Spatafora Family - The Thailand Sabbatical

October 3rd-
Today was my birthday and because it is so close to Nick's, (same week, different month), he really wants me to get excited about it the way he does. This birthday was really a nice one, though, and I was already excited because we are here and having such a big adventure. As you can see, my cake was not as cool as Nick's. It had some weird creatures on top that were very perky yet amorphous, like an Olympic mascot or something, and did not taste very good. I should have requested another Swenson's cake instead of trying something different. This one did not come with dry ice either.
I got some really nice e-cards and e-mails from friends and family and some "interesting" gifts from the family here. As you may know, our apartment is partially furnished which means that there are full sets of furniture for each room, lots of built-in storage space, (Deb K. would be proud), and some dishes. There are no cooking pots or utensils, iron or ironing board, laundry baskets, trash cans, not even a rice cooker, so we have had to buy all these basic things. It was really funny to see Joey carrying the ironing board home on the sky train and I'm happy to say that I finally located a mattress pad for our bed that I was thrilled to get. Big deals! Anyway, the kids went out and did some stealth shopping after lunch and I was very excited to unwrap the slotted spatula and spreading knife that they got at the co-op store. I also loved the candied cashews rolled in sesame seeds which are my current favorite snack. Joey got me a new watch which is very nice.
It has been a big adjustment for us all living in a foreign country and for me the hardest part has been the home school transition. The kids like their school at home a lot and really miss their friends. It is tough teaching seven subjects to both Gioia and Nick each day. Thank goodness I am not having to teach Anna too! That would be a bigger challenge because high school "really counts" for earning credits. So far, we are doing fine and I am relying heavily on the Core Knowledge website and all the materials the teachers at home gave me. I was very releived to see the middle school homework page from Franklin back in business. Surprisingly, we were right on track with most of our projects and ahead on some too. I am sure the kids will do just fine. I, on the other hand, am exhausted and am having a hard time keeping up with my readin', writin', and 'rithmetic! And I'm getting older to boot! Here's to another year. Cheers, Elizabeth