walking

The babies are almost walking. Almost. During the past two weeks they'd make a step or two and fall, but they understand this concept and really curious about pursuing it. Again, with my parents in town we don't discourage the babies anymore from walking. But the biggest fun of having Russian babies is dressing them in scarves ("babushkas") - and I do have a collection of those!

Baby updates

Last night, as I went out for a cup of tea and desert, with a friend (no babies, not a family member - just a friend), for the first time since the babies were born, as we were talking about her baby, who is due in about a month, I realized how little my mind remembers about this past year. How much was accomplished by my twins and how little stays in my head nowadays. How little I've been keeping in touch with my friends (how nice that Russians are very proficient in English nowadays, as I didn't notice that's the language I'm using for the post), despite their constant requests on keeping them posted.

I have a baby (C) who repeats long words and even sentences. She's 11 months old, it's very strange and L doesn't believe it's true, but now that my parents are in town they can confirm it. We all basically fall out of our chairs every time she does it. Examples (repeated after one of us spontaneously, she doesn't do it on demand):
"Broccoli" ("bokaheee")
"Хлебушек" ("heboosik")
"Мячик кидай!" ("m'akigai")
"Дедушка обиделся" ("deooshkaahbidesja")
"Грязные салфетки" (g'a-gi-eh - sah-feh)
I cannot recall more and that's why I need to/might start writing things about the babies more often, just to keep track, as I am becoming one of those very proud parents. :)
G is not a talker, she is an explorer and a researcher, we call her Jacques Cousteau. She is also incredibly sweet and cuddly.

P.S. And they both help me with telling stories and pointing to the characters in their books (making animal sounds, etc.)!
Mama: "Жили-были дед да..." (Once upon a time there were a grandpa and...)
G: "баба" ("ba-ba" = grandma)
Mama: "И была у них..." (And they had a...)
C: "ку!" ("Koo!" = koorochka = a chicken)

We had twins...

DSC_1214, a photo by Veroniquette on Flickr.

... a little over 10 months ago.
We never got to blog about it for many reasons. But this is why I never update this page anymore.

Проба пера.
Могу ли по-русски?

Matryoshka dress

I made this little dress for our friends' daughter - as a present for her 1st Birthday. I haven't sewn for many years and definitely missed it. So, now that I bought a sewing machine and lots of fabrics... - all I need is courage.

I miss New York mostly when I watch movies. Movies make New York so dreamy.
"The September Issue" makes New York part of the ever-so-unreachable "Paris-London-Rome" scene and being in NYC makes you part of that too. In reality, I often think that Santa Monica has more of the European vibe, that I tend to romanticize and crave. I walk to the boulangerie for fresh sour dough bread, I bike to the ocean, there's The Stinky Cheese Store two blocks down from us, people at the bank know me by name and we wear hats - pretty sun hats with wide brims. I love you, Santa Monica. And sometimes, I miss you, New York.
P.S. I love biographies! Style interests me only as a part of it.
I also loved A.W.'s consistency with jewelry. She had just a couple of (similar) necklaces, that she alternated and a little cross.

But most of all, I miss my friends - and that's why I miss New York.

"A French bulldog plays with a 2-week-old baby Bengal tiger, which was rejected by its mother, at Shirotori zoo in Higashikagawa, southwestern Japan May 11, 2007. The dog is nursing the baby tiger as if it is its mother, according to the zoo." ((Yuriko Nakao/Reuters))

You probably know already how much I love French Bulldogs. They are so unconditionally loving and devoted. My Greta jumps to nurse every little creature around: baby, kitten, duck, butterfly...

My camera is broken. My mood is low.
Both blog and flickr stay lifeless.
The Sun is out, yet only for a day.
I miss spring and warmth.
I'm also homesick.
Looking
forward
to
Pascha.

I've just watched "In the Realms of the Unreal". I'm surprised it got the awards... in fact, I'd hardly call it either a movie or a documentary, but if you've never heard about Henry Darger, it might be interesting to see it as an introduction. And Inspiration.

I love free spirit of my orthodox faith

A Russian Orthodox Bishop quoting Heavy Metal band playing "Rasputin"...

Rimskiy-Korsakov:
humble and beautiful Bumblebee
or
a high-flown hive for you?
I liked both.
Next thing I expect is someone to do it on a type-writer.

Me in a movie still, or Down the Rabbit-Hole

the warriors
Originally uploaded by ambery

I need projects. I want projects. I have them. I have started them.
It is as always - I'm trying to fill in the gaps. And as usual, there are too many, so they ansemble into a hole that I'm slowly flying through as Alice... at least, the pace is giving me enough time to notice jars on the shelves.
P.S. I want to see some worth-while movies of the past and present and would love your advice.