F had today her second soccer practice. Last week, she was left crying on the sideline when all the other kids went dribbling with their ball. She was shy and scared and quite lost.
As responsible parents, we took some action last week. We practiced with her. She teamed up with daddy P against mommy and little sister A. Of course P took it quite serious teaching her passing and how she should anticipate to the ball. I kept to the simple basics like 'there is a ball and a goal and you try to get the ball in the goal - between the two paint cans we put on the ground - and you do this by kicking the ball with your feet, thus no hands.'
So this morning, our hopes and expectations were high. She was going to play soccer like the other kids. This time she went and stood on the side line as the other kids. She dribbled and did all the other exercises. She joined the team play. She ran with the other kids. The only downside to this was that she didn't touch the ball once. She looked like in deep thoughts, or day dreaming. But at the end of the practice she said she liked it. She had red cheeks from running and she was proud of herself - of course we too! Looks like we will have more family soccer practices in the coming days, which I have to say is quite fun.
By the way, we have another rising star. A is left handed and left footed and she is gooood with the ball!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
F's first soccer training
We got F to a soccer club. Why? To get her socialized, to get her into sports and also because it sounded like a good idea when the sportive neighbours said it would be so much fun for her if we did it. One more thing, the trainer is Turkish and obviously F understands better Turkish than English at this moment.
That's also how I got her to the club. She had to be 5 before sept 1st but of course she is not. I sent a mail saying that she really wanted it and she didn't speak any English but Turkish and having someone speaking a language she understands would make her feel better. I got a very nice mail saying: 'Welcome! We completely understand how difficult it can be to not speak the native language. The fact that she speaks Turkish-how on earth could we turn her away? 23 days is not significant. We actually have two Turkish coaches and they would be thrilled to have your daughter join Young Scouts'
We bought her small soccer shoes, shin guards and knee socks. She was very enthusiastic about it, she showed them to P when he came home. We went yesterday to the field. There were many little kids of her age. They all got a ball. They gathered in the field in a long row. Our little F went there with some reluctance, P had to bring her actually. The trainer said the kids to drill. All of them left the line running after their balls except one little girl. She was looking down, not moving at all and of course started crying. P went to her. She joined the group when the kids were divided in teams of 4 and and playing a game. F stood at the beginning on the line with another kid who didn't want to play either - his father had to join P. After a while, she started running with the other kids. There was a girl with pink socks and pink skirt in her team and she kind of started following her. And the Turkish trainer was talking and encouraging her - in Turkish. He said he will buy ice cream if she touches the ball - luckily the other kids couldn't understand that. Finally at the very end she kicked the ball once.
Today she seems more enthusiastic. Next week there is a new training and we will try to make her even more enthusiastic about it. Seems like we will be playing some soccer the whole family. I will continue next week...
That's also how I got her to the club. She had to be 5 before sept 1st but of course she is not. I sent a mail saying that she really wanted it and she didn't speak any English but Turkish and having someone speaking a language she understands would make her feel better. I got a very nice mail saying: 'Welcome! We completely understand how difficult it can be to not speak the native language. The fact that she speaks Turkish-how on earth could we turn her away? 23 days is not significant. We actually have two Turkish coaches and they would be thrilled to have your daughter join Young Scouts'
We bought her small soccer shoes, shin guards and knee socks. She was very enthusiastic about it, she showed them to P when he came home. We went yesterday to the field. There were many little kids of her age. They all got a ball. They gathered in the field in a long row. Our little F went there with some reluctance, P had to bring her actually. The trainer said the kids to drill. All of them left the line running after their balls except one little girl. She was looking down, not moving at all and of course started crying. P went to her. She joined the group when the kids were divided in teams of 4 and and playing a game. F stood at the beginning on the line with another kid who didn't want to play either - his father had to join P. After a while, she started running with the other kids. There was a girl with pink socks and pink skirt in her team and she kind of started following her. And the Turkish trainer was talking and encouraging her - in Turkish. He said he will buy ice cream if she touches the ball - luckily the other kids couldn't understand that. Finally at the very end she kicked the ball once.
Today she seems more enthusiastic. Next week there is a new training and we will try to make her even more enthusiastic about it. Seems like we will be playing some soccer the whole family. I will continue next week...
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Surgery on September 4
We are just back from vacation. I am back to playing princess games and going to the pool or the beach. But now I will write for a while.
Just before vacation, we had a hospital experience. P was not feeling well. He has this hearth condition, already 8 years. It's called atrium fibrillation. His heart beats too fast, and arrhythmic, and he's been taking medication for years when it happens. There were periods when it happened too often and he ended up going to the hospital. They gave him the same medication in infuse and he was cured for a couple of weeks.
So he was not feeling well, and he was also feeling some chest pain, he decided to stop by the hospital on a Saturday afternoon. We thought he would get the medication and he will come back home maybe after one night of stay at the hospital. The nurses took it serious, so he called home to say he will spend the night there. Nothing unexpected.
The next day he was still at the hospital. The strange thing was, they were doing nothing at the hospital besides keeping him monitored while his heart was beating like crazy. There was no cardiologist who came and did something. The hospital couldn't reach the cardiologist till late on Saturday. I don't recall if he came by after they reached him. Sunday, nothing happened. P watched some movies we brought, slept and watched some more movies.
They scheduled P for some tests, the same that he was planning to do without staying at the hospital. So we thought it was OK that he stays one more night as the tests were scheduled for the next morning. While he was at the hospital for 2 nights, his tests began not the first thing in the morning but at 3.00 pm! At a certain moment, and after a lot of complaining, the nurse came with two pills, the same pills he has at home, the ones that are not working for him anymore. After 4 days of hospitalization, P was home tired, not happy with the service and his condition was exactly the same as 4 days before. What did the hospital do, I do not know. We heard later that they didn't have his medicine in infuse in the states, the hospital didn't have a cardiologist in the weekend - I missed the sign saying: please no heart attacks in the weekend -, P's condition was bad enough that they kept him at the hospital but somehow the cardiologist didn't find it necessary to come and visit or when he came didn't do anything except not letting him go. Did I say not, well they let him go with the same condition as he walked in!
The only thing they did well - beside the tests that we needed anyway - was to send the bill which included couple thousands of dollars for the missing cardiologist. We expected this to be a very good hospital as it is in the most wealthy town around here, so a lot of wealthy people would be going there. I mean in the US, I suppose those people would sue the hospital if they don't do their best, that's how it works here right?
What now, P went to another doctor at the Northwestern University hospital. He checked the test results. He said that the one medicine the doctors at the hospital suggested was not good, and the test results were not as positive as they said. P's heath is loosing capacity as a result of continous fibrillation. The only option at this moment is a surgery called cardiac ablation. It is good news that there is something they can do about it, not nice news because he needs to go through a surgery. The date is set at 4 september and if everything goes fine, he will leave the hospital healthy onthe 5th.
Just before vacation, we had a hospital experience. P was not feeling well. He has this hearth condition, already 8 years. It's called atrium fibrillation. His heart beats too fast, and arrhythmic, and he's been taking medication for years when it happens. There were periods when it happened too often and he ended up going to the hospital. They gave him the same medication in infuse and he was cured for a couple of weeks.
So he was not feeling well, and he was also feeling some chest pain, he decided to stop by the hospital on a Saturday afternoon. We thought he would get the medication and he will come back home maybe after one night of stay at the hospital. The nurses took it serious, so he called home to say he will spend the night there. Nothing unexpected.
The next day he was still at the hospital. The strange thing was, they were doing nothing at the hospital besides keeping him monitored while his heart was beating like crazy. There was no cardiologist who came and did something. The hospital couldn't reach the cardiologist till late on Saturday. I don't recall if he came by after they reached him. Sunday, nothing happened. P watched some movies we brought, slept and watched some more movies.
They scheduled P for some tests, the same that he was planning to do without staying at the hospital. So we thought it was OK that he stays one more night as the tests were scheduled for the next morning. While he was at the hospital for 2 nights, his tests began not the first thing in the morning but at 3.00 pm! At a certain moment, and after a lot of complaining, the nurse came with two pills, the same pills he has at home, the ones that are not working for him anymore. After 4 days of hospitalization, P was home tired, not happy with the service and his condition was exactly the same as 4 days before. What did the hospital do, I do not know. We heard later that they didn't have his medicine in infuse in the states, the hospital didn't have a cardiologist in the weekend - I missed the sign saying: please no heart attacks in the weekend -, P's condition was bad enough that they kept him at the hospital but somehow the cardiologist didn't find it necessary to come and visit or when he came didn't do anything except not letting him go. Did I say not, well they let him go with the same condition as he walked in!
The only thing they did well - beside the tests that we needed anyway - was to send the bill which included couple thousands of dollars for the missing cardiologist. We expected this to be a very good hospital as it is in the most wealthy town around here, so a lot of wealthy people would be going there. I mean in the US, I suppose those people would sue the hospital if they don't do their best, that's how it works here right?
What now, P went to another doctor at the Northwestern University hospital. He checked the test results. He said that the one medicine the doctors at the hospital suggested was not good, and the test results were not as positive as they said. P's heath is loosing capacity as a result of continous fibrillation. The only option at this moment is a surgery called cardiac ablation. It is good news that there is something they can do about it, not nice news because he needs to go through a surgery. The date is set at 4 september and if everything goes fine, he will leave the hospital healthy onthe 5th.
Friday, August 1, 2008
New friends and furniture stories
Today we met a family from the kids' school. The director gave our number to some families so that we can meet them en let the kids play. It is a super nice family with three kids, a girl at F's age, one older boy and a boy at A's age. The mother had all kinds of nice stuff prepared for us, and we were there like 9:30a.m. Her husband is brother of the husband of our neighbors we met lately - by the way, they are coming for dinner tomorrow. Kelly, our neighbor was there too with her daughter. The kids had a good time and the mothers too. Fun fun fun....
Wednesday we painted the bed and the bookcase of A. We had a friend of F, Rowan to help us. A's furniture is now a color I can best describe as lavender. A's was first a little sad, she thought her bed was broken. Next morning when she saw her bed ready and back in her room she was so excited. She is still excited to see her bed when she goes to sleep. She says 'nice' (mooi). I guess I can conclude that she likes it.
I think all our furniture stories came to an end. We got F's long waited dresser - I ordered it from another company, didn't pay the last bit of money we were supposed to pay to the Wicky lady who drove me crazy, and kept he dresser she 'lent' us because she basically never came to pick it up and pay some of our money back. The new dresser cost us quite little extra when I look at the balance, a bit more then 100 dollar. F's room looks beautiful. A's room is also beautiful with the newly painted furniture. The only space we are still missing is the basement and I just wait calmly for the landlord...
One last thing, this is a request from my dear brother, who probably will visit this house after we move to some other country.... My little niece got her name after she was 29 days old and her name is Arya - I like it and she is so cute...was cute because the last pictures I saw were... I never saw pictures of her. Hey brother, what did you think about sending some???
Wednesday we painted the bed and the bookcase of A. We had a friend of F, Rowan to help us. A's furniture is now a color I can best describe as lavender. A's was first a little sad, she thought her bed was broken. Next morning when she saw her bed ready and back in her room she was so excited. She is still excited to see her bed when she goes to sleep. She says 'nice' (mooi). I guess I can conclude that she likes it.
I think all our furniture stories came to an end. We got F's long waited dresser - I ordered it from another company, didn't pay the last bit of money we were supposed to pay to the Wicky lady who drove me crazy, and kept he dresser she 'lent' us because she basically never came to pick it up and pay some of our money back. The new dresser cost us quite little extra when I look at the balance, a bit more then 100 dollar. F's room looks beautiful. A's room is also beautiful with the newly painted furniture. The only space we are still missing is the basement and I just wait calmly for the landlord...
One last thing, this is a request from my dear brother, who probably will visit this house after we move to some other country.... My little niece got her name after she was 29 days old and her name is Arya - I like it and she is so cute...was cute because the last pictures I saw were... I never saw pictures of her. Hey brother, what did you think about sending some???
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