That's us!
There’s five of us altogether: Oton and Brina, our dog Mila and, of course, Daddy Jaka and Mommy Sara. Daddy Jaka builds houses, while Mommy Sara reads and writes. They both talk on the phone a lot! Brina will start kindergarten this fall and she’s really looking forward to it. Oton is busy discovering all kinds of new colours, tastes and scents. And Mila, her snout is always somewhere nearby. We cook a lot of food—and we eat it too! We also like pretty things and stories that are crated with the future of our planet in mind. But what we like most of all is being together; that’s when we’re truly unstoppable.
And that’s us!
We’re active and we’re playful, always up to something new. In the last couple of years, our biggest project has been the launch of two boutique apartments. We managed to complete it this year. This was a long journey—days with two toddlers and a dog are waaay too short—but the joy we feel now is immeasurable.
Our summer is far from being just a regular holiday: we create art from things the sea had washed ashore, cook our first porridges and learn how to swim. We bravely SUP, drive around on a boat and search for hidden beaches. Sometimes we go see a children’s play or spend our time reading books for young and old alike.
Hey, Mom, we’re hungry!
Right now, the hungriest member of our family is Oton. Each day we lovingly give him a taste of different fruits and veggies. Summer is a great time for introducing solids, with colourful home produce being easily available. As yet another foodie is being born right in front of our eyes, the process can be quite demanding on the entire family. That’s why we sometimes introduce the concept of eating out and just heat up some store-bought purée. At other times we yearn for some freedom. We shed our pigeonholing and silent moralisation and go on an adventure. In keeping with the spirit of the island, we pack a can of Drogerie Markt’s potato, carrot and lamb mix.
When we’re in more familiar waters, Oton’s favourite dish is, in fact, a vegan one. We make it by cooking pieces of sweet potato, carrot and kohlrabi. We add two spoons of rice and a small piece of garlic and cook everything in a small pot. We remove the garlic and add a spoon of olive oil—this is a must. Then we blend everything together. Sometimes there’s just enough water left after boiling that we don’t have to pour any away. There’s no use debating the correct amount of vegetables to use. We've always used enough to make mixing easy. Had any healthy leftovers remained, the rest of the family—including Mila—was happy to eat them.
Hey, Mom, wanna play?
We love to play! Chalks, soap bubbles and a set of colourful lawn bowls are our beach must-haves. We like to rediscover forgotten games, teach them to Brina and encourage her to create endless art with chalks. They’re colourful and completely harmless to the nature in which we spend our summer days. The hot hours in the shade of pine trees go by so fast as we try to figure out the rules of distance; none of us is one hundred percent sure about how it’s actually played.
Hey, Mom, we’re sleepy!
During the summer, the children don’t go to bed before 10 PM. And, when they finally do, it’s Mommy and Daddy time. It’s precious and there's very little of it; there are so many needs that need our attention during it. That’s when our family council holds a meeting and takes care of solidifying our bond. Sometimes we’re too tired and we just watch one of the popular TV shows, but other times we lovingly read books to each other. If you can see yourself doing something similar, give it a try. It’s where most of our inspiration comes from.
Mommy Sara
Follow Sara on Instagram: @child.dog.mum