A little bit of home...

For everyone...

First day alone...

And it was a pretty good one, minus Apu leaving for who knows how long!

This is mom stalking him over the Atlantic...thank you, technology! 

We met the new babysitter, Gen, from Ireland, and we LOVE her. She's super friendly, loves to dance with us, and has a natural way with kids that mom is lacking. So yea, she's going to be hanging out with us indefinitely. 

If she can handle us...

We played, we to two different parks, mom actually cooked AND she decorated the apartment to make it look less college dorm-esque, and more home-like. 

She also bought this bad boy for grocery shopping! She may pair it with a fanny pack for an extra Parisian fashion statement!

Thanks, great-grandma for the tip!! 

MOM A VRAIMENT TROP MANGE!

She literally can't remember the last time she was so full she could explode. Probably a few years ago in the US. Budapest just never got anyone excited about food...minus Apu who loves eating guts/eyeballs/brains, etc. 

Roughly 40€ later, we have enough fresh food for the week. Looks like mom will be going to the market every few days, which she's very excited about. Plus, it's a LOT cheaper than the grocery store. Score! 

We were swindled into all of these figs for 3€, and they were totally worth it!!! 

We're like, kinda French now!!! Yesssss! 

Kaki Tales.

This is what happens when you do a number 2 in a toilet for the first time! You automatically become a princess!!! 

Pompom is shocked, and slightly jealous. 

A few pictures...

Of the new place!!! Please excuse the mess...

Let's be honest, it was never clean.

Our semi ghetto kitchen.

Bathroom.

Detached toilet...that's a thing here.

Kid's room with princess tent.

Bedroom with obligatory IKEA furniture...

And living room with two HUGE couches. 

It's a mess, but a beautiful one! 

A rainy Saturday.

It rained all day today, but it was really nice. We walked around the neighborhood, which mom is 150% madly in love with. Like, seriously. She never wants to leave. It's a cleaner, quieter, nicer version of Paris, and she's SO happy she took the risk of leaving Budapest. 

And the Apu capped off the day by knocking over a HUGE display in a toy store. We bought a doll so the lady wouldn't hate us. She was actually super nice about it...because nothing technically broke. 

And now we're eating lunch at home because we've quickly discovered living in the second district is completely out of our price range! 

A little exploring...

 

You guys...this is on OUR street...like a five minute walk from the apartment!! Whhhhhat? 

Dad scoped out some restaurants...which we will keep in mind for when we can actually afford to eat out!

And then Poms explained to everyone that she wanted to go chase a duck next to the river walk.

I'd say Mom knocked this one out of the park. She saw the neighborhood for maybe an hour and was determined to live here! It only took her a month, which is pretty decent. So far, we are loving it! 

Rumors around town.

Rumors around town were that dealing with French paperwork is the demise of every expat. Turns out that's not entirely true.  

Well, speaking French helps a tad, I suppose. 

Mom DID notice that every official governmental website has NO English  translation. So she's been struggling with her reading skills, but it turns out when she reads it out loud and hears it, she understand roughly 85%. Not too bad. 

And what did she accomplish today???! She registered my butt for school in 2nd district! In one trip, no less!!!! Success!!!! Merci, great-grandma Manou!!

And thanks to Apu's knack for socializing, he talked to a local woman/shop owner who told us how to register for the local school, which is like five steps from our apartment!!! Say whhhhat? This is mom's dream come true! She hates walking with two kids and a crummy stroller in the rain! 

So the last step is talking to the school's director, and begging for a spot in September. Hopefully she'll have pitty on mom's poor soul.

Mom is really hoping she can get all of this accomplished by Wednesday, when Apu leaves again! 

So far mom is pleasantly surprised how smoothly the last week has gone. Although the apartment still looks like a complete disaster! BUT we have Internet/TV and our phones set up! Not too bad considering...

Moving hazards.

After a full day of moving and rearranging furniture meant for 150 square meters, into 83 square meters, things were starting to shape up. We even got a break to play and eat a strawberry macaroon!! So good. 

Que disaster.

Mom was attempting to rummage through the junk that had accumulated on top of the fireplace....when BAM.   Jagged Himalayian salt lamp right on her toe. Now it's purple, swollen and generally ugly...but mom needs to send in her insurance paperwork today...so any trips to the doctor will need to be postponed. 

And then, to make matters worse, the only place open for food at 9pm was McDonald's and mom caved. 

Note to those considering a Big Mac after two years of ZERO nasty fast food...eat a leftover baguette instead. 

So between mom's deformed toe, NINE very angry mosquito bites, and a tummy ache from Micky D's...she needs a day or two to recover. 

Good news however, the biggest major hospital is only a nine minute walk across the bridge...bad news, she can barely walk to the bathroom. 

Good morning, Lyon!

So far, it's not a bad start! 

The first sunrise...

Mom was up at 5:30am, killing pesky mosquitos...who conspired to eat mom alive since she was dumb enough to leave all the windows open without screens obviously. 

And I got to play in the water yesterday! I'm liking the new neighborhood!

But I do miss Bean.

Siza, Hungary...

You never cease to amaze us...

The whole day was full of final packing and excitement (namely that we ACTUALLY finished packing a whole hour before leaving for the airport...a Christmas miracle). We arrived safely at the airport and boarded the flight for our new lives.

Insert, yours truly...

Mom bought Poms and I some colored cups to keep us occupied on the two hour flight, and we were obsessed! The problem is, we BOTH wanted to play with them.  This subsequently led to a mini spat, that ended with one particular red cup on the floor. 

Insert Apu...(in Hungarian)...

Apu: Hi, I'm really sorry, would you mind grabbing that toy under your seat? 

Overweight Pre-Diabetic Hungarian with gold chain necklace: No! You think I'm going to pick up after your misbehaving children??

Apu: Uh. Ok. No problem. (Reaches awkwardly underneath OPDH's seat). 

OPDH: (Starts saying something nasty that Apu refuses to translate).

Apu: It's really ok, no would have been a sufficient answer.

Twenty more minutes would pass and mom could see OPDH peering at Apu from behind, and his drunk wheels turning.

Mom warned Apu to not turn his back to this man, because she felt really uneasy and knew (without question) that he was GOING seek revenge. (Thank God we weren't in the US...because this is exactly how gun violence is a thing).

Sure enough, OPDH is the first up after we land and proceeds to pull his bag down onto Apu's head, which misses and hits his bubble butt instead. OPDH is displeased by his subpar performance, and starts with the insults.

Insert mom (who's adreniline was at a 30-year high at this point)...

Let's just say when protecting her children and watching someone assault her best friend, she may have given the most intimidating look from the depths of hell, and said a few things she is not particularly proud of...not that he could understand her...but he definitely caught her drift.  

Of course, OPDH would not make eye contact with mom, but then told Apu he was going to push her down the stairs onto the tarmack (thank you, low budget airlines)! Women are not allowed to speak their minds in Hungary, where domestic violence is still widely accepted. Little did he know he was messing with 'Merica (and little did mom know how much dating all those military dudes ACTUALLY influenced her...but, I digress).

Mom also very much realizes that her potty mouth DID NOT help the situation. 

Needless to say, people around were completely shocked and horrified (of mom...because the entire plane most likely spoke ENGLISH...*faceplam*). Everyone was pretty ruffled by this threat of violence over a cup. 

We all avoided scary guy, stopped at the bathroom to create some distance, but thanks to lines at passport control, passed closely to drunkie, who continued to act aggressively...in the presence of the entire passenger gathering. 

Apu: Well, at least you never run out of blog material!! 

A few take aways from our experience...

1. Some people are just miserable human beings, which is really sad when you think about it. He probably doesn't have many friends.

2. The other 98% of the population is incredibly nice and reasonable and will come to your defense.

3. Mom is slightly more ghetto fab than anyone realized previously. And also apparently has Apu's back "East County Style." 

4. Guns need to be BANNED in the US, because I can almost guarantee this guy would have used one if given the opportunity. Scary, right?  Wait, is mom projecting here?

5. Protecting your children is a pretty powerful instinct. 

6. Alcohol and nasty attitudes don't mix! 

7. Five minutes of craziness can't ruin our excitement for anything!!!

8. Letting go is the best medicine.

We're here in France, ate our obligatory baguettes and get to explore our new apartment in about three hours! We can't wait!!!

It's also Apu's Birthday!!! Whoohoo!! He gets to move furniture!!! Growing up is awesome! 

To say goodbye.

Today was our last full day in Budapest and it was perfect (minus about five minutes). After some serious packing, we spent the afternoon with ALL of our friends. Mom met with her BFFs for lunch and I got to hang out with my friends at the park. EVERYONE came to say goodbye...and it turns out, we all have more friends than we thought. Funny how you don't realize it until you leave, huh? Thanks, universe. 

Poms and I took it pretty well, but mom lost it when the nursery owner (one of mom's good friends' and my best friend's mama), gave us a going away present. 

Good thing mom had her sunglasses, because she cried in front of ALL the parents and subsequently the way to the park. 

To say Budapest had a profound effect on all of us, would be quite an understatement. 

Mom put it in her own words to members of the group she started in November 2014, that now has almost 900 expat members...

......………

I arrived in Budapest four years ago, and it was rough.  Being a new mom, and new to the city, I found myself isolated and unsure if I had made the biggest mistake of my life.  I started this group because I was literally desperate for friends and for information that would help me navigate Hungary, motherhood, culture shock, and the heaps of confusion I was met with daily...namely why Hungarians are obsessed with sour cream, poppyseed, and paperwork/stamps (which I'm still not sure I quite understand). 

I had no idea how much this community would help shape my experience here, or what all my new friends would do for my soul. My friends, without question, have made Budapest home. 

Our family is off on a new adventure, in a new city, and I can only hope I find such an amazing group of people to help ease my nerves.  I can not thank you all enough for being such a supportive, open-minded, and funny group...

Thanks, all!

......................

So...now we will go to a new park, and hopefully make new friends...although mom knows, either way, that a part of all of us will always live in Budapest permanently. 

Family Photography Lyon, France

In an effort to start over with my photography business, I hope to gain some exposure through my personal blog.  I had no idea that my hidden passion for taking pictures would lead to a semi-thriving business in Budapest through word of mouth. I hope to continue my endeavors in Lyon, France, in hopes of giving families the same memories I have created for families in Budapest.

If you are interested in family photos or portrait photos in the Lyon, France area, please feel free to contact me through my website:

www.kellyacsphotography.com

Giving and Gratitude

Mom has heard these hippies always preaching about giving and activly living each day with gratitude. She really has struggled with this concept, because while in theory, it sounds amazing, it's hard to be presently grateful when things aren't so fabulous...like chaotic bath times when yours truly is screaming, or when she's sweating while pushing a stroller and tripping over groceries.

Mom is also not the most social of butterflies, which is why the universe granted her with Apu.  That guy could go to a party/dinner/event/talk/movie every single day until finally someone gets so sick of him talking, that they finally end it.  But mom told herself one thing when it came to photography...

Even when she doesn't FEEL like taking pictures or socializing with new people, she will always say yes.  Those "yes's" have paid off beyond measure.  One, because she pushes herself out of her social comfort zone to meet the most incredibly beautiful people, and two, because she gets a moment to herself to be grateful.  At times, she is overwhelmed. I know, it sounds cheesy.

This overwhelmed feeling comes from so many things. She is grateful to give to parents pictures that encompass their endless love...for each other, and their children. That she has a pretty awesome family waiting for her at home, and that when apu IS home, he lets mom do whatever she wants.  The she gets to do something she actually LOVES and doesn't have to sit at a desk, or maybe t's that she gets to spend the morning walking in the rain and looking at the most epic sunrise...

Either way, she noticed that these mornings that she has to get up and "work" are some of the best times she's had in Budapest...giving and being unequivocally grateful.

Last early morning in Budapest...

Mom, in her typically glory, agreed to do pictures for total strangers on her last full weekend in Budapest. The morning didn't start off well, with mom creeping off while we snore in dad's ear. Oh no, we were MAD. But we recovered five minutes later thanks to Peppa the Pig and kakao.

Mom was actually pretty happy to meet a new family...in the rain...because why not?! It's fun to chat up new expats...now that she feels she's been around the block, so to speak. 

Their dog even got in on the action! 

And on Monday, mom will be gone again! Mom's friends are all getting together on Monday night for a farewell party...all 14 of them!! Mom had no idea she had 14 friends!!! Holy cow! How lucky is she? And now she's decided to move??? You muppet!! 

A support system, and a decently thriving business??? Yea, mom, get out of here, sounds reasonable. 

You live such a glamorous life!!!!

"Oh man, you must make loads of money!"

"Wow, must be nice to get to choose where to live! You must live in a fairytale!"

Not really, and yea, it is...but it does come at a cost most people don't see. And mom is a raging opportunist! 

She didn’t choose aviation, she chose Apu.  Mom sacrificed some of her ideas of a life in the US, the only home she knew for 28 years, her family and friends...Coronado, seafood and the sun.  She sacrificed being blissfully unaware of how to take apart and fix a broken dryer, disassemble a clogged dishwasher, and to walk up six flights of stairs with two kids, a stroller and 25kg of groceries.  Mom also sacrificed knowing with 100% certainty, that Apu would be home for our grand entrances into the world. 

“So fabulous!"...Tell that to Poms and I, who don’t always have Apu home for birthdays, nursery parties, and 55% of dinners.  And I'm actually starting to notice...but I'm pretty strong.

Mom is choosing to live in France because it's where she feels comfortable and she speaks enough French to get by. When Apu is gone for a month (every other month), she wants to be able to make a phone call, or feel confident in what to do if we get really sick. Don't judge her, but she's actually had Apu call and order food in Budapest from Kinshasa. More than once.

She is also taking a risk, to improve our lives, give us the chance to speak a third language and hopefully open our minds to a wider audience of this global performance...and introduce us to crêpes et éclairs, certainement.

So yes, it's pretty fab that we are moving to France, but Apu will leave again after nine days as mom puts together a budget so we don't have to move in with nagymama and nagypapa. 

This life IS a pretty decent fairytale, because mom takes risks!! Apu actually called her "reckless" in a good way. Throwing us into new situations just because she can. 

And the fairytale does come at a cost. We miss Apu, like, a lot, a lot when he's gone.