A new letters puzzle from Grandma Van Voorst! Lydia mastered it immediately and continues to wow us with her ability to phonetically pronounce each letter.

The perfect end to a perfect day... bathtime with Lydia's new Dora and Boots dolls from Aunts Emily and Liz. Bathtime began with them perched on the edge of the tub per Lydia's mandate -- but it wasn't long before she agreed to gave Dora kisses and then invited Dora to join her in the water. From then on the two were inseperable...

Yea, Play-Doh!!!!

Winter X-Games

This weekend, Brandon and I rented some skis and gave cross-country skiing a trial run. Renting all of the gear costs only $20 total, so there wasn't much to lose. We went to some mountains about 1.5 hours north of Prague and discovered they had been blanketed with a fresh falling of snow. I was relieved to find that the trails are cleared in the snow for you, so the main obstacle (for me) was keeping my balance and figuring out how to work up some momentum. We had a really nice time; it was so quiet and beautiful among the trees all covered with snow. It was a TON of work though and my legs are still letting me know they are not happy with me.

One thing we learned: For the average beginning cross-country skier, the pace is not quite as rapid as those guys you see in the Olympics. Yeh, our pace was closer to that of someone trudging along in 3 feet of snow... wearing moon boots. However, it WAS confirmed by Brandon at one point (as we met some skiing grandmothers) that I was NOT the slowest skier on the trail. Thanks for the vote of confidence, honey...

Fish on Friday

Today we decided to seek out the local Morsky Svet (Sea World) for some fish-viewing pleasure. It's not Sea World in the American sense of the word, but an indoor aquarium with mainly tropical fish (no dolphins, whales or the like). After trekking through some inclement Prague weather with Lydia and our friends, Emily, Eloise and Lillian, we FINALLY found the building (had to ask directions 3 times during what should've been a 5 minute walk!). I, for one, was quite impressed with the interior decor complete with fish murals covering the walls and ceilings as well as a rather realistic looking cave. Lydia, however, was quite overwhelmed by the darkness and the (sometimes loud) water sounds being piped through the speakers as well as moving lights on the ceiling creating the illusion of waves.

We wrapped up the morning with a trip to the Golden Arches for some Happy Meals. This may have been the highlight of the morning for Lydia... bright lights, primary colors and the smell of french fries seemed a much happier experience for her in contrast to a dark aquarium with shark paintings all around. Who'd have thunk it? Guess the McDonald's marketing dept. knows what it's doing.














Lydia and Eloise model their Happy Meal toys. Extremely large sunglasses that were promptly broken by both girls before leaving the premisis. Gotta love those Chinese goods...

Super Bowl vs. Amazon.com

It appears as though United States Separation Anxiety reveals itself differently among male and female expats. Personally, I satiate my desires for America by shopping online (possibly not even buying anything... just shopping, putting things in my virtual shopping cart never to be purchased, just because I can!) And it FEELS like I'm right back in Target with every whim at the end of my fingertips. Or at least at the click of my mouse.

However, this being Super Bowl weekend, I have realized that my male counterpart satiates his longing for all things American in a very different way. You see, today is Super Bowl Sunday. And while that might mean a 7:00 party with nachos, wings and pizza for many of ye' ol' Americans. In the Czech Republic it means a game that is broadcast via British Satellite WITHOUT commercials (what's the point of a Super Bowl game if there are no commericals?!?!?) And here's the kicker: Game Time? 12:30 A.M. Yes, that's right. Brandon will be going to a Super Bowl viewing at a coworkers house tonight at midnight. As of 9:00 tonight, he is in bed getting a couple hours of sleep before heading out.

As for me, I will snuggle into bed at the appropriate hour of 10:30 P.M. so I can be well-rested and ready for another strenuous day of internet shopping...

Czech Winter Wonderland

This weekend we hit the winter-survival jackpot! It's an indoor playland that is bigger than anything I have seen before. I didn't know one object could have so many padded surfaces! Lydia played herself to exhaustion. As far as I can tell, there are only two negatives: 1) Adults are not allowed in the 2nd level of the play contraption, leaving Lydia to traverse the maze o' slides and tunnels solo and 2) It's a 30 minute drive to get there. But hey... I grew up driving 45 minutes to SHOP! What's 30 minutes in the car for pure bliss?!?!?

Comfortable in Her Own Skin...

So... a once-rare occurance is becoming a semi-regular habit at our house. Lydia seems to enjoy undressing, diaper and all, while in bed. She appears to accomplish this within a matter of minutes. And while I admit she has a cute little butt, the potty-soaked sheets do not bring a smile of joy to Mommy's face. My friend, Emily, assures me that she is actually displaying a "skill" in her ability to unsnap, unzip and completely remove her pjs as well as her diaper. I, however, am failing to see the positive aspects of this new-found "skill". So... this is a plea to all you seasoned mommies out there. Please leave your advice by the bucketful. I am not too proud to put any suggestions to the test!

Perhaps Lydia picked up some poor habits seeing all those Czech construction workers parading around our neighborhood in their "work briefs"... Oi vey.