Cakes and More cakes

Well as I started to try and link cakes I had made to my most recent blog post about a cake I made I realized that there is a fuzzy gray period on my blogging where nothing really was ever written. It all went to facebook which was much easier with our spotty internet in Jordan so here are some pictures of cakes that were done but never blogged about...I swear I really thought I did one for these. Oh and as I go through pictures I am completely missing an entire file. I swear I am not crazy. I made another Elmo cake for a different Amelia and I cannot find a single picture of it anywhere...Now I know I am going crazy.

cake making

Last week I was busy making a cake for the Sponsor of The Year event at the embassy. I had fun making it as they left the decision making up to me. Sometimes it is great just to go with the flow. Here is the result. I can honestly say it was the first time I have made a city skyline on a cake. Even better people recognized the buildings! Though I really do need to work on my cake writing.

If you're curious to see some other cakes I have made in the past (this is a fairly recent, last 2 years, hobby) here are some links to cakes past.

Emily's babyshower
Little Lady's First Birthday
Rainbow Cake
Garden Cake, Nautical Cake...
Ice Cream and Minnie Mouse
Zoo Birthday

An Aquarium?

Not too long ago Little Lady was invited to a birthday party for a friend with less than a weeks notice. With little time to order a gift we set out to find Toys R Us here in Poland. We had heard it existed so we set out to find it. Turns out it is in Blue City Mall. Well after what can only be described as a crazy ordeal parking and probably not parking in an actual space we hurried in and found the store. We also discovered signs for an Aquarium somewhere in the mall. Little Lady was at that point all about finding the fish. I convinced her that with my questionable parking job we would have to leave and come back for the fish another day. So a few weeks later we returned and found the aquarium. It is called the Oceanarium and quite frankly it is a step up from a pet store and long way from an actual aquarium.  There are better aquariums in the zoos we have been too but it was enough to satisfy Little Lady's desire to see fish and gave us something to do. So what exactly is with this place? Well it is a small store front and they basically put in two hallways and some fish tanks. The signs show sharks and Little Lady loves sharks. They did have sharks thankfully. 2 of them. In a small tank but better than nothing. W paid 40 ZLT ($10) for the 3 of us so clearly it was not all that expensive and as we were the only ones to actually spend any time in the place I get the feeling it is kinda of a drop in quick stop kinda of place. Most people more of strolled through taking a quick peak at the fish as they walked by. Would we go again? Probably but it would not be the main focus of our day that is for sure.

Yep, this is the whole thing...ok there was a hallway on the other side as well that looked just like this.

She really does love animals and loves to tell us about them. Why the catfish is called a cat fish. What gives the Lionfish his name and that sort of thing. I really think zoology is in her future.

Best Friend Bunny

So little lady made a great friend in Jordan. Well she actually made a lot of them but one little girl in particular became her best friend and she loved doing everything with her. She would ask to go visit her all the time and was always on the lookout for her at the embassy, playground, pool, grocery store, where ever. Unfortunately as is part of this lifestyle, we had to move and so did they. They are back stateside however so not exactly a short or cheap trip to make for playdates. We had one skype date so far and the girls played with playdoh together. It was pretty cute for the period of calm when they were both into the playdoh. Now Little Lady will ask to see this friend quite regularly. Her other move is to ask to go to our "other house. The one with the pool at the embassy. Where my friends are." Yeah this is coming from a 3 year old. I am not sure how we are going to handle this lifestyle as she gets bigger. So we decided to shop for some best friends for the girls. We wandered the Christmas markets in Riga, and Warsaw until we found the perfect ones. Little Lady picked out Bunny Best Friends. One for her and one for her friend. We then took pictures of the bunnies playing games and things at our house Doing all of the fun stuff the girls will get to do when they visit. We just recently mailed the bunny best friend off to her new friend along with some polish pottery gifts for her parents who are great friends of ours. We cannot wait for them to visit us here but for now exchanging bunny hugs and hot drinks out of ceramic mugs will have to suffice until we see each other again. Even better I heard the package arrived and the mugs made it in one piece!!!

They can play puzzles

Share the slide

Little Lady says they are Dancing

Getting hugs

She says they are just sitting...I am guessing in Time Out...(she plans for everything)

"They are just talking, mommy"

Jumping on the trampoline/ballpit

  It is cold outside so we did not take any pictures outside but Little Lady also wants to show her friend her bike and her playground (swingset) in the backyard.

Some new books

Along with all the toys Little Lady received some new books over the holiday. I love getting new ones though I can honestly say we have not even read half of what she has. She gets stuck on one and then that is it. So for now here are the two that we are stuck on right now and I can highly recommend them to anyone looking to update their Childrens book collection.

Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
http://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Construction-Sherri-Duskey-Rinker/dp/0811877825

This book is about the work certain pieces of large equipment do at construction sites. It talks about each one and then you say good night to them as they get cleaned up and go to bed. Little Lady loves it and whispers goodnight...bulldozer goodnight along with me. We are currently stuck on this one each night before bed. Love it!

How do Dinosaurs Say I'm Mad! by Jane Yolen
http://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Dinosaurs-Say-Mad/dp/0545143152/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420470774&sr=1-1&keywords=How+do+Dinosaurs+Say+I%27m+Mad%21

This book is amazing! On each page is a dinosaur throwing a fit, screaming, pouting, hitting, throwing toys.etc. All the things we have problems with in our house. Then when you get to the end it tells about how dinosaurs count to 10, take a big breath, a time out, then say sorry, clean up the mess and give big hugs. Little Lady is responding to this book. It doesn't always work but she loves to read it and will talk about how she has to take a breath or count when she is mad. As long as I catch it before she gets too mad that is. She suddenly loves dinosaurs. Obsessed with them would be a good way to describe it and so this book hit the nail on the head in our house.


I would love to tell you about the others but she has yet to let us enjoy those ones. She ended up with around 6 books I think...maybe more and these two are fast favorites in our house. Personally I love
The Book with No Pictures  by B.J. Novak. Thanks Ashley for introducing us to it This book is hilarious. It makes the person reading it say silly things and the kids find it the funniest thing ever.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Pictures-B-J-Novak/dp/0803741715

Little Lady was enthralled by the Llama Llama books for forever so I picked up this one this holiday. llama Llama Home with Momma by Anna Dewdney I love the message that even moms need some taking care of when we are sick... Ok there is probably more to it than that but that is my favorite part. Little Lady likes this one but the two books at the top of the page are the current winners of the holiday so this one has only been read twice.

http://www.amazon.com/Llama-Home-Mama-Anna-Dewdney/dp/0670012327

Ok well I just thought I would share with you what is on our current reading list. What is on yours? I would love to know your favorite Children's books. Like I said we are always adding to our collection! Oh and I put the links to these books on Amazon in case you were interested. You might be able to get them cheaper somewhere else, I receive nothing from you buying it from amazon or anywhere else. I just already had those links from when I bought the books.

Happy Reading!

Loving these playgrounds

Over this holiday break we have been taking in some of the indoor playground scene. These places are pretty cool. Thing Jungle Java only bigger... a LOT bigger.

This is FunPark Digiloo: It is Dinosaur/ prehistoric jungle themed place. I like this one a lot. a bit pricey On Sunday it was 22 ZLT for one hour and that hour went fast. It wasn't crowded as you can see. All the places were tall enough even for S to go in and play with Little Lady

A place to ride bikes underneath the climbing place

Riding a baby bike. They had bigger ones too

Trampolines

Getting her Jump on.

As if the small ball pits are not enough this one has a big ball pit

Crossing the rope bridge

Climbing up to the top of the big slide

This was a very big slide

Sliding down the big slide

This time it was a slanted rope bridge

This time we checked out Lider. It was very bright in there. Princess/fairy tale themed. 23 ZLT for 2 hours during the week. Little Lady had a blast. 

This was in the 0-4 play area

who does not love a good ball pit

More ride on toys. They have these things everywhere and if Little Lady is good and I happen to have a 2 ZLT on me then she gets a ride

Coffee shop safe area for the parents

Large Castle Climbing structure for the big kids. Though they do not object to the little kids being in there

Another fun ball pit

She loves these things

Wooohooo

Climbing through the tunnels

Sticking her tongue out from up high