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| What a GREAT way to turn EIGHT! |
8. Kinda a crazy number. It's Infinity on its side. It doesn't sound anything like it is spelled (in English anyway). It's 2 circles stacked on each other. It also happens to be how old Graeme is today!!!!
Graeme flew only 20,000 miles this year but hit a milestone of visiting his 20th country! 8yrs old, 20 countries (and counting.....). We really really have trouble wrapping our heads around that one.
Another milestone hit was spending his 7th Christmas in his 7th different country. USA - Roatan - Indonesia - Philippines - Vietnam - Malaysia - Hungary. Where is next??
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| 20 and counting.... |
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| Where next? |
Starting the year literally in the air - we took a red-eye on NYE from the Maldives to Ho Chi Minh City, Graeme spent the remainder of the school year in Vietnam. Soaking it all in before moving to, not only a new country, a new continent - Budapest, Hungary. This is the 3rd country Graeme has lived in, as well as the 3rd continent he has lived on.
Graeme finished 1st Grade strong by turning his classroom into a working cafe/restaurant/bakery and inviting to dine in elegance and be spoiled with great service from himself and his classmates.
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| Our waiter |
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| The Dream Team - All of G's teachers at SSIS from EC thru 1st Grade. |
Saying goodbyes to friends and families in Vietnam was not easy. He traveled to the USA for the summer as usual and had a fabulous time with family and friends there. Following our Hawken Family Gatherings in NJ, Graeme really got closer with nature in California via kayak - coming face to face with Sea Lions and Seals among others......Graeme met up with Minh, his best buddy in Vietnam, at a play area in San Jose, CA and the two have vowed to keep that going each summer. They now send each other videos via Viber, keeping each other up to date on their goings-on. Current day pen pals!
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| Buddies! |
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Starting over at a new school is never easy. Imagine trying to do it in a new country. A new continent. Graeme took it in stride. Never one to shy away from making friends, Graeme is fitting in well at American International School of Budapest (AISB) 2nd Grade has proven to be adding to the accomplishments learned in earlier years. Reading for Graeme is not his "go to" activity, yet he has been reading books every night to us and reached a goal of over 30 books read before the end of the year! Math continues to be of great interest to Graeme. AISB also offers may "specials" classes and Graeme is really enjoying Hungarian class, Nature Walks, and his After School Activities.
A large part of our decision as a family to move here was to get the kids outdoors more often. Graeme has proven that to be a smart decision. We do not actually live in Budapest, but in the countryside just outside of it. Within 50m of our front door, we have access to farmlands and forests. Hiking in ravines, sledding, all right out our doorstep and Graeme is taking advantage of it all.
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Graeme's little brother is not almost 2 years old and as much as Graeme loves him he also loves to torment him - as brothers do! The two genuinely love each others company and at the same time cannot wait to rat each other out.
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Physically he is growing tall like a weed! Clothing that was too long on him is now too short. In one week he lost 4 teeth! Moving somewhere that actually has Winter - Graeme has taken to ice skating. He asks to go all the time and Hungary has rinks all over the place in the wintertime so we are happy to oblige! We must say that after only a handful of outings he really does have a knack for it!
A big goodbye was said this year as Miss Sienna left us after 13 years. Graeme isn't the biggest dog person, he seems to tolerate them, but he and Sienna were close. She was the only dog we have ever seen him care about. Each summer before we left California he would ask for a picture with her. At her age, we were never sure if it would be the last one......Forever in our hearts.
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Peace and Love,
The Hawken's in Hungary
#thetaoofgraeme
#sethssojourns
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