Jetlag

Well, in Alina's words, "Tout le monde fait dodo." (Everybody is sleeping.) Alina, for whom the word "nap" is not in her vocabulary, fell asleep on the couch, and Tassia is sleeping on our bed. I've been trying to figure out a way to summarize our month in the States for those of you who didn't share it with us. It's hard. To start off, let me say that everything I expected was worth it. Only the donuts were a disappointment. I'm sure I'll be posting some pictures from our trip, but that project will have to wait until another time. I'd only just get into it, and one if the girls is sure to wake up.

One huge highlight was, of course, meeting our new nephew Elijah for the first time, and being present (I mean, at least, on the same continent) for the birth of our newest niece, Hannah. (Nathan, it's spelled with an H at the end, right?) Alina had a great time playing with her cousins. They swung, ran through the sprinkler, played camping, went on walks, rode bikes, played in the sand... A good time was had by all. Actually, Alina surprised me on this trip. First, her English vocabulary improved by leaps and bounds. I couldn't even begin to count how many new words she said in that 4-week time. Then, she tends to be a bit shy around people she doesn't know, but she warmed up to so many people there. She became decidedly un-shy about distributing hugs!

It was great to be back at my parents' church. It was great to catch up with friends. Amy's dried tomato and goat cheese-stuffed roast was a highlight, and then there were our two trips to the Chili's in Loveland. We became temporary regulars at the Peaberry's by my parents' house, but still made it to Starbucks once to see Becca! We missed some friends, too, like Melinda who had to make an unplanned trip to Denver during our visit. Somehow, our schedules just didn't meet up. Hopefully we'll catch up with those people next time.

A lady at the playground yesterday heard me speaking English to the girls and asked me (in English) where I was from. I was amused to find myself hesitating, and not knowing what to say. I finally came out with, "Well, I live in Melle..." and then proceded to tell her I came from Colorado. But, it's interesting to feel like home is in 2 places.

Overheard in the US

Sorry, you may have to be perfectly bilingual to get this one, but here it is anyway:

DAWN: Thomas, is that a bruise that Alina has?

THOMAS: (examining the spot in question) Oui, elle a un petit bleu.

ALINA: Me haf no boo. Me haf some gween!