Goats While Driving On A Dirt Road

Thursday we rented a car and drove around the rather large island of Tinos.  It was mostly a lot of rock walls with an occasional village and a lot of sparse vegetation (its SO dry here).  We did head to two beaches on the northern part of the island, but due to the rather strong wind and the cold water we didn't get in.  Reina now uses "all done" as a safety word - if she doesn't like something she will say it over and over again. Well, after she has told us that she wants to play in the water, the second we got close to it (with the relatively small waves) she starts chanting "all done." So, alas, we did not get in the water.

The title of the post has to do with a small adventure we had while driving.  Chris drove and I navigated in a small manual toyota.  After an hour or so of driving north (on one of probably 11 paved roads) we reevaluate and decide to keep going, as Reina is still sleeping in the back seat.  I tell Chris there is a bit of dirt road that will eventually lead us in the right direction to the next town we are planning to see.  So, on we go (avoiding back tracking on the paved route) up the most un-tendered dirt road we have ever seen.  We're talking logging road style.  It was crazy.  We saw some wild goats and not ONE car for about 30 minutes at which point we came to a junction where we didn't know where to go.  Finally Chris and I decided to go back, it was just too much!  We went back to the original beach town and woke up Reina (because somehow she slept through all of the bumps) and had lunch.  After an hour of driving on a road where we didn't know where it was going and in a car that really couldn't handle it, we were happy to see pavement!  After lunch we headed to the "wetlands" which mainly consisted of a lot of green plants that I thought looked like sugarcane. Here we stopped again and took some pictures of the really big beach with lots of waves and had some watermelon before heading back home.

Once we were back at our hotel (which we have since decided has two of the best beaches on the island anyhow) we put Reina down for a nap and then went swimming around 5.  This time Reina could not handle the cold water (and rather windy weather) so we ended up playing on the beach.  We had chicken in lemon sauce, meatballs and a greek salad for dinner and then Chris and I had some wine on our balconi after Reina went to bed.

Today we took the car back into the main town of Tinos and walked around there.  We found a power adapter (yay) and are back hanging out at the hotel while Reina naps.  We hope to get in the water this afternoon, but its pretty windy again (ugh).   Tomorrow the crazy traveling home begins.  We spend three + hours on the boat back to Athens on Saturday, then 3+ hours on the plane to london, a bus trip to Gatwick on Sunday and then on Monday we head to Seattle.  Oh man...we're crazy!  We did buy two new toys for Reina in Tinos, so hopefully those will be enough new to keep her entertained (unlikely).  We just need the kid to sleep!

The one picture I uploaded is in the really cute town where we had lunch, after our dirt road expedition.  When we get to my Dad's in Oregon, I will upload the millons of pictures I have been unable to at this point and add them to the slideshow.

To Tinos

We woke up very early this morning to catch our cab to the port: 6:10.  We arrived at the port about 20 minutes later and then boarded a pretty big boat with many other people.  We had assigned seats and were encouraged to stay in them; for good reason too, as it was pretty wobbly when walking around.  Reina did great and even slept the last hour of the three hour boat ride.  It was surprising to me just how dry all of the islands are, but I think little rainfall has that effect on fauna!

Our hotel is beautiful. We were put in a little apartment which means Reina gets her own room (YAY).  No more tiptoeing around or keeping lights off when sleeping (as we've actually shared a room with her since we left Okinawa).  The hotel is family run and is about a 15minute drive away from the major town.  It is footsteps away from the beach and our balconi overlooks it.  We spent the afternoon lounging on our balconi and spent some time in the water, but to our surprise it was REALLY chilly.  I had to practically guilt Chris into coming in (he's such a wuss with cold water) and Reina was fine after she got in.  It was crystal clear with really fine black sand (and kind of shiny too, so that you shimmered after it got on you).  We plan on renting a car tomorrow and seeing some of the rest of the island and then perhaps a short trip to Delos or Mykonos for the day to see something different.

The connection is pretty slow again and our computer is almost out of juice (and we don't have an adapter), so there will be just the one picture and fewer posts unless we sort something out in the power department!  It was tough to pick one....so here is Chris and Reina on our hotel balconi with the beach we can walk to in the background.

We're in Greece

[Tuesday Morning]We got in last night with little troubles and were greeted by a nice lady with all of our tickets and a taxi to our hotel.  I would like to mention here that WOW did they push the alcohol on the plane. I've never seen that!  It was free too.  There was one couple who had four bottles of wine (the little ones) and the guy next to us had two little bottles of some type of hard alcohol!  Half the plane was probably drunk after our 3 hour flight.  Anyhow...No time to blog! Here are a few pics we snapped last night - one being the view from our balconi - the acropolis!  We're off to go see the rest of the acropolis up close this morning.

[Tuesday Afternoon]Edited to add: One pic!  The connection is too slow. No worries, we have tons though.  We have since had a very European breakfast provided by the hotel - cheese, meats, bread, and yogurt and seen the acropolis. It was amazing.  We also saw the acropolis museum.  Reina did amazing and even napped on my back despite the scorching sun.  We had lunch at another little restaurant (maybe it was in the Plaka?) and it was delicious. I think Greeks know how to do food!  Last night we had a really good salad and some mousaka (I"m totally butchering that) that was excellent.   They even gave us watermelon for dessert (I think this was Reina's favorite).  We had another really good salad for lunch today and some roasted chicken in a tomato based sause with some long grain rice.  Yummy!  And we got bread with both meals and lots of olives....mmmm.  Not sure what we're doing the rest of the day, as we're hoping it will cool down a bit before we head out this afternoon.  Tomorrow we head for Tinos and the beach bright and early!

Getaway!

Chris and I left Reina in Grandpa and Aunt Liz's care this past Friday.  We left early Friday morning on the train for Edinburgh and returned Saturday evening.  Aside from a bit of worrying, it was a great trip.  After the four hour trip north, Chris and I ate a traditional Scottish lunch (Haggis and something) and I went with something a bit safer (steak sandwich).  The best part was the Tenants (Scottish beer) which we added to our meal.  After lunch we went on an underground tour.  This was actually more like a ghost tour, but fortunately I wasn't too scared. I cannot say the same for the 7 and 4 year olds who were also on the tour.  We also walked through Edinburgh castle and did a bit of shopping before dinner.  The weather was nice so we ate outside at an Italian restaurant on the Royal Mile and people watched.  We tucked in early after a movie in bed.  It was nice to get uninterrupted sleep for the first time in a year and a half!

The next day Chris had an English breakfast and we discovered a huge hill that we decided to climb to get a birds eye view of the city. It was really nice and we got in some exercise. We walked to some other monuments before doing a little more shopping, having lunch, and then catching the train back to Peterborough.


Reina did great.  Liz said she went down for her nap and bed with no problems and pretty much made it through the night.  Jeff took her to the park and met us later at the train station.  She was happy to see us.  All in all I think all of us have decided we can do it again!

Budenski and a Graduate

A lot has happened in the last two days.  And I of course have news about sleep - its getting better. I think Chris and I have concluded it is just a case of jet lag - not sure why we were so hesitant to go with this in the first place. Guess I should give the kid a break!

We met up with an old high school friend, Pat Budenski and his family on Saturday at an indoor kids play place.  I think Reina had the most fun by far. We of course loved seeing Pat and meeting his two boys and wife.  It always amazes me how little people change; Pat was just the same!  We hope to meet up with them again before we leave (and we hope they get stationed at Kadena soon).

Today we met up with the rest of the Eastman boys and Liz for her college graduation in London.  Reina thoroughly enjoyed her aunts and uncles and quickly warmed up and showed them all her "tricks;" their favorite being her cheesy on que smile.  Reina did not fair so well at the graduation.  Within the first 5 mintues Chris had to walk out with her. The girl was afraid of the clapping and as it was a graduation (plus awards ceremony) there was A LOT of clapping!  We decided to skip the performance as we had a long trek home with a tired baby.

Other plans for England at this point include our getaway without Reina to Edinburgh on Friday - Saturday.  Chris and I are getting excited; hope Liz and Grandpa are up for the challenge! We got lots of pictures so make sure you check out the slideshow too.

Stop to Smell the Flowers

We arrived into London yesterday afternoon after a VERY long flight. Mind you it was actually an hour shorter than the Pacific, but something about this one was longer. Perhaps it was the baby who didn't have her own seat, or the fact that she didn't sleep ALL night.  It was tough having her in our lap and her staying awake through the night while Chris and I could barely keep our eyes open. It also didn't help that I got a cold the day before.  Regardless, we made it and were happy to see Grandpa Jeff.  Reina made up a sign for Grandpa. Its kind of a cute story.  At swim lessons we sing a song that goes, "baby shark, mama shark, daddy shark, etc" and it has accompanying hand gestures (not signs).  Reina adopted the grandpa shark gesture.  She took right to Grandpa, so perhaps those skype sessions do help!

We finally got out this afternoon after a rough night of sleep (Reina again wouldn't sleep; we're chalking the 1 to 4am wake up to excitement) and a nice mid-morning nap.  She did sleep in the pack and play the whole time, so that was a plus.  So, enough about troubles!  We drove into St. Ives to feed the ducks and eat dinner.  Reina showed Grandpa how to smell the flowers too.  Chris' brothers come in tomorrow and then we have lots of plans.  Liz's graduation and closing show are Sunday.  Then we have dinner with Liz's boyfriend on Tuesday in London (and we're staying overnight at Liz's flat).  On Wednesday we move Liz out of her flat and we are all going to squeeze into the Eastman house.  Chris and I are still planning on a trip to Edinburgh later in the week, and we are debating on whether or not to bring Reina still.

Wrapping Up Washington

All the grandkids (Reina, Lucie, and Will)

Well, we're sitting here at our gate to fly to London right now.  Reina is waving to the planes and cars outside the window and I am taking advantage of the free wi-fi (as there was none at Aunt Debbie's).  Wow is Aunt Debbie an amazing host.  She took great care of us, and even buttered our bread and folded our laundry not to mention babysit Reina so Chris and I could get away to a movie.  We also saw lots of Chris' relatives and Uncle Mike came down too for a bbq on Sunday.  See all the pics below.  I also have a handful of pictures from Bellingham that I didn't get a chance to post (so those are in the slideshow).

Cousin Lucie, Joyce, Will and Auntie Debbie

Copy Cat

Sydney and Reina are so funny copying each other.  I have a few shots with Reina and Sydney being cute:

1. In the bath tub without water brushing their teeth (this one started because I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth).  AND
2. Reading books. Both of them love reading books and this morning they were practically reading them together.

Reina is really starting to love all the cheap fruit here.  She took right to watermelon and finally warmed up to strawberries.  Blueberries are the number one favorite food for babies, but my child doesn't want anything to do with them!

Reina is often walking around saying "wa wa" (water).  Sometimes it means she wants a drink, most times it means she wants to get in and play with water.  So, we shared Reina's love for the water and set up the plastic bins outside for Reina and Sydney to play in.  They enjoyed being naked and getting in and out of the cold water!  Sydney loves to do whatever Reina is doing; Reina likes to do her own thing.  This means that Reina would be in one tub, happy to play by herself, and then Sydney would insist on following and squishing in the same tub as Reina.  It was hilarious watching them whine at each other, trying to fit in this little tub together.

I bought a new SLR camera that I am LOVING, so I think the pictures will keep coming! I also have to brag about my amazing AP biology students.  We all worked VERY hard this past school year and the scores just came out.  67% of my students got a 3 or better! The scale is from 1 to 5 and a score of 3 usually means the students can earn college credit for biology.  I can't be more proud and putting my modesty aside am VERY proud of myself.  I am literally glowing today - all that hard work paid off!

Chris has some type of draw for little girls, as Sydney took right to him.  Often Sydney wants to be in Chris' lap - she'll pass all of her toys (or whatever she is carrying) to Chris, and then request to be picked up.  Oh, and he is smiling in the picture - I think he is mimicking Reina's awesome smile.

"Shhh"

Reina still isn't sleeping great at night (and is fighting naps too).  I know that I talk a lot about sleep, but it is something that is very important to my sanity (I am saying this now as I myself am fighting the crankiness after a not so good night of sleep).

During the waking hours when we are semi-rested, Reina continues to learn more words and do cute things.  She has mastered her "shh" sound and gesture; Karen and Joe have three birds that they sometimes shush, and Reina thinks its her job to do the same.  She is also still afraid of "strange" textures - like sand...and grass. We went to the park yesterday to enjoy the gorgeous weather, and Reina wouldn't walk anywhere until we tasked her with picking flowers. Silly girl - surely she knows she can't be a girly girl!

We spent the evening with Liliana and Celeo's family Tuesday.  We brought over Thai and ate dinner.  Reina was pretty interested in new baby Diego - she wanted to hold and pet him.  She was pretty gentle.  After she got bored with the new baby, she tried very hard to get into all of the baby toys - like the swing and bouncer.  Chris always says how its interesting that sometimes she wants to take care of a baby, and other times she wants to be the baby.  Guess that's appropriate for her age.

Its amazing how much Reina understands at this point.  She can stick out her tongue on command or go throw something away or lay down all on command.  I wonder how long until she realizes she doesn't have to listen!?

I bought my first digital SLR camera.  This means there will be many more photos to come! 

Let's Be Friends

Well, we arrived to the states about 5 days ago after what I would call a relatively smooth trip.  We got bulkhead seats for both legs of our flights (Yay!) and Reina did amazing. What's crazy is, she was amazing and she didn't sleep much.  I'm talking like 2.5 hours in a 24hour span.  This means she was quiet A LOT....just taking everything in. She did get a bit cranky the last hour or so, but let's face it, we all were!

Since arriving we've seen lots of people.  Dad and Romeni picked us up at the airport, and then we all hung out in Portland for a night.  It was great to see family right away, and to have them there to take care of us!  Then we drove up to Tacoma to see Aunt Debbie and Jess.  Debbie took great care of us, and it was a nice stopping place before we headed up to Bellingham to see our college friends.

Now we're staying with Karen, Joe, and Sydney (also 18months) and Reina is having a blast.  Sydney and Reina seem to be trading tricks, and thus far Reina has learned how to "meow" and sing.  She has also mastered the cheese face (which I am thinking might be a bit unfortunate!).  The girls love taking baths together and usually enjoy playing together, even though they are still learning how to share.  I've managed to get in some shopping and Chris has been able to watch some soccer, so we're all pretty happy. We saw our good friends Liliana and Celeo, and JP and Elyse on the fourth too!

There is some bad news. Reina has not been sleeping well at night.  We have been fortunate with her in this department thus far - usually we put her in her crib and she goes to sleep.  Since we've been in the States she doesn't want to go down for bed at all and has actually been sleeping with us (NOT good!).  But, last night she slept most of the night in the pack and play, so I'm hoping we're making progress.

We plan on staying up in Bellingham through the weekend, and then will head down to Debbie's on Sunday to spend time with Chris' family.  Then we head off to London to see little Liz graduate.