Our fairy-tale princess contemplates her next move... will she grant a wish or cast a spell?!?

And with this wave of her wand, Lydia made me vanish...

Absence makes the heart grow fond-less

The Renault and I are going to continue our seperation for a while longer. The "bad sensor" has been replaced. Guess it wasn't "bad" after all since when the repair guys took it for a test drive yesterday, the warning light still came on and the transmission was still acting up. They're going to keep the car and try to find out what else could be wrong. I told Brandon to encourage them to take it out on another test drive and hit something... really hard. But only if it's enough to total the car. Since I doubt my suggestion will fly, I will prepare for another week and a half without my wheels.

Magic Beads

Monday was an interesting day. Who knew that the Czech Republic is famous for its glass beads?!? Two ladies from the Wednesday morning Bible Study were taking a two-hour road trip to Jablonec, a small town in CR that is known for bead production. It was intriguing to me so I signed up to join them. I wasn't able to find a babysitter, so Lydia came along as well. I wasn't sure how this would go since we would be perusing beads in a very small space, where the beads just happen to be at toddler eye level! I never knew there were so many kinds of beads or that they could be so unique. Brandon actually coined the term "magic beads" and told me I was not allowed to come home until I found some. He was also surprised at how funky these beads can get.

I bought some things with good intentions of trying my hand at jewelry making, but about halfway through the trip I decided I may just be better off skipping the bead part and just buying the finished bracelets, etc. in the stores in Prague. Oh well, I have a Tupperware container full of some pretty nice beads! I'll store it right next to those untouched scrapbook supplies upstairs...

Lydia did pretty well, even without a nap. She was full of "ooohhs" and "wows". I'm not so sure the shop owners were as excited about her enthusiasm!!! Although she did manage to get a free ladybug bead, a chocolate-apricot snack cake and a lollipop... more than I can say for myself!

Lydia's Magic Ladybug Bead... made from glass and sold at a price of approximately $2... but for a squirmy, blonde toddler??? FREE!

Back in the shop with ye!

The Renault (a.k.a My Car) is back in the shop. The engine light was still coming on causing the engine to lock into 3rd gear. Contrary to Mr. Service Man's assurances, the car's computer hasn't managed to "recognize" the new signals it was receiving from the rebuilt transmission. I now tell people that my car actually lives at the service station and just comes here to visit me once in a while. Mr. Service Man says he has now found and fixed the problem; it was a bad sensor. I think this is all a big game for him to keep us coming back with the car until his 1 year warranty runs out and then it's "Nashledanou" (Good-Bye) to us! Since Wednesday is a Czech holiday, it looks like the car will come to visit me again on Friday. We'll see how long our house guest stays this time.

Lydia just LOVES sushi! She can't seem to get enough of the raw fish and ginger. Pass the wasabi please. This is at least her 7th piece!

Ok, ok. Not so much of this is true -- Brandon put me up to it. Pictures sure can be deceiving, can't they?

Am I hearing things?!?!

As Mommy is struggling to speak Czech, Lydia finally seems to be speaking a few words!!! Now I'm wondering if she's been talking all along and I just never understood her? She recently began to correctly identify a picture of a fish ("dish" in a high-pitched voice); Following my prompting of Ready, Set... she responds with "doe"; and I'm pretty sure that when I counted some rocks with her last night, I said One, Two and she said "Deeee". Now, this may all just be an anxious mommy's imagination but I still pour forth the praise and affirmation. I guess I should be careful what I wish for, huh? Next thing I know, she'll be telling me she doesn't like the pink slippers that I bought for her (Right, Shanna?!? :-)