Mara and Friends

Because in holiday is best time for Bogdan to take pictures, every evening he picks up some kids from the group and take them "on location" to portrait them. Sorry I couldn't decide on two or three, I had to choose from hundreds! I like them all... I decided on few.
Today: Mara, Tamara, Daria and Andu.
Location: Papillon Zeugma beach, Belek, Turkey.

Papillon Zeugma, children's holiday

I like Belek for its beautiful beaches with fine and soft sand, and we are in Papillon Zeugma Hotel for the second time. It is the same hotel as the first time we came in Turkey, 6 years ago, but I have to confess there is a big change in services between our two visits. 

The pool bar I used to remember with such pleasure disappeared to make place for 2 water slides and a kids swimming pool. The inner yard pool increased its dimensions, and there is a new and big playground for kids. I miss the pool bar, but for kids the water slides are, of course, much more fun.

But the big problem are the services, I never saw worse in Turkey until now. Not in a 5 stars resort, anyway. The day we arrived we came to dinner in the buffet restaurant with all the kids hungry (we are a group of 19 persons, from which 8 children), the restaurant was so full, we couldn't find a free table to eat for about half an hour. Mara lives with fresh air, but Runa and Radu went kind of crazy when we told them we need to wait for so long.  There are three a-la-carte restaurants in the hotel, they can be used if the kids are bigger, but with small kids the buffet is always the best option. Most of the waiters are very young and inexperienced, they forget what you ordered or even to bring the order, like yesterday with my coffee.

Anyway, this is just a detail, because the hotel is beautiful and the distance to the beach is very convenient, so we can spend our mornings in the swimming pool and the afternoons on the beach, playing with the kids in the sunset.

The schedule is very chaotic and we are very tired. Radu woke up for about 3 times by night, Mara fell down from her bed,  Runa got something in her eye, so she cried and yelled for about 5 hours.

In the first evening Radu fell in his head, in the second he got his arm caught in the sliding doors from the restaurant, all the time he want to take the elevator, no matter where we need to go.

Runa wants to stay very late in the night to see the shows. Radu wants to sleep early because he is tired, as a baby I should say. Mara wants everything, everywhere, everytime.

We decided, years ago, that this is the children's holiday. So, they are the passengers, we (me and Bogdan) are the crew. We watch them and we take care of them, while we enjoy the journey together. 

Belek, Turkey

We begun our holiday on Saturday but, since we gathered all our guts and came alone with all three kids, I didn't have any time to blog (or think). It was our third day of holiday today, since we arrived on Saturday afternoon, and I don't know where the time flew. 

Well, I actually know: on the sea shore, in the swimming pool, under the beautiful Mediterranean sky...

And I'm really sorry, but I will only load few pictures and go to sleep, the kids seem to have a plan to kill us :). We need to outmaneuver them successfully tomorrow morning, so I have to rest. Wish us good luck!

Music

Since Monday I started again to pick up Radu and Mara from kindergarten. Many kids left for holiday, so the transport car is not available anymore.

We usually listen to Radio Itsy Bitsy, a local special radio for kids. Is funny, is cute, broadcasts nice and happy music, very appropriate for listening in the car with the whole family.

Imagine my surprise when both of them asked me to stop the radio. 

- OK, I said, what would you like to listen then? 

- You had some music yesterday, do you still have it or it was on the radio? Mara asked.

I had to think a little bit... then, I suddenly remembered!

Here it is what Mara and Radu wanted to listen. On heavy rotation. Hope you'll enjoy it either!

Sunday's Sour Cherries

Ok, Sunday it's over now, but we are still licking our wounds... just kidding! of course it was fun, and I'm happy because we were very present and we tasted the happy time with all our bodies and souls.

We started with a visit at Hornbach (DIY supermarket) to buy a ladder, because all the cherries were mature and we couldn't reach them.

Then, we went to the supermarket, with the declared purpose to buy some small gifts for the teachers and maids from kindergarten, because it was the end of the school year and we were delighted with their work, as we saw it on Saturday. We bought food and beer and when we arrived home we realized we forgot to buy the gifts. Yeah, we both have the heads in the clouds sometimes!

Radu helped Bogdan to assemble the rocking chair in the full heat of the noon... all the good guys together.

Runa was the first to use the ladder, she was the most hard-working from all of us. And the bravest. Especially when I asked her to go in the house and start to learn for the English test.

Mara refreshed herself in all the ways you can figure, with the water pumps working on the grass. Soon, the whole family followed her example.

Then, she dried up and rest for a while... not for too long, anyway.

 

I finished alone to pick up the cherries, then I removed the kernels, so my mother-in-law could make a cake. Sorry, no pics for the cake. It's gone.

For the night we had in plan a birthday party. Well... what the plans are for?

We took Bogdan's car to car-washing, put all the kids in the other car and hurried to the supermarket to buy the forgotten gifts. Bogdan received a strange call from the car-washing owner, telling that his car doesn't start anymore. 

A very nice car. 

So, Bogdan was left with his car, while I left with all the kids. 

In the supermarket we decided that Radu and Mara will fill the basket, while Runa will put everything back on the shelves. Even with such a deal, one thing I can say: it didn't come out cheap.

Back at home, Bogdan wasn't back yet. He was towing his car to the service, very far away from home. So, I quickly realized there will not be any party. Not a birthday party, anyway. He called me from the service, telling me that the car suddenly started in the service yard, when he arrived there, so he will be home in no time. I put the kids into bed, together with my mother-in-law, and we went out to have some beer together. Bogdan finally arrived, very tired after such an evening, so we sat on the terrace, drinking beer and talking in the dark. 

His mother was wetting the garden, and he asked her: 

"Mom, have you noticed that I washed your car today?" 

She answered: 

"I just put the water hose on it, two minutes ago! Why didn't you tell me earler?" We laughed as crazy all together, letting go all the tension of the day...

Hope you all had a funny weekend! May the week to be the same!