30-VIII-2026.
She made paprikaš, junjeći (unforgettable idiocy from Divčibare, v. 24-IX-2022.). The cabbage salad (similar to coleslaw) was somewhat screwy, the cabbage being really tough, two months' draught, but all the same we lunched nicely, and I caught three quarter hour's worth of catnap.
The soup to take along simmered on low fire for twentysome hours, all the good stuff from the bones was now in the water. We packed it into a largish jar, the wider one where beet was, in the like of which we now keep peanuts and cashews. And 30 eggs. Nina asked later, when I hung up the photos, what was in the jar. Soup, three chicken backs. To which Lena „I warm it up in a cup and sip with supper“.
We dropped by Rerso (Pepco) first to buy clothes for Tanja and Filip. The choice was not quite glorious, but okay, there are days, no need to get everything at once. While she was shopping, I sat on that bench, where we spent so many hours with the twins, and lit. But ouch, the sun fries mercilessly, and my hair is not only leaking water, it's long since not providing shade. Stood under that tree, which was merely a meter tall the last time they played there, but got bored with that too, so sat in the car. Still haven't finished the cig when she came back, and even got cash from a serekeš.
Arrived fast, had a smoke under the linden... scorcher, really fries. This time I brought the mobile, called Lena to open. I never know whether she heard me, because she refuses the call - nothing to talk about, she know's we're at the door, but I don't know whether she got it, maybe my phone stuck again. In a minute we heard the key in the lock, Milan opened it for us, Api wasn't too loud, congratulations to fresh father. We got in, Tanja was really happy to see us. Filip was asleep.
Tanja hit the paprikaš eagerly, ate whatever Lena poured, and joši'd too (v. house dictionary). Then we spent some time trying to convince her to go out, but she kept saying no until eventually we went. Not far, the nearest playground, with her scooter. Then, as per her timetable, she wanted a juice. We looked into the battle gear Lena gave us, but it contained only spare diapers, wet wipes and bottle with water. So ok there's a kiosk right behind the nearest skyscraper (soliter here), but nope, of beverages they have only suspect and sugared up wares, no juice. To kafić (café) then, she had one blueberry juice there. The girlies on the shot were all prettied up and carried bags with presents, must be they were gathering to go to a birthday.
They came back, me waiting on the bench. Now she'd like smoki. To kiosk again, they bought the smoki and plazma [biscuits] with chocolate topping. Tried one, looks like chocolate, almost close. Then one more round on the apparatus, this time with me while baba had a smoke. Then slowly back.
By then Filip woke up, so I shot a lot. Lena said „looking at his head shape, wider on top, temples somewhat inset... where did i see that... well my dad“. Well yes, my head is wider on top. So deda's skull, baba's nose, father's hands and feet, something may still remain for mom... Says he's so unwieldy for being so small, she got used to Tanja... eventually now she understood how much she grew. She was a bit lighter and longer than he when she was born. He's already losing the baby hair he was born with, and new [one? many] sprouts, light.
Then he sucked, Tanja played around them, still busy with her lining up the toys on the floor and covering them to sleep with a play blanket - she has a whole box of mirko rags for that purpose - so everyone was busy and the time flew, so I offered to make coffee, just tell me what's where. Did it without a hitch, and by the time we drank almost half, she went on to rewrap [i.e. change diapers, 'prepoviti' is a verb meaning exactly that] Filip. I stayed with Tanja as dežurni, she was on the potty. Then I even wiped her butt (unnecessarily, she was already finished and baba wiped her already, we were waiting for optional add-ons), emptied and washed the potty, didn't do that in quite a while. Then I heard some noise from the bedroom - while they rewrapped him, the navel fell off, but it didn't heal completely yet, something tore because the big plastic clip, or whatever they put there, was badly positioned and possibly snagged at cloth in the process. I saw nothing, they say there was a couple of drops of blood. In dozen minutes we were all outside. We two downed as much coffee as we could, packed everything, came down with Lena and Filip to wait for the cab - she said there's no parking at the institute, what they have is too far, better this way. While she carried him to the cab (parked behind, the space at the door requires slow negotiation, too narrow, absolutely impossible to get in and out quickly), Milan also came, carrying Tanja. We parted quickly, and we drove home (slower now, they all returned from vacations and the rush began). When we arrived, a message was there - no big deal, the bleeding almost stopped by the time they got there it was almost closed by itself, they smeared iodine, put fresh gauze, check it tomorrow, if it's not nicely closed, come again.
Processed the shots (102 for today!), napped almost an hour, Go called. Everything the same, keeps getting exactly what she wants, including underwear and a tool to pull out the weeds (but trying to sell all that would be futile, it's mostly cheap stuff), now she'll have to write reviews all week. Anita keeps growing into her act of the up and coming future chick, serious (and even prettier) and regularly shows us her fresh drawings. Influence of an expert guide is evident, her drawings already have the poise and the move, and there's some style of her own. Stanley said he „told anyone who'd have the time to listen how incredible it is that father, daughter and grandson are born on the same date, and that's in his family“. Neša grew some more, said he must be five foot seven by now, and his wrist looks strong, well his hands are almost like father's, and with the fingers he may have surpassed him already. Had to screenshoot that :).
Then they sent a shot of their dinner, how they had good pljeske, barbecued a little, after that sushi. Lena's comment „well that's the balanced diet“.
Monday. For lunch, there was the light čorba/soup since saturday, and mufljuzi (v. house dictionary) - some plums, one pear from that wee tree by the garage, raisins and the last of the chocolate nuggets. She didn't pour it into molds, one was bitten by mice and she discarded it, and to use only the other one would require an whoa and a quarter, so she rather put it all into a plek and cut it later. The shape of a glass doesn't change the taste of wine, I just ate them mufljuzi like I haven't done in a year. Got up at eleven, shouldn't feel sleepy, but did...
Still somewhat below 81kg, second week now.
Mentions: 24-IX-2022., Anita Jennifer Berger (Anita), Api, čorba, dežurni, Filip Nastić, Gorana Sredljević (Go), house dictionary, Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Milan Nastić, mirko, Nenad Berger (Neša), Nevena Sredljević (Nina), plek, pljeska, serekeš, Stanley Berger, Tanja Nastić, in serbian
31-VIII-2026 - 4-IX-2026