Morning walks

Thursday we received two package slips, one for a package to be picked up at the local post office, one at the customs office of the main post office. I suggested that I pick them up yesterday morning before Jörn left for work, as he otherwise would have gotten up 20 minutes earlier to drive to the two post offices. We left it that if I was still asleep when he got up at 7:40, he'd wake me and I'd drive, but if I woke up on my own earlier, I would walk. I was pleased to be awake already when Helen woke up at 6:15, and even happier when she only nursed briefly and then fell back asleep. I got up and got dressed and even had some time on my own, as the post offices don't even open until 7:30! I left a little past 7:00, with Elisabeth in the Ergo carrier, and was surprised to arrive at the first post office only 16 minutes later. It takes considerably longer with children along! That was of course too early, so I went down to the sea front (unfortunately, I didn't have my camera--it was gorgeous) and ambled on to the big post office, where I picked up one package. (Photos from Kodak Gallery, in a rather huge box for only 200 photos--I took them out of the box and left the box there.) Then back to the small post office, where I got a package from my mother with a sweatshirt Lukas had left at my parents' house and a rattle that Elisabeth had left there. Elisabeth seemed very pleased to see her rattle again, and Lukas was thrilled with his sweatshirt. :-)

When I got home, Helen, Katie and Lukas all greeted me enthusiastically, and I discovered that Helen had woken up only minutes after I'd left, so Jörn hadn't gotten to sleep in after all. :-( I was disappointed for him, but also for me, because I had enjoyed the walk so much I was already thinking about how I could do that again. Then last night Jörn said he was happy for me to go for a walk today if I wanted, so I went to bed early enough to wake up at a reasonable hour, pleased to be awake at 6:30 this morning.

However...Elisabeth and Helen were both very much enjoying their morning mama-milk and I didn't want to wake up Jörn, so I lay there in bed letting it get later and later. Helen woke up Jörn, then, and I commented that I'd have liked to take a walk, but now it was too late, and Helen said, "Helen walk too?" I said, "Well, I was kind of hoping to walk fast..." and she said, "I run! Like this!" and jumped out of bed to show us. :-) So I got up and got dressed after all. As soon as Helen and I (and Elisabeth!) were ready to leave, though, Katie woke up. So we waited for her to get dressed. Then as we were ready to leave, Lukas woke up. So we waited for him to get dressed. My peaceful morning walk turned into a 90-minute ramble with four children...but at least Jörn got to sleep!

I did take the camera today, so here are a few photos. First, the salt lake with water:

And to contrast, here's a photo of the same place in October:

Lukas and Katie were having a great time using their imagination, running ahead and calling out what they were discovering in their explorations. They followed bear tracks and made secret signs and cut through undergrowth with a bush knife and made plans for a sea voyage and I don't know what all else. Helen tried hard to keep up and it was cool seeing how Lukas and Katie took care of her. Here the three posed for a photo:

Elisabeth would have liked to get out of the Ergo carrier and follow them, but as she's not even crawling yet, I wouldn't let her:

At one point Helen asked me to carry her, and when I wouldn't, Lukas offered. He actually only carried her for maybe a minute--she walked the rest of the time.

This is the grove of trees where there used to be a very nice playground. We played there in December 2009, then were out of Cyprus for six weeks, and when we went back a day or two after getting home again, discovered that they had removed it. We'd hoped that maybe they were just going to replace it, but nothing has happened there since.

Part of our walk was on the soft "nature path" (and off of it, going cross-country), this photo was obviously taken in the paved part of the park:

Pretty close to home, we discovered a nearly-dead playground, with a dangerous-looking slide. Helen was eager to go on the "Sy-lide!" but when she got to the top of the steps, decided that discretion was the better part of valour and went back down the steps.

There apparently used to be a swingset...now just some cut-off poles and two lonely seats:

The rest of the walk was through a residential area and I didn't take any photos.

I still hope to get in another walk or two on my own in the next few months, before it's too hot after 7:00 a.m....