Gudauri wrap-up

We made it a goal to squeeze in one last family ski trip,

which we accomplished.

Of course one of the best parts of the trip. . .

. . . is the eating part . . . 

. . . or otherwise relaxing.

We also brought a friend,

and made a friend.

Kiev, Ukraine

At St. Volodymyr's with old friend from Catonsville.

In the doldrums of March, this mom needed a little time away. A trip to Kiev was just what the doctor ordered. Time with an old friend, time at the temple, time spent visiting new sacred sites, and lots of alone time completely rejuvenated my grey winter.

With pushy green animal.

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.

Ascending Arselnalna, the world's deepest metro station.

Big 4

Four years old, and all four birthdays in Georgia.

Impromptu feast

Our friend N from church wanted to cook our family a traditional meal from his country, Iraq. We were on board before we knew what we had signed up for. Turns out we were preparing a feast to feed an army, so we called in a few friends for reinforcements.

N turned out to be quite the taskmaster. He required obedience at his beck and call at the stove, sink, cutting board, oven, or whatever else caught his fancy. He sent my husband back to the corner market three (3!) times.

Here, our friends demonstrate the oppression under which they are operating.

Clearly, less pressure was put on the outside barbecue crew.

When it was done, we had obscene amounts of food. This is about half.

But the salad,

hummous,

barbecued chicken,

roast chicken,

and chicken/pasta/potato/rice concoction were delicious.

Doggie bags for all! Good times.

Going pro

Last ski trip to Bakuriani where these kiddos (and, in truth, this momma) learned to ski. Also fabulous shashlik prepared over the fire by our friend R. More photos to come. . .

Surprise!

My family surprised me with a birthday party this year (in full disclosure, they couldn't keep it a complete surprise, but it was a valiant effort). They invited several friends and families, and we had a lovely dinner and delicious cake.

Well done, most especially, to my eldest, whom I believe was the mastermind behind it all. Sweet memories!

Georgian National Opera Theater

In a spectacular turn of events, the Georgian National Opera House finally opened after 6 long years of renovations. We never thought we'd see it completed during our tenure, so it was with great excitement that we attended the ballet's premier performance.

Although the ballet was marginally disappointing, the theater itself proved to be the star of the evening. It was all lights and chandeliers and old fashioned elegance. It is truly the gem of Tbilisi; we marveled at the interior, soaked in every detail, and deemed the 6-years of renovations worth the wait.

Valentine's Day

Bringing a little Valentine's Day love to a French school in Georgia.

Bedtime

Bedtime in our home is generally prolonged by repeated requests for tucking in, a drink of water, something to eat, a lengthy chat, etc. Following that, when the lights are out there is the arguing and/or partying stage which can last another 30 minutes to an hour. 

Despite the fact that both girls regularly express their desire for their own rooms, and despite the fact that we have one vacant bedroom, all three children have chosen to sleep together for the last couple of years. 

Sometimes it's adorable, sometimes it's unbearable, but occasionally it's charming. Here are two examples:

After lights out one night, both girls remembered they wanted to write in their journals. They are not usually allowed out of bed past lights out, so without a word they slipped out in the hallway, recorded their days, and jumped back into bed, all while the little guy was sleeping. I love this.

At least one of the kids usually spends time singing each night. On this night I heard them singing together and it was too sweet, so I snuck down the hall and recorded them in the dark. Notice the intermittent third voice.

Friend party

Her request was for a dog-themed party with her friends, which would have been a bit silly to do without any real dogs (which we don't have). So we went to the Dog Organization Georgia (DOG) Shelter near Lisi Lake. It was a smashing hit. The children waited patiently outside and were each given a dog of their own with which to roam out in the open.

As these are mostly street dogs that have been collected, treated and tagged, they haven't had any training to speak of, so there were varying levels of success in the childrens' attempts at domestication.

Sit. Stay. Good.

Disenfranchised!

We witnessed some ambitious training efforts,

...obstacle courses,

...and races.

We had a few "lone wolves" who couldn't be bothered to comply. 

Luckily, there were puppies on hand,

and birthday cake.

At the end of the day I'd say it was the easiest birthday party I've ever executed and such a great focus for all that abundant, irrepressible birthday party energy.