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!

More from my vacation!

I had lots and lots of fun playing with my Papa and Granny when I was in D.C. We played the piano, swam in the swimming pool, went for lots of walks, and threw rocks -- my favorite! And they brought great toys with them for me to play with. I know they had fun playing with me, too!

a little bit of politics

So, usually I just post about me and all of my adventures (I mean, that is the most important thing, right?), but every now and then I'm moved to post something else. Today is one of those days.

On September 18 the Maryland Supreme Court decided in a 4-3 decision that same-sex couples in Maryland were not entitled to all of the rights and responsibilities of marriage. This decision tells my mommies and me that the State of Maryland views us as less important and less deserving of equal protection under the law. Even living here in Albania, this news was deeply disappointing to us. We urge everyone to support Equality Maryland as they move this struggle to the State legislature.

But, today, we saw a beacon of hope in the September 20 press conference statement of Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diego. Our thanks and deep appreciation go out to him for his politically courageous stance in conservative San Diego. It's heartening to see that there are people whose conscience still compels them to stand up for equality even if it is not the path of least political resistance. Please watch...and please send him a note of thanks. I hope some of the of the presidential candidates are listening.

Pressconfsm
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Disneyland!

So, I got to go to Disneyland when we were in Los Angeles. The trip was especially fun because:

1. It was for my birthday so everybody was paying attention to me, me, me!
2. My Bubby went with me, who always pays attention to me, me, me!
3. My Tia TJ and Mimi went with me, and they always pay attention to me, me me!
4. My Uncle Arnie and Aunt Holly went with me, and I love them, and they know EVERYTHING about Disneyland and Mickey Mouse!
5. I got to go on lots of fun rides like Dumbo, and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and Autotopia, and It's a Small World, and Pirates of the Carribean (I fell asleep in that one), and Snow White, and Pinnochio, and the Circus Train, and, and, and......
6. I got to go to Mickey Mouse's House and meet Mickey Mouse!
7. Oh, yeah, my mommies were there too, and they took lots of pictures of me, me, me...

Happy Birthday...to me!

So much to tell you, so much to do, so little time. As some of you know, we just got back from a trip stateside. The State Department calls it R&R (rest and relaxation). It was anything but...! My mommies and ran ourselves into the ground with exhaustion going to doctors' appointments and visiting relatives and a few friends. For those of you who we saw, we were so glad to see you. For those of you we didn't get to see, we're so sorry that we missed you. But, we'll look forward to seeing all of you again when we get back home...sometime around October 2008!

I'll try to post lots of pictures soon, but right now I want to post the most important ones of all...and those are the pictures from my birthday. That's right, I'm two years old now! Can you believe it? The best thing about birthdays is balloons, bubbles, blowing out candles, singing 'happy birthday,' playing with my friends, and eating cake! Oh yeah, and it's all about me, me, me! What's not to love?

Me, mommies, and cake!!

Round, and round, and round, and...

Mattan, Segev, and me

Me and the twins...

Hi Mommy!

Birthday cake (after "I blow out candles!")

Clapping for my birthday

BALLOONS!

Bubby's visit (in June!)

Yeah, yeah, I know that I've been very behind on my postings. Like, my bubby came to visit me in May, and I'm just now putting up pictures of all of the fun stuff that we did. But, better late than never, right? And at least I'm posting them before I go see her again later this month!

While Bubby was here, she and Mommy and I visited Kotor, Montenegro for a few days.

I was glad to see that they also have many cows there.










And they also have rocks to throw into the water.








We went everywhere, and fortunately I got to ride when I was tired.





Then, Bubby had lots of fun having dinner with my Mommies and listening to live music.







We had lots of fun. I miss my Bubby and call her on the computer whenever I can!