Here we all are on the first day of school!
And a video of Sophie and Mary singing with their classmates:
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Simon Horanyi, Model Dog (10/3/97-2/24/12)
Today is my first time posting this year, and after posting twice about the girls, I realize that I've left out a bittersweet moment from the past six months. In late February we said goodbye to Simon, a model dog and the first child for Lisa and Peter. He was 14.5 years old.
We got Simon when he was just a few weeks old and had just started eating dog food. He was the runt of the litter. He had a toy monkey as big as him and slept in a little box. When we took him outside to do his doggy duty he would come sit on my foot when he finished. As he grew, this became hiding behind a bush, or at night just being really still (he knew we could not see him in the dark). He was always tough, but liked to be pampered and brushed. He was very smart and had a great memory. And we have lots of memories of him.
So now it is just Bailey as our dog and he is doing fine. He has always been kind and loyal. One day I was walking with him down the trail near our house and had him off the leash. Seeing a lady approaching, I called him over and he let me put the leash back on. The lady commented on what a nice dog he was and that she liked how he knew just what I needed him to do. For a moment I thought of Simon and how he also knew just what I needed to do, but he did whatever he felt like. Because he was that kind of smart dog, and stubborn and ornery. But he was still a model dog and Bailey's "boss dog," and we loved him.
We got Simon when he was just a few weeks old and had just started eating dog food. He was the runt of the litter. He had a toy monkey as big as him and slept in a little box. When we took him outside to do his doggy duty he would come sit on my foot when he finished. As he grew, this became hiding behind a bush, or at night just being really still (he knew we could not see him in the dark). He was always tough, but liked to be pampered and brushed. He was very smart and had a great memory. And we have lots of memories of him.
So now it is just Bailey as our dog and he is doing fine. He has always been kind and loyal. One day I was walking with him down the trail near our house and had him off the leash. Seeing a lady approaching, I called him over and he let me put the leash back on. The lady commented on what a nice dog he was and that she liked how he knew just what I needed him to do. For a moment I thought of Simon and how he also knew just what I needed to do, but he did whatever he felt like. Because he was that kind of smart dog, and stubborn and ornery. But he was still a model dog and Bailey's "boss dog," and we loved him.
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| Mary and Simon in July 2010 |
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| Simon with me and Peter in March 1998 |
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| Simon featured in this ad for Hallmark from my 1998 advertising campaigns class. Others in the group said we could not get a dog to hold a card, and I said, "Mine will!" |
summer... so far
Summer is here, figured I'd post before a year went by. We were in Georgia last week and this week the girls are going to Vacation Bible School, so staying busy. They are both enjoying VBS. Sophie said she was shy the first night and stood still during the songs, but now she is singing and dancing. Mary likes seeing all her new friends. I asked her what their names are and she didn't know. "You know I can't read their name tags!" she said. But she's usually so good with introductions...
We were in Georgia Monday-Friday, which was a little strange as we usually go over a weekend. So I think we missed out on seeing a few people that wanted to visit. Well, we will always be back. The highlight of the week was seeing how little cousin Ellie has grown, and we got to see Madagascar 3!
We are having fun but still want to go on some type of summer vacation. Not sure if we will have a long one again, but the girls and I have agreed that we at least need to go to the beach and ride a roller coaster before the summer is over. If all goes as planned, the girls will start kindergarten in late August at a new school in Charlottesville.
We were in Georgia Monday-Friday, which was a little strange as we usually go over a weekend. So I think we missed out on seeing a few people that wanted to visit. Well, we will always be back. The highlight of the week was seeing how little cousin Ellie has grown, and we got to see Madagascar 3!
We are having fun but still want to go on some type of summer vacation. Not sure if we will have a long one again, but the girls and I have agreed that we at least need to go to the beach and ride a roller coaster before the summer is over. If all goes as planned, the girls will start kindergarten in late August at a new school in Charlottesville.
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| We did get to see Mema and Papa! They stopped by for a visit. The twins said they are our "other grandparents." (Mine too!) |
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| Ellie has grown so much! She loved watching everything the girls were doing. |
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| Mary and Sophie with Ellie |
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Trip to Hungary
As many of you know, Peter is from Hungary. He moved here with his mother at age 14 and still has family over there - a rather large family on his dad's side that he got acquainted with on the sad occasion of his dad's passing in 2006. But, notably, there is his maternal grandmother (Kadi Mama), who he talks to most every day and tends to many of her needs from over 5,000 miles away. It was at her urging that we finally planned the trip overseas as she'd never met the girls, who are four years old now and at an age where they will remember the experience. (I had visited with Peter before back in 1998, the year we were engaged to be married.)
Getting there takes about a day's worth of travel taking into account the flights, time between flights, renting a car, driving from Budapest to Kecskemét, the city where Kadi Mama lives. It was the first time flying for the girls and they got the full experience with three different sized planes from Charlottesville to Washington to Frankfurt to Budapest. The girls were able to stay reasonably entertained and were great travelers.
Of course, Kadi Mama loved the girls and they loved her. She lives in a nursing home and the other residents were happy to see the girls as well. Mary loved how all the old people doted on her, Sophie not so much. She was very nice to her great-grandmother though. There was a language barrier, so Peter had to translate a lot. I just know a few words and phrases in Hungarian, and the girls know a few things, like "hello," "I love you," and how to count to ten (which they did a lot).
The ladies at the nursing home made these dolls for the girls!
After spending time with Kadi Mama in Kecskemét, we spent some time in Budapest to see the sites and visit some more family. We rented a small apartment there, so it felt a little more like home. The girls had their own room. (I think Mary enjoyed the hotel, though. She's commented a few times since we've been back that she wants one big bedroom where we can all sleep together. I think she's on her own with that thought.) The first day we just explored a little and took a tourist bus ride. That evening we visited Ibi, who used to be Peter's stepsister, and her family. They have a seven year old boy and five year old twin girls and live in a beautiful house in the village of Pomáz, not far from Budapest. Again, there was a language barrier, but both sets of twins ended up playing happily together. They also shared a fondness for My Little Pony. We stayed for a Hungarian meal prepared by Ibi and it was a much needed relaxing evening for us.
Our next day in Budapest we took the girls to the Budapest Bábszínház (puppet theatre). This was a professional performance and came highly recommended by travel websites for everyone regardless of language, though the performances are in Hungarian. It was the best puppet show I had ever seen, and the girls loved it. A few cool things about the theatre - the seats had a part that folded up so kids could sit up higher, there was a concession stand with snacks and candy you could buy during intermission, and there were a lot of cool puppets on display. We explored the city a little after that, in an area where there were a lot of tourist shops and a few street performers. We had lunch at the first McDonald's in Budapest. (We ate at McD's a total of three times in Hungary that week. Hey, we have four year olds to feed.)
That afternoon, we visited the Horányi family at Peter's Aunt Marta's place, a big apartment with high ceilings in a really old building in downtown Budapest (actually, most of the buildings there are really old - the architecture is really interesting for someone from a "new" country). Peter's dad had four sisters, and they have kids, the kids have kids - it's a lot of people, and almost the whole family was there. I'm not sure how many people, but it was over 30 and there were 16 kids there including Mary and Sophie. Sophie does not like crowds, so she was really overwhelmed at first but eventually got comfortable. She especially enjoyed spending time with her cousin, Gergely (Marta's son). He got out some colored pencils and let the girls do some drawing. They did play some with the other kids and, of course, with each other. Not everyone spoke English, but we had some interesting conversations about our families and differences between things in Hungary and the US. I was probably most comfortable when holding little baby boy Baldasar, since he didn't speak English or Hungarian, and I could say whatever I wanted to him and he didn't mind!
We spent a last day in Kecskemét before we left, taking care of some errands and spending some more time with Kadi Mama. The girls could not talk to her much but gave plenty of hugs and kisses and gave a few performances - singing songs with some impromptu dancing. After we bid her farewell, we returned to Budapest for the night before our early morning departure. I told Peter that since it was our last night, I wanted a nice dinner at a Hungarian restaurant. The girls are not big eaters of Hungarian food and generally don't appreciate fine dining (remember, three trips to McDonald's?). So, after I fed them a dinner of fish sticks, bread and applesauce, we found a place within walking distance and enjoyed a fabulous three-course meal while the girls quietly played games on our smartphones. Now, that's how you use technology!
We left our Budapest apartment around 6:30 AM for the LONG trip home. Once again, the girls were awesome travelers. Once we got back to Washington in the line for customs, some people that were sitting near us on the plane complimented the girls on how well they behaved. (Ahh... proud mom!) When we got back home, we were all completely exhausted. I had important plans for the next day - doing absolutely nothing. Well, I did wash some clothes, but that's it. Other than that, I spent the day lying around on the couch. The girls quickly returned to their routine of going through their dresser and dressing up silly. In hindsight, our time in Hungary could have been more relaxing had we made the trip longer, but the girls were ready to get back home. So, I consider it a success. We all have some great memories.
Here's what the girls were doing on their first day back at home:
Sophie and Mary with their Kadi Mama
Getting there takes about a day's worth of travel taking into account the flights, time between flights, renting a car, driving from Budapest to Kecskemét, the city where Kadi Mama lives. It was the first time flying for the girls and they got the full experience with three different sized planes from Charlottesville to Washington to Frankfurt to Budapest. The girls were able to stay reasonably entertained and were great travelers.
Of course, Kadi Mama loved the girls and they loved her. She lives in a nursing home and the other residents were happy to see the girls as well. Mary loved how all the old people doted on her, Sophie not so much. She was very nice to her great-grandmother though. There was a language barrier, so Peter had to translate a lot. I just know a few words and phrases in Hungarian, and the girls know a few things, like "hello," "I love you," and how to count to ten (which they did a lot).
The ladies at the nursing home made these dolls for the girls!The first full day we were there was rather boring for them, but they rolled with the punches - we made a long trip to the town of Orosháza to take Kadi Mama to visit a family grave site. When we finally returned back to the nursing home, we decided to check out the new mall in Kecskemét for some fun. There was an awesome place there where you could pay by the half hour for your kids to run around and play. It was a well deserved break for the girls. Mary played contently by herself, but Sophie made a friend. They did not speak the same language but played well together.
Sophie and her friend at the mall
After spending time with Kadi Mama in Kecskemét, we spent some time in Budapest to see the sites and visit some more family. We rented a small apartment there, so it felt a little more like home. The girls had their own room. (I think Mary enjoyed the hotel, though. She's commented a few times since we've been back that she wants one big bedroom where we can all sleep together. I think she's on her own with that thought.) The first day we just explored a little and took a tourist bus ride. That evening we visited Ibi, who used to be Peter's stepsister, and her family. They have a seven year old boy and five year old twin girls and live in a beautiful house in the village of Pomáz, not far from Budapest. Again, there was a language barrier, but both sets of twins ended up playing happily together. They also shared a fondness for My Little Pony. We stayed for a Hungarian meal prepared by Ibi and it was a much needed relaxing evening for us.
Our next day in Budapest we took the girls to the Budapest Bábszínház (puppet theatre). This was a professional performance and came highly recommended by travel websites for everyone regardless of language, though the performances are in Hungarian. It was the best puppet show I had ever seen, and the girls loved it. A few cool things about the theatre - the seats had a part that folded up so kids could sit up higher, there was a concession stand with snacks and candy you could buy during intermission, and there were a lot of cool puppets on display. We explored the city a little after that, in an area where there were a lot of tourist shops and a few street performers. We had lunch at the first McDonald's in Budapest. (We ate at McD's a total of three times in Hungary that week. Hey, we have four year olds to feed.)
Mary at Budapest Bábszínház
That afternoon, we visited the Horányi family at Peter's Aunt Marta's place, a big apartment with high ceilings in a really old building in downtown Budapest (actually, most of the buildings there are really old - the architecture is really interesting for someone from a "new" country). Peter's dad had four sisters, and they have kids, the kids have kids - it's a lot of people, and almost the whole family was there. I'm not sure how many people, but it was over 30 and there were 16 kids there including Mary and Sophie. Sophie does not like crowds, so she was really overwhelmed at first but eventually got comfortable. She especially enjoyed spending time with her cousin, Gergely (Marta's son). He got out some colored pencils and let the girls do some drawing. They did play some with the other kids and, of course, with each other. Not everyone spoke English, but we had some interesting conversations about our families and differences between things in Hungary and the US. I was probably most comfortable when holding little baby boy Baldasar, since he didn't speak English or Hungarian, and I could say whatever I wanted to him and he didn't mind!
That's a big family!
Sophie and Gergely - I think they favor each other, don't you?
We all speak the same language.
We all speak the same language.We spent a last day in Kecskemét before we left, taking care of some errands and spending some more time with Kadi Mama. The girls could not talk to her much but gave plenty of hugs and kisses and gave a few performances - singing songs with some impromptu dancing. After we bid her farewell, we returned to Budapest for the night before our early morning departure. I told Peter that since it was our last night, I wanted a nice dinner at a Hungarian restaurant. The girls are not big eaters of Hungarian food and generally don't appreciate fine dining (remember, three trips to McDonald's?). So, after I fed them a dinner of fish sticks, bread and applesauce, we found a place within walking distance and enjoyed a fabulous three-course meal while the girls quietly played games on our smartphones. Now, that's how you use technology!
We left our Budapest apartment around 6:30 AM for the LONG trip home. Once again, the girls were awesome travelers. Once we got back to Washington in the line for customs, some people that were sitting near us on the plane complimented the girls on how well they behaved. (Ahh... proud mom!) When we got back home, we were all completely exhausted. I had important plans for the next day - doing absolutely nothing. Well, I did wash some clothes, but that's it. Other than that, I spent the day lying around on the couch. The girls quickly returned to their routine of going through their dresser and dressing up silly. In hindsight, our time in Hungary could have been more relaxing had we made the trip longer, but the girls were ready to get back home. So, I consider it a success. We all have some great memories.
Here's what the girls were doing on their first day back at home:
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Halloween 2011
Hope you had a Happy Halloween! We started the festivities in downtown Charlottesville on Saturday (picture with Mary in makeup) and finished it off with Trick or Treating at UVA on Halloween. Thanks for the costumes, Grandma!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wow, has it really been that long?
With the social aspect and ease of posting pictures on Facebook, it seems I've neglected our little blog for a long time. Finally, now, with the girls in Georgia with grandparents (coming home tomorrow) I'm missing them and thought I should add an update for those of you who are not Facebook friends. If you want to be, my page is www.facebook.com/lhoranyi.
We've been doing lots of things and taking lots of pictures. The ones here are fairly recent, they are just the ones I was looking at on my phone today and I think they capture the girls personalities well. I like to call this series "Scary Mary Attacks - at Food Lion." I should also explain the babysitter painted their faces, I picked them up like this. We don't usually go to Food Lion in disguise.
Today they are seeing the Smurfs movie with Grandma and Papa. They've liked the Smurfs for a while, thanks to a $5 DVD (90 mins. worth of episodes!) I found at K-Mart about a year ago. The other day (with just the two of us) Sophie said, "I know what I want to be for Halloween now! I want to be Smurfette!" (She has a Halloween costume revelation about once every 2 weeks.) I asked her what Mary would want to be, and she said, "Mary wants to be a scary girl."
In other news that has happened since the last post, the girls finished their first (and possibly only) year of preschool at St. Mark Preschool. They were the stars of the class. They had a performance that the families could attend and they sang a lot of songs. They really remember songs well. Their teacher stressed to us to get them in a gifted program when they start school, so they must be pretty smart. They are probably prepared for 4K this fall, but their birthday is a week past the Sept. 30th cutoff. Right now they have a babysitter they love that also does lessons with them, so we will stick with that until next year. I just don't want them to be bored in school as Sophie will be sad and Mary will cause trouble. (Her nickname from us is "Unnecessary Mary." Sophie is my "Petite Flower.")
We've been having a great summer and trying to make it to the pool as much as possible, to work on our tans and get the girls more comfortable with the water. They can both get pretty nervous, especially Sophie. If I take her out in deep water, she says, "Put me back on the land!" We just returned from summer vacation and had a couple trips to the beach, which I think really helped with her confidence. She would just stand and let the waves hit her - she called it "surfing."
Our vacation was last week. We went to Williamsburg and had several day trips. Destinations included Busch Gardens, Gloucester Point, Virginia Aquarium and Virginia Beach, trip on the Jamestown Ferry to Surry, Yankee Candle Store, and finally a day trip to Chincoteague Island for the beautiful beach and ponies. I have a lot of pictures and will hopefully get around to posting more of those with a little more narrative. This week our babysitter is on vacation, which is why the girls are in Georgia. This is their first time there by themselves and I think they are doing well. We will see each other again tomorrow, meeting somewhere in North Carolina.
Mary and Sophie at the Yankee Candle store in Williamsburg
We've been doing lots of things and taking lots of pictures. The ones here are fairly recent, they are just the ones I was looking at on my phone today and I think they capture the girls personalities well. I like to call this series "Scary Mary Attacks - at Food Lion." I should also explain the babysitter painted their faces, I picked them up like this. We don't usually go to Food Lion in disguise.
Today they are seeing the Smurfs movie with Grandma and Papa. They've liked the Smurfs for a while, thanks to a $5 DVD (90 mins. worth of episodes!) I found at K-Mart about a year ago. The other day (with just the two of us) Sophie said, "I know what I want to be for Halloween now! I want to be Smurfette!" (She has a Halloween costume revelation about once every 2 weeks.) I asked her what Mary would want to be, and she said, "Mary wants to be a scary girl."
In other news that has happened since the last post, the girls finished their first (and possibly only) year of preschool at St. Mark Preschool. They were the stars of the class. They had a performance that the families could attend and they sang a lot of songs. They really remember songs well. Their teacher stressed to us to get them in a gifted program when they start school, so they must be pretty smart. They are probably prepared for 4K this fall, but their birthday is a week past the Sept. 30th cutoff. Right now they have a babysitter they love that also does lessons with them, so we will stick with that until next year. I just don't want them to be bored in school as Sophie will be sad and Mary will cause trouble. (Her nickname from us is "Unnecessary Mary." Sophie is my "Petite Flower.")
We've been having a great summer and trying to make it to the pool as much as possible, to work on our tans and get the girls more comfortable with the water. They can both get pretty nervous, especially Sophie. If I take her out in deep water, she says, "Put me back on the land!" We just returned from summer vacation and had a couple trips to the beach, which I think really helped with her confidence. She would just stand and let the waves hit her - she called it "surfing."
Our vacation was last week. We went to Williamsburg and had several day trips. Destinations included Busch Gardens, Gloucester Point, Virginia Aquarium and Virginia Beach, trip on the Jamestown Ferry to Surry, Yankee Candle Store, and finally a day trip to Chincoteague Island for the beautiful beach and ponies. I have a lot of pictures and will hopefully get around to posting more of those with a little more narrative. This week our babysitter is on vacation, which is why the girls are in Georgia. This is their first time there by themselves and I think they are doing well. We will see each other again tomorrow, meeting somewhere in North Carolina.
Mary and Sophie at the Yankee Candle store in Williamsburg
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