Needle and thREAD with Theme Thursday: Bright

 



This picture is way overexposed and bright, and since I could not match the beauty of Cari's picture, I will pretend that I meant to do it this way:)

It is also "Needle and ThREAD" at Elizabeth's. I haven't posted there for a while. This week I am proud to present "truck" shorts for Kubus! He chose the fabric himself:)

 



I read kids books those days. Trucks themed, sea and garden creatures themed and all what comes to my children hands and they want to read.

With Kateri, I read " The Teutonic Knights" by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Henryk Sienkiewicz is my all time favorite writer.

 



I am trying to introduce my children to the Polish literature. We had already read "In the Desert and Wilderness" by the same author.
Kateri is an awesome and willing reader. A Bookworm:) Yet I am reading this book to her, as it requires a lot of explanations of Polish history, culture and customs. It is beautifully written and the story itself is amazing, very often upsetting and heartbreaking! She likes it so far, and at this point she looks forward the evening reading.

With Zuzanna  we are on the American Girl series. She herself prefers stories about fishes and dragons. She is drawn into some unusual for girls, books.

I, myself, am reading not very ambitious book " A Storm of Swords" by George R.R. Martin.
Honestly, it is a better read that watch, when it comes to the series of "A Song of  Ice and Fire".
Less descriptive. I like the TV series, but sometimes there is just too much profanity and violence!

I will try to make a weekly stop at "Needle and ThREAD", as I really have to improve my sewing skills and continue with Sarah's reading list. Posting here will motivate me more!

Kinga:)

Zdjecie Kubusia w nowych spodankach jest przeswietlone, ale poniewaz nie moglam dorownac pieknu zdjecia Cari, ktorej dzisiejszym blogowym tematem byla "Jasnosc", to udam ze taki wlasnie mialam cel!
Rowniez dzisiaj Elizabeth gosci "Z igla i ksiazka". Podlaczam sie do niej, gdyz mam w tym temacie zaleglosci. Moge sie pochwalic w tym tygodniu ciezarowkowymi spodenkami Kubusia. Material sam on sobie wybral:)

Poza tym czytam wiele ksiazek wybieranych przez dzieci. Tematyka zwiazana ze samochodami, albo stworzeniami morskimi czy ogrodowymi.
Z Kateri czytam Krzyzakow. Nie musze polskiej widowni reklamowac tej pozycji. Tytul mowi sam za siebie. Niestety czytamy po angielsku, bo po polsku Kiki zupelnie  sobie nie radzi. Jak narazie ksiazka  jej sie podoba i czeka z niecierpliwoscia na wieczorna lekture ze mna.

Z Zuzia czytamy serie "Amerykanskiej Dziewczynki". Ona sama woli jednak ksiazki o rybach i smokach!

Ja sama relaksuje sie przy trzeciej czesci cyklu " Piesni Lodu i Ognia" napisanego przez Georga R.R. Martina. Na podstawie jego nowel jest nakrecona seria telewizyjna "Gra o Trony".

Summer Days



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



So far the summer has been hot, sometimes wet, and definitely busy!



There was summer bible camp, track and field camp, library programs, high piles of books to read, swimming in the pool, meeting friends, new DS games to play, music, art classes, trip to NYC, trip to Boston, track and field meets and on, and on, and on!
I have to say my girls have variety of activities this summer.
Even today Andrzej took a day off and went kayaking with Kateri. They came back very happy and declared that it was not so hot in the kayaks at all, ( outside temperature 92F and very, very sunny !). Zuzanna will enjoy this activity next week.
Though we live in an "Ocean State", we don't go to beach very often. I always complain, this is last of all the places I want to be in the summer!
That is unless it is very late afternoon with plenty of space, no smell of the sunscreen, one can actually see the kids in the water, the breeze is refreshing and towards the evening is cool and kids appreciate the trip, unless you forbid them to take a clam home as a pet, and then they throw a tantrum!!!
We decided to make that trip today in the late afternoon. It was very relaxing, even with the sand in all parts of our bodies, starting with hair, and ending with toes, in the car, on the floors, towels and the bathtub. At least a pound or two of free sand, hurray for us!

No, we can't complain that the summer is boring so far:)

There are still violin classes to attend and take part in the program fun free Fridays!
And then there is Mother of Hope Camp coming up, and the trip to New Hampshire. In the winter we ski there, in the summer we rest and hike. We had an ambitious plan of climbing Mount Washington with the kids, but I am not in good form after my illness. Maybe next year...

Tomorrow though is going to be hotter than today. I think we will rest at home and gather energy for fun later on, and we look forward it with anticipation :)

Kinga:)

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - the swimming edition

Two years ago we bought a backyard style pool for our children. At that point Kateri was already good swimmer, Zuzanna was learning.  Kubus was just a few months old baby, so it was safe to let the kids go and enjoy the cool swim on the hot summer day.

It requires a little bit of work, that pool of ours. First of all we were never planning to do so. We never looked for a house with a pool. It did not make sense for us here in Northeast, where summer lasts two months. But we changed our mind when the kids started to grow up and enjoy the hot summer in the backyard.

So going back to the work on the pool... It takes two days to set it up properly and a lot of hours to fill it up with water. Then we have to make sure that it stays clean and bacteria free. That is Andrzej's job. Mine is cleaning up after the season. We don't leave it up, but pump the water out, rinse it and wash it with bleach. Then it has to get dry, and finally after a week of cleaning, is being put away for the ten months of the year...

But you know what, it is all worth it!

Last year the girls enjoy it again. Kubus was going in, but rather for a short period of time.
This year it has changed. He absolutely loves it!!! Andrzej decided to buy him a float, the one that gets tied up around the child with a padding on the back. It gave Andrzej and Kubus a lot of freedom in the pool. And mostly, a lot of excitement for the little boy.

The thing I am very anxious when little ones are in, so I am staying out most of the time, only being there when the pictures are needed to be taken or recordings of joyful splashing.

As I join Like Mother, Like Daughter for the {phfr}, I am posting few pictures and a short movie of Kubus' efforts to stay afloat!

 {pretty, happy}

 

My pretty and happy boy. Andrzej and Zuzia enjoyed it too!

 

{funny}

Being funny, stealing sibling kisses:) 

 

{real}

  He is real-ly swimming! With some help of course...

 

Kinga:)



Letting go...

We had pets for two weeks, and then we let them go:)
One stayed linger a little longer. Not to say good bye, but because its wing was too damaged from constant banging at the net. The girls did not want to part too soon:(

 

 

Kinga:)



Theme Thursday: Rooms



I am right on time today, and showing off my multipurpose dining room, as I join  Cari for the Theme Thursday.

It is very informal and formal place in our home. Even though we are lucky to have eat in kitchen, we enjoy our meals at the dining room table. It is a place for fast breakfast, almost restaurant requested lunches, alone dinners and family dinners. We have celebrated here birthdays, name days, Communions and christenings.

We have enjoyed our yearly traditional Christmas Eve dinner and Easter breakfast for the past eleven years now. When guests come over, that is where they usually sit and converse with us.
It also a place for homework, crafting, sometimes sewing, planning and organizing.

I did not capture less interesting part of this room where stands the old fashion computer. So it is also our office. But  we don't complain for the lack of one more room. We are not really in a big need for extra office space, even though that would be nice.
So besides the dining and learning purpose of this room, it also used for computer games, paying bills, checking e-mails and blogging. And I like to keep it clean. So I pushed away the clutter for today's picture of the week:)

Kinga.

NYC

The last few days have been exceptionally hot here in northeast. And it was very hot in the big city, like New York. No one in the right mind would chose such a scorching weekend to play a tourist there, but we did:) And a lot of others as we dragged along walked through the crowded streets of Lower Manhattan!

Kateri had her National Junior track and field event in Icahn Stadium in NYC. We couldn't pass that
meet even if there was 110 F! It sounded too important and prestigious. Was there anybody from our family or friends invited to participate in such  a meet? No, we had to go!

Kateri's 400 meter dash took place on Saturday. As with a meet with a lot of events, the run was delayed. The participants had to warm up, wait and then run in the hot blasting sun. I knew that it is not going to be Kateri's race. We just told her to enjoy and remember it:)

She run in the second heat. Over all from 20 runners she had placed 12ve.
The girls had a chance to chat a little and some of them mentioned that they train very often in the heat of the day to get used to any kind of weather! I can believe it. The few first girls who finished with top places run like rackets! Kateri said she was already tired before the race, from the heat...

 

 

After the run we went to the hotel to cool down and relax and then we hit the...Bronx! Not the Zoo though, it was too late. We headed toward a good pizza place but honestly it was very hard to find such one. We stopped at the surprisingly nice downtown of Yonkers and enjoyed the walk along Hudson river.

 

 

 

 

 



 

Sunday did not give us any relieve from the heat.  It actually felt hotter, and that was our Manhattan day! We had tried to do it early in a day but it did not make any difference. We started sweating as soon as we left the car! We walked along the United Nations buildings, past the Chrysler skyscraper and Grand Station, toward the Public Library. Over there we were planning to rest for longer, but the library was closed! We headed toward Time Square which has been under construction. Not a pretty view.

For a Sunday Mass we decided to go to St.Patrick which was also going major restorations.
Kids has a little rest and fun in Toys"R"Us, before heading to Central Park to enjoy greenery and heading back to the car. Zuzia was happy finding 21 turtles in the stenchy Central Park pond. Yes, she counted them, and watching them, made her day:)

We were all glad to be in the air conditioned car later on and heading back home. I am surprised that despite of the heat, everybody took it well. We are planning to come back, but maybe in the cool and crispy Fall!



 

Kinga:)