Before and After: Our Schoolroom!

I have before and after pics. of all the rooms we are living in, but those will have to wait because we just got settled this past week in our schoolroom and surprisingly, so many people have asked me what schooling at home "looks like." I always assume they mean the routine or the curriculum, but they literally mean, "what does the room look like." Most families I know don't even have a room specifically for school. That would take a whole extra room. Most houses don't just have those lying around. Luckily ours does. ;)

Before:

After:

That is as close as Kacio gets to this room, he also has the whole dining room behind him to play in, so far, this, plus schooling during his nap, is working out really well.  Fingers crossed!

The reading corner is in the center of the photo in the back. Everyone's favorite place. They all gravitate towards. It's very cozy.

Look at what these Polish mosquitoes...

... have done to my son!

Kind of like the guy from the MAD comic book... or at least his left side.

 Dude, I am *serious* ya'll, these mosquitoes here are killer...killer! They leave whelps unlike any I have ever seen and the bites last for.ev.er. Kacio has bites on his face that have been there since the 2nd week we got here (to be fair, he was scratching them, but still). I am trying to find some tea tree oil to dab on their blankets and sheets to keep the mosquitoes away but can't seem to find any online... into the trenches tomorrow to scope some out, because dude. Dude.

Speaking of keeping mosquitoes out. The mosquitoes are  in because we have to keep the windows open all day to let the house warm up. That's right, warm *up.* It's warm outside, 60's and 70's, perfect Fall weather, but the house holds the cold from the nighttime so well that the house is freezing during the day, especially downstairs where no one is really living, and now where we do our schooling. These thick walls mean that the winter will be warm without breaking our budget but right now they are doing the opposite of what we want.

School!!! School is going fabulously, FABULOUSLY! And I don't even particularly like that word, but there is no other to describe it. We have our room set up and it is wonderful and cozy and just right. I cannot wait to share pictures (soon, my pet). The children are loving it as well. It has been so hard trying to do any school with all of our things strewn about the house, never in their own place and in between whatever else was going on, but not anymore! Can you tell I'm excited?! I am excited because for all the naysayers and my own personal doubtful voices (more than one), it seems as though this is all going to work out swimmingly.


Speaking of swimmingly, is it possible that this is in fact a dinosaur bone that was at the bottom of some sort of lake or other body of water and my children have just unearthed it whilst digging their "traps" in the side yard? Is it possible? Or is that just a calf bone that someone threw out into the side yard. Which is worse? Which is more interesting? You decide. Neither would surprise me.

Adelina in her new fancy "twirly skirt" that I just finished up and made her wear today. So perfect for Fall!!

Speaking of calf bones...about the third week we were here we were given half a calf from Martin's uncle who is a farmer and does indeed raise his own animals. (We are still working our way through what must be about a 5th of a pig in our fridge). Our freezer, small in stature, belonging to the SZRON 125, is full of veal bones and veal roast. I have made two soups form the bones so far, rather tasty, but I have yet to finish off the rest of that veal roast so if anyone has any favorite veal recipes, lay 'em on me, I'm open to anything.

And lastly, speaking of the SZRON 125, guess who is getting a new fridge?  *This* guy (pointing to myself).

Woo! Hoo!  No more going to the store every other day because we can only fit one fresh vegetable, one thing of cheese, some cold cuts, and beer in the fridge. Also, no more excuses about cooking or lack there of (I made a killer Rosol today...from scratch... Babcia would be proud). I can't wait for a crisper drawer! And a freezer! And...and.... a higher surface to place family photos so Kacio can't reach them to throw them in the toilet! 

It's been a good week... and tomorrow we are going to our first Sklep Plastyczne...I am excited ya'll. Art and Craft store. I'm giddy with excitement.

P.S. I am most certain that my change in attitude and renewed vigor for life is directly related to the way school is going. So wonderful. Any and all homeschoolers out there will know how good a solid day of work and play can be, when you feel like you are finally, for real, "doing it."

Gratuitous shot of Lina twirling in her skirt. She hasn't stopped all day. And Kacio "brushing his own teeth"  aka... eating toothpaste.

Fun Photo Friday

- Setting apart one day to share with you some of the weird, bizarre, and downright hilarious things that exist in this new country of mine. If you have a fun photo to share, leave a link to it in the comments box so I can laugh with you... have a wonderful weekend!

Showing you just how fresh (and classy) these eggs really are. My hat's off to the rooster for doing his part.

Just for fun - Lego displays of old Poland

I have to share these photos with you. A couple weeks ago Martin and I took the kids to the city engineering museum. That is where we got the video of me on the hamster wheel and Lina riding the elevator. Those exhibits, along with some vintage trams and cars, and some outdoor interactive physics displays for children, and vintage printing presses (my personal favorite) are permanent exhibits. In addition, as with may museums, they rotate temporary displays. We went especially for this last display. It was all made out of Lego's. SO of course we had to go, and it did not disappoint. I want to share the ones that I think ya'll might enjoy. 

Martin remembers Pewex vividly. He says it was the only place during Communism where you could actually buy Lego's and yet they were so expensive that no one actually ever bought them. He just remembers how colorful the whole store was and how amazing it all seemed. Bright and happy...and unattainable.  .

Construction workers eating kielbasa, playing cards, and drinking.

A baby learning to walk. Just thought that was cute. :)

Drug store.

"Milk Bar" Good, cheap, home cooked Polish food. Martin and i still go to the one downtown that was one of the only ones open, that he remembers, during Communism. It has great food, and so inexpensive. Good for students. (at least it used to be, I am assuming that now they can get cheaper food at McDonalds, but not as tasty!)

Building a Blok.

Notice the line outside the door of the "spolem" (which looks like "footem"). An old Communist grocery chain 

Graffiti on the wall. Says "I love Monica" on the left and "George is dumb" on the right.

And, just for fun... these were rooms set up to show scenes.

...the "night after?" Love the chicken box.

 Clearly all the pink has gone to her head.

And, because I haven't lost all my sense of humor with this move...

...she's been naaaaauuuuugh-tay.

Settling in to Poland

I get asked  a lot how we are settling in. How I am finding Poland (funny, no on ever asks Martin this), how I am acclimatizing myself, etc.

I usually answer with..."just fine." Which is exactly where I am at right now. Just fine. Not great, not good, just fine. And no, this is not the American way of saying "horrible." I can't really think of a better word.


Living here in this house has proved frustrating. You can't move from a house that you've lived in for 5 years and chose particularly for your family, and along the way tweaked exactly to your specifications, into a house that's smaller, and not to your specifications and just, well, not "you" and not feel some anxiety and frustration. I know that we will be here for at least 2 years so I will be managing as best I can the frustrating aspects and cherishing the ones I like. So be it. This was our plan all along, and here it is.

 I clean the kitchen all day long here it seems. Partly, almost mainly, because Martin is home all day, working in his "office." So, I cook three meals a day. And we try to stick to the Polish meal schedule which I am finding means that you are basically cooking breakfast, cleaning up from breakfast, planning and then preparing 2nd breakfast, cleaning up 2nd breakfast and then cooking the big mid-day meal and then cleaning up from that, having afternoon cake and tea and then cleaning up that in order to get the Kolacja/supper foods out. Insanity. I cannot do it and teach my children and if I had to sacrifice one for the other it would definitely be the food situation. So, I am slowly moving the family back to an American style eating schedule. I will still cook two meals, one at  the beginning and one at the end of the day but the middle of the day will be sandwiches and snacks, possible eaten at "lunch time" in the schoolroom. It's just faster and easier and way less clean up. Otherwise we have no time for school! (or the kitchen is just a wreck all the time, which is also a possibility.)

The laundry situation is actually under control. I have no worries there. The dryer is awesome and so nice to have. Plus, I have taught Hejjo how to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer and clean out the lint trap and all that so at least he can do that leg, you know, just to keep things moving. I haven't washed any of my dedicates in the washing machine,  nothing requiring cold water in fact since the setting for the coolest temp. is 30 degrees Celsius which is around 86 degrees F (no way am I spelling that word). That's not cold in my book. SO I have a nice pile of clothes to hand wash piling up in my cabinet. That will be an exciting night of wine and Cat Stevens.

Martin working from home is great! Martin working from home in our bedroom, no so great. Tomorrow he is moving downstairs and I am so happy about this! We are also moving the schooling down there but that will be strictly for schooling and light snacks, no "living." So no more having to keep the kids quiet while he talks in meetings or not being able to go into 1/4 of the entire house from midday to evening. It's going to be so helpful for him to be down there.

We still haven't found our land yet. And with the dollar plummeting lower every day (all our savings just worth less and less. :( ) we feel the urgency to find something and make a deal. We want to start the house. Then we have to meet with an architect and decide if we want to do Canadian style (all American homes basically, wood frame, quick to put up) or traditional Polish style home (made out of brick, takes much longer). Discussions about this daily. Although our land search was really becoming discouraging. We know where we want to be but unfortunately everyone else wants to be there as well. We got a little burned out and haven't been out looking for several weeks. Maybe soon.

We eat so much more sugar here than in America. Poles eat so much sugar!  Ice cream, candies, cakes, juice at every meal! all throughout the day. I am so afraid the children's teeth are going to rot out of their heads. I've never had a cavity, Martin, at least 8...I blame Poland. That's right, the entire country. So, we have to curb this bad habit we've gotten into of eating sweets after every meal and cakes for snacks, jam on every slice of bread. So much sugar!

The phone rings all day. I don't really know what everyone is calling about.  I proposed to Martin that we just let them call the cell phone if they need us and otherwise not answer since we are all at work or school for most of the day and if we did these things outside the home then we wouldn't be able to answer anyway, so...

...plus, when I answer, and it's not family, the people usually just hang up.

Speaking of telephones. I don't have a cell phone here. We have a family one but I don't even know the number. We also don't have a T.V. and don't plan on getting one. We have no Netflix, or Amazon on demand. No live streaming. We have the internet on two laptops from which I bog but I am not on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest. We watch our D.V.D.'s and Youtube. We Skype family every once in a while and we have email. That's it. So far, we're doin' alright. It's new for us but it's working. I have knit a shawl, four baby sweaters, one baby hat, a sweater for Lina, a skirt for Lina, and a cowl for myself. I have yarn enough stock piled to make sweaters for everyone. I'm keeping busy.

There's a ride-on toy at Carrefour called "Rancho - El Paso Texas" and it's a covered wagon pulled by horses. The kids love it. We've never actually put money in it but they love it anyway. Ahh, Texas, you old frontier, you.

Kacio puts something new in the toilets, daily. Sometimes three or four times throughout the day. Yesterday was Lina's special doll (not the porcelain one, Niki!) and so I hand-washed that and hung her out to dry. I have lost two hair brushes that were dunked into urine water and then of course filled their innards with said water and no way was I using those on my hair again. We've lost a pair of tights and one sock, and several photos, and magnets, off the SZRON. All the wooden toys we just wash and dry and back into the toy bin. Gross, I know. Keep the doors closed! The door situation in our apartment deserves it's own post, but lets just say, they don't really do a good job at being doors.

Funny, so many of the things that are frustrating are really not related to the country of Poland at all. We have  only encountered the most gentle and kind people on all our errands (Carrefour cashier people not withstanding, although I can tell which ones are going to be ok and I just get in their line...trust me, it's worth it). Martin and I have decided that any one  under the age of 35 is probably your best bet if you want to just have a regular, amiable, customer service experience and that anyone over 35 is just hard wired to think that any work you may force them to do is more work than they could possibly be expected to do. These people will die someday and from their ashes a normal customer service experience will arise.

 The roads here are fabulous unless you come to visit us because we actually live off of the unofficially worst road in Krakow. It's quite fun to try and sing while you drive down it. Much like talking into an electric box fan. The public transportation is always on time and plentiful, and the kids are all free, except Hejjo who is half price until 7 years old. There is, unfortunately a lot of air pollution, which deserves its own post but we just stay in on the days they suggest and keep the windows closed. Yes, I am that anal about it. Darn it, I didn't move half way around the world for Hejjo's allergies to get worse!

These are just the day to day things. I know that most of them will get better, like having a printer, (even better would be a place where I can submit things to be printed and then go pick them up. I know it exists here, but where?), a bigger fridge, and an organized school room. All on our to-do lists. And Kacio will grow out of the toilet bowl phase and the dumping every liquid onto the floor phase. Lina will grow out of the screaming everything at me phase (going on 2 years strong) to the not talking to me phase (please! I welcome it with open arms...). Felix and Hejjo will grow out of the giggles (which I strongly prefer to fighting, so I don't even mind it, but it annoys other people, I know). I will  start seeing this house and all it's quirks as my home, and not someone else's that we're just borrowing. Martin will stop worrying about the car (which is exactly when something will happen to it...mark my words!).

I'm trying not to complain about things that I should be grateful for, and trying to change the things I can. And right now I am thankful for the walnuts that are everywhere in our backyard, and a recipe that my Mother-in-Law gave me for a simple cake with which I have made so many different creations. (Today I added cinnamon and brown sugar and walnuts to it, and I used regular unbleached flour instead of the torte flour...so I guess I have been adding to the sugar consumption as well...it's a catching disease).

And by this post you can tell that I have no one to talk to that I wont offend by mentioning the bad things (only Poles can complain about Poland!) or puzzle by mentioning the good things (the over 35 crowd really hates it/doesn't believe you when things go well  ;)  )

Good night to the Polish contingency! Good Afternoon to my American friends and family!


Here are some pics from the weekend. We had a little pre-birthday party for Felix and a send-off party for the family living in America.

yep.

just a cool picture

My left hand. These drinks were given to me. And if you have never hung out with an old woman (80 yrs. young!) who can down 6 shots of liquor, eat an entire hamburger, sausages, cake, salad, and then wash it down with wine and then be completely sober, enough to offer you babysitting any time you want it, then you, my friend, are hanging out with the wrong people.  ;)

Martin stood here the entire time. 

"I'll get you my pretty, and your bag of candy too!"

Dude, seriously, professional goalie. Cat-like reflexes and a focus that is unmatched by any adult. 

Picking up walnuts, unfortunately he was moving so fast from all the sugar that I couldn't get a clear shot. It was a darling moment, I promise.

Starocie/ Kiermasz

Junk/Auction = Awesome

I asked Martin if we could take our time finding a piece of furniture for our prayer corner. I wanted something that came pre-assembled and had been loved by another family before it came to ours. And I didn't want to spend a lot of money, because, well, we don't have a lot to spend at the moment. So we went to this place that is rumored to have antiques and other "junk." One of the best things about Poland right now is that a lot of people are trading in their old antique furniture (some of this stuff is pre-war, heck probably even late 19th century) and buying new, from IKEA, or other such stores with modern furniture. So, there are many older pieces to be found. A Starocie/Kiermasz store is not necessarily a true antique store per se but they do have older furniture and you might just get lucky and find something that suits you just right... like I did...

Prayer Corner table...

blurry, I was messing with the settings on my camera, obviously I should just let it do it's thing...isn't it just perfect though?! and less than 15 dollars.

Bed side table (my personal favorite)








And this little white cabinet which I just couldn't pass up, for Adelina (we got this for free with the other two)...





We spent far less money than we would have at IKEA for the same types of pieces and my new bedside table is my favorite piece of furniture in the whole house. I love it and will be using it for many years to come.

It was not practical for us to furnish our whole house with antiques and little pre-owned treasures. I would love to have filled the house with handmade and up-cycled pieces. But we needed everything fast and easy to find.  I will start collecting (if only in my mind) each piece for our future home and continue looking through these little "junk stores" for other people's junk to bring home, for our family to treasure.

"Yay's" all around

Do you see that? I see it. I see it every day. A dryer. New and beautiful and dryingful. ( Martin says to ignore the state of the laundry room. It is not indicative of the rest of the house...)

Now if only it would also dress my children, who spend a good amount of the day in their pajamas because, quite frankly, I can't be bothered to dress them in real clothes that will just get dirty and that I'll have to wash, and then dry.

Cheers! To modern technology, and a bit of laziness!

And in other home-front news...

Our house in Austin is sold! Has been for a few weeks now... probably should have mentioned that little tid-bit of information. So ...

YAY FOR US! We don't have to worry about the house anymore!

That's good, once less thing...

...because the car still has the Texas plates and we are this close to having a car accident from people literally stopping in the middle of the road to stare at the license plates (and the car which I've only seen one other time here).

And YAY for FRIDAY!!! And Tyskie!

(Boo to the value of the dollar going down, down, down...)

But YAY for Fall!!! Beautiful leaves changing colors and cooler temperatures!

AND, and, and, YAY for FRIDAY...AGAIN!

Here's to a good weekend....As Kacio would say... Cheew (Cheers)!

Polish elevators.

Hey, how do you know I'm lying, you've never been here.  ;)

Making our mark

Picture Dump: Wroclaw!

Last weekend we went to Wroclaw. In the comments section of an earlier post, a while back in fact, I had mentioned that I'd been to Wroclaw. I had not been there actually. I was confusing it with another city.

 It is  absolutely beautiful. It's main square is picturesque and the people there, as opposed to what we have found here in Krakow, are quite friendly and amiable. Lots of smiling faces and a more laid back attitude. These Krakowians are a serious bunch in comparison.

 I didn't really want to go on this little mini trip but Martin insisted. It was an ok 24 hours. Traveling with children anywhere, for only one night, is  a lot of work. I really hope to go back some time when we can take a long weekend because it deserves that, or longer. We didn't get to do too much because we are, of course, traveling with small children, so rather than see"all the things you must see in Wroclaw" we opted for the zoo and just strolling. They have the biggest zoo in the country. It was quite nice. 

A Unesco site. This is as close as we came to it.

That's about right.

Gnomes! They loved finding all the gnomes that the city is known for (among other things). They found 35 in all. I am sure there are many more.

They were knocking and fully expecting a little gnome to appear. We encouraged it.

In the mall waiting for Tata.

Not a statue.

The main square from the window of our apartment.

You could even see our car from the window of our apartment. Martin was relieved.

Main square.

More main square. Isn't it lovely?!

Strolling

This is the Church where we attended Mass. In front of the Church you can see a little pink, narrow building on the right and a narrow white building on the left. with an arch in between. Lina and I are going to live in the pink building when she gets older. Just so you know.

The flights of stairs up to our apartment. Not at the very top, but near to it.

Our door.

Our apartment. Long ago, after baby number 2, Martin adn I decided that we would never again rent hotel rooms. More expensive for less space and less privacy. Last minute bookings through homeaway got us a 1200 sq. ft., 2 bedroom, on the main square (which has it's plus and minuses of course) with all the amenities for around 100 dollars a night. Not too shabby.

That's all. No fancy ending or anything. Just some pics. from the weekend.