A Cacophony of NOISE

We don't always dress like this to go out...

For some reason, I have become acutely aware of the incredible NOISE that our family makes.  If it's not Jessie playing some kind of wind instrument, then it's Angus singing at the top of his voice from his bedroom (whilst doing homework) or it's Sam talking non-stop or Anna saying "I"m hungry" about twenty times over.  And then, every now and again, we have Monica entering from stage left to ask "what time for the dinner Sarah?".  If it's on a w'end, and Ross and I have something we want to say to each other.......FORGET IT!  Too hard; too noisy. 

So that's why mornings like this morning are great.  Jessie, Angus and Sam had already taken the bus to school before 7am, leaving us to have a quiet breakfast, get ready for the day and play a bit with Anna.  We then got on our bikes, rode to the pre-school, dropped her off and then cruised down into the old town for a morning ride together.  The streets there are still whisper quiet at 8.30am so it was a very pleasant ride on a beautiful spring morning.  Ross then rode off to work and I got to stop off in the park for a bit of quiet before heading home.  That's been one of the gifts of this time for me in Cyprus since the kids are now at school: rather than constantly moving from one thing to the next, simply taking time to 'be'.  To be quiet, to be still, to reflect and be thankful.

A few updates on the children at present:

Anna started pre-school 5 mornings a week last September and she is very happy in her routine there.  She's made some friends and loves to tell us over dinner who sat in the time out chair that day and what she played with "Lukas!".  She's crazy about balls and will kick or throw with anybody who'll stand there long enough.  She has a great time with Sam and Monica playing "babies" and loves to wind Jessie up by annoying our lovely dog Zoe.  Her eating and fussiness and refusal to try new foods is driving us all crazy and seems to require some genius to crack the code of her stubbornness.  Fortunately there is a positive 'food time' for her and that is helping Monica to bake and then licking the bowl.  She's looking forward to her 4th birthday next month and can't wait to ride a bike with training wheels and get some shoes which lace up and have her own watch and get the guitar she never got at Christmas and the list goes on......  

Sam is really growing up, now a big 6yr old.  He's speaking his mind (loudly), sticking up for himself against his siblings (usually by voice) and has even passed through a few fearful, potentially phobic stages that were plaguing him earlier.  He's reading well, enjoying school and has a number of friends, many of them girls (but not all).  Every friday afternoon, he attends a music, dance, drama class after school which he loves. Most of the time, when he's not playing a specific game at home, he is singing or dancing 'something'.  His favourite pastime seems to be to keep Mummy busy: talking, asking for things, getting hungry and the old "Mum, watch this!" Today he had a ball flying his kite in the forest for 'Green Monday', where Cypriots all traditionally fly kites and have picnics at the start of Orthodox Lent.  

Gus is now 9yrs old and loving getting older.  He plays soccer a few times a week and enjoys a guitar lesson every Wednesday with his new 'hip' teacher Dex, who is from the Ukraine.  School is all about having fun and the ball games to be had at break times.  His friends, Alexander, Rashid and Gaspar are a great little group.  He does pretty well at school and even better when the teacher can read his sloppy hand writing.  Recently, since swapping guitar teachers, he's had a bit more free time and we've enjoyed more bike riding together and chess games in the afternoon.  In a few weeks he'll take his first communion.  One more opportunity to snack at church : ))

Jessie is coming up for 11yrs in August and sometimes we think she's going on 14 a little prematurely.  I'm sure this is a fairly common experience; they simply can't wait to grow up.  We are both enjoying her quick wit and sense of humour that comes with getting older but perhaps her desire to stay up later and keep a messy room are a less enjoyable trade off.  She's currently in another 'instrument dilemma' in which she's trying out the oboe for a month in order to decide which other instrument she wants to take up.  It's a choice out of all the other ones she's tried and enjoyed: violin, piano, clarinet and now oboe.  It's great that she's incredibly enthusiastic about music but sometimes we are a little overwhelmed.  I think it's those musical Piper genes... Fortunately she's set on keeping flute as her no.1 instrument so we have some consistency there.  Jessie is also into the music, dance, drama class and is looking forward to performing in a small Wizard of Oz production coming up at the end of term.  Gymnastics keeps her fit and flexible but she's up for another change soon (perhaps she thinks she has to keep Mum busy?).  Nevertheless, I'm feeling very fortunate to be able to provide her with lots of opportunities to try things whilst she's motivated for this.  Over the weekend she stayed with her good friend Julia whilst Mum & Dad went to Istanbul.  I am sure she missed our dog Zoe more than us!

So despite the noise, it's a pretty good life over here at present.

The forests on Cyprus are still very green after a wet winter,
but will brown up soon with the arrival of warmer weather