First Day of School

We've been here a month and the kids are settling in to their new routine. Here are a few photos of their school and the kids on the steps on their first day. They are attending Bloom Elementary School, which is a part of the Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville. This is the system that Doug is teaching in also. Anya has begun Kindergarten and Justin is in Third grade.

Kentuckiana.....

I've always found a blend of two words to make a new word really goofy. So we are now living in a blended region called "Kentuckiana". I have a friend who lives in "Michiana". The local media outlets must be the authors of the blends for the regions bordering two states. Not wishing to alienate anyone in their media market, a new word is created to include everyone. The funny thing is that it begins to sound normal when you hear it over and over on the radio, the TV and see it in print. So before it becomes normal for me, I need to voice my protest.

As for the accuracy of the word? We are right on the edge of Kentucky. The Ohio River separates Indiana and Kentucky. I could be in Indiana in about 15 minutes if I wanted to. We could have even lived in Indiana and worked in Kentucky. We could go to church in Indiana and live in Kentucky. I wonder if they considered "Indiucky". That definitely does not have a ring to it.

Anya's well-child visit

I'm so glad Anya forgot how much she hated going to the doctor! We needed to have a Kindergarten check up for Anya now that we have landed in Louisville. One of our new neighbors gave us a list of doctors and contacts for all sorts of things we might need. What a huge help that was.

The pediatrician's office is close and we got an appointment right away! Anya was really great as we waited and as she got weighed (41 lbs.) and measured (43" tall). She was even brave through a finger poke for a blood test. She got to play a game to check her hearing (perfect). I knew we were in trouble when she needed to be updated on her immunizations. She needed five :o( shots. Dr. Katz was so kind - he kept checking in with us and when it was time for the immunizations, he told Anya it was okay to cry but she needed to hold real still, then he gave her a sticker. The nurse, another kind soul, did the deeds and then we were done. I held her tight after the first two, which she was so brave through. She didn't know they would hurt so much, so she was pretty surprised and then totally lost it. She kicked her little feet and cried "I want to go, I want to go". It was so sad. All you moms and some dads know the feeling of seeing your kids react to pain. I notice she needs no more shots until 2014 and I'm so glad.

I took Anya to school after the appointment, sat with her while she ate her lunch in the cafeteria at Bloom Elementary and said goodbye just as her class was lining up for recess. She was a happy girl by then.

Using the Good Dishes

I made a decision this summer. When we were able to set up house again - it has been just about three years - I was going to use the good dishes. We celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary in Bratislava, Slovakia using dishes that came with the flat we were renting. So ten years after the wedding, we are using the lovely Lenox Poppies on Blue chinastone that I so carefully selected during our engagement. I think we are a little funny here in the US about saving the good dishes. I decided to try to inspire a few others by telling you about that. Oh, there is flatware that matches. It's really nice, heavy silverware. I'm enjoying it so far.