Season's Greetings from the Avramov's

The stockings are hung, the trees are up, the lights are lit, let the festivites begin! I love this time of year, the only thing we are missing is SNOW. Believe it or not! I'm sure we won't have to wait for long considering we've have three good snowstorms already, the first being the week of Halloween! We've even gotten to enjoy some beautiful hikes in the snow. AAAAAH, life in Central New York.


We had a lovely November! As you can imagine, I was and still am, on cloud nine in regard to the election. I am looking very forward to Inaguration Day and I so wish could be there! Surprisingly I have not had election withdrawal. President-elect Obama's news conferences and Meet the Press keeps me going. And now I have that crazy Rod Blagojevich scandal to follow. I thought Govenor Spitzer was an idiot! Well at least I don't live in the most corrupt state (Mandi!). On Scarborough Country, yesterday, Mike Barnacle compared Chicago and Illinois politics to politics in the Balkans. Teddy and I had quite a chuckle! Oh, and by the way, how about that new moderator for Meet the Press?! I have been hoping since this summer that they would give it to David Gregory. I think he'll be great. (Is it weird that I am sooo excited about this?!) While I look forward to Sunday mornings with David Gregory, I am so sorry to see Tom Brokaw leave again (I 'm beginning to have abandonment issues).


Anyway I digress . . .


November and December have brought a flurry of activity, with Isabella's activites and school, kindergarten illnesses, book fair, open house and Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations (packages, packages, packages! I sent 8 this year, that's just crazy!). In November, Isabella formally started Karate at the Dojo. She took an afterschool class and loved it and her Sensei so much she wanted more, so we signed her up. It is the best money we ever spent on an activity. She absolutely loves it. She goes twice a week and cannot wait to go each time. She has already earned two tips (strips on her belt) and is one away from earning a new belt (they have extra levels for the little ones to build their confidence and move up quicker). She is so proud. They are teaching her the most useful things, like how to protect herself from a stranger and how to get out of hold if someone were to grab her. Every week they have a new lesson about being positive or being a good citizen and being respectful. I love the Senseis as much as she does. She actually told me on Thanksgiving that she was thankful for her Grandma, her whole family and her Sensei.


We also had our first Parent/teacher conference and Bella is doing great. She still loves school and has learned some sign language, to count by tens and has begun reading. She has the most amazing teacher, so its no wonder she loves it some much. Isabella also got to vote in the Presidential Election in her class and she proudly informed me that "Arack" Obama won and she voted for him. She then asked me if she could be President some day, and I told her "absolutely, of course!" She asked if I would vote for her and I told her it would depend on her party and her platform. She asked me what the party was and I reminded her about some discussions we had explaining the parties and that John McCain was a Republican and Barack Obama was a Democract. After some thought she responded, " Well, then I am definately a Democrat!" She keeps asking me if "Arack" Obama is President yet, and how much longer do we have to wait?! I can certainly understand her impatience.

Isabella also got to do her own Xmas shopping at school last week. Her school has the cutest program call "holiday magic". The PTG bought small cheap items and craft kits, that the moms assembled, and sold everything to the kids for .25 up to $1. She got everyone, including some of her friends and Seamus, Daisy and Picasso gifts all for $5. She picked them all out herself and then wrapped them herself too. I can wait to see what mine is.


Our other girl, Daisy, is growing like a weed. At the vet this week she weighed almost 40lbs, and she not yet 6 months old. She does not like it that Bella leaves her everyday and waits on pins and needles for her to get home. Her training is coming along pretty good, she has learned to sit and stay (for about 15 seconds) and she is working on lay, come and heel. She is very eager to please and loves any and all attention. She is the most energetic dog I've ever had, I don't think she ever stops moving. The past two days I have been trying to contain her as she was spayed on Tuesday and we were given strict restrictions for her. I don't think they explained them to her though. You would not know she had surgery. She is not supposed to jump, or run (she is an Aussie for god's sake) and no roughhouse play (she's a puppy and we have a 5 year old and Seamus!) for a week. So needless to say she is spending a lot of time in her crate and I can't wait until next Monday. As you can see in the photo, Isabella has taught Daisy all about Daddy's weekend pancakes and they both have a permanent spot in the kitchen to supervise when he's whippping them up.


We spent Thanksgiving with our good friends Gabriella, Nick, Nadia and Stoycho and the kids. I prepared the dinner again this year. Isabella told me while I was preparing the turkey that it was gross and "thisgusting" and she was never going to make a turkey when she grows up, she would just let me make it. Hmmmm, I seem to recall saying the same thing to my mom!



I want to say a big thank you to Mom Vittoe for her awesome gift of homemade caramel poprcorn (we love the picture). It is so addicitve that I may have to lock it up if Bella and Teddy are to get any. And also thank you to Mandi for the sweet surprise package of chocolate amaretto balls (mmmm, our favorite!). We love you guys! I guess I better break in my new running shoes and start getting some mileage in!



As we enjoy this holiday season we think of all of you and hope you are all well and enjoying the season. Even though we can't be with so many of our family and friends you all are in our thoughts and hearts. We send lots of love and best wishes for very happy holidays and a fantastic 2009! See you next year!!


40 days left with Bush and then competence makes a comeback!!!


Just a funny story to leave you with: This is not a joke, I saw it with my own eyes. At a ceremony to hang his portrait President Bush actually welcomed everyone to "his hanging" . Well, at least he's good for a laugh!


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HOPE RENEWED !

No pictures today, just me with an outpouring of emotions and pride. WOW! I don't even know where to begin. It has been the most amazing 24 hours for me. Yesterday, all day, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. When I went to vote I felt something I had not felt before when I have voted. I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself, like instead of reading or studying history I was actually part of making it! To watch those results come in and then the reactions of my fellow Americans (yes, I was up until 1:30), was absolutely incredible. Weren't those crowds something! I don't think history has ever witnessed anything like it! It wasn't that my guy won, it was that our Nation changed and that change is papable. As a student of African-American history I have to say I honestly never thought I would see this happen in my lifetime. I thought maybe I would see a woman first. Although I have to say from the time I saw Obama speak at the 2004 Demcratic convention I have been saying to anyone who will listen , that he is a man who could be and should be President. From his first announcement two years ago my faith in him and his honesty and optimism has never waivered. I even gave up my hope of Hilary for him!

The really amazing thing is, while today all the talk has been about race, this campaign and election was not. President-elect Obama (that is so awesome!) was elected because of who he is and what he wants for our nation, not because of the color of his skin and that, my friends, is monumental!! I have cried tears of joy off and on all night and morning and I feel as if I am walking around with a permanent smile on my face. Isabella asked me this morning why people were crying and were they sad. I tried to explain through my own tears that they and I were so happy our pride and joy just came spilling out. I tried to explain how important this moment is, but her color-blind eyes just looked at me confused and proved to me that this nation really is on the right track, FINALLY!

Barack Obama made this election not about him or the democrats but about all of us. This is OUR country. The politicans in Washington work for us! We got lazy and forgot that. Like a good, lasting marriage, Democracy does not come naturally it requires work from all parties.

I also want to say kudos to Senator McCain. What a gracious and generous concession speech (I think I saw a hint of the old McCain in there). There are a lot of conservatives that should take a lesson from him. This whole moment is not about black or white, Democrat or Republican or religion its about all of us taking our country back and we should all be proud. I hope this nation remembers the feeling of this moment and remembers that Obama is not a miracle worker. It took us 8 years to get into this mess and it may takes us that or longer to get out of it. We need to be patient and and prepared to sacrifice and change our own ways. Remember we all got in this together and one man can not be expected to fix everything alone.

I have never been prouder of my country than I am today. Way to go America! Great Choice!

75 days to go! Bye-Bye Bush!!! Hello Hope and President Barack Obama!!

P.S. A big thank you again to Mandi for sharing one of the most exciting moments in history with me! I wish it could have been in person but the phone was the next best thing! Thanks for all the fun Bush bashing! What are we gonna talk about now? Our Husbands? HA!HA!

One more thing, Tim Russert wherever you are I really missed you last night!

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Is that the Light at the end of this very dark tunnel?! 91 days to go!

It's October and Autumn is in full swing here in the Northeast. WOW! It has been stunningly beautiful this year. I thought last fall was good but Mother Nature has out done herself. Isabella is into the full swing of school and seems very happy (not that she has much choice). She really loves her teacher, Mrs. Torrens, and especially loves her gym teacher, Mr. Dero. She said he is the funniest ever. Although I'm sure he's no Mr. Williams ( my amazing and very funny elemetary gym teacher). She has made lots of new friends and we have met lots of new families. I have found that the days go by much too quickly now that Bella is in school. Between volunteering, Daisy, and my normal stuff, I am keeping very busy. I am a library volunteer (no surprise) and actually have taken the position as co-chair for that committee as this is the last year for the current Chair-mom. I also got picked to be Room Parent. At Jamesville Elementary there are so manny parents who sign up to volunteer that for most positions the names have to be drawn out of a hat. I am kind of wishing I wasn't so lucky. I hate group projects, somebody is always slacking. Next Tuesday Teddy and I have our first parent/teach conference, I'll let you know how that goes. Isabella also started soccer and karate. Soccer is for an hour every Saturday morning ( it ends next week and begins again in April) and karate is an after school program for one hour a week for 6 weeks. We thought it would giver her a taste and see if she likes it. She was very insistant that she no longer wanted to try Irish step dancing and instead wanted to try Karate. I'm sure she'll change her mind next week. She changes her mind with the weather.

Our other girl, Daisy, has settled in quite nicely. She still gets yelled at, but not as much ( to quote Isabella). We have been pretty successful with the potty training. She got the idea right away, the problem was control. As she gets bigger she gets better (only 4 accidents last week!). She even figured out how to ring a bell tied to the door to let us know she has to go out. It only took 3 tries! She could give Sally a run for her money in the intelligence department. She also knows how to sit already. She has been very good about chewing. She did developed a taste for the remote but we quickly nipped that in the bud and we are keeping her very busy with lots of bones. She has put on about 18 pounds since we got her and she is now beginning to get her adult coat. Her and Isabella have become the best of pals and play and cuddle very nicely. Her favorite part of the day is jumping in Bella's bed and waking her with kisses every morning. Seamus seems to have accepted Daisy although she does try his patience (I can definately relate). Picasso still hates her, but on occasion will enter the same room. With the support and guidance from our vet, Daisy has started running with me and she does surprising well. She doesn't pull me all over the place and she keeps up with no problem. Sometimes she even gets a burst of energy and I have trouble keeping up. The vet said to start her off easy, a mile at first, but there should be no reason whay she can't eventually go on a 4 mile run with me. We have definately found it helps with her energy level. I am hoping Santa will bring me some snowshoes and we can go snowshoeing too.
















We have been enjoying the beauty of the season as much as possible. We did a lot of hiking in September, almost every weekend and we all really enjoyed it, Daisy included. (Just so you know Seamus is not at all neglected. If you know him at all, you know he is resistant to change, does not like the car and prefers the leisurely city dog life. He much prefers neighborhood walks that don't involve a ride in the car and an afternoon nap in his bed. Daisy we have found loves the car, loves water, hiking and loves being anywhere we are.) There are lots of great parks near us with awesome hiking trails and in the winter snowshoeing.
One weekend we rented one of those quadcycles and rode though Onondoga Lake park. Isabella, who didn't have to pedal proudly proclaimed, "Aaah, this is the life!" We also went apple picking and have made pie and applesauce from our apples. This weekend will go to the pumpkin farm and get our jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Teddy has been learning how to fish for salmon. It is the season for salmon and we have great salmon fishing here. Hopefully he can catch a couple big ones and save us a little at the grocery store. You should see him in hip waders! Oh my God! I wish I had gotten a picture.


Two weekends ago Isabella had a five day weekend, (Yom Kippur and Columbus day, we never got off for those!) so we took a trip to Boston to see the Knipplemeyers. We had a great time! The weather was gorgeous and the drive was breath-taking. (I'm so used to driving from St. Louis to Chicago and/or Kansas City and you know how mundane that drive can be.) Boston is such a great city. The architecture was beautiful and it was so clean. We took Daisy with us as I was afraid to kennel her and set back our housetraining and Jana insisted we bring her to be Floppy's guest. Both Daisy and Bella did great on the 5 hour car ride and everyone had a blast. Jana took us to the Boston Children's Museum where Bella and Maxim got to play. On Saturday, both families went to the Boston Aquarium and Cheers for lunch. Later Reiner and Maxim took us to see the U.S.S. Constitution (which was really cool for me!). The rest of the time we got to visit and the kids and dogs got to play. On our last day Jana, Maxim and Emma joined us on a side trip to Salem. They really get into Halloween in Salem and have events and festivals the whole month of October. It was really neat. We saw the oldest home (Circa 1642) in Salem, which is the last remaining building with a connection to the Witch Trials. We even met some real witches, although they prefer to be called wiccans. Our whole trip was a lot of fun and I hope we can do it again. There are so many interesting historical sites I still want to see. Oh, and as you can see, Isabella got her picture taken with the next President of the United States. I was excited, even if it was a cardboard cutout.
Thank you Jana, Reiner, Nikolas, Emma and Maxim (Floppy too)for your incredible hospitality, we are so glad to have you as part of our lives and really enjoyed spending time with you!























The next couple of weeks are pretty busy for us. Bella has lots of Halloween activites at school and I will be doing my fair share of volunteering. This past weekend we kicked off our Halloween festivities with Zoo Boo. As you can see, Isabella is going to be a witch. First it was a werewolf, then Dorothy, then a mummy, then Alice in Wonderland, then little Red Riding Hood, then a fairy and she finally settled on a witch (see what I mean about changing her mind). Thank God! I didn't know how I would make a werewolf costume.





















Betcha've never seen a hula hooping witch!!

At the Zoo I also got to meet my favorite monster, Dracula. He didn't even bite, much.



Well folks, here we are only two weeks left until we, the voters, decide the fate of our country. I have to say I am full of mixed emotions. While I am really looking forward to finally celebrating the fact that the American voter has some brains, I am also a little sad to see it end. I know most of you think I am insane but I truly do enjoy watching politics in action and this campaign has been very exciting and somewhat surprising (Sarah Palin, huh?! Who would've thunk it). Everyday I think of Tim Russert, and wonder what effect he might have on things and what he would think. While I do love Tom Brokaw, I miss Tim terribly every Sunday morning. If only he could have gotten a hold of Sarah Palin. Speaking of Sarah Palin, (nice segway, right?!) as you can imagine I have very deep feelings about her. Deep seated feelings of emense dislike (my mother always told me never to say hate). I mean really, how can they think she is a good representative for women. She is the anti-woman. Supporting rap kits and examines paid for by the victims, and supporting her own daughter's "choice" (yes, SHE used that word) but not for the rest of us. Don't get me started on the whole family thing. If I was a working mom that had 5 children, one with very special needs and one a pregnant 17 year old (looks like teaching abstinence really worked out, don't you think), you better believe I'd be taking care of things at home instead of running for the 2nd highest office in our country. I do have to admit that I almost felt sorry and embarrassed for her as I watched the Katie Couric interview. That is until Katie asked her why she did not have a passport until this year. Her response was, that unlike some people she was not handed a passport, money and tickets to Europe after school, she's had to work hard her whole life. Well, let me tell you, Govenor Palin, my friends and I busted our asses to earn our own money to pay for our trips overseas, some, by giving of their time in the Peace corps. Her comment about how she got all the knowledge she needed about the world through books and such, is ridiculous. There is no experience like that of traveling and experiencing different countries, people and cultures first hand. I am more qualified to be Vice President than she is in that aspect and probably many others as well!!!! For all of us who have really worked hard so that we can broaden ourselves and get to know and understand the world around us, she can kiss off! Anyway, I hope I don't offend anyone, it just really made me feel angry and insulted. She made it sound as if all of us who try to see the world are spoiled brats, who are handed everything.
As angry as Sarah Palin has made me, the debates and Obama's campaign speeches have reminded me of why I love politics and why I can still have hope! By the way did you see that crowd in St. Louis at Senator Obama's visit this weeekend?! Wow!! I gave me chills! And not to mention Colin Powell's endorsement, what a weekend! He gave, what I think are the best reasons to support the Obama/ Biden ticket. He was so thoughtful and articulate.
Speaking of controversial subjects (another good segway, yeah?!), has anyone besides Mandi and I seen Bill Maher's documentary, Religulous? If you haven't, you should. He asks all the right questions and is hysterically funny.
So that's it for now, I'm sure your tired of hearing me rant! Thanks for reading even if I do go on. It just makes me feel better to get all my crazy ravings out and I know my husband is sick of hearing it. He really can't wait till November 4th.

Happy Halloween! Happy Election day!! Don't forget to GO OUT AND VOTE!!! If you don't vote you have no right to bitch!! (I'm going to have that etched on my tombstone)

I'll see you right here November 5th, hopefully I'll be celebrating and not crying!

14 days till Obama becomes President!

91 days left of Bush!!!!! HOOORAH!!!!

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Everything's coming up Daisies?! Meet our new baby!

Well finally I am back! We have had an eventful and beautiful summer! The end of June we celebrated my Birthday (and yes I'm still older than Mandi but at least two years wiser) and prepared for a visit from Galia! She arrived right before July 4th and we were sooo glad to see her! She stayed for two weeks and we showed her around a bit, introduced her to the Syracuse Bulgarians, played lots of Yahtzee (of which I am still the reigning Champion!) and just spent time together. We had a great time, I hope she did too!
At the end of July, Isabella and I went to St. Louis to see the fam and our friends. I got to visit with my new nephew, Connor, for the first time and boy is he a cutie!! When we visited he was not quite seven months old and was close to 20lbs. He's a regular little linebacker although his Aunt Kari would rather he be a rugby player. Either way his growling will come in very useful. He loves to growl but he also loves to smile. He was a perfect angel every time we saw him and Kirk is a fantastic dad. Bella and I really enjoyed him. Kirk arranged to have Isabella and Connor's picture taken together professionally and they turned out great. If you would like one let me know, my mom and I have plenty to go around. We had a fantastic time in St. Louis. We went to the zoo, of course, where we met Aunt Sue and saw the dinosaur exhibit. We had lunch with some of the Aunties, Aunt Diane and Aunt Helen, it was so nice to see them and catch up. Isabella had a great time playing with "that boy" at Aunt Bootsie's, meaning my Uncle Ed, who hasn't been a boy in sometime. My parents, Bella, Kirk, Steve and Michelle and I also took Connor on his first visit to Grant's Farm. We all had a great time. The Anheuser-Busch takeover was the talk of the day among many people visiting the farm. Everyone is afraid the new company will do away with a wonderful St. Louis treasure. Our family alone is on its 3rd generation of Grant's Farm visitors. Where else can you take your kids to have a great time, kiss the clydesdales and get two full sized FREE bottles of beer to boot?!! I really will cry if they close it.
While in St. Louis, Bella and I got to visit with the Kruntchev's. I want to say thank you to George and Leslie for the great dinner and most importantly for the company. We really miss you guys and I was so great to see you and Ella. Ella is adorable, as you can see! Look at those curls! I also want to give a shout out to the Bristol Book Clubbers who took time out of their summer schedules to meet me for drinks! Thank you Vicki Sanders for arranging it and thank you; Sara, Cindy, Jenny, Vicki Sonderman, Kathy and Deb! I really enjoyed see you all and seeing Bristol! Wow! The library is incredible! Why is it that the schools always go under big renovations after I leave (Marvin Elementary, Ritenour High, Truman, Bristol)?! So, all in all we had a great time and Isabella, Grandma and Grandpa really had fun. Thanks for the great time everyone. Oh and by the way I was reminded of why I love Central New York; we were welcomed back to St. Louis by 100 degree and greater temps and 98% humidity. It was like breathing through pudding and I don't remember feeling like a giant sticky lollipop. I guess it all in what you are used to.
After getting back home we celebrated Teddy's birthday and we began preparing for the arrival of our new baby. Meet Daisy:
As most of you know, we (Bella and I) have been wanting a puppy for a while but circumstances keep putting it off; the move, winter, etc. After many internet and local searches for a herding breed or herding breed mix puppy we kept coming up empty. I really wanted to try to find a rescue pup but there are no puppies in the shelters here (unless you want a pitbull, no thanks) and the local rescue groups demand that you have a fenced yard (hopefully next year). Finally I stumbled upon an internet ad for Australian Shepard puppies after discussing it with Teddy we contacted the breeder in western New York, picked out our puppy and started planning to bring her home. We picked her up, August 16th at 7 weeks old (she was born on my birthday, how's that for fate) and Teddy and Bella named her Daisy. As you can see she is adorable. She looks just like a border collie without the tail. At first I wasn't to sure of the no tail thing, especially after big bushy Seamus and Sally tail. But with her little black tush it looks like bear cub butt. Boy, can that little nub wiggle! She has brought a lot of excitement and energy to the house. Isabella is in her glory except that Daisy constantly tries to herd her and Seamus has reclaimed his youth. Every night between 8-9 it is wrestlefest at our house. Queen Picasso absolutely hates her, Daisy is the first creature in our house to challenge the Queen. I have also found that all those people who once told me, pre-Bella, that having two dogs was nothing like having a child, were wrong! It's been just like adding a toddler to our house. We've had to baby proof, she has to be watched constantly, we have to go to the vet every couple of weeks for shots, she keeps us up at night, I say"No" at least a thousand times a day, I am always cleaning up a mess or removing things from her mouth and potty training is reminiscent of Isabella's toddler days. The one great thing; I can put her in a cage and leave her. Despite the chaos of baby we love having her and I can't wait to get some snowshoes and going snowshoeing with her this winter. Who knows maybe she'll be a good running buddy too. She has the energy for it.
We were finally able to get the landscapers in to put in our backyard drains and our new front sidewalk. Everything works great so far and the sidewalk looks so nice. Next spring they'll come back put in a couple of beds and plant a few trees. I can't wait.
As I write this I am enjoying my second day of official freedom. Isabella started kindergarten yesterday. In our school district its all day kindergarten. She was so excited and so was I. I was beginning to question myself when all the other moms around me were talking about feeling sad and crying the first day. I was just really happy and excited for her. Then after talking to my mom and much thought, I realized I've never been one to follow the crowd and besides this is exciting. She is starting a whole new chapter of her life and school is great. She will make some of her greatest memories and friends in school and pave the way for the rest of her life. This is a time for celebration. If I am happy and excited she will be too. She had a great first day, her favorite part was riding the bus and she has a great teacher. She also told me she can sometimes buy her own lunch in the "lunchateria" and that after gym glass they put "summersamatizer" on their hands. Maybe they"ll teacher her English as well.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention those conventions! Wow! Did my boy shine or what! Finally a Democract with some balls!! I don't know what was more exciting, Michael Phelps' Olympic triumph or Obama's speech. Between the Democratic convention and the Olympics our DVR got quite the workout. I do thinks its funny that Gustav took the wind out of McCain's sails, so to speak, maybe its a sign?! I am anxiously awaiting September 28th and the first Presidential debate.
So here its is the end of summer and a new beginning for us all. I am relishing my new freedom, who knows how long it will last. I think tomorrow I am going to look into volunteering for the Obama campaign. Change is in the air.

137 days left with Bush!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!!!

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Part 2: Italy Trip

Italy was beautiful, facsinating and surprising. On previous trips we have either had no expectations or were prepared fully on what to expect, but most our preconcieved notions about Italy were challenged throughout our trip. We landed in Rome at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and quickly found our first planning error. Instead of taking a cab directly to our hotel and picking up our rental car when we were ready to leave Rome, we chose to navigate and drive ourselves (this has never been a problem for us before). Now, normally Teddy and I work pretty well together when traveling but Italian drivers, roads, traffic and the language barrier worked against us. In a word, Italian drivers are INSANE! If there are traffic laws in Italy no one follows them and this was true throughout our whole trip but especially in Rome and Florence. The roads are also very interesting, they change names with almost every block and the three maps we had didn't always denote the name changes. It made it very difficult to know exactly where we were. What should have been a 10 minute trip took us about an hour. We finally did find our hotel and were very happy to discover that it was within a few blocks of the Vatican. So for the next couple of days we could park our car (for $50.00!)and walk or take the bus. Usually I would never pay that to park a car but our lives and marriage were not worth the risk of driving.
After we got settled we headed over to St. Peter's Square and for surprise #1. Television broadcasts do not do it justice. Its sheer size was surprising and the amount of people was staggering. It was also filthy. There was litter everywhere. Now, I know I'm not the best representation of the Catholic Church (understatement!), but come on people this is one the most sacred spiritual places in the world, show a little respect. I would hope they aren't littering in Mecca. Once I got past the litter and beggars and con artists, I was able to fully appreciate how cool it was to be at the Vatican. We went into St. Peter's Basilica and where once again we were stunned by its enormity and beauty. This was the church of all churches and once again television does not do it justice. The canopy is huge and ornate and the art was breathtaking. I love visiting churches and I really wanted to take in everything here. What an amazing testament of faith.

The next day we decided to tour Rome, as the Vatican Museums were not open on Sunday. The hotel staff told us we should take the bus or a cab to all the sites as it was to far to walk. So at first we took their advice and took a cab to the Pantheon. Once we got there we realized that we could have walked it in 15 minutes and saved some money. We decided to see if we could walk the rest of Rome, after all we're young and in good shape. We found that to be a good choice for we got to see the best sights of Rome and got a great feel for the city (as well as getting a head start on working off all that amazing food and gelato we would partake in.)

The Pantheon was hidden gem. Here sat an ancient relic in the middle of residential neighborhood. It was once a pagan temple the Christians converted into a church (of course) and it holds the tomb of Raphael. We then went on to the Trevi fountain which is awesome and then on to the Roman Ruins and the Coliseum. The Coliseum sits a the end of a major boulevard and the ruins of ancient Rome are alongside that same street. It was so strange to see these amazing ancient pieces of the past amid all the traffic and hustle and bustle of Rome. WOW! It was everything I had imagined. After seeing the Coliseum we headed for the Spanish Steps and stopped for lunch and a gelato and to see a couple of churches. Parts of the Spanish Steps were under renovation and they were crazy crowded so it was hard to apprecite them fully. It's probably better to see the in the movies (that way you don't take the chance of being accosted). While going down them we witnessed and man physically assaulted by two young women trying to take his camera bag and he was not a small guy. In Rome watch out for your belongings! We then headed back to our hotel and some rest before venturing out for dinner. The next day we went to see the Vatican Museums which includes the Sistine Chapel. We got there 30 minutes before it opened so we only had to stand in line about an hour. The museums surprised me as well. I was shocked that the Vatican would have such a large collection of relics from ancient pagan cultures. And I was surprised and disappointed that during some of the most interesting and beautiful parts, you could not stay a few moments and soak it all in. You were constantly kept moving. I would have loved to have stopped a few times (especially in the map room) to just study and admire. That's probably why they sell so many books. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful and Michelangelo was a genius but it was much smaller than I had pictured it. Although it could have been all the people. Seeing the Vatican was awesome and an experience I will never forget. I just wish I could have caught a glimpse of the Pope. Oh, and by the way the roof didn't fall in on me either.
















The next day we got our car from the parking garage and headed to Tuscany. We actually stayed at a castle on the border of the Tuscany and Umbria regions. Castle Montegualandro which was first owned by Charlemagne, sits on top of a hill overlooking both regions. Our host Claudio tolds us it's location played a very important role in the castle's history. Claudio was a great storyteller and was happy to give us tour and share its history with us. I loved every minute of it. If you ever go to Italy you must stay at Montegualandro. The prices are very reasonable, the area is gorgeous and Claudio and Franca are so vey nice. We stayed here the rest of our trip and took day trips. My favorite was Assisi, home to St. Francis, my favorite Saint (yes, believe it or not I have a favorite Saint). Assisi was a beautiful little medieval hillside town with an incredible view of the countryside.

We also went to Siena and visited Il Campo, the famous town square, and their amazing cathedral. If you don't like churches, Italy is not for you, we must have seen fifteen or more. The Duomo (cathedral) in Siena is constructed out of different colors of marble inside and out. On the inside the floor is a series of mosiac marble murals, that they have to keep covered in order to protect the art. They rotate and uncover and rope off as many as they can. It really is a site to behold. Beside lunch and dinner on Il Campo, the best part of Siena for me was going to see St. Catherine's head and finger at the Basilica of St. Dominic. I have seen relics but never the actual holy mummified remains of a Saint. Unfortunately,I couldn't take a picutre but I do have a postcard.

On then to Florence, in which I was a little disappointed. I was expecting this beautiful city, the heart of Italian art. What we found was dirty and crowded and everywhere there were beggars, long lines and charges for absolutely everything. If they could have charged you everytime you sneezed they would have. We had made reservations in advance for the two premiere galleries, the Academie and Uffizi so at least we didn't have to wait in those lines. The Academie is were David is housed and again I say WOW! David is nothing like I expected, it is much taller than I thought and the detail is astonishing. Michelangelo really was a genuis!! At Uffizi we saw some of Botticelli's most breathtaking pieces as well as a piece by the one famous female Renaissance artist, Artimisa Gentileschi. By the time we left Florence we had pretty much O.D.ed on Renaissance art, but I'm so glad to have been able to experience it. Teddy and I like to say we visited three different countries while in Italy; Italy, Vatican City and San Marino. We went to San Marino to see Teddy's dream, the Ferrari Museum. The drive was incredible. Umbria should get just as much credit as Tuscany for its beauty. Teddy was very happy to see the Ferrari's and I learned a lot. After the museum we set out to explore San Marino and found it to be a very pleasant surprise. We rode a sky tram up to the old town center and explored the old castles and the town. I would highly recommend the visit. It was beautiful and clean with nice shopping, great restuarants and historical sites. With the stunning view you could even see the Mediterranean.

On our last day in Tusacany we drove to the nearby hillsdie town of Cortona, made famous in the the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. I think we both fell in love. We happened to be there on market day and the sights and smells were indescribable. We enjoyed a very leisurely lunch and after going back to Montegualandro for a rest we then went back to Cortona for gelato and and evening stroll through their local park. The next day we headed back to Rome to say good-bye to Italy. I would say a great time was had by all and we were glad to be getting back to our life and our Isabella.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the food. We ate the most amazing, incredible, delectable food I have ever eaten. I am shocked we did not come home thirty pounds heavier (it must have been all that walking). While in Tuscany we ate at a place called la Tufa (recommended by the Vittoe's). The food was so good and the service so friendly that we ate there 4 of the 6 nights were in Tuscany, trying something new each time. The Italians may not know how to drive but their cooking totally makes up for it.

Thanks for checking back! I know its a little late but it took me longer than I thought it would.

Before I go I want to say Thank you to John and Chris Vittoe and Mandi for all the wonderful travel advice and recommendations! They helped make our trip so great! I also want to Thank my parents for taking such great care of our girl so we could enjoy Italy!

214 days left with Bush! The count down goes on!

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We are not in Kansas anymore!

Spring finally arrived and brought with it a whirlwind of adventure for the Avramov household. As you will soon discover this will be a two parter as I have not written in some time and we have a lot to share. April and May have been extremely busy months and we are just now catching our breaths and recovering whatever sanity we have left (and trust me I don't have much left to work with). Since Teddy and I first met in April 1996, this time of the year always catches us experiencing great chaos and/or crazy changes. Graduations, an engagement, a wedding, three moves, a birth, Citizenship, oversees travels and many family visits. Spring seems to be our time of year. This year while Teddy and I were preparing for and embarking on our anniversary trip to Italy, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and stay with Isabella and our little girl was experiencing lots of exciting milestones of her own.

Can you believe our baby is going to start kindergarten in September?! I don't know whether to shout with joy or cry. Kindergarten orientation began in April consisting of informational meetings for Mom and Dad as well as three trips to Jamesville Elementary for Isabella. During the first two visits (an hour each) she got to visit the specials classes, art, libary, music and gym. She loved it and talked about it for days. On the third trip she got to ride the bus there and back and got to visit the kindergarten classrooms for about an hour and a half. She was so excited about the little play kitchen and getting to have a snack in the cafeteria. She literally cannot wait for the school year to start and we are thrilled she is so excited. In April, she also had her first dance recital. It was adorable and very funny. She did great, we were so proud. The day after her dance recital she had her long awaited (at least to her) birthday party at the zoo. Wow! What a deal for $101.00 we got a party for 8 kids with lunch for all, two crafts, two games, a visit with a snake, an ice cream cake, party favors and a special stuffed tiger gift for the birthday girl! Best of all no work for mom!! You can't beat that! It could've been a mastercard commercial; Zoo birthday $101, no work for mom priceless! I wonder if she would agree to have her birthdays there till she's 18?! It was a huge success! Everyone had a great time, especially the birthday girl, who by the way knew the snake was an African Sand Boa before the keeper told them. That little mind of hers is amazing.

Two days later Grandma and Grandpa arrived and we celebrated Isabella's birthday together on her actual birthday. We all went to the zoo (of course) and Chuck E. Cheese for dinner. I don't know who had more fun the child or the grown ups. You gotta love skeeball! Afterward we went home for strawberry shortcake and a good night's sleep as Teddy and I were leaving the next morning for Rome (more on that in Part 2). I am still adjusting to the fact that my baby is 5. She's growing so quickly and still amazes me everyday.

While we were gone Grandma and Grandpa bravely manned the fort and I'm sure little Miss 5 years old wore them out. Grandma got to take her to her second specials orientation and they spent the next ten days exploring Central New York and spoiling Isabella. She did great and didn't seem to miss us at all until the last couple of days. She had a great time with them and you wouldn't believe how much money the leprechauns left her while they were here. It's kinda funny how the leprechauns are so active during G & G's visits. She told me the leprechauns are making her rich. After we got home Teddy had to turn around and leave the next morning for a meeting in Columbus so I got to visit a little with the folks and see lots of pics of my new nephew, Connor. What a cutie! I can't wait to see him in person. We won't have to wait too long because Bella and I just got our tickets to STL for the first week of August.

Two weeks after we returned and life got back to normal we had a visit from Mandi, Brian and Charlotte. We were so excited to see them. Bella paced all morning waiting for them to arrive and I must say I was pacing a bit inside as well. The same morning of their arrival we got a brief visit from the Knipplemeyer' s who were on their way to Niagara Falls for the weekend. After introductions we all got to sit down for coffee. It was great to see everyone and the kids really enjoyed seeing each other. The Avramov and Hellyer clans had a great weekend together, although we wish it could have been longer. Bella was great with Charlotte and Charlotte seemed equally mezmorized by the big kid. I can't believe how much Charlotte has grown. She was full of smiles and fun and I had a great time playing with her and her mom. Anytime I feel as if I have lost myself in the mundane daily activities of my life I can always count on Mandi to help recharge my spirit and remind me how to laugh at myself! Thanks Aunt Mandi! We miss them already and hope to get together again soon!

You would think that this would be the end of our craziness, but no. The week after our visit from Team Hellyer, Isabella graduated from Preschool. One evening we went to school to see all the projects she worked on all year and then on her last day of school they held a program and graduation ceremony, complete with graduation caps. The singing was fantastic and we took lots of pictures, of course. Afterward we took her to Wendy's for lunch, her choice. So now that summer vacation has begun, Isabelle, our neighbor, and I are counting the days till day camp begins (23 to be exact). Bella and Amelia will go M-W-F from 9:30 to 12:00. Yes! Sweet Freedom.

In May we celebrated two anniversaries; our 10th wedding anniversary and the 1 year anniv. of moving to Syracuse. We had an uneventful walk thru and our builder Ed, who is great, is taking care of all those new house gliches. After a bit of reflecting, we are really happy we made the move. With the exception of missing our family and friends in STL, we have found ourselves to be very content and at home here. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been easy but we have all adjusted really well and found lots of friends and activities and new places to enjoy. We also love the beauty of the area. We feel we made a really good choice and are grateful that Walgreens placed us here (and not Florida!).

The past couple of months Teddy and I have also been busy talking with landscapers. We have some drainage issues in the back and need a real sidewalk in the front and some trees would be nice. We haven't made any decisions yet, we may have to put some of it off until next year. It's shocking the price of landscaping. It kills me to have someone else put in my flowerbeds, but the groud here is full of stones and boulders. So I hope that when we are ready they will agree to lay out the beds and I can fill them myself. I really miss having a garden to work in and I would love to have a vegtable garden.

Teddy and I and our friend Gabriella have also been busy playing matchmaker this Spring. Although, I will not divulge those details in interest of the parties involved. All I can say is, we're good and Gabriella should start a matchmaking service! This past weekend Teddy got to go to Montreal for the Formula one race held there every year. He and Nick had a great time and got the sunburns of their lives.

As I'm sure you all know I been following the Presidential horse race and as much as I love politics I was beginning to grow a little weary of the primaries, until last week when it finally ended! What great race Hilary ran! While I do support the other guy, she set a great example for all women and girls eveywhere. She made me proud to be a woman living in America! I am now really looking forward to the real contest and the pundits debates and speculation over the V.P. choices! I just hope the American voters can for once look past the party and all the political noise and try to see the candidates for who they really are and what they can and will contribute to our country and our future. I know, wishful thinking, but a girl's gotta dream.

I hope everyone enjoys their summer (the Olympics are just 7 weeks away!) and hopefully sometime the Midwest will dry out. Isabella and I hope to see some of you in August and it goes without saying that there is an open invitation here for all our friends and family. Stay tuned for Part 2: Our adventure in Italy. I'll finish and post by next Thursday! See you then!

P.S.

Aunt Judy and Aunt Diane, we wish you speedy recoveries, we are thinking of you!

Galia, we are thinking of you and hope you are feeling better very soon, we love you. Kiss Mira

for us!

229 days left of a Bush White House! By the way what's with the dancing?!! I think he's finally completely lost it!

President Obama . . . I love the sound of that! * see previous disclaimer*

-I just got a phone call from Mandi to tell me she just heard that Tim Russert died today. I am very sad to hear this news as he was one of my heroes. I think he was one of the finest political journalists today. I looked forward to watching him every Sunday on Meet the Press and to hear his take on all the election news. I haven't been this sad since Tom Brokaw retired (at least I still get to see Tom Brokaw from time to time). I wonder now who will ask the idiot politicians the questions I want asked and who will keep Washington in check like Mr. Russert did. Here's to Tim Russert, I'll miss him. Sunday mornings, this campaign and politics in general will not be the same without him.

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Spring is Here??? The countdown continues!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Happy Easter! From all of us here in the chilly Northeast! Where the hell is Spring?!! We have snow predicted for tonight and the warmest day we've had in three weeks was 47. The Weatherman called it a springlike day! Spring my ass! St. Paddy's day and Easter were quite chilly for us this year. Winter coats and mittens were worn by all. The Avramov's have had a very interesting and busy two months since last I wrote. In February, I stepped outside my box (way out) and agreed to take ski lessons with Isabella. Teddy has been skiing since he was a little boy, granted he has not done any since living in the flat hills of Missouri. Until now, I have never so much as entertained the idea of skiing. Ever since we decided to move I had thought I would reinvent myself a bit, try new things, "step out of my box". You know, moving 1000 miles just wasn't enough. So the first Sunday in February we all showed up for Isabella's and my first ski lesson. I swear it was like some crazy Chevy Chase movie. Teddy signed us up for a 4 week class. We arrived and were fitted for our skis and sent to meet our instructor(s). Well, first of all, if you've never been on skis it is very difficult just to stand your first time much less move. We were falling down before we even got to the slopes. Then we had to line up with our class and it's me with eight 4, 5, and 6 year olds and our wonderful instructors who probably weren't quite old enough to drive. (When your through laughing I'll go on.) They put us first timers on a giant conveyor belt to get to the top. Thank God we didn't have to get on the lift or I'm sure someone may have died (most likely me). We got to the top and our nice young instructors requested that we ski down toward them (about 5 feet) and they would catch us. Did they realize I'm not 5 years old and 40 pounds? In the mean time Isabella kept falling and couldn't get up and she's crying and asking for my help but I can't help her, I can't even stay up. She yelling. "I hate this! I hate skiing! I want to go home!" And all the other little munchkins are crying, falling or eating the snow. I immediately kick into Mom mode and am making sure everyone is alright and telling some to stop eating the yucky snow. Isabella never did get her lesson because Teddy came and took her so that I could concentrate. I did manage to attempt to ski and good to his word, my instructor, Chris, did catch me. Although once or twice I took him down with me. I spent most of the day on my butt and the next day in pain. I was beginning to think this wasn't such a brilliant idea, but you know how stubborn I am. The next week we were right back, I was determined that I was going to ski, goddamnit! The next weeks we arranged to have private lessons just Bella and I and we were lucky enough to get Chris to ourselves. At the risk of sounding like an 85 year old Grandma, Chris was certainly a nice young man with the patience of Job. Isabella did not want anything to do with him, because "he wasn't in our family" ( I would have adopted him if I could) but he tried anyway and he was great with me. He never made me feel old or horrible and in the end I was skiing well and getting on and off the lift and having a blast! Bella learned to like skiing as well, thanks to her Daddy and she did great!






















Our little ski bunny before and after!
















We have been busy with other things besides skiing. We've also done a lot of shoveling and sledding. I, too, got to try out the new snowblower. I have to admit it was fun, but don't tell Teddy! I only did it cause I had to (he was out of town). I don't want to add yet another job to my work load. I also painted the dining room in February. You can see a little of it in the first picture on the blog. The top half is a deep wine red and the bottom half is white. I'm really happy with it. Next I promised Bella I would paint her room. I'm currently procrastinating. In March we finally found a Dentist and Bella went to her first real appointment. Last year she cried and refused to even sit in the chair or let the dentist near her. This year she did great and everything was fine. Not so much for Teddy and I. I had to have my old fillings replaced ( I only had two) and a new one put in. I was also told that I am grinding my teeth so bad at night he's afraid I am going to crack the enamel (tell me something I don't know) Teddy has to have six fillings done and we are also looking at him having to have some intense orthodontic work done that we have put off for a long time, because we couldn't afford it. Even though we love our new dentist, when this month is over we hope not to see him for at least six more months!


By the way I finally met my eight mile goal the first Sunday in March! 8 miles in 79:40. I was so proud of myself! I felt no pain before, during or after! Now that I've met that distance goal I must say I feel no urge to go further at this point. Don't worry there are no marathons in my future. I am not a masochist. I love running and I don't want to hate it. So I've set a new speed goal to work toward, an 8:00 mile. Right now I'm comfortable at 10:00 and I could do 9:00 if I push it, so we will see.

In February Teddy and I began planning a trip to Italy in May for our anniversary. Teddy been wanting to take me somewhere for our 10th anniversary since our 7th. We have chosen Italy. With the guidance of Mandi and her parents we've come up with a pretty good itinerary and have booked our flight, hotels and car. We will start in Rome for a few days (do you think the Vatican will crumble when I walk through the gates?!) . Then on to the Tuscany/Umbria region, where we will stay in a castle for the rest of the trip and just take day trips to Florence, Assisi, Siena, Modena and anyplace else that catches our fancy. By the way this is a parents only trip! My parents will be coming for Bella's birthday and will stay with her the 10 days we are gone. She is very excited!

Bella is very excited about her birthday, as well. Against my better judgment we will not be having home party this year (it to hard with us leaving for a trip) so she is getting her wish for a small party at the zoo. It's actually a very reasonable price at our small zoo here. They provide lunch , an ice cream cake, favors, a game, a craft and a meet and great with an animal (she is most excited by this). They gave her a choice of a bird, a turtle, a lizard or a snake. While the lady thought, like most girls, she would pick a bird or turtle, she doesn't know my girl. Yes, Isabella requested the snake and she cannot wait! She told me yesterday she would like a snake to kiss her on the lips and wake her up in the morning. Her favorite shows are Zoboomafoo and Bindi the Jungle girl. These are wildlife show for kids. Everyday we are told new and interesting facts about all kinds of animals. She would really like to visit India to see tigers, elephants and cheetal deer. She also informed me that "rhinoceros' have very poor eyesight, that's why their ears are so important." She is forever rescuing and giving Seamus and her stuffed animals check-ups. Poor Seamus, when he's not being poked and prodded he's a coyote or a wild dingo from Austrailia. He sure is a good sport!

We celebrated our first St. Patrick's Day in Syracuse. They brag that they have the 2nd largest parade per capita in the country. Well, having the largest doesn't make it the best. We really missed the St. Louis Dogtown parade. We had our traditional dinner and I made brown bread and irish soda bread as usual. It was still a "grand, lovely day" .

On Easter, our neighbors, Isabelle and Celine invited us over for Easter Brunch and a giant easter egg hunt (Isabelle had filled approx. 246 eggs, no, I'm not kidding!). We had a fantastic time! Isabelle, her sister Sophie and I hid the eggs and the kids had a ball. We enjoyed a great meal and got completely stuffed. After brunch Teddy misakenly challenged Isabelle to a game of Fussball. She totally kicked his butt! (over and over!) It was great! I loved it! I know your thinking, "nice, supportive wife, Kari", but you don't understand. Teddy wins at everything! It was finally nice to see him taken down a notch, especially by a woman! Isabelle, you Rock!
















The day before Easter I attempted something I had wanted to try for years, to make Bulgarian easter bread (I've been afraid of the yeast). Teddy's Baba Panka made the best easter bread. So I gave it a shot and I thought I was going to give myself an ulcer (again with the yeast). I was so paranoid about the temperature and the bread raising. Despite my worrying it came out great! Almost as good as Baba Panka's. I 'm so proud of myself, baking yeast bread, skiing, mastering the snowblower, running 8 miles! What's next?! Maybe ruling the world, who knows!

Last time I wrote was right before Super Tuesday! What an exciting day for me! I voted for the first time in New York and found I hate New York primaries. We have closed primaries here in New York, and by closed I mean closed! You have to register for a party when you register to vote. I already knew I was voting Democrat so I just marked that box, but Teddy, who doesn't like to affliate himself with any party checked independent. Well, independents can't vote in the primary in New York unless you reregister and that must be done 4 months prior to the primary! What if you haven't decided in October who your going to vote for in February?! So Teddy couldn't vote! Some democratic system! I was proud to see I finally voted the same way as my former home state (for the first time ever!) Unfortunately, my new home state didn't see it my way! I also made my first campaign contribution this month and even got a t-shirt to support my candidate! Teddy's just praying I don't wear it in public when I'm with him. Even if he agrees with me (I don't know if he does), he is so worried about other people knowing or thinking they know who he supports. Not , me I don't care what others think!! This is America! I'm proud of my choice! People have fought for us to have these choices, even if in previous elections the choices sucked, at least we had a choice! So get out and vote for somebody, anybody! If you don't vote you have no right to bitch! (I'm gonna put that on a t-shirt.) That's the end of my rant, I'll get off my soapbox now! Except to point out, did anyone else notice what high priced taste our former govenor has!? It makes me so proud to be a New Yorker!


I hope everyone is well! I probaly won't write more until after our trip in May, by then I'll have Italy pictures, Bella's dance recital, kindergarten orientation and birthday to tell you all about and hopefully the democrats willhave a nominee! I look forward to hearing from any of you! Enjoy your spring (we will, if it ever gets here) and the rest of this loooong primary season! My love to everyone!



299 days left of a Bush White House!


Go get 'em Obama! *
* disclaimer: these views do not necessarily reflect those of my husband*


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