Troja

Troja (pronounced like the Greek city of Troy with "uh" at the end) is a beautiful, historic chateau in Prague with lovely maze gardens. The chateau houses an art museum and wine cellar now and has an entry fee, but the gardens are open free of charge for the public to wander throughout liesurely. This Saturday we has such nice weather our little family ventured out and took a stroll in and out of the hedges. Winding up at this multi-statued fountain seemed to be the highlight for Magdalena. Above, you can see her profile looking at one merman...and below shows her uttermost glee when she first saw it!
I'm sure that we'll be frequenting this place during the upcoming months of sunshine and green life!

The newest fashion

Purses are no longer a shoulder adornment. They are worn around one's neck as a necklace. This minimizes undue stress on one shoulder and aids in the delicate balance required to walk on one's own feet. ;)

Da!

Recently, Magdalena just can't get enough Daddy time. She bounces with glee when he gets her out of bed in the morning and even rejected Mommy cuddles this morning in favor for Daddy holding her!

Not wanting to vacate Daddy's lap as he put on his sweater for work, Magdalena got a bit entangled...and loved every moment of it!

"Me" Donald's

Last week we met up with the Crossan and Verbrugge families for some play time. After playing, and falling, hard we all headed over to McDonald's for some lunch. Lydia V. lovingly refers to this place as "Me" Donald's. Evidently, Magdalena has made this her fast food of choice as well. She ate 2 chicken nuggets and as many fries as I thought appropriate for her first try, then some! It's a good thing she can't talk yet, or I'm sure she'd be adopting Lydia's pet name for the monster food chain. :)

Magdalena the big girl

After several queasy rides, Mommy decided to ride in the front seat beside Daddy. I am such a big girl now and don't even fuss without Mommy beside me! :) As long as I have a toy, some juice, or the camera case to keep me entertained I'm happy as a lark in my carseat riding to church or the grocery store.

4 Ladies and a Baby

Magdalena and I met up with Heather and her friends, Lauren and Sarah, on Monday. We showed them around the castle grounds and got to watch the day's main changing of the guard. Very impressive: 20+ soldiers in the march, 5 standing in the courtyard windows playing music, and 6 in the actual change. Such grandeur!!




Understandably, they couldn't pass up an opportunity to snap a photo with a spiffy soldier on duty.

Later in the day, after Magdalena awoke from her afternoon nap, Heather and her friends came over to our apartment for tea and cakes. (Petr bought us some individually wrapped strawberry shortcakes!) Even with the weather being quite chilly and a bit drizzly, we still had so much fun together. I'm glad that I was blessed by seeing Heather (and that she'll be in Georgia when we live there too). She's promised to show me her neck of the woods next year - the Mall of Georgia! Heather, I'm holding you to your word...I've not been to there yet. :)

On the town

Yesterday afternoon Heather (center) and her two friends arrived in Prague! My and Heather's families have been friends since we were very small girls - so small in fact, that my sister used to call Heather "Feather" because she couldn't pronounce the name correctly!

Now Heather is studying at Lee University, my alma mater, and participating in a semester abroad which allows her to travel around Europe this week...and she decided to come visit me! We had fun yesterday trapsing through Wenceslas Square, Old Town, and accross Charles Bridge. Today, as long as the weather holds out, we'll be traversing the town exploring more sites. Keep an eye out for more pitures soon. :)

P.S. While we were out and about, Magdalena and Petr were having a grand-ole-time at home for a Daddy-Daughter day!

1 little Indian girl

During yesterday's English class, one of the moms complimented Magdalena's complexion. I told her thanks and that I thought perhaps she got the lovely color from her Indian blood on my father's side.

Later all of the children were playing in the next room and Magdalena's was the lone voice we could hear. I sighed and laughingly stated the obvious of my having a loud child. Another mom quickly commented, "But it's okay because she's Indian!"

A not-so-little rant

Sorry, folks, no pictures today. Instead you get to read about the old grouch Magdalena and I had a run-in with on the metro...

Coming home today from teaching English class, the metro was quite crowded. We got on the car where there are spots reserved for strollers, but it was so crowded that we didn't get all the way into our nook. At one stop, an elderly man got on and said something behind me about the seat nearby. I told him he could sit down. "Of course! I know I can sit down!" He fussed at me. I thought that perhaps he'd misheard me, so I smiled weakly at him and rearranged the stroller's position.

Not 2 seconds after he sat down, he began railing me that the stroller should be on the other side of the car. I pointed to the sign saying that strollers could be where we were and politely, but firmly, informed him of this and that there wasn't any room on the other side. In a raised voice, he insisted that strollers can also be on the other side and that I was blocking the doorway. (We weren't.) Two ladies across the car - bless their souls! - shouted to the man I could be where I was. He wouldn't stop his ranting though. Since I couldn't tell him he was rude and to shut up (that would be very unchristlike), but that was all I wanted to say, I merely turned the stroller so that my back was to him.

Guess that still wasn't showing Christlikeness, but at least it ended the conversation and saved me from crying in his face from anger! After the car cleared out, I moved to the other side. One of the ladies previously mentioned (a defender), said to me that he wasn't nice. I agreed saying even though I don't understand Czech well, I knew he wasn't nice. It made me feel better to know that at least someone sided with me!

Czech Grandmas are notorious for fussing at young mothers on how to care for their babies properly, but I've never been scolded more strongly than by this Czech Grandpa!

Marches

Last March, just days after Gigi and Aunt Liz returned to the USA, we awoke to a whited Prague.







Exactly one year, to the day, later we have beautiful blue skies with streaks of non-snow clouds and warm temps in the high 50's!

When I told Magdalena about last year's snow, she looked at me in disbelief - almost as if I were crazy!

Family Center

...or Language Center? This week began our English classes at the Family Center Palecek. I teach one lesson on Wednesdays and another volunteer teaches one on Thursdays. There were 5 moms signed up for the course but, since the year's most beautiful weather thus far coincided with our first day of class, only 2 came. Not a problem! We had fun conversing amongst ourselves and our smaller counterparts (aged 1, 2, and 3)!

Also on Wednesday this week Consuelo (a Bolivian lady) taught Spanish to Sunny (an American) and Iveta (a Czech). This trilingual lesson was quite amusing to overhear and from what Sunny said, it was quite funny to experience too!

Raffi

Click to Play

Anytime that Magdalena is in a bad mood, I put on her Raffi cd and, like magic, she smiles and starts to dance. Here's a sampling.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Click to Play

Oh, what a beautiful day...to play in the park!

Since the video doesn't quite capture Magdalena's glee of riding on the bouncy ride, I decided to put these pictures on here too. :)

Some recent pics of Her Cuteness

It takes 2 clips to tame this hair!
Hmm, I think I can get this off!
Blooming buds + bundled baby = northern spring!

More illegal activity

Although Sunny and I weren't in a fountain like last time, we did participate in more "illegal activity." I'm not sure what it is that happens when there's a blend of me and Sunny, but it's always an adventure. Something about being with her brings out a boldness and daring that I'm not always up to displaying...these aspects make for a great ministry dynamic when we're working together at Project Antioch, but when we're on our own - watch out!

So, what's the illegal activity we performed this time? We took a picture of Salvador Dali's "Persistence of Memory" on the sly. Actually, I snapped the pic (bez blesku - without flash) while Sunny coughed to cover up the sound...and here's the results!

Not the best, I know. But keep in mind that I had to be sneaky and that does not allow for precision...