I'm also happy to report that Poland is starting to feel more like home...much more like home. I've found things to be involved in that I WANT to be involved in...so I'm not using the word busy, but rather fulfilled. And that's a good feeling.
But, it's time for the Fab 5 - so let's do this!
1. Candy Factory Tour. Last Friday the teaching staff at our school had a staff development day, which meant no school for the monkeys. Seeing that we were all off and that the American Friends of Warsaw were offering a tour to the krowki factory (which is this delicious Polish fudgy caramel toffee candy thing - and it literally means "little cows") and lunch, I signed the three of us up to go. It actually worked out quite well as the boys knew another boy on the trip and I had fun talking with his mom.
Ah, the joys of hairnets!
Candy cooling on the big table.
The tour was great. It's a small factory where they do all of the cutting and wrapping by hand. This factory makes all of the promotional candies (i.e. for companies that would like their name printed on the wrapper) and we designed our own wrappers and wrapped several of our own candies before the boys conned my into buying several kilos. (They really need to go soon because every time I walk by the dish my hand instinctively wants to grab one!)
Ready to be wrapped!
Designing labels and wrapping our own
After the tour we had lunch at a Polish restaurant - pork, beets, and potatoes for the adults and chicken cutlet, carrots and fries for the kids. The restaurant also had a...well, I'm going to call it a small zoo. A few llamas, a couple of deer, some birds, and a camel...you know, all your normal zoo offerings.
Had to grab a picture of the camel especially for our friend, Molly
Anyways, the weather was fabulous and it was a great day!
2. Volunteering At The Local Children's Hospital. A couple of weeks ago I heard that there is a couple of groups of women who visit the children's hospital each Tuesday to do a craft project with the children in oncology, neurology, and gastroenterology. I was lucky to get a hold of one of the coordinators and she welcomed me into her group. The groups alternate weeks - one week your group prepares a craft and the next you go to the hospital to do it with the children.
I was unsure of how I would do with this. I think everyone struggles when they see sick children. It definitely pulls at your heart strings. But, this past Tuesday my group headed to the hospital and it was a wonderful experience. I visited neuro and gastro with my group and it was nice to see a few meek smiles, some incredibly creative children and know that they look forward to the craft group's arrival each week.
I am looking forward to continuing this throughout our time here.
3. Pumpkins, Cool Air and Boos. Oh, fall is full-on right now here in Poland. Apples are everywhere in the markets. Pumpkins are being sold by the road. The air is cool and refreshing. It's just amazing. I forgot how much I missed this time of the year.
The front of our house
We stopped by the local pumpkin patch last weekend so I could buy some pumpkins for the front step and for Halloween. We met the owner, Chris, a lovely Polish man who had spent five years living in New York City. We spent some time discussing life in the States (which he misses), the tradition of Halloween, and he has invited us and the kids to come back and visit his pumpkin patch/small petting zoo anytime. He was so gracious that he even gave us a few free pumpkins. This short interaction truly made the experience special.
The kids were also "Boo'd" this week - you know the boo message that shows up on your door with some special treats. This made them very happy. Halloween is such a uniquely American holiday (yes, it's popularity is growing elsewhere, but really...'Merica!) and this little "Boo" in Poland just made their day! They were quick to go out and "Boo" another neighborhood family in hopes of spreading a little Halloween cheer.
4. Goat Cheese Salad. Yes, the Pomodoro Goat Cheese Salad makes the Fab 5 this week. Why?? Because this salad makes my mouth happy! Greens, pears, walnuts, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese and some balsamic...YUMMO! It's the best!
5. Lunch and A Movie. And last, but definitely not least, I had a wonderful afternoon of lunch and a movie with friends who have taken me under their wing and are really working to make me feel a part of the community. I'm not going to name names, but I can't thank them enough for helping me with this transition! They are truly special women who are quick with a hug, share meaningful conversations about their kids, make me laugh and smile, and share the occasional snarky comment with - sans judgement! I truly appreciate them.
So there you have it! The kids are off today due to parent-teacher conferences. Not sure what kind of trouble we'll get into, but I'm sure we'll come up with something! The weekend is full of...yes, you guessed it - soccer! And next week is U.N. Week at school which involves classroom lunches and a special UN display day done by the parents of each country! I will be sure to take pictures! After that, we're out of here!!! Milan here we come!
Enjoy the weekend peeps!! Go do something fun with some fun people!
Enjoy the weekend peeps!! Go do something fun with some fun people!
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