And guess what? In exactly a week it’s going to be +18°C here. From -36°C to +18°C. And it’s always like this.

A friend came by to visit today and stuck a bundle of fabric into my arms. I thanked her mechanically, thinking that it’s nice to know somebody whose present-wrapping skills were even poorer than mine. But it turned out the bundle wasn’t a gift but her 11-month-old. The kid was wrapped top to bottom so it took me several minutes to find which side her face was. I don’t blame the friends, though. They are from Africa and this weather must be to them. . . what the normal weather around here is for me.

On the positive side, I tried having tea with milk and realized that my life was about to change for the better.

Can anybody recommend a nice Christmas movie to watch with a kid? We’ve done the Grinch, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Wizard of Oz. I tried suggesting Home Alone but when I described the premise, Klara got scandalized.

What else do people watch on Christmas that’s kid-friendly?

I got the best Christmas gift ever, folks. It’s a gift that murdered all other gifts once and for all.

It’s a paint-by-numbers kit (my new hobby) of one of my favorites photos of Klara. It turns out you can turn any photo into paint-by-numbers! Truly, capitalism is great. I can paint a portrait of my father now!