roaming

we took lumi for a walk around the block after dinner this evening.  i need to talk to some more city moms about dealing with walking around the city with a toddler.  lumi is super curious and wants to see everything up close, including what's in the street.  i remember watching my suburban friends and relatives make a big deal when crossing the street and holding hands, like "OK!  HERE WE GO!  WE ARE GOING TO CROSS THE STREET!  HOLD MY HAND!  READY? YES? GO!"  but that seems ridiculous and impractical when you are crossing a street every couple of minutes because you have to walk four or five city blocks to get to the park.  i see a lot of toddlers in strollers, which of course solves this issue, but lumi loves walking out and about and it's nice to have her get a little exercise with an evening walk so i hate to stifle it and stuff her in the stroller or carrier.

walking

we went for a walk at tiché udolí ('silent valley') today.  it is a great park, and very easy to do with a stroller!

Beer garden season has begun

The weather is gorgeous and we had garden beers this evening. Even Lumi got into the spirit and sipped some water.

awkwardness on the train

my morning commute goes like this:

1. strap lumi on my front with the baby carrier

2. put on a coat

3. put my purse over my shoulder, trying to avoid placing the strap so that it would choke lumi

4. put my backpack (with laptop in it) on my back

5. go down the elevator to the ground floor

6. walk to the metro station

7. get on a green train toward the city center, refusing the seat that people are offering me because i only go 2 stops

8. change to the red line going south, looking around desperately for a seat that i *sometimes* get offered because someone kind sees that i'm carrying a baby

9. get off the metro

10. wait for a bus

11. go 1 stop on bus, refusing the seat that people are offering me

12. get lumi out of her outdoor clothes and settled in at daycare

13. wait for a bus

14. go 1 stop on bus

15. get on the metro (red line) heading back north

16. arrive at work

normally lumi falls asleep sometime during the red line part, and sleeps until we arrive at daycare, at which point she cheerfully wakes up and gives her caregiver a hug and gives me a halfass wave goodbye.  today, however, she was awake the whole time.  when she is awake, she likes to look around and touch things.  sometimes, that things she wants to touch are other people.  it's sort of sweet, because she likes to touch them and their clothes and bags and then smile and wave at them.  of course, most morning commuters are not so interested in interacting with a toddler, and their first thought is that someone is trying to pick their pocket.  fortunately for us today, the tough-looking dude with the interesting leather jacket turned out to be great with babies.

velvety eyes

i have a couple spanish students in my class.  i feel like i have to avoid them because they are so pretty!  their eyes are spectacular, all velvety and soft.

day 2 of class

class is still going well.  it's always interesting to talk to people from different parts of europe and see how different their teradata experiences are.

teaching

i'm teaching today in prague.  it's my first local teach!  and it's a much bigger class than i have done yet -- 27 students.

chili

in honor of what we hope is the last chilly weekend before spring is here to stay, we made chili today.

care package

i need to send a care package to my family in baraboulé, and i can't even think what to send.  tea would be cool, plus toys for the kids.  maybe candy?

Away with me

We just watched 'away with me' and enjoyed it very much. It is amazing how few movies I have seen since giving birth. I really miss the experience of goofy ro the theater.

official

i got approved for residency in the czech republic!  i picked up my permit today!

The work photo

there is a photo of the instructors for each class sent to the students (along with other course info about what software to install, etc).  i don't have a recently photo where i'm not holding lumi, so i asked kimmo to take a few. i'm a little more smiley in the first one, but maybe more 'professional' looking in the second.  i went with the second, but i don't know if that was the right choice.

IWAP

i went to an IWAP (international women's association of prague) meeting tonight and met some fun women.  it was at a glass shop called Artel.  very cool stuff!

feeling out of sorts

it feels like everything is off today.  i'm trying to drink herbal tea and hoping it will reset me for tomorrow.

shark

we had borrowed a nursing pillow from a friend in finland and we returned it before we moved to prague.  at that point we weren't doing those hour (or more) long feeding sessions, so it seemed manageable to do it without.  but then we bought this stuffed shark from ikea and it actually works great as a nursing pillow.  so lately when lumi wants some breastmilk, she picks up the shark and holds it near the armchair and stares at me and starts pointing at the chair.  i've got to remember to take a photo of it one of these days, because the shark is bigger than she is and it is a hilarious sight to see.

A wonderful pair

We skipped the stroller and carrier for our morning trip to our local café. Lumi walked happily both ways, smiling and waving to people and receiving smiles in return.

switched at birth

i listed to the 'switched at birth' episode of 'this american life' a few days ago, and the story is still haunting me.  the women did not find out until they were 42 years old, and one of the mothers knew the whole time.  can you imagine that?  it just blows my mind.

Yes, that will solve all my problems

I looked at crockpots online today, and thought about all the wonderful nutritious not-time-consuming meals I could cook with it. Could is the key word there.

I don't think I would use it enough to make up for the cost, but I still want one.

taxes

i just mailed my US tax forms.  two countries down and one to go!  fortunately, finland taxes are quite easy.

calm

the cousins left today, and it's sadly quiet around here.  i think even the cats miss the kids!

my head is itching

we just got a message that one of the kids at lumi's daycare has head lice.  i guess we're fortunate that lumi has no hair yet!  but now i feel incredibly itchy and i want to boil everything in our apartment.

On her feet

When we arrived to pick Lumi up today at daycare, she was standing and playing with some toys, and then when walked over to me quite calmly. It's amazing to see how she is already accustomed to walking and it's no big deal to her.

on feeling emotionally stunted

i enjoy pretty much everything i read by nicole cliffe, but her piece yesterday on children and happiness was especially meaningful to me. it's nice to be reminded that there are other people who feel similarly.

She's LOTS of fun, but I ... have not really been emotionally transformed? God, this sounds bad. I love her so much, but I love her like I love my parents, and my husband, and my best friends, and my 15-year-old mixed breed dog. Incredibly! Delightfully! Fiercely! But it's not a whole new feeling. She's like having a really high-needs roommate that you just couldn't picture living without.

domestic violence

lumi has taken to hitting the cats. she used to pet them, but now there is no gentleness. i really hope this phase passes and they get back to harmonious living soon.

interview

We had an interview with the Czech foreign police this morning.  Kimmo and Lumi have already been approved for their residence permits, but I have not (the delay was expected I am not an EU citizen).  

The interview was to find out if this is a sham marriage (because I guess this is a common scheme -- American marries Finn in order to gain access to the Czech Republic). They interviewed Kimmo and me separately, and asked about our life: what we did this weekend, what we call each other at home, family members we had met, etc.  They also asked about details of our wedding (which was a tiny ceremony at the city hall in Helsinki, about which I had never been embarrassed until today when they asked what I wore (the same clothes I had worn to work that morning), who came (Kimmo's sister and her husband and their kids), and then a couple of times about the decorations ("You didn't have any flowers?  None?")).  

I think we passed, but we won't know for some time.

graves

we went to see franz kafka's grave today.  it's in The New Jewish Cemetery, which is part of a few connected cemeteries near our apartment.  the jewish cemetery is wonderfully organized and clearly labeled.