The next few weeks (3 weeks to be exact) that followed our Austrian and German adventures, were pretty special indeed. I introduced the boys to my and [their] Czech culture, Babi and Deda's village house in the Czech countryside, and all their extended family and cousins. It was 3 full weeks of uninterrupted Czech language, customs, cuisine, and nonstop exposure to new places and experiences. The morning Daddy Brad flew back home to NY, the boys and I checked out of our Vienna hotel and waited for Babi and Deda to pick us up. Once reunited with them, we made the 3 hour drive to their Moravian village of Brezova, stopping to have lunch on the way and introducing the boys to their first Czech restaurant dish. It felt like a long drive, squished in the Deda's compact sporty car, but once we arrived at their house, we had forgotten about the hot and sweaty journey. The boys and I instantly fell in love with their house, the boys especially became obsessed with their elevator and intercom system throughout the house! My parents had prepared for our visit and borrowed toys and games from the neighbors so the boys had something to play with. This was a wonderful welcome surprise for the boys! Throughout the days and weeks that followed, the boys enjoyed Babi's Czech cooking, eating lots of kolace and koblihy (Czech pastry and donuts!) They instantly hit it off with all their third cousins (who were perfectly within their age group), and despite the language barrier they found a way to communicate, relate, and form a beautiful bond. The boys even met new friends and interacted with other Czech kids whenever we took them to playgrounds and other public places. The native kids gravitated to them out of curiosity and the boys in return were open and willing to get to know them. Taji would often run up to me or Babi/Deda and ask us how to say something in Czech so that way he could go back and say it to the Czech child and have a conversation. I was super proud of both Taji and Jax's progress in their language inquisition, their willingness to learn and say new words and phrases, and how it all clicked naturally for them. That's one thing I have to hand to them, though they are full of energy and can be a handful, they are really loving and kind children who enjoy getting to know others, despite the language and cultural challenges.
One of our first places we took the boys, was to show them where their mommy lived her very first four years of life- our first home in Vsetin. We pointed and showed them the flat that we lived in prior to our immigration.
Then Deda's plum tree properties where the boys sampled sweet plums!
Their first time visiting Zlin Lesna Zoo
these boys devoured everything Babi cooked for them!
Czech cousins Kubik and Pavlinka were the first to make a visit, the kids had so much playing hide and seek, running around the house, and playing with toys. They played for hours, laughed, and amazingly understood each other!
The following day, our other family from Brno came to visit.....
more third cousins for the boys: youngest Nikolka, then Klarka (Taji's age) and Lukasek.
Luhacovice day trip
practically every playground we visited had some sort of a zipline!
The boys became so spoiled with these ziplines!
Babi's strawberry dumplings (jahodove knedliky!)
visiting with Babi's good friends in Zlin
Checking out the new playground in the city of Zlin
Koblizky :-)
Visiting my deda's (the boys' great deda's) urn and outfitting it with sentimental pieces/ floral. It was a very spiritual experience for me to be able to bring the boys here since I had such a close special bond to my deda and he never got to meet my babies, so taking them here made me feel a bit closer to him. Taii has a deep spiritual connection to my deda and located his urn right away, without our help. He said he just intuitively knew where it was, and that he's met him before (in spirit)! So incredible for a 5 year old to say something like this, really makes you think about how we are all connected to our family in spirit form, and how they watch over us. Taji has always been a wise little soul and is very open to receiving messages and guidance from the other side.
On another note, at the cemetery the boys were play sword fighting with sticks and Taji accidently poked his little brother in the eye that we have rush over to the local pharmacy to get medicated eye drops so Jax's eye wouldn't get infected! Ah, it was a bit of panic moment but luckily all turned out fine and the Jax's eye healed quick.
Visiting with Verka, my late deda's girlfriend who is like a grandmother to me.
More cousins! This time from Ostrava. Martinek, Anicka, and Hanicka
DinoPark, Vyzkov with the boys teta Danca and third cousin-Klarka.
We met them there, and this was the boys' first time visiting a Jurassic style dinosaur park!
Dinosaurs that moved and made noises- so life-like!
Hanging with Kubik at his house in Brno
Babi and Deda's neighbors even came over one evening
visiting a ranch with beautiful horses at a neighboring town,
and touring another one of Deda's amazing properties
More Czech favorites.... smazeny syr (baked breaded cheese)
and tomato gravy with dumplings and beef.
Zlin city capuccino and donut break. I became obsessed with capuccinos on this trip, because they are so good at every cafe, and most cafes in the Czech Republic they also give you a glass of water with it.
Galaxie indoor play park in Zlin
tasting Deda's homemade slivovice (plum brandy). Just the adults, not kids, lol!
Stuffing our suitcase with some Czech candy and goodies to bring back to friends!
our Vienna hotel night before our flight back to the US
On our return flight home, this was my first time flying with the boys internationally by myself!! (Taj 5 years, Jax 3 1/2 years)
Overall, what a beautiful, and spiritual Czech experience. It was magical and emotional coming full circle in bringing my babies back to Czech and introducing them to such a huge part of my identity and humble beginnings. Like mentioned before, I was Taji's age when we emigrated from Czech through Austria to USA, and this trip couldn't be more fitting in celebrating all that life has blessed us! This first Euro travel and time in Czech set the foundation for many special annual trips to this part of the world. It created and strengthened the connection the boys will forever have with their Czech heritage and extended family. This memory will forever go down in my history book and their memory books for them to always reflect on. In a way, I'm so glad Babi and Deda have their unique custom home in the Czech countryside and live there majority of the time- so we can keep visiting! So we have a reason to visit, and create many years of memories, just like I had growing up when I visited MY deda in Czech. I truly hope and plan to make it a goal to visit every summer, so it becomes engraved in the boys' hearts and they have an opportunity to grow up with these cousins into adulthood, that way they will always have someone to visit and can continue the tradition with their future children! The Czech Republic sure is a special place for us, and we will continue to add to these memories and experiences while enjoying quality time with our Babi and Deda!
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