Day-to-day

Today was one of the hottest days since we've been here. We took time to go to the park and then some roaring games of Candy Land before bedtime. Here's our favorite babysitter Joy, who's staying with us for a month, and Lucy making silly faces.

Clark and his food

Clark certainly does love his solid food, doesn't he?

Wedding in "The Nature"

Shanna and I, along with several hundred others, went to a wedding yesterday of our friends Carrie and Mathias, who run Sir Toby's hostel in Prague. It was a beautiful ceremony, great day, and a very international wedding. It was held at a small chapel about 45 minutes outside of Prague, where Carrie and Mathias got engaged. Coffee and cakes were served immediately afterwards in "the nature," i.e. outside the church. The reception was held back in Prague where we were entertained by some crazy skits and toasts, a German tradition. The highlight was Mathias riding a unicycle around the room and juggling at the same time! Now where would you find that sort of wedding fun in America?

Our whole team finally got a picture together, and we're all 'snazzed up' too...

Phil vs. the Exersaucer

A few Saturdays ago I was enjoying a nice little nap on the couch while the kids were sleeping and Shanna was out. Shanna called my cell phone which I had set to “loud” for some reason. It freaked me out and then worried me that the kids would wake up from their naps, so I jumped off the couch and started running to the kitchen to get the phone.

Except that I hadn’t completely woken up. I was wearing socks, and as soon as my feet left the carpet and hit the wooden parquet floors, I started sliding – fast. I realized I was sliding, put my hands out to stop myself, and managed to grab the dining room table, but not adequately. I more or less pushed the table hard and continued to slide and now fall. I didn’t move my hands fast enough and planted my face squarely onto Clark’s exer-saucer toy, that mega plastic toy that is making him ADHD.

I don’t remember a lot after that except picking myself off the floor and getting to the phone. As I “talked” to Shanna I realized blood was dripping onto the floor. I told Shanna I needed to call her back. I limped back to the bathroom, looked at my face in the mirror, and immediately felt nauseous. I looked like Braveheart, only half my face was red, not blue like Mel Gibson.

Managed to wash my face a bit and saw a huge gash above my eye, called Shanna back and told her I fell and needed her to come home. Clark meanwhile had woken up from all the commotion and was crying. Oh well, he was contained in a crib. I laid on the floor and waited.

Shanna called Laura, who called Chris, who was on his way to Bill’s house. He did a quick u-turn and ran to our place. Shanna arrived a few minutes later in a taxi. Everyone who saw me shuddered a bit at first and then would say “I think you need stitches.” They were right.

Chris and I got a taxi to the Prague emergency room, and with a bag of frozen peas over my eye, the doctor took one look at me and said (in English), “Take off your trousers.” Chris and I looked at each other and Chris said, “Man, I wish I had my camera.” So I took off my trousers and was escorted into a Stephen King-like trauma room that looked and smelled communist.

But it was amazing – I was back home less than an hour later with 5 stitches and a tetanus shot in my butt (no trousers). No insurance, but I just paid $40 and that was it. Very impressive. I looked very tough and mean – no one made eye contact with me on the metro anymore, and the Greenpeace volunteers no longer approached me as I entered the metro station.

Phil

Amazing Adventures in Prague!

Hello there! Welcome to our new blog, where we hope to post the real stuff - the day-to-day issues, the laughs, and the not-so-fun moments, heart issues, and all adventures of life in Prague.