THE BAG OF MIRIAM
By Leontien Prenger
You might know Miriam Pataki as the strong-faced model for Artipoppe and maed for mini, with “strong” often being mistaken for “angry” or “harsh”. In reality, she has one of the softest personalities I’ve ever encountered.
Miriam, now 29, birthed her first daughter Sophia (7) when she was 21 years old. “It was planned”, she says quickly, before we have the chance to ask. Not that we would doubt asking, some people are just made to become a mother. After Sophia, Miriam had another daughter, Lilly (4) and recently the family was completed by Amélie. (10 weeks old by time of writing)
We met briefly once, at a shoot for maed for mini, but we often “see” each other on Instagram, so, in the age of internet it feels like we are close friends.
She walks into the room with sleeping baby Amélie in a car seat attached to a pram, and a large diaper-bag. The basket of the pram stores, of course, an Artipoppe Zeitgeist. “I also keep a ringsling and a wrap in the car”, she says. “So I can choose what suits me on the spot.”
When I ask her about that one thing she always brings with her, she doesn’t hesitate to answer: “My phone.” I think we can all relate. Before she had Amélie, now peacefully nursing at Miriams milkbar, she hardly brought anything when she went out. “I just grabbed a diaper, my keys, wallet and phone, and I was out the door.”
Now, the diaper-bag is filled to the brim with everything she and her kids may or may not need. “The other day one of my kids walked around with a scaled knee almost all day, until I remembered I brought a cream for that”, she laughs. “I’m a real mom now”, she continues, pointing at her diaper bag. A real diaper bag, gifted by her mother at her babyshower.
“There is also a bag filled with snacks and drinks for the kids in the car.”, she says. “I got my driver’s licence during my second pregnancy. I can’t ride a bike because for some reason I broke my tailbone while giving birth all three times. The car has given me so much freedom.”, she explains.
“After Sophia was born I was glued to home, I went out for groceries or to a playground, but that’s it.” She started modelling for Artipoppe 4 years ago, just after Lilly was born. About the transition from mother of one to two she says: “It was hard, I really had no idea what to do with myself. “With Amélie it’s different, she’s just there. It doesn’t feel like an extra effort.”
I am more prepared now as I was before”, she explains while changing her newborns diaper on her lap, effortlessly. “The bag is always in the hallway, I just have to grab it and go. It’s very practical, not having to rummage through the house looking for stuff. You have to make it’s easy as possible for yourself.” She laughs when I take out a ball made of natural rubber. “She doesn’t play with anything yet, but you never know, maybe she suddenly wants to.”
“It may sound’s a little conflicting,” she says about bringing that much stuff, “but it’s just easier when you know you have everything on hand.”
For maed for mini, Miriam will be writing simple recipes for both children and parents alike, something she has been doing for a few years on her blog Foodie Aphrodite.
The kids will eat, thanks to Miriam.
