She's Home

She, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

My Favorite Sister is back in the states.  

From my Far Away Favorite Sister

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Thankful

My Favorite Sister is still living abroad in the Philippines but now she has a visitor - my mother!   We've all been missing Rene, but my mom couldn't stand it any longer and hopped on a plane for a ride around the world.  She's been having all sorts of grand adventures - hiking and riding around on motorcycles, helping in Rene's classroom and taking showers out of a cold bucket of water!  I'll miss being with them for Thanksgiving, but I'm thankful that they are together.

Between baking pies this week, I've been working on a required paper for my Black Belt Test.  We have to write a three page paper and read it out loud at our graduation.  I think I should do an interpretive dance instead.  ;)

Everyone’s Got A Water Buffalo

Yours is fast but mine is slow.


My Favorite Sister had quite an adventure over the weekend.

“Today I got to swim in the South China Sea, and on Saturday I rode a water buffalo!! They are huge and hairy kinda like hippos or elephants.

We hiked up a steep mountain to plant trees… and we got an amazing view of the countryside below. It was so beautiful. And peaceful! The whole valley is filled with rice fields, houses made out of bamboo and concrete blocks, corn fields on sides of mountains, palm trees, and dogs and cats hanging outside houses. The drive was beautiful too. It took about 6 hours to get there. The windy road took us up to the tallest peak on this island, about 8,000 ft.”

She is a few months into her 10 month visit to the Philippines.

Hey, Rene, where's my water buffalo?  Why don't I have a water buffalo? :)

Happy Bday Rene

Today is my Favorite Sister's birthday.  Actually, in her time zone, yesterday was her birthday.  But here in the US, it's today.  Weird, huh?  I wish she was closer so we could celebrate.  She seems to be making a habit of aging abroad.


She was in France on her 13th birthday.
She was in Costa Rica on her 17th birthday.
She was in Peru on her 21st birthday.
She is in the Philippines for her 23rd birthday.

When I was 23, I was finishing up graduate school in Kansas and was expecting Miss Munchkin.  What were you doing when you were 23?

Happy Birthday Rene!

Where in the World is Rene Now?

After a short stay in Hong Kong, my Favorite Sister has moved on to her next destination, where she will be staying for 10 months.  Can you guess where she is now?

Here are a few clues:

• tropical climate
• 7000+ islands with white sand
• over 200 volcanoes
• formally under Spanish rule, it is now in the hands of the USA
• its capital city was named after a white-flowered mangrove plant, the nilad
• during war, its flag is hoisted upside-down
• Southeast Asia
• Rene has been studying Tagalog in preparation for this trip

So, any guesses?

Hong Kong

Yes, Nichole guessed right - Rene is in Hong Kong.  She wrote this morning:

This morning we took a city tour and saw some beaches, markets, fishing boats, and LOTS of high rises! Hong Kong is huge, but it doesn't seem too crowded because of the efficient public transportation system.There is a lot of green in the city too and many of the hills are covered in forest. It also doesn't seem extremely foreign; there's a lot of English around since it was a British territory for so long, and the city is very commercial with shopping centers, malls, and more stores! We drove to the top of one of the mountains for an amazing view of the city. It's all spread out between the mainland peninsula and a few smaller islands that are accessible by ferry or underwater tunnel.

She mentioned that she was struggling to use chopsticks and that there wasn't a "fork in sight".

Today she will get back on the plane and depart for her next adventure.  More to come! 

Where in the World is Rene?

My Favorite Sister spent her last day stateside and is leaving in the morning for a new, exciting adventure.  Her first stop is on the other side of the world.  Can you guess where she is going?  Here are some hints:

• It’s the most densely populated city in the world.
• Its name means “fragrant harbor”.
• It boasts a humid, subtropical climate.
• It is one of the world's leading financial centers.
• Know as the place where "East meets West”.
• Where ‘Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’
• It has more Rolls Royces per person than any other city in the world.
• This place has the most skyscrapers in the world!
  

Over the last few years, Rene has visited Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, US, Canada, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Denmark, England, and Wales.

You can read about some of her former adventures here.

Guess Who?

Guess who is coming to visit this week?

Doing the Happy Dance!

Baby Come Back!

The last few weeks have been delightful having my favorite sister visit. We finally had to send her back, but she left behind some mighty fun memories:

• playing Farkle
• ordering ketchup from Sonic, with extra ketchup and a side of ketchup (OK, we didn't actually do this, but we were *this* close)
• sledding on campus
• sledding off campus
  
• playing Wise and Otherwise (Go Banana Slugs!) and Apples to Apples
• bean dip
• being snowbound
  
• watching movies together (Avatar, Terminator 2,3 and 4)
• eating more bean dip
• playing Poptropica with Master Munchkin
• attending the Munchkin's Christmas concert
• hunting for treasures at the consignment store
• being despised and rejected by Borders (who knew they closed at 7pm on New Year's Eve?!)
• watching deer walk by just outside the window
• watching Star Trek Enterprise, Firefly and MacGyver reruns
  
• the 12 Days of Christmas Dinner
• the country music countdown
  
• kickboxing
• morning wakeup calls from the the cats, Munchkins, and/or Trooper
• the checkout lady at the grocery store mistaking Rene for one of my children
  

We miss you already, Rene. Come back soon!

12 Days of Dinner

It's been delightful having my Favorite Sister here for the holidays. She and Miss Munchkin made dinner for us on Christmas Day. The menu was based on the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. The girls planned, shopped and prepared it all by themselves. When it came time to serve the meal, they burst into song and unveiled each dish as they sang the corresponding line in the song.

Here are a few of the highlights:

"Turtle" Doves um, turtles


Calling Birds (bird nest cookies - get it?)


French hens


Geese-a-laying, of course


marshmallows for the hot chocolate (Maids-a-Milking)

Lord's a Leaping (rich, royal fudge)



fried doughnuts for the Golden Rings


And a "Cornish hen in a broccoli tree"
(with pears on the side)


Dinner was delicious.


Next year's Dinner: "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"

Busy Girl

It's been a bit crazy around here this week. My Favorite Sister is here visiting for the funeral. Although it's a sad time, it is so good to see her! I took her to try the Best Burger in the state yesterday and she came to kickboxing with me last night. That was fun! Right Rene? Rene?

Add to this the hubby's obligatory Office Christmas Party, jury duty, Room Mom responsibilites (Master Munchkin's classroom Christmas Party), entertaining a puppy with destructive chewing tendencies, Christmas shopping, school Holiday programs and Belt Testing, and I feel like I'm a bit bonkers this week!

I'm going to try and get some family pictures while my sister is here. I'll share some with you if I succeed! :)

In Which Miss M Learns an Unsual Skill

One little-known talent my favorite sister possesses is the ability to levitate. I think she learned it from the llamas in Machu Picchu. Miss Munchkin was understandably intrigued and asked Rene for some pointers.

Well, first you raise your left knee like this. No, no, your other left knee.


Then you kick your leg forward and flip up your hair. Don't forget: the hair is key. Yes, very good!


Now, say "Cilantro" while tilting your head to the right. I can skip this step because I am so good. Now you try.


Yes! OK, let's put it all together. Remember: knee, kick, tilt, Cilantro!

Look, Mom, I'm levitating!

Try To Follow Along

I have 2 children and 1 sibling. But I grew up as an only child.

This is me and my favorite sister, Rene. We are visiting her this week.


This is my sister with my children. They are very close.


My Munchkins are 7 years apart and my sister is 7 years older than my daughter.

Confused yet?

I was 17 and almost ready to leave the nest when my sister was born. Now my children's Aunt is more like their sibling. Except she's MY sibling.

Do you get it? It's a little unusual, but entirely wonderful.

Anticipation

Where in the world is Rene?

Well, we're about to find out!

Where in the World is Rene?

It's been awhile since I've mentioned my Favorite Sister. Well, she has recently graduated from college and has started her very first real job. I recently asked her some questions for my blog and she happily agreed to answer them.

So, Rene, what countries have you visited or lived in?

Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, US, Canada, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Denmark, England, Wales.

Wow! You've been to some pretty interesting places. What was one of your favorites and why?

I really loved Bolivia. The country has it all—tropical jungles, the highest lake in the world AND the highest world capital, snow-capped mountains, beautiful music, vibrant colors, and great friends.

So, what are you doing these days?

I'm working at a historical museum, developing new exhibit space and giving tours here and there. And staring at the Mississippi River trying to spot bald eagles.

What is it like having a sister who was basically leaving home when you were born?

I always wished I could spend more time with her, and when I do get to, it's never enough.

Tell me about the Munchkins.

I love them to pieces. I’m proud to be an aunt. They give me an excuse to laugh and smile and play.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla, but only if it's Breyers Vanilla Bean. Otherwise, I'll pass on the ice cream and take a piece of my mom's cheesecake.

I'm with you on the cheesecake! White or wheat?

Wheat!

Places you want to visit before you die

India, Africa, Alaska (I've always been fascinated by my Grandma and Grandpa's stories of driving up to Alaska on unpaved roads. Grandpa said he'd drive 500 miles a day for nine days or something like that. Unbelievable.), anywhere and everywhere.

Do you have any adventures planned for the near future?

Not unless you count tromping around the wilderness of the kitchen, feeling my way through the dense forest of cutlery and cooking utensils as I slowly but surely get my bearings. (I did make a quite delicious egg-broccoli-cheese bake the other day.)

Favorite Starbucks drink?

Depends on my mood. Sometimes I just want a nice big cup of plain coffee (I love Casi Cielo) and sometimes I want a specialty coffee like a White Chocolate Mocha. Ooo, but an Iced Vanilla Latte—that's my real favorite. And thanks to my Big Sis for feeding (or enabling?) my Starbucks addiction.

Websites you visit every day:

All Astonishment, of course! NYTimes.com and then some not-so-exciting ones--like my email account. Any other suggestions?

I don’t visit these every day, but I think they are too cool not to share: www.jacksonpollack.org, where you can slop paint around on a virtual canvas (and pat yourself on the back for your creative genius), And an artistic tribute to Lincoln, which is fitting since it was recently Lincoln’s birthday (http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/in-love-with-a-lincoln/).

Favorite book? Author?

I looove to read (I guess this runs in the family). One of my favorite authors is Steinbeck. My favorite book? I often have trouble remembering the plots of books after I read them (this must run in the family too), and right now I’m having trouble remembering any books at all! One that’s coming to mind is Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Another is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Weird random fact about yourself:

When people ask me this, I usually tell them that my only sibling is 17 years older than me. But I guess that won't work here, so....here’s another one: I seem to have some strange natural talent for Minesweeper. And I love logic puzzles.

Thanks Rene. We're so glad you're back in the States!

The Sweetest Part of Thanksgiving

My Favorite Sister came home for Thanksgiving. It was such a treat spending time with her!

Where in the World is Rene?

The majority of you wanted to hear more about Rene. That's OK - I understand. Her life is way more interesting than mine. :) So here you go:



My favorite sister is not content to sit around the house. No, she goes off and has fabulous adventures all over the world. She visits exotic places like the Amazon jungle and Macchu Picchu and rides scary city buses around huge, foreign cities, where English is spoken only in her dreams.

This week, however, she is stateside but still she travels. She has crossed the continental US to attend a fancy military Officer's Ball (I want photos Rene!). She is getting ready to return to the Lone Star State, where she will finish up her final year of college. Her adventures are far from over, however and there will be further installments of "Where in the World is Rene?" here on All Astonishment.

And if you were one of those Gentle Readers who wanted a recipe or wanted to hear about the upcoming Fight Class, tough! I mean, check back soon. :)

My Kind of Model

Stood Up, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

My sister was such a good sport on our recent photoshoot. She didn't think twice when I said, "Here, stand up on this stool". We sure got some fun pictures. Thanks Rene! :)

Photoshoot

Intent, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

My favorite sister and I had a fabulous photoshoot in our orchard. She was such a gracious model and let me do all kinds of fun stuff. The Munchkins and the pets tagged along so there were a quite a few shots with a tail peeking out here, a furry nose there, or a kid climbing a tree in the background.