Summer in brief

Just back from a lunch with Fauzia, I will use my last hour before I have to pick up Miss A to write. There are several things I should mention here. so much is happening and so little time to write, I'm chronically behind this journal.

I have to go back to summer first.

In June, we had Miss F's school play - was beautiful - and Miss A's ballet recital. Recital was two days in a row. P came to the Friday recital and missed Saturday, he was leaving for Europe. Miss A did a cute job. She did show how lefty she is, while all the girls were jumping right, she was jumping left. Well, we have it on DVD, so no more details. Miss A's group got the most applause for sure!!

After p left, I packed our stuff to leave for Turkey. But before we left, two things happened. Miss A lost her first tooth and Miss N discovered her hands. Both are moments to reflect on. Gosh they grow fast!

It's not the first time I left for Europe without my hubby, but it was the first time with three kids. Adding my usual stress about flying, I was beyond tiredness and stress when the limo came to pick us up - by the way, P ordered the limo for 2 hours before the plane left mixing up who's taking the plane, so I changed it to 3 hours before. When I'm over tired, I usually become very calm. So that was how the trip went. The kids did great in the plane and at the 7 hours lay over in Munic(love the business lounge!) For the first time, my parents couldn't come together to pick us up, we wouldn't have fitted in the car.

We spent the first two nights in Izmir, I wanted to meet my friends. I had a lovely dinner with Asli, Deniz A. and Hesna. On Friday, we left for Oren in two cars, we had Yanki with us. The first thing my father did - and it was great - was to take the kids to the shop and buy them new bikes. And those bikes were ridden!

I'll go over the vacation very quick, I have many pictures anyway. First 10 days, we had Yanki. Burak and the rest of his family joined us for a couple of them. Serap Abla was in Oren with the little daughter of Sedar Abi. The little girl and Miss F, almost same age, became friends. Then P's parents and Gerald, Edna, Sheila and Aaron arrived. P's parents had their little house 2 minutes from my parents' and the cousins were at Orient club. we travelled to Bergamom and Assos all together,, had dinner at the fish restaurant, at my parents and at Orient. Good days! Then everybody started leaving one by one. P was the last one and we realized I was leaving with the kids in two days and by the time I was in US, P was not back from Europe yet. So we decided to stay couple more days. Poor P had to call for hours to United to finally arrange tickets for us for a week later. By the time I was packed and unpacked twice.

The extra vacation was more than welcome. Miss A and Miss F had the chance to play more with their new friends. They were kids or grandchildren of neighbors, some speaking only German. The kids communicated in Turkish or English. They were all older then the girls which was maybe even better. Miss A and Miss F were like dolls. Miss A was always carried on someone's back playing hide and seek.

We also had the chance to stop by Foca, at my aunt's. Uncle Murat's daughter Lilya was there with a friend of hers. The last night before going to Izmir, Burak and I went out to Foca. I hardly ever spend alone time with my brother, so it was very special. We walked around the whole village and talked. After picking up Lilya and her friend who were also spending their last night in Foca, we went back to my aunt's. we, four kids, decided to have some ice cream before going to bed, which was too noisy for my dad. Just like little kids, we were shooed to our rooms - giggling!-

Going back to US after five weeks was nice and sad. It was probably the best vacation I had in Turkey with the kids. we landed O'hare almost at the same time as P who was coming back from Texas. We drove home together.

This vacation was special for me for another reason. I had to chance to talk to Serap Abla and heard how she was alone and bored in Oren when she was growing up. It was the proof that I was not weird, doing something wrong or paying the debt of anything. One day we visited her mother, Suna Teyze. The girls went to play right away and my mother, Serap Abla, Suna Teyze and I were talking. Suna Teyze said from out of blue how she thought I was such a lonely child with no kids around to play and so good at entertaining my self. This was a breakthrough for me, maybe a little late in life, but I feel like I'm freed of some long lasting issues this summer. I just feel better. Plus the girls found friends in Oren -because unlike when I was growing up, there are kids in Oren - I'm just happy and excited to go back next year.