It feels like a thousand and one years ago since we last had a truly “parenthetical” day with my golden-haired one—just the two of us, doing whatever we pleased all day long. How I would give anything for those days before kindergarten (not that we don’t love kindergarten now), when we went on playground adventures, visited fairs, learned nursery rhymes, and sometimes even indulged in ice cream for a mid-morning snack. Though no summer after that will ever bring those exact moments back, we still embraced last week’s trip to Vác with a mix of familiar and new feelings. We splashed in the fountain, conquered playgrounds, and hunted for ladybugs…

We’ve been toying with the idea of getting Rú a pet for a long time. I definitely wanted something with soft fur, cuddly, actively affectionate, and from which our little one could learn some responsibility—feeding, watering, litter training, vaccinations, and so on. That ruled out reptiles and fish right away. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough free time for a dog, so among smaller mammals, a cat came closest to meeting our expectations in size, owner needs, basic cleanliness, and ease of care. A coworker at the office wanted a kitten for her daughter, and with one of my students, we recently followed the latest litter’s growth with some brief cuddles.…

From Thursday to Tuesday, Sunday was the only day I didn’t have exams, and as such, I simply couldn’t let it go to waste. The brilliant sunshine, warm air, and the gently warming water of Nyírjes gave us the perfect morning! At noon, the moms invited us over for a lunch with tárcsás cooking, which hopefully gave Rú a chance to plant his curly parsley seeds—have you ever soaked compact soil in warm water? We were amazed when a dried soil disc, about the size of a fizz tablet, suddenly swelled into lush potting soil right in our pot! Now all that’s left is to nurture this delicate herb Dated:…

By now, the “Night of a Thousand Lanterns” on Children’s Day has become a tradition for us—and, surprise, surprise—we visit it in Vác (: The morning was filled with superhero ice cream and some playful scares at the wildlife park, rounding out an exhausting but sweetly meaningful day! Dated: June 12, 2017

There couldn’t have been a better way to end a successful workday than with a cozy picnic by the Nyírjes! After leaving the office, I tossed a pack of peanut puffs and a bottle of tea into my bag, picked up the little one from kindergarten, and we didn’t stop until we reached the lake. It reminded me a bit of the old days (ever since he turned five, almost everything reminds me of the old days), when he used to toddle holding my hand and wanted to go everywhere at once. Yesterday, on the other hand, we talked about kindergarten things, the differences between boys and girls, and what…

Every year, I get goosebumps at the thought that I’m celebrated on this day too, even though I’ve had plenty of time to get used to it. Five years ago, when Rú made me a mother, I had barely a week to adjust to the idea before this celebration arrived. My postpartum hormones were still rushing through my veins, I was learning how to breastfeed, living the sleepless life, and savoring these new feelings inside me—when I woke up to realize it was Mother’s Day, and now it was honoring me too! That day, I heard for the first time in my life people calling me “mom” all day long,…

Dear Ruben, Never in my life have I felt such completeness as I did five years ago when they placed you on my chest and we finally got to know each other. I remember your weight as you lay on me after you were born, I remember how comforting your warmth was, and I couldn’t get enough of the thought that you were mine—tangible and irrevocably mine. I looked at you and tried to take in every detail: the color of your eyes, your milk-blond hair, the wrinkles on your forehead, breathing in your baby scent, trying to guess why you moved the way you did. Every day (and every…

Dated: April 27, 2017

You may have read about this passion of mine on one of my diary pages last year, and that post turned out to be one of the most popular. I was especially glad about this because many people hold prejudices about combat sports and martial arts, often based on misconceptions, associating them with barbaric and violent systems. Yet, where else could we better practice respect, loyalty, perseverance, and mutual appreciation than in a place where we measure each other’s value based on our results and performance—where wealth, rank, position, or connections don’t matter, only the outcome of your work? This is a system that shapes body, mind, and character. It…

Dated: March 31, 2017