Parks and Pancakes

Long before our actual move date, John and I were talking strategy...about everything involving the move.  And one of the most important aspects was how we were going to transition our two lovely-when-well-rested children to an entirely different time zone after an international flight.  When daylight savings time can alter your household schedule for over a week, these are the kind of things it's important to have a game plan for. 

Pancakes!

In the end, we decided we would attempt to model our normal daily schedule right from the get-go and combine it with plenty of sunshine, exercise, nourishing food, lots of water and rest.  (Isn't this what we should be doing anyway?)

Well, we went to bed around 8pm last night and John was the first one up at 1:30am, followed immediately by Yours Truly, Audrey around 2:30 and Bailey close to 3am.  So that was it; it was on like Donkey Kong!  We started the day out right with pancakes and fruit...because muesli doesn't actually count as 'nourishing' in my book.  We obviously took our time getting ready for the day, played and rested a bit before heading out for our first walk in Vienna around eight.  We chose a general direction and headed out for some reconnoitering.

Karlskirche

The sun was shining and the air was brisk.  Both of the girls wussed out after about a mile of walking and were plopped in the stroller or a parent's aching-from-overuse arms.  We found a quiet playground in a residential square for the girls to play in and then continued on our little adventure.  We scoped out the Underground station John will be using to get to work and purchased 8-Day passes so we won't have to worry about tickets for a bit.  And, as I suspect most walks will go in Vienna, we decided to hop over a street or two to see the Karlskirche.  You know, just one of the MANY impressive landmarks in Vienna that are just a short walk away.  We didn't bother trying to go in since we know we've got time to savor these things...and besides, there was yet another playground (complete with small children playing bocce ball) to be discovered just across from the church.  We let the girls run around and play until we decided it was time to hit up a grocery store for some rations to supplement the crap I brought from the States.  (I have recently learned there is a reason I avoid the non-perishable, center isles of the grocery store)

Chasing the pigeons outside Karlskirche

I know I'm going to sound like an American, but the shopping experience in Europe is so much different; it has potential to be my back-breaking straw of future culture shock.  I knew this going in.  The markets here are small and plentiful.  People shop for only a day or two at a time.  You weigh and label the produce before checking out.  I was prepared. I have even mastered the old coin deposit for a shopping cart gig, but the feel is so much different. I feel rushed...rushed to read the labels in a foreign language, which I understand just fine, but being a conscientious shopper, it's very difficult for me to simply toss out my normal process of evaluating each item I purchase, where it was grown/produced, whether it contains GMO's, organic ingredients, High fructose corn syrup...you get the point.  So when Hanz--the man who has no personal space--follows me down every isle, sighing when I pick up an item only to read it and replace it on the shelf, I start feeling those old reliable I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face urges start to surge.  This could be a problem.  Just sayin'.

See the hysterical gleam in her eyes? Raspberries to the rescue!

Unfortunately, the girls started to unravel in the middle of my first market experience.  John ended up taking them outside to wait for me and by the time we got back home and walked up the two flights of stairs, we realized we hadn't practiced (or realized the need to practice) unlocking our apartment door before we left.  What?  I had two kids dissolving into a puddle of hungry, sleep deprived goo and I thought I was going to have to call our most excellent Landlady to demand why on God's green earth our door wouldn't unlock.  Well, we didn't all end up dying of dehydration out there on the stoop.  Our key just has to be turned THREE times to get the door open.  Guff.  Once inside, we promptly gobbled down some cold cuts and bread for lunch and passed out for nap time.


...three hours later

We woke up.  And I knew we had blown it.  Normal schedule, what? Everyone had transitioned from nap time to night time.  I felt eerily like my own mother, somehow convincing everyone to go for a one-mile walk directly after eating Thanksgiving dinner.  No one in this place wanted to move, much less crack an eye lid.  Enter: Bad Cop...forcing nutritious snacks down children's throats, playing loud obnoxious, dance-inspiring music and asking incessant, asinine questions.  NOBODY was sleeping on my watch! As soon as the three sleepy goons showed signs of life, we were back out the door to get some much needed blood flowing and fresh air.  We discovered yet another park in our neighborhood and then walked another mile or so to the best park and play area we've seen so far.

My pea-coated pirate

Scheupark is surrounded by gorgeous, altbau balconied apartment buildings.  This great green space is ideal for dog walkers, people watchers, basketball players, and children of any age.  There are several paths winding around the many play areas that range from a tall wooden castle that even I wouldn't have the guts to climb to an excellently diverse little kid's area.  The girls played in the sand, rode a wooden horse, swung to their hearts' content and Bailey has started climbing like the little pirate that she is.  I really feel like both the girls can benefit from learning some more independence in their physical abilities and I'm very excited to have so many easily accessible, beautiful play areas for them to discover.  I'm pretty sure that if you asked Audrey what Vienna looks like, it'd be described as a large playground with buildings inconveniently placed throughout.

Here, Audrey is modeling what will be quite similar amenities for future guests

Now my worn out kiddos are snuggled up in bed and it's where I also should be if I'm to adhere to my own strict schedule.  Overall, we are obviously still adjusting, but those girls have floored me with their ability to adapt to a completely new situation.  John and I may have our difficulties, but things in their little world are just going swimmingly...and that's all I ask for.