It's the Easter Report!

Hi everyone,

The Easter holidays came and went and we realized it has been awhile (again) since the last entry. Easter gave everyone a welcome breather for a few days, after some fairely hectic weeks. The weatherman promised splendid spring weather, but for one day of sunshine (Saturday) we got three days of chilly and overcast. The snows are gone, at least, but you can't say it feels really like spring yet.

On Saturday we took a pretty massive opening ride for the biking season, about three hours on the saddle, and that includes the boys! And even if Reko complained and protested a lot (he did at first), we ended up having a very nice day on two wheels for a change.

As for the rest of Easter: lots of movies (stuff like Borat and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for Annu & Make; Narnia - Prince Caspian and Kung Fu Panda for the whole family), chocolate eggs and good eating. Yard soccer was played too for the first time this year, with our kids, Make, one of the other dads in our house and some neighborhood boys doing their best to twist ankles and crush knees already this early in the season ;) So yes, it is April very much, no matter how cold it's been.

From the personal news front:

Reko celebrated his 9th birthday two weeks ago, and fun was had for two whole days. He got books, dvd's, the Wall-e PC game and other goodies that he'll enjoy for a long time.

Reko has also begun to read for good now, with Narnia and Harry Potter topping the list at this time. Plus he loves the Pirates of the Caribbean movie soundtracks! He actually sits in their room and listens to those cd's all the way through again and again (the rest of us know them pretty well by now, too).

Reko, with Harry P.

Atte shines in school and loves to ride his new bike now that he finally can. He sometimes plays the drums, but more often spends time with the synthesizer. He wears headphones when he does that so we don't know if it's Bach or bratwurst he creates there... He spends time with his friends, both live and online; he joined Club Penguin a few weeks ago and it's kind of unsettling watching him chat, in English, with other kids.

Atte's spring style...

Annu has been working hard and working out as well, and now she's back on the jogging track too. She plans to ride the bike to work when her shifts leave her time to ride without any hurry. It's 25 kilometers one way, a bit over an hour. Not bad if you don't have to ride back the same day, and she does get these 24-hour shifts that just right for the bike. She's picked up reading in English again, playing online Scrabble on Facebook and other such stuff to practice her English before the trip.

...and Annu's spring style...

Make's been pretty busy at work too, but had to slow down physically a bit; a slip on late-winter ice caused some "epic-scale bruising" (doctor's words!) to the right hand and wrist. Luckily no bones broke, but the damage to the ligaments and muscles was pretty hard. Three weeks after the fall the hand is still sore, healing slowly, but at least it can take drumming now, which is great.

...and Make's "where's my hair?" style, for spring.

About our trip: no changes to the plan. We now have reserved a hotel at JFK for our very last night, and also the train from Toronto to NYC when we leave for home. We'll most likely fly from Washington DC / Baltimore to Detroit when we come to Michigan, it was far too complicated and slow by train/bus. Annu considered renting a car, but that would have been far too long a drive, especially with no previous driving experience in the US. The Otisville -> Toronto stretch is still possible for us to drive, though; it seems very straight, and at least we've been passengers on the US side of that route.

Time seems to speed by sooo fast... we'll be over there in the US of A before we (and you there) realize what hit us ;-)

Love,

M+A+R+A