Happy Halloween!!

So Halloween is not an Albanian holiday...but since we are working for the American Embassy, there was an Embassy Halloween party. And, my preschool had a Halloween party too! So, I had plenty of opportunities to be cute in my outfit. I might have been the tiniest bit mad when I had to put it on, but all the smiles that everyone gave me while I was wearing it were definitely worth it!

Robin and Te's Wedding

So this post is a little late, but I didn't want to leave it out. Just before we left DC we got to go to Robin and Te's very beautiful and very fun wedding. I know, I know, they were the center of attention. But, there was enough attention to go 'round (amazing given that both Auntie Heather and I were there!), and I enjoyed myself immensely. So here are just a few of the pictures of me. There are many, many more pictures from the wedding...my mommies went a little crazy with the new camera. Maybe at some point I'll convince them to get all of the other good pictures online.

Look at me go...!

The lighting is not the best...but, look what I can do!



And, yes, that is teething biscuit all over me (yum!) and yes I do plan to toss everything in the drawers on the floor, again.

Who's Sillier?

Mirëdita! (Good Day!)

So, here I am in Tirana, Albania. So far I'm thinking it's pretty cool. First of all, people LOVE me here. Not just people I meet. People I don't even know will stop while they are walking down the street and kiss me or smile at me. Little kids, women, men, all kinds of people! I thought that I used to get attention...but now I really know what attention is!! And, even better, when I go into stores (read 'tiny corner market' or 'tiny pastry shop') they give me sweets...sadly, my mommies often take them away from me before I get to eat them.

So, I don't have a lot of pictures of me in Tirana yet. But I thought you might want to see some photos of the endlessly fascinating place that I'm living. There are so many things to see and look at...

A view of the main street that Mommy Mindy takes me down on my stroller all the time. There's so much to look at! And it's like being on a roller coaster ride with all the ups and downs and curbs that we bumpily go over. Who knew that my stroller could do all that? And why didn't I get to do it in DC?


Another view...here you can see some of the construction cranes, the doors and windows for sale on the street, and the Roma sitting on the curb selling things that I never get to have (like pinwheels). Mommy Mindy only has gotten boring things like sponges and batteries.


Looking down our street.


Part of "The Block" area. During communist rule only party officials were allowed in this area.


Another view off the main street. Tirana is a city of contrasts.


The little Italian supermarket where the people who work there smile at me and pinch my cheeks!


Some of the fun painted buildings of Tirana...the mayor, Edi Rama, was an artist before he was mayor and he made the communist buildings much prettier.


The little green awning store on our street. We get bananas, tomatoes, pasta, and lots of other things here...I think Mommy Mindy goes at least once or twice every day! And they LOVE me and give me candy.


ME!!

Walking!!

So, I've been taking a few steps here and there, but I've finally decided that I should just get up and go with the whole walking thing. I may not be running a marathon any time soon...I may not even be walking across entire rooms without stopping at a chair for a rest break, but I'm definitely moving forward on my own two feet!



PS...I am safely in Albania, and will post more about this whole new cool adventure soon!

Last Night in DC!!

So, tonight's my last night in town. Tomorrow my mommies and I head off to Albania. They seem a little stressed out about the plane flight. And I think I even heard them joking about some plan to sit up in business class together and leave me in coach...can you imagine!?! Nope, nope, nope...I get to be in business class and mommy Mindy and mama Melissa have to switch off between coach and business. Hee, hee, hee.... (I don't really understand why we can't all sit together, but I think I heard the big people saying something about how the federal government doesn't recognize mommy Mindy. Seems silly to me--mommy Mindy is definitely part of the family, even when she makes me take horrible naps!)

So, I have lots and lots of pictures that I haven't put up yet. That's 'cuz I got to see lots of people in the last couple of weeks.

Uncle Bryan came to visit and I'm so glad that he came to play with me!


I went to the zoo with Kathi and mommy Mindy and saw panda bears, lions, giraffes, elephants and more! But what I really loved were all the statues of animals.




Mimi and Tia TJ spent lots of time with me, taking me to the zoo, playing at the playground, and chasing me around the house!


I went down to South Carolina to visit my Granny and Grandpappy.


And I got to spend a fun evening with my Uncle Julian and Aunt Sandra.

I have more to post about, like Robin and Te's very fun wedding today. They may have been the center of attention...but just for a couple hours! The rest of the time it's me, all me! Mazel Tov to them, and pictures will be up soon. In the meantime, the next post will be coming to you direct from my new home, Tirana, Albania.