Munchkin Monday~ Jumping Doctor

I was strolling along the main street with the mini me the other day and she commented on the “jumping doctor”.

I looked around and noticed the blinking jumping Apoteka (pharmacy) sign.

There is no end to the laughs your little ones bring you.

She has just developed a love of books. I am thrilled about this! She will sit and read them to herself. Every book begins with, “Once a time…” The ‘upon’ is lost, and makes it that much more adorable. I hope she won’t pick that up anytime soon.

I hope this has brought a smile to your day!

Dobar dan y’all!

Munchkin Monday~SHHHHHH

The Munchkin is on the downward slope of 2 on her way to 3 years old now. This Christmas  and new years will be a new and exciting experience! She gets the present thing now and is all about birthdays. I have been telling her about Santa and showing her pictures. Not to rush the season, but to teach her.

We have a bedtime ritual. She drinks her milk as I read her a story. Then Tata comes to give us kisses goodnight. As we cuddle in the dark quiet room, I pray aloud so she will hear me talking to God about whatever. It feels like a good ending to any day.

As for our daytime life, We have preschool, so mommy can have some me time… and by that I mean time to study, clean, go to the dentist, etc.She comes home early in the afternoon. And she loves school. She loves playing with the kids and her teachers are warm and kind.

I can’t keep up with the new developments. There are just too many new things she is doing now.

She has developed a love of books, finally. Sitting with one and creating a story to go with the pics is a great new imaginary development.  Or she may just point at the pics and name each object.

Coloring and painting are still passions, but play dough is the main event! I have to keep putting it away and giving it some TLC with a couple drops of water and needing to bring it back from the brink of a dry death.

My favorite Baba in the village. she is spritely and funny. Not at all as this pic makes her out to be. love her!

The Baba comment

A week ago when we were clearing trees, I have having a hard time with the branches knocking of my hat and glasses. I decided a kerchief wrapped around my head would solve the problem and it did. But, in this culture it is only the Baba’s who wear this. When Munchkin saw me ready to hit the field she said, “You are Grandma!”  And I really did look the part. I think Baba “T” suits me. And one day, I will be a cool Baba, like the one above.

Munchkin is a becoming a bossy girl. She is fighting sleep a lot now, and it doesn’t help the upstairs neighbors are playing WWF games and basket ball when we are trying to get her to sleep. She has tried the water and potty tricks to stay up. Then one night she got up and went to the door. She turned and said, “Mommy, stay here.”  Of course I ask where she is going, knowing she wants to go play… She just repeats herself and then when I insist she comes back to bed turns on the tears as if the world has come to an end.

 She is using toddler trickery to get what she wants. For instance, since she was sick last month, she learned to like medicine. Weird, huh? She asks for it now and even though I give her a placebo of juice in a medicine dispenser, she tells me a few minutes later she feels better.

“Shhhhh!” she says with her finger to her lips when she wants anyone to stop talking and pay her some attention. Sometimes she will also say, “Iva spava.” (Iva is sleeping, and thus we should be quiet.”

Girly Girl She loves having her nails painted and her hair put up in ponytails. The pony tails never last. I can’t wait till I can really work on her hair and she will leave it.

Outsourcing labor Finding things is a difficult task. Even if she just had an item a second ago, she may not know where it is. So she asks the Mommy to find it. She may have learned this from Tata and his remote finding skills…. Asking Mommy is the way to find anything.

Dance Party I have written before about our nightly dance parties, it is a family event if Tata and I are not to tuckered out from a long day. She asks for music, Pink* music to be exact. Tata obliges and we have a family dance party.

Last night, we had guests, and tennis was on the TV. Munchkin asked for Pink music and she got the party started! It became a twirling princess party. A perfect way to end a lovely evening with friends.

Pink is a Serbian TV studio that has LOTS of channels. That includes several music channels.

 

 

 

 

Munckin Monday 10-13-2014

Good Morning Monday.

I am doing a little catch up. Here are some pics of the Munchkin. She LOVES kitties.
We found two tiny kittens beside a dumpster. Eyes still closed meowing like crazy. She insisted we take them. I insisted we take a walk and see if the Mommy Kitty came back.

We went for a walk and they were still there when we came back. Both were cold, stinky and hungry. We took them home, gave them a bath and fed them with a medicine dropper.

FYI, Baby shampoo and dish detergent is a great flea bath! It rendered them flea less!

One one managed to live two days, but the other one was strong and I was able to give him meds from a vet. I named him Fork.

After three weeks, he also passed away. I was devastated. This was the first time, I had to explain death to the munchkin. She doesn’t really get it yet. And I never let her see them after they passed. She still asked a few times where “Sister” was. She called them both “Sister”.

I think at this age it is easier just to say, Kitty went away.

Munchkin is doing well, and I know we will have more kitties to save in the future. 🙂

At the moment, Munchkin and I are nursing colds. Who knew we would be struck down so soon after starting preschool. The sound of dueling nose blowing abounds. A few coughs thrown in for good measure.

On a positive note, I have had time for studying Serbian thanks to Preschool! Hooray!

Dobar Dan Y’all!

 

Munchkin Monday 4.14.2014

Wee haw is still the word she uses for swinging. it is her own word. not Serbian or English

Chuti i Bezi is  what she likes to say to Daddy most right now. Actually that isn’t true.. but that is what he claims. Bezi means go away. and Chuti is like shut up. Not very nice. she has a very bossy streak… not unlike me. 😉

Making a tent in the bed and playing in the home-made one are the next best things to Peppa Pig.(Peppa Pig is on non-stop.) Making the bed tent equals us laying down and lifting our legs to hoist the covers up and create the tent. Presently, she calls all tents tunnels. I try to correct here, but I am getting used to being wrong already. It is inevitable she is right.

She loves running into friends in the park. We get a little play time in and then we walk home together.

Eating is only an occasional pass time. One day she will, and the next she won’t, but milk is always on the menu!

“Oh dear” is her new exclamation for angst. “Oh no” when something is broken or she has thrown dropped on the floor.

Play dough is best ground up in the fingers till it becomes flour again. Or Mommy is to make balls and eggs from it…. so she can again become a human mill creating Play dough flour.

She loves sitting on Daddy’s lap and reclining against his chest.

She is saying Pweez (please) and Thank you when she wants things. But not all the time.

That’s “the end” for this episode!

 

 

Celebrating 2 years of Munchkin!

Blowing out candles at the big bash!

Last week we had a Serb style celebration for the little “halfling”. It turned out perfect with very little stress on my part as I realized I could do little to make it something I am used to.

What is the point of swimming up-stream only to be eaten by a grizzly? none, so I let the hubby do it all. I am not stupid. I have discovered that I can do the decorating and leave the rest to Baba and the Muz so they have the kind of party to which they are accustomed.

 

I made one comment on wanting to make cupcakes instead of having a cake, The reply was a firm, “NO!” There must be a cake and Baba will make it.  We all have out traditions, and apparently the Muz likes his mom’s cakes. After she makes them I always remember why. They are so YUMMY! Millie thinks so too! A two piece minimum for her at all times is to be expected.

It was a particularly long day and the little one had to have a nap during the 12 hour ordeal.

Sleeping Beauty. Notice the lace dress. She had to take it off later for more casual jumping friendly atire A.K.A. tights and a t-shirt.

Twelve hours is not the usual time for a birthday party here, but this was not a normal party. Baba and Deda arrived at noon. Some friends arrived early and then we had some very late adult arrivals. Kids had been gone for ages.

Parties here are more for the adult males than the kids I reckon.  They will tell you it is for everyone, as they ignore life around them, talk loudly, drink excessively and notice little around themselves.  I will never get over the culture shock attached to children’s birthday parties I suppose.

The end of the long evening close to midnight. Clearly a two-year old Birthday party.

I am really glad I am not a Serbian female as I was merely the baby sitter rather than the chief server and baby sitter.

four little monkeys

As it was last year, Jumping on the bed and making the bedroom into the new playroom was part of the celebration. When they all decided to snuggle I couldn’t resist the urge to capture the moment digitally.

I think that is the best part of the party. I love that kids are so ready to snuggle and the parents let them!

Here are a few more for the Bloggy Birthday album:

cool Bday headband!

Balloon Showgirl!

Nomm Nomm YUMMYness

On to planning for next year! Hello Pinterest!

Munchkin Monday~ new words

Progress is being made, Munchkin is getting smarter and learning new words. Nema, meaning empty or I don’t have any is her new favorite. Pet is the number 5 in Serbian. She says that too, but not only for counting.  I am not sure she knows what it means, but she will!

Ironically, pet is the name for our well-loved animals in English. and she certainly loves all the animals she comes in contact with!

She knows all our animals names, and even calls for the neighbors dog, Nina! Yep, another animal lover no doubt! Even our grouchier cat has warmed up to her. And she sorta knows to be careful with him.

He was hit my a car twice before he moved to the village.  I think the injuries sustained leave him with a lot of aches and pains that make playing with a one and a half year old child a bit uncomfortable.

One of her favorite things to do in the village is visit the chickens and pigs. Her newest word is jaja. It means egg. She loves to collect them from the chickens.

I can tell a door has opened in her brain and her verbal skills are moving very quickly. now. She repeats words and understands so much in Serbian and English, I will have to start spelling things soon.

Potty training went nowhere before, I am not even going to try before out US holiday. I will work on that when we return in Jan. I don’t think it will take her long then. She understands so much more now than just 2 months ago… in a few months she will be even more aware! Knowing when to go potty will be that much easier, I think.?

Twenty-one Months and counting!……. What a sweet little blessing.

No Means No

No Means “NO”. Unless you are a toddler age 1 1/2 possibly through the teen years. Right now, I can ask almost anything, and the answer is no. Sometimes definitive. But mostly not.

Me: “Are you hungry?”

Munchkin: “No”, but nods her head yes. Sometimes I think she is Bulgarian!*

I then give her a little bite of what ever and after the second attempt, she eats.

Me: “Do you need to poop?”  Or “Are you pooping”

Munchkin: “No.”

Yet I can see it in her eyes, and more importantly, my nose tells me otherwise. When I check.. she has the fudge factory working overtime.

Sometimes I can tell she doesn’t understand the question all together and she just stares at me like, “Stop speaking French! It’s either English or Serbian! Choose ONE!”

Then there is the question I ask her all the time… “What are you doing?” To which she always replies, “Naing” (nothing)

Holding hands is always a NO NO! She does not want to hold hands. Period! If you are a child or an adult, don’t even try. She will let you know. She pulls her arm away, and if you invade her space, just being friendly as some kids do, a slight head but may be the reply.  Personal space is very important to her.

That’s all on the Munchkin update. Must go be a mom.

*In Bulgaria, it is a nod of the head up and down that means “no”, and shaking your head back and forth that means “yes”. It’s like driving on the wrong side of the road kind of strange to me!