Germany: A Retrospective

Tune in for the upcoming retrospective in honor of Boppa's birthday (happy official birthday!!) and a wonderful trip to Germany this past summer.

In the meantime, we enjoyed hosting the principal of Yali Middle School for a few nights and hosted a dinner with him as well as Xiang Jiaxiang, a visiting Chinese teacher to Hugo's school for the duration of the semester. In turn, Foote 9th grade students visit Yali Middle School in the spring semester. H & P took happily and immediately to Principal Sun's and Xiang Jiaxiang's friendliness and warmth. Xiang Jiaxiang has an impressive curriculum planned for Kindergarten-Grade 9. He spends a substantial amount of time with each class, teaching Chinese language, culture and art.


Welcome dinner at our house


Portia with Xiang Jiaxiang at farewell reception for Principal Sun and visiting students

AND, Peanut danced beautifully today:







And we're just plain old having fun:

Happy Birthday, Bop!

We miss you and hope you're celebrating a fabulous bday in Germany! Happy happy birthday!!!

We've had a fun weekend filled with friends, food and hiking. We're gearing up for a month full of family birthdays and Halloween. Here we are getting in the spirit a few weeks early.









After Saturday's deluge, we took advantage of today's gorgeous sun and headed out to the woods. What a beautiful, adventurous hike we had! The 'Challenge Trail' beckoned with its caves and rocky precipices, and we all had great fun. Then proceeded to undo all the cardio goodness by gorging on kettle corn and sushi.











Miss you and wish you a SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUper happy birthday!!

Happy...Summer?!

Well, one of the great things about CT living (hint from Hugo and Portia to Yeh-Yeh and Nai Nai) is the wonderful extension of summer often well into fall. We have had a string of hot, summer-like days this week. And, so, today, Portia and I headed to the...beach. What better way to spend part of this summer day with my baby girl. Not that I am not completely embracing her imminent 4th birthday. Because I Totally, with a giant capital 'T', am. For real.









ANOTHER reason it's great to call CT home, particularly in the fall: peach, apple, raspberry and pumpkin picking. Earlier this week we headed out with friends to pick the last of the red-skinned peaches.

One week of school!

We are feeling particularly lucky of late. The first week of school has been a great success. Hugo is incredibly happy. There's nothing quite like seeing your child excited to go to school. How comforting this is, especially since we have to part with him for 7 hours on a daily basis! Similarly Portia continues to feel most at home in preschool and delights in games of 'lion' and 'spies' on the playground.


Hugo is playing soccer again this fall and has pledged his allegiance to a German team


Portia on her imaginary beach...sitting at the 'oceanside'


A major perk of this fall...lots of alone time for Mommy with Portia


On this week's menu: Apple/Blackberry Tart


Nothing like a good friend

Day 2

Another great day. Portia and I enjoyed a morning with friends (I can't wait for my Tuesdays and Thursdays with her), and Hugo had another successful day at school. He had French class today and was immediately eager to share his new knowledge with his French-speaking Yeh-yeh (his paternal grandfather). I notice how the children miss one another; they spent the afternoon together between our new treehouse and playing pediatrician (where Portia, among other ailments, suffered a broken blood vessel). Dinner conversation was quite involved, as well. Hugo's questions included the following: "Mama, did you know there were cold spots on the sun? I read that in the Discovery book I got from Boppa for my birthday." "No, I didn't know that," I responded. Then came whopper #2: "If some metals are so light, why do they sink in water?" I am starting to get a complex since I find myself deferring WAY too often to the omniscient 'BOPPA'- and he's only five, Hugo that is.

I'll get to posting a few pictures from our great trip to Germany soon. Since I am so touched by Hugo's and Portia's compatibility and frienship, this seems like an appropriate photo to end the day with. The sentimental me imagines my Hugo forever patiently waiting for Portia, despite having yesterday taken off on his journey into the "real world." This was taken on the Osterberg in Tuebingen, in southern Germany. We enjoyed a beautiful evening hike...

First Day of School!

Hugo's new classroom


Biking to school!


Our 1st day of school breakfast pancakes




Portia's Cubby (with princess tag)


Our Yellow House


Portia's tribute to Hugo




Walking to class!



9-9-09 was a huge success. Hugo had a great first day of Kindergarten! The early 8-8:15 start will take some getting used to, especially with Portia who is a late sleeper. Hugo announced his wish to bike to school; Daddy and I followed on foot. We were so proud of him as he shook his teacher's hand and happily walked right on in to his classroom. He joined right in and seemed at home. There were no tears. We hugged, kissed and left the room, greeted many friends - and then wandered around the back of the building to take a peek at our baby boy (how I will likely forever refer to him- he's already consented to a lifetime of being infantilized by me, at least by name) ... this is when my knees buckled and the tears came. Those beautiful brown eyes caught mine, he walked over to the window, waved with that little hand (that will forever be the 'little hand' that gripped my index finger with such strength in the delivery room at NYU Medical Ctr) and mouthed "I love you, Mama." I love this child. After a brief coffee in the library with other parents, we headed home to gather Portia whose day began an hour later than her brother's. Her first day at preschool without her best friend, Hugo. She did marvelously. It felt good to be back in the warm, loving hands of our nursery school. The school I swear I just signed Hugo up for....wasn't that just last week? The day started with her drawing a rainbow and signing the back with two names. Portia and Hugo. He's in her heart and on her mind; but boy oh boy is she ever just fine! She loved her day and proclaimed at the end of the day that she wanted to be an "every day kid" - as opposed to the three-day-a-week kid that she indeed is. Needless to say, I am perfectly happy with 3days. And that's where we're staying. I am proud of them both. And looking forward to a great year ahead.

Orientation Day

The Day has come! I could easily have waited another 10 years, but low and behold, here we are. And it's a good thing- I realize this. For Hugo, for me (some day I'll realize this). Today was Kindergarten orientation day. Hugo met his teacher as well as some of his classmates. Everything went very well, and we feel excited for the big day tomorrow. Hugo has a warm, kind teacher and a nice assistant teacher. We saw some friendly, familiar faces from preschool; some new, friendly faces and a bright, cheery classroom. Mommy, Daddy and Chachi made our way up the hill at 1 pm today, Hugo on his 2-wheel Trek bike. With a smile and with confidence, Hugo embraced his new surroundings. After a fun scavenger hunt in the classroom (complete with photos of the teachers' pets, hornet viewing under a microscope and a surprise sealed envelope not to be opened until the evening from his new teacher) and some play time, we headed out for the playground followed by lemonade and cookies outside the library. How comforting it is for us to know so many families at our new school. Just further confirmation that we are truly lucky to live in this vibrant, fun, kind and diverse community.
Peanut starts her first year without Hugo by her side at Bethesda tomorrow. This, we know, will be a fantastic year for her. She has recently become friends with some very nice girls, and we are looking forward to a year of joy and confidence. She admitted to me at bedtime tonight that she simply wished she could just skip right over Bethesda and go straight to Kindergarten with Hugo, that she wished they were twins so that this might be possible. Part of me wishes the same, but a bigger part of me knows this will be a very promising new chapter for my little girl. The two are truly the most incredible companions. Their play continues for hours on end, in complete harmony. We are lucky. We are blessed. We are grateful. Until tomorrow! 9-9-09. How can this not be a great day?!