- So how is beautiful Colorado then?
- Good. There was another shooting in a school, just several miles away from us, the school I actually considered at some point for my kids.... And the city of Denver decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms... But Colorado is beautiful and sunny, yeah.

Hiking in Castle Rock with our entire dojang

at least those, who wanted to, with families. It was a great idea, and the weather was on our side, and it was especially fun to guess one another by voice now that wearing hats, sun glasses instead of doboks.

When our coach came up with the idea of this hike, and was sharing the details to the group, he said that at the home stretch of the hike there're 200 stairs we'll have to climb. The teens will have to run them up, but the adults can just walk slowly. I chuckled and said not only will I walk up 200 stairs my normal speed, I will also do this with a 35lb kid on my back.
And so I did today.

A friend of mine created an authentic May 1st state of mind for me.

He sent me the videos of his balcony at home, shared by him and his wife. Half of the balcony is made into his workshop, with not just an exemplary use of space - up to the ceiling and shelves arranged on top, but with a freaking designated place to keep every single freaking screw-driver. He has over 2 dozen tools at a glance.
 - Do you really know what to do with all these tools and really use them?!
- Yep! Of course, some of them I only use occasionally...

His wife's made her side of the balcony into a pottery workshop. With a pottery wheel. And a kiln. The kiln has not been entirely set up - there has to be another pipe set up for ventilation.

This was the best motivational video on creativity and using the space around. I made a list of things that need to be fixed or replaced in the house, starting with cleaning and rearranging the garage. Of course, if would be nice if I could sell the kids' stuff already and move on to dusting the shelves and rearranging things, and replace the bikes, and sell the old ones. And that's just the garage, the entire to-do list makes one big summer project.

Arthur brought a stuffed toy monkey from school last Friday. Bobo the Monkey is supposed to live with us for a week, participate in daily activities with us and we are supposed to take pictures of his(hers?) Adventures and add them to Bobo's journal with descriptions. Sometime long this week I am running around taking pictures of a communal clss monkey in a helmet on a bicycle, gardening and baking muffins. Good apple pie monkey he was.

Some time parallel to this I am looking for Arthur's pictures of last year for his poster board. Basketball, microscopes, parrots and rock climbing, trip to London. Then Adrian participates by gluing pictures and adding colour to the poster, and Arthur makes drawing of him skiing , making snowmen and swimming. I bet that was the most creative poster in his class :)

Sometime parallel to this I am shuffling around work files, doing research and trying to fit in an internal presentation which would be quite an easy one otherwise,  had it not involved trying to match my schedule with someone with a packed schedule too and 8 hours ahead of me, while...

...while there's an armed woman in town threatening to schools. The FBI are looking for her,  the schools are closed, both chinchillas are hanging out in the backyard.
The daily calls and emails are diluted with running to the backyard to mediate, comfort and pick up pieces of broken glass. The corporate demo gets pushed back to next day.
The Easter trip packing has not even started yet.

Brown.

How did this happen? I swear, I just stopped by for a 3-week trial... yesterday, it seems!

The highlight of this gup test though is that I managed to come without freshly broken toes or torn ligaments (although the toe broken from before the previous gup test is still sore, so maybe this counts).
Meanwhile, our Grand Master became seriously assertive on my next steps in training. All my jokes of becoming to old for the Olympics by the time I actually get the black belt anyway get blocked on the go with statements that more is expected now, that I should work harder and eventually prepare to become a leader.
- Miss Rita, how do you lead other students?
- By... example?
- With your voice!

I just hope to get work-and-life balance under control within a couple of years by the time I will accidentally got to the point when I'll need extra training.

I guess whenever other people drink and do online shopping,  I have the same issue with Coursera. I've over a couple of dozens of courses in my queue, lost a track of some but they still do look good and relevant whenever I look at them. Yep, I've a new job. Yep, I'm new to the industry. And yep, I also want this course on Ancient Egypt civilization  - because I'm a fan, and the one on Game Theory - because I'm curious, and the one on International Development - because that's going to be my retirement job. And suddenly a Master's degree does not seem so useless anymore, and a few items drop into my library "hold" list, and the lines of the poems from back in London start to come together.

*pensive*

If walking away from people with swine-like behavior and losing non-rewarding dead-end job brings such relief as it did in the past year, if a change to get away from the town to a deeply loved city is rare, precious and vital gulp of fresh air - patience has long ceased to be a virtue in my life.
Speaking about spooky things on Halloween - it is scary where your endless patience may take you.

And just in the blink of an eye -

the oldest of my Chills, the smart, handsome, funny and amazing Arthur has turned 5 this week.
I find this still hard to believe, I am sure so does he :)

Meanwhile, as one of the Birthday gifts I booked a pony ride for both him and Adrian - since he is so much into his "Horsie"cartoon now...
When we arrived at the stables everything was going well, but when it was time to get on the pony, he got all tight and scared all out of sudden. I was able to persuade him to get in the saddle, and as I had to walk by him, holding my both hands at him at all times - I started to walk by. As we were through the first circle, Arthur suddenly asked me:
 - Mom, WHEN my horsie starts to run will you be able to run fast enough to catch up with him?

It took all my strength not to laugh. Had to explain to him "his horsie" is not going to run, gallop or jump as he saw them do in the cartoon and that I'm not running along at the speed of the horsie either.
Riding in circles at a calm pace - was all that was going to happen tonight.
Having heard this, Arthur sat tall, relaxed his legs a little and started to look like his normal self: like a blood prince on a casual walk through his land.
It's amazing how his brain works.

After my blood donation with Bonfils

 I was offered to choose whatever I wanted from a bunch of giveaways: chap sticks, grocery bags, mints, pens... I took a couple of chap sticks and a couple of hand sanitizers- something we use a lot anyway, brought home and put on kitchen counter.

Arthur was the first to spy the loot:
- what's this? Chap stick, right? You have 2 chap sticks here, you know... why do you need 2?

Once he made a poker face and left, along came Adrian, noticing hand sanitizers:

- Is this to kill bacteria? Where did you get it? Why did you bring 2? It's just you - you only need one for yourself!

Next time I glance at the counter in about 15 minutes - it is perfectly empty. Both chap sticks and sanitizers are gone.

C - Collectivization.

Talking to Chills in the car on the way home about how their day went.

Arthur:

 - ...and when we went outside to the playground I caught a lady bug right away. And of course I gave it to Anna, but first I told her" You have to say "please"". So she said "please" and I then gave it to her...
 - Erm... It's good that you gave her the lady bug, I'm sure she appreciated it. And it's good that you remind other kids that it's good to be polite. Do you always say "please" when asking for something?
- Yes!
- What about you, Adrian?
- NO!
- You do not say "please"?!
- NO!
 - Well, what if you need to ask someone for something? Don't you say "please"?
 - I just say: "Do you want to give it to me? YES OR NO?!" - and they give it to me.

Seriously, a three-year-old mobster. I should try his approach though some time, just as soon as I can frown my brows as impressive as he does.

I've gone through some enourmous shopping in July.

Birthday presents, kindergarten supplies, shoes and clothes (the clothes were actually ordered when in London to have them delivered closer to our arrival date - perfect for those who like things happen quickly...), household items and of course stocking up the fridge with fresh food, including 3 types of cheeses to go with Von Zobel's fresh garden grown tomatoes. Damn it, I miss all-recyclable UK packaging! And damn in again, the household management does not become much easier: just as you figure out the schedule and amounts of groceries to buy, you five year old starts to have breakfast as big as yours!

And just as we got back to the base the life took off up the curve like nothing happened. First week at work - Audit fieldwork at a Client's, first Monday back in town - Von Zobel's client's corporate event to attend as if there was no jetlag. First Saturday back - PT session to attend, with stronger calfs though, and a friend's Birthday party to go to. It always felt surreal to me - how easy it is to drop out of day to day life, with your agenda full or places to be upon your return, and then just to come back and take over with your to-do list, like nothing happened. You show up for an event, party or corporate meeting - everything looks the same, meanwhile you've lived a short life and are not the same on that event.

I'm obviously missing this weekend's Gup test due to my vacation and US Open Championship, so time to improve training for September.
Chill Sr's Kindergarten begins in a month. It feels like it's time to book the next vacation now.  Say, Mexico, January :)
This July marks 10 years in CO. On we go.

The Universe made me a little gift for the end of Tax season this year

and among all the flat options  throughout London I was looking through the one that jumped out at me was a 2 floor flat with "master bedroom" separated; with washer and dryer right next to Belsize park area, between 2 subway stations, close to Haverstock Hill road with all the grocery shops, bakeries and restaurants. A small grocery shop is a minute away from us, so I get there almost every day for food supplies, water and snacks, and -oh, my Buddha, what amazing olives, charcuterie and duck liver pate I get from just this ordinary small shop.
The area is quiet, the rent is absolutely modest given the prices in this neighborhood. Definitely, this little flat in a quite court was saved specifically for us.

Kids can finally watch Peppa Pig in... her native habitat and I swear, they can eat a whole pack of strawberries, grapes or donut peaches while watching it.

The closest pub, Washington is 2 minutes away and Von Zobel enjoys it on his nights out, since in the days of FIFA World Cup in the evening the entire London is out in pubs and on the streets (those who would not fit the pubs) and it looks like it is fun for him to dive into the pub-and-football culture especially now.

My nights out generally include jogging to and in the Belsize Park, exploring the neighborhood, and trying to breath in as much London air as I can while still here. And the view from the top of the hill obliges to pull yourself together, admire what you have and what's still to come, and make some strong, meaningful promise to yourself.
I made a couple.

Brighton looks small half the life down the road.

I remember it greener, cleaner and more spacious sixteen (bloody hell!) years ago.
Chinchillas and Von Zobel love it though: colourful pebbles, sea gulls, Peppa Pig and Bus kids machine rides, ice-cream and... a great playground! After exploring the town we spent probably 2 hours at the playground and pool area.

Travelling anywhere in the UK with kids is great, provided you have enough water, sunblock and there's food and ice-cream within walking distance. Great public transportation helps - Chills fell in love into the real trains and the tube! Oyster card makes it convenient to get on board and visit all major sights.

Also, I did not expect to run into so many great playgrounds across London. Most of them have water, sand, company of local kids - so it's really hard to persuade Chills to walk away even when they're all soaking wet and barely stand on their feet.

And what sense of joy I get from reading on the fruit and vegetable package that it's fully recyclable:  Both the cardboard box and the wrapping film! Almost everything is recyclable and can be dropped off in recycling bins on major street - so you don't have to feel like a pig traveling with a large family... You can get pretty much anywhere with a stroller (theoretically though; the crowds in the center were still an issue...). Streets are neat and clean and I can not imagine what it takes to keep such a diverse, busy megapolis clean, safe and well organized.

I can't believe I was just recently planning to book a trip this year- for the upcoming 2019; and even sooner than that - here I am, along with boys who love their summer vacation! So good to be home; it had to be done years ago...

This city is shiny, dazzling, inspiring, breathtaking.
It whirls you, pushes you up, carries you away and throws you into the depth and  thickness of parks, flowers, joggers, double-deckers, crowds, business suites, pubs, black Range Rovers, play-grounds, red brick, heat coming up from the pavement, corner stores, bikes, glass skyscrapers, dogs, strollers, ice-cream stands and meaty leaf ivy sprouts across brick fences.

Home at last.