We signed both kids up for private swim lessons at Miejski Dom Sportu — the same complex and pool where Sylwia learned to swim and once competed as a kid. Ciocia Anetka, Sylwia’s older sister, actually swam and competed there first, though she was trained by a different coach. It was through watching her sister that Sylwia got into swimming and eventually began competing herself under Coach Andrzej Kiełbusiewicz. Fittingly, the facility is now named after him — the very coach who trained Sylwia until she left Poland for the U.S. in 1994. And to make it even more full circle, their new instructor, Pani Natalia, was taught by that same coach right around the time Sylwia was moving abroad. Pretty wild how that worked out.
Sylwia has been unofficially teaching the boys to swim during our pool days back in the States, and they’ve made great progress under her watch. Still, we figured they might listen a bit better to an actual instructor — and that’s really the only reason we decided to sign them up. That, and the fact that winters here can be pretty dull, and there’s not a whole lot for the kids to do otherwise.
The classes take place on Sunday mornings — one hour total, split into 30 minutes for each kid. On the first Sunday, Damian wasn’t feeling his best. His nose was stuffed up, and the night before we could already tell he was having some trouble breathing. In the morning, he said he didn’t want to swim and would just watch Grayson instead. We agreed and took the short five-minute walk to the pool.
But the moment Grayson got into the water with his instructor, Damian changed his mind and wanted to join in — unfortunately, it was too late. He was sick, and we hadn’t brought his swimsuit or goggles. Grayson, on the other hand, had an excellent first lesson. Pani Natalia praised how confident and brave he was in the water — something we, as parents, already knew well — even saying he should follow in his mom’s footsteps and give competitive swimming a try. At seven, he’s at just the right age to start.
We also found out that Grayson has swim lessons at school every Friday — and, coincidentally, the same instructor, Pani Natalia, teaches those sessions as well. So between his school lessons and his Sunday classes with her, he’s well on his way to becoming a confident and capable swimmer. Looks like we’ve got another little fish in the family — and maybe another early Sunday routine to stick with.
After a 45-minute lesson, it was time for 15 minutes of free play to wrap up Grayson’s first full hour in the pool.
The boys caught a bit of a basketball game before we left. It was only the first quarter, but the home team was already getting crushed.
Garages in Poland are like gold — rare, expensive, and everyone wants one. Even the tin-can metal ones cost a small fortune and are tough to find. Back when these condo buildings were built in the 1960s, there wasn’t much need for parking spaces or garages since very few people actually owned cars. I’ve got my eye on the row of concrete beauties right behind our condo — 18 of them, which technically gives me 18 chances, but realistically… maybe zero. Still, a guy can dream.
After Grayson’s pool session, we grabbed a late breakfast/lunch at home, and then Sylwia took the boys to see Koci Domek Gabi at the movies while I stayed behind to tackle some Sunday cleaning. The boys seemed to really enjoy the movie — and so did Sylwia.
I just love a restored ’80s Fiat 126 — affectionately nicknamed Maluch, which means “the small one” or “little child.” A tiny classic that perfectly captures the spirit of our childhood. With its small rear engine and simple, no-frills design, it was the definition of practicality back in the day. Fast forward about 40 years, and it's hard to believe my 2025 BMW F900 GS Adventure bike has a bigger engine than this “family” car once did. The little Fiat had around 23 horsepower, while my bike puts out about 105 — nearly four and a half times as much.
Our weekly milk run — 8 liters fresh from the cow, still warm when I picked it up.
Morning coffee setup — our little ritual after school drop-off before getting to work.
We stopped by Xtreme Kids over the weekend to check out the renovations they finished while we were away for the summer. The upgrades turned out great — they added an enclosed soccer field, expanded the main play area with a couple of big slides, and created more seating for parents. We grabbed a couple of monthly passes since we’ll definitely be spending plenty of time there this winter. And now that Damian is five, both boys can play without parent supervision — which means we can sneak across the street to “Walmart” while they have fun. A total win-win.
We took full advantage of Xtreme Kids that day — the boys stayed and played while we slipped next door to Crazy Pig for a cozy winter tea and a delicious barbecue platter.
A full rack of ribs, 20 wings, regular and sweet potato fries, plus coleslaw — the Mega Party Pig for 149 zł (about $40). Not exactly cheap, but it’s a hearty platter for two, and honestly, there’s no better BBQ spot around.
The second Sunday finally rolled around, and the boys were back at the pool for another round of lessons. Damianek was especially excited — it was his very first time! After a quick shower, they headed off to meet Pani Natalia. Grayson took the first half-hour while Damian played nearby. They’re both really enjoying it so far — and hopefully picking up some solid swimming skills along the way.
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