Summer Holiday ~ USA

by Kate

This is the second half of What We Did on Our Summer Vacation. Part one can be found here.

Boston

The Seeleys have landed.

On July 14th we crossed our final border at Logan International Airport and arrived in the States. We spent the next two nights with Grandma and Grandpa Seeley at Karl's childhood home in Newton, Massachusetts, which allowed for a brief visit with Karl's parents, his sisters Mara and Lauren, and Lauren's family. Then we headed off to Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire for a family reunion with my mother's clan. My whole family (parents, my two brothers and their families) were in attendance. Which means within 48 hours of landing in the US, we had a chance to spend time with both sets of grandparents and almost all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins. (And by early August, we finally got to see Karl's brother, Joe, and his family.)

Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire

The weekend included lots of eating and family time punctuated with swimming and boating. Here are Ben and Garrett with their cousin Nora demonstrating their slipknot skills while tying my cousin to a dock chair.

A knotty situation for David

Karl and Tom, another cousin and David's brother, return from a paddle along the shoreline.

Finally, on the 19th, we headed for Oneonta. Home.

Ahoj!

by Kate

Right. Almost three months later.

We're back home and finally feeling settled into our life in upstate New York. It took awhile -- re-entry was no picnic. I can speak only for myself: I was weighed down with sadness that our year had come to an end. And I anticipated that reverse culture shock would be harder to navigate than our initial adjustment abroad. Under the best of circumstances, returning home after a long absence is usually bumpy. That it was coupled with the recent death of Marti, our friend and neighbor, made it even more difficult.

I have numerous posts I want to write to wrap up our Prague experience. I have to get us back home (to Prague) from Croatia with thoughts on our time in Slovenia and Salzburg. I have pictures and notes from various city sites -- such as Vyšehrad, the National Monument, the National Theatre, the National Museum (now closed for a five-year renovation!), Charles Bridge, the Loreta -- and day trip destinations (Konopiště, Terezín, Český ráj).

But before that, a brief report on What We Did on Our Summer Holiday (or at least since we last checked in).

Last Days in Prague

In the midst of posting, packing, and purging our things, we tried to breathe the city in, to imprint it for the long haul. We retraced familiar routes to favorite Prague destinations.

One last trip to the Castle ~

The Singing Fountain at Letohrádek královny Anny (Queen Anne's Summer Palace,
or the Belvedere) in the Royal Garden

Reading, writing, and ...

Riding!

It's all in the tongue.

This has been a big year for Garrett!

He has been this close to riding a bike on his own for almost two years, but he'd get anxious about falling, or frustrated with his teachers (can't wait to teach that kid to drive), and just abandon his bicycle for his scooter when we were home.

But now ... look at this action. And this.

Garrett did his first solo ride on Wednesday afternoon in Puškinovo náměstí, just a block from our apartment. Tonight we brought a picnic dinner down to Stromovka and let the boys ride. 

It's good to have a goal. Next week is Activities Week at school, and from what I can tell it's nothing but fun and games and water fights and field trips all week long. On Thursday Garrett's class is coming to Stromovka to ride bikes.

A little more practice on taking off and stopping, and Garrett will be good to go.

Parc Astérix

Part four in a series of posts on our trip to Paris. Took even more pics than usual as we were visiting friends. And, we were in Paris. And we were having fun. Previous posts: part one, part two, part three. This one's far less esoteric.

In considering all of Paris's sites and activities for our visit, there was one place Karl and I really didn't want to go: EuroDisney. I'm sure it's fun. And we knew the kids probably would have loved it. But Karl and I couldn't swallow the idea of spending that kind of money and 20 percent of our time in Paris at Disney. And we assumed it wouldn't be an issue – we wouldn't bring it up, so the boys would be none the wiser.

Then we borrowed a friend's copy of Toy Story 3.

“Mom! Dad! Guess what?! There's a Disneyland in Paris!!!”

This DVD (released in Europe) was happy to enlighten Ben and Garrett on the hectares and hectares of fun that awaited them at Mickey's Euro-theme park.

Karl and I were resolute in our desire not to go to Disney, but it was disheartening to think that we were going to spend a long weekend in Paris and the boys would come home disappointed. So we compromised.

Karlovy Vary & Loket

Though our major Spring Break trip was planned for the second week of the boys' vacation, we thought it would be fun to have a quick overnight somewhere in the country prior to that. Karl had teaching obligations through Thursday, so we took off for western Bohemia on Friday morning, heading toward the spa town of Karlovy Vary.

We rented a car for the first time this year to give us a little flexibility to visit multiple sites without too much trouble. The boys were so excited that we'd have our own car, especially Ben, although it's not clear why. An hour or so out of Prague we were treated to the usual refrains of the "Ballad of the Road Trip" ("I'm bored," "When will we get there?" and that old chestnut, "He's on my side!").

By legend, the thermal springs of Karlovy Vary, also known as Karlsbad in German (or Carlsbad in English), were discovered by a hunting party led by Charles IV in the 14th century. The story goes that one of the hunting dogs fell into a hot spring while chasing a deer. Upon further investigation, Charles himself declared the waters to have restorative properties and ordered that the area be settled with bathhouses built around the springs.

Pass me the ball!

For his birthday back in November, Garrett received a fun care package from his cousins Nora and Ella which included some hand-made cards, a few pieces of candy, and a packet of Mighty Beans, about 2.5-cm-long, ovaloid, collectible toys. Each "bean" contains a small metal ball that makes the capsule roll in all kinds of wacky, unpredictable directions.

Garrett is a sucker for little character-type toys: animals in a "toob," Littlest Pet Shops, Lego mini-figures, etc. So the Mighty Beanz were a mighty big hit, and even though G's birthday was five months ago, we still find the odd Bean under couch pillows and by floor boards.

Recently Garrett rediscovered one of his Beanz and was playing with it one night at bedtime. Actually, he was playing with the metal ball which had been removed from the Mighty Bean.

I was just about to tell him I didn't think it was a good idea to roll the ball on his face when suddenly,

"It was an accident! I swallowed it! I didn't mean to! It was an ACCIDENT!"

Ben & Garrett's Excellent Spring Break

We're deep into Week TWO of the boys' spring break (two weeks?? sheesh!), and I think we've done a pretty good job of keeping them entertained. Actually, Prague has done a lot of the heavy lifting in the Keeping Us Entertained department. Here's what we've been up to ...

Paddleboating on the Vltava ~

Karl and Garrett paddle while Ben mans the helm.

Garrett chills out with a Prague Castle backdrop.

Novotny's Footbridge

Family pic!

Bonus -- the camera didn't fall into the river while we waited for the self-timer.

A Class Act

Way back in September -- back when the boys were going to a Czech school, back when we hardly had any friends, never mind English-speaking friends -- we learned of a Prague-based group called Class Acts that was doing fun and educational programs for children in English. We jumped right on that tip.

Two weeks later we were off on a "Forest Day" outing through Stromovka Park, which -- though it is right in our 'hood -- we traveled to by train via Masarykovo nádraží (Masaryk train station) in downtown Prague. Much more fun to start the adventure in a group, to arrive by train with a motley cast of characters, including bilingual guides in pith helmets and wardrobes worthy of Where's Waldo? and a parrot-sporting pirate to punch our tickets.

Pirate Lukáš "validated" our Forest Day tickets using the hook on his hand
(which, unfortunately is not in this pic).

Pirate Lukáš led us in singing the Pirate Song (to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"), which we belted out numerous times on our excursion.

All for one and one for all
Yo ho ho ho HO!
Let's sing the pirate song
Yo ho ho ho ho!

PLAY!

Mánes Exhibition Hall, which straddles the Vltava river between its east bank and Žofin Island, hosted the interactive experience PLAY from November through February.

It was organized by Czech artist Petr Nikl, who worked with more than 40 other artists in creating this eclectic romp for all ages. The boys and I visited PLAY twice with some school friends. Karl joined us the second time after we raved about our experience.

"Ground-level periscope, Petr Nikl"

Visitors were welcome to build, draw, spin, explore, make music, ...

The wall displays -- where kids drew pictures, wrote their names, and strung up objects -- evolved considerably during the five weeks between our two visits.

It was fantastic. Two floors of interactive stations that engaged imagination, fantasy, and four of the five senses. (And, lest the taste buds feel neglected, there was a palačinky (crêpes) bar available as well.) A few exhibit stations had clearly required technical know-how to assemble, but so much of it was simply groups of found items made available for children (and grownups) to do with what they would.

Plastic ties and cardboard rolls

Pegboards and dowels

Pipes and mallets

Percussion and noise were a big part of the experience. Kids reveled in being able to do whatever they wanted with what they found.

Our friend Elliot loved running in the plastic bottle maze.

In January, Šestka, the monthly periodical of Prague 6 (our neighborhood) published an interview with Nikl that Karl translated for me.

The exhibit at Mánes invites visitors in to play and in part only comes into being under their hands. Can it be enjoyed at all by a person who doesn't have fantasy?

I start from the conviction that there doesn't exist a person without imagination. Just like I don't know a person who doesn't have dreams. In my opinion, it's just that there's a difference between the ability to be aware of it and utilizing one's own fantasy.(Nikl)

(Toys and play objects) should be the inspiration of imagination and self-discovery. (Nikl)

For me, playfulness isn't relaxation but a source of discovery. A development of creativity. It broadens my horizon. (Nikl)

Turn the crank and watch the movie!

"How does this work?"

(This what he saw.)

To play with the existence of infinite possibilities. To be open to everything without preconceptions. (Nikl)

Garrett and I spent a good 45 minutes designing and building his fortress.

The first floor, where I took most of my pictures, was a big open space. Downstairs featured a series of rooms with different levels of lighting, lots of shadow play, kaleidoscope-type objects spinning on walls, even vibration stations.

Garrett mesmerized by the water dome.

Random objects float, spin and cast shadows in a display that included illuminated domes and a water canal with a current in a dimly lit room.

It had a dreamy, ethereal effect.

Upstairs -- along with all the collections of building/music-making/playing materials -- there was a ball tube roulette table (that's the best description I can conjure), the roving eyeball with remote control, and a cannon that shot smoke rings.

Ben takes the helm of PLAY's roving eyeball to get an aerial view of the hall.

The eyeball was cool. And a little creepy.

Ben and Owen play with the smoke cannon.

Owen, Garrett and Ben check out the ball tube roulette table.

These pictures and videos only skim the surface of our experience at PLAY. The four of us spent a full three hours there on a Friday at the end of a busy week (and, of course, the boys still thought we were being unreasonable to leave at 7pm).

All of us were enthralled in our way. The simplicity of it all was the most impressive aspect to me, that these everyday objects in sufficient numbers could unlock such creativity and fantasy play. I often am dismayed at the early push to consumerism that is so influential in the boys' world. It was a delight to see them engaged and inspired by styrofoam shapes, suction cups, and shadows.

And I've started hoarding recycling materials to play with over spring break.

Now, where are my plimsolls?

Garrett is reading!

He likes it, too. Everyday he brings home a stage one book from school which he's to read to us. We don't have to ask him -- he's excited about this new skill. And proud of himself (as he should be!).

Riverside School is based on the British National Curriculum, and it's been interesting to note how it contrasts (from our limited parental experience with) the American system. There are obvious superficial differences. Garrett's class is "Year 1" rather than Kindergarten. Ben's in Year 3 -- next year he'll be in 3rd grade.

The depth of our exposure to the house system mostly came from Harry Potter, in which Hogwarts was divided in four houses (Harry, Ron and Hermione in Gryffindor, Draco Malfoy in Slytherin, etc.). But that's standard fare for British schools. It derives from a time when children were in boarding schools and they were grouped, kind of like teams, by the houses in which they lived.

Riverside's houses are named for famous Czechs: Komenský, Hus, and Karel. In each year (grade), roughly a third of the students throughout the primary school are assigned to each house. The houses compete for points through academics, sports, and social behavior. Ben and Garrett are together in Komenský, thank goodness. They'll either both win or both lose at the end of the year.

Curriculum-wise, the biggest difference we've seen is what is emphasized in Year 1. As I mentioned, Garrett brings home reading books each night. He also has weekly spelling tests. There seems to be a little more emphasis on reading and a little less emphasis on writing. But then my perspective may be skewed. Ben entered kindergarten reading chapter books, so there was never an issue of him learning to read in school. But each morning (in both kindergarten and 1st grade), Ben had to write in his journal using the teacher's prompt for the class. Correct spelling was secondary to getting the kids to just write in their books. Ben didn't have spelling tests until part way into 1st grade. Garrett, on the other hand, doesn't have a daily writing expectation.

None of this is a concern for us. It's just interesting to note.

What's been fun is the British English. I confess to being a bit of an Anglophile. Riverside uses the Oxford Reading Tree books, stories loaded with British-isms about "Mum" and "chips" and people "having a go."

Obviously it's not just the books Garrett brings home, but in much of the interaction. The boys have noticed that some things are spelled the same, but pronounced differently. Brits say "Magellan" with a hard "g" instead of a soft one (which makes it sound a lot like a Saturday morning cartoon gorilla of my youth). Some things are pronounced the same but spelled differently (American: ton, British: tonne).

That may not be quite the same pronunciation, but pretty close.

And then there are the words that are spelled the same, pronounced the same, but mean something different. From the world of potatoes, "crisps" are chips and "chips" are fries. "Biscuits" are cookies, and a "torch" is a flashlight. A "jumper" is a sweater.

Got a scratch? The school nurse will clean it and apply a "plaster" (Band-aid). A British "tick" is a good thing -- a check, denoting an accomplished task. An American "tick"? Not so much. (Yes, I know there are British ticks, too.)

Some differences in usage are subtle enough that it's hard to put your finger on them. This "bit," that "bit," lots of "quite."

"Mom, Igor wasn't in school again today because he's ill!"

I'm pretty sure that if we were in Oneonta, Igor would be "sick," not ill.

Mathematics is shortened to maths (rather than math). Garrett brings home his "spellings" book (rather than spelling).

Ben's class is swimming this term for PE (physical education –- which is always called “PE,” never “gym”), and so he's instructed to bring his "swimming costume" each Tuesday. (We get a chuckle out of that, musing about the different costumes we might send. Perhaps the astronaut outfit? After all, John Glenn used a swimming pool for zero gravity training.)

It's all been very sweet. But the day I hear one of the boys announce:

Crikey, what a brilliant day with my blokes! I'm knackered. Mum, be a love and fix me a cuppa.

I'll be booking an early flight home.

Masopust and Merriment

Which is scarier?

Locals using Masopust as an excuse to get in touch with their inner ghoul,

or a herd of eight year olds on Segways?

Unsuspecting folks out for a stroll on Kampa Island had the option to fear both last Saturday afternoon. Masopust, or "goodbye to meat" (maso means meat, pust derives from pustit which means to let go), is the pre-Lent celebration in the Czech Republic, and Masopust festivities were in high gear last weekend on Kampa and elsewhere with the countdown to Ash Wednesday. People in costumes, pigs on spits, music, dancing, ... you get the picture.

The family was invited to Kampa for part of a birthday celebration in honor of one of Ben's classmates.

Charles Bridge in the late afternoon light, taken from Kampa Island.

Jonaš, the birthday boy!

I have to admit I was dubious about the idea of eight year olds (not to mention six year olds!) on Segways, but Jonaš's lovely mother assured me it would be just fine.

It was more than fine. It was a blast!

A friend of the party hosts owns a company that tours Prague on Segways. You'll see groups of three to ten cruising up Petřin Hill, contemplating the Astronomical Clock, crossing Charles Bridge.

 

Apparently they let young kids on them -- but only after the speed gauge is set to a limit of 10km per hour.

A certain six year old got in on the action ...

and he looked frighteningly at home careening around Kampa.

Parents were not immune to the allure of the Segway.

"Mom, please! You're embarrassing me ..." (Neither of them actually said that, but I imagine they will when they look at these pictures in the years to come.)

Karl had fun on his ride, too, but he managed to keep his enthusiasm in check (czech?).

Catherine, mother of Ben's friend Ieuan, seized this chance to give chase to Gregory, her four year old.

She looks to be enjoying this a little too much, no?

Garrett, on the other hand, took after the big kids on two wheels.

The party moved on. Ben went back to Jonaš's house for dinner, cake, movies, and a sleepover (these people set a high bar for birthday parties), leaving Karl, Garrett, and me to revel in Masopust festivities on Kampa.

Next to Charles Bridge, a rock band played "Johnny B. Goode" and "Rock This Town" while folks milled around swilling their pivo (beer) and svařák (hot wine). Prague Castle loomed in the distance.

Festive costumes in carnival colors.

This guy channeled his inner Mozart and showed us that Don Giovanni's Commendatore enjoyed a lager now and then. And why not?

History, shmistory. Garrett judges the quality of a fair by the presence of cotton candy. Kampa's Masopust: A+.

And Karl?

For Karl, it was all about the pig.

Parting shot: St. Nicholas in Malá Strana (Little Quarter). Took this shot and then ran to jump on the tram for home.