A fi Mos Craciun

Ca tata al doi mici baieti, Craciunul inseamna o groaza de jucarii de cumparat si o groaza de ciocolata pentru ei. Multa lume se streseaza legat de toate cadourile de cumparat, sa nu uite ceva sau pe cineva, evitat toata aglomeratia si nebunia. Eu nu - am o sotie care se ocupa de tot, anul asta si-a cumparat pana si propriul cadou de Craciun!

Ea a avut grija sa trimita lista pe care D. a facut-o pentru Mos Craciun bunicilor si apoi a cumparat tot ce era pe lista pentru ca ei luasera alte jucarii. I-a trimis un mail surorii mele cu alte jucarii pe care copiii le-ar vrea. A cumparat si trimis cadouri pentru copiii prietenilor nostrii. M-a intrebat ce vreau, a cumparat si mi-a luat in plus si un alt cadou 'surpriza'. Si si-a cumparat si pentru ea niste parfumuri

Vazand toate astea, nu puteam sa stau cu mainile incrucisate, asa ca l-am rugat pe D. sa ma ajute. Stiam ca radioul din masina sotiei se stricase, asa ca am cumparat un altul online si am cerut sa fie livrat intr-un magazin. Si dupa aceea baiatul meu si cu mine am inceput sa avem un secret, 'vom fi Mosul pentru mama'.

Intr-un weekend i-am spus sotiei ca ne ducem sa ne plimbam - ceea ce si am facut, dar la intoarcere ne-am oprit la magazin si am luat coletul. Apoi, acasa, l-am ascuns sub haina mea pentru cateva ore. Imediat ce sotia s-a dus da faca un dus, D. a iesit, a luat pachetul si l-a ascuns in 'ascunzatoarea lui speciala'. A doua zi sotia s-a dus sa-si astepte parintii la aeroport - momentul perfect pentru a ambala cutia si a-l pune pe fiul meu sa scrie 'MAMAN' cu scrisul lui mic si tremurat (de-abia a invatat sa scrie). Apoi inapoi cu pachetul in 'ascunzatoarea lui speciala' (dupa canapea...)

Dupa asta a trebuit sa asteptam ajunul Craciunului. Si se vedea cum D. fierbe de nerabdare, incercand din rasputeri sa tina secretul. A reusit pana la urma - dar tot i-a spus ca exista un secret. Si apoi si-a dat seama ca avem o problema: cand o sa punem cadoul sub brad? Pentru ca pentru mama nu Mosul i-l aduce, ci noi. Iar dimineata cand se trezeste, cadoul trebuie sa fie acolo...

... asa ca in seara de Craciun D. si cu mine i-am spus sotiei sa se duca sus cu cel mic SI SA NU SE INTOARCA, in timp ce noi mai stam jos sa ne jucam cu niste pokemoni. Imediat ce au urcat, D. a fugit sa ia pachetul si sa-l puna sub brad. Era asa fericit de reusita ca sarea in sus de bucurie, la propriu. Apoi eu i-am propus sa mergem si noi sa ne culcam, doar ca el m-a oprit: 'Tata, TREBUIE sa ne jucam un pic cu pokemonii, nu vreau sa o mint pe mama!'.

In momentul ala l-am imbratisat mult de tot... iar a doua zi mama lui chiar si mai mult, atunci cand a descoperit ca Mosul nu a uitat-o.

Being Santa

As a father of two little boys, Christmas is all about buying lots of toys and giving them lots of chocolate. Many people stress about buying all the presents, not forgetting anything or anyone, avoiding the crowds and so on. I don't. I have a wife that takes care of everything - this year she even bought her own Christmas present herself!

So she took care of sending the list D. made for Santa to the grandparents and then she bought everything on that list as the grandparents had bought other toys. She sent a mail to my sister to buy other presents too. She bought toys and games for our friends' children. She asked me what I want, bought it and then bought me a 'surprise' present as well. And she bought herself some perfumes. 

Facing all this, I couldn't let her go away with it, so I asked D., my firstborn, if he wants to help. I knew my wife's car radio was broken, so I bought another online and had it delivered to a shop. And then my son and I started to share a secret, 'we'll be Santa for mommy'.

One weekend we told her we'll go on a little walk - we did so, but on our way back we stopped at the shop and got the package. Then, at home, we carefully hid it in my coat for a few hours. As soon as she went to take a shower, D. went outside, got it and hid it in 'his special hiding place'. The next day my wife went to pick her parents from the airport - the perfect opportunity to gift wrap the box and then have my son write 'MAMAN' on it in his little i've-just-learned-them letters. Then back in the 'special hiding place' (behind the couch).

Then we waited until Christmas' Eve. And it was visible how he was just boiling inside, dying to tell her about it. He managed to keep the secret - but told her there is a secret. And then he realized we'll have a problem: when will we put the present under the tree? Because in the morning when she wakes up she must find it...

.. so on Christmas' Eve we told her to go upstairs with the little one and then go to sleep AND NOT COME BACK, while we are still playing with some pokemons. Up she went and off he ran to get the present and put in under the tree. He was literally jumping with excitement and happiness. Then I suggested we go upstairs to sleep to and he stopped me. "Dad, we HAVE to play a little with the pokemons, I don't want to lie to mommy!".

This is where he got a huge hug from me... and the next day an even bigger one from his mother, who had found out that Santa had not forgotten her.

Mama e plecata...

... tata aici.

Sotia a fost plecata o saptamana in Statele Unite pentru servici si cat a fost plecata a trebuit sa-l ascult pe M. repetand fara oprire "maman est partie" (mama e plecata). Cateodata urmat de un "la, papa!" (aici tata). Incontinuu aceeasi fraza, in special in momente cheie gen dimineata cand i-l luam din pat sau cand i-l recuperam la cresa - de fiecare data cand se astepta la ea.

Timpul petrecut in masina intre cresa si casa a fost cel mai dificil Intre D. care vorbea intr-una povestindu-mi despre tot felul de Pokemon (cand nu imi cerea mie sa ii spun povesti cu piei-rosii si pokemoni...) si M. care repeta incontinuu ca maica-sa a plecat, capul meu exploda in mod regulat.

Noroc ca a fost inventat alcoolul!

Glumesc, noroc ca am doi copii extraordinari care sunt foarte rezonabili, extrem de rezonabili tinand cont de varsta lor. Da, binenteles ca cel mare a avut crize de gelozie in care imi cerea tot felul de nimicuri doar ca sa ma ocup de el. Da, binenteles ca cel mic a avut serile lui de 'arunc toate jucariile pe jos si apoi merg pe ele'. Dar amandoi au inteles situatia si m-au ajutat cum au putut.


Unul din momentele cele mai frumoase a fost intr-o seara, cand ii citeam o carte lui M. inainte de a-l culca si D. se uita la desene la parter. In camera lui M., langa patul lui de bebelus, este un pat normal pe care i-l folosim cateodata cand trebuie sa dormim cu el. Pentru ca D. tot striga ca vrea alte desene (cere atentie cand e gelos), l-am lasat pe M. pe patul mare, cu o carte in brate, am inchis usa si am coborat. Cand m-am intors, era in patutul lui, intins, cu ochii inchisi, gata sa doarma. L-am pupat, am stins lumina si asta a fost tot...

Am fost foarte fericit atunci. Pana a doua zi dimineata cand am avut dreptul la 30 de minute de "mama e plecata", binenteles.



Ah, si un al moment frumos a fost in masina intr-o seara cand D., cu un ton exasperat, a zis "dar  ti-am tot zis ca se intoarce mama!"

Mommy has left...

... daddy here.

My wife has been in US for one week, for work, and during her entire absence, I had to listen to M. repeating "maman est partie" (mommy has left). Sometimes followed by "la, papa!" (here, daddy!). Over and over again, especially in key moments like when getting him out of bed or getting him from the nursery - both moments when he was expecting my wife.

The time spent in the car from the nursery to our home has been particularly challenging. Between D. who kept telling me about all kinds of Pokemon (when not asking me to tell him a story with indians and pokemons...) and M. who kept repeating that his mother has left, my brains were regularly exploding.

Luckily alcohol has been invented!

Kidding, luckily I have two amazing children who are very reasonable, extremely reasonable for their age. Yes, sure the first born has had some jealousy fits, in which he was asking all kinds of nonsense only to have me taken care of him. Yes, sure the second born has had his "throw on the floor all possible items i can find then walk over them" evenings. But they understood the situation and helped me to the best of their abilities.

The highlight moment happened one evening, when I was reading a book to the little one before putting him to bed and D. was watching cartoons downstairs. In M.'s room there is his criddle and next to it a normal bed sometimes used if we need to sleep with him. Because the first born kept yelling that he wants a different cartoon (attention seeker when he's jealous), I left M. with a book on the big bed, I closed the door and went downstairs.When I got back, he was in his criddle, lying down, eyes closed, ready to sleep. I kissed him, turned off the light and that was it....

I was really happy then. It changed when the next morning I got 30 minutes of "mommy has left", of course.


Oh, and another fun moment was in the car one evening when D., with an exasperated tone, said "but we already told you she'll be back!"

Nimic, doar ma uit la circ...

Asta a raspuns baiatul cel mare cand l-am intrebat ce face. Statea pe un calut de lemn intr-un colt, cu o mina plictisita si fara sa spuna nimic. Circul la care se referea? Fratele lui cel mic, evident.

Raspunsul lui mi-a placut foarte mult, pentru ca descrie foarte bine comportamentul celui mic. Si nu imi amintesc sa fi calificat eu acest comportament asa, sunt convins ca a gasit descrierea potrivita singur.

Baiatul cel mare traieste intr-o lume imaginara, sau cel putin are o imaginatie foarte bogata. Poate sa inventeze povesti foarte diferite din nimic, ii place foarte mult sa asculte povesti, sa se uite la ele la televizor sau sa i le citim. Ii place sa joace roluri in tot felul de povesti pe care imaginatia lui le creeaza. Chiar isi pune creierul la lucru.

Cel mic, in schimb, este mult mai cu picioarele pe pamant si mult mai.. fizic. Loveste, musca, trage de par (victima preferata in ultimul timp este pisica, si-o ia in mod regulat si gratuit...). Distruge totul si creaza dezastre. Nimic nu-i place mai mult decat sa darame toate jucariile si creioanele si cartile pe jos. Si apoi sa le dea suturi sau sa le calce pe toate cu motocicleta lui. Ii place haosul si e fericit in mijlocul lui.

Si de-asta imi place acea descriere a situatiei, pentru ca este foarte potrivita activitatilor si personalitatilor copiilor nostri. Unul creaza haos si celalalt este filozofic in legatura cu asta...

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Cat scriam acest post, sotia s-a gandit sa ii puna sa stranga toti trei multe cubulete lego si sa le puna intr-o cutie mare la loc. La 30 de secunde dupa ce i-a felicitat pentru ca au terminat.... cel mic a rasturnat cutia la loc.

Nothing, I'm just watching the circus...

This is what my first born answered, when I asked him what was he doing. He was sitting on a toy horse in a corner, with a bored look, and saying nothing. The circus in question? His younger brother, of course.

I really enjoyed his answer, as it was resuming very well the behaviour of my second born. And I do not remember ever qualifying that behaviour as a circus myself, I'm pretty sure he came up with the description himself.

The first born leaves in an imaginary world, or at least has a very rich imagination. He can make up stories out of nothing, he enjoys listening to stories, watching them at tv, having them read. He likes to play roles in all kind of weird situations his imagination creates. He really makes his brain work.

The second born, on the other hand, is more down to earth and definitely more physical. Hitting, biting, pulling hair, destroying everything and creating mayhem. He enjoys nothing more than to throw all the possible toys and pens and books on the floor. And then eventually kick them or drive over everything on his bike. He likes chaos and he is happy in the middle of it.

And this is why I liked that phrase, because it really captured our kids activities and personalities. One creating mayhem and another being philosophical about it...

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While I was writing this post, my wife and the two of them put back in a big box all the lego pieces they played with. 30 seconds after she congratulated them for having finished the task... the youngest turned the box and threw all the pieces back on the floor.