Our Visit To TSE-World

So here we are in lovely San Antonio visiting our own TSE-World and having the most wonderful time. We have been back and forth on whether or not a trip to the better known Sea World is something we need to fit in on this visit, but after seeing how much fun the kids are having just being with their cousins and friends, we have decided why bother?

We have shopped entirely too much and found everything on our list and more. (The more is always a problem when shopping in the US---Target, my double edged sword). We have eaten all of the food we've missed and more. (Again, more is always a problem when trying to make up for months without things we miss). The kids have played and played and played some more. Everyone is having a great time with the exception of Sarah, who seems to be inexplicably foul lately. She is either rebelling from the crazy schedule and resultant lack of sleep or she is undergoing a personality change that none of us much cares for. I realize there could be a multitude of other reasons, but regardless of the explanation, the reality is, she is FOUL!

Being back home has been great. It has been great to see so many friends and to be with family. We have missed everyone so much and it is just great to be back in our comfort zone and realize that we can just blend back in with "our people". One of the biggest shockers for me has been how strange it is to have TV. We don't have local television in Belgium and though we do have Slingbox, it takes time to connect it to a television (we rarely do) and it takes a conscious effort of thinking, "I am going to sit down and watch something on TV" because we don't just turn it on for noise or have it on while doing other things the way we did when we lived here. When we do watch, it is almost always recorded and we don't watch commercials. The kids especially haven't watched commercials or television programs that go from one to the next. They do watch movies on DVD, but there once they are over, they are over. We have been surprised at how our kids have been more interested in just sitting in front of the TV than they were when we lived here and had TV. It has been a reminder to us about how we haven't really missed it as much as we thought we had. I am probably the biggest addict in the family so it is hardest for me to imagine never having TV again, but it is definitely worth thinking about.

While eating dinner last night, Nathan and Hannah were talking with their cousins about how we don't like for them to watch Sponge Bob. (Disclaimer: we let them watch plenty of other things that others might find inappropriate, and by no means do we feel morally superior to anyone who does let their kids watch Sponge Bob). Their older cousins were asking them why they couldn't watch it and what was wrong with it. We told them that we just felt like some of the words they use on the show aren't very nice and we didn't want the kids watching them over and over. Our nephew asked which words we thought weren't nice and Joe answered that he was pretty sure they are all old enough to know which words are appropriate and which ones aren't. We also said that we are teaching Nathan and Hannah to know which words are appropriate and which ones aren't, but Sarah is too young to understand and as she is learning to talk, we really don't want her first words to come from Sponge Bob. We told them that the kids like to watch Berenstain Bears and a few other shows where they learn something or there is a lesson. Because I had their attention and thinking I was giving them food for thought I said, "You don't really learn anything from Sponge Bob." Without skipping a beat Nathan followed up with, "Except for bad words." Wise words from our almost 6 year old.

So we have less than a week left and then back to our other home. It will be hard to leave, but nice to get back to our version of normal. Hopefully Sarah will leave this foul persona behind. At least now she has stopped screaming every time she is in the same room as Max. Here's a little clip of what she was doing to him this afternoon. I would like to say she was being sweet, but clearly her sinister little laugh gives her intentions away.