What's the World Coming To?

  So there is a massive bloc party in the U.S. at the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Whatever.....I think he's been dead for years, but that info was never released in order for us to have a reason to stay in the Middle East.  But POTUS' #'s are in the toilet so what does he do, first releases his long form birth certificate, which is proving to be a forgery - big shock there - and now....he takes out the world's most wanted man, and then doesn't release proof....sounds fishy to me.

  But enough of the conspiracy theories, as I'm sure I'll just piss off someone back home, which will prompt a phone call from my dad.....*sigh*.  So if you aren't aware I live in Romania, a small-ish city on the banks of the Danube River delta.  It's a small, peaceful, and quiet city.  But today has shook me to the core.  Next door to me is a hospital for people with infectious diseases, like Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, etc.  Now what really gets me, is they let patients out of the hospital (in their PJ's) to walk across the street to the little convenience store there.  Well today, while I was gone to the larger store (grocery store), a young girl came out of the hospital, went to the store, then crossed the street to go back to the hospital, but before she could get back the maybe 20 ft to the hospital 3 Gypsy men who had been waiting in their car (parked in front of my bloc) got out and dragged the girl to their car.  She put up a fight, screamed and fought, but they overpowered her and got her into the car and sped off.   Fortunately a lady saw the whole thing, got the plate numbers and called the police.  I hope they find her.

  This sort of thing is something I expect to hear about going on in Bucuresti, Cluj, Timisoara, Brasov, or Galati even - all of these cities are much larger than our little city, and are usually in the news, but Tulcea???  Things like this never go on here.  I went to the little store that she had gone into and asked the cashier if the girl was very young.  Her response "Ah....she was a gypsy"..... she could have cared less.  In her eyes, and probably most of the people here, to them it was just one less gypsy to worry about.  Now granted the gypsies don't do much to help their standing in this country, or anywhere else in Europe, but c'mon people - this was a human being, a young girl!

  I usually let my kids go outside by themselves to play in front our our building.  After today, this won't be happening anymore.  Events like these are things that keep me awake at night.  I fear for my kids, even thought nothing even remotely close to this has ever happened, sometimes when I am trying to fall asleep I am gripped with fear, panic and images of something like this or similar happening to my kids and it shakes me to my core.

  If you pray, please pray for this girl that was taken, from what I could find out she was a teenager.  Pray that she is found and is unharmed.

TACI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  So I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but the people who live above me like to fight - and loudly!!!  We have been awoke at 3 a.m. to hear the sounds of furniture being shoved around, accompanied by shouting and yelling.

  I think most of time time they are near the bathroom when the fighting starts up, as that is where it is the loudest - in my bathroom.  Then sometimes they take it to the kitchen, and the balcony just off the kitchen.  I have no clue what they are fighting about.  However one time I did hear the woman yell a very bad word at the man.  The only reason I know this word is because in English when you say 'pull-up' it sounds like this Romanian word for a mans 'member'.

 So the other day, I'm in the bathroom, giving the girls their bath, and we hear the fighting, they've been going at it for a while now, and it had been one of those days, where EVERYTHING was getting on my last nerve.  So after getting the girls dried off, dressed, and sent to get under the blankets to keep warm, I was picking up in the bathroom, and just got tired of hearing their yelling, so I looked up at my bathroom ceiling and yelled at the top of my lungs "TACI" (pronounced 'toch' [short 'o' sound])! 

Taci, is romanian for shut up, Taci din gura, mean shut your mouth; gura means mouth.... 

...anyway, so after I yelled Taci as loudly as I could, the fighting stopped, at least we didn't hear it anymore.  Not the rest of that day anyway. 

Honestly, I have NO reason to be annoyed with the noise level coming from any of my neighbors, since my 3 monkeys make more noise than you find at a Metallica concert.....okay, not really, but it's close!  I mean they play loudly, and they fight even louder!  And of course I have to yell, so that they can hear me above their yelling, it's really quiet embarrassing, and I'm surprised none of our neighbors have ever said anything; in fact they usually stop my kids to talk to them, or will bring them treats from time to time.

So if you are ever in Romania, and someone is getting on your nerves just tell them 'Taci din gura'! 

It don't mean a thang....

....if it ain't got that swang....

And that's what it is folks.  Getting back into the swing of things after a much needed visit from my parents, who incidentally flew my hubby in from Italy for one weekend while they were here.

It was nice to have my some-what "whole" family together, even if it was only for a weekend.  Would be better if my brother, his new wife, my cousin Leigh, and her gang, her mom and dad (my aunt & uncle) coulda been here too, but maybe in a few years, after I win the lottery....

....yeah, right - I don't even gamble. 

It worked out well though, cause Marius was home for the kids first day of school.  My youngest 2 started Kindergarten this year, well Kindergarten and Pre-K, respectively. 

But my parents had to leave at the end of last week, so me and the kids have been trying to find our balance in the absence of our much missed "guests"!

While trying to get into the swing of getting not one but 3 kids up and ready for school this year is a bit of a challenge, I'm also trying to get back into the swing of my new paying gig - doing research and writing, which will eventually morph into me editing, and managing clients and other free lance writers.  YEA!!!

But in the mean time, here are a few pics from my mini family reunion:

Family on first day of school

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand-Parents & kids on 1st day of school

At the Park

Maw-Maw & Pops with the girls

Me & Marius with the kids

Out for Pizza, Isabel didn't get her way - hence the tears

Maw-Maw made it better

Pops helped too!

Kelly Jean with her hearts

My 2 men

Paul is ALL about his parental units!

Kelly at the Bus Station

Dad & Darlene @ Bus station

On the Faleza with the family

With Marius

Dad & Darlene, getting ready to take a walk

Sleeping Giant

Angel Face

The Love of my life, Marius (this man gives so much for us)

A rare photo - I can never catch him smiling or laughing! (GO ME!)

Family Time

 
 So my hubby just left for Italy to go back to work yesterday.  Having him here was both wonderful, and exasperating at the same time.  Wonderful, cause well my family unit was once again together and a UNIT, even if only for nearly 2 weeks!  Exasperating, cause my hubby is a perfectionist, and I'm, well... NOT!  I'm just not nearly as anal retentive as he is about things.

  I think the thing that drives me nuts the most, is that he dresses me.  My mom sent me some really cute shorts from Old Navy, I like them, they aren't short-shorts, they fall just about 1.5 inches above the knee, they fit me, like they aren't too baggy or too tight, they FIT!  But he don't like them!  He says they don't look good on me, that I need a tan!  No matter how many times I explain to him, that freckled red heads don't tan, that they just burn and freckle up even more - he don't get it!

  As for fashion, well I'm still in comfortable, S.Louisiana, Cajun-girl mode.  I've yet to delve too deeply into the world of Euro fashion, mainly cause it scares the living be-jeezus out of me! I mean, do you remember the Z.Cavarrichi's back in the day, you know those pants that had the crotch that hung down to the knees???  My grandmother FORBID me to wear them!  I now understand why!  Well they are alive and well and thriving over in Italy - GAG!!!  Haven't really seen them here in RO, but I'm sure they'll show up eventually!  Here the women like obnoxious colored hair, I know I've mentioned this on another post, but it really is amazing.  Reminds me of that opening scene in 'Notting Hill' where Hugh Grant's character is describing his neighborhood, which includes the hair dresser where everyone comes out looking like the Cookie Monster, whether they wanted to or not....it's something like that; only not quite as nostalgic!  Needless to say I haven't even attempted going to a hair salon here!  I'm generally not scared of anything, especially getting my hair cut, cause hey it's hair, it DOES grow back, but these gals over here, and their hair-do's and hair color, yeah, I'll admit it, I'm SCEERED of what, or rather who, lurks behind the doors of those Frizziere's!!!! (Hair Salon in RO)!


  So yeah, he kinda gets on my nerves with the clothing thing!!!  But also, I never seem to do certain things the right way - his way!!!  No wonder all my hair is rapidly turning white!  That sounds harsh and unloving.  I do LOVE Marius with everything in me, if I didn't, why on earth would I subject myself and my kids to living in THE poorest country in Europe?!?

  Speaking of the kids, they were the 3 most adorable, well behaved, and obedient children while he was home.  No lie, the morning he left - it was like he took all the goodness with him!  Now they are back to fighting with each other, and not listening to me.  Today, my oldest did however get up and CLEAN their room without being asked!  I obviously praised her for that, as I want that kind of behavior to continue.  There is just something about the father's in family - the kids listen to their dad's no matter what!  Mom's, eh, mom, schmom - they're push-over's and door mats, doncha know?!?  Heaven help me!

  Internet connection is acting like it's going to through with drawls, which it very well may be - I cut off it's crack supply!!!  : p  So as soon as it gets to acting normal, or I can get my DSL connected (this week hopefully, gonna need it for virtual telecommuting gig), I will upload some photos of Marius and the kids - and no, I'm not really in any of them - I'm the shutter bug in the family!  : D

The Freaky, Neighbor dude.....

  I mentioned in my last post (if it ain't 1 thing it's 20) briefly about my freaky neighbor.  I went back through my blog to see if I had ever mentioned him, I haven't.  Well here goes.  I happened to meet him in the stairwell last year sometime.  My husband wasn't home at the time.  My Romanian was limited to hello's, how are you, and good bye.  So I didn't understand much.  I understood he asked something about a computer.  I responded 'da', and told him to come back tomorrow to talk to my husband.  Something seemed weird about him when I met him, but I chocked it up to my lack of conversational skills. So he comes by the next day when my husband is home.  My kids are naturally affectionate, they hug everyone!  So they were talking to the new guy, he was nice with them, but something was rubbing me the wrong way.  That nagging little feeling in the back of your head that screams "Danger! Danger Will Robinson!"

   He had asked if he could use our computer, we said okay.  He started showing up when my husband wasn't here.  The way he talked to my kids made me nauseous.  He was all of about 17 I guess, said he wanted to be come a priest in the Orthadox church.  But there was something about him.  He was an only child and his father had died when he was young, so he was raised by an overly affectionate, indulgent, or worried mother.  I blamed his weirdness on that.  One evening when he was here, he was on his phone talking to a friend, my husband said he was flirting, but he was speaking in the masculine, when if he was speaking to a girl, he should have been saying things a different way.  When he got off the phone my husband asked him flat out, "Are you gay?"  It surprised him, and he asked Marius how he knew.  Marius was like well your body language is effiminate, but the way you were talking - you were speaking masculine, when you should have been speaking with the feminine.  He said yes, he was, and begged Marius not to say anything, cause no one knew, and here where we are in Romania, that can get you beat the hell up, or worse.  Marius said he wouldn't say a word, but he asked him how he thought he could be a priest, he said he didn't know.  He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help it.

  Not long after this,  was waiting and wondering  my oldest daughter was, she had long been due back from school.  My doorbell rings, I open it, and there is freaky neighbor with  my daughter!!!!!!  He comes in - I still don't know why he kept coming over, when I didn't understand a word he said, and visa versa!  Anyway he comes in, he uses the bathroom.  I asked Kelly, what was going on, she said he was waiting for her at her school, and he walked her home, but not the way she normally came back home, a different route, he took her to a park and asked her if she wanted to play, she said no, I need to go home, I'm going to be in trouble if I'm late.  He stopped at a little store to buy something, and he bought her a piece of candy!  I was ready to tear this little dude a new one!  Only I didn't have the words.  He hung around for a while, used the computer I noticed he was using it to talk to some man, who was at least my age.  He finally left.  When Marius came home I told him what had happened, it was a good thing the kid wasn't here at the time - Marius was livid, he would've ripped the kids head off.  Marius is very, very SLOW to anger, but once he's there, you need to stay away!  Kelly informed us, he was regularly at the school.  Which is weird to me.  He isn't in that school.  Why they allow people to be on the school grounds who have no business there is beyond me.  A few days went by before we saw him again, and when we did, Marius had calmed down, he told him - what you did was wrong, you NEVER take one of my children from school unless you are asked to.  He further told him, if you wait for my kid at the school again, I will go straight to the police, and what do you think will happen will I tell them a homosexual was waiting for my kid at her school, unasked by me or my wife.  He went white and apologized profusely!  Kelly said he made her feel weird.  After that when ever he came over, she gave him a wide berth, would barely talk to him.  The way he was with my son though - ugggggg!!!!!

  Marius had told him, if I'm not home, you don't come to my house.  It doesn't look right, and people will talk if they see you always over here with my wife and kids when I'm  not here.  He agreed, etc.  BUT, he come over more when Marius wasn't here, than when he was.  Marius had by that time told him, no more using the computer, you're using to continue a homosexual relationship, and I won't be party to that.  But still he came.  Finally around Christmas, Marius had had it, he was ALWAYS at our house.  Marius had just come home from a pitiful little job that didn't pay that much, things were tight, and the doorbell rings.  We all stayed quiet.  We were eating dinner as a family.  We ignored it, not 5 minutes later, it rings again.  Marius gets up from the table, opens the door and says.  "Man, it's enough.  You are always over here, even when I'm not here, which I've asked you NOT to do.  If you have an emergency, and we can help, we will, but other than that, I'm sorry, but I'm done.  Good night."  and he shut the door. 

  And that is the last we've heard from him.  We pass him on the street or in the stairs from time to time, and he still turns my stomach, and I want to bash his head in when he leans down to talk to my son.  The girls have figured out that Mommy doesn't like him, she thinks he's weird or bad, or something, so they don't say much to him.  But my 3 year old - he doesn't get it yet!

  So anyway, that is who informed me of water in my apartment yesterday, I would rather have been possessed by Satan than have heard that from this guy.  The less contact I have with freaky neighbor dude, the better!

A Ninja did it.....

   So as I was putting my kids to bed a little while ago, my 3 year old son says "Mommy!  Look!"  he is pointing to the light fixture in their room - the glass covering is missing.  He continues: 
  "Ninja did it! Nija face asa.  Kelly do'ed it cu Nija fac asa!"

To which I reply:  "Da! Stui.  Yes, I know.  Kelly did that.  It's okay now, go to sleep."


At first I was like a 'Ninja' came in here and Karate chopped the light, huh?  But then I remembered that the word for ball in romanian is "ninja".  I know right?!?  I had to laugh at my own language learning curve, and the differences in words and their meanings in different languages.  Like in Romanian the word "Fac", which means do, doing, etc.  is prounounced like the english word "F*ck".  So for me, when I first met Marius and heard him speaking to other Romanians, I would blush, and look all dear caught in the headlights, I mean, this wonderful God loving man was CURSING!  After he explained it to me, I had to laugh.

  Another example is the English word "Foot", in Romanian sounds like the RO version of  the F-Bomb!  Also the word Pull-Up sounds like the Romanian word for a man's "member"!  So it's kinda funny, yet embarrassing in a way, especially over here, when my kids are saying my foot hurts in public, and all the old people are looking at us horrified! 

Learning another language - it can be quite funny sometimes!!! A Ninja Did It -  Classic!!!

Silly Boys..

  What is it about my son that melts me like buttah (that's how 'Linda Richman' says it)???  Is it because he's my baby, or my only boy, possibly both?!?

  Seriously, though, Paul is the funniest little boy.  He comes and sits next to me and watches the news with me, then will put his cheek up to my mouth, and say "pup" - that's Romanian for kiss, pronounced like the word "poop" - yeah I know, the irony!!!  LOL!!  But anyway, like this evening he wanted a glass of water, ad he was standing in the doorway to the balcony. I fixed his cup, and told him to come get it.  He replies to me: "no, u come here".  Okay, I correct him, but it's ineffective since I'm trying very hard (and failing) to surpress my grin.

  He's cutest when it's just me and him, and his sisters aren't around.  His big sister, the middle child, will be sitting in my lap, and he will come in the room out of no where, and push her off, crawl in lap, and stay there, when Isabel leaves the room, he leaves my lap!    When I'm checking email, he'll crawl up in my lap, and smack his cheek against my face, so I can kiss it each time it makes contact with my mouth.  Sometimes when he's sitting nice and still, and gibbering about what he sees on the computer screen, which is generally emails or news sites, I'll kinda "bite" his earlobe.  Basically, I pull my lips over my teeth, then "bite" his earlobe - he thinks it's funny, and sometimes he'll point to his ear, and say "Mommy!"

  He has only in the last couple of days started telling me he loves me on his own!  Awwww!!!!  All my kids are very loving and affectionate.  But this "little" boy just, I don't know how to describe it, he cracks me up!

Hospital Politics???

  Okay, so oldest daughter aged 7 years, was sent home yesterday with note from school nurse stating that they thought she might have case of acute appendicitis.  Evidently, she had stomach pains, and feeling like she needed to hurl!

  So off to the hospital I went this morning to get her checked out.  I brought my MIL, since my Romanian is still very limited!  The take her to triage to examin her, I wait in the hall with MIL and other 2 offspring.  Nurse comes out and asks me to come in.  The doctor examining her looks up at me, and asks:
Dr.:  "You are American, yes?"
Me:  "yes."
Dr.:  "I am Armenian"
Me:  "Cool!"
Dr.:  " We don't worry about our countries politics."
Me:  " Who cares about politics?!?"

  Okay, obviously I keep up with politics, but honestly, I have absolutely NO clue what the diplomatic relations are between the U.S. and Armenia.  But seriously, why did he even say that?  Maybe he has issues with America, or maybe he thought I had issues with Armenia???  It really threw me for a loop, and I found that comment completely disarming, and completely unnecessary!

  They didn't think anything was wrong, as Kelly got quiet and suddenly had no more stomach pain.  I think she got scared.  So anyway Dr. Armenia gives me his phone number in case I have questions, or she has problems.  Then after I take the number, he tells me.....Wait for it:

"I am a plastic surgeon"

  I'm thinking oooooookay.....why did a plastic surgeon examin my child for appendicitis?  Was it because he was the only English Speaking Dr. in the hospital, or what?  Secondly, why in the world does the hospital in Tulcea even have a plastic surgeon???


   Strange, strange, strange!

Parents just don’t understand, errr…speak the same language…..

  So, the major disadvantage to living in a place where you don’t speak the language is my kids.  My kids, the oldest two at least are fluent in Romanian, and I’m not.  This has become a major obstacle for me, and an easy escape for my oldest, who quickly figured out that in this case mom really doesn’t understand.  In fact, I’m quite clueless.

  She can tell me that my mother in law said one thing, when she really didn’t say anything of the kind.  Her teacher said she needs money for this, when really she doesn’t need any.  I get it, kids are sneaky, but factor in a language barrier on my part, and it’s a whole new ballgame.  I don’t know anyone who can relate to me, as everyone I know is either back home in the U.S. or they are here and speak both English and Romanian, not to mention probably one to three more languages on top of these two!

  I’m slowly getting the hang of the language.  I mean I’m getting to where I can understand it more when I hear it spoken.  Speaking it back is  a horse of a different color.  The thing is though, I still am not good enough that my kids know that they can pull the wool over my eyes in a lot of cases.

  My oldest daughter is a sweet heart, but she’s 7, and since we’ve been here she’s been give a lot of independence, and maybe that is what missing link to her behavior lately.  I won’t go into details, but it isn't good!  Back home I would never have let her walk to the top of our neighborhood to go to the store there to buy some milk or loaf of bread.  Cause it just wasn’t safe, she could get kidnapped, hit by a car, attacked by a dog, etc. Here though, nobody messes with the kids, dogs are everywhere, and the only people they seem to attack are they gypsies, which although politically incorrect, is quite amusing!  Anyway, I can give her a few bucks and send her down the stairs, across a fairly busy street and into the store to buy me some bread or milk, or whatever I might need to finish what I’m cooking.  At her grandmother’s she can walk up the hill and across another street and go to the park.  She walks herself to and from school every day.  It takes about 5 minutes to walk there, if that gives you any ideas as to distance. 

  So is it the language barrier coupled with gotten too soon independence that is wrecking havoc in my domestic felicity, or just growing pains – part of growing up?  I think it’s the former.  In the States she was sheltered, didn’t go anywhere on her own, never out of my eye sight,  We didn’t live in a good school district, and the school she would have had to attend was a bad school, so we homeschooled.  Here she can come and go pretty much as she pleases [within reason], she goes to public school, seems to make friends easily, and makes good grades.    

  So why is this parent just not understanding???

Head Colds and Butt Pains

Okay the title sounds a bit grotesque, I know, but seriously, once you read, I think you'll concur, that the title is tres appropriate!

So I have a raging head cold, so much so that it has clogged my one functioning ear to the point that my kids have to scream at me so I can hear them. Gee, I feel like my dad lately!!! (love you dad) I am completely deaf in my left ear due to high fever as a baby that completely damaged all the nerves in that ear. So the head cold cloggin up one good functioning right ear is not a good thing.

Now the Butt Pain part: 3 kids who run slap all over their mama! As I posted in earlier blog, hubby left for Italy almost one week ago for work. They haven't been as bad as I thought they were gonna be, but with pounding head, no hearing, and stuffy sinus cavities, it's made my backside start hurting too!

Meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas

  So I recieved an email explaining the meaning behind that strange Christmas Carol “The 12 Days of Christmas”  I found it very interesting, and behind Silent Night and O Holy Night, I believe is now a favorite Carol of mine.  I look forward to teaching my kids to sing it and the meaning behind it.  So here it is, the information I recieved on it:

 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.  It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. 

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,

Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Forgetting English

  Okay so my middle child, the youngest girl whose name is Isabel, has been staying with her great Aunt for the last month and half in Constanta, which is about a 2 hour drive from where we live in Tulcea.  Not too bad except for the price of gas these days.  So she is learning all kinds of new things, particularly the Romanian language, which she really needs for when she starts school in September.  She is 100% fluent!  Which is awesome. 

  So my husband's cousin (G.Aunt's son) wanted to come to Tulcea to go fishing with Marius.  Tulcea is on the delta of the Danube River, lots and lots of fishing here.  So we asked him to bring Isabel with him, so his mom had to come to because Isabel won't go further than the store by their house without her.  So they came in night before last.  Isabel comes home - she has forgotten English!!!  Not completely, but when I would talk to her to ask or tell her something she had this blank look on her face.  Marius would tell her what I said in Romanian, and she got it.  Talk about make a mother really upset, is realizing that her own child doesn't fully understand what she's saying anymore!

  She decided to go back to her great aunt's house, and we are going to go get her in about 4 weeks, when the slaughter the pig they've been raising on December 21st.  Yeah, I'm hoping its slaughtered before we get there.  However Isabel has helped slaughter a duck and chicken and clean them.  I know that sounds gross, but really, she will learn things like this that she won't be able to learn anywhere else, especially if we were still in the states. 

  I am happy that she has mastered a second language, however forgetting English kinda upsets me, I'm trying to find a balance with it in my mind, and especially my heart.  I know it will all be okay, that I'm going to have to work a little harder to help her learn to read and write in English, and comprehend the meanings of the words, I just wish she had not started to forget her first language, especially since she refused to even try to learn Romanian for the first 6 months of our being here.