Making a packing list for 3 week trip for each member of the family is a no-bullshit skill.

Especially when 2 lists are for super-active toddlers, when your views on husband's wardrobe for those 3 weeks typically differs from his view, and when there's a wedding to attend in the middle of the trip.

Other no-bullshit skills include buying all the necessary stuff for the trip some time in tiny time slots between work and picking up Chill Sr from Kindergarten  and while running other errands on weekend. That includes picking presents for the hosts.

Packing the entire family, with all those 4 sheets of paper put side by side, while kids are running around trying to do their own packing and replace neatly packed clothes and shoes with toys in every suitcase - is a must-learn know how if you ever want to have more than 1 kids and to sacrifice your lifestyle in progress :)

Nevertheless: for all the airfare worth, we now have:
 3 full size suitcases, fully packed (20kg +), with vaccum packing bags used for kids warm clothes (jackets, vests and sweaters) wrapped around a large tequila bottle and kids shoes (including rain boots),
1 sports backpack for toys and change of clothes for boys, diapers and wipes + a laptop and ipad;
1 sports backpack for electronics and misc. things for the trip (meds, travel pillows), + professional camera+ laptop+ipad + printouts with itineraries, copies of passports etc.
1 large kids backpack for snacks (gets lighter as we eat :)  )
1 toddler mini-backpack for WIPES: heavy duty, kids, facial - wipes.
5 mice by the name of Squirrel were strategically diffused between suitcases and backpacks.


On a side note - the durability of my suitcase is amazing. There're scratches, holes at the bottom, the small "legs" fell off a while ago, however it never felt apart and the zippers still do not jam. Only the names of the places it has been taken to, written inside with nail polish - peel, as does Oscar Wilde's quote in the middle :)  It will celebrate its 15 year birthday this summer - never lost, never stolen.

Some raw thoughts.

Today, in the middle of footing some employee IRA matching and totals, I had a sudden thought. Say, I have quite a few goals for the coming year, and not all of them are one-step, unsophisticated plans that I can accomplish in a day or two.

A few of them do look like they will consume a lot of time and money before something will start to shape up, and the problem is - I can not even be sure of the result as I do not really have anyone in my close circles who has gone through same relevant experience. For example, thinking about 1 year from now  -  I will have a choice of either having 3rd child, or run Geneva UNICEF 10K of course, or make some advancements or looking for a niche in my career, which will involve more education and training. And all these projects are absolutely mutually exclusive. I can pick 1 thing and work my schedule and my budget around this one thing only. And I'm sure this is just a small sample of the "forks" that I will need to resolve in the coming years.

And so, I felt like a need help on a bigger scale: people willing to help me in one way or another, whether with time or advice, or sharing some knowledge which will spare me from extensive research, or just providing some moral and mental support.
What if I did have a team - virtual mostly - to back me up with all those needs that will come up? What if I start with a social experiment and see if it is possible to organize such a team, and how it will evolve and whether people will voluntarily offer help on a constant basis in return for support, help and advice back when possible (I believe in gratitude , help and mutual support, yep), but also for being a part of larger projects and receiving constant progress updates, pros and cons of untypical life decisions, and as a result - a blueprint for going through same or similar situations should they ever need to?

On the other hand - and it is a significant downside for me - this team building (literally) strategy implies consistency in following specific steps, providing updates, and hell - creating and maintaining a specific public image. Which I would hate to do on a 5 year span.

But it will potentially provide help and support.

But will take away time, privacy and a certain degree of freedom of choice in decision making.

But will allow me to access, borrow and leverage other people's knowledge, time and ideas.

But will put me in position when I will have to give some back. To owe them. And I hate to owe anything for anyone.

Did some preliminary planning for 2018 UNICEF Marathon.

- the ne registration is open now.

Given that the hotel availability might change, that most of the trip search and booking platforms do not show airfare for later than mid-April 2018, that I only counted 2 full days in Geneva (3 nights total, that is), that we might be looking at 2 registration fees if Belkin decides to run - I'm looking at $1,500 for just this item on my bucket list. Pretty realistic and could be worse :)

On a side note - the Universe just bumped my head into the idea of increasing my monthly earning capacity to what I was planning to be my next quarterly earning capacity. Perfect timing as always - just as I start to relax and have doubts about the reason of all the wishes, goals and master life projects I have and why the hell should I .... - here comes a gentle reminder: pull yourself together, do what needs to be done and live the life you want.

Sudden hail in Lakewood.

Looking out of the window - the street is gloomy and dark, the shower of hail pellets size of almond to a small chicken is hitting cars parked outside, trimming the trees , knocking down pine cones and large beautiful pink blossoms off the apple trees.


Beautiful to watch. Especially when you parked in the covered parking lot, still have electricity in your office, and a raspberry-pomegranate cuppa, and a fresh 990 to do.

Sleep and peace of mind, as well as ability to shift my mind to anything other than work

work wonders.


I feel more human again, look much more human, wake up with minimum to none headaches, and cut down crying from twice a day every work day - to once a day a few times a week.


I catch up on the work projects that had been postponed due to tax season, trying to foresee everything that needs to be bough for Slovenia - including gifts, and desperately plan and organize all health and household projects for May and Summer.


Funny - I write down all my thoughts, wishes and ideas to empty out my mind, and get a to-do list 2-3 pages long (and counting); but the flow of thoughts in my head never stops.
As if for each to-do item I write to clear my head of it - 2 more come in, something that I have been putting off till better times for too long, or something that I can only now think of and appreciate.
I'm not even surprised but only giggling at how I will be working it all out - from kids' dental and pediatric appointments this summer- to window replacement, from going through the bureaucratic process of License application to planning out 3 more trips for this year, from Jury Duty and surgery this summer to planning out my next career steps.


And yet, once I write down something I need to do, I can't help thinking about how small and unimportant it is. And as if, with dozens of trivial things to do and make decision about, I am losing time for something important I would rather be working on now... 

I sometimes feel like I start to behave like a typical "Russian mother" walking around the community and neighbourhood

constantly yelling out remarks to her kids.
-Arthur, don't walk out on your own!
- Adrian, don't go there alone!
- Arthur, STOP!!! And look to your left and right to see if a car is coming!
- Adrian, please keep walking! DON"T STOP in the middle of the road!
- Arthur, no, you can't pee at their lawn!
- Adrian, don't run into the puddle! You're not wearing your rain boots, remember! Don't slap the puddle with your bare hands please!
-Arthur, please don't harass the worm! No, he doesn't like it!
- Hey! You both! Stop throwing stones into the sewer!
-Arthur, please look straight ahead! You're going to run somebody over on your tricycle!




And it goes on, and on and on. Yes, I only raise my voice when my kids are at a distance - so they can- physically- hear me better. And yes, I have the luxury of not screaming my head off for soiled clothes, or for my kids for actually walking, running or... biking away at their own pace and not walking next to me the whole time, or for actually walking in the after rain mud. I spare my voice for special moments only :)


But I still don't see how it's possible to be the only mother who.... wait, I don't see any other mothers out for a walk with toddlers. Actually, I don't see any toddlers either. It's not typical working hours... where are all the kids thought? Hmmm, maybe that's why....

Done with Tax season 2017 :)

Almost unbelievable how I managed to survive the past 2.5 months without a single day off, in one piece, in full sanity, continuing jogging and doing some volunteering work. Although given that I never give in - it was not that unbelievable after all.


Our firm gave away Vivofits as little token of appreciation for the good job done this Tax season - and I love the gesture! While I'm not letting this AI bracelet spying on me in my sleep, the step counter will be very useful in a month, during our European hikes and long strolls with Chinchillas.


Speaking about upcoming Euro-trip 2017 - there's a lot of planning to be done for Croatia and Italy (Austria/Latvia - TBC) and even more unfinished business to catch up on before mid-May. This includes bringing my health and body back from Survivor mode to sustainable highly-functioning state, doing a couple of photo-shooting, buying my Wedding witness dress, buying presents and some clothes and toys for Chills Sr & Jr, catching up at work and making all doctor appointments for this summer. Sounds easier that it is :)


Decided to take a break from Shakespeare and Goethe and am now listening to the Slovenian Language CD in my car. What a huge difference it makes - to start learning your first foreign language (or two) with all continuous repeating of easy words, long explanation of easy grammar concepts and - God forbid to come to this again! - learning phonetical transcriptions! And then - attempting your 5th (or 6th? lost count) language, by listening, in car - on the way to work and back, in the middle of your breakfast (yes, still in the car), driving with one hand, holding coffee cup with the other and almost yelling so I can hear myself - kaj je glavno mesto Spanije?!

Another week to go

Argh! When all this is over

I'll spend the next week's evenings in bath with Epsom salt and a glass of wine, watching movies, eating sushi and checking prices of tickets to London and Geneva!...


... who am I kidding? When all this is over - I will spend the next week just catching up on the appointments, delayed articles, new volunteer work, CPA Ethics course, house cleaning, and getting myself back into shape - hence no sushi at night.


... Of course, I still need to live to see the moment it will all be over - in one piece and not loosing my sanity.

We've survived this winter!

The trees are finally blooming, it's finally warm enough for shorts. Chinchilla Sr is mastering his new bike (with 2 assistance wheels) and is doing pretty damn good! Chinchilla Jr is mastering his big brother's scooter; at one point he just stepped on it, pushed himself off with his right foot and went out of the garage straight downhill on his own, while I was sprinting to catch him before he would reach the road, my hair turning gray and trying to understand if this is indeed the right kids I'm chasing: he looks like Chill Jr, but it can't be him! He's not even 2 yet!!








All in all I love how these 2 little brothers are getting along. How they comfort each other, and hug each other, and see each other to bed. And their meaningful, serious conversations are priceless! Of course, when they are in a middle of a fantastic dialog I have no pen and paper close at hand, and every time I start video recording - they become aware of me and stop whatever they are doing.








Despite busy schedule I got done with UNV proof-reading project in a good timing. Interestingly enough, one can tell exactly by looking at a translated text where a part was translated by a different person: the style varies, the choice of words varies, the number of typos or missing articles or prepositions varies... And still it's fun to realize that while you can offer a different version of translation in some cases, in others - you wouldn't have thought about word(s) that fit so well!




Two more weeks to Tax Season's finish line. With the 60 hour work weeks and family and home demanding all the time outside work - I now have about 3 weeks worth of unfinished business I will need to take care of in a prompt manner after April 18th, so I can move on with life :) I feel like for any idea I take through to the end I have 2 more which, at the moment they occur I feel are so great, I have to put at the bottom of 2018 list (yep, 2018). And by the time I get to it (maybe sooner than 2018) I will be out of resources, angry, sleep deprived, wondering why I even wanted it at the first place, but being too proud and stubborn to give it up now.

Finished Faust.

Hits the spot, Mephistopheles rocks and the tragedy will now be highly recommended by me to anyone going through an existential crises =)






Never thought one of my 2 favourite books is so close to being a fanfiction to Faust. Maybe because I practically know Master and Margarita by heart that all the parallels between Mephistopheles and the "court" of Woland, Auerbach's cellar and Woland's offering cigarettes and wine in the novel, Walpurgisnacht - and the Satan's Ball, Emperor's carnival and Woland's performance at Varieté ....


Just like playing a jazz improvisation piece for weeks and then hearing the original :)




Nevertheless, I do not love Master and Margarita any less now, and admire Pasternak even more (not that I ever doubted his genius), and some time - probably when I retire - I should improve my German to the point when I can read the original. In a few years though it will be interesting to come back to it, but to a different version of translation.

In some thin time slot,

while walking from a kids birthday party to Home Depot, with Chill Jr sitting comfortably on my left arm and Chill Sr holding my hand (walking through the entire plaza and parking on both ends), I stopped by World Market store and got myself a tiny jar of joy.


I don't know why it's not on sale anywhere else, and I can't tell from what dark depth of my gut feeling an impulse to check this store came from - but the fact is: I'll have a rye bread - Marmite - avocado toast for breakfast tomorrow!!

I think it is safe to say this little stubborn bunny has accomplished goal #4 for 2017

And has come back to running! Apart from stubbornness it took of course:

•  change of speed to 5.7 mi/hr,
• wearing compression socks 3 days a week (under suit trousers),
• taking my time stretching before and after running,
• including more of various stretches in the "before and after" routine,
• changing trainers.

Next stop from here - booking the 10K Harmonie Geneve pour UNICEF for 2018!

Having spent the day in rushing to daycare to drop off Chill Sr, rushing through traffic to Lakewood to work, spending 8 hours in "between worlds" physically and mentally in tax preparation, rushing through traffic to a grocery store with a list of groceries to buy to daycare for our snack days, rushing to daycare to pick up Chill Sr and drop off bags of food, rushing back home through traffic while talking to Chill (okay, talking to my kids is actually the best part of the day), preparing fish and veggies to load to the oven while having both Chills hanging on me demanding attention, going for a walk with 2 Chills and 2 of their bikes (for which the younger one needs assistance all the time) , coming home to a tantrum of 2 hungry kids refusing to wash hands before they are fed, serving the dinner and going through the dinner helping Chills with their food and jumping up every now and then for a glass of water or a tissue, while trying to grasp the idea of and contribute to the conversation of Von Zobel's work and clients, cleaning up after the dinner, preparing milk for Chills, getting them off to bed after a couple of short bedtime stories/ kids' poems, rushing to gym to hold on to my 5K progress, rushing back home to slay a couple more tax returns before making it to bed after 1am -

 -  I feel like politely replying to every "Happy 8th of March" I receive today by suggesting to shove it up...

Working for a month with no days off.

Unless 4-hr work days count as days off.
My job requires 60+ hour work weeks for another 6 weeks, and given that between dropping off and picking up Arthur from daycare I physically only spend 8-8.5 hrs in the office and all my time home before kids' bed time is devoted to kids (including cooking and some chores) - it's easy to picture what my nights are like. Or what my life is like. Actually, what is my life like now?

Third priority after family and work is workout, just as I planned. And it works well, and without physical activity nothing will work at all. Maybe that explains the reason I am able to keep mental sanity and work productivity :)

Pressure cooker is a life savior. Once a week I load in chicken or turkey legs ("drumsticks"), mix some basic sauce and pour over, set the timer for 15-18 minutes and leave off to play with or read to the boys. Other days it's baked or fried fish, quickly fried steaks, beef stroganoff in yet again pressure cooker (better than in the frying pan and no mess!) and - veggies. Lots of veggies! Salads, steamed Normandy mix, baked with fish, quickly sautéed with steak. Thank Buddha, all 3 guys in my family are happy with good veggie eaters! Non cooking every single evening, but not less than I was planning.

House cleaning -  falling a little behind, although it's not on top of my priorities list. Doing a good job not having any heavily messed up zones in the house, any piles of dirty laundry or mess in the kitchen.

As days get longer and warmer - I will need to start plugging in some work in the backyard too. Will have to figure exactly how :)

Grocery shopping and errands are done on Saturdays after work: manage to pick up all necessary stuff and not run out of anything essential in the middle of the week (although picking up fresh salads, fruit and veggies during work week is a must, yep!)

Last year at about same time I was past 2 exams and had 2 more to go - a pretty challenging period still, if not by such drastic lack of time then by psychological pressure. What's good about leaving this year behind - I'm still good at self discipline and self-organization and will pick peace of mind over calm lifestyle anytime.