, the alarm goes off as usual at 6:15, and he's laying in the dark already thinking about work , analyzing how much financial military assistance the US gives to Israel compared to Poland, when his wife pipes up and says, "Hey, this is your last birthday in your 40's!" What a way to start a birthday! Maybe some of you can call him and relay more cheerful wishes than me.

NB I think the USAF should add ostrich feathers to their caps; quite festive!

We Now Return to Autumn

First of all, I would like to point out the irony of who's idea it was to have a garden (Katy) and contrast that with who you always see in the garden photos (Michael and me). Maybe Katy is the creative thinker and Michael and I are the worker bees!

With the days getting shorter, the garden was reaching the end of its season and it was time to pick the pumpkins. We grew only four but they were hefty and healthy.

Here are our four beauties which currently reside on our front steps. We shamelessly point them out and boast about them to every unsuspecting visitor. I don't know if we'll be able to murder, I mean carve, them on Halloween.

Snow!

Last night a blustery weather front moved through Poland. Temperatures dropped to the low 40's and by eight o'clock this morning, the rain had changed to snow. Thinking this was a momentary aberration, I went about my day as planned. By noon it was still snowing and the roads had become quite messy so I finished my errands, went home, and canceled Kyle's afternoon flu shot appointment.

Fuchsias above and geraniums below dressed in their new winter coats.

This weather is predicted to continue until the weekend.

Upcoming blogs- the new ambassador, Lee Feinstein, is here for a week or two before returning to the US to collect his family and VP and Mrs. Biden will be visiting next week. Also, look for video of Tim driving a tank, an entry about the single best party we have ever been to, and some day, I will put up pictures from Lisa and Ryan's wedding (too many pix to choose from).

Another Contest

After years of putting off the kids when they ask about getting a pet ("After we move" is the usual parental delay tactic), we are finally giving in...I mean, rewarding their patience and providing them with the invaluable experience of caring for an animal (yeah, right, who do you think will end up with the "invaluable experience?"). This month we are adopting two cats from a local shelter. We don't know yet if we are getting two males, two females, or a mixed pair but we need help with possible names. Keeping in mind that we are looking for pairs of names that are clever, real or fictitous, current or historical, etc., please submit your ideas. If we choose your entry, you will be rewarded with bragging rights as well as chocolate or pottery.

Our current ideas-

• Fry and Laurie
• Fred and George
• Jane and Elizabeth ("Lizzy")
• Bella and Edward
• Harry and Ginny
• Luke and Leia

Contest is open until we bring home the cats which is within the next two weeks.

Christmas

In order to de-stress my Christmas season this year, I'm starting my holiday shopping now, with the goal of having everything packed and mailed to the U.S. by the end of October. My first area of shopping will be Polish pottery. What I need from all of you is to email me at our Yahoo address if you would like some and a general idea of what type of piece (bowl, platter, pitcher, mugs, lasagna pan, etc). If I don't hear from you within the next few days, I'll take that as a subtle hint, "No, thank you, Debbie, I don't care for Polish pottery."

If you do know what you'd like for Christmas, please don't be bashful; email me some ideas because I'd really, really like to get you something that you want. I know a lot of us are being more thoughtful about how we spend our money and many are trying to de-clutter our homes so I want to respect that.

Despite the fact that I am beginning my holiday preparations, my quirky rule about no Christmas carols allowed in my aural presence before Thanksgiving is still in effect!

Pre-wedding Hot Dog Roast

Thursday evening, Don and Eileen hosted a wienie roast at a local park. They supplied all the food and drink and opened the event to all Burkes, Mallinsons, Marchands, and Manglasses that had arrived already for the wedding. We even caught a quick glimpse of the bride and groom as they frantically raced from event to event. Above, Rose and Ann catch up because they haven't seen each other since...Tim's promotion to colonel?

Tim, Debbi, Eileen, and Don- I think three of them are looking at pictures on Debbi's camera. Look at Tim's hot runner's legs!

Lou (Lisa's father), Tom, and Doug roast their wienies, so to speak.

Chris and Shane, who rode down from NJ with Martha and Kevin. The physical similarities were amazing!

Doug instructs Ethan in the intricacies of assembling his first s'more.

Kelly, Bridget, Katy, and Michael roast marshmallows.

Fuddruckers- mmmmm!

While we were on vacation in the States, we each had a turn choosing a restaurant. Michael chose IHOP, Katy chose Papa John's Pizza, and Kyle picked Texas Roadhouse. I don't remember where Tim wanted to eat (Boston Market?). Fuddruckers is always my choice. The Wednesday before the wedding we invited everyone who had arrived so far to meet us at Asheville's one and only Fuddruckers.

Tom and Rose had just arrived after the two-day drive from Florida.

Ann also arrived this day while Debbi, Doug, and the boys had arrived on Sunday (?). Inbound much later were Chris, Maureen, and the girls, as well as Kevin, Martha, and Shane. I think Bev and Jeanette came in the next day. Don and Sue drove down on Friday.

Doug ordered the one pound burger because he thought Tim was getting one, too. Evidently the sentence, "You should get one" uttered by Tim was interpreted by Doug to mean, "I'm getting one so you should, too." Doug was not pleased but he finished it with gusto!

Don and Eileen, who luckily was able to convince Don that a cabin was much preferable over a tent for a weekend of wedding festivities.

Katy and Grandma Ann.

Does the Squabbling Never End?!

Even at a wedding those Burke kids don't know how to behave! Bev and Martha are ganging up on Chris and Tim looks like he's crying. Way to set an example for the younger generation.

Upon closer inspection (click photo to enlarge), Tim has apparently lost his mind and Bev is copping a feel! Your parents must be so proud!

Note: In case it's too subtle, this is a JOKE.

Random Irresistable Wedding Cuteness

I have so many wedding photos that I just don't know where to start. Plus, our internet connection sucks so it's agonizingly slow to upload pictures. I thought these three were cute- the wedding cake topper, the tiny baby bunny that was being cared for at the wedding site, and the four loveliest (and palest!) children on the planet.

Yum! Yum!

It's that time of the year again, time for the annual embassy blueberry picking trip. Last year's haul lasted us only through May so this time, I wanted to get enough to keep us in pancakes and muffins for a full 12 months (blueberry muffins are Kyle's carb of choice for fueling him during the cross-country season).

This is just a tiny portion of the 30 pounds we took home (well, minus the pound I ate on the drive home-- not a good idea as I found out later).

Kyle doesn't believe in wasting time on the picking step.

First Day of School

I'm a little late posting this since school started three weeks ago but here it is, my 23rd first-day-of-school photo. Only six more to go. Only one more with Kyle, sniff, sniff.

Who is this??

Click to enlarge and then tell me who is in this picture. Go ahead, click, I'll wait.

Good, you're back. Now, is that Ryan or Kyle?! The back of the head and the pose are pure Ryan but.......it was Kyle who went to Chimney Rock that day.

Continuing today's theme of odd views of Kyle's head, check out the next post.

???

Who removed Kyle's head and then dropped it onto Katy?? How weird is that???

No wonder our kids are embarrassed by us--

There's my hot, hunky spouse. Ladies, eat your hearts out!

I'm a "loser" because I was systematically slicing and dicing my fingers while I was making apple pies for the rehearsal dinner. I have NEVER cut myself while cooking (well, there was the Cuisinart blade incident of 2006). You can see how impressed Casey is by my culinary prowess!

And so grows the tree from which our four children have sprouted.

And while we were away...

Evidently, if lettuce isn't picked when the head is fully formed, it continues to grow and becomes a lettuce tree!

We grew an actual ear of corn!! You can't believe how impressed we are with ourselves. Three ears were ready for picking and we ate them with hamburgers; they were fabulous- sweet and crisp.

The three pumpkin plants continue to take over the yard. Michael is hoping to set up a pumpkin stand and sell the extras.

Our bounty- one lettuce tree, several ears of corn, two carrots, and one green onion. Not quite enough for a cornucopia but we are swelling with pride.

PS Two days remain in the caption contest.

Scenes from Asheville, NC

Long gone are the days when I used to have to psych myself up to fly with young children, worried about keeping them occupied during long flights. Now I just tell them to pack a backpack and remind them to fully charge their electronic devices.

Here we are with Ken Cowin pre-white water rafting. Three rafters were quite nervous and I bet you can easily guess one of them, based on her grip on her father! After the trip, everyone was eager to do it again the next day! Best thing we did in Asheville (not counting the wedding of course).

Michael now has Porsche fever courtesy of a thrilling ride in Ken's Boxter and a twisting mountain road.

We took a day trip to Knoxville and loved the city. Here we are at the ampitheater at the World's Fair site. Knoxville has a lovely old downtown and we happened upon their regular farmer's market.

Chimney Rock State Park with Doug, Debbi, Garrett, and Ethan. Only Doug, Michael, and I climbed every step! Great views.

Kyle, Katy, and Michael from atop Chimney Rock (was I the only one who thought it was a bit phallic-looking?!).

The three kids at the base of the water fall down the trail from Chimney Rock. Who doesn't like to clamber over big boulders?

Fifteen years old and he still enjoys a petting zoo!