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!