Getting Outside of Normal

Then There Were Four

2011-12-23T16:48:00.000-06:00

I know you think we very well may still be in Spain if your only interaction is this blog so I'll try to get you caught up on the last few months.

You really haven't missed much except work, playing with Ehren and getting ready for the new baby.

Can you see why I haven't blogged lately?

Just as a reminder the new baby was due December 27th. Notice the past tense? Yeah, he decided he was ready to enter the world on December 5th instead. We now have another son: Asher Spurgeon Fykes.

Now we weren't exactly ready for this and my water actually broke in the middle of 2 different real estate negotiations which means I was that pretentious person at the hospital on the phone. At one point the doctor on call actually came in the room and I was on the phone with another agent and I held up my finger and asked her to come back in a second. Luckily, the doctor thought it was pretty funny instead of annoying and you really should have heard the other agents once I told them..."okay I'm going to have to go I'm at the hospital and my water just broke so it may be a few days before we can get back to you."

We've now been home almost 3 weeks and we're learning to adjust. My parents are here for a couple more days and we're trying to soak the help in while we can. This is the longest they've ever stayed with us (two whole weeks) but I'm not looking forward to them leaving. NOT.A.BIT.

Life with 2 kids is going to be different but you've never known us to shy away from a challenge, right?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Quite a Legacy

2011-09-20T13:15:00.012-05:00

I was close to crossing this off my list of things to do. After going I can't believe I almost missed it. Having seen many of the greatest cathedrals in the world, seeing Gaudi's interpretation and vision of a cathedral is amazing. He takes the plan and grandiose volume typical of a cathedral and makes it organic and a bit funky in his quirky art nouveau style.

This project started over 100 years ago. It's currently about 50% complete, it was about 25% complete at Gaudi's death. He knew other architects would continue his vision with their own interpretations which is amazing and has created much debate in Spain over whether the newer work is really staying true to Gaudi's. Personally I really like the newer work (passion facade)

it's a bit stripped down and abstracted in contrast to the more Gothic, busy and ornate original entry.(nativity facade)

By a Few Threads

2011-09-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

We just barely made it.

This stroller has the huge rip on the side, the frame poking through at the bottom and then this morning the net ripped through when I put the guidebook in it and the top where he rests his head now has a gaping hole.

I guess we have to come home.

Ehren's First Topless Beach

2011-09-13T08:08:00.005-05:00

We have loved every single day trip we have taken but at the same time seems like the trips home from all of them have been miserable. After Toledo we thought, totally our fault we can do this better in Morocco and then there was that nightmare so last night we made a quick change to the plans and decided not to put Ehren through another day trip so that we can see some really cool mountains and hear a boys choir at Montserrat.

Instead, we stayed in Barcelona and decided that when Ehren plays 2 Truths and A Lie, one of his truths can be that his first trip to the beach was at a topless beach in Spain.

See. We are excellent parents and always looking out for his best interest.

We googled around and found a place that lends out shovels and toys and made quite a morning of it. We all wore sunscreen and since I had forgotten my bathing suit I laid on my bathtowel and read a book (that they also lent out at the shovel lending place) and documented the experience.

I think I was careful and only got PG photos.

I have always pictured topless and nude beaches as tucked away and not easy to just stumble on. Yeah, this is the beach that has office buildings right beside it on the other side of the road. For those of you that know Corpus...like the beach on Ocean Drive. Ladies just walking up to the shower getting fully tan. Quite interesting to say the least.

Overall probably one of the greater last minute plan changes we made and it was a great way to see a different part of Barcelona. This is a great city that you have to dig into to get away from the urban feel but it has so many different personalities. The beach, the old city, the weird Modernista architecture and then full urban. I'm glad that this is in the north of Spain so that when we do come back to do France we can hop over here and visit it again because 5 days only scratches the surface.

Sweat-the new styling gel

2011-09-12T16:41:00.001-05:00

Not for 2.50 Extra

2011-09-11T07:38:00.000-05:00

Now the temperature here in Barcelona is a high of 82 and a low of 70 degrees. Sounds nice, right?

Do NOT be fooled.

I have no idea how it is only a high of 82 but this is probably the hottest location we have been to. By 11am I have sweat rolling down my back and it only gets worse from there. This morning Ehren was out of the stoller running around for probably 25 minutes and he came back with his hair totally soaked and I have never seen sweat pouring down his face but he was drenched.

The moderate sounding forecast also tricked me into booking an apartment with no AC for us and let me save you that painful experience.

Get a room with AC.

Now if we could keep the windows open at night it probably wouldn't be so bad but we are on the first floor (what Americans think of as the second floor) and we've had 2 strangers and our apartment host tell us that we need to lock our windows at night or when we leave. I don't feel unsafe at all, however, I did read a review in this part of town of someone who didn't heed that warning and they ended up with someone in their apartment. In the middle of the night. Spraying them with pepperspray and taking their computer.

I can take a hint with the best of them so we are sweating it out at night in lieu of a pepperspray incident.

Today we just explored a bit and thought we would be good parents and do a very vanilla activity for Spain and take Ehren to the aquarium where there was surely air conditioning in the heat of the day. One thing Joshua and I do when we are approaching new attractions with very little information is play the "how much are we willing to pay" game. (I also do this with clothes - I'll show him something and say "what do you think it's worth" and if that matches the pricetag I'll buy it). So as we were wandering around the port trying to find the aquarium we decided we would each pay 15 Euros not because we wanted to but because we were hot and we wanted to be good parents. We finally found it and the ticket was 17.50 for each adult.

Blast it! Why couldn't it be 25/person?

After standing there for a few minutes debating we decided to stick to our guns and instead we played in the shade for an hour on the boardwalk. You have to draw the line somewhere, right?

Nearing the End

2011-09-10T15:21:00.005-05:00

You can tell because our photos are starting to wane a bit.

Last night we took the train from Granada to Barcelona and we were braced for a horrible night. I expected to get very little sleep and Joshua expected to be snuggled up with Ehren in his bunk for the entire night getting absolutely no sleep. Then, after laying in the dark all night as soon as the light came through the curtains that kid would be up and impossible because he is contained in a 4 x 8 square for 3 hours.

I'm shocked to say it didn't go down like that at all. We splurged on the family room of only 2 beds (paid an extra 40 Euros) and I'd pay that two or three times again for how smoothly everything went. We had enough room on the floor that Ehren got his own pallet and slept until we woke him up at 8:30 even with light shining right in his face.

Yes there were melt downs as we waited for the 10pm train and yes we caught him licking the floor of the train station not once but twice, however, it was worth it all for a successful night train experience. We now know that night trains are possible with kids and think of all the fun Spanish immunities his little body has.

Columbus' Go Ahead

2011-09-09T11:02:00.002-05:00

Just like I never realized how much happened in Berlin, I also never knew how Granada was such a big deal. Granted it all centered on Columbus and Isabel so it isn't as diverse as Berlin but for me it is another "history coming alive kind of place." This is where Columbus got the go ahead to sail, the last stand of the Moors, and this is where Ferdinand and Isabel are buried.

I know I'm a nerd but I love learning on our travels. I love that when our kids study that I can show them a picture of the place where Columbus got his contract signed and that I saw the box he sold to finance the voyage. More than anything the way I'm able to retain knowledge after seeing things makes me think travel is just so much more important. Even with my pregnant brain I can give you a much more thorough explanation of the Reconquista.

The biggest Granada sight is La Alhambra which is the original Moorish palace that then the Spanish of course built a bigger palace attached to when they finally sent the Moors back to Africa.

We had to get up really early for our ticket time but it was well worth the 6:45 alarm after our 12:30 bedtime. The detail in the wood and plaster work is amazing in the palace. And then the rest of the property is where the 2,000 residents lived and in it are more than a few gardens which are a great mix of plants and walls which makes it Joshua's favorite garden of Europe.

One other pretty amazing thing the Moors did here was develop a water system that keeps fresh water flowing to all the fountains, the gardens, the palace and the commoners area. Everywhere you walk you can see and hear water flowing through the paths they made.

Overall well worth the early morning and the admission price and the carrying Ehren on our back (not a stroller friendly place - for that matter most of the old city of Granada is NOT stroller friendly).

Still Here

2011-09-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

In rereading my last post it sounded like it was our last night in Spain instead of just our last night with our friends so you may be surprised to know we're in Granada still soaking up the Spanish experience. That being said, we decided on the drive here that Granada would be our vacation part of the adventure so we are soaking it up at a VERY leisurely pace. Like one thing in the morning and then the afternoon in our garden.

Yep, that's right. We have a garden.

The "apartment" we rented here is actually the guesthouse of a Carmen which is a walled property with a private garden. Online it mentioned a shared garden so I thought it was shared by many people but it isn't. It is a huge garden with over 20 different fruit trees not to mention all the hedges that we share with the owners and we've never seen them out. So every morning we go out and see something and have lunch and then it is unbearably hot so we come home and put Ehren down for a nap and then spend the rest of the day playing in the garden eating fresh figs and waiting for our 8pm dinner time.

Last night we actually put Ehren down a little early and had snacks and drinks on the tower of the main house with our hosts. Great way to enjoy the sunset and they had just been to Thailand last year so we had a lot to talk about. We finally wandered through the garden to our house at 12:30am like normal Spaniards for the first time since our date night.

If you ever come to Granada stay here especially if you are traveling with kids.

And Then There were Three and a Half

2011-09-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

In 2 days we've been in 3 countries. Morocco, Spain and today we hit up jolly old England (via Gibraltar).

It's pretty bizarre that there is this 2.5 square mile British province or city or whatever you call it smack dab in the middle of the Spanish coast. You show your passport and then all of a sudden everything is in English, the food is still bad but with entirely different ingredients and there are red telephone booths everywhere.

Travel Tip: Don't eat at the top of the rock. It is horrible and expensive and everything has cheese that is unmarked so you don't know if it is pasteurized.

One other thing I didn't know is there are monkeys that live on the rock. They are actually tailless little devils that steal things right out of your hand or bag. We saw one steal a grocery bag with a brand new camera in it and Memry actually got attacked by one right after stepping off the cable car and he ended up with her bag of chips. When they say don't have plastic bags visible they say it in this fun British accent so it doesn't sound serious but they aren't joking at all.

A few hours later we were relaxing back in Spain. As a celebration of our last night in Spain we ate tapas, gelato, watched the sunset and then had a nice Italian dinner in the span of a few hours (and in that order).

A great way to end a good time on the southern coast of Spain with our other daring friends who came from England with their baby.

Who Takes Babies to Africa?

2011-09-06T13:37:00.000-05:00

Don't be fooled by the sleeping babies. This was about 20 minutes into the 6 hour journey it took to get back to Spain from our "day trip to Morocco." We didn't factor in the African-ness of leaving the country since it was so simple and easy to get there.

Like there are no lines. And mobs are very slow moving.

As we were eating our dinner back on Spanish soil we debated the "would we do that again" question. We can now say we've been to Africa and Moroccan food was redeemed for me from two horrible experiences at Epcot but man those hours from 2pm to 8pm were pretty tough.

Don't tell the people I was with but I found a very small tip Rick Steves had in his book about how to skip that first mob and go straight to the next two mobs which would have saved us about 2 hours. I think I'm going to write him a quick email and let him know that sentence needs to be in BOLD. And maybe on a page by itself.

Our guide was mediocre at best but we did meet one really interesting man there who taught me a few things about sales.

While his store has hundreds of options he has picked one way to engage his customers and he excels at it. He knows American area codes. You tell him where you are from and he says..."oh yes 615." I quizzed him on all the Texas area codes I know as well and he even knew that "361" was the "new" zipcode for Corpus Christi (changed around 1999). He has really deep knowledge on one subject and can engage you on that topic. He also is very friendly and wants to help you find something you like. He kept saying "if you don't like it then 1 Euro is too much to spend." I hope I'm as helpful to my customers as he was to us. And fun...but maybe not so much of a name dropper (his store is in a fancy hotel and so he has pictures with tons of famous people).

We'll Do That Again!

2011-09-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today we rented a van. In another country. And drove down tiny streets with very little signage.

All the headache of getting out of the town though was totally worth it as we traveled around and saw the white washed cities of Andalucia. Driving isn't that hard and with no trains heading this direction it was so much easier than lugging 2 babies and all the luggage on and off buses. Plus, look how beautiful.

Without a car we would have missed all of this.

Sevilla is in the Bag

2011-09-05T08:52:00.000-05:00

This morning we woke up to some potential rain for the day but it was the only morning for the local antique fair that happens once a week. We chanced it to go out and find that antique tile piece I was looking for and totally found it. A tourist store had the same thing for 42 Euro and I bought mine for 10 Euro. Granted we got caught in the rain with not even an umbrella and ended up like this.

But it turns out Ehren doesn't mind the rain and laughed most of the way home so I would say still a great decision.

Then after a nice nap for the babies we headed back out to the city center and toured the palace which had a great garden. It is the kind of place I would get a membership to if/when I live here for a little while. A great place to let Ehren run and sit and read and just have a high time.

On the way home to let our friends have their date night we stopped and had a final tapas at the super popular place in the drag. It was only 8pm so you can see the place was empty but nothing like having some drinks with babies at the cool place to be seen in Sevilla.

Sevilla does need to go on the must see list. Even with kids it is stroller friendly, low key and very Spanish. Also, it is the city where I have seen the most kids and pregnant women. Come on Americans...we can do this whole travel thing.

This Could Get Ugly

2011-09-02T10:52:00.000-05:00

So far I've done two walking tours in Europe and both have been wins. Today we learned how to tell if the orange trees around Sevilla are bitter or sweet, that we totally missed a half finished building (that we took a picture in front of yesterday), that the pigs that make the best jamon (ham) are only fed acorns and also that the Roman city was about 7 feet below the current city floor and you can still see some of the columns.

Today tragedy may have hit our travels though. We noticed a small tear during Ehren's nap in the $5 stroller we bought at a garage sale the day before the trip. And by the end of day Ehren had his hand through the hole and was using it to hold on. We have no idea what we are going to do if that gives way. We use the stroller for his high chair and then also as his major mode of transportation. I wish it was as simple as just buy another one (and it may come to that) but we have yet to see a throw away Walmart-esque umbrella stroller. If we have to buy a new one we may end up with the Cadillac of little strollers and that may be our souvenir from the trip. Let's all cross our fingers I come home with a really cool antigue Spanish tile and NOT a ridiculous stroller.

We also went out last night on a Spanish date and our friends kept Ehren. We came home at midnight and thought for sure that would be early but turns out the old part of Sevilla shuts down at a more reasonable hour so midnight was just right. We had a leisurely tapas and saw a Flamenco exhibition. It was great to be out like our travels used to be. In some ways traveling with a kid slows you down but it also speeds you up. At every sight you feel like you need to rush through before he melts down or get through before he wakes up and you know every waiter in town is trying to get you in and out. So, an evening of just sitting at a table discussing what part of town we would live in for over an hour was a nice switch. The flamenco was cultural but the slow meal was glorious.

Travel with Friends

2011-09-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

Blogging is a little harder when you have friends and two babies running around the apartment. You just don't have as much time as you did in Madrid.

We are staying just a bit out of the old city center so we have a 2 bedroom flat instead of a studio since there are more of us but the downside is...more walking. I'm kind of disappointed that after this trip of walking my clothes won't be fitting any looser. In fact at the rate I'm going I will actually be outgrowing clothes. One of the tragedies of pregnancy.

Sevilla has treated the kids quite well. It's our friend's first Spanish city and so far they love it. Hopefully they decide to just stay and live here and that way we can come visit.

So far we've seen the largest cathedral in Europe although it's only the 3rd grandest. In the Fykes opinion this is the best cathedral we've seen. The Sacrisity and Treasury made this one so much more interesting for us. I could let Joshua go on about the light and scale for a paragraph or two but instead we'll just say add it to your list and honestly if you have to chose one cathedral this maybe should be it.

More than anything we've just been able to hang out with our friends and soak up some Spanish culture. While having other people changes things, I recommend it. Especially if they are people you really like. Plus you get pictures with the whole family that way.

Madrid Food Win

2011-08-29T14:38:00.003-05:00

Spain is NOT known for its food and I AM known for my picky-ness so I wasn't sure how the two of us would mix. Thus far it's been just a tolerant experience but today there is a big W in the food column.

We stumbled on the best lemonade frozen drink thing that Joshua actually went back the 15 minute walk a few hours later to get another one. I had a great fried squid sandwich for lunch and for dinner we had tapas at Casa Toni which needs to go on everyone's MUST EAT list if coming to Madrid. We had a patatas bravas (plate of fried potatoes in spicy sauce) and champinones al plancha (sauteed mushrooms) and they were both great. Plus, not only was the food great the staff was super friendly. And, they didn't just talk to us but they each came out from behind the bar to play with Ehren and make sure he was having a good time. As we were leaving one of them even took my pulse and informed me that we would have a boy...I guess we'll see.

We have decided on this trip we will take a day of rest at least once a week and after a busy start we decided today was going to be that day. We woke up late, saw the Grand Palace and Madrid's oldest door and then went home for a real siesta before our evening entertainment.

A huge sport here is bullfighting. They have huge arenas that hold 23,000 and they fight once a week during the warmer weather. We lucked out that this Sunday was a corrida which means real matadors not the young inexperienced ones with smaller bulls. However, after having gone tonight I don't think I would care either way. While trying to be culturally sensitive Joshua and I have no interest in ever doing that again and don't understand the appeal. I can get behind the pageantry, costumes, band and cheering but that is about it. I don't want to see the matador get gored nor do I want to watch the bull bleed out for 15 minutes. We watched one of the six kills to say we'd done it but we had to force ourselves to stay after they brought the horses out to stab the main artery in the bull's neck and at that point we hadn't even seen a matador yet.

Don't get me wrong I like a good steak and I'm not in denial about where that meat comes from but this was just too much. It felt to me like the games at the Colosseum where they thought...hmmm...these people are sentenced to death so let's make a sport out of it and sell tickets. Just not my idea of fun.

The good thing about leaving after one kill was we got to go eat tapas, walk through another demonstration at Puerta del Sol and then let Ehren play on the playground on our way home...you know, at 10pm when everyone else was out.

Toledo, OH's sister city

2011-08-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe it but in their treasury next to all the gold gothic style items and great El Greco paintings there is a small glass thing given by Toldeo, OH to Toldeo, Spain. I really wonder what is sitting at the city hall in Toledo, OH from Toledo, Spain.

Today we day tripped to another medieval city where you just sit and wonder how in the world it was created. Not with a wonder like the aquaduct and how did they do it without mortar, but rather how did they just keep building stuff and not end up with lots of dead ends? And how was the land given out? And why did they make the walls angled?

Toledo is the first city we've seen that still has a legitimate city wall in tact. I'm not sure if it is complete as I didn't walk all the way around it but if the civilized world comes to some sort of end I'm going to make my way to that city because it was never taken by force.

Also, quick parent travel tip: Bring a carrier for your non walking child in Toledo. We thought maybe it would be okay with a stroller since Joshua carried him all day yesterday in Segovia but we were wrong. We both ended up carrying the stroller on most streets.

Overall it was a great day of exploration and they have a great cathedral. Interesting tidbit of the day: the cardinals get to choose where they are buried in the cathedral. Literally anywhere. They just dig a hole in the 1000 year old tile and bury them and then they hang their red hats over that spot until they rot away. We found 3 red hats rotting from the ceiling and I wish I'd thought to keep looking to see how many we can find. I bet it takes a while for that red velvet to rot away so I'm sure there are more.

You'll also notice we have a lot of pictures at the train station. We had tickets for the last train of the day but we finished up early and thought we'd be responsible American parents and get our kid to bed before 11pm by catching an earlier train. Well it turns out everyone in Madrid goes to Toledo on Saturday so all the other trains were booked up. Now the train station was very interesting and it entertained us for a good 20 minutes but we were there for over 3 hours which wasn't the end of the world but was exhausting for one 15 month old.

Safety First

2011-08-28T07:52:00.002-05:00

I laugh every time we get on a subway because Ehren insists on holding on. He is always in the stroller or backpack but he starts crying until we position him so he can hold onto some bar.

It's a great ice breaker with the other patrons on the transport because everyone thinks it's hysterical.

Abandoned Playground?

2011-08-27T18:16:00.001-05:00

In many plazas in Madrid there are little toddler playgrounds which is just such a great idea. As a parent it has made my love of plazas grow. I've always loved the concept of a big area where everyone congregates together consistently but now you throw in the element of something for your kids to do and I just don't know how I'm going to live without them.

Side Note: I think I've mentioned stealing "wine in the driveway" from another neighborhood but now we're definitely gonna do it. There is just something to spending the evening with your neighbors on a consistent basis and since Nashville is never going to have plazas we'll use our front yard/driveway and make the best of it. Anyway, back to the playgrounds.

In the afternoon it is just too hot for anyone to play but for the last two evenings as we are heading out for our 8pm dinner we stop and let Ehren play for 20 minutes or so. Never once have we seen an age appropriate child in the area with him. I'd say there have been a couple kids who are six or seven years old with their scooter in the area but I was beginning to think this was just not something anyone else did. We came home tonight from our tapas around 10pm and that playground was packed to the hilt with under 3 year olds.

I was prepared for taking your kids to tapas and having them out on the street that late but I was just shocked that 10pm was prime playground time. This is just the regular Spanish way of life and it is fascinating and reason number 327 that we don't stay in hotels very often or we would miss it. Unfortunately Ehren was too exhausted to play but maybe in a week he'll be fully adjusted to the late night life and we can take him out for his midnight play.

Bus Success or Failure?

2011-08-27T08:28:00.000-05:00

Today we had two Ehren meltdowns and a day trip to Segovia to see the Roman aqueduct. In a last minute switch we decided to take a bus instead of a train to Segovia for the day and the ticket and boarding process was perfect. Turns out we should have consulted with Ehren because he apparently really didn't want to take the bus and the poor people around us had to hear about it for at least 15 minutes. Luckily he calmed after some food bribery and was pretty pleasant while we walked around the aquaduct. Did you know they made those things with no mortar? How is that even possible?

Then we headed for a very Segovian lunch of roast suckling pig and did a quick tour around town. Personally for me the day was mostly forgettable past the aqueduct but it was good to get away to a more historic city and out of busy Madrid. Apparently all that adorable screaming on the bus really wore Ehren out so he spent a good bit of the afternoon like this:

We ended the day with tapas which is a little less glamorous with a toddler but still good - except for gazpacho which was a soup but they served it as a drink and it would have been bad either way I'm pretty sure. Overall, Joshua would describe it as a romantic Spanish day. We had a surprisingly cool day with a beautiful blue sky in a historic town with giant stone arches ending with tapas out with the family past 10pm.

Modern vs. Classical

2011-08-26T11:16:00.004-05:00

If Madrid is the least fun place in Spain I can't wait to see the rest of it. At the end of day one we are thinking about all the things we don't have time to do while we are here and wishing we could stay longer which I'm taking as a good sign for the country as a whole.

Today we were reminded of the dichotomy of our aesthetic tastes. We love ornate buildings and oil painting and we love glass and clean lines. I wish it was acceptable to hang a Rothko by Van Der Weyden in your living room. Maybe we'll find a way to work it out. Joshua proposed a really traditional house that you walked into and was completely clean and modern on the inside. I just don't think that is being true to either style but maybe that is being true to the Fykes who generally have their own style anyway, right?

We started the day on accident at the Modern Art Museum which was good but not the best we have seen even on this continent. Then after a squid sandwich and a quick siesta at the park we headed to the Prado which is touted (by Rick Steves) as Europe's best painting museum. A couple of people we had talked to mentioned how huge the place was and we didn't even scratch the surface. We took the see the absolute musts and whatever else you can along the way but do not stress about seeing it all because remember you have an infant and screaming is not fun for anyone.

My highlights were seeing "The Adoration of the Shepherds" by El Greco and "Las Meninas" by Valazquez. However, my favorite thing was more a statement of the period and a lesser known piece by David Teniers de joven.

It's a painting of an archduke's paintings and I just think that is hysterical. I mean, where does that hang in his collection of paintings?

Joshua's highlights were "The Descent from the Cross" by Van Der Weyden and being introduced to Goya's black paintings that he did in his house...on the walls...during his depression at the end of his life. Pretty emotional and dark stuff so google that and check it out.

Again our kid is handling everything like a champ. We almost had a morning meltdown at the modern art museum but the other patrons decided to step up and help us keep him calm by talking and playing with him and then he was fine from them on out. He slept through half of the Prado so he must have gotten more of our modern leaning. I think if you ask him though the hour in Retiro Park was the highlight of his day. He even suckered a stranger into giving him stickers.

We head out for a late (usual time for Spain) dinner around 9pm and that will put the first day in the bag.

This Kid Was Made for Our Family

2011-08-25T10:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I was literally working up until the minute we had to get in the cab to go to the airport. It has made the transition to vacation kind of startling. Like it came out of no where because it wasn't built up for me with lots of planning and thinking and making sure everything is ready to go like I normally do. In the last week I've had six clients go under contract. Besides slowly adjusting our sleep for Ehren's sake I've had little time to do anything but work the 14 hours that I was awake. So far this lack of planning has only cost me a bathing suit, peanut butter and an adaptor for my three prong computer plug. We can live without the first two but we bought the last one so you guys would have something to read along the way.

Side note: Joshua has decided we can't call this a vacation. The ratio of relaxing is wrong for what he considers a vacation so from here on out it will be referred to as "adventure." I personally like adventure anyway so please adjust your vocabulary.

Besides forgetting those little items and having the wrong address for the place we are staying in Madrid this adventure is off to a great start. With the help of our sleep adjustment Ehren (and us) are already soundly on Spain time. We had no idea how to help a baby with jet lag so we took a stab at what we thought made sense and so far I'm a fan.

LONG EXPLANATION: Spain is 7 hours ahead of Nashville so for the eight days leading up to our trip we woke him up 30 minutes earlier every 2 days. So the day before we left the family was up at 4:30am going about our business like the sun was up. Then the day we were leaving we let him sleep until 6 knowing that we wouldn't be on our plane until 7pm so he needed some extra juice for the day. Worked like a charm and this kid slept 8 hours on the plane in what will be his last bassinet ride (not only because he was crammed but because we kind of had to fight a lady and sort of fib about his weight at the airport to get him in it). Then when we arrived in Spain at 10am we were able to stay up until 2pm nap time and then he took a regular nap and was ready for bed at 9pm Spain time. Adjusting his body clock about halfway seemed to make it possible for him to go down at an almost regular night time and this morning he popped up ready to face the day.

Experiment one: SUCCESS

What the Fykes Do to the Economy

2011-08-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

Seems like every time we travel to Europe we come back to a blistering US economy and I have my fears that this time it will be no exception. Everything's fine if I go to Peru or we got to Asia but something about our desire to see Europe never works out well for our compatriats pocketbooks. Is that going to stop us? Probably not, but we want to just go ahead and apologize in advance for any inconvience we are causing all of your 401Ks.

This is a new kind of Fykes travel and for now we still aren't sure how it is going to work out. We aren't going to couchsurf once but instead we'll be staying in people's apartments they rent out to travelers. We figured that was better than hostals because if we don't have a fridge where do we keep Ehren's milk? In a few places it also means we can put Ehren down for a nap and shut him in a room while we watch a movie for the afternoon. Siesta here we come!

It also means we still get to meet some locals because they are the ones meeting us with the key and we can still pick their brains about what to do in the city. We actually just skyped yesterday with our first host in Madrid and he's a great ex-pat who has filled us all in on the demonstrations happening in the Sol square and where to eat dinner.

Another change is our pace is going to be much slower. We are going to stay in most location for 4 or 5 days. If we aren't on a mission trip we haven't stay 5 days ANYWHERE in all of our travels. However, when we think about the logistics of having a baby strapped to our back and actually having luggage the jumping on and off the train just doesn't sound fun.

Also, in all our preparation we haven't found a great online resource of information on traveling with an infant like I expected. If you have a recommendation I'd love to hear it. However, I'll report back here so everyone can learn from our mistakes. Also, I hope to prove my hypothesis that traveling with an infant is totally possible and maybe even fun. The Fykes are always happy to be your science experiment.

Spain here we come!

Spain or Bust

2011-08-02T13:25:00.005-05:00

In 21 days the Fykes family leaves for Spain. This will be our first international trip with Ehren, so we're trying to make sure we don't forget anything that might be catastrophic to our sanity (i.e. his stuffed elephant) Unfortunately we already missed the running of the bulls, but that wasn't on the top of our list of things to do.

We're planning to be much more regular (i.e. more than one post per month) with the blogging and photos while travelling so stay tuned.

A Wedding (not ours)

2011-08-02T13:10:00.008-05:00

Congrats to Blake and AnnAlyse! If anyone reading this is planning a wedding, two words for you: Photo Booth. Great fun.

Ehren's Dad and My Dad

2011-06-19T20:01:00.005-05:00

Today is a day to grill out, relax and be thankful for the dads in your life. Ehren and I are both lucky to have dads that share a lot of great traits.

He works tirelessly for his family
He leaves work at work (something I wish I could do better)
His words are well chosen and so few that when spoken they are respected by his peers
Service to others is his first instinct
He isn't too much of "a man" to cook or clean or whatever needs to be done
His focus is so intense that the whole family can be in the car ready for church and he is picking weeds out of the flowerbed

Even though that last one is sometimes annoying and my mom would say shouldn't be on a positive list I am thankful for everything that makes up Joshua and Bobby - the dads in my life. I love you both!

Cicada Summer

2011-06-10T16:23:00.003-05:00

So apparently locusts are called cicadas in TN and there are different broods born every year. This year was "the big year" with type XIII coming out of the ground and it was a bit like a take over. When the news and everyone was talking about it I expected something like I imagined with of the locust swarms from Little House on the Praire - you know where the sky gets dark as they fly in and eat everything in sight. Turns out it they just crawl out of the ground sit around for a week or so and then they start flying around and making all kinds of racket. They have all died by now so it has quieted and now we are just back to the normal TN summer except this time we have a kid.

That little addition to the summer makes everything more fun. It makes us want to go to the pool more so he can learn to float and be comfortable. So far this week we've been twice and it would have been three times if it hadn't been for a crazy storm yesterday.

We also have another change this summer that required me to run out and get a new bathing suit for all those trips to the pool. I'm 3 months pregnant which at this point just means I look a little fat. I got a cute new suit at Target and maybe by the end of the summer I'll look a lot less fat and more pregnant.

Either way we are going to enjoy our time at the pool and maybe we'll have a little one that floats/swims by the end of the summer. I promise to try to update before then but so far my track record isn't great so I'll probably see you in July.

May 16, 2011

2011-05-16T10:03:00.003-05:00

Dear Ehren,

Today you turn one year old and I'm not going to lie it kind of freaks your dad and I out a bit. Means you have been home six months and you decided this week it also means you are going to walk. You've been pulling yourself up for a month but it was almost like you knew you were turning one and that one year olds should walk so you just started letting go this week and trying to figure it out. I think Dad would like you to be using a spoon as well but let's not rush things, right?

We are so grateful that God chose you to be a part of our family. Your laughter fills this house and makes life so much more fun in a way we never knew was missing before. Your dad and I fight over who gets to wake you up from your nap because we both want to be the one that makes you squeal with excitement and jump up and down in your crib. Your joy is contagious and one of these days Austin the Dog is going to catch it too.

We pray this next year is just as exciting as the first and look forward to being with you through all the new things you get to discover. It's probably going to be another big year of changes and excitement but if we've learned anything in the last six months with you it's that you are going to be fine. You are resilient and strong and it's going to take a lot more than a few mistakes from your dad and I to do any serious damage. That being said, expect a few mistakes and if you want to use some of your college money for therapy we totally understand.

We love you!

Mommy

Almost Famous

2011-05-09T09:25:00.004-05:00

We got a call from our adoption agency about a month ago telling us they had an opportunity to have an ad in Time Square and they wanted to use our picture in it. One of the many papers you sign gives them the right to use your images as they see fit so I was pretty impressed they even called to ask. Turns out they just needed a higher resolution file for the video than we send via email with our reports so that is why they called because we're also the front of their website and they mentioned NOTHING about that when we talked. We actually found out from a friend at church who was doing some research and found the site.

So this trip to NYC we'll actually go to Time Square and see our 10 seconds of fame on the side of a building and you can check out the website here. Too bad it didn't come with a check we could put in his college fund.

Anyone Still There?

2011-05-04T15:15:00.000-05:00

You always hear about second and third kids getting the short end of the stick. They don't ever have childhood pictures and parent's can't remember anything about when they were a baby. We're just trying to make sure it is fair for all of our kids so we've decided we're not going to take pictures of our first child either. You know one less thing for the younger kids to complain about when they get older.

We took our first family roadtrip last week and can I just tell you how amazing Ehren is? That kid took the 10 hour trip (each way) like a champ. In total we had 30 minutes of crying and that is counting all 20 hours. He spent a lot more time like this than anything else.

We were visiting our friends that live out of the country but happened to be in Virginia for a few weeks. Since we saw them last year we have each added a stroller to our lives so it was fun to share that with each other. There was talks of us trying to get to Spain this year while they are living abroad but we'll have to see if work ever lets up for us. Spending a few days with them reminded us how much we miss having them around but just like all our great friendships we will take the time we get.

We jump on a plane in a couple weeks. Flying is totally old hat to this kid so we're not too worried. Rest assured we'll catch you up once we get home from NYC.

Rainy Day

2011-03-13T14:54:00.005-05:00

It was rainy outside and Ehren seemed to lament not being able to go outside.

Things have been a bit more than crazy around here. Tiff has more listings and buyers than she's ever had, I've had more projects than I've had in over two years, and Ehren has been eating, teething, growing, etc. The past couple days in particular Ehren has been eating like there's no tomorrow. Tiff and I were feeding him breakfast this morning and we both looked at each other and said "Did he grow since yesterday?!" Seriously. He looked like he gained an inch overnight. It could've just been the way he was sitting, but his outfit was tight that fit just a few days before. Crazy (and awesome)

Other things of note: We had dedication at church last week for Ehren. He did fabulously in spite of being sick (he projectile vomited all over Tiff in the bathroom not two minutes after we got off stage). Ehren has adjusted to church nursery and childcare at the YMCA. He is starting to pull up, and loves to stand on his own but he does like to keep a hand on something stable.

Family Photos

2011-02-17T10:37:00.002-06:00

You know what I love most about my job? All the amazing people I get to meet. One of my past clients gifted us with the best thing ever after we returned from Taiwan - family photos. Since our wedding we have never had more than a snapshot so this was such a treat. You can check out her website here and she has a great blog too (I'm actually going to write articles for it every once in a while).

But anyway without further ado...the things you came for.

P.S. Joshua made the jacket he is wearing. Like sat down with no sewing experience one day and decided he wanted to make him something so he made this lined jacket with a hood and buttons. Turns out sewing is a lot like architectural model making.

My parents were actually in town when she came over to shoot so we have a bonus Felton picture as well. Ehren looks slightly terrified but I just love this picture of my parents.

The Sun!

2011-02-15T15:07:00.001-06:00

The sun has returned to Nashville. We've had the most beautiful weather the past few days. Today Ehren and I got outside and did some man things (wash the car, ride the scooter). It was his first scooter ride so I wasn't sure how he would take it, but he seemed to love it. I can't wait for warm weather and more scooter rides!

**For those thinking (or saying loudly) "He put a baby on a scooter?!" You can take some comfort in knowing this is the standard form of transportation (baby & all) for a large portion of the Taiwanese population. We're just giving him some Taiwanese culture!

It's a Draw!

2011-02-13T09:43:00.000-06:00

Our good friends Joel & Lauren visited over Christmas and they brought Ehren the cutest elephant that Lauren had sewed for him. We promised a photo because they had left their camera in Colorado. I asked Joshua to get a picture for them and this is what he took.

I think he missed the concept of the photo since I'm sure she wanted more of the elephant. However, he did capture how much Ehren likes to play with it.

There was a small wager made by the adults about what he would pull off first because it has ears sticking out, a tail, eyes, etc. You'll be glad to know everything is still holding on. He has pulled off half an ear and the tail is torn a bit but it is still snugly attached to the elephant's bottom.

Thanks so much for the great gift and the visit Joel and Lauren! Sorry we are about 2 months late on the photo!

Nashville Blizzard 2011

2011-02-11T10:25:00.002-06:00

We ended up with 2 inches so the title "blizzard" seems a little extreme, however, in Nashville's defense the snow did come in about an hour's time. It was absolute mayhem on Wednesday night. I had friends that left work at 4:30 only to get home around 8pm. Other friends picked their kids up from daycare and ended up with a screaming child in their backseat for 2 hours. Two hours of traffic AND a screaming baby! How in the world do you not kill yourself?

Luckily for us the commute up the stairs took no longer than normal. I refrained from tweeting or facebooking about our commute for fear of that mother spending the extra 2 hours to drive that screaming child over here to kill me. Even with the easy commute we did have a small scare.

One of our neighbors whom we love dearly had a triple bypass a few weeks ago and he was at the hospital for rehab when it hit and then he had to make his way home. We kept checking in on his wife as we noticed it was 8pm and still no Joe. 9pm and still no Joe. I don't know what we were going to do but she finally called and said she had talked to him on his cell phone and he was 2 streets away at about 9:30pm.

This morning still no car. I guess he had to abandon it and walk home. Hopefully walking home in the snow after sitting in a car for 5 hours was an acceptable rehab activity for a guy who just had a triple bypass. I would guess that'll set him back in his recovery but we are just so glad he is home.

We ARE going to learn from yesterday and we're gonna add a blanket and water and baby food to the supplies in our now bigger car.

Oh, did we mention we got a new car? We are now the proud owners of a VW Jetta Sportwagon. I am super sad to be selling the Scion but realizing we couldn't pick my parents up from the airport with the car we owned made us get serious about a new car. After much effort Joshua found one that gets better gas mileage than the Scion and we still have more room so it's a bittersweet win/win. We're selling our 30 mpg car for a 40 mpg wagon that will now have a gallon of water, a blanket and baby food in the back each winter.

Where is everyone?

2011-02-10T09:17:00.005-06:00

I think 2011 must be very busy for everyone I know. All the blogs I check haven't updated in quite some time. It feels good to look around and realize it isn't just me.

While we are adjusting to being parents we still don't have the concept of "don't make any plans until you have a babysitter" down. Last night we looked at each other and realized we hadn't gotten a babysitter for community group-that night. Luckily it snowed and we canceled group but we have got to get it together. It takes a lot more effort to plan something to do and when you're exhausted from juggling Ehren and work all day you just don't have the brain capacity to think about next weekend and what you want to do so you can get a babysitter in time. However, we are working on that and we'll be spending this Saturday night in a suite at the Predators game in our efforts to return to a life outside our house.

All that being said, we sure are enjoying the new member of Team Fykes. Sickness is no fun. Teething is no fun. Everything else we're good with.

The Shed

2011-01-23T15:06:00.009-06:00

This project has been done for a while, but we're just now getting around to putting it up on the blog. Since moving into our house three years ago, one entire car bay of our garage and all of the extra storage space has been packed, meaning one vehicle got the boot and had to sleep outside. So in the fall we finally got around to building a suitable home for all the "man" toys. And the truck gets to sleep inside.

If you want to read more about the specifics you can go HERE.

Snow Days!

2011-01-12T17:12:00.005-06:00

We couldn't resist getting out in the snow just long enough to document Ehren's first winter and the best snow since we've lived in Nashville. Plus he is about to outgrow those pajamas and I think they're the cutest ones he has.

Ehren Update

2011-01-04T13:21:00.004-06:00

You know a good time to post cute pictures of your kid? Halfway through a day when he is getting sick and has soaked both parents in cantalope/yogurt vomit. Twice.

Ahhh the good times when he kept food down.

Our holidays this year were spent introducing all the grandparents to Ehren. We even had Christmas Eve with some great friends so I would say we celebrated well. Now it looks like we're starting the year off with a new challenge. If you can handle a sick baby you can handle anything, right?

Really Dad?

2011-01-03T09:08:00.003-06:00

Something tells me "it's like scrabble" wasn't a sufficient explanation.

A Scary Thought for Everyone Who is 29

2010-12-16T19:31:00.003-06:00

I have no idea where this came from but I just realized that when you celebrate your birthday you are celebrating the end of your year not the beginning.

When Ehren turns one he will have finished one whole year on earth.

It means I haven't really been 30 I've just been working on my 31st year.

Gives this so much more meaning for me.

One Month as a Family of 3.5

2010-12-15T16:46:00.002-06:00

Feels like forever since we were lying on a beach in Thailand. At the same time it seems like we just got home with the cutest kid ever made in Taiwan.

Since being home Joshua has started up 4 architecture projects, I've gotten 3 new clients and Austin has irreparably hurt her back (although she is recovering). Then there is the kid with the biggest grin and cutest dimple who now eats "solid" food, can roll and pull himself along the floor and no longer fits in the first round of clothes we had for him.

You want to know the crazy thing? We have been home one month and already Joshua caught me staring at a map last night figuring out where we want to go next. 2011 will be a domestic year since we were abroad in 2010 so that means it's easier for some of you to join us for a week or two.

I'm thinking New England in the fall. Lobster? Leaves?

Start that saving account now!

Chores Are Just a Bit More Fun

2010-12-03T14:20:00.001-06:00

Just When We Were Getting a Handle

2010-12-02T14:37:00.001-06:00

Our bodies were just adjusting to the little bursts of sleep we get and we were figuring out how to do our work routine while juggling Ehren and then yesterday we hit a snag.

Austin jumped up on the couch, screamed and now we have a pretty hurt puppy. The vet ended the exam with "well the good news is she isn't paralyzed" however, I watched her do her tests and Austin stopped reacting to some of them about halfway down her back. The short story is she still has reflexes in her back legs but her brain has lost control of them because of a ruptured disc around L4 in her spine. We are still hoping that she will recover with some medicine but if not we have to decide if we want to pay for surgery and the chances of the issue recurring are huge.

For now she can't walk at all and we have to carry her outside and keep her in her crate. So one of us carries a kid and the other carries a dog. We aren't outfitting her for the wagon she can roll herself around in yet but the mental image does make us giggle a little bit. Hopefully it won't come to that because I think the giggles would all disappear. For now we are just waiting to see and this is the extent of her day.

And it Begins

2010-11-24T09:01:00.006-06:00

As of yesterday Ehren is no longer a static baby. He isn't crawling yet (thank God), but he now scoots as far as he can get which will take him off his playmat and into the dining room if we aren't paying attention. I have no doubt he would make it under the table if we would let him. Yesterday Joshua set him down to play and then sat on the couch to do a bit of work on his computer. Not two minutes later he jumps because "something" grabbed his foot. And of course it was our son who had wiggled his way 3 feet from where he was placed, chewing on his foot.

This is about to get interesting.

In other news he loves to have his picture taken. I'm sure this was a talent fostered by the nannies at Hannah's Hope. Here's the photo progression.

TOTALLY UNAWARE:

REALIZES THERE'S A CAMERA

AND POSE

Birthday Celebration

2010-11-21T18:02:00.005-06:00

Today I (Joshua) turned 31 years old. And to celebrate, we ~~partied it up~~ took Ehren on his first trip to the park. The weather has been great here this week, so we're soaking up as much sun and warmth as we can before it turns cold.

I can't believe it's already been a year since I turned 30. So much has happened in the last year it felt like I just skipped being 30 and went straight to 31. In less than two weeks it will be one year since my dad died. During that year I spent as much time traveling as I did at home. I've been stretched, beat up, disappointed, pushed to my limits in every way, excited, encouraged, supported and loved. I can't think of a better way to end the last year than to become a father.

We've been back home one week and life has taken a huge turn all at once. Our family has adopted a new member and he is amazing. All-consuming, but amazing.

Now We All Match!

2010-11-20T12:02:00.004-06:00

Fat Baby in a Little Hat

2010-11-19T14:49:00.004-06:00

Ehren got his first walk in Crieve Hall today. The weather is beautiful, 60 degrees, nice crisp air. There's still a bit of color left in the leaves on the trees. The pines are foreshadowing Christmas.

Ehren loved seeing the neighborhood, and watching daddy rake leaves for a bit. A good time was had by all.

Baby Jet Lag

2010-11-15T11:03:00.008-06:00

We are home and back in Nashville. We had quite a greeting at the airport and we played pass the baby one last time before Joshua and I are sequestered at the house with him for the next month.

I've spent the last 3 hours working while the boys are sleeping. The three of us are having quite a time adjusting to our new timezone on the other side of the world. However, Ehren loves his new house. He had a bit of trouble doing anything but staring when we first got home. Now that he has adjusted to the blue walls it is a toss up between whether he likes the mirror or playing best. I can't quite decide.

We've also transitioned to the cloth diapers and realize we need a LOT more. Hasn't been painful at all though. The only thing that is painful is the fatigue. He naps great but now he is napping through the night instead of sleeping which is so tiring. Hopefully he'll transition soon to the new schedule and then it will be all peaches and rainbows, right?

Next step is pediatrician appointment, social worker visit, starting the American adoption proceedings and those pesky vaccines. Should make for a full ~~week~~ month!

So Ready for Home

2010-11-11T21:53:00.004-06:00

We are back in Taipei and Ehren successfully survived his first plane ride. We had our AIT appointment today and we are sitting in the hotel room waiting for 2:30 when they said his visa may be ready. There is a small chance they call and tell us there was an issue with the birthmother interview but barring that we got the "clear to go" and we get to pick it up this afternoon.

AIT was interesting. They do your interview just out in the open so you can hear everything. The couple before us met online and he came out here to marry her. They have only seen each other 3 times and they are trying to get her visa so she can come to the US. I can't imagine the stories these officials hear because just this one was fascinating.

Currently Ehren is asleep, Joshua is out finding us lunch and I'm frantically trying to figure out if we can get on a plane in less than 12 hours. The only earlier flight we can take is tonight so I'm trying to be prepared for everything if we get his visa. We have a southwest flight to book, hotel in LA and then packing us all up again. We wouldn't normally be in such a rush to get home but we are 3.5 weeks into the traveling and home just sounds so great.

So if you don't hear from us again that is a great sign and we'll be home on Saturday night. If we don't get an earlier flight then we'll get to buy a cheap ipod, computer and drink more milk bubble tea so it won't be all bad.

Here is America's newest immigrant:

Why I Wasn't a Camera Op

2010-11-11T06:38:00.005-06:00

I have a really hard time documenting things when I just want to experience them. So sorry but you are left with very little pretty pictures. When we left for the afternoon I turned to Joshua and asked if we had the camera. Nope we had forgotten to grab it. But we did have 4 diapers, a bottle ready to be made and one content little boy with us.

Our last day in Taitung was spent checking out more of the aboriginal side of the area and learning a tiny bit about Peinan which is the tribe of Ehren's birthmother.

Then we sufficiently freaked out our waitress at dinner. We decided to eat at the hotel and invited some of the Hannah's Hope staff to join us so we could eat family style to try a few dishes. They needed to eat later than we normally did and it corresponded with Ehren's play time instead of sleep time. Not a problem! We brought a blanket and laid it out on the hotel restaurant floor between our chairs and let him play while we ate. The first waitress laughed and then brought the rest of the girls to see what we were doing. It didn't seem that weird to us but they were very concerned that we understood that the floor wasn't clean. Hello, we brought a blanket - he'll be fine!

Hot Pots

2010-11-09T19:41:00.003-06:00

It's like Taiwanese fondue but with potentially scarier ingredients. I vowed to wait until we had our translator to try it so I didn't offend by not eating anything I was served. Sansan and Lanfen invited us to dinner and were able to help me negotiate the menu to an original beef hot pot that I loved. They have these great mushrooms that I couldn't get the name to, all kind of "tofu cousins," beef, and an egg. There were unidentified fish parts that I left in the pot so I'll leave them out of the blog as well.

I basically copied Sansan as she ate her hot pot because the way you cook it is just as important as the ingredients. Took quite a bit of time to eat with Ehren strapped to me but it was really good.

Would I order it again? Absolutely! Without supervision? Probably not.

Dinner was a lot of fun talking, laughing and getting to know these great Taiwanese women who had both heard of couchsurfing - how crazy is that? We laughed so hard over the impression we had made before coming and the fact that we forgot our camera when we showed up to pick up Ehren that I actually woke him up from his nap. It's like friends away from home.

We are the first family that has been here and not jetlagged so we are getting to hang out with the staff a lot more which I think is so important to the experience. Besides couchsurfing we also had the scooter in common. They have Vino scooters over here and Sansan just thought it was great that Joshua and I drive a scooter like they do since that is so rare in the US.

High five for not being jet lagged and having a scooter!

Ehren took the best nap ever (you know in the last 2 days) so we stopped by this thing on our way home:

Taitung has a lot of aboriginal tribes in it. I thought they had something to do with this but turns out it is a Toaism thing. This is a show for one of their gods to watch. There is some important festival starting tomorrow and so they erect these things all around the city to entertain the gods.

Three stories. Animatronics. Sounds. Lights. All night. Outside our hotel.

Austin vs. Ehren

2010-11-09T10:44:00.001-06:00

Growing up I was called the dog's name more times than I was called my siblings' name. I understand the tendency but after being away from "Austin the Dog" for 3 weeks I didn't think we'd slip into it so quickly. Turns out seven years makes quite a habit.

As a matter of reference for all involved here is how we are going to tell them apart:

Austin hates baths - Ehren loves them.

Austin barks at people she doesn't know - Ehren smiles.

Austin is cool to sleep for 8 to 10 hours - Ehren is NOT.

Austin hates traveling - Ehren seems to be fitting into the Fykes world traveling quite well.

And the most obvious... Austin has white hair - Ehren has black.

Should be simple.

Day One of the Rest of Our Lives

2010-11-08T12:18:00.002-06:00

This is one loved kid. I mean he has fabulous parents but you should have seen the special mothers who have cared for him the last six months. They had written him cards, had gifts for him and couldn't stop balling and telling us how much they were going to miss him. By the time we left everyone but Ehren was crying.

The way it works at Hannah's Hope is there are 3 shifts and in each shift the child has the same caregiver. That means he had 3 people who cared for him specially while they were there. The start that Hannah's Hope gave Ehren is unlike you see in normal orphanages and we will be forever thankful for the love and care he received in Taitung from his special mothers.

I can't wait to show him the notes and cards that everyone gave him. Show him the videos of everyone telling us exactly how he likes to nap/eat/play. And most importantly I can't wait to bring him back here to see what a fabulous place he lived in for the first six months.

After leaving Hannah's Hope we spent some time buying the things we think we need for a baby. We'll see if we were right. We'll probably spend some time tonight googling stuff. Like do we need baby powder? What is baby oil for? You know crucial parenting knowledge.

Most of the day he was happy and playing but we had a small issue with a nap that I think he would label a catastrophe and that meant the rest of the day he wasn't his bubbly self.

It made for quite an interesting situation at the restaurant where we tried to eat dinner. Are they staring at us because we are Westerners with a Taiwanese baby or because we are Westerners with a screaming Taiwanese baby? We'll never know!

Introducing......

2010-11-08T01:52:00.006-06:00

Ehren Taylor Wen Fykes

In case you didn't get that he said "Can't wait to meet y'all." You just didn't catch it because it was in Taiwanese. Love you all!

Hello Taiwan

2010-11-06T08:27:00.001-05:00

Guess what it's doing in Taipei?

That's right it's raining.

Though even with the rain this place is great. I think we'll have no trouble coming back here and having a great time once Ehren is older. God willing everything goes so smoothly with AIT that we won't have time to even scratch the surface of Taipei which will leave us plenty to do on our next trip.

The only difficulty is that everything is in Chinese and almost nothing is in English. Thailand was a breeze because 80% of everything was translated. I can't imagine this being the first international city you ever visit. For us it just means a much greater sense of accomplishment when you figure something out. We were able to buy our train tickets to Taitung and make a payphone call to the person meeting us when we arrive... all without any English. You would have thought we had negotiated peace between two unstable governments. It makes travel feel new and exciting.

One other thing of note is everyone is in winter coats here. I don't exactly know the temperature but I'm in short sleeves and in a really crowded place I still sweat. I know it gets very hot here so this is their winter temperature but a fur lined jacket? Really? We only brought Ehren short sleeves so we may have to find him a jacket.

While we stopped for some ice cream there was a little girl sleeping on the bench next to us. She was probably a year old and Joshua and I just stared at her. Her mom was probably keeping an eye on us thinking we were going to try to grab her and run. Don't think the idea didn't cross our minds. I'm having trouble sleeping I just can't wait to get Ehren.

Tomorrow is the train ride and then Monday is the big day. I don't know exactly the time but if you think about it on Sunday night probably 8 or 9 send some prayers our way that everything goes smoothly for Ehren. This is going to be a pretty traumatic experience to be ripped from the only people he has known and given to these strangers who smell and sound funny. If all the adults in this metropolitan city stare at us, I can't imagine what a six month old will think.

Goodbye Thailand

2010-11-05T09:10:00.001-05:00

Today is our last morning in Thailand, we catch a flight from Bangkok to Taipei shortly. Thailand has left a great taste in our mouth, we will definitely be returning. The people are the most hospitable we've encountered anywhere, and we have a new appreciation for Thai cuisine. We've also gotten to experience two very distinct seasons in the life of tourism here...Low Season and High Season. When we first got to Bangkok it was low season. It was oppressively hot and humid, but there weren't very many tourists. Now, two weeks later in Bangkok it's like a switch got flipped. The temperature has dropped to the 80s and the tourist population has tripled.

November 1st apparently really is the date. That's when everyone knows to hit Thailand. I would say being here right at the change has been perfect but if you want a comfortable trip with a little higher price tag and you don't mind crowds I say wait until November.

It's hard to believe it has only been about two weeks since we left Nashville. Tiffany wants Dr. Pepper pretty badly but other than that we could stay here for much longer.

We're only three days out from picking up Ehren in Taitung and the excitement is starting to be too much. While we're in Taipei our task is to find 18 gifts for him, so we have something from Taiwan each year for his birthday. Wish us luck!

Lost in Translation

2010-11-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

See You Guys in Taiwan in a Few Days

2010-11-03T08:52:00.004-05:00

Our last day on the islands gave us a short reprieve from the rain. And when I say short I mean just long enough for me to be totally toasted. We continued on our quest of relaxation but we were able to snap a few photos without the rain.

The only thing missing is that you can't see the emerald water. This should just whet your appetite to vacation at Thailand's beaches - we don't want to take away all the surprises.

La Laanta is by far the most amazing place we've seen on the beach. Ideal honeymoon place and seems very family friendly as well. Tell your friends!

Sorry To All the Other Tourists

2010-11-02T06:41:00.000-05:00

Right now the locals say it is very rare to have this much rain in Koh Lanta. Its the beginning of high season which means the sun should be shining and the hotel prices sky rocket. We are good on paying twice what we paid last night but is has been two days without the sun. Cloudy is one thing but it has been raining for two days as well. Actually there is now flooding in the southern part of Thailand. It just follows us around. More than anything it makes for a miserable beach retreat for everyone who has made the journey south in Thailand. For us it is a nice change. It leaves us with nothing to do but talk, spend time together and sleep which is probably exactly what we need right now.

On Monday our family will expand from two to three. Ours days will no longer be ours and the reality of our new jobs raising a little boy will be upon us. We will no longer think 7am is an early morning and everything about how we live our life will slow and change.

Are we ready? Probably not. Does that make us any less anxious to get our hands on his already six month old head? Not in the least.

I think all this rain is just for Joshua and I to relish in the seven and a half years it has just been the two of us while getting us rested and unbelievably ready to go get Ehren.

Ramada Ballers

2010-11-01T09:05:00.002-05:00

On our flight to Phuket we sat in front of a couple American guys - our first encounter with Americans. We're at the back of the plane waiting to get off and I decide to introduce myself, ask where they're from etc. etc. Mike & Sam are old friends from LA/San Fran and come to find out they're heading to Phi Phi - the island we're heading for as well. So I say "hey you want to split a cab to the pier and catch a boat together?"

At this point we all knew we missed the last ferry, but we didn't know that it was going to be extortionist pricing to get a private boat. After weighing all the options we decided to bite the bullet. We found another couple that was "in the same boat" (sorry, had to) that made the final price 18,000 baht ($642) for six people.........for a 45 minute boat ride......in a country where your hotel room is $35.

It took them 30 minutes to gas up the boat and by that time we were over the disappointment of the price and looking at the bright side: We get an awesome private boat ride right? Not so much. More than an hour later all of us and our bags had been drenched and we were sufficiently beat up by the choppy water. We did get a great view of the sunset and Phi Phi at night as we came into the pier. Oh but we didn't get to dock at the pier. Nope. They anchored and we waded into shore. With our bags. For $107/person. It was our Phi Phi walk of shame.

Upside is the first Americans we met turned out to be great beach partners and we had more than a few laughs over the whole experience "On a Boat." We also decided the boat ride had bound us together. Although we slept at different places we ate together, scubaed together and hung out until they left this morning.

Also for your information scuba makes snorkeling seem like a joke. Seriously, it changes how you view open water. We will now always wonder what we could be seeing down below. We also can't wait to get certified and do more dives. Is there scuba for babies?

Our Scottish dive instructor Gareth was a character and a great teacher. We did two dives with a lunch break in Maya Bay at Phi Phi Leh ("The Beach") Amazing. Honestly, the only reason we decided to dive was how helpful the dive instructor was when we had arrived after dark with our bags and were looking for hotel on our Phi Phi walk of shame. Taking a lesson just seemed like the best way to compensate him. If the boat ride was for nothing more than to meet our new American friends and learn how much we love scuba it is well worth the price of admission.

Lost in Translation

2010-10-31T14:12:00.000-05:00

Chiang Mai The Final Day

2010-10-31T04:25:00.000-05:00

After waking up at the elephant park and watching the next group of tourists feed the elephants we headed out on a trek up a mountain/hill. We were rewarded with a waterfall to swim in at the top and then a reverse hike down the way we came up.

You like those pants? Totally functional in this weather and everyone is wearing them over here.

We ended the day with a white water rafting trip and then a traditional Thai bamboo raft that Joshua had to steer. Not maybe worth the plane ticket over just for this day but in the grand scheme of life - still fun!

Tomorrow we head to the beach. And when I say "the beach" I mean "The Beach." Ten Points to anyone who is not Carl who can name that location.

English Word for the Day

2010-10-29T21:47:00.000-05:00

We totally lucked out on our elephant adventure. We decided to splurge and spend a day and a night at the elephant park and hands down most interesting part of the trip so far. Do you know the english word for elephant caretaker?

It's mahout. File that away in useless knowledge. These guys basically adopt an elephant and spend every day taking care of them. The elephants only sleep 3 or 4 hours so these guys only sleep that long. They get paid basically nothing but they do it because they love elephants. I liken it a bit to being a ski bum.

These were my two favorite mahouts that we met over the campfire that night. The one on the left is the leader of the mahouts and takes care of the 2 year old elephant. He also lost all of his front teeth in a scooter accident. The one on the right took us to see the sleeping elephants. Both are from Burma. Did you know that elephants sleep with their trunk in their mouth? And that is item number two of useless but interesting knowledge for you. You are welcome!

The most fun/gross part of the day was cleaning our elephant in the pond. I won't go into details, but let's just say the bottom was about a foot of "sludge", and only half of it was dirt. Still an amazing experience though. We walked away from the day saying "did we really just do that?"

Thai Cooking 101

2010-10-28T09:06:00.007-05:00

Did we make the perfect curry paste? Nope.

Did we give it the college try? Absolutely

We do know enough now to attempt pad thai, 2 different kinds of stir fry spring rolls and in theory we can make curry paste from scratch. We also know that I don't like pumpkin in coconut cream. Well worth the time I think.

With every passing day we are noticing that we don't come across many Americans. Like none. We've met all kinds of Europeans, Canadians and plenty of Aussies but our country is poorly represented in this side of the world. I don't understand how we could have met two separate groups from Belgium in two different parts of Chiang Mai but not a soul from the States. It's crazy!

Chiang of Pace

2010-10-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

After 15 hours of train/bus travel we arrived in Chiang Mai. The feeling of decompression was immediate. I liken the city to Verona, Italy: quaint, laid back, idyllic in many ways, but still plenty of city life, history, culture, etc. We settled in at our new temporary abode: the Thapae Boutique House. The value in Thailand is amazing. For roughly $28/night we have a lovely room, free wi-fi, breakfast and service that puts Hampton Inn to shame (and most every other US hotel experience for that matter) all located in the heart of the city. They even do take out laundry: $2 for a full bag of clothes. I could definitely see staying here for a while.

Once we settled, we got out and did a little walking tour. Saw some more buddhas, got a dirt cheap massage at the women's prison (wouldn't have thought women doing hard time would laugh that much, but I think it's awesome that they're learning a trade and getting to practice on tourists!) then explored Tha Pae Road.

(in case you don't recognize it, that's excitement on Tiff's face)

Once the sun exited we hit the night market for a bit

then grabbed some dinner at the "Good View Restaurant". Although the name leaves something to be desired in creativity, the ambiance and view more than compensated.

Tomorrow's agenda: A day learning how to cook Thai food at a local farm. Curry here we come!

The Fykes and Floods

2010-10-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

2010 may be the year of the Tiger but seems to me it should be the year of floods. Thailand is having some crazy rain in the north that is causing some serious issues with the rivers and canals further south. We just barely made it out of Bangkok last night because the rail lines are starting to be covered with water and impassible. We had luckily arrived early enough to catch what was going to be the last train out.

Along the way they had to take us off the train and put us in buses to drive through the worst part. Personally, I would think a train through water was safer than a tour bus through water but my Thai isn't good enough to argue with the transit authority so we just got on the bus and tried not to notice the feet or 2 of water we were driving through.

We were passing through the worst of it just at dark and it was crazy to see these houses they had built on stilts still having water getting into them when it wasn't even raining. Not to mention the people laying on mats at all the high land because I presume they had already been flooded out. The Nashville flood was horrible and as I watched people trying to sweep the water out of their houses I had quite a flashback to doing the same thing at a neighbor's house. However, when their option isn't a friend's home but a tarp at the top of the hill it seems even more tragic.

We are safe and dry in Chiang Mai but I know my Nashville friends can appreciate first hand the tragedy of homes being overtaken with water. I doubt the news is telling you anything about this so I thought I'd let you know.

Two Sides of Bangkok

2010-10-26T16:04:00.000-05:00

We started the morning at the Grand Palace. It's my understanding the king and queen don't reside there anymore but it is still the place where he's coronated and all kinds of other grand ceremonies that require a canopied throne which we aren't allowed to photograph.

I loved all the sparkling colored glass but Joshua was most impressed with this chunk of stone.

He said it made him want to go see Angkor Wat in person. For me, I felt like I had a pretty good view from here.

Then there is a New York side of this huge city too. There are still walls around all building - the windows are all gated at night but wow are there buildings.

We hit Siam Square which is around what I would say is the fashion district. Tons of small shops by designers along with a huge mall called "MBK."

Then there was also this restaurant in the business district.

Moon Bar at Vertigo was most definitely worth the 160 Bahts for the taxi and then 700 bahts for something to drink.

Special thanks to Ian from upstate New York for sending us this way.

If you think dogs in clothes are weird

2010-10-25T20:11:00.003-05:00

Today we headed to the Chatuchak Market far north of town. This is a huge market where the Thai go to do a lot of shopping. I expected it to be a tourist spot but this is a local thing. The part of town we are staying in probably has a 10 to 1 ratio of tourist to Thai and the market was probably 1 to 4 so it was a nice change.

I love that every tiny booth has a name, address and most of them have a logo. Now you may be thinking I'm using the word huge loosely but there were thousands of booths selling anything from popsicles to furniture to ...

That's right internet, you can own a bunny in a dress.

We planned to spend the day there but after 3 hours I was beat, lost and sooooo hot which meant one taxi ride later we were cooling off in the pool before lunch.

Oh, lunch! Can I tell you how good real Thai curry is? Neither Joshua nor I really like curry but we decided to be true to the experience so we had green curry for lunch. Amazing. It had such a clean flavor and if they would cook their vegetables just a little more I think I could eat it everyday. We were on the fence about a cooking class once we got to Chiang Mai but lunch pushed us over the edge. We must come back to America knowing how to make that.

Hope you are all doing well. We can't wait to get to Ehren but if we're going to have to wait 2 weeks this is most definitely the way to do it.

The Unlikely Travel Companion

2010-10-25T13:27:00.003-05:00

I have no idea why parents haven't clued travelers in to how amazing diaper bags are. It's probably because they don't find themselves with the diaper bag without the child and all the child's accoutrements. And that is where we can provide a service to you fine people. We have the diaper bag but no child for a few more weeks.

#1 reason we love our diaper bag for travel: There are a million pockets so everything has it's own space and you always know where the hotel key is.

#2 reason we love our diaper bag for travel: There are the convenient bottle pockets that hold water bottles perfectly. Plus our bag has "stay warm" bottle holders which also keep those water bottles cold in the oppressive Bangkok heat - for five hours! Amazing!

Am I saying run out and buy a diaper bag for travel? Maybe not, but if you find one at a garage sale (like we did) you may consider picking it up if you have an upcoming trip. Especially if it comes in incognito orange like ours

Lamphu Treehouse - Bangkok

2010-10-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

Because our luggage was a bit more intrusive this trip we decided couchsurfing may not be the best option. So thanks to Lonely Planet we came across this place on the plane ride into Bangkok.

If you ever come this way and want to stay in the Old City you want to stay here. The rooms are clean, they have hot water, AC and a cold pool. I didn't fully understand the importance of that last item from America but I will never come to Bangkok without staying in a place with a pool.

Check out the digs we got for about $45/night.

All I would change is the canal brings out the mosquitos a little earlier than I would like. Everything else is perfect.

It's also around the corner from Khao San Road which is deemed as a backpacking destination for cheap food, lodging and travel. That means it is busy all the time and great for people watching.

We got our airline tickets around Thailand, Joshua turned down an opportunity for a "happy ending" while I got some prescription sunglasses and most importantly we ate pizza. We have yet to have a night that doesn't take us to Khao San Road but we are very glad not to have a guesthouse there like we were originally planning.

Lost in Translation

2010-10-24T01:01:00.000-05:00

Bienvenido a Bangkok

2010-10-21T09:03:00.004-05:00

After one and a half days of traveling and another day of accidentally falling asleep as soon as we arrived, we are glad to report we have survived our first day in Bangkok.

First off it is nothing like we expected. When we compare it to all the other places we have been it is closer to Port au Prince and Lima than anywhere else. That's not bad at all but just a little unexpected.

We spent the day yesterday being "scammed" by a tuk-tuk driver which just means they drove us around and stopped at certain shops where they get commissions.

However, along the way we got to see a lot of the buddhas around the city and so I wouldn't call it a lost cause. I would say I'm all good on seeing buddhas though.

In other news I keep trying to speak Spanish to everyone because apparently when I'm in a place where they don't speak English I just switch into Spanish. Turns out it hasn't been helpful so far.

Our Next Big Adventure

2010-10-16T22:31:00.004-05:00

I'm not talking parenthood. That's the big adventure our next big adventure is going to take us to but first we have a pit stop in Thailand...maybe.

If you think the last sentence was confusing you wouldn't imagine how it feels to live it. We still don't have a firm date to pick up Ehren. However, we leave North America for Asia in just over 48 hours.

As we got our final decree and everything seemed to be pointing to our traveling to get him in early to mid October we began to wind down our business and stop finding new clients. By last week we had kind of closed up shop and were just waiting around for the call. We finally decided why not wait for the call on a beach in Thailand. You can live well for like $50/day over there and we're already paying for the huge plane ticket so we started making plans for a few weeks backpacking in Thailand complete with elephants, snorkeling and Thai cooking school.

We are packed for those plans.

There is also a chance we could be at the orphanage in no less than a week and be handed our son. Since we have a layover in Tai Pei we may just jump off the plane there if we only have 2 days before we have to be in Taitung to pick him up.

We are packed for those plans and Ehren's suitcase is twice the size of our backpack.

So traveling in true Fykes fashion we are packed for anything and have reservations for NOTHING. I have a list of hotels to contact if we end up in Bangkok and I'm working on my list if we jump off the plane in Tai Pei. Hopefully we know which country we are going to end up in before we taxi away from LAX but there is a very real chance we don't hear anything and have to wait until we arrive in Tai Pei on Wednesday morning. Stay tuned...I know I will!

Grace Under Pressure

2010-09-22T19:46:00.010-05:00

I've always believed that I respond well when put under pressure. That belief has certainly been put to the test during the last few weeks.

Here's a snapshot of our life right now:

- The business (restaurant) in Texas has required two impromptu trips to deal with management/staffing
- We are wrapping up a house we are renovating/flipping
- Got a call from our adoption agency couple weeks back that we will be traveling to Taiwan a month earlier than we thought to pick up Ehren
- Doing our best to get Ehrens's room put together and acquire requisite baby paraphernalia (see previous item)
- My dad's house in Texas closed- requiring coordination of estate sale, etc.

Here's the question of the week- How do you respond when you're unexpectedly forced into a completely new setting, new circumstances, new people and everyone Is looking to you for answers, solutions....leadership? Or to put a finer point on it, it's Sunday morning, there's a diner full of customers, you're kitchen staff just lost four people in the past few days(including your head cook), one of the remaining cooks called in "sick", the city's flooding from 9 inches of rain and a roof leak just collapsed the ceiling over a table.

What to do? About the time the ceiling collapsed on a customer's table, I had to laugh. It was either that or break down crying, and noone wants to see a grown man weep while trying to enjoy a western omelette.

Back in My Prime

2010-09-03T09:54:00.002-05:00

I used to be amazing at birthdays. I was raised in a family where birthdays were a big deal and gift giving was modeled well. So in turn I would always do a great job loving on the people who are important to me on their birthday. And if you ever told me you never had a party or birthdays were never a big deal - Watch Out!

When Joshua turned 18 I set up a small gift everyday for 18 days leading up to his birthday. Then on his birthday I got someone to cover his shift without his knowledge and surprised him by being at his house when he got home from work.

I had a roommate in college who was lucky enough to have her birthday at the beginning of the year that we lived together (because by the end I wouldn't have gotten her a card). I had a random student show up and drive her on a scavenger hunt that ended with a surprise party at Chuck-E-Cheese where she said she had always wanted to have a party as a child.

I was the person who listened to what people said all year waiting to hear the perfect "I wish I had..." so that it was waiting for them on their birthday. I set the bar high for birthdays.

Recently I had a friend mention that she was doing a birthday surprise for her husband that would make me proud and I realized: I haven't done birthdays justice in years. Joshua and I have made a decision to basically skip gift giving at birthdays and Christmas to each other and I'm starting to think that decision may not be the best. I miss giving surprises and pulling off the impossible and the look on the other person's face when it is just what they wanted. I'm not sure how I'm going to revive this talent but I'll have the skill back up and running before Ehren knows any different.

Going to Taiwan - Take One!

2010-08-23T18:27:00.006-05:00

In one hour I get to head to airport to pick up Joshua. He has been in Texas for 2.5 weeks dealing with restaurant issues and I am so glad to get him home. Number One: I miss him! Number Two: We have a lot to do!

I've been reading through our old blog posts from 2008 before our trip to Europe and thinking about how much prep we did for that trip. Here we are with a trip to Taiwan looming in our future and we haven't done anything to think about it. Plus, at the end of the trip to Taiwan we don't just have memories, we have our son.

We aren't going to do a "nursery" per say but we do want to put together a room that sort of matches so we should probably get on that. We also need to learn/acquire cloth diapers since we have decided not to spend the money or the room in landfills on 2 years worth of diapers. Luckily we've had people give us lots of other baby accouterments so we aren't totally unprepared but we are far from ready. Then on top of all the baby prep there's the actual travel in a country which Rick Steve's has probably never been. Most of the couchsurfers don't speak English so we're gonna be pushing it a little bit with that type of lodging. Plus we have to pack for 2 adults and an infant.

It will all work out but when there is a chance we could be leaving in October I think the end of August is a slow start on this one. Expect updates here on "nursery" and travel progress.

Keep us honest Internet!

Getting Rid of "It"

2010-08-22T13:49:00.000-05:00

August 2nd the beard came off. The original plan was that he was going to shave it off for the first court date for Ehren. However, Monday August 2nd we got a call about a small restaurant crisis in Texas and Joshua couldn't deal with all the stress with that thing on his face. So instead of commemorating a good day the beard came off on a day of crisis.

I couldn't be happier!

Patiently Waiting

2010-08-18T12:47:00.006-05:00

So the good news is that our court date couldn't have gone smoother. The birthmother showed. The file was deemed complete. Now we just wait for the judge to rule. That will be his "first decree" and then there is a waiting period where the birthmother can change her mind and then we get the "final decree" which officially makes the adoption legal in Taiwan. Then we make an appointment to get his travel visa and immigration papers and we head to Taiwan.

Seems so simple and you'd think we'd be heading out next month but you have to remember we are dealing with 2 governments. Because the court appearance went so well we have our finger crossed to travel in the middle of November. No promises though!

In other news Joshua has been in Texas for a week and a half. There was a small restaurant crisis that is slowly resolving itself and I'm hoping he gets to come home next week. Right now, I'm living the single parent life with "Austin the Boy" and I am NOT a fan. Yesterday traffic was horrible and it took me 2 hours to pick him up from school. TWO HOURS! Then I had to get him fed and run to a client meeting where he sat and did his homework while I talked market trends with a seller client.

It's gonna be a hard 4 days for me, but the poor kid. I'm probably the meanest adult he knows and he's stuck with me alone for 4 days. Hopefully we'll both be stronger on the other side but I can tell you one thing: This 3rd grader will know how to make his own lunch by Friday.

JULY

2010-07-27T20:11:00.005-05:00

I just want to go on record as saying that Joshua was supposed to be in charge of the blog this month. Poor showing Fykes! So now I've got a moment before bed and my work is at a place that everything can keep until tomorrow so let's catch up. How've you been?

We have been vacillating between crazy and our life is awesome. Joshua has been building "The Shed." We've been to Texas twice to meet with the managers of Town & Country Cafe to get them on track for the new plan for "The Restaurant." We've been underwhelmed by everything but the okra in "The Garden." And we are slowly acquiring cloth diapers and nursery supplies for "The Kid." Speaking of...we got new pictures today and measurements and info. Turns out he is eating at 9:30pm, 1am and 4:30am and cries all the time. They also categorized him as "Obstinate sometimes." I wish I could post the photos online but if you care to see just email me and I'll send them that way.

So that's the short story of July. We have our first court date in Taiwan (where a proxy stands in for us) on August 16th so in case you don't see us again before then send some prayers our way on the 15th so the judge is happy and content and can see what a great family this is.

Oh did I forget to mention "The Thing" on Joshua's face? My Bad!

The Disney World of Waterparks

2010-06-30T11:22:00.006-05:00

Last week we went to Texas and it was one of the most fun trips I've had in a while. We started at a friend's wedding just outside of Houston and I'm not one to be excited about going to Houston. I'm actually the one that says "Why???" when people tell me they are moving to Houston. I know that may be very ignorant of me but I fill my brain with plenty of other things so I don't feel the need to educate myself on the positive attributes of Houston. Plus, hating things is so much easier.

So we got my friend off and married in what I hope is the last bridesmaid dress I have to wear. Then we high tailed it to the Hill Country with the already married friends. And the next day we had on more clothes than our newly married friends, but maybe not much. I was telling someone today about the amazing tubing, waterslides, lazy rivers and wave pools at Schlitterbahn and the first thing she asked me was "so how does that work?" and she waved her hand up and down her body. Yep! We walked around all day barefooted and in just our bathing suits. Then we got to head back to my parents house totally exhausted and grill dinner on their patio.

I know it doesn't sound that exciting but combining great friends with my parents with Texas with an epic summer experience I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Interrupted

2010-06-27T15:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday the power went out twice. Both times right in the middle of cooking a meal. The first time it was while we were preparing the elaborate breakfast Joshua and I had planned for ourselves the night before. The second time it was the dinner we had been craving since we had to settle for cold cereal for breakfast.

We haven't lived through any stretch of time without electricity for years. I remember the last time was when we were on Inwood and everyone came out on their front porches and hollered to each other across the street. This time most of our neighbors were gone and the sun was 20 minutes from setting and we were starving so Joshua frantically looked for flashlights and candles while I threw together the sandwiches we would eat.

We had a romantic picnic by candlelight. I read to Joshua for as long as my eyes could take it. We left a message for our couchsurfers telling them where to grope for the flashlight when they got home and we went to bed early.
Like 9:30pm.
It wasn't so bad

Dear 20 Year Old Tiffany,

2010-06-14T09:54:00.003-05:00

Congrats on identifying and following your dream so early. You don’t realize right now how rare it is for someone to stand up against what everyone expects of them at such a young age. That being said, when you get offered that amazing opportunity to take a job in TV in New York City your junior year – take it! Who cares that you aren’t done with school? You are strong enough to go back and finish school later. We all know you love learning too much. You.Can.Finish.Later.

Wash your face every night. It’s a hard habit to get into so maybe get a head start on that one.

I don’t want to ruin it for you but next year you’re gonna make a stupid decision. One of the few rash things you do. The consequences will be painful and you’ll have to fight but coming through it on the other side will seal your future in a perfect way so I'm not going to tell you not to do it. It’ll also be a badge of imperfection that you need every once in a while.

It’s kind of socially awkward to have guy friends once you are married so learn to get along with girls. Your later married self will thank you. You might as well work on the whole makeup thing, too. You’ll end up wearing it later so teach yourself how to use it now. Plus it’ll get your Mom off your back.

Enjoy college. Don’t take everything so seriously. Your drive will get you where you want to go but learn to put it in neutral every once in a while. Play while you still can. It’s harder to do when you have rent or a mortgage or a little Taiwanese baby (peaked your interest there right?).

Keep up with the Walters. They are a great family and those kids you babysit are going to turn into great little adults. You’ll be glad to watch them grow up. You’ll also need a place to stay when you visit Austin because you won’t be living there forever (you might as well get that through your head).

While you’ll achieve a lot, remember you aren’t what you do. Hold loosely to the things you have. Be generous with your money and your time. No matter how much you get hurt continue to love people intensely because when it sticks it’s worth all the pain.

Much Love,

30 year old Tiffany

Thanks to Cassie Boorn for the idea

The Real News!

2010-06-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

So remember all that adoption paperwork we had to fill out? Well about two weeks ago we got a call from our adoption agency and we have a little boy waiting for us in Taiwan. I would love to post a picture here but until the adoption is finalized we can't share the photos.

Bummer, right?

Joshua and I really couldn't be more excited. We are looking at bringing him home late this year and we had no idea it could all happen this fast. I mean we really hit this process hard in February and we'll have him at about the human gestational period of 9 months. People wait years for their kid so we couldn't feel more blessed. He is healthy and tiny and so cute. Please know I wouldn't lie to you Internet. I'm of the belief that all babies are NOT cute, but this little guy has the best lips and a head full of hair. C-U-T-E!

We are trying to not get totally consumed by the news since our world won't change for at least five months. But with everyone else around us getting excited on our behalf it's hard not to just sit and stare at his photo. This is gonna be one loved kid!

Our New Addition

2010-06-08T20:37:00.004-05:00

Were you expecting something else?

We have our annual lawn party this weekend and Joshua has a deadline to have this project completed. He's had months to do it but with the flood last month everything in construction that wasn't emergency related kind of came to a screeching halt. So this has come off the paper and into our backyard in about a week. My favorite part is being able to walk out our door and have a visual reminder of how talented my husband is.

His challenge was to build a creative and interesting shed for the same price that you can buy a pre finished one at Home Depot. He's going to come in just a little over the sticker price but he doesn't have to pay tax so I'd say that is success.

Have You Missed Me?

2010-05-20T21:00:00.004-05:00

We just got out of a five hour session of adoption education. Now before I start this rant I want you to know I fully support the demand that adopting couples do education about raising adopted kids. There are so many things you need to do that are counterintuitive at the beginning and not being prepared is what makes people put kids back on planes to Russia. However! This is our third 10 hour class. Third! Like we have already sat through a similar class twice. Could this process be any more arduous?

Now there may be other things that happened today that have made us a little edgy. Like today started at the dentist - for three hours - and Joshua and I together have 9 cavities - and no dental insurance. Like the postal service may have lost our key - our only key - to the ranch in Texas - making it impossible to show to the people who said they would make us an offer today.

So tonight I thought I'd take this opportunity to let you know we are hot and heavy into this whole adoption thing. You know, while I'm in such a good mental space. It's all rainbows and unicorns over here!

Our homestudy is just missing our FBI fingerprint clearance and all kinds of county and state certification and then we send it off to Taiwan and wait for our baby. See saying that right there just calmed everything down. Who cares that we are going to have to spend his/her college education fund filling our teeth? Once it is all said and done we get to start our family. Plus, maybe the baby'll be a "little bit country" and enjoy visiting the ranch in Texas we'll still own.

Sidenote: I'm not going to tell my mom that I wrote this because she has now said she will not be checking the blog anymore due to our absence and I want to see how long it takes for her to forget that she said that and check. I'll let you know.

This Weekend

2010-05-03T19:26:00.004-05:00

I've heard people aren't really hearing much about all the flooding that happened here this weekend. We are lucky to have no water in our house but we know a lot of people who lost everything and they are still doing water rescues in one part of town. Here's some raw footage less than half a mile from our house. There is a little bit of water footage at the end.

This is the largest amount of rain in 48 hours that Nashville has ever had in recorded history. Hope you had a less devastating weekend.

Town and Country Restaurant

2010-04-27T17:15:00.004-05:00

I've been staring at this picture on my desktop for months. We took it back in February to give everyone something to visualize when we talk about the restaurant. The place is broken into the main room and the "party room." Party room is where I'm standing. It's also where they had the Rotary meetings and where the overflow of people go during the rush hours. It's also the section of the restaurant that we shut down for some friends one Valentines in high school. We gave them a linen table cloth and a rose and called it a romantic dinner. It's also called the 50's if you're down with the restaurant lingo.

Anyway, now you can see all the cool retro light fixtures and diner tables and if you look close you can see the bar where all the coffee regulars sit and drink all day. No kidding - some of those guys sit there for longer than people sit at Panera working.

The Internet

2010-04-22T12:40:00.008-05:00

Thanks to Joshua Longbrake for linking to this.

News!

2010-04-20T17:16:00.001-05:00

I've had to stop calling my mother so she will stop asking me to update the blog. It's a tough life when your internet life starts interfering with your "real" life. I apologize for the lack of posting but I think I mentioned about a year ago that when you have nothing to talk about you have all the time you need to blog but when you have great antidotes about all the interesting things happening to you then there's no time left before you pass out at night.

In lieu of full posts I'll just give you the quick things I've thought about blogging about:

Did you hear about the city in Florida that need to destroy an old bridge and instead of spending the $13 million themselves they are trying to get a big Hollywood movie to blow it up? I love that kind of creative problem solving
Our adoption agency called us to let us know they are letting a new family into their Taiwan program (something they only do every few months) and they picked us. That means as soon as we get our home study and dossier completed we get to start being on the waiting list.
Found out there are 2 families currently on their waiting list and 8 families working to get their dossier finished. Sounds like a race to me. Nothing like making adopting a competition to motivate me towards finishing up all the paperwork.
I'm currently working a real estate transaction where my clients are swapping houses. They are literally going to buy each other's houses. Oh and it gets better...they live down the street from each other. You think there's no way to make real estate different? Just try me!

Well, that covers my last two weeks of missing posts. Now you're all caught up on the Fykes and I can stop dodging my mom's calls.

My New Addiciton

2010-04-07T15:24:00.007-05:00

Have you ever heard of Groupon? If you haven't you are so missing out on a whole other reason to get out of bed in the morning. I wish I was kidding but this site is now one of the first things I check in the morning. You can read all about it here but the bottom line is they have a deal a day. I've bought house cleaning, jeans and tons of food.

Today I got my hair cut and colored compliments of a groupon. Turns out the salon normally charges $160 and I paid $45. Thank.you.very.much.

BEFORE

AFTER

I know the change isn't dramatic but I just needed a haircut bad. So when this popped up on Groupon - let's just say it was a good day.

The site has actually challenged someone to live solely on Groupons for a year. If I was in college or just out I would totally have signed up. Sounds like an adventure and the $100,000 at the end doesn't sound so bad either. Unfortunately I'm an "adult" and I didn't think the adoption agency would have liked the concept very much.

All Done Blocking

2010-03-30T14:59:00.015-05:00

Well it's been about 6 months since we last talked about this project. We've been slowly plugging away at it, and we just reached a turning point: we finished sewing, ironing and trimming all the blocks and couldn't wait to lay it all out in the living room to see what the final product will look like.

We're now in the process of sewing all the blocks together, next will be sewing the front and back together and "quilting" it.

Next Step: finding somewhere or someone that has a "quilting" machine.

Labor Pains Begin

2010-03-26T15:12:00.005-05:00

This is the first stack of paperwork Joshua and I have done.

I included the post it note so you could have a point of reference.

I wish I could say these were all just papers we had to sign but this bump on my ring finger doesn't lie. These are forms we had to fill out front and back, essay questions on both sides of those sheets of paper and all kinds of information we had to look up about ourselves. I'm expecting at least 3 more stacks of this magnitude before we are even allowed to be on the waiting list.

For now we're just focused on this stack being all done. Once we get our test results back we can start all of our interviewing and the next pile of paperwork. I think our labor pains will come every two months in the form of one inch of documents and forms to be filled out.

I'll give you one whole dollar if you can guess the first question we asked when they told us we had to write a 4 page autobiography.

Roadtrip Anyone?

2010-03-25T17:06:00.002-05:00

Watch this and tell me what you think. I love it and think it is such an amazing idea but maybe I've been locked up in my office too long and I've lost all perspective. Or maybe it IS an amazing idea and one of you want to do a Google road trip with me.

What the Junk?

2010-03-21T22:19:00.003-05:00

My mother and I share a lot of talents.

We are both multitaskers.

We both speak our minds.

We are pretty good gift-givers.

The list could go on.

One talent I did not inherit is her ability to fold a fitted sheet perfectly. I know you think I'm overstating but in the closet you could never tell which were the flat and which were the fitted.

I've had her show me her methods. I've had her talk me through her technique...apparently this is the best I can do.

Let's all cross our fingers this isn't one of the tests during the home study.

Our Little News

2010-03-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

So the Fykes have big news. Every time you say something like that when you are married without kids everyone assumes we're going to announce that we're pregnant.

We are NOT pregnant!

However!

Hopefully we're gonna have a kid in the next year. This month we kicked our plans to adopt into high gear. Well, technically we are really in neutral while we change our health insurance but the clutch is in and our hand is on the gear ready to go.

Joshua and I have always talked about adopting as a way to grow our family. We just feel like there are too many kids out there that need homes and we have a great one to share. So as soon as we get our new health insurance cards we'll be probed, questioned, fingerprinted, lectured to and then hopefully be deemed "fit" parents.

Stay tuned as the newest Fykes adventure unfolds.

G/T Class

2010-03-04T13:22:00.003-06:00

I was in the Gifted & Talented program when I was in school. In elementary school they would take like 10 of us out of each grade twice a week and we'd work on logic problems, or take special trips, or have research projects. When I look back and think about it the kids that got pulled out for this didn't really ever have a chance of being "cool." Everyone in the class hated you because you got to go "play" while they had to sit and read about George Washington.

Anyway I'm a dork and I loved the logic problems and all the learning stuff but the one part of the program I hated was every year we had to invent something. Every year. Who can invent something every year?

One year I did a new musical instrument with little pieces of wire soldered to the inside of a coffee can that you filled with balled up Hershey kiss wrappers and shook around. The different wires made different sounds and that was my invention. It had a name, something like Plunker I think. Isn't that ~~genius~~ idiotic?

Well the next year I decided to invent something that woke my sister up. The idea was it was supposed to reach across the room and it would be a ball you drop into a shoot and it travels down this path and that hits a pulley that swings something around and eventually rings a bell by her head. Well the complexity of keeping everything going with my very basic understanding of gravity (I was like 10) the contraption would only work if I was a like a foot and half away from her. At that point you might as well just hit her upside the head or say "Get Up!"

Why am I telling you this?

1. I want you to know I had no chance of being cool.

2. I am not an inventor.

3. I have an insane appreciation for the complexity of this stunt.

Enjoy!

How I Work It

2010-02-26T19:08:00.001-06:00

I typically use my looks to my advantage when there is something I want.

I'm sorry did I just hear laughing?

I know for most ladies that may mean "accidentally" dropping something on the floor to distract or a well timed hip movement with each step but we all know that's not the kind of looks I have. My "looks" go hand in hand with my ability to get into high school football games on a student ticket.

Over the years I have learned the only way for me to combat my overly-aggressive/must-win energy is to just play stupid. That paired with the fact that I look like the other professional's daughter doesn't make it hard to swallow that I'm just a naive young girl who has no idea what she's doing. It's how I got the oil rig to stop drilling for an hour in Oklahoma. It's how I get people on the other side of my real estate deals to give my clients a break.

I knew that sometimes it works in my favor, but this week I took a negotiating class and turns out Smart/Stupid is apparently a proven negotiating technique. With the right personality on the other side of your deal it'll mean they want to help you out rather than beat you into the ground. So even if you don't look 18, swallow your pride and play dumb a little more often and you never know where it will get you.

Perspective

2010-02-18T10:15:00.006-06:00

The internet is a funny, funny thing. This is going to take a bit of thought but try to track with me.

No seriously, you might need to turn off your music for this one.

I introduced a friend to a blog I loved. That same friend has a great blog and is excellent at her trade. Eventually my friend ended up meeting the person who's blog I love. Because I love that blog and just knew they would be good friends I was all star struck and giddy about the meeting. However, my friend is so amazing that the person from the blog I love was all star struck of meeting my friend.

When I was talking to my friend about it she said. "The internet is so weird it makes people appear more special than they are." My comment back "No way - the internet just lets more people see how awesome and special we all really are"

Back in Tennessee for Now

2010-02-15T17:27:00.002-06:00

What is up with this winter?

One light dusting is our typical winter and right now I'm looking out at our yard covered in snow for the 4th time. It's so funny because the rest of the Nashville is hating it and Joshua is all excited and giddy. I think spending 2 months of winter in south Texas where you can wear short sleeves once a week makes enduring the 23 degrees more bearable.

So here's the short form update. Joshua has been in Nashville since the beginning of February. All the horses are sold. When he left Texas the house was under contract. Today the contract fell apart and so we still own a ranch in south Texas that has a garage full of restaurant equipment. There's a short list of people who want to see it and one who says they want to make us an offer so hopefully this time next week we'll be back under contract.

Acclimating back to "real life" has been a little strange. Our life basically stopped on December 2nd and so returning to a world that has continued turning for 2 whole months is a bit startling. We are slowly getting our sea legs back but I'm trying to be okay being just a little shaky for a while. I would like us to be able to just jump back in but if we were going full speed then running into the brick walls we still hit (like contracts falling through) would hurt a lot more.