Another pool session, followed by some well-earned playtime afterward.
Kolędnicy stopped by our building to sing a few Christmas carols. In Poland, Kolędnicy are part of a long-standing Christmas tradition in which groups of carolers visit homes and apartment buildings during the holiday season, singing kolędy and wishing families health, happiness, and good fortune for the coming year. They’re often dressed in traditional or festive costumes, sometimes carrying props or instruments. The kids loved watching them perform right outside our door, and at the end Grayson proudly handed them 20 złoty for their efforts. It’s a tradition we both remember from our own childhoods here.
Another week, another animated movie for the boys — this one about a Santa Claus and friends trying to save Christmas. Sylwia’s been on a roll with these movie outings, while I usually stay home.
This year, like several before it, New Year’s Eve felt like just another day. The boys were asleep by around 9:00 p.m. I made it to about 10:30, while Sylwia stayed up watching TV and turned it off roughly ten minutes before midnight. Expecting a quiet night with no fireworks, she lay in bed trying to fall asleep. Then, at exactly 11:59 p.m., loud fireworks went off and woke me up. I noticed Sylwia standing by the balcony door, enjoying the unexpected little fireworks show and snapping a few photos. I, on the other hand, rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. Not the most exciting New Year’s celebration for us this year.
With the cold weather keeping us inside, we welcomed a walk outside to stretch our legs and get some steps in while the boys rode their toys. Before heading out, we had a visit from mieszkaniówka. The maintenance crew came by to chip away a few loose pieces of concrete from our balcony ceiling. We called it in on New Year’s Eve after hearing a chunk fall. Someone came the same day but didn’t have a ladder or tools, so they returned on Friday to finish removing the remaining loose pieces. Our building, along with several others in the area, is overdue for some exterior maintenance.
Later that day, we headed downtown for pizza and walked around the city, enjoying the Christmas decorations still up.
Grayson had been riding a mini skateboard we hesitantly bought for him last year. We tried explaining that it was too small and too stiff to ride or turn properly, but he insisted. After watching him struggle with it long enough, I finally gave in and took him to our local "Walmart" (Auchan) to get a proper full-size board. After a quick test run around the neighborhood, it was obvious that this one is a keeper.
SpongeBob SquarePants — an old classic.
It’s finally starting to feel like a proper January winter around here — though I wish it had arrived about two weeks earlier for Christmas and the boys’ school break. Instead, the snowfall came on their first day back at school. The timing couldn’t have been worse. We got about five inches the first day and another two the next. It was enough snow to fully appreciate having a garage and a snow shovel that came with it.
Once the cleanup was behind us, we loaded up the sleds and made our way to Park Strzelecki, ending the day with hot soups from our favorite Ukrainian restaurant.
We’re total suckers for city neon signs, so when Sylwia spotted on Facebook that one had been installed on a roundabout in Mościce, we were excited. After taking care of things at the post office, we decided to walk over to a nearby roundabout to see if it was there, and sure enough, it was — though seeing it in daylight didn’t quite do it justice. I went back the next evening to take some proper night photos, as we suspect it won’t be there for long.
