Ligo in Riga

Citizens of our country have one day in a year when all big malls are closed all day long. It's a day of a summer solstice that is celebrated by latvians nationwide in the midnight between 23d and 24th of June and is called "Ligo".

Despite the fact, that we all love the idea of a big summer holiday here, it is the meanest holiday of Latvia. It rains here every Ligo day!

Our holidays were also saddened by Veronika's illness. She got sick right before four vacation days. Actually, I don't remember her being ill so hard and for so long anytime before -- high temperature, ache in the ear, throat and stomach for at least 4 days and 5 nights.

During daughter's illness we watched all our home collection of movies for kids. I think they won't ask me for more for it for weeks. Personally I had discovered Pocahontas movie to be a very beautiful, wise and filled with positive messages and positive role models tale (yes, I had never seen it before).

Me with my husband and Marge visited downtown thanks to my mom, who came to babysit Veronika a few hours. The Centre of Riga was almost deserted, because most of the citizens prefer to celebrate this holiday in a countryside.

Not long after our arrival it started raining.

We hoped to find some of a festive action at the Dome Square, but sadly there was nothing to see too.

Just puddles after rains and some passersby with umbrellas...

The square near the Liberty monument didn't look festive either.

Pour tourists under umbrellas -- I wonder how did they like cold, rainy and nearly empty Riga with all malls closed celebrating Ligo.

Though our Riga looks beautiful even covered with water.

And of course, the sun went out of clouds right when we arrived to a bus station and were ready to leave the downtown.

Our daughter is three month old!

It's unbelievable, but Marge is already three month old!

Перевод на русский можно найти ниже.

Marge is sleeping well at nights most of the times. The house is, by and large, clean, clothes are washed. Kids are fed, combed and dressed. In other words, life here has totally returned to normal by now.

Marge has mastered how to touch things with her hands. She doesn't hold her head steady enough by herself yet, but she started raising it and curiously looking around when laying on her tummy during past two weeks.

Marge doesn't like sleeping for a long time during the day. It seems, there are too much interesting things for her that are happening around. And she is just afraid of missing something. But it's not a big problem for me, because my older daughters entertain her a lot with pleasure (really, I don't have to ask at all!). Besides, she doesn't mind (I would even say "enjoys") laying on the floor and watching us moving around the house.

Marge doesn't roll over yet. She lays on her back and is fully content of everything.

Weather forecasters have promised unusually warm summer for Latvia, but it seems, they've mistaken again. After two weeks of a very strong wind outside it started to pour every day and temperature lowered to the point when it is appropriate to wear coats and hats. Frankly speaking, I prefer a bit chillier weather now, because it's very hard to stand muggy air and sweaty body when you need to be skin to skin with a baby. However, wind and rain, of course, are superfluous.

Though, I'm delighted by the glory of those fabulous clouds we see every evening!

Доченьке уже три месяца!

Абсолютно не верится, но нашей Марго уже три месяца!

Наша девочка чаще всего хорошо спит по ночам. Дом в целом чист, бельё постирано. Дети умыты, накормлены, причёсаны и одеты. Иными словами, наша жизнь на данный момент уже успела вернуться в свою колею, и Маргоша в неё отлично вписалась.

Последнее из малышкиных достижений -- трогать ладошками вещи (ей ужасно нравятся рельефные обои на стенке возле пеленального столика). Голову она пока держит не уверена, но зато очень старается поднять её повыше, лёжа на животика. Вокруг всё слишком интересно и явно стоит поднятой головы.

Проснувшись после ночного сна, Маргоша в течение дня спит совсем по немногу. Словно боится пропустить что-нибудь интересное. Но такой её короткий сон, пока она сама чувствует себя выспавшейся и довольной жизнью, меня не беспокоит. Её старшие сёстры с большим удовольствием и, что самое приятное, по собственной инициативе её занимают. К тому же, она совершенно не против (я бы даже сказала, что ей нравится) лежать самостоятельно на полу и наблюдать за нами, пока мы занимаемся своими делами вокруг неё.

Маргоша пока ещё не переворачивается -- она лежит на спинке, и, похоже, её всё настолько устраивает, что ей просто не приходит в голову такая идея.

Синоптики, наобещавшие нам "аномально жаркое лето", похоже, не изменили своим обычаям и опять ошиблись. Погода сменилась с ветренной на дождливую, и теперь снова уместно одевать на улицу куртки и шапки. Но, честно говоря, для меня так даже лучше. Душный воздух и липкое тело особенно тяжело переносить, когда на руках постоянно малыш. Но всё же, ветер и дождь, конечно, это чересчур.

Зато, несмотря на то, что днём погода могла бы быть, мягко говоря, и получше, каждый вечер радует глаз красивейшим небом с очень живописными облаками!

Just another summer week

Quick overview of the things we were doing last week.

We went downtown and enjoyed fancy summery look of beautiful Riga's squares.

Did some eating in a cafe...

We were on a picnic at the nearest meadow (this photo was taken by Veronika).

Days were warm and sunny...

but also windy as we used to in Latvia.

So we took with us our favorite summer amusement: soap bubbles.

Veronika was eager to make a flower band.

I had fun with blowing some bubbles too (this really cool photos were taken by Veronika too).

Marge was just continuing her everyday growing (while I went on loosing my weight).

She was hiding from the persistent sun in her new panama.

Then we were painting outdoors another day.

It was awesome and could be even better, if there would be less wind (do you see, how Anastasia's shoe is holding her sheet of paper?).

Otherwise, it was great and fun idea! (And again, thank you, Veronika, for this nice picture of us!)

We were walking around and watched a lot of glorious clouds floating in the skies.

And more, and more...

We were buying sweets in the little local store. Kids had their own coins and were paying by themselves. Although my oldest one can do math, I was surprised that she had some troubles with understanding meaning of a change. It was a signal for me that we should practise buying things more, so that Anastasia would be prepared to school in this matter too.

We were visiting library again and read some interesting books with inspiring illustrations inside. I am very fond of children books and can't get enough of them! This picture was taken on our way to library. Skies were as always so beautiful and threateningly dramatic!

My kids just love watching their photo albums and wondering, who is so small and so cute on those photos and trying to remember things that were pictured.

That is why one of our activities was taking pictures and making collages using an iPad app. We already have printed a few so that girls could put them in their Summer Books.

Another summer week is gone and it left with us rather nice memories.