NateandOla.com

This morning I got up because Filip was up. You know life is good when that is the only reason to get up. It wasn’t an ungodly hour either…probably around 8:00ish…and when I got to his bed I realized the grandparents had already gotten to him. Instead of going back to sleep…which is what my sinful, human nature told me to do…I went downstairs and joined the ranks of the walking dead. Fortunately, life juice was brewing and cream and sugar had already been set out so I fixed myself a hot mug of hazelnutty, deliciousness. I caught up on a little CNN, did a few e-mails and watched Filip play in the corner on a blanket filled with random objects. I would call them toys…but half of them don’t classify as toys. There is are a couple of stuffed animals, a car, some ducky thing, and then there are his favorites: a sock, a boot, a diaper changing pad, a tube of butt cream (I made sure the cap was tight), a cord, and a remote control that somehow ended up in his little vicinity.

While he played for a while and I went in to help his “Babcia” (grandma) peel some potatoes for today’s soup. I asked if she had another knife. She said she was using her favorite but there were a couple of larger knives if I wanted to help. The larger knife turned out to be what felt like a butcher’s knife in my hand. A little overkill for potatoes, but it was better than using my teeth. There was this huge bag of potatoes in front of me and for every potato I got done she was doing two. So I knock out a few potatoes, and then she turned around and began doing something else. I didn’t really think much of it, until I realize she wasn’t using the good knife anymore. So to find out if I can use the knife I simply ask, “Are you done?” and she said, “Oh, yeah…we have plenty of potatoes.” Hmmm…how long would she have let me keep peeling potatoes with a sword before telling me we had plenty?

They highlight of today was the fact that now the whole family is together. For the first time in the Bajkenski-Berry history we are together for the holidays. Marisa…our sister-in-law…and Alex, flew in from California at around 12:30. The last time we saw Alex was 2 years ago, hmmmm…I just realize that we saw him, half his life-time ago. Yep, he has literally doubled in age since we saw him last…age and size. He is now a four year old young man whose first question when he landed back home in Poland was, “Where are the toys?” So, he is at his house now, playing with the toys he hasn’t seen since they left for California about 4 months ago.

I would love to post a great picture of Marisa and Alex coming off the plane with soaking wet suitcases…however, first…I don’t think there suitcases were soaking wet. And second, last night I posted a picture that was taken with my father-in-laws camera. My understanding was that we were all going to the airport together today, to pick up Marisa and Alex. It never got communicated to me that the plans had been changed and they would actually be coming here. (You’ll see how this all fits in a second.) So, the in-laws say, “Ok, we are going over to grandmas to get something.” I am like, “whatever.” (Actually, I didn’t say “whatever” because I’m not 16, I was more like, “ok.”) So they leave, and it is approaching 12:30…the time when we are to go to the airport and the in-laws aren’t back yet, and I am like, “Aren’t we supposed to get ready to go to the airport?” And Ola is like, “Oh, they are actually coming here.” And, again, I’m like, “ok.” So around 1:30 everybody comes in…in-laws included…apparently after grandmas they went to the airport…and my father-in-law comes upstairs with a note of frustration and shows me the camera he went to take pictures with. I smiled and said, “The memory card is in my computer from last night.”

So he didn’t get any pictures of Marisa and Alex at the airport, which for him is about as dramatic as Tiger Woods showing up on the golf course without his putter because his caddy played a round of golf the night before. Now, before Tiger blames the caddy, there are a couple of things that Tiger could do to insure that he is going with his putter. First, Tiger should communicate to his caddy that he will be playing golf today. Second, Tiger should take his caddy with him, or inform the caddy that he will not be joining him today. Thirdly, knowing that his caddy was using the clubs the previous night and was cleaning the putter, Tiger should double check his clubs to make sure the putter is there. Anway…just to be clear…I’m talking about Tiger Woods. There are no correlations whatsoever to our events of the day, however, I don’t think the caddy is allowed to use Tiger’s putter anymore.

There is a Polish television show called, “Klan”…I have know idea what it is about, but it just turned to commercials a few minutes ago. There is a commercial of a specific water brand, and it looks wonderful and life-giving. Like all bottled water commercials do. The program resumes following the commercials, and I notice that one of the main characters is pouring herself a glass of bottled water. It was from the same company that was just in the commercial. All of a sudden, not joking at all, the camera zooms in on the bottled water and sits there for like 5 seconds! It was literally a commercial in the middle of the program. I was expecting her to turn, look at the camera, and say…, “I drink 8 glasses a day and I feel great.”

So that was today. It is now a relaxing evening…Ola isn’t feeling well so I think I will go give Filip a bath. Adios.