Quick note...

For those of you who are celebrating today, Merry Christmas. As for me, I have so much to post. I know, I know, I left you all hanging in Venice! And since then, we went on to Barcelona, came home, celebrated Hanukah, and then Heidi came to visit and we went to Thessaloniki, Greece! I've just gotten home today, and while the photos from earlier in the month will have to wait, here are a few from Thessaloniki, and from our drive across snowy Albania to get there and back!

Pigeons and puddles...

My fans have been asking and asking for my next post. So, here it is... Suffice it to say that I really like puddles...and pigeons, well, I think I like them, but I might be just the tiniest bit skeptical.

Venice is wet, wet, wet...

So, we made it to Venice...(even after stupid AlpiEagles cancelled our flight at 6pm the night before we were supposed to leave...boy, my mommies were MAD about that!!)...and it is really wet here!! Not a problem for me, I mean, I love puddles! (But more about those in the next post...)

I guess we didn't really expect for St. Mark's Square to be a lake though... But you have to hand it to the Venetians--they're pretty good at dealing with water! So, here's a little overview of what it looked like our first morning here after it rained and rained all night and the tide came in. I even heard my mommies talking about being woken up at 6am by some loud siren (air raid siren? tornado siren? Nope...just the flood siren!). Didn't bother me since I just kept right on sleeping.

Preschool!!!

If you ask me, "Levi, who do you love," I always answer "Preschool!" For some reason, my mommies always say, "But, Levi, who do you love?" I don't know what they're trying to get me say....I mean, I already told them. I love preschool. What's so hard about that? I mean, with Julia, and Egla, Eljona, and Elham, and Oscar, and Boyd, and Johannes, and Nicola, what's not to love? And I get to sing, and dance, and play games, and eat snacks (and sometimes even have pizza). And, once in a while my mommy even comes and takes pictures and videos. So, here are a few pictures from her last visit.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Okay, so I know it's a little out of character for me, but I'm going to take a break from our regularly scheduled program to tell you about an event that I didn't even get to go to. We had a really cool event at our house...except that I was exiled next door to go to sleep at Ollie's house.

My mommy's birthday was on November 3, and her friend, Elham (who is also my preschool teacher), decided to play a concert for her birthday. Elham is a concert pianist, so I knew this was going to be some concert. I mean, I get to hear her play all the time at preschool, but "Mary Has a Little Lamb" is a little different than Rachmaninoff or Chopin.

So, last night (November 3) was the concert that I didn't get to see. I know that my mommies had lots of their friends over. I know Alba and Bruna missed me. But, from what I heard today, everyone had an amazing time. So, with that, I'll let my mommy take over writing for a moment.

It's a pretty big effort to spend a couple of days transforming your vaguely disastrous house (courtesy of one two-year-old) into a venue appropriate for a concert pianist. First it involves moving a lot of furniture (and toys) out, cleaning up all the bits and pieces in the corners, consulting about the best positioning for lighting and the piano, collecting enough chairs for 30-40 people, ensuring that everyone knows that they need to arrive on time so that the (loud) door buzzer doesn't go off during the concert, and then all the usual party stuff of food, beverages, and finishing touches. But the result is so, so worth it. There's something pretty amazing about sitting 3 feet from a concert pianist playing incredible music. And knowing that all of this is happening in honor of your birthday makes it just that much more special.

The music was beautiful...some Chopin, some Rachmaninoff, and several pieces that she composed. And being able to watch someone's hands while they play...let's just say that the pieces were complicated and I am still amazed at how someone can move their hands so quickly and so accurately. So, not surprisingly, everyone (especially me) loved the evening. The concert was beautiful and, of course, there was good food, drink, and conversation to follow. As birthdays go, this one will be pretty hard to follow.

Happy Halloween!!

Okay, so we all know that I'm a little devil...so I decided to show my true colors for Halloween! We had a Halloween party on Saturday at the American compound. And, I got to play games, go trick-or-treating, and then run around like a little maniac crazed on sugar. What fun! I think I love Halloween. So, here's a few photos of me and my friends. And, if you want to see more, there are some extras on Flickr.

I blow out the candles? What do you mean this is not a birthday cake?!?

Jumping!!

Aren't Oscar and I cute? Be afraid, be very afraid when you see a lion and a little devil holding hands!

Adventures with Zev!

All of my accessories...even lollipops...have to match.

Just one of the reasons I love Egla!

And just one of the reasons I love Elham!

busy, busy, busy...

...playing with my friends!

Oscar and I in my garden...


Riding down (and up) the slide with Zev




Playing with Ollie and Leo at Ollies's house

Another weekend, another hash...

Have I mentioned how much I love Saturdays in Tirana? I mean, what could be cooler. I get to go in a backpack on Mama's back to some of the prettiest places in the Tirana area. We meet up with a bunch of other people, we drive somewhere nearby, and then we set off on a trail marked by flour. That's right, flour. Since the trails in Albania are usually not much more than sheep and goat paths, you need SOMETHING to mark the way. (Thank you to the people who go out early to mark the path...Mama, Mommy, and I really appreciate you!)

But, the best thing about it is that I get carried, and I get to eat an apple the whole way. And look at flowers (lule in Albanian) and hold onto rocks. I can even sleep in the backpack if I get tired. You should try it sometime!

And what I loved about this weekend was that at the end we stopped at a playground and I got to play with Jordan and Taylor, the twins who live across the street from me!

Beaches are great...

...because you can go for hikes on the beach...and even better, I'm allowed to throw all the stones I want! And, oh yeah, in Albania you get to see bunkers. I bet you don't know very many two-year-olds who know the word "bunker"!

This beach is just near Durres...about an hour from our house.

A,B,C's!!

A little more me!