Back in the U S of A (part 2)

Hi again,

I know it's not the Africa savanah, but I thought I'd quickly report on the next part of our trek home this July.

From Atlanta, the kidz and I flew up to Buffalo to see my parents and sibs.  Adam had to work in Atlanta for another week and then joined us.  A highlight was flying solo with both kids.  Noah was a happy terror -- not wanting to sit still.  Thankfullly a nice woman helped me out and the two of them bonded while I ordered three Delta cocktails.  (Hmm.... maybe I should try that next time.)


Shufflin' Off to Buffalo

 It seemed like within 10 minutes of landing, the kids were in the "pool" in my parents' backyard.  The blow-up boat was such a hit, my dad shipped one over to us.  

 

Happiness is watching your grandkids tire themselves out.

 Chow time.  Noah communes with his favorite bean dish in the kitchen.

 Lucy thinks it's all very funny. (I try to tell her she often had an even messier face.  Like that morning at breakfast.)

 Busy guy, just like his Granddad...

 My dad, at 79, finally decided to order a lawn service.  At 80, he decided, "Enough of that!" and is back at it himself.  (I think he tried to get me to do it -- like in the old days -- and I feigned needing to change Noah's diaper.)

 Lucy teaches Grandma a new driveway game.

 And off they went.

 Aunt Susie arrived to get in on the action.

Aunt Janet flew in, too, to supervise the eating of Popsicles in the backyard.

Niagara Falls

We decided to check out the American side of the falls (about 30 min away).  Throughout our childhood we took visitors to the Canadian side, which was always nicer. But in recent years, the Americans realized all the revenue they're losing and redeveloped its side to make it more inviting.  They did a great job and it saved us the hassle of going across the border just for the afternoon.  (Post 9/11, the border is no longer the cake walk it was when I was a kid.)

Noah and the grandparents hung out at home while the big kids, including Lucy, rode the "Maid of the Mist" boat that goes up to the falls.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

  About to set sail... all snug and dry (and slowly roasting in our Gortex-less rain coats).

 View of our trip to give you some context.  See the little boats at about 1 and 3 o'clock?

 The Professor and Mary Ann

It's raining, it's pouring... (Look behind them.)

 If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost!

 Castaways

Back at home

 Aunt Janet and Noah enjoy a morning latte.  

(They're both rather grumpy without it.)

 Brunch in the backyard. 

But why rest when you could bike?  Lucy was all action and biked with Adam over to my old elementary school.  (It looks the same as it did 30 years ago... I mean 20. 20!)

 And she's off! 
(Apparently she got a booboo on her nose.  Nothing a Barbie "I LOVE Math" Band-Aid can't fix.)

Noah discovers the joys of watermelon.  Given the paucity of dietary fiber in the typical US diet, Noah decides to just keep going and eats the rind. 

 Noah - 1.  Watermelon  - 0.  Now on to reading the paper.

 Lucy and Aunt Janet laugh over applesauce. 
(This photo sponsored by Wegmens.)

 Stand back. Noah takes on a fork.

 On our last night in Buffalo, we head to Anderson's Frozen Custard, of course.
(Sorry, Atlanta, but it blows Zesto's away.)

Noah demonstrates its death-defying thickness. 

And considers going as Colonel Sanders for Halloween.

 Noah's philosophy of life: eat it like you mean it!

The grandparents share a dish of some silly fat-free low-sugar "dessert" and look at their grandkids, wondering why the heck they live in Africa.

The next day we drove to Morgantown.

Grandparents #2 were waiting (with tofu).

xo
Glenn

Back in the U S of A! (part 1)

Hi all,

I know... it's been ages since my last post. Somehow life got busy. But spring has come and almost gone in Pretoria and now summer is close at hand. Today is actually nice and cool (~70) and Adam has hopped over to Maputo, Mozambique, to talk with flu folks there. But he'll be back Wednesday night, so no too bad for Mr. Single Dad.

Here's a map for some context.  (Seeing it this way makes me feel very far away from all of you.  We're still having a good time, but are excited for Grandma Judy and Grandude Stan's visit in December, followed by Uncle Josh and Raj in late Dec, Aunt Shelly in Jan, and then my folks in March.  Book your tickets today!)

Back in July, we packed up and took a nice short flight (come try it!) home to the States.

First Stop... Atlanta

After a fun 16 hour flight, we landed at our old haunt, Hartsfield Jackson.  The kids actually did great on the plane.  The seat backs have individual video screens and Lucy kept herself very busy. Noah wasn't as convinced.  Adam figured out any TV show with dogs kept him preoccupied so "limited screen time" went out the window and he watched "Marley & Me" five times.  Over the gentle hum of the plane, you could hear a little kid saying "Dog! Dog!" every time a pup appeared on screen.  But that's better than a crying little kid, we figured.

Noah was a jet lagged the next morning, but got an A+ for effort in eating his yogurt. ("Spoon, shpoon!") We stayed in a fantastic apartment that our friends, Peter and Bruce, built behind their house in Oakhurst.  I just gave it 5 *s in my TripAdvisor review.

Lucy and her best friend, Olivia, had a great reunion.  They ran around from the minute they saw each other. (They refused to slow down for pictures.)

We headed off to Oakhurst Park with Noah and Tegan in the Cadillac of strollers. (Noah kept looking for the video screen to pop up from the armrest.)

 Park Time.  (Lucy, Tegan, Noah and Olivia.)

Simon Says "Everybody Dance Now!"

That evening, Olivia's birthmom and members of her family came to visit.  Here we played Simon Says in the front yard.

Then it was on to a lightening round of Duck, Duck, Goose.

 Noah gives our friend Emily a "Happy to see you" kiss.

 One day in Atlanta we had dinner with CDC friends at Kris van Beneden's house. Here is Noah and Laura Conklin, our old pal from Seattle and now Atlanta.

I #@^% love gardening!

 Another night, we had dinner with my old friend Amy Tozer. Here, Lucy and Noah party down with Amy's daughter, Grace.

Lucy and Grace bond with the Tozer-Rich's dog.   (Lucy's been begging for one ever since.)

Future marine biologists at Zoo Atlanta

 Noah plays with the big boys at the kids' fountain at the zoo.

 Life is good.

 The Tunnel Sisters...  starring the One and Only Olivia,

Techno Tegan, and...

 Laid Back Lucy!

They, too, could not resist the call of the [wild] fountain.

Another night we got together with some friends we met when Adam did EIS (seen Contagion yet?  The CDC South Africa sponsored a sneak preview here. I liked it more than I expected and it has made me less grumpy when Adam travels.).  Here are Jacek, Christopher, Ad, me, Seema and Natasha (now lives up in Boston but was in town). Ezra was flying back from somewhere.  [An auto-shoot pic, so not too bad.]

Close Encounters of the Sibling Kind

Like the old days, only this time with board books. 

(When we first met, none of us had kids.)

 Found an old picture of the kids on Seema and Jacek's magnet board.   L->R: Sophia, Lucy and Isan. (In the couch picture above, Isan is in Jacek's lap.  Sophia was up in Boston, probably asleep already.)

 A Lunch Counter Sit In.

(After going to see a puppet show at Atlanta's awesome Center for Puppetry Arts -- I really miss that place -- we took the kids to Zesto's for lunch and ice cream.  Judy calls it the DQ of the South.)

25th Pre-School Reunion.

One afternoon Lucy, Noah and I went by the Clifton School to say hi to Lucy's old friends and teachers. 

 Lucy with Ms. Carol, who taught her for almost two years (3-5).

Lucy and Ms. Candice, who taught her for two years (1-3).

Our friend Anna stopped by to say hello.  (She's now over in London getting yet another master's degree.)

The Saturday before we left Atlanta we had a barbeque at the park near our old house (Candler Park). Here we are with David Fiebelkorn, Julie Harris and Amy Parker.

 Lucy and her good friend, Stella, at Candler Park 

 One last hug...  

Peter, Olivia and Lucy on our last morning in Atlanta, before we headed to the airport to see my folks in Buffalo.

Good Times at Oakhurst High.

It was hard to leave our peeps in Atlanta and sad not to be able to see some folks who were away, but we plan on coming back next July for Reunion #2.  (Big thanks to Peter and Bruce for hosting us.) 

Tomorrow: Let the Grandparent Spoiling Begin!

The Safari is back and promises to post more often.  xo
Glenn