Rasmus & Felix… USA 2014-15 - Blog

We wish them well and send our love, always.

6/16/2015

The Squad 2015

Two hours ago we dropped off Rasmus at the Portland airport. There were hugs and barks, fist pumps, tears, and quiet words. We’ve had a special year… together.

Now, Bailey is asleep under my office chair as I write this final blog entry. A light rain falls and the gray afternoon sky is unwelcoming. When we arrived home a message from Rasmus awaited us on Facebook: “Miss you guys.” Once again, that gnawing pain deep in the gut.

In a few days there will be two empty beds up on the second floor. The boys will be with family and hometown friends, their other lives returned… with one happy difference: Now, Rasmus and Felix have two families, two sets of friends, two hometowns, two homes... and in a real way, two countries.

We wish them well and send our love, always.

Our Last Full Day Together

6/16/2015

We recovered from the farewell party and all of the sugar. On Monday morning, the boys wrote thank-you cards for gifts received from friends: JT Taylor, the soccer coach, gave the boys each one soccer boot that he had inscribed (he had loaned his boots to one of the boys); Kevin Prevost, the assistant coach, gave them each a training jacket (he had loaned the boys the jackets during the year); the athletic director gave them their MVHS baseball jersies and his wife helped Rasmus pack; Marie Gauvin, the animated and uber-active mom, made the boys memory boxes with a collage of photos covering the boxes (she and her son Curtis will host next year!); their friend Tucker gave them USA hats with hand-made gift certificates for when they return (e.g., cash this in for a hunting trip ); they received books and cards and money... but most of all they received a lot of love from good friends, young and old.

In the early afternoon, we drove around town dropping off cards and returning food dishes. We ate lunch at Dick's Pizza in Mexico. Back at home, the boys played pass with a baseball, slung a frisbee, and made the long 2-minute walk over to Aunt Connie's and Uncle Ben's to say farewell. Is it ever easy to say good-bye to people who have cared for you so completely for nearly a year?

Each year that I host, I ask the boys what they want for their last meal. Most times it's Mac-&-Cheese mixed with beef. It's an American staple and the quintessential comfort food. Later in the evening we watched an Adam Sandler movie called The Cobbler and the last 9 minutes of the Stanley Cup--Chicago won. I went to bed and the boys continued their marathon watching of The Office.

This morning, for the last time, I'll wake up the boys to prepare for the 80-minute drive to Portland. We'll take a final "family picture" here at home. I hope Bailey will cooperate.

Mac-&-Cheese... a "Foreign Favorite."

After a bit of baseball passing, frisbee tossing, and a farewell to Connie and Ben....

Checking in with friends and looking at the scores (and handballs) of the women's World Cup. ;-)

Farewell Open House (a.k.a., Party)

6/14/2015

A house full of Rumford folks came to bid the boys farewell.
To see the full album of pictures, just click on this line.

Before heading off to Boston...

6/12/2015

The boys did a few minutes of yard work!

Off to Boston & the Red Sox

6/12/2015

Connie & Ben have taken the boys on a two-day run to Boston to watch the Red Sox and to stay with their son Ian. Fenway Park is one of the finest and oldest baseball parks in America. The Sox? Well, they're struggling this season so far. But... they'll get better with German and Danish boys cheering them on!

Last Suppah (supper)!

6/10/2015

Although Ben was at work, Connie hosted the boys for an official last supper of chicken pie. Then, they headed out to a concert at the high school and ice cream, On Friday and Saturday, they'll head to Boston for a Red Sox game and stay over night with Connie and Ben's son, Ian.

And the time has come...

6/8/2015

Graduation Parties x MANY!

6/7/2015

The boys have been going to graduation parties nonstop for the past week. Today, they have 3 or maybe 4. Last night, they were at their friend Caleb's. I've included a couple of pictures that I borrowed from parents who attended.

Ready for graduation action!

6/4/2015

Ready for the big moment....

Graduation

6/4/2015

They did it! Now, they're coming home. To see the full album, click on this line.

Those boys...

6/4/2015

Last Assembly

6/3/2015

The boys on stage at Last Assembly.

Senior Class Night

6/3/2015

The boys celebrated their senior banquet and then an awards' ceremony at the high school. During a day-time celebration called Last Assembly, the boys landed a slew of academic and athletic awards. Tomorrow night is graduation and Project Graduation, an all-night party at a resort in New Hampshire. Tonight, Connie, Ben, and I celebrated with the boys joined by Gustav and his grandparents, Jane and Clem. Click on the photos below to enlarge.

Felix & his Gown

5/31/2015

I grabbed Felix after the church ceremony this morning to get his graduation gown picture. He's happy to walk down the graduation aisle on Thursday, but a lot more happy to be finishing school in America!

The American look....

Get me out of this school! :-)

Church Ceremony

5/31/2015

Connie's church celebrates graduation with a ceremony and breakfast. Felix and Rasmus had a good time showing off their graduation gowns and smiles.

Marching down the aisle.

A nice collection of kids...

Nice collared shirts, boys!

Getting in the Spirit!

5/29/2015

Felix took a nap instead of putting on the graduation gown. I don't blame him; it was 90 degrees F!!!!

The lord mayor of Prospect Avenue!

Dinner with Kate & Gayle

5/26/2015

Kate and Gayle live 3 houses down from us, and we finally made time to sit and chat over a scrumptious dinner. Tonight, over BBQ ribs, chicken, and savory pasta salad, we enjoyed an easy evening of laughter. We loved their pup Bapu's exploits with the kitty; Rasmus's long disappearance during the meal made for a good chuckle (he locked himself in the upstair's bathroom... good one!). Here's to our friends, Kate and Gayle, and what Felix called, "The perfect meal."

Kate & Gayle with the boys. Click to enlarge.

Baseball Face

5/25/2015

After an extra innings loss (OT loss), Rasmus poses with his eyes blacked to help with sun glare. He's a baseball guy.

The player. Click to enlarge.

Dinner with the Bennetts

5/25/2015

One of the first athletes I worked with was Jim Bennett back in 1978-79. An alpine ski racer and ski jumper, Jim went on to become a college professor and now helps manage our state's investments. Saturday night, we had dinner with some of his family, including his wife Kathy and daughter Johanna and son Mikey. Two other sons are off at college.

"Papermaker," the play

5/25/2015

On Sunday, we took the 80-minute drive to Portland to watch Papermaker, a play by Monica Wood. A long-time friend of mine, Monnie (as she's called in the family) has been a dedicated writer of books and articles for many-many years. Her most recent book, a memoir titled When We Were the Kennedys, shares the story of when her mill worker father died on the way to work and how, like President John Kennedy's family, the Wood family persevered. It's a stunning book...

And the Papermaker proved to be a stunning play. The story revolves around a paper mill strike in Abbott Falls, Maine, a veiled Rumford/Mexico. The main characters are a mill worker and his cancer-stricken wife and the mill owner and his daughter. In the audience were generations of folks from the River Valley (the Rumford/Mexico region), including my soccer goalkeeper from the early 1980's and his family; Bailey's caretaker and her mill-worker husband; former high school classmates; friends... we were all swept away by the story because, on various levels, we have lived this story. The play helped the boys see the lives of blue collar workers more fully; many of their friends' parents work in the mill. Papermaker transported me back to the 1960s when my dad was out on strike and my own mother battled the cancer that eventually took her life.

I hope this play and our time together will be a special memory for the boys as they think back on their exchange in America.

Another Monday Night

5/19/2015

We've started to talk about the final days of the exchange. And school coming to an end in 10 days... and graduation... and heading home... and saying goodbye to Bailey, who, as promised on their first day in Rumford way back in August, has not calmed down. We count the days, just like those of you at home.

Another Monday Night in Rumford...

BBQ @ the Phelps

5/17/2015

While I was hiking this afternoon, Felix called to ask if they could hang out at Tucker Phelps' house before Sunday night soccer. No problem. Little did I know that they'd be fed in such fine fashion. We need to try this again on Monday!

Chowing down at the Phelps' home.

Gustav's Birthday!

5/17/2015

The boys celebrated our Swedish friend Gustav' on his birthday with an overnight and a Man United game. The boys are planning a European gathering for a time next year. They're good friends.

Eduardo, Dingbat. Gustav, and Whoopie Cushion. :-)

Just posing

5/16/2015

After cleaning and doing laundry for several hours, the boys posed for pictures before this evening's play.

Murder Mystery Theater... The Director? Our Aunt Connie!

5/16/2015

This evening we attended the local community theater's murder mystery cafe! Dinner, a play, and a concert. Each table had to work on the clues to the murder and the actors came to each table and fielded our questions. Our favorite "Brenda" came with us and our favorite Aunt Connie directed the play! A directorial debut! Now, we have the other "Foreigns" visiting for the night. Congratulations to Connie for a superb job!

The Kent Boys...

Rasmus and Felix are Danish and German exchange students. Throughout the year, we'll be posting photos and stories of our time together.

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