Magdalena's Family Blog

Celebrating Magda with Czech grandparents

2011-02-08T19:46:00.003+01:00

Magdalena with her amazing cake. Milan's sister made and decorated it especially for our girl! Maggie absolutely LOVED the animals and flowers. :-) She couldn't decide which one to eat first.

Babi and Deda gave her a book, a game, and some money for new shoes. Babi read her stories from the book over the weekend while they visited. Deda taught Magdalena how to play the game and they played several times in the 2 days they had together.

Singing "Happy Birthday" in Czech. I'm pretty sure only Petr and Kveta's voices are audible, but we all sang - sorta. Vojta still can't talk or sing. ;-)

Magdalena's 5th Birthday Celebration

2011-02-07T19:29:00.003+01:00

The men-folk (Petr, Vojta, Mirek, and Samuel) relaxing and eating (although, Samuel did draw too) as the kids played a drawing game - take-a-turn-picture.
Some of the Mommas at the party - Darina, Martina, and the birthday girl's Momma, too, of course! :-)
Magdalena showing us the picture she was working on.
Presents! Magdalena received candy, ponies, a knitting kit, and a jewelry set (bracelet and necklace from Vojta). She was excited about the gifts but even more so about playing with all of her friends. :-)
Star cookies and strawberry "champagne"! Each star had the numeral 5 on it since the Big Girl was turning 5 years old.

Playing "How Low Can You Go" which is one of Magdalena's favorite games to play at school. At the very end, the kids all were hissing like snakes as they wiggled their way under on their bellies!

The boys sliding in the snow

2011-02-04T18:57:00.002+01:00

Snow play!

2011-02-04T18:46:00.002+01:00

Today was perfect weather for being outside. We still have enough snow on the ground for playing around, but the temperature was a bit warmer (4 or 5C - around 40F) so the snow was wet for making a snowman! And, we didn't all freeze our butts off! :-)
Vojta trying to walk down the hill on his own. He toppled a lot because the snow was slushy and his snow suit is quit bulky.I prepared hot drinks for us all when we got home - coffee for me and Petr, hot chocolate for Magdalena. Vojta wanted juice so no warm drink for him. ;-)

Early morning beauty

2011-01-26T20:27:00.001+01:00

Our kitchen window view during breakfast Monday morning. Too beautiful to not capture. Magdalena was concerned why the moon was visible. She asked if it was actually night time and she had to go to bed soon!

Bundled up for school

2011-01-26T20:22:00.000+01:00

Magda's card-art

2011-01-26T20:08:00.002+01:00

As an early birthday present, we bought Magdalena a Princess card-making set. She began immediately making a card for Sophie, perhaps her favorite friend.

Classic fit - Vojta style

2011-01-26T19:49:00.002+01:00

Petr says I'm mean to record Vojta's fit instead of picking him up. I say, I'm teaching him to work through his emotions. Plus, he's too funny when he throws a fit - fusses, throws something, then "throws" himself down.

Thanksgiving at the Sramkovi House

2011-01-15T20:21:00.003+01:00

This Thanksgiving was a special day for our family. We were blessed to celebrate with a good friend, Daniel, who was preparing to move to Slovakia.
And, it was the first Thanksgiving when I was solely responsible for planning and executing the menu. Ever since Petr and I have been together, we have celebrated my favorite holiday in the home of friends or family (or at Project Antioch). I must admit that I relished each moment of cooking this meal! I also enjoyed seeing Magdalena so eager to help and watching her bustle around the kitchen 2 steps behind me. :-)
One weekend in October we visited a pumpkin patch and bought these gourds to decorate the kitchen table. Magdalena and I gathered the leaves and other fall plants to fill the bowl.
After dinner, Magdalena got her wish of playing cars with Daniel. When we taught together at Skolicka Life Center, he would fabricate such elaborate road structures for the children to drive on...complete with police officers who checked for driver's license and made law-breakers pay a fine! Magdalena, as soon as she learned that Daniel was joining us for dinner, requested to play cars because "he's the best at cars!"
To fulfill the beauty of Thanksgiving and welcome the beginning of "Christmas season" (in the Bowen family at least), snow began falling on Thanksgiving night. We awoke to a white wonderland.
Magdalena was in awe over the snow and couldn't get enough of seeing it...Vojta was just thrilled to be standing in the window sill! :-D

Failed attempt

2011-01-13T13:01:00.003+01:00

The night that the City of Prague lit the Christmas tree on Old Town Square, we decided to go see the lights and let the kids enjoy such a Christmasy event.
We were hoping for some jolly seasonal festivities, but instead what we got was shoulder to shoulder crowds of people. On our SECOND attempt to enter the Square, this is how close we got to the tree. On our first attempt, we couldn't even see the tree.
Yep, craziness. Magdalena got to see this bird's-eye view from her Daddy's shoulders. I only got to see the tip of the top. Vojta slept, so he didn't see anything at all! :-)

Lion around

2011-01-13T13:01:00.000+01:00

Just your typical day with African wildlife and a small boy. ;-)

A New "Friend"

2011-01-13T11:19:00.002+01:00

Petr's new boss gave the kids an old Marionette puppet around Thanksgiving time. Petr untangled his strings (with the help of our friend Daniel) and has put on several "shows" for the kids since. Here is the initial meeting between "Honza the puppet" and the kids. The bare tree in the background was waiting to be decorated for Christmas. Yes, a 2 month old video, but figured better late than never!

"Ride, ride, ride, Hitchin' a Ride"

2011-01-13T10:00:00.002+01:00

Magdalena loves driving cars - especially this red one with a wagon on back. She frequently takes Brother for a drive in the wagon and he plays with toys while relaxing in back.

We have foam!

2011-01-13T09:57:00.002+01:00

I finally bought us a little hand-held foamer at Ikea so that we can have latte style coffee at home. Petr and I have both been enjoying the delights of froth! Vojta and Magdalena have been enjoying the treat of eating some of our foam from a spoon, too. :-)

He can WALK!

2011-01-13T09:53:00.002+01:00

Not such a great example of him walking, but he does take 2 steps before crawling off. :-) Vojta does enjoy the open spaces at school where he can practice his walking abilities.

This morning's fun

2011-01-13T09:10:00.002+01:00

Vojta is quite proud of his climbing skills and newly acquired "getting down" skills, too. So, one of his favorite activities is to climb onto the big armchair and play with his boat and stacking/sorting blocks. Magdalena is usually within a couple of steps of Brother to make sure he doesn't fall or to provide him with other toys. They're so sweet together!
Warning: This is a longer video - about 1 full minute. :-)

At Školička

2010-10-19T18:30:00.000+02:00

A post that I just found that I'd never completed! It's short cuz I don't remember what stories I'd intended on telling. :-)
As you can see, Vojta is holding his own among the other kids at preschool! Magdalena claims him as hers, though, when the big boys get too close. "He's my brother" she told Adam!

The big 1 year old!

2010-10-16T19:10:00.003+02:00

Vojtěch Wesley was born one year ago on Thursday. Since the day he was born, he's brought us great joy and comfort (as his name depicts - Vojtěch means "soldier of comfort"). His smile is continual and contagious. He adores his sister, who also loves him to pieces, and now says "Táta," "Máma," and "Sesa" (meaning Sister). He's still not walking alone, but greatly enjoys cruising around holding onto furniture, walls, and cabinets (which he is known to open and empty). His favorite games include opening and closing doors, playing peek-a-boo, and destroying anything that Sister has constructed. He eats like a horse but still sleeps like a baby - a full 12 1/2 to 13 hours each night plus 1 or 2 naps a day. He's our wonderful blessing from the Lord and we are all looking forward to celebrating all of his many other birthdays in the years ahead.
Most of Vojta's birthday consisted of just playing around the house. In true little boy fashion, he dumped out all 120 clothes' pins and put back 3 of them after wearing the basket on his head for a bit. ;-)
We all gave him birthday kisses, but the picture of me kissing him didn't turn out very well so it's not posted.
We all ate cake before dinner because we weren't sure that the Birthday Boy would stay awake long enough to eat dinner with the rest of us. He ate an early dinner about 4:30, cake about 5, then a second dinner about 5:30. He is definitely a growing boy!
Vojta's special birthday dinner consisted of baked pork chops and scalloped potatoes. It was the first time he ate pork and he LOVED it!
The messy, yet very happy, face of one satisfied birthday boy. :-)

So, none of us are professional singers, but here's the birthday song anyway. Vojta grabbing the cake before the song is done was too cute to pass up posting. :-)

Mělník Wine Festival

2010-09-27T15:46:00.004+02:00

Mělník is a lovely town about an hour out of Prague. Each year they hold a Vinobrani (Wine Festival) with loads of handmade crafts, wine and food stands, open-air theater, puppet shows, and rides for the whole family to enjoy. We took a day trip for a fun-filled family adventure two weeks ago. Here's a "taste" of what we found. :-)
The rivers merging in the town center...The peaceful quiet of the water's current was such a beautiful and wondrous contrast to the loud bustling and activity of the festival.
My dear family overlooking the rivers.
Magdalena and Mommy riding on a swan. Magdalena chose which animal and which color she wanted as soon as she spotted this ride. I held my breath that it'd still be available after we purchased our tickets! We got on the last pink swan.
Vojta sharing some snack with Daddy. They took turns putting the křupky in each others' mouths. :-)
Magdalena proudly displaying her bag of treats - KŘUPKY!! (Puffed corn with a sweet coating.) And, for those who are wondering about the size of this bag - yes, it WAS as big as she is!
And the reason for such a big bag of snackage? Petr Kolář! He's the long-haired hunk in the middle of the stage. His voice is so raw and smooth at the same time. I own one of his cd's and have wanted to hear him in person ever since I first heard one of his songs on the radio. The křupky kept the kids in one place long enough for me to enjoy about 4 or 5 songs of the concert before we moved on to more rides!This little man fell asleep almost as soon as we left the concert area. He slept through the sellers touting their wares over bullhorns, loud music projected over speakers, and bumper cars colliding. He didn't sleep but about 30 minutes, but he was a trooper and all smiles the rest of the day.Magdalena and Daddy on the bumper cars. He drove, but I have a feeling she directed him in the right direction. ;-)Magdalena took a few pictures, too. Petr and I seldom have our picture taken together, so we took advantage of having a blossoming photographer with us. This little church is in the square where we ate our picnic lunch.

Robbie's 1st birthday party

2010-09-27T15:26:00.004+02:00

Vojta and Robbie were born just 18 days apart last year. On Saturday, we celebrated Robbie's first birthday with his family in Pardubice. At first, Robbie was a bit upset that Vojta was invading his space...
But, Vojta's smile soon won him over and the two boys were cruising around the house together having a blast.
All of the fun made everyone hungry for a snack...and birthday cake!
The boys' sisters played so nicely together - dress up, dolls, and making party hats.Magdalena and Eliza really got along so well. They were like two peas in a pod the whole day and kept each other giggling and smiling all the while.
Robbie really got into his cake - literally. In true 1st birthday style, he dug right into that delicious concoction of white cake, fruit and whipped cream! Yum!!
And, of course, the traditional picture of me and Hulda with our boys.

Lil church

2010-09-26T15:59:00.003+02:00

This morning our church launched the first "Lil church" for our munchkins. Vojta is the youngest "student" at 11 months, but he hung in there with the big kids for the full 2 hours, happy as a lark.
Tomáš is Dad to two of the boys and a great asset as a co-teacher. He had those kids playing games, doing exercises, and riding horseback.
Zuzana was very interested in my camera, so I took a photo of her solo. When she was inspecting it's quality, she declared "Zuzanka!" (Little Zuzana) I think she approved. :-)
Martina and Vojta having a little conversation. She's Mom to one of the boys in the class, and also is a wonderful co-teacher. She helped draw Zuzanka out of her sadness from being away from Mommy.

Three of our 5 boys running in a circle, getting out some of their crazies before parents arrived to take these bundles of energy home!

Boys in clips

2010-09-26T15:56:00.001+02:00

Magdalena accessorized the "boys" a few days ago with her new clips from her Czech grandparents. Vojta was especially joyful about his curls tamer. :-)

Vojta's first Pasta meal

2010-08-30T14:38:00.002+02:00

Love those little sucking noises! Magdalena said, "how cute!" when she watched this video. :-D

Playtime with Daddy

2010-08-30T14:25:00.002+02:00

Vojta on the high ropes like his sister does - so proud of himself!
Magda the monkey swinging over to see the "boys."
Whee! More rope antics. :-)

Playground fun

2010-08-30T14:05:00.002+02:00

We had fine weather today! No rain this morning (it's been rainy the past several days), only a few clouds across the blue, blue sky, and delightful sunshine. So, we put on our sweaters and headed to the park a few minutes from our place.Magdalena found a little boy to play with. They slid, climbed, and ran together - instant friends. :-)
Vojta wasn't as enthusiastic about the outdoor playtime as his sister was...because he'd refused to nap this morning and was a bit "blue." ;-)

He did cheer up a bit after sliding a few times with Big Sister!

Magdalena had to walk home the adventurous way atop the little fenced wall. She said, "I can do this because I'm big. Brother can't cuz he's still small. Right, Mommy?"

"Baf!" ("Boo!") giggles

2010-06-26T19:02:00.003+02:00

June Moravia trip

2010-06-24T11:51:00.002+02:00

Magdalena still LOVES holding her brother...and being silly for pictures. So, she put on a goofy grin and held onto the little man for this shot on the train from Prague to Bystricka.
The proud Deda took 3 of his 4 grandchildren on a long walk - about 2 hours! They all came back alive, happy, and still full of energy! Well, not Vojta. Riding in that carriage wore him out and put him in the mood for a nap. :-)
Adelka and Terezka have a big trampoline in the garden, so Magdalena spent a LOT of time with her cousins bouncing, run, and having a grand ole time in there. Here she is with Adelka zooming in circles.
We left Magdalena in Moravia for the week with her grandparents. The train ride home was much quieter without her. Vojta had his own seat part of the time. He was feeling mighty proud of himself, I do believe!
The little guy finally was tuckered out enough to fall asleep amidst the train hustle and bustle. He slept in Daddy's arms for about an hour. Sooo sweet. That precious baby face nestled on Daddy's shoulder while he lovingly watches him breathe...ah, cherished moments.

Snack time!

2010-06-24T11:34:00.003+02:00

Vojta eating his first nectarine. Yummy!
Good and messy, too! ;-)
Hit a sour spot, evidently, but that didn't deter him. He ate about half of the fruit before deciding he was bored of the kitchen sport.
One day after nap, the kiddos wanted something to munch. So, they shared a rice cake. Vojta was satisfied with his portion, but Magdalena went on to eat another one of her own. She's a growin' girl, don't cha know?

Going to school without Mommy

2010-05-27T10:48:00.003+02:00

Last week I was quite sick and needed extra rest, so Sunny and Kelly took Magdalena to preschool with them and brought her back, too. That way, I got to rest and keep my germs to myself. ;-) Here is the happy trio as they arrived back home with my lunch from "Old McDonald" in hand.
The ladies brought Magdalena a little lady bug chocolate from their visit with some of our American missionary friends in Hungary on Monday. So, after preschool on Tuesday, since Magdalena had been such a good girl and waited patiently to eat her Hungarian treat, she got to indulge.While they were all gone, Vojta had free range of the house and toys. He wanted to play with an old phone, but got very frustrated when he couldn't cradle it back on the rest! Eventually, he gave up and played with B.B. instead (behind him in the picture).

Sibling Love

2010-05-18T14:13:00.002+02:00

Sure, there are moments that I think Magdalena will never learn to be gentle with her little brother, or others when I wish that Vojta wouldn't scream when Magdalena gives him a kiss or hug...but, the overwhelmingly majority of the time I think "How blessed am I to have two great kids who love each others company!" Vojta is extremely ticklish like his daddy and Magdalena loves to make him laugh by tickling his little foot or tummy. And, they both enjoy some good old fashioned snuggle time together pretty often! I think we have the beginnings of a beautiful sibling-hood and lifelong friendship...

Sunny and beads!

2010-05-18T14:04:00.002+02:00

Sunny and Kelly, her friend/boss, arrived the day after my birthday for a month's visit and mission counseling. This is not the best picture of Sunny or Magdalena, but it depicts the fun and adventure that envelop Sunny's bright personality. Magdalena is wrapping Sunny up "like a tortilla" in this picture.
With Sunny, arrived beads from Gigi and Poppy! Magdalena promptly made all kinds of accessories with them - a crown, necklace, bracelets, and belt. Here is Vojta sporting the crown while adoring Kelly. I think he's got a crush!
Magdalena decked out in her precious "jewels" that she made with all the grown ups' help. (We alternated holding the twine as she strung on the beads or pinching the twine's end to prevent it from unraveling.)

Today's cuteness

2010-05-18T11:49:00.002+02:00

In case you haven't gotten in today's cuteness quota, soak in some of this adorable baby! Notice his new tooth? The second one is about to pop through any second - I have pen and baby book on hand to record it the moment it does. ;-)

Easter Monday in Pardubice

2010-05-12T21:12:00.005+02:00

We have been richly blessed with so many new and old friends in the Czech Republic since we returned to live here a year ago. One such couple of new friends live in a village just outside of Pardubice. They met the Sillers at church on Easter Sunday and invited us all to their house the next day (Czech Easter Monday) for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. This meant a train ride for us all. Vojta slept most of the time, snug as a bug in a rug tucked away inside the same sling I used for Magdalena.
Magdalena enjoyed the fun with Daddy - climbing in and out of his lap, resting a bit on his shoulder, and eating cookies that Owen shared with her.All of the kids (host family's daughters are the black haired cuties and their dad, Jimmie, is in the doorway) were eager to find as many eggs as possible, and even more so to EAT them!! But, when they found some with unusual "treats" they were intrigued...The special eggs contained visuals to tell the Easter story of Christ's death and resurrection. Most of the kids found at least one, so they were giddy to hand over their egg to Hulda, our hostess, to find out what part of the story was inside. :-)
We adults ate more "age appropriate" Easter fixin's - Beranek (lamb shaped pound cake) which is a HUGE Czech tradition - no Czech Easter celebration or table is complete without one.

Zoo Praha

2010-05-12T20:44:00.005+02:00

During the last few days of our time with the Sillers, we took a day trip to the zoo. It was Vojta's first zoo experience, and Magdalena's first time at the Prague zoo since we returned to the Czech Republic. This statue is of a Mongolian horse. It used to be on the Prague zoo logo, but the designer left the "company" and took his logo with him. Now the zoo is looking for a new logo. Another interesting fact about these horses - the Prague Zoo is the only place outside of Mongolia where they are found (or so I've been told)!
Vojta loving his stroller ride through the zoo, looking at the animals (and the animalistic kids we were with -namely his sister and her friend Owen!).
The crazy older kids running out some of their energy after lunch.
Watching the polar bears - I absolutely love Emily's excitement! Guess the kids' sentiment was catching...or was it the other way around?
Vojta didn't eat our after zooing treat, but he had fun watching us lick it up!Daddy and Magdalena with their "pink ice cream" as Magdalena called her wild strawberry cone.

Vojta's first swing ride :-)

2010-05-01T22:13:00.002+02:00

Owen's 4th Birthday

2010-04-16T21:26:00.003+02:00

We were blessed to celebrate Owen's 4th birthday with him here in Prague! The kids started out the day with growing vehicles from capsules in a bowl of water. With each meal, they had a truck napkin to clean their hands on and they spent all morning at a playground having loads of fun. I missed that action because I was looking at an apartment we were considering to move into. (Another story for another day.) But, Emily said they had a blast and played perfectly together. :-)
Instead of having one solid, single flavored cake, Petr bought 4 pieces of different kinds of cake so we all had a selection to choose from. The birthday boy chose chocolate.

Enjoying his hunk of chocolaty celebratory cake!

An Official Complaint

2010-04-15T18:52:00.002+02:00

Dear Mother Earth and Father Time,

With utmost respect to you both, I am writing this letter to ask you, please, to synchronize your seasons. According to you, Father, spring began a few weeks ago. But, you Mother, are still producing cold and wet weather according to winter standards. I actually had to turn my heat back on this week! And, with two small people as my constant companions, I must bundle three bodies prior to any departure. This elongated winter has caused many extra hours of work that should otherwise be spent outdoors enjoying warm air, fresh and gentle breezes, and soaking in some natural vitamin D (as opposed to the bottled kind my infant's pediatrician prescribed him).

Is this too much to ask? Working together to make the humble folk in the Czech Republic happy from traditional weather patterns being upheld? I know that I failed the weather chapter in geography in 6th grade. And, scout's honor, I restudied that chapter until I passed the exam with flying colors. And, now I recycle to help maintain this beautiful world that you keep in order...but, at present, you seem to be dropping your end of deal. Please, send spring weather soon. We would all greatly appreciate the warm gesture.

Many thanks. Sincerely,
Rebekah Layne Bowen Sramkova

Just playin' around the house

2010-04-11T13:21:00.002+02:00

Many days we didn't do anything "special" in the touristy sense, but we hung out around the house letting the kids have fun together and us get in some chatting time which made the time extraordinary. Owen and Eliana like playing chef and house as much as Magdalena does, so they spent many hours baking and cooking for the parents.

Park 2 - The new one on Kampa Island

2010-04-11T12:35:00.003+02:00

On the shores of the Vltava River, as Aaron took pictures of historic buildings and Charles Bridge, the bigger kids ran around looking at the water and sand, and Eliana ate her rohlik, Vojta snoozed away in the stroller.
Magdalena and Owen became spiders on one of the many awesome play structures at the park. Then ran off to the other areas to ride bouncy horses, climb up to a high slide, and play in the sand.

Vojta also got in the sand box and grabbed his first handful of sand! He definitely enjoyed it, digging in it with his tiny fists and covering his little legs. I had to take off his wee shoes to get out all of the sand. :-)

Školička - a.k.a Owen's first day of Preschool

2010-04-11T12:21:00.002+02:00

Owen hadn't been to preschool yet, until he came to visit "Magdaweena." So, when I went to teach on Thursday, he accompanied us for his FIRST preschool experience! He was quite daunted by the metro and escalators on the way there, but on the way home was operating like a professional public transit patron. This shot is on the bus before we got to the metro station while traveling to Školička. Magdalena taught him the Czech words for "preschool" and "car" and "bus" on the way to the metro. It was so adorable to hear his little voice saying the Czech words! He did quite well on the pronunciation, too! At the end of the day, we always have a review of our lessons and say good-bye to everyone. This is Ulli leading the kids in a review of Day 5 of creation before singing our traditional "good-bye" song. Note: all of the kids have on indoor shoes. Owen was thrilled by having special school shoes, so when they returned to the USA, we sent the little shoes with him. They are the pair Magdalena just outgrew a few weeks ago.

The Way They Sleep

2010-04-11T11:25:00.002+02:00

Every night, before we go to sleep, Petr and I poke our heads in to check on the kids and see what funny positions they might be sleeping in. Last night Magdalena had her little hiney in the air and Vojta had his foot protruding from the blankets with his face snuggled up to B.B. (his favorite friend from Aunt Jessica). The perfect combination of funny and sweet...

Walk through Wenscesclas Square

2010-04-10T13:25:00.005+02:00

On the second day of the Sillers' visit, we took a walk through Prague's main square. Since we live in walking distance, we made it a long walk to get out the kids' energy so they'd sleep well. Magdalena took charge of our camera and she shot this picture of Aaron with Owen and, of course, the Cafe Tramvaj. I really need to take her there to eat or drink sometime. She is obsessed with this tiny tram converted into a coffee and dessert shop!

Park 1 - Riegrovy Sady

2010-04-10T09:16:00.003+02:00

Within a few short hours of the Sillers landing on Czech soil, we hit the slopes - of the park that is! The kiddos were so very happy to see each other and get to play together after nearly one year of separation. Magdalena and Owen repeatedly, unprovoked, would say "I love you" to one another. So super sweet! The above photo is of the "big kids" sliding down the "mountain climbing" slope.
Eliana and Vojta, the "little kids" getting to know each other. She loved "baby" and, by the end of their visit, began saying "hi, sweet baby" to him whenever she saw him. Very adorable!
Emily catching her kids in action!
Vojta inspecting a toy in his stroller at the park.
Grins from the baby boy!

Eliana's sweet voice saying "baby."

Fun in the garden

2010-04-10T08:53:00.004+02:00

Fresh "mountain" air inspires many great hours of fun and good rest. Vojta hated sleeping inside without his familiar domestic scents (this was his first overnight stay away from home), but he slept like a baby in the stroller outside. We parked him next to the house while Magdalena played away with her cousins and alone when they went to visit their other grandparents. Below is a video of "Magda" (as she now calls and introduces herself) on a "motorka" that she's definitely too big for, but still loves riding. :-)

Vojta's first train ride

2010-04-09T22:10:00.002+02:00

Going to see Petr's family in Moravia, on 19 March, Vojta experienced the thrills of train travel for the first time. Magdalena was eager to hold him and tell him all about the train. He took it all in pensively, then napped in true baby fashion.

Moravian get away

2010-04-09T21:48:00.002+02:00

We took a long weekend to visit our family in Moravia just before our friends from the States came to see us. Vojta got to spend a lot of time with his Deda and cousins playing in the great room (doubles as master bedroom and living room).
The three girl cousins enjoying some "kyselka" (bubbly water) while taking a break from the toilsome job of playing! Terezka is 2, Magdalena 4, and Adelka 5 years old.
Magdalena and Adelka with their "water fountain" hair-do's. Magdalena was thrilled that Teta Marketa (Aunt Margaret) fixed her hair the same as Adelka's. :-)
Vojta and Terezka on Babi's lap. We have a near-identical pose of Kveta holding Magdalena and Adelka when they were about 6 months and 1 1/2 years old. My intention was to post that alongside this one, but I'm too lazy to hook up the external hard-drive to find that picture! Maybe another day...

Vojta is 5 months old

2010-04-09T21:36:00.002+02:00

Well, nearly a month late, finally here is his picture marking his 5th month of life. :-) Vojta began "talking" and squealing this month, rediscovered his thumb and sucks it fairly often, began sitting unassisted, and holding himself up on all fours. He's quite jolly and still greatly enjoys watching Magdalena play. But, now he also wants to be part of the activity - trying to scoot towards the players and reaching for toys and people around him. We love seeing our tiny man grow and develop!

Fun from today

2010-04-09T21:15:00.002+02:00

After many long weeks of silence, I have returned! We were out of town and then had some dear friends from the States visiting us, so I didn't have time to spend online - I was too busy enjoying life to document it! :-)
Today, Magdalena discovered that she can fit inside the pillow case and so decided that it's her new "house" and proceeded to play there for at least half an hour. Vojta enjoyed some tummy time on Sister's bed as she entertained him with her silly antics.

And this is when she's "sick"!

2010-02-24T20:52:00.002+01:00

Magdalena's birthday present from her grandparents was a miniature trampoline. She's been jumping her brains out and today she provided musical accompaniment for her physical feats. She's singing the "Elephant Show" theme song, Skinamarink.

Patty Cake with Vojta

2010-02-24T20:45:00.002+01:00

Man, I love his giggles!

Vojtech's dedication

2010-02-21T17:57:00.005+01:00

Our little Doll Baby was sleeping in his stroller when service started so we had to wake him up for his dedication! True to form, he was still contented and looked darling in his new outfit.
Mommy and Daddy read letters to both of the kids, telling them what their names mean and our prayer for them. Mommy read to Vojta:
Our Dear Vojtech,
We waited and prayed a long time for you and cried many tears through disappointments. So, when we knew you were coming, we were greatly comforted, thus we named you Vojtech because it means "Soldier of Comfort." And we gave you the middle name Wesley because you were conceived in the west and some great men of faith bore that name.
Our prayer for you is that you will come to know God at a young age and then through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter, you'll lead many others to have faith in the Lord.Then Daddy read to Magdalena:
Our Dear Magdalena,
We thank God for you - your love of life and the passion you have for all of your activities.
When you were born, and we named you, we hadn't thought much about your names' meanings. But, shortly after your birth we realized how perfectly they go together. Magdalena means woman from Magdala (the city's name means Tower) and Rose is like the Rose of Sharon.
Our prayer for you is that you'll come to know God closely, like Mary Magdalene, and in turn become a tower of God's love leading people to the Rose of Sharon - Jesus.
Pastor Jerry held our little guy as he said a prayer of blessing over his life. Vojta was comfortable in his arms and didn't squirm or fuss.
The family praying in accord with Pastor Jerry and the church.
Pastor Jerry and Ulli praying for the family - both present and in the USA - to be close to God, know His blessings, and to help Vojtech know God and His love.
Brother Milan speaking a prophetic word over our son: you are like an apple tree that reproduces many other trees. God is building his church and He will use you to help Him build it further.

Magdalena's private story hour

2010-02-15T08:28:00.006+01:00

Saturday we went to the Prague Christian Library for story hour. They host this activity twice a month and we've gone once before and Magdalena really enjoyed it. So, since Petr had a work meeting in the morning, we decided to have some fun.
Turned out that we were the only attendees this time because this is the "ski" week in the Czech Republic, so many families were out of town. "Ms. Worry," as Magdalena calls Ms. Laurie, read some books to Magdalena, held Vojta, and then we all decorated Valentines and ate some super yummy sour cream cookies that Ms. Laurie made. When it was time to go home, Ms. Laurie gave us some cookies to take home to Daddy to accompany the Valentine that Magdalena made for him. :-) We all LOVE our librarian!

Magda's recent shinanigans

2010-02-11T18:53:00.003+01:00

What do you get when you combine a 4 year old with 30 minutes of unsupervised time? A pile of about 3 kilos of bakings goods - flour, salt, sugar, and bread-crumbs! That is how Magdalena used her "free" time while I nursed Vojta tonight before he went to sleep. Petr wasn't home so...while the parents are away the children will play!Magdalena on clean up duty as punishment for her dusty work (plus a spank, but after she received her spank she told me, "I like spanks now, Mommy"! My response? "Well if you like it, I'll give you another." She quickly responded, wide eyed, "NO!"). As she worked, she informed me, "This is what I do at skolka. You taught us how to clean the floor." Using a dustpan and hand broom is one of the Montessori practical life skills that preschoolers learn to encourage respect of their environment, self-reliance, and development of motor skills. I taught the kids how to do this on the first day of Life Center Skolicka (little preschool) where I teach every Tuesday.
Magdalena bird made a nest of her blankets and pillows yesterday. She was so cute that I had to snap a picture of her all nestled in cozy like! Given the choice of her being a magpie or attempting to make pie on my kitchen floor, I choose the birdie any day!

More birthday party pics

2010-02-07T19:25:00.002+01:00

Petr opening the tiny doll from Donie for Magdalena.
Petr with his baby boy.
Mommy and the birthday girl - she got really thirsty from all the running and playing (and eating many sweets!) so the receptionist gave her some multivitamin juice. "Yummy. I like it." She said. :-)
Mommy and her little guy.

Magdalena's 4th birthday party

2010-02-06T20:14:00.002+01:00

Our first baby is turning 4 years old on Monday. When we asked her if she'd like to celebrate before or after her birthday, of course, she said "Before!" So, today we rented the space at the family center Palecek (that Project Antioch founded) and had some of her friend come party!

Our happy, passionate, fun-loving girl! She was living it up before her friends arrived, playing chase, soccer, and balloons with us (Mommy and Daddy).
As requested, Magdalena's carrot cake in a flower shape. Yes, she did have the same shape last year, but she wanted it again and who am I to dissuade her from having the easy cake she wants? We had to limit her to two pieces of cake or she might have eaten it all - the kid is CRAZY about anything carrot!Will, Sophie, Natalie, and Donie (plus Linda, Donie's sister not pictured) came to play.Vojta chilled in the bouncy seat when he wasn't sleeping - who knows what he was thinking of the partying going on around him...think this photo gives us a clue? ;-)
Our beautiful brown-eyed girl with her new Hello Kitty umbrella and robe. She called me back in to her room tonight to have me put the umbrella by her bed as she slept and didn't want to take off the robe. She asked me why she had to take it off to sleep (um, because you still have on your regular clothes under it and need to sleep in pajamas...)!

Proof that Daddy still exists

2010-02-02T19:44:00.003+01:00

So many posts don't include Petr since he's at work all week long. But, he still exists and makes the most of his time with the kids. Of course, Magdalena eats up every moment she can with her Daddy and tries to steal away my time with him too, demanding, "Daddy, come play with me!!" And, Vojta gives his Daddy many sweet smiles while they play together. They're becoming great buddies. :-)

Layers

2010-01-27T21:01:00.002+01:00

This morning, the meteorologist said that Prague's weather was "bitter cold" and it truly was! When I checked the temp before leaving to take Magdalena to preschool, it was -18C (0F). We bundled up in many, many layers to keep warm - Magdalena had on tights, socks, leggings, corduroys, undershirt, long sleeved shirt, sweat-jacket, coat, scarf, gloves, hat, and boots (I was similarly clad). She still said she was cold and requested I put her scarf around her face! Vojta was layered up but instead of the many clothing layers he had many blankets! The little guy was warm all over when I took him out of his stroller, except those chubby cheeks were pink and cold! Even though it took about 20 minutes to put on our 47 layers, we did look really cute all bundled up and they kept us warm. :-)

First Laugh!!

2010-01-20T18:46:00.003+01:00

For several weeks we've been a bit paranoid that we are not funny people or that Vojta wasn't a happy boy. He's content for sure, but since he's not laughed before today...well, it made us wonder if we weren't "telling the right joke" as Pastor Jerry suggested. Today, grouchy and sleepy baby that he was, he still got super jolly the instant his little body hit the water for bath time this afternoon! I think Magdalena will no longer be the only water monster in the family!

Entertainment initiation

2010-01-15T14:23:00.002+01:00

Watching a DVD with big sister. Yep, she's already teaching him the ways of modern entertainment. :-D He'll sit and watch whatever with us until he's ready to eat or sleep!

Vojtech is 3 months old!

2010-01-15T13:25:00.002+01:00

Our happy little guy turned one quarter of a year old yesterday. :-) He is a very content fellow, frequently smiling, and ever watchful of what is going on around him. He holds his head up steadily for any amount of time, sits on everyone's lap like nobody's business, lifts up his chest and head to get a better view when he's on his tummy, has rolled over 2 times, and vocalizes when he's happy or fussy to let us all know what is on his mind.
He is Mommy's darling and never fusses at being kissed, hugged, squeezed, or loved on.
An up-close shot that Magdalena took to commemorate his milestone "birthday."Comparing the sizes of our two "babies" feet. As soon as I begin to think, "Wow! Vojta is getting so big!" I look at Magdalena and think, "No, he's still a tiny thing." :-)

Vojta's tummy time

2010-01-15T12:00:00.003+01:00

The little man is getting stronger, using his muscles to lift his upper body and turn his head to see us, to watch his sister playing, and to scoot around in his crib (he likes to sleep with the top of his head against the bumper pad like Magdalena did). This is the first time he's played with the elephant toy. :-)

Visit in Zelenec

2010-01-11T20:14:00.002+01:00

Vojta and I on the train to Zelenec to visit our friends. This was the first time that Vojta didn't fuss in the sling while I was sitting. Normally, as soon as I sit down he wakes up or fusses. Today, he rested and slept all the way there and back. Magdalena took this picture. :-)
Magdalena being very Czech in her yellow scarf on the train.
The snowy sidewalk on the walk between the train station and our friends' house.
Vojta contentedly reclining on the Lillards' couch. He just grinned away at everyone for several minutes after we arrived until time to eat.
The girls playing with lots of fun toys in the living room as we mommies talked and drank marvelous Tchibo coffee with vanilla soy milk. :-)

Vojta's vocalizations

2010-01-10T07:10:00.002+01:00

Vojta has been giving us his opinion recently. Mostly, he's a happy fellow gurgling about the bunny on his bouncy seat or the fairy print on his sister's bedspread. This was the best I could record because, usually, as soon as I pull out the camera he freezes and looks puzzled! :-D

Story hour

2010-01-09T14:48:00.002+01:00

This morning, Magdalena and I had some girl time. Just the two of us went to the Prague Christian Library for the story hour. Today's theme, appropriately, was SNOW! The kids all made snowflakes after the reading time. Here Magdalena is getting her snowflake besparkled by Ms. Laurie. :-)
The blue snowflake...
and the blue one with it's silver friends.
Some snow covered cars on our walk home.
Magdalena getting a scoop of snow from her window sill. She affirmed that "I like the cold" when we had to open the window to touch the snow. But a few moments later, she said, "I very am cold, Mommy" then asked to get down and close the window. It's about 20F here...

Our "big" kids

2010-01-08T22:19:00.002+01:00

Magdalena all grown up in Mommy's robe and decorating her King from Tri Kralove (Three Kings' day).
Vojta in his little old man sweater from Aunt Liz and Uncle Jon. :-)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T14:44:00.002+01:00

5th Anniversary!

2009-12-26T14:34:00.002+01:00

We have been married for 5 years now! December 18th was our anniversary, and to celebrate, we went to a Mexican restaurant about a 5-10 minute walk from our apartment. We left both of the kids at home with a babysitter so we could have 2 1/2 glorious hours of uninterrupted time together away from home. :-)
We forgot the camera, so we snapped these on Petr's work phone. They turned out pretty decently, but we can't figure out how to make it show up on this blog in the right direction! At least the prettiness of our cappuccino and Vienna coffee shows up!

And a plateful of yumminess! Taco, enchilada, refried beans, and rice (Petr had a tasty burrito). So good!

Tour of the Christmas Trees

2009-12-26T14:24:00.002+01:00

Every end of November/beginning of December, Christmas trees and little Christmas markets sprout up all around Prague at just about every square in town. Magdalena loves looking at the"Christmas," as she lovingly calls the Christmas trees, and the accompanying nativity scenes. On her last day of preschool before Christmas break, we took a little tour around our neck of town to see 3 trees. This one above is from the square in front of the Cathedral of Saint Vaclav in Smichov.
Magadalena's newest favorite pose, as she scrams, "syr!" (cheese in Czech). This is at Paleckeho Namesti.
And the last of our trek - our own dear tree in Namesti Miru. She's seen it a hundred times, but still runs up to it each time as if it's the first. :-) Gotta love the child's spirit!

Magdalena's photography from Andilek

2009-12-26T14:17:00.001+01:00

The first gift of Christmas

2009-12-26T14:03:00.004+01:00

While Kveta and Milan were visiting the weekend before Christmas, we let Magdalena open one gift from them for herself and for Vojta. It was their first present of the season and both really like what they got!
Magdalena's 99 piece puzzle with two cute puppies on it...
and getting some help from Daddy to complete it immediately after opening it. :-)We let Magdalena open all of Vojta's presents since he's too small to do it himself. She thoroughly enjoyed that job! And he enjoyed watching her - never taking his eyes from his big sister. :-)

Christmas at the Mall

2009-12-26T13:54:00.002+01:00

A family pose with the "train crew" snowmen. Magdalena loved the snowmen and their scenes. She hugged as many as she could touch and ran from one display to the next display full of glee!
Even though we don't do Santa or the Czech Mikulas, when Magdalena saw Mikulas at the mall giving out candy and offering a table to write letters to Jezisek (baby Jesus who, according to Czech tradition, brings presents on Christmas and never grows up), she had to get in on the action. So, she sat in his lap very briefly before getting to the good stuff - CANDY!

Decorating for Christmas

2009-12-26T13:43:00.002+01:00

Magdalena with her Babi. She gave Babi and Deda a "baby" to hold while Daddy was holding Vojta. In this picture, Magdalena is enjoying some banana-nut bread that she helped Mommy make in preparation for the grandparents' visit. :-)
Petr and Voja with Deda and the "baby bunny." Milan brought some wire to make hooks for the tree decorations we'd bought.
Kveta brought some of their surplus ornaments for us to complete our tree.
Magdalena getting the ornaments on the tree and making sure they're just right!

Magdalena's singing

2009-12-12T20:20:00.004+01:00

Ever since Magdalena could talk, she's been creating her own songs about whatever is happening around her like she's a minstrel. Recently, she's begun singing about emotions. "I hate this" was her tune today, but to a jovial melody! But, mostly she sings pleasant lyric-ed songs. "God, I love you" is my favorite!
Today she sang, "Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm sad. And I get angry too. Sunny asked me..." On Monday, Sunny, who is earning her counseling license now, began an emotion management program with Magdalena via Skype. It's giving Sunny credit hours toward her license and helping Magdalena process her emotions, which have been a bit crazy since Vojta's birth. Hence, her song's words this afternoon.
Yesterday afternoon, as we were decorating the Christmas tree (which we've put in Magdalena's room), Magdalena wanted to practice the song she'll sing in church next week. Here is a long, 35 second clip preview of what's to come...

More Bathtime

2009-12-08T21:41:00.004+01:00

Bathtime continues to be a favorite activity around our house. Magdalena is part fish and so, it seems, is her brother. He's already begun enjoying baths and smiling as he chills in his little seat. Magdalena has taken to "watering" him (and herself too) as you can see in the video.
This face is too funny! I couldn't go without sharing it! After I put him in the tub and turned to help Magdalena undress to get in too, I heard a little trickling sound. When I looked at Vojta, he was grinning ear to ear and peeing a tiny fountain!

Of course, as soon as I ended the video, Magdalena said, "I'm a wolf!" A clever ending to her air blowing, I thought. ;-)

Toothpaste

2009-11-27T22:18:00.002+01:00

Magdalena has been swallowing her toothpaste recently. So much that I told her that if she didn't stop it, I would buy her yucky toothpaste next time so she wouldn't want to eat it. A few days later, as we were walking to the metro, she stopped dead in her tracks and wailed, "Oh no! Mommy, you forgot to buy me yucky toothpaste!" And then night before last as Petr helped her brush her teeth, she told him, "Next time Mommy is going to buy me yucky toothpaste." I hate to disappoint her, but at the same time don't really want to make her suffer...maybe some neutral paste that's not fruity??

Vojta's cuteness from today

2009-11-26T21:04:00.000+01:00

Playing at Vysehrad

2009-11-26T20:01:00.002+01:00

Magdalena's new catch word is "awesome!" We're not sure where she picked it up, but it's extremely cute when she uses it! Today, in effort to get out some pent up energy and to treat her for being a good girl the past couple of days, I took her to Vysehrad where there is a super awesome playground. This first photo is of Magdalena on the "Mommy horse" with Vojta (in the stroller) and the Roman Rotunda in the background.
Magdalena on the "Daddy horse."

Riding the zip line and sharing it with a little boy. He didn't know how to ride it, so Magdalena showed him how to do it. She was a patient teacher and took turns very nicely. I was so proud of my girl!

Vojta is 6 weeks old!

2009-11-26T19:53:00.002+01:00

Our little guy is growing! He still sleeps a whole lot, but when he's awake he takes in the world. A few days ago Vojta began giving us real smiles! This picture got the tail end of one.

Christmas Market on Namesti Miru

2009-11-26T19:45:00.002+01:00

The square around the corner from our apartment is bedecked with Christmas festivity! There is a huge Christmas tree decorated in purple and silver balls (pictured with the church of St. Ludmila in the background) and many booths set up selling Christmas decorations, gifts, crafts, and spiced food!
Magdalena snapped this shot of the booths. They're so quaint and just right for getting one in the mood for the holidays!
Magdalena with Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus at the base of the Christmas tree. She has to "visit" them every time we go to the square now. :-)

Monday's excursion

2009-11-26T19:36:00.002+01:00

Monday morning we met our Romanian friends at the shopping center up the street from our apartment. It's got a small (but free!) play area for kids with a decent variety of toys. Magdalena is in her "window" of learning letters and numbers. So, the foam puzzle-mat with letter pieces kept her content most of our stay. As you can see in the picture, even her snack couldn't tear her away from her "work."
Vojta found his own entertainment in the simplest thing there - a cardboard game board with multi-colored arches. He stared, and smiled, at this for about half an hour. He's definitely becoming more alert and aware of his surroundings. We are all enjoying his company and watching him develop!

Sucking his thumb

2009-11-21T13:31:00.002+01:00

And holding onto his hair. Seems my children have a knack for holding onto their hair when they are sleepy. Vojta was already doing this when we were in the hospital. At least I have a very obvious, visual clue when they are tired! :-)
Magdalena is so happy that she can finally hug, kiss, and love on her brother since she's been sick for a week and we'd banned her kisses until she had "no more germs."

Vaclavak and Staromak according to Magda

2009-11-21T11:21:00.002+01:00

The Tram Cafe - Madgalena informed me, "We aren't going to buy any food and eat here today." Guess she remembered from last time that it's too expensive. A coffee, plain, is 80kc (normally it costs about 30 or 40kc)!
Carrying on the feet tradition! Can't have a true adventure without photographing the feet of those along for the fun!
A picture of the "angels and the house" - I'm not sure if she meant the block under King Wensceslas or the National Museum in the background...
Magdalena standing under the "Jesus coo-coo clock." It was definitely the highlight of our trip.
Magdalena and her brother at the base of the Jan Hus statue (he's not visible though). :-)

Magda's humor

2009-11-20T21:55:00.001+01:00

Two nights ago at dinner, Magdalena was playing with her calculator. She punched in a digit then showed it to me, asking, "What number is it?" I answered that it was an "8." Her response was, "Yep. It's the eating number." Quite clever that she's picked up that the number and the past tense for "eat" sounds the same!

Sweet sleep

2009-11-14T21:46:00.002+01:00

This peaceful slumber happened in his bouncy seat...
while his sister played in the tub, just a rug's distance away...
in front of the running washing machine! He slept the whole time it ran and only awoke after it had been turned off a couple of minutes. :-D

1 Month Old

2009-11-14T21:36:00.002+01:00

Vojtech turned 1 month old today! Hard to believe that at this time of day on this day one month ago he was 25 minutes old. :-) Now, he looks at us in the eyes and follows his sister's movements, responds to our voices, and definitely enjoys hearing the washing machine (so did Magdalena when she was a tiny thing).
Just look at his chubby cheeks! He's growing - he's already gained 1.1kilos, and is 6cm longer than at birth.
Ah, this is the life. Taking it easy in the Boppy. :-) Happy first month birthday, dear Boy! We all love you.

Our little sleeping angel

2009-11-12T21:33:00.001+01:00

Unchronological pictures - scroll down to the bottom to see them in order

2009-11-10T18:51:00.002+01:00

Last night, Petr held Vojtech until he fell asleep. My back has been achy recently - it's been too long since I carried a little one around - so he was giving me some much needed relief (plus immensely enjoying his time with his tiny son).
Magdalena talking to her Daddy on our way home from church last week. He was feeling under the weather, so stayed home for some rest. Magdalena called him to let him know we were on our way home and should order the Chinese food! ;-) (What did she eat? "Chicken and fries" as usual!)
Magdalena's bosom friend has moved to the USA since her parents have been called to be missionaries in Indiana. Gracie and Magdalena are both big on hugs and had to give each other plenty on our last meeting with the family the day before they flew out of Prague.
The whole crew - Sramkovi and Hornback families. We met at a creperia in a local mall to enjoy coffee together and squeeze in as much together time as possible before they moved. My mom was there too and took this great picture (the only one where all the kids were cooperating with us!).
Vojtech's first day at church was also another new baby's first day too. Robbie is 2 1/2 weeks older than Vojtech, but weighed a whole kilo (apx. 2.2lbs) more at birth so he looks much older! I've been blessed recently to become friends with Hulda, Robbie's mommy, via Facebook. Their family doesn't live in Prague, so they only come to church in Prague every now and then. FB has been a nice way to get to know Hulda in place of seeing her on a regular basis. :-)

At home with Vojta

2009-10-23T15:14:00.003+02:00

Vojta mostly sleeps and eats then sleeps again, but nearly everyday around noon he has a wakeful period of about 30minutes where he looks around and takes in the surroundings. He's really enjoying his bouncy seat (even without batteries to actually bounce the thing).
Sleeping like a little angel bundled in his crib.
Proud Daddy Petr holding both of his children at the same time. Magdalena is drinking her decaf coffee with great pizazz and Vojta is sleeping as usual although is supposed to be burping!
Vojta's first bath at home was with big sister. She was thrilled to get to share her favorite time of the day with her baby. He didn't cry the whole time, just most of it. ;-)

Magdalena takes advantage of every opportunity to hold her brother. Before lunch on Sunday, I was nursing Vojta and said that after he finished, I'd need someone to hold him so I could eat. Magdalena overheard me from her room where she was playing and came bounding in declaring on the way, "I will!!" Then as she held him a couple of days ago he had the hick-ups during movie time (Shrek 3 is playing in the background). I had to record them because they sounded so strange!
We are all in love with this little guy and thank God for him. Petr and I are also grateful that God answered our prayers for Magdalena to take well to having a little sibling. She adores him and is very gentle and sweet with him.

Our baby boy - Vojtech Wesley Sramek

2009-10-15T20:55:00.005+02:00

Vojtech was born 14.10. 2009, at 21:20 .

I love you my little brother!

My mommy sweet kiss!

Magdalena is ready to have Vojtech at home.

Proud and happy Daddy!

Our family few days ago

2009-10-15T20:49:00.003+02:00

Here is our lovely family - picture taken on Sunday, October 11th.

Our lunch with Jonathan

2009-10-14T18:16:00.002+02:00

Our dear friend and pastor from Project Antioch was in Europe these past couple of weeks. He was in Prague yesterday before heading back home to Tennessee, so we stole some time to visit with him. He treated us to lunch at Paul - an authentic French bakery similar to the Atlanta Bread Company.
When we told Magdalena we were going to lunch with Jonathan, she said, "He's my friend. When I was a baby he held me. And when I was a baby I smiled at him!" We're not sure if she really remembers him, or if she's remembering seeing pictures of them together. Either way, she still loves "Augustine Jonathan" as she's been calling him! :-)

Baby Shower

2009-10-10T20:33:00.004+02:00

Laura Syvertsen hosted a baby shower for me in her home last Thursday evening. It was one of the best nights of my life! We ate desserts galore, laughed as we talked about all kinds of interesting topics, and, of course, I opened presents! Some friends gave me little baby clothes and Gracie (Magdalena's friend) sent a stuffed dog with her mom for the baby. But, everyone also pooled together their gift money to buy me...
my dream "nursing chair" glider!! I put it's title in quotes because that is what the store called in their online catalog (and what I intend to use it for too). :-) This morning, Laura took me to Kika to buy the chair and transport it home. Milan carried up to our flat via elevator, Petr assembled it, and I put on the cushions immediately.
Now, as I compose this blog entry, I am sitting and relaxing in my glider! Thank you to all of my dear sister-friends and family (on both sides of the Atlantic) who contributed to giving me this gift! You are all amazing women and I appreciate your friendship and generosity very much!

Baking frgal with Pavlina and Michele

2009-09-30T19:05:00.002+02:00

Pavlina and Michele came over yesterday to spend the day with us. We enjoyed some yummy pizza, then while the kids napped Pavlina and I started the frgal dough. Frgal is a Moravian specialty dessert that even Pavlina hadn't eaten before (she's Bohemian). After naps, the dough had risen enough for everyone to have fun rolling it out and spreading on the filling.
The dough I rolled ended up slightly rectangular - Magdalena's, on the other hand, was the roundest one! I told Pavlina that Magdalena learned from the best - her Babicka!
After the dessert was done, we all went out for a walk. Michele didn't want to stay in his stroller so Magdalena held his hand to help him along. "He's my friend!" she declared several time. They are just under a year apart in age and play together so nicely. :-)
Magda's photography skills are improving! She shot this super cute photo of me and Pavlina in the park before we headed home.
The frgal with poppy seed filling. The other one had plum jam and was really tasty but looked terrible because I left it in the oven too long!

Pope Benedikt XVI

2009-09-26T19:25:00.002+02:00

On our way to Mala Strana to see the Pope, we perused the bazaar in our square where Magdalena found this stuffed mouse for 10kc. A photo shoot was in order afterward so that she could show him off. :-)
The couple standing next to us at the barrier are from El Salvador and speak perfect English. We chatted the whole time we waited on the Pope's arrival (about an hour) and he snapped this family photo for us. Too bad Magdalena wouldn't look at the camera! The sun was extremely bright and she was playing shy too.
The Pope is barely visible in this pic, but if you zoom in, he is all in white with his arm upraised looking in our direction.
Part of the Papamobile is visible between the police officers. It was awaiting the Pope's arrival from the airport so that he could ride up to the castle after the ceremony. Benedikt came in a darkly tinted car so we couldn't really see him as he passed right in front of us (we could have touched the car had the barrier not been in place).
Some of the barriers to keep out cars...and the portable metal detector that the ceremony attendees had to pass through!

Zoo Praha

2009-09-24T20:18:00.003+02:00

Monday morning we met up with the Hornback family for a grand Zoo adventure! Gracie and Magdalena are two peas in a pod and couldn't get enough of climbing, yelling at the animals, and hopping in and out of the wagon that the daddies (Petr and Stephen) took turns pulling. When we visited the Emus, Magdalena said, "See he's a nice animal" to which Gracie replied, "No, he isn't."
Stephen pushing the girls in their private carriage.
Charity and Zoe.
Petr and Magdalena transporting Gracie who was being like Mary Poppins and her umbrella. :-)
And, since there aren't any aardvarks in Zoo Atlanta, we were all very fascinated by the very ugly-tailed, but cute-faced creatures as they slept cuddled up together.

Palacinky III: the taste test

2009-09-23T20:22:00.003+02:00

Palacinky II: spreading the jam

2009-09-23T19:45:00.003+02:00

Palacinky I: attempting to get jam for the crepe

2009-09-23T18:52:00.004+02:00

Petr made palacinky (crepes) for our dinner one day last week and again for breakfast on Saturday. The first time, we recorded Magdalena's discovery of the wonders of such delicious food! The videos tell it all, so enjoy. :-)

A Friday afternoon stroll

2009-09-22T20:00:00.002+02:00

Even though Magdalena was made and born in Prague, she doesn't remember much, or any, of the sites since we left her hometown when she was only 1 1/2yrs old. So, to "refresh" her memory, we took a stroll through Vaclavske Namesti (Wenceslas Square), Stare Mesto (Old Town), and across Karluv Most (Charles Bridge). In Old Town's square we watched the Astronomical Clock strike 4 and Magdalena was entranced. She called it the "Jesus Coo-coo clock." In Tyn Chapel, as we looked at paintings of Jesus in Mary's lap after his death on the cross, she asked me why Jesus died on the cross. She also asked why the people were mad a Jan Hus (John Huss) and burned him. So, she had lessons in history and Christianity.
Checking out Charles Bridge - the live music, boats floating underneath, and the crowds all seems unimportant to Magdalena after she saw a bottle in the river. "That's not supposed to be there. Who put that bottle in the water?" She kept repeating. Then, the kicker, "It can be recycled!"

Watching the boats and hot-air balloon with Daddy (Charles Bridge statue in background).
The new kids' playground just off of the Charles Bridge. Magdalena had a lot of fun playing there. We'd read about this new addition to Prague's parks, but hadn't yet visited it. I think it was a winner and we'll be going back!
A picture Magdalena took of Prague's "Venice Canal." Some people actually do ride little boats up to the doors of these houses. Also, the aforementioned hot-air balloon needed to be documented!