Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Pictures and postings coming soon (I hope...)!

Christmas_07

under construction

I'm back from Germany, but completely absorbed in family matters (christmas cards and cookies inclusive), that's why I can't write a complete posting about our trip right now. But I know, I owe you some photos and stories and I hope I'll be able to spending time in front of my laptop soon.

Job decisions

Lately, I've been thinking about what to do to earn some extra money for us.

I thought about finding a job for the christmas crazyness in a shop (book- or toystore) and just forget about everything that has to do with translations and presenting books. One can't live of it and advertising oneself is extremely energy draining.

BUT.

The other day I got an e-mail from a publisher in Munich, she wanted to call me and ask me about some books. When we talked together, I felt, how much I missed this book stuff during the last 8 months, how much I like speculating, advertising, informing and writing, talk to icelandic publishers, reading in general... Well, I accepted to write two summaries for her in Munich, AND sold her a summary I already made 2 years ago - about a really nice book, no-one seemed to be interested in. 100 € almost directly cash for my german account, very nice.
Then, the day before yesterday, I went to a little christmas get-together at the writer's union. There I met a known author, who received the women's literature price in spring, and we had a very intense talk about translations from icelandic into other languages and how important it is for an author, to have a reliable good translator - it depends on him whether the book is top or flop in a foreign country. I also got to know another author, she gave me her book, and I'm looking forward to reading it soon.

When I came home, I was so excited about new connections, books, conversations - that I directly plunged myself into the new book catalogue for finding more appealing titles. I felt a tickeling in my fingers and a kind of gold-digging fever came over me, that I understood I can't leave my fingers out of this profession.

But what to do in money-matters?
I decided in the end -together with Siggi- to take two of my still missing nursing-courses in evening school next semester, and try to find a work in the university hospital next summer for earning money. This way, I'll have time to work on my translation (Stella 6 is due in june) and a few presentations, as well as learning for my nurse's aid-diploma. I'd like to graduate in june 09 and for not ending up in stress and beeing able to taking it slowly, I have to start organizing my courses and internships now.

I'm looking forward for the new year to begin!

Verónika 5 years!

The same day, but at a different time (typical!), I had to show up with Verónika at the clinic for her 5-years-check. She is now 112,5 cm and 20 kg.
She did all tests all right and didn't even whimper when the nurse gave her the shots. Brave girl! But the nurse wasn't really friendly, just doing her job and she didn't even make an effort connecting with Verónika... So everything went fast and we were out again after half an hour (they usually book one hour for the 5 years' check).

We had a nice birthday party at her date, 11th november, and I'm preparing an album to give you an impression.

Veronika´s 5. Birthday Nov07

Júlíana 8 months

On last wednesday, I went with Júlíana to our clinic for the newest shots and check-up. Besides high speed crawling (which she learned from her baby-friend Fiona in Germany), she is very eager standing up at every thing in her reach, also already very quickly.

And here are the newest numbers, Júlíana 8 1/2 months:

73,5 cm
8,715 kg

She's still taller than her elder sisters at the same time, Jóhanna was 70 cm and Verónika 71,5. And I always thought, Verónika was tall!
Here is the standing up picture, 8 months in Germany, still not really stable on her feet for a longer time.

Júlíana 7 months

Now our little girl is already 7 month old! She's quite wiggly on the changing table and is moving around on the floor in caterpillar-style: firs a few steps with her feet until bottom is high in the air, then she takes both arms together for moving onwards. That looks very funny!
The newest achievement of hers is sitting up on her own. Today she surprised us with her new skill when I went to visit our neighbors and she suddenly sat very concentrated on the floor, examining a toy.
Here we are at home again, and I needed to take a shot of this event, of course!

First Day of Winter

This year, the first winterday was october 27th. It is the first day of "gormánuður", according to the old norse calendar.
It was really cold that day, ice on the pavement and even snow in our garden!

Then we dressed up well and here we're ready for taking a walk.

Another Halloweenparty

Today, our girls were again invited to a Halloween-Party. This time at our neighbors' down the street. Both were really excited about being vampires again and I took out my make-up bag another time. Now I used tons of hairspray and -wax so they would have a decent hairdo as well!






Júlíana was really afraid of the girls, when they both showed up in their costumes, ready for leaving.

Our new car

Finally we bought a new car. Our old beloved green Subaru Legacy was almost dead when we decided we'll look for a new one, and we were really lucky to not ending up in a dangerous accident... The dealer told us after an through inspection in the garage, that the rear axle was almost broken, the cluch was more or less unusable and both ball bearings in the rear wheels completely worn-down (that's why our car sounded like an airplane).

I have been following with the used-cars-market the last months, gaining information on 7-seat-family vans, comparing models and prices. At least we bought a nice Hyundai Trajet on a reasonable price, with very few kilometers driven compared to the age (73 th./year 2002). Finally all of us have a seat with a decent three-point-belt, we can take the au-pair girl with us as well and no-one has to sit squeezed between some children's car seats. And the best plus: Even with all seats taken, there is still room in the rear end for the pram! One shouldn't believe it, but there are some 7-seaters with no space at all in the trunk and those poor people having to sit in the third row almost have their knees under their chin. Aren't 7-seaters mainly used by families? So what do these car designers have in mind, sketching a car without stowing room for push chairs or the groceries?! Well, yeah, we at least found our favorite.

Today, Jóhanna and Verónika went outside with me and our nice camera and took a car presenting spot for our German friends. So here's our video:

Part 1



Part 2

I'm so excited!

Skype is the most wonderful invention since telephone.
Today (well, on saturday) I discovered two old friends through Skype, I got to know for over 10 years ago:
My finnland-swedish friend Mira and her -newly wed- husband Johan, who vanished out of sight after I met them for the last time in 2002 when I visited Turku. The funny thing is, that I got to know her around the same time she met Johan first, and I predicted from the very beginning that they would end up married! And now they are, since last weekend. Congratulations!
My hungarian friend János lived in the same student appartment complex as me in Bonn, I guess it was in 1995 or -6 we lived on the same floor. The last time János and me met, we were on holidays in Germany four years ago, and he visited us briefly one day. After that, the contact broke for some reasons, until I got a friend's request through Skype today. Now he is situated in Greece with his new girlfriend through the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
It's really incredible how computer communication makes the world smaller and gives easy access to -almost- everyone, you want to find!
I'm so happy!

Best Lovey Ever!

Júlíana always needs something to hold on to, when she is falling asleep. We tried everything; she doesn't want a pacifier, the red elephant soft toy wasn't attractive enough either, her rattle-clown is a nice toy when she's content, her sheep music box (funny to wind up by dragging the tail!) seems to hard somehow, and she didn't like the different cloth diapers as well...
The other day I discovered that she enjoys biting my clothes, especially my t-shirts, when I'm holding her for burping. I decided to let her have my old high school graduation t-shirt I slept in (yummie milk odor, too, I guess). This t-shirt is already -what?!- 13 years old, soft and cuddly, and it seems as if that's she waited for.
Wow, I'm getting old... I finished High School in 1993! The shirt says "Beam me Abi Scotty" (altered quote from Space ship Enterprise) and has a green extraterrestrial on the front. (I didn't vote for this silly motto!) All names of my grade are printed on the back... That seems now as if it has been in a different time in a different world - which is of course somehow right, because I moved to another country.
My grade was a collection of oddly assorted individuals, consisting of several groups and I didn't like them very much; that's why I was released when I finally had written all exams and needn't to see this bunch anymore. Nowadays I only have got one good friend from the "old days" and we're still meeting, when we come to Germany. Honestly, I have to admit, that there are for all that some sentimental thoughts connected to that t-shirt. But for now it has a new worthy task to fulfill, being a lovey for Júlíana and giving her sweet dreams!

Monsters at Home!

Today I discovered lice in my homegrown avocado-trees. These bugs are frustrating; during the summer I had spider-mites in my roses and now these annoying lice... Verónika found a little spider under our bookshelves and we decided he should find a new home on one of my trees, doing a good deed and kill the bugs. But after just a few seconds the spider had vanished, sure he was afraid and didn't like the company! (Or who knows, perhaps we have monster lice, who kill spiders and chomp them in a few seconds? Creepy...)

Talking about creepy: Sometime very soon is Halloween (don't know the exact date). Jóhanna came home from school today, presenting a birthday invitation of a classmate, who wanted the party to be in Halloween-style. The kids were requested to show up dressed in a costume fitting for the event, and after a while of thinking Jóhanna decided she wanted to be a vampire. When I began to put make-up on Jóhanna, Verónika came home from kindergarden and demanded a vampire make up as well.
Look how our cute girls changed into dagerous creatures:

The Blueberry Battle

A few days ago, Júlíana had blueberry porridge in the evening. Siggi enjoys feeding her - finally there's something he can do as well concerning food -and makes brave efforts to maneuvre the spoon with contents accidentlessly into her mouth. She is so eager to eat, that she holds one's arm as long as she's interested in food.



But Little Missy likes her spoons (and that what's on them), tries to grab them and stuff her meal into her mouth on her own. That's why we now need three spoons to feed her - two for herself and one for us. That prevents usually her grabbing, but when she's really excited, even that doesn't help.
Here, things are getting messy - take a close look at Siggi's arm-, and even her eyebrows have purple spots:



In the end, blueberries are everywhere: almost all of her face, her bib, hands, table in font of her, the spoons on the floor are covered with mash. But as much as she likes eating, she dislikes the face washing cloth afterwards!



Julia, grown up on a pig farm, commented driely: "Looks as if she had slaughtered a pig and splashed around the blood!"

"Birthday girl" - 6 months!

Yesterday Júlíana was 6 months old.
We tried to celebrate this remarkable event last weekend.

First of all, Verónika was very released to get rid of her tripp trapp chair (ajustable chair which fits all sizes from baby to adult), and announced, that she is a big girl now and can sit on a normal chair. She happily cleaned her old highchair with a wet sponge and lots of lather, and afterwards we ajusted the seat together for Júlíana. Verónika was so proud of fixing the screws and cushions with me. And she was allowed to decide where Júlíana should be placed at mealtimes; of course at her side!
On the picture we were beginning to eat dinner. Everything on the table has to be out of Júlíana's reach, because the old classic game "throw down - pick up" is extremely popular.

In the afternoon I planned to bake a cake, but unfortunately Júlíana didn't sleep very well during the last night and was fighting against falling asleep again, that I just had no other choice than walking with her in the pram. When she finally was sound asleep, I decided to pick berries and cook marmelade instead of baking. I was rummaging through the bushes in the neighborhood, picking the last edible blackcurrants (yes, they are growing in Iceland!) and mashed a nice yummi jam. 60% fruit, 40% agave syrup, agar agar - nothing else. Simply delicious!
After that, there was still laundy to do, baking granola musli, preparing dinner... No more celebrations that day.

In the evenings, she loves to exercise on our big bed. Now, she's already very wiggly and squirming over the matress:


starting on her back, then rolling on her tummy...



...bottom up and resting for a while, before starting over again.

Yesterday, we had our 6 months-check at the clinic and and a shot again. Jóhanna went with me and was a big help: while she was distracting Júlíana with "peek-a-boo", the doctor injected the vaccine. When everything was over, Júlíana first realized that something hurt her, and was only whimpering a little.

The new numbers, for those interested:
length: 69,5 cm
weight: 7,795 kg

She really is tall, heavy, strong and very active. No wonder, because she is claiming food! When I had my breakfast this morning, she grabbed (again) into my bowl and still wasn't satisfied when I gave her a pearbite to munch on. When I gave her porridge, she was shrieking and giggling contentously - but the table and her shirt were a whole mess afterwards. Well, that's part of the fun!
She has already four teeth, and eats
- vegetables: potatoes, fennel, carrots, celeryroot, yellow and red peppers, cucumber
- fruits: pear, apple, banana, grapes, plums, blueberries
- grains: rice, barley, oat

In the end, a nice picture of all of my girls, cuddling in Júlíana's cot in birthday evening.

Fun in the bathtub

Now I found out how to post videoclips. Here is the first try; watch Júlíana bathing in her little tub! Usually she splashes even more, so that I'm completely soaked and the bathroom is more or less under water, but she is still sceptical about the camera and doesn't act normal when she sees it approaching. But things get better! This video was made sept. 28th, Júlíana almost 6 months old. Enjoy!

5 1/2 months

Today I went with Júlíana to the clinic again, for her next baby check and her shots.

Length: 68,5 cm
Weight: 7,810 kg



Since roughly 3 weeks we have now our new au-pair girl Julia from Germany. She is simply brilliant, she fits phantastically into the family and is a great help! The girls loved and respected her directly.



She took directly part in our family's every-day-schedule, babysits Júlíana, takes Jóhanna and Verónika to their respective schools, and is a real kitchen fairy! (me and my tiny, messy turn-on-the-spot kitchen! now it's shiny!)



And: me and Julia finally managed to capture Júlíana laughing on a picture! Take a close look and you'll be able to make out both the two upper and lower front teeth.

Tooth no. 4 finally arrived

Now we can feel both upper front teeth and I hope nights are getting calmer again... *yawn*

Summer in the City

Summer in the city - june to august 07

Hot town summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk hotter than a match head

So Joe Cocker sings... Well, I have to admit that summers are not THAT hot in Reykjavík, but this time it has been the warmest with most sunny days since weather measurings began (so they say in the news).
Take a look at the new album to see what we did at home after we cancelled our flight to Germany. (And there are a few older photos in the beginning I wanted to share with you as well.)

Tooth no. 3 ...

broke through today! Drooling, nagging, biting little miss!
Unbelievable, she looks so grown up sometimes...

We tried a lot to catch a moment, when she´s laughing to take a picture of the two teeth in the lower jaw. Not ONE possibility, because she always looks quite puzzled when somebody appears with the camera (what strange thing is that where Mom is hiding?!) and takes pictures with flash...

Schäubles großer Lauschangriff...

... oder: der Bundestrojaner.

Der absolute Hammer. Da will der Gute doch tatsächlich jeden einzelnen Computer ausspionieren. Wie war das doch mit Meinungsfreiheit und Schutz des Privatlebens?

Wie dem auch sei, ich habe eine absolut geniale Webseite zum Thema gefunden, richtig schön süffisant und fies:

Bundestrojaner.net

Du hast nichts zu verbergen? Also, dann sei auch Du ein guter Patriot und lade Dir den Bundestrojaner freiwillig herunter, um die freiheitlich demokratische Grundordnung der Bundesrepublik aufrecht zu erhalten!

(Es geht abwärts mit Deutschland, das ist der neueste Beweis...)

4 1/2 months...

... and time again for weighting and measuring our little lady.
On monday 20th we went to the clinic and had a little check. For statistics, here are the newest numbers:

weight: 7,110 kg
length: 66,5 cm

She's a strong, heavy and tall girl!

Yesterday, school started again for Jóhanna, and Verónika is already attending kindergarden since monday. Now I have a bit peace during the day (until I have to fetch the girls from school), and will hopefully be able to create a "summer's ending" post soon with new pictures about what we did during the holidays.

2nd tooth approaching!

Yesterday Júlíana's second tooth broke through. And therefor she's chewing on everything she can reach. For better luck the homeopath's remedies (chamomilla) worked well, so that she slept nicely the last nights and seems cheerful again today. Picture coming soon.

Breakthrough!

The latest news about Júlíana:
Now we know why she is whining a lot and the last night was a nightmare. Today she's accurately 4 months and one week old - it's unbelievable but true: her first tooth is appearing! We can't see it yet but one can feel those little edges, that bored through the gum. Time of teethless smiles soon over...

Harry Potter No. 7 arrived today...

... and I'll be reading every spare minute the next days! So excited when I went to the customs and fetched my packet from a friend in the US! My post with new photos has to wait, sorry!

So:

Schwimmbad

Gestern waren wir zum 2. Mal mit Júlíana im Schwimmbad. Wirklich unglaublich, wie brav sie immer in der Dusche ist - Verónika hat immer das ganze Schwimmbad zusammen gebrüllt! Jetzt merkt man auch, dass sie Spaß am Plantschen hat; sie rudert mit den Armen und strampelt und versucht ständig, das Wasser in die Hand zu nehmen oder in den Mund zu stecken. Dann ist sie jedes Mal sehr entsetzt, wenn sie Wasser in den Mund oder Nase bekommt.
Hinterher gehen wir wie immer in die Sauna zum Aufwärmen, was ihr auch gefällt. Vor allem, wenn andere Leute auch da sind. Sie wirkt sehr kontaktfreudig und an ihrer Umwelt interessiert, guckt immer ganz intelligent und mir scheint, dass sie wirklich versucht, sich verständlich zu machen. Ganz witzig, wie sie dann guckt... Ach ich bin so begeistert von meinem kleinen Mädchen!

another book

During the last two weeks I had a lot of time reading while hugging Júlíana on my shoulders and walking up and down our nursery room.
I'd really like to recommend you another book I've been finishing yesterday night:
Tom Egeland, original title "Sirkelens ende" (IS: Við enda hringsins, DE: Frevel, not available in english up to now).
An archaeologist, Björn Beltö is at an excavation site as an observer from Oslo university, when the team discovers a golden shrine in an old monastery in Norway. The professor leading the excavation tries to take the shrine out of the country, but Björn manages to steal it back and hide it. He is courious what the shrine contains, and tries to find some answers, while a bunch of people are after him. Very funny dialogues an an exciting hide and seek game.
The book is said to be a nordic version of the "Da Vinci Code" (Dan Brown), but was published a few years earlier.

Jag rekommenderar...

The other day I finished reading a very funny book, I really recommend you to read:
"Populärmusik från Vittula" is the name of the original title and is written by the swedish author Mikael Niemi, from Norrbotten, at the border to Finnland.
He describes his childhood in the sixties, in a corner of Sweden, where Tornedalsfinnish is spoken and daily life and customs resemble to those I remember when I lived in Finnland.
Extremely funny and well written!

Titles in other languages:
IS: Rokkað í Vittula
DE: Populärmusik aus Vittula
EN: Popular Music From Vittula

Desperate Houswives

Mist, ich habe mindestens die letzten vier Folgen von Desperate Housewives verpasst! Hier läuft gerade die dritte Staffel und ich habe noch gesehen, wie der älteste Junge von Lynette den Männerkopf in der Gefriertruhe von Mrs McClusky gefunden hat... Und dann hab ich immer die Sendezeit verpasst, weil gerade dann hier so viel los war.
Hat jemand eine Ahnung, wo und wie ich Folgen übers Internet ansehen und downloaden kann?

Special day ...

Yesterday Júlíana reacht a new step in her development: She is able to move herself around by using her feet and arms!
Now the stressless times are over when I could go around, fetching water and nappies and leave her unsupervised in our bed... She is so strong, it's unbelievable. That's my girl!

Verónika made a new friend the other day: A neighbor's boy at her age is living down the street. After I met his mom, talking to her for a while, Garpur (the boy's name) wanted to show me his toys and dragged me through all their flat.
When I came home and announced to Verónika, that there's living a boy down the street with a lot of Lego toys, she directly went to them and stayed for playing with him.
She is so easy going, she just goes and asks kids, plays with them and easily makes friends!
Jóhanna was jealous about her playing with someone else, so she told Garpur's mom Verónika could only stay to five (that were 15 mins.), and told us that Garpur's mom said she had to leave at five! Later when Garpur came to us I talked to his mom and we found out that Jóhanna lied to us all.
I told her that Verónika needs to makes friends of her own and doesn't always like to stay at home and play with Jóhanna!

3 Months Baby Check-Up

Today was Júlíana's three months check-up at the local policlinic. In fact she is 3 months and two weeks old...
A nurse is weighting and lenght measuring her and transfers the numbers into a growing chart. Júlíana also got her first shots!

Here she lies on the scale (6,440 kg)...


...and on the lenght-measuring table (65 cm - tall girl!).


Hat-size is is 41,5 cm now.

Housewife vs. Family Manager

As we are five now and cloth diapering, there's always a lot of laundry to do. By working on these kind of brainless tasks one has the possibility to let one's thoughts wander.
Today it occured to me in the wash-room, that the job of a housewife is completely underestimated. During the last weeks of staying at home with the kids (Siggi and the older girls are on holidays from school), I tried to take my housewife chores seriously; not only cooking, washing, shopping and organizing as usual, but also cleaning (I hate most).
Somehow women have that multitasking-ability men don't, that's why we can listen to the radio, hug the baby on one arm, cook with the other hand and remember to book a doctor's appointment for another kid at the same time. Jóhanna has to take in medicine now; Siggi doesn't even remember to give her a pill at dinner-time!
It seems to me, that as a dedicated mother, you function as a collection of several more or less well-paid professions in one person: You are teacher, nurse, psychologist, cook, chauffeur, secretary, cleaning lady, (home-)designer, tailor and entertainer! And I bet, you are the only person in your household who knows exactly, who has to be where at which time for how long...
And that without any payment!
That's why I thought about calling my current profession "family manager", sounds better, includes dignity and describes this demanding and stressful job much better than that humiliating title "housewife". (Sounds as if you never leave your home and are completely clueless about anything else except housework!)
And I claim a decent salary: I suggest 200.000 ISK* per month - after tax!


*appr. 2400 € / 3300 US$

Júlíana 0 - 3 months

Take a look at some portraits in this new album:

Júlíana 0-3 months

Elena Spielverderber!

Gestern Nacht haben irgendwelche Asis eine megalaute Gartenparty gefeiert. Das bierseelige Gegröle samt Techno-Gewummer blökte durch den Garten zu uns herüber und je später der Abend, desdo lauter wurden Musi und Gäste.
Nachts um Eins hätte ich dann mal gerne geschlafen, aber daran war nicht zu denken. Selbst bei geschlossenem Fenster habe ich alles gehört, als hätte ich ein Radio neben mir voll aufgedreht. Nicht, dass ich was gegen Gartenpartys hätte, aber ich bin der Meinung, dass man ab einer bestimmten Uhrzeit schon Rücksicht auf seine Nachbarn nehmen sollte...
Um dem Spuk ein Ende zu bereiten, habe ich zum ersten Mal in meinem Leben bei der Polizei hier angerufen und mich über Lärmbelästigung beschwert. Der Cop meinte, sie würden mal sehen, was sich da tun ließe. Eine halbe Stunde später war Ruhe, ich lag schadenfroh im Bett und konnte endlich einschlafen... hehehe
Jetzt bin ich wahrscheinlich zur spießigen Nachbarin mutiert.

Video testing

I hope this works... Would be fun to send video-clips!

Well, it did not work and I removed the foto. Sorry, have to find out sth else.
Go to sleep now.

Creative air-squeezing techniques

Oh boy, what a night! Júlíana was tossing and turning through all our bed tonight, and me likewise because of her loose sleeping.
Poor thing has such troubles getting rid of her air, both upwards and on her rear end. Sometimes it takes up to 45 minutes of crying, screaming and sparking after nursing until she´s burping...

My friend Birna gave me her baby-book (an over 680 pages how-to manual about baby maintenance) from Sears& Sears, after she decided, her second child would definitely being her last one. Dr. Bill writes in this recommendable baby-bible: "Gassy food makes gassy babies." Yeah, right, but - I really have no idea what could cause her troubles, as I already skip everything known (and yummie, like kidney beans and garlic).
So far we rubbed her stomach, patting her back, giving her tummy-massage and holding her in various positions. Now I found out, that jumping helps, while I hold her closely to me, and finally she fell asleep again. *pheu-wiping sweat from forehead*
Other creative ideas wanted!

Little miss is drooling and nagging her hands suspiciously often the last two weeks or so, and I assume the first tooth is not far away. (Which is not unlikely, because both sisters had their first tooth by four months.) Yesterday she almost completely soaked the front of her shirt! Now we're dressing her in bibs, which looks quite funny...

But despite of her gassy intenstines, she is a bright and cheerful girl, mostly interested in -except of mom's breast of course!- watching her elder sisters play and exercising! She is really strong, rolled herself over 2 months + and is now strengthening her back and arms. Sometimes she tries to lift her bottom up! I recone with her crawling soon - and with that the time, when we need to vaccume clean three times daily...
Look how strong she is!

I'm struggeling again and again with breast inflammation, or better said, with a beginning one. It occurs especially after nights, when I'm far too tired to remember to wrap my milkbar properly again after night nursing. But for better luck I've been blessed with a strong sucker and could avoid up to now the need to take in antibiotics.

Sometimes I feel I'm doing nothing else but breastfeeding, changing, hugging, and especially Verónika is really annoyed about the little attraction she's receiving.
But on the other hand --- I found a nice hugging sentence in the baby-bible mentioned above:

"[sometimes] you may think " I don´t get anything done." But you are getting something done. You are doing the most important job in the world - mothering a human being."

Aaahhh... hugs for my soul...

Photos from Júlíana´s Christening

Wow, I managed to create an online-photoalbum with recent pictures from Júlíana´s christening on pentecost! Still can´t believe it.
We had a very nice service and gathering with friends and Siggi´s family. Take a look at the pictures here:

Júlíana's Christening on Pentecost, 27.05.07

(Now I hope it works...!)

neuer Blogg!

Nachdem wir jetzt eine Digi-Cam haben und ich ohne Weiteres Fotos ins Netz stellen kann, habe ich beschlossen, meinen Blogg zu reviveln und ab und zu über uns zu schreiben.
Und ich finde, es sieht doch schon ganz nett aus hier!
Ich habe ein bisschen am Design gebastelt und freue mich auf Kommentare.
Es gibt bei Blogspot noch ein ein paar nette Features, wie z. B. Online-Fotoalben und evtl auch die Möglichkeit, kleine Videoclips einzustellen. Muss ich aber noch herausfinden.

Neulich bin ich spät abends noch im Internet herumgesurft und habe auf der Homepage der ZEIT einen Artikel über Kindesmisshandlungen ("Wer sind die Täter?") gefunden - mir standen die Haare zu Berge. Ich konnte nicht mehr als zwei Seiten lesen und saß heulend vor dem Compi, bis Siggi kam und meinte, ich wüsste doch, dass ich solche Reportagen nicht lesen soll...

Wer gerne Horrorstories liest, kann sich hier informieren:
http://www.zeit.de/2005/17/Karolina

Mein Gott, zu was gewisse Eltern fähig sind...
Und dann guck ich mir meine süße Maus an und frag mich wirklich, wer sowas einem kleinen Würmchen antun kann - wie gesagt, ich habe nur die ersten beiden Seiten des Berichts gelesen!
Natürlich sind kleine Kinder zwischen 0 und 3 die reinsten Ego-Monster und können einen wahnsinnig stressen (man denke an untröstlich schreiende Säuglinge oder das klassische Beispiel des sich hinschmeißenden, brüllenden Drei-Jährigen im Supermarkt) --- aber das ist doch noch lange kein Grund, Kindern nicht die Windel zu wechseln oder bei Minusgraden in Unterhose auf dem Balkon stehen zu lassen!
Echt krank.

In solchen Momenten bin ich wirklich froh, dass ich nicht mehr in Deutschland wohne.