1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? 
Been under light narcosis. Or as a friend of mine says “if they offer you drugs in NL, you take them!” (the Dutch being known as “drink tea and take white powder” kind of folk)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

For 2011 my resolution was to lower my expectations in terms of juggling family life/work/household. Eh, not sure whether I really kept it but I’ve made it through 2011 (semi)sane so it couldn’t have been too bad.

I take the 2011 resolution into 2012 and I raise it with paying more attention to my health, including squeezing in a yoga session a few times a week, maybe joining a gym again…

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My dear friend Irena welcomed long awaited, much loved Ana into her family.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no one really close to me.

5. What countries did you visit?

New – UK, Slovenia

Other than that: Germany, Austria, Croatia, France.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

More sleep!

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

17 August – my first baby started school.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Surviving on minimal sleep.

9. What was your biggest failure? 

My time management.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Unfortunately yes, I wrote about it here.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Our new coffee machine!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Mark’s, wouldn’t know where to start.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 

Can’t think of anyone in particular.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The normal stuff – mortgage, groceries, bills.  This year was tough, having a nanny in The Netherlands is expensive!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Watching the siblings bond between Una and Nestor develop. She was thrilled with having a brother from day one but watching it last past the point of him being able to get to her drawings/craft/puzzles and ruin it all (everyone warned me of this) is amazing. And from about a few weeks ago, every time Una is sad or upset Nestor goes to her and either pats her hair (ever so gently ) or buries his head into her chest (depending on whether she is sitting or standing). It makes my heart do cartwheels.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Lucky by Jason Mraz.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
(A) This time last year I had a newborn and was still VERY high on happy hormones.
(B) The same.
(C) Poorer, see 14.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Reading and exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hmmm, the same as last year – spending time on the internet (although I have cut back a lot). And worrying about things that don’t matter (have cut back here too, I hope at least).

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas #1 (25.12)- It was just the four of us, lots of cooking, eating, playing and dancing.

Christmas #2 (7.1) – hmmm, can’t remember the details but probably very similar to Christmas #1.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Yes, I did, with three people: one big, one little and one littlest.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Again, did not really watch much TV at all… Probably The Big Bang Theory?

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No

24. What was the best book you read?
I loved the writing in The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The Civil Wars – can’t wait to see them in March in NL.

26. What did you want and get?
I really wanted to get the work arrangement we have now, both Mark and I work 4 days a week and it is working out great for us.

27. What did you want and not get?
Honestly can’t think of anything… Winning the lotto would have been cool of course.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

My mind is drawing a blank.  I finally got to watch “Coco avant Chanel” and quite enjoyed it but I am not sure it would be my favourite of the year…

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 34. I was spoilt with an awesome birthday crown made by Una, a delicious cheese cake with chocolate leaves carefully made and then peeled off the strawberry leaves made by Mark and a whole night of blissful uninterrupted 10 hours of sleep, courtesy of Nestor. Two of these were for real.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More sleep.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Dresses and leggings. And I discovered that I *actually* do not hate earrings.

32. What kept you sane?
Sane? Who said I was sane?

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The talks about financial crisis, budget cuts, job losses have made me feel uneasy on more than one occasion. I have seen it before and I do not like it one bit.

35. Who did you miss?

My family and friends. I missed my sister so much.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I haven’t met many new people this year, or at least not many I developed a relationship with. Kind of sad really. 

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

I have SO much to be thankful for.

38. Give a quote that sums up your year. (*originally this was supposed to be lyrics of a song  but I chose to use an excerpt from a book*)

“But this is love. The feeling you have for your child is so indescribably deep and consuming that it must qualify as one of the few transcendent experiences in your plain, ordinary life. It makes all things possible. ….. No matter how miserable I was at the moment, I knew that life itself was overwhelmingly and infinitely good. This is the balm for all the bad days ahead. This is the only fix. This is the source and strength that lifts you up as you bottom out time and again. Just love.” Momma Zen, Karen Miller.

Anyway, I am trying to keep my eyes open enough not to spill boiling water for Nestor’s breakfast on myself. In the mean time Una and Nestor are lovingly playing together (being awake at 6am is a perfectly good excuse for sarcasm). I hear Una saying “oh mama, the slinger fell!” and next thing I see is Nestor on all fours with the red Christmas slinger around his chest and Una pulling on it.

Una: “Look mama, Nestor is like a hondje (puppy)”

I: “Una, that is not really nice of you”

Una: “Don’t worry mama, it is not around his throat”

The survival of younger siblings is a real evolution marvel, I tell you.

***

Nedelja ujutro (6 ujutro u nedelju bi trebalo da se racuna kao noc ali ‘ajde), posle vise od sat vremena uzaludnih pokusaja da nateramo Nestora da ponovo zaspi ja odustanem i sidjem sa njima dvoma u dnevnu sobu. Ovo ranoranilacko ponasanje su potpuno nasledili sa oceve strane, cisto da se zna.

I dok ja pokusavam da drzim oci dovoljno otvorene da prokuvam vodu za Nestorov dorucak bez da zaradim opekotine treceg stepena Una i Nestor se harmonicno igraju u dnevnoj sobi. Una se dere: “Vidi mama, pao crveni slinger sa plafona!!” i dva minuta kasnije vidim Nestora opasan istim.

Una: “Vidi mama, Nestor je kao hondje (kuca)”!

Ja: “Mila, to bas nije lepo sto si uradila”

Una: “Ali ne brini, nije oko vrata”

Kako mladja deca prezive je pravo cudo evolucije.

]]> http://mettheovo.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/siblings-love-ko-ima-sestru/feed/ 2 jelenapg IMG_2570 IMG_2573 http://mettheovo.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/482/ http://mettheovo.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/482/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:45:01 +0000 jelenapg http://mettheovo.wordpress.com/?p=482 ]]> Sanja and Ivan got their amazing professional wedding photos and as it appears Una managed to score a photo shoot or two as well. Here are a few photos, I thought they turned out great!

The last two photos are a proof that the rest of us were there too!

At this exact time, last year, your Daddy and I were on our way to the hospital to meet you. Only two hours later, you came into this world, screaming, healthy, wrinkly and beautiful. I still remember the way I felt holding you for the first time and I hope it will never fade away.

I can’t believe that a year has passed already. And what a year has it been. You have thought us that a human being can function on far less sleep than the books say. You have made us consider starting a separate savings account dedicated to feeding you once you hit the active teenage years. You have let us witness an amazing bond being developed between siblings even if it has only just begun. You have showed us how much more love we have to give.

We are really enjoying watching you grow but it really is bittersweet. I know that it all goes much too fast. I don’t think I am ready, not that it changes anything. I look forward to witnessing all that you are going to learn and who you are going to become. But I am not ready to let go of your babyhood and anyone who asked me if I have said goodbye to it as your first birthday has been approaching is on my black list. I will hold on to the opinion that babyhood lasts until the second birthday. We will see how I feel about it this time next year. Deep down, I know that no matter how old you are you will always be my baby.

Happy first birthday my sweet boy.

*****

Sutra je tvoj prvi rodjendan.

Prosle godine, tacno u ovo vreme, Daddy i ja smo bili na putu za bolnicu, zeljno iscekujuci da te konacno upoznamo. Dosao si nepuna dva sata kasnije, placuci punim plucima, zdrav, smezuran i predivan. I sad mogu da dozovem osecaj kad sam te prvi put drzala u narucju i nadam se da nikad nece izbledeti.

Potpuno mi je nestvarno da je vec prosla godina dana. I to kakva godina je bila. Naucio si nas da ljudsko bice moze da funkcionise sa pre tebe nepostignutom kolicinom sna. Naveo si nas da dobro razmislimo da otvorimo stedni racun da bi smo mogli da te prehranimo kad udjes u aktivne tinejdzerske godine. Omogucio si nam da budemo svedoci jedinstvene veze koja se radja izmedju brata i sestre. I pokazao si nam koliko jos ljubavi imamo da damo.

Gledati te kako rastes i menjas se je fantasticno, ali istovremeno i pomalo tuzno.  Znam da sve jako brzo prolazi i ne znam da li sam spremna. Naravno da jedva cekam da uzivam u tvom odrastanju i da gledam kako postajes ti. Ali nisam spremna da se pomirim sa tim da vise nisi beba, i svi oni koji su me to pitali kako se tvoj rodjendan su priblizavao su na mojoj crnoj listi. Odlucila sam da se drzim skole koja uci da je beba beba sve do 2 godine. A onda cu opet razmisliti. Mada vec znam da, koliko god godina budes imao, ti ces uvek biti moja beba.

Srecan ti prvi rodjendan mace moje.

Oh that guy will certainly have some big shoes to fill.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

Friday is papadag in our family which means that Daddy stays home with Una and Nestor. It usually means a cataclysm for the house and tons of fun for the kids. Works well for us.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

He is more of a Spiderman type. And her superhero education has already begun.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

Walking her down the aisle? He is still trying to make peace with walking her through the school door.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

It has begun, just replace baseball with netball. We live in The Netherlands after all.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

Oh he’ll need all the wisdom he’s got here. It probably won’t be enough anyway.

8. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

We prefer Napkin Man.

9. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

Bath time is his privilege. He also sees it this way if there are no murder-like shrieks involved.

10. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

Replace puppy with fish. And spend every weekend afterwards cleaning the fish tank.

11. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

Decorating her first birthday cake. At 1am. Enough said.

12. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

They prefer Timberland. Size 18 and 46.

13. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

14. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

15. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

16. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

Change a tire? She’ll be able to change the rings on the pistons. Before she is in high school.

17. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

Can we go sailing instead? Blue wide open spaces are even more beautiful. We are not really camping kind of folk.

18. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

He did. And she won’t remember it. She was 17 months old.

19. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

Not true. She is smartER than any boy. He is not biased.

20. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

21. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

I am pretty sure 21kg is no longer considered tiny. And his back clicks every now and then. Yet she still rides, regularly.

22. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

I think we can count on one hand the number of times he was late for dinner since she was born. I think he scores pretty well here.

23. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

Her mom didn’t enroll her in swimming lessons. Her dad did (to be fair she is still too young for real swimming lessons but he goes swimming with her on Sundays).

24. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

Miss her birthday? See #13.

25. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

He will have to. Mama can’t roller skate.

26. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

It’s even better if there is duck poo involved. Again, we live in The Netherlands.

27. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

Three and a half. He did.

28. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

Bolded, for Mark.

In fact, she only calls daddy at night. It may or may not have something to do with the fact that mama doesn’t hear when she or her brother cry.

29. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

30. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

31. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

32. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

33. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

COME home? When she was still a baby and reached one or the other milestone I got all teary eyed and told him that before we know it she would be leaving home. To which he calmly replied “She is never leaving. She is staying with us”.

34. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

He does mention, at least once a week, every now and then, that he can’t wait until they are off to college so that he can get some sleep again.

35. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

36. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

37. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

38. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

39. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

Strawberry, hands down.

40. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

He was talking about importing the rifles he inherited from his grandpa. He probably thought he still had a few years to arrange the paperwork. Too late. She has already asked the boy in the photo to marry her. He said yes.

41. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

I was deeply convinced that I could never possibly be any happier.

Little did I know.

With every new step you take we will be there to stand by you, hold your hand and capture the moment. For as long as you will let us.

Happy first school day our sweet girl.

***

Pri svakom tvom koraku u novo i nepoznato mi cemo uvek biti pored tebe, da te drzimo za ruku i uhvatimo trenutak. Sve dok ti to budes htela.

Srecan prvi dan skole, duso moja.

5100 kilometers

6 countries

8 different beds

1 great wedding

10 years later saying goodbye hasn’t gotten any easier.

Pictures to come!

It is good to be home.

***

23 dana

5100 kilometara

6 drzava

8 kreveta

1 super svadba

10 godina kasnije i dalje suze pri rastanku.

Slike postavljamo uskoro.

Svuda podji kuci dodji.

Una: Daddy, you have to learn Serbian. Mama speaks Serbian, I speak Serbian, you really have to learn.

Mark: But Daddy is dumb, my baby.

Una: Ok, I will learn you.

Mark: You will learn me? I already feel better.

Una: Umm… Say “kuca”

Mark: Kuca. What does it mean?

Una: A dog. See, je kan het best goed  (“you are doing well” in Dutch). Now say “drvo”

Mark (now barely containing laughter): Drvo. That means “tree”, right?

Una: Yes.{short pause} You see Daddy, you are not dumb.

By the way, we are thoroughly enjoying all that Rovinj has to offer: