Let's just say Luka is potty training. It is fun to push the button on the remote while we are biding our time waiting for magic to happen. Stop animation can entertain just long enough to get the job done. Click to see Luka's premier--hopefully we will move on to more interesting content... video
PS. Luka helped with set decoration pre-potty. The star houses, yellow monster and blue flowers and most of the clouds are all his!
PPS. Let us know if you have problems seeing the video, Roma is trying out new techie stuff that is supposed to make it easy.
We are having a beautiful time in Texas, even though the heat index is 110 degrees. Yes, you read right-with the humidity and storms and heat-- 110, 43 celsius!! BUT, we are having a nice time. Tomorrow, Sunday, we are packing up to go camping for the week at Possum Kingdom State Park-so no pictures or updates for the week. Today we had a wonderful party with many friends, check back for the pictures. For now, enjoy Roma and the kids and their Slip N' Slide adventure.
Chapman Elementary preformance of Alice In Wonderland
We went to Chapman Elementary, where Alyosha will go to kindergarten, yesterday to see their kids do the end of the year performance. I just can't believe that they pulled off such an elaborate presentation--all the art and costumes, not to mention the acting! I kind of overdid the video length--but I couldn't give the full effect of the live performance! It was about an hour long---Have a look. I am so excited for Alyosha to go to such a good school next year.
This is Jen as a flower in Alice in Wonderland with my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Pettus.
Alyosha had 2! cavities that he needed to have fixed-- curse you dried fruits! Apparently dried fruit and not flossing are the culprits. He was a great patient, bribed by cheap surprise toys from a token operated machine. I guess it was good that we never gave him a chance to buy anything from one of those becaue it was so special that he was willing to go under the drill to try it out. Though now he is an ultimate flosser, his special magic token toys were lost 5 minutes after we got home and I let him watch the Lion King to forget his numb cheek.
Niki has so many emotions. Yesterday I was reading a story to Luka and there was a scary part where we both gasped. Niki was also listening to the story and when he heard us gasp his eyes filled with tears and his lower lip curled under down to his little chin. We quickly told him that it was ok and he squeezed out a smile while his eyes were full of tears. See the video...he is just starting to laugh all the time!
By the way, Luka doesn't have fifth disease. He had a bad reaction to the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. It gave him a slight measles rash and a cold, which he is now getting over. This was a vaccine that he was supposed to get when he was 1 year old, but I waited until two and a half because that is a serious one--I'm glad I did. I know the vaccines are good, but it is important to follow your own common sense rather than just depending on what others tell you. Doctors give advice for the general crowd, unfortunately, and each person is an individual.
Alyosha's story of how two kids drove around in their motorcycles and, without the knowledge of their papa, watched a knight kill various terrible creatures and finally save a treasure from the pirate--and protect the treasure with a dangerous rattlesnake.
These are the happenings at our house on a daily basis. Yes, we live in a magical world.
Back to Nature School. Alyosha had his first day of spring nature school today. Unfortunately they had to move it to Sellwood, which is a farther drive for us, but the park is great and with the better weather coming along we will enjoy it. The good part is that the class is bigger, 8 kids, so I think it is more fun. Alyosha is keeping a nature journal with a picture of what he learned for the day--that is what he is working on in the photo; they learned about leaves and veins and how the leaf turns its food into sugar.
I made the kids pose for a photo in front of the pink tulips at Sellwood park. Niki wasn't too happy.
Niki getting some rest and some sun. I think that he is the king.
The Easter Bunny found us even though we weren't in Texas--he hid clues in the whole building that the boys found together. BUT that silly Easter Bunny dropped Luka's airplane bubble blower so we had to ask the toy store if they would let us exchange it for a new one. Luckily they take Easter Bunny exchanges.
Alyosha is working on his music school homework for his piano class. He already knows what each of the types of notes are. I can't wait for him to start Kindergarten next year.
В этот день нас, пацанов, оставили одних дома. Мама прогуливалась в городе, а мы делили свою мужицкую долю, "тянули лямку хозяина дома". Вот отрывок из нашего дня.
В канун дня Благодарения, Алёша уселся смотреть фильм 1956 года "Илья Муромец", однако усидеть долго не смог, так как понял, что для просмотра понадобиться весь арсенал имеющийся в наличии.
Несмотря на весьма ограниченный доступ к телеканалам, Алёша проявил необычайную заинтересованность происходящими в стране выборами президента. Я постарался запечатлеть этот исторический момент гражданской ответственности, но, к сожалению, Алёша, как и многие избиратели совсем растерялся с определением "ху из ху", а главное "Почему?". А кроме того, в тоже самое время проходили перевыборы его американского дедушки Стива на очередной срок на посту прокурора области, что добавило замешательства юному избирателю.
Yesterday we joined in on the Pedalpalooza--a 2 week celebration all about bicycles. We rode the entire parade route to kick it off--out to around 30th and Stark--where the bicyclers just hung out and played in the sun.
We saw the crazy bikers last year gathering at Jamison park and wondered who are these crazy people all dressed up and bicycles decorated riding around town? This year we were 4 of those bicyclers--Jen a Piratess, Alyosha a batman, and Luka a monster--Papa went as a hippie Papa (his normal self) and photographer.
There are videos--maybe to come, but click on the big picture to see more...or here
С велосипедами у нас в семье связано многое: в 1999-ом мы с Женей впервые встретились в Бонне, где в одной команде оказывали техническую поддержку веломарафону; в Техасе мы были одними из немногих рассекавших на великах просторы штата не только с целью прокатиться, но и по делам; в 2002 мы проехали на великах против встречного ветра, 3-х недель дождя и жизни под открытым небом через 2/3 всей прибалтики (Эстония, Латвия и Литва); последующие годы были отмечены полосой переменного успеха с двухколёсными друзьями - всего в США у нас украли 5 велосипедов, как дорогих, так и дешёвых, причём все были с замками, опять же, дорогими и не очень. Вот одна история из этого душераздирающего опыта; В 2008, после того, как дядя Сэм вернул часть наших налогов, мы всё-таки решили, что не можем жить без велосипедов и купили опять пару, на этот раз, канадских "коней". Недавно, будучи в отпуске в Техасе, удалось принять участие на велосипеде в парадной процессии, продвигая заодно предвыборную кампанию тестя.
Пройдя вместе с нами через радости и трагедии, Алёша почувствовал какое немаловажное отношение к велосипедам в этой семье, и решил, что пришло время и ему научится кататься. Кататься на двух колёсах, в техническом смысле, он, наверняка, умел и раньше, но не знал, а узнать боялся.
Что бы как-то поднять дух и объяснить наглядно, что падать можно безболезненно, я показал ему такой вид молодёжного уличного "спорта", как - parkour (от французского parcours), в котором основная идея - пройти уличные препятствия быстро и с наименьшими усилиями.
В детстве, мы все занимались этим "спортом", не зная, что он называется паркур, и занимались им часто по пути из школы домой, благо в последние годы в союзе не было проблем с препятствиями, в виде различных неоконченных строек.
Посмотрев все эти забавы, Алёша загорелся и решил тут же, что он непременно должен стать паркуристом и, уже на следующее утро попросил маму, помочь ему открыть окно (третий этаж), чтобы он мог попрактиковаться "как в том видео, которое показывал папа". После тяжелого и многозначительного взгляда мамы Жени, папа Рома спешно решил направить внимание сына на велосипед, сказав, что всё это можно делать и на велосипеде.
Глаза сына загорелись и уже через пол-часа он рассекал двор на двух колёсах без поддержки, прыгая по канавам и грациозно падая на землю, "как паркурист". Правда над поворотами нам придётся ещё поработать.
Внимание, велосипедный дебют или, как назвал его сам Алёша - "Action riding"!
Сегодня были на званом обеде у Даницы и Миланы, родители славно покушали, обсудили политику, книги, народы и обычаи, а также кто -где хочет жить (дружно решили, что Алтай - самое место).
А детишки наши, разных возрастов, самодостаточно и мирно играли где-то там, совершенно не донимая нас. Неужели мы дожили до этого времени?!
Лукашка пропустил свой полуденный сон и, как стойкий оловянный солдатик, продержался до самого вечера.Вот видео, снятое уже за ужином.
Today Alyosha painted himself or at least as he sees himself. Сегодня Алёша нарисовал свой портрет, или по крайней мере так, как он себя представляет. Download video
Well, we finished reading Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson tonight. Alyosha understood a lot of it, there were some parts that were beyond him, but he hung on every word. He loved the entire novel! Tonight when he was playing in the bathtub he had a little boat, that he made into a pirate ship, naturally. He called me in there have a look at his boat. He said he "beached it (on his legs) when the tide went out." Then he said, "what does that mean?" (they beach the pirate ship Hispaniola when they lose the anchor)
So I told him this story: When I drop this sponge, where does it go? Al: It falls down. Mama: Why does it fall down and not up? Al: Because gravity. What is gravity? Mama: Gravity is what pulls everything down to the earth. And the moon has gravity too, but the Earth is stronger. The moon tries and tries to pull things up to it, as hard as it can, but it can't. It doesn't quit trying though. The moon isn't strong enough to pull you up, but it does pull the oceans a little bit. It pulls and pulls at the water and the water rises up toward the moon a little bit. That is when the tide goes out and you can see more of the beach. The water is being pulled towards the moon. Then the moon gets too tired and the earth pulls the water back to where it belongs. That is when the tide comes back in and there is more water on the beach. That is why you can beach the pirate ship. If you put the ship in the water close to the beach when the tide is in it will float, but then the moon pulls at the water and the ship will be stuck on the sand since there won't be any more water. And that happens all the time, because the moon never quits trying to pull things from the earth. Al: That is the coolest book ever!
Video for download here Alyosha playing his new guitar (a real one) and singing like a pirate--click play!
We went to the World Beat Festival this year--it was a lovely day. They were much better at providing shady areas because it sure was hot! but beautiful! We saw belly dancers, Mayan dancers and even a Scandanavian Wedding (a real one) click for more pictures
There isa picture of Luka's first time in the fountain in that group of pictures...that reminded me that I had posted Aleks' first time in the fountain as well...two years ago... Here is the link for those pictues Tomorrow is my Grandma's Birthday! She will be 82--we put a little happy birthday video together...click on the picture to see it...But don't let her see it until tomorrow! We will be shooting fireworks off for her tomorrow
Everything came in the mail the same day. Luka is an official citizen--he has his first passport and his first international-multi layover-tickets to visit Estonia. We are leaving the 19th of July and will spend our summer relaxing on the Baltic~ it is all official and government approved.
There were reasons that I wanted to have the "Kid's Talk" blog seperate. I thought about those reasons, and decided that it is better to have it all together and just use the labels! So, here we go with the Kid's Talk--I have a feeling that this will get more and more interesting as we grow!
For some reason, Roma was bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. And a good thing that he was because we got out of our confinements into the fresh air of this beautiful spring day. The kids finished their homework, so we just relaxed all day on the beach of the Columbia River. Kelly Point Park is a quite small park, where the Columbia and Willamette come together; there are a lot of cottonwood trees, birds and, most importantly, fresh air. We stayed all morning living in our ideal world of no work and all play, not worrying about nap times or lunches or phone calls or temper tantrums. It was really a gorgeous day. And there are more to come because summer is almost here.
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