fednik

Just realized I never finished our mini vacation post… sorry! So, here is part 4…

On the last day of our mini vacation, we headed to Riga, Latvia. Riga is the capital of Latvia and it’s largest city. I was looking forward to Riga because I had heard many things about it. So, here you go…

The first picture is a panorama of the old town. It was a very cold and snowy day! The second picture is of St. Peter’s Church. I think this is the church that was burned several times and rebuilt. The next picture is of the rooster on top of the church’s spire. It is not the original one. The original rooster is inside the church entrance on display. I think the tour guide said that they put roosters on top to protect the church. I’m guessing if they had several fires, it didn’t do its job! :)

The last picture is of me and our second tour guide. I say second tour guide because our first guide was the guide they use for German tourists. Apparently the woman Fedya spoke with on the phone misunderstood something and didn’t get us an English-speaking tour guide. Since he spoke on the phone to her in Russian, she missed the part about needing someone who spoke English. Our first guide was very nice and spoke Russian, but I didn’t understand that much, so we got our second guide. While waiting for the transition, we went to the tour company’s owner’s restaurant and had tea and her famous “pizzas”. Not so yummy… they were small little pastry things with potato and pumpkin puree… and cold! YUCK! Oh, well, it’s the thought that counts. :)

This first picture is the “Latvian Red Riflemen”. It is a statue of KGB soldiers and is in front of The Occupation Museum. I think it would be interesting to go into the museum itself, but we didn’t have a chance to go this time. The third picture is the reconstruction of the House of Blackheads. The original building was destroyed in 1941. In the 15th century, it was an organization of unmarried foreign merchants and its name came from St.Mauritius whom they chose to be their patron. The statue in front of the House of Blackhead is called the Roland Statue. Roland is an epic hero to represent independence.

This first picture is of the Bremen Musicians statue. If I remember correctly, you rub their noses for good luck. So, here I am getting some good luck! The next picture is a cafe called Riga Black Magic. We didn’t have time to go in there, but the guide told us they have drinks, coffees, and pastries made with the famous Riga Balsam. (Since I’m posting so late after our trip…we got to go in there this summer when we went to Riga again and it was good!) The next picture is of Three Brothers. They are the oldest stone houses in Riga and I think are of different architectural styles.

The last picture is The Cat’s House. It is a famous site in Riga. When the owner of this house was exiled from the Great Guild across the street, he ordered the cats to be turned with their tails facing the guild in protest. When the disagreement was settled in court and he was readmitted to the guild, he turned the cats back.

These are just some pictures of interesting architecture and streets.

As we were leaving Riga heading back to Lithuania, we decided to stop in Jurmala. It is a great place to go in the summer and spend time on the beach. We were so close, we wanted to see what it was all about and to see the beach in winter. Well, it was snowy and there was ice at the water’s edge. It was a very weird sight to see! We ate dinner, had dessert at a cafe and saw the most amazing snow falling and shining in the lights on the street. Now, time to head back home and back to the real world. :)

One more thing, this was the day I got to see real snowflakes close up. I had never seen such intricate designs with my own eyes in real life. They are absolutely beautiful and just like in the pictures. :)

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Here are some pictures of the kids on different days dressing up. They have enjoyed costumes lately. Even Vanya has decided to put some on. It is usually just Amelie.

These pictures are from a bubble bath night. Both Amelie and Vanya were playing with the bubbles and putting them on their faces. I thought it was so cute, so I ran to get the camera. Fedya was on a business trip, and I wanted to show the cuteness to him as well. :) Vanya put a bubble beard on right before I got the camera and he looked just like Fedya! I wanted him to put the bubbles on again, but he didn’t do it quite the same, but still… Vanya’s bubble beard. Amelie just put it on her chin as a gotee like her granddaddie (yes, I know it is usually spelled differently, but this is how we spell her granddaddie’s name. :) )

This is just Vanya being silly. He absolutely LOVES watching himself in the mirror. This apartment is great because every bedroom has two large mirrored closet doors…even the entryway has them. So, Vanya can see himself almost all of the time. He really likes watching himself talk. That’s a fun way to carry on a conversation with your kid!

Introducing Cinderella… She is a silly princess who loves riding pink horses, wearing crowns, and blue shoes. She can also lift pink horses with little effort. Don’t you just love how absolutely gorgeous she is! Yes, she’s my child, but she has to be the most beautiful little girl ever!

Pirate Vanya! He decided to put on the pirate costume. It is the first time he’s actually put it on willingly for more than 2 minutes. I bought it last Halloween and amazingly it still fits. He put on the hat and carried the hook saying “Aargh!” The kids and I had a great conversation around that time about why pirates had hooks and peg legs. Fun times! Anyway, after donning his pirate costume, I made a pirate map for them to follow around the house. Surprisingly for them, there was a treasure box with REAL treasures inside. I always keep little trinkets for the kids hidden for times such as this. They really come in handy.

It was the weekend, so Fedya had to participate. He was chosen to be a pirate as well. Since I was making the treasure map, he had to take his own picture.

This is our little fairy princess. She loves wearing those wings! They came with a fairy dress, but she has never wanted to put it on. Instead, she likes this ballerina skirt and of course her crown and blue shoes! My favorite pictures are those of her sitting down looking at her notebook. It is a princess notebook full of her very own creations. She draws pretty well, I might add. That’s until you praise her too much and she scribbles over the really cool drawings. So, we are learning not to go overboard with the compliments.

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In this part of the world, school always starts on September 1st. It has always started on this day. So, the schools plan big celebrations welcoming the students back for the start of another year. Last year, the kids started after the first and we missed all the celebrations. This year, we were extremely excited to see what all the fuss is about. We were also a little nervous because Amelie and Vanya were starting a new school.

For a month or more, I’ve been pumping the kids up for the new school. I described the fun stuff I saw in the classroom. I read them stories about school and kids going to school and having fun. We talked often and I literally built the school up in their minds. I wanted the year to start of well and I wanted the kids to enjoy going. So, we started the day with their favorite breakfast of breakfast cookies (very healthy I must say!) and headed out with backpacks in hand…

Here we are right outside our dirty car! The kids were not cooperating in looking and smiling at the same time. Even Mama was ready for the pictures to be over and to get inside. But, the kids were excited about beginning a new school and wanted to see it as well.

They both helped choose their outfits for the day. Vanya chose that shirt because it was dark red like the “dark McQueen” and Amelie wanted to wear her white dress. I thought they looked so cute! The day before, they had even gotten new haircuts. Vanya’s hair was looking quite puffy and Amelie just needed a trim. All of that didn’t mean too much when Vanya woke up with his massive bed head! Oh, well.

Here is a picture of their new school. It is called Vaivorykštė, which means rainbow. Though we never posted pictures of their previous school, the outside appearance alone is much nicer! The inside is as well. After this picture, we walked around a bit trying to figure out what to do and where to go. Someone led us to the kids’ new room and we dropped off their backpacks and coats and headed outside with their new teacher.

Here are some pictures of Vanya waiting outside for all the events to begin. After seeing the new classroom, he wanted to go back inside to play. He saw some fun cars and decided that being outside standing around wasn’t as much fun as the playing of cars would be. But, we walked around and looked at all the decorations outside and found some games painted on the ground. That’s why he is standing in a circle. He and Amelie were jumping from circle to circle like they do at home with the hula hoops.

These are pictures of my sweet girl! She was so beautiful in her white dress. She had to bring her lovey to school and her “Belle” doll. Before getting to school, we talked about the possibility of leaving the doll in her locker. So, when we met her teacher and dropped off the backpacks, she asked her teacher (on her own!!) if she could carry the doll or if she should leave it. Fedya and I almost passed out right there. Amelie is a shy girl and we couldn’t believe she asked on her own with no prompting from us. Her teacher said she could keep it with her and she carried it from then on… and, she made a new friend immediately.

It is a tradition to take flowers to the teacher on the first day of school… September 1st. So, in an effort to make that day less hectic, I took the kids to buy flowers the day before. They were each allowed to choose their own flowers. Vanya chose the orange ones and Amelie chose the very heavy pink bouquet. Vanya held (played with, swung, messed around with) his flowers for a while. Amelie wanted to hold hers, but they were just too heavy for her.

It took like 5 shots to get the picture of Fedya with the kids. They still weren’t cooperating and wondering why things hadn’t started yet. Fedya was so excited to be there and enjoy this day with the kids. We have a picture of him carrying flowers for his teacher on his very first day of kindergarten, so we had to get pictures of our kids doing the same.

Let the celebrations begin! First, all the classes were lined up around the decorated play area. The trees were covered with balloons! Next, a representative of the school (not sure who she was) greeted everyone and welcomed them to the first day. Then, a group of students about 7ish came out and danced. It was so cool! They were really good, too. At the end of their routine, they went over to a parachute that was rolled up on the ends. Each child grabbed a piece of the parachute and opened it to release balloons into the air. Needless to say, it was a great ending to their performance.
After the dancing, a character from a Russian story rode in on her bike. She performed a little skit with the help of a few other characters. Part of the skit was finding 3 balloons that had prizes in them. The main character would pop the balloon to find out what was inside.

The first balloon’s prize was dancing time with the kids, so they began dancing and got all the kids to come join them. Vanya went fairly easily, but Amelie only went when her teacher grabbed her hand. Vanya stayed the whole time, but as you will see in the next set of pictures, Amelie soon sought out Mama. The second balloon’s prize was a race for the parents… dads vs. moms. It was the game where you hold the balloon between your legs and jump around an object and back. The moms won, but they cheated! They were all wearing heels and skirts, so it was mostly hopping while holding the balloon with their hands.

The last surprise was kinder surprises for all the kids. Normally my kids only get to eat half of the chocolate egg, but we told them they could eat the whole thing since it was the first day of school. After hearing this “surprising” news, they both asked if they were already 4. That was because we have told them when they turn 4, they will be able to eat the entire chocolate egg. So, they just put 2 and 2 together and figured they turned 4! (2 awesome jokes in one paragraph!!)

Here we are watching the festivities together from the sidelines.

Here is a picture of the kids with their new teacher… Inna Victorovna. Instead of using Mr. and Mrs., here they use the first and middle names to be polite.

When we got back into the kids’ classroom, all the kids went to wash hands. Fedya and I stayed outside the bathroom and noticed this lovely vase… a Carlsberg beer glass. Only in a Russian school!

After washing hands, the kids sat down to a fully stocked lunch table. They had full length pigs-n-a-blanket, soup, hot tea, bananas, and cookies! I was so hungry and the food looked so good! Amelie just dug right in eating. Vanya was a little hesitant. He’s not the best for trying new foods or remembering the foods that he likes to eat…soup. So, I showed him the carrots and potatoes and fed him one or two bites to “remind” him that he likes that stuff.

Once the kids started to eat, they looked at us wondering why we were still there. Amelie gave a quick kiss and a good-bye and was ready for us to leave. Vanya was the same. I think we were some of the first parents to leave. We couldn’t have been happier! After the experience at our last school with crying the first few weeks and then off and on afterward, we were thrilled to be sent on our way so effortlessly.

When we picked them up in the afternoon, they were happy and excited to go back the next day. We are so happy we chose to change schools. The kids couldn’t be doing better!

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Все дети иногда такое говорят, что просто обхохочешься! Наши, разумеется, тоже не исключение. К сожалению, многое забывается, если не записывать. А записываем редко. Но вот на этих выходных бабушка нашла в Отрубке листик, на котором были запечатлены некоторые из именно таких вот перлов с прошлого ноября, когда детки жили там с бабушкой около трёх недель. Цитируем, с комментариями…

Ваня: Хочу купаться-писять-читать-и-спать!

Произнесено скороговоркой на одном дыхании. Ванины внутренние часы работают без перебоя. Когда время подходит к восьми вечера, его организм чётко знает, что пора начинать процедуру укладывания спать. Которую он так метко и описал. Только забыл зубы почистить :)

Бабушка: Амели, ты же не просто пей, а и кушать не забывай!
Амели: Я не просто пью, я просто кушаю. Я уже всё выпила.
Бабушка: А теперь всё скушай!
Амели: И папа будет рад?

Ваня: Я не хочу эти гонки!
Амели: Тогда отдай мне!

“Тогда” произнесено с ударением.

Амели: Бабушка, мы идём в магазин.
Бабушка: Что ты хочешь там купить?
Амели: Я не знаю. Придумаю.

Во время игры в “магазин”.

Ваня включил игрушечный миксер: Бабушка, я делаю блинчики.
Амели: А я ничего интересного не делаю, только чай.
Амели (чуть позже): Ваня, ты делаешь блинчики для меня или для всех?

Во время игры в “кухню”.

Амели: У-у-у, как будет красиво!

Так интересно наблюдать, как дети начинают использовать “взрослые” интонации, междометия, обороты речи.

Ваня ударил руку.
Бабушка прилепила пластырь.
Амели подходит: Ваня, надо аккуратно, солнышко!

Вот такая у Ванюши заботливая сетричка.

Бабушка: Ваня, что такое “А-а-а-а”? Я не понимаю, так никто не разговаривает.
Амели: Только Сашуля.

Сашуля - это их двоюродная сестричка, которой на тот момент было около десяти месяцев.

Всё это датировано 20-ым ноября 2008-го года. Будем записывать дальше…

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Why do three-year-olds ask why? Why do they ask the same question again and again? Why is it that the questions they ask totally drive their parents mad? Why am I about to scream just writing about it?!?

Can you see a pattern here? :) Amelie is asking the “why” question a million times a day. I knew this day would come. I knew kids begin to ask this question. I also knew that parents get frustrated with this question. But, what I didn’t know was how frustrated we’d get! :) We always try to answer their questions and even encourage them to ask about things. That was before “why” came into the picture.

Let me give you an example of a typical conversation with our beautiful daughter…

Amelie: “Mommy, why are you making chai?”
Me: “Because I like to drink it.”
Amelie: “Why do you like to drink it?”
Me: “I like to drink it because it is cold and it tastes good.”
Amelie: “Why does it taste good?”
Me: “Amelie, quit asking why.”
Amelie: “Why quit asking why?”
Me: “UGH!”

This example is just a short one in the many conversations we have. The cycle can go on and on and on for days. Sometimes, though, we try to cover all the whys we can think of when explaining things to her. We are beginning to anticipate the whys and just explain it all right away to avoid them. Like, Amelie, we need to brush teeth so we can get the sugar germs off your teeth because you just ate lots of candy and the sugar germs will sit on your teeth and make cavities. :)

I know I keep using Amelie examples without any Vanya ones. That is because he doesn’t usually do the why thing. Vanya is totally black and white. It either is or it isn’t. Not a lot of in between with him. I’m beginning to see why some people say it is easier to raise boys compared to girls! Amelie is such the little monkey!

I titled the post “Why?!?… and then some”. You just read the “why” part and here is the “then some” part…

Amelie is not only asking why a million and one times a day, but she is pushing her limits to the extreme! Last night, she lost her game time and her bedtime story because she wouldn’t listen and do what we asked. So, after Vanya got his story and we were tucking him in, Amelie tried to woo both of us. First she asked Fedya to read something to her, just not a book. :) Then, when I went to snuggle with her, she asked me to sing her a song. I asked which song she wanted to hear. She said she wanted a “story song”. That monkey!!

Last night, she also wanted milk with a banana straw before bed. We wouldn’t let her have it because she had already brushed her teeth and it was bedtime. She cried and whined forever for that milk. She even fell asleep and woke up about 2 hours later wanting milk. Then, between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM, she woke up 3 times asking for milk and saying she couldn’t wait until 7:30 for the milk. (I told her earlier that she could have some at 7:30 because she asked when she would be able to have the milk.) Needless to say, she woke up this morning wanting… MILK!

She can be such a mess! She can also be such a joy, but that’s not what this post is about. :)

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