Body tracing

I've been looking for ages for some good old butcher's paper roll ...needless to say it was impossible to find..really now...who uses butcher's paper nowadays? well, that, and contact paper as well...I've got these awesome craft ideas using contact paper and it seems they'll be put on hold for who knows how long...at least the butcher's paper problem was solved about 2 months ago: one sunny  day, while we were strolling around IKEA (yes, we sometimes do that;it's so big that, by the time we're done with it, we feel as if we'd been hiking all day) , at the kids' department, there it  was, my magic butcher's paper roll, waiting for me to take it home.And , of course I took it and kept it in my kitchen until now, not daring to use it for fear I might waste it.

So, first activity, body tracing...to be honest I was a bit worried that my kids wouldn't lie still and wait patiently to be traced, but I was wrong...not only they loved it, but the little one started tracing himself...that was hilarious!. Watching the cut outs, the real size and shape of "themselves", they were observing them with plain interest. A good opportunity to review the body parts with the toddler, while the oldest one was amazed how tall he was..."Is this me?See mommy? I've grown! I'm very tall now!"

I also decided to stick them on the wall, holding hands, so they could visualise  what brotherhood actually means: togetherness, closeness, love and friendship. I hope they'll keep the love they have for each other in the years to come,as there is no stronger bond than the bond of brotherhood,and, as someone said:"sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero".

next step is coloring all over:)

Exploring the city...

There are two faces of every city: the one that gets promoted and visited the most, not only by foreigners but also by locals. It's nice, joyful,  your every step is guided : from the parking lots to food recommendations, we all seem to follow faithfully what the touristic guides are advertising. And don't get me wrong,I believe it works for  most of us: it's easier, quite convenient and  mostly concentrates  "the essence" of that particular location.Can you imagine visiting Athens without a walk on the Acropolis?Or Paris without the Eiffel Tower?Neither can I.

And, there is the other side of the city...the one that lives behind an imaginary wall and although we know about its existence, it never seizes to amaze us. It's the side where you can feel the pulse of the city, breath the air of the crowded streets, get lost between blocks and traffic lights, watch the people mind their daily routine...this is the genuine side of the city, the one that provides a glimpse of authenticity and makes you connect (or disconnect) with the city.

You may be wondering by now whats the purpose of this post. Well,I've been thinking about it ever since spring arrived in town. One of our constant problems during days off is choosing a location for our walk, visit, trip, etc.It is because we've got so many places to choose from, that it's making our job pretty difficult, and we end up doing something totally unexpected.I think I've mentioned before we like being spontaneous.

If you've never been to Athens,Acropolis and Parthenon are the  MUST SEE places. As soon as the sun comes out, people from all over the world pack the alleys admiring the vestiges of the famous Greek civilization. Amongst them , locals, like us, taking a walk with grandmas and grandpas . We were lucky grandpa Elias brought his camera and shot some pictures for us. The rest of us were busy keeping a toddler follow the path. With so many distractions along the way, it was not an easy job:

Looks nice, doesn't it? peaceful, interesting, happy places...however, it has nothing to do with the way Greeks live, especially these days. Real life is on the streets of Athens...I was so happy that a few weeks after strolling around Acropolis we decided to take the metro and just go...why not take some time and see the new metro stations? I find it absolutely amazing how they managed to open 2 more stations under the austerity programme they're under. And those are not ordinary stations...they are beautifully designed, nicely built , almost luxurious I might add if I didn't risk of sounding too enthusiastic. It made me understand that there are still places out there waiting to be discovered. The city has a life of its own and we're just co-existing...

peristeri station

1 year blogiversary!

photo source

I'll start with a long due article...a couple of weeks ago we celebrated our one year anniversary...one year of blogging and I meant to write a few words but, as usual, time was  not on my side. Anyway,I'm not a big fan of statistics and I definitely haven't started this blog to boost my popularity, but I find it absolutely amazing how many people connect and how many ideas are shared through this tool.

It all started as a hobby and a strong desire to document some of our precious family moments and, one year later, it is still a hobby that is slowly turning into an addiction. So far so good...I've met all kinds of people...someone didn't want to have her name associated with the blog on the grounds that I was using the  a drug as my blog's name. ...I had to explain that oxytocin was not a drug and Dr. Seuss was not a real doctor. I met people from all continents, amazing people that write about their lives, their families, their daily struggles and hopes...I met people that have inspired me and found inspiration in my articles and I think this is the best gratification. 34.000 page views and approximately 500 followers on the social media sites might not sound "wow" to some of you, but I'm overwhelmed  by the attention, especially since I'm not that active in the blogosphere and I feel lucky if I can produce one post a week these days.

As I'm blowing my candle I can only hope to become a better writer,to improve my style , to keep on engaging with others on these fascinating issues that are making our lives worthwhile: learning how to be a PARENT.

Carnival and a trip...

Lots of things have happened in our part of the world. As spring has already settled for good,runny noses are taking a break, we managed to do so many things and see so many beautiful places . I only hope to have time and write about them all. It's going to be a challenge as time is still a luxourious asset and seems to be running way to fast.

The carnival is over! We took a trip to Lefkada and enjoyed the carnival parade there, just like we did 2 years ago..lots of memories overwhelmed me...why? well, it was like a trip back in time,with one difference...the baby that was growing in my belly back in 2011, is now growing under my very eyes. Apparently we got ourselves a little party animal. He was unstoppable...so much happiness, smiles, laughter and dancing moves were too much for my poor soul to bear. I grew up without carnival and costumes, and all these years my husband was telling me how those were the best memories and his favourite holidays...I understand now why...And it's not just about the costumes, it's about the whole atmosphere...the freedom to be whatever you want for a few hours without being judged or pointed at...My mum was wearing a fancy lady hat and she loved it so much that she wanted to take it with her back to Romania...I doubt she will ever wear it again, but she enjoyed herself so much that she wanted to keep a piece of those beautiful days as a treasured memory.

We were lucky to have just the perfect kind of weather. Absolutely magnificent!