Welcome, 2012

The holidays are laid-back in the Štrbavy household. We have had a grand total of three visits this year. First was Tomáš' brother and his family. We exchanged gifts and played with toys. Then his parents came on New Year's eve. We skyped with my dad for the first time. He had still never seen Lily and had never met Ľudka or Milan. Tomáš' dad tried out his English on my dad, which was completely adorable. Everyone was really happy for the meeting, most of all my dad. Then my friend Eva came with her middle daughter, Luci. We had lunch and Christmas cookies and tea in fancy porcelain from St.Petersburg, and good conversation, of course.   Tomáš is on vacation for two weeks, so there've been lots of movies and sleeping and relaxing. We went to New Year's lunch at our church, and Eva's oldest daughter, Janka, was playing with Bug. It melted my heart. She was so sweet with her, even reading to her in English. Lily got sick for the very first time on New Year's, with a fever and cough, so that's never fun. However, she is such a trooper, if not for the cough you'd never even know she was sick. Little sweetie is still high-energy, playing and singing and getting into mischief. She's got some kind of will.     

Bonding with uncle Marek

Verka, Marek, Lily and Bea

Winter walk: The colorful balconies looked really cool that day

There's been more of this

First-time ''meetings''

Lily and Dedko (grandpa)

And then this has been happening

My favorite moment of New Year's day; Janka playing with Lily.

A Few More Christmas Crumbs

Classic baby opening present video

  One of Tomáš' presents hasn't arrived yet, so he got this top-notch drawing from me in the meantime...

Props to anyone who can tell who this is supposed to be

Joy, Joy, Joy

Merry Christmas from the Štrbavý family! We somehow managed to have both utter chaos and comatose-like relaxing the past two days. But we had some lovely moments (and snow!), some lovely visits and I hope there will be lots more to come. So, with that said, joy and peace to you and yours. We miss you.

I like this picture because I can imagine her with a full head of hair. Can't you see her with a Mia Farrow pixie cut?

For a couple of gifts I gave ''Stars in a jar.'' 

I love this ribbon.

Her first baby doll.

Two dollies.

We wish you wonder-filled holidays...

...and a very squishy Christmas.

Things Bringing me Joy Today

Here are the things bringing me joy today:

Sunny morning bedrooms

The girl and her vacuum

First snow, and just in time for Christmas

Tiny tree prelude to the real tree, complete with pink puff-ball garland and disco ball ornaments

Naptime giraffe headlocks

Not-so-newsy News

Well, seeing how it (was) Pearl Harbor day (the one and only date of historical significance that I am able to hold in my head for some unknown reason), I guess it's apropo for me to post a picture from our Thanksgiving. Like the photo, our Thanksgiving was also late, as Tomáš was not given Thanksgiving Thursday off for another unknown reason. But alas, we still whooped it up big, just the four of us. Me, Tomáš, Lily and a tiny Tom turkey. It was my first attempt at making one and I do not have a good report. I had neither a proper roasting pan nor one of those roaster bags, so you can guess where this is headed. Also without a thermometer, I let my fear of the underdone outweigh my fear of the dried out, thus resulting in, well, turkey jerky. Not all of it, but some of it for sure. Sadly nothing turned out to my satisfaction except for the stuffing and mashed potatoes (oh, and the Ikea cranberries), but nothing was a disaster, so we gobble-gobbled it up with thankful hearts and had a really nice day.     

 And in other news...

 Bug has taken great interest in tooth-brushing. She brushes along with us like a real pro.

I'm so excited about her new coat. It was supposed to be for Christmas but I decided to give it to her early so we could get three more weeks out of it. It has an owl. And fake fur. What could be better?

Taking it for a spin.

And she's not the only one who got a new coat for Christmas. Our building did too.

         This is a perfect before and after shot, since our building was identical to the one on the left.

What do you think?     

The cutest gift Lily never got (to wear).

A couple weeks ago a package arrived from Switzerland. We had been expecting it. Anxiously awaiting whatever goodies lay inside. You see, my friend Glenna, like me, has found herself living abroad, and she, like me, knows the joys (and necessity) of getting things from home. So she blessed us with some of those from a recent trip to Montana, like Annie's macaroni and cheese and Tipu's chai. But there was also something in there, so totally unexpected, so totally over-the-top cute, so totally...small that I could have cried when I realized they didn't fit. Behold...

Pink cowboy boots...for babies.

Real leather.

From Hawaii.

Oh, how I pushed and poked that chubby little foot inside, but to no avail. With socks, without socks, I stopped short just this side of pantyhose but that's about the only thing I didn't try. So, alas, they sit in our closet awaiting theoretical baby girl number two. But they're sure cute to look at. 

Lily's Birthday Parties

It's been forever since I've posted, so what better reason to pick it back up than the celebration of our little one turning, well, one? At 3:50 a.m. on the 14th, Lily passed the threshold from months into years and like all moms I feel bittersweetly about it. Mostly sweet, but it is hard to watch your little one become a not-so-little-one so quickly. I am, however, happy to report that she is growing big and strong and happy and healthy. Big: The 18M yoga pants grandma sent her from America fit her like a glove. (Can't stop laughing from joy at the sight of her in them, either). Strong: Sometimes I literally can't get things from her steely grasp. Happy: Lots of people call her ''Smejko'' which means Smiley in Slovak. Healthy: I'm incredibly thankful that she is part of the only 20% who did not get sick at all in their first year of life. This is surely the grace of God, seeing as how I'm so fragile a mother I barely survive diaper rash. But back to the point at hand, her birthday! I had wanted to have a big, American, kids-abounding party but Tomáš said our flat was too small so we ended up having two; a family party and a friends party. I had been planning it for months. I knew I wanted her in blue-green because it makes her blue eyes look amazing, so I drafted a pattern for a reversible pinafore and sewed it up for her. I tried really hard and was mostly pleased with the results. Babka ordered her a fancy cake and she got a lot of nice gifts like a toy laptop from my mom, piano keyboard from daddy, a bilingual turtle toy and blocks from Auntie Bea and Uncle Marek and a lot of adorable clothes. To the friends party I invited our friend Eva and her husband and three girls and our pastor and his wife and two sons. I made cupcakes and pumped the kids full of sugar in general and then we played some games like pin the tail on the monkey and one where you're blindfolded and have to guess who a person is by feeling them with only a wooden spoon. I learned a lot about party planning, namely that I am not much cut out to be a hostess and that I am a closet perfectionist. There was so much more I had wanted to do, but I think the kids had fun, despite their tired parents. And now I'll make with the pictures...

There's a tiger under there.

The candle, the best part!

Cousins, Lily and Verka

The keyboard is for Lily. Riiiiiiight. : )

Decorations, ''Happy Birthday Lily.''

Pin the Tail on the Monkey

Janka congratulating Lily

Luci congratulating her, ''...and lots of success at pre-school...''

Noel's turn

Proof that I was there, thank you Evi

Impromptu game, ''how do you say this in English?''

L is for Lily..Laverne and Shirley style. (Should be turned)

Our little Monkey

Watching Daddy clean up.