Laowai

Well the movers are here again – this time to take the rest of our stuff for storage. I am so anxious to get on with things and get settled. Once you take your familiar and comforting things out of a house and you take all the pictures off the walls it doesn’t feel very homey at all. It’s just an empty house. Brian is also gone – he arrived safely in Zurich. Unfortunately he had to lug his two big suitcases around for a long time before he could get into our bare apartment. He will be living very sparsely until our shipment arrives in a couple weeks. I guess I’m sounding kinda grumpy. I’m just looking forward to having all this moving and packing and paperwork done. 

We’ve been trying to keep busy while the movers are here. Thank goodness for YouTube – Bea has been watching lots of Pingu and Maisy. And then we did a little craft. Now Bea is requesting more Pingu and so I think I will go. Here is Pingu if you don’t know him:

Can’t wait to get to my Mom and Dad’s house on Wednesday.

I’m dying to do some sewing, but right now all I can do is think about setting up a sewing nook in our new home and look at inspiring photos like these:

We like this book:

And we liked going here today – to the Shedd Aquarium.

We had to go down to the Swiss consulate to pick up our visas so I thought we would take one more field trip. 

Whaaaaat kind of fish is that?

It was really hard to get pictures of the dolphins and the new baby beluga whale. But, I did get some rather nice shots of these little fish.

 

The Shedd Aquarium building has all this old detailed work with fish an shell and wave themes. Very neat.

The gift shop. They had a whole wall of pink dolphins, pink turtles, pink penguins and pink seals. It took some major will-power on my part not to buy one for her. She was just so cute squeezing them, talking to them and carrying them around.

Now I should really be studying my German. I have such a bad attitude about it all. Off I go…

Bea got a very nice package from Aunt Garlene today. It was especially appreciated because we only have a small selection of toys around here. Any entertainment is very welcome.

She plunked right down on the floor and spent the bulk of the afternoon playing with the little foam shapes. And I scuttled the Seasame Street magazine away to save for our plane trip in a couple weeks.

My favorite part: the children’s book illustration stamps. 

Thanks Aunt Garlene – what a sweet gesture to brighten our day.

BUT… 

I can't keep from snickering when I've overheard Bea playing with Brian's belt lately.

She first called it a "happy snake"

and then today she put it on and called it her "front tail"

Heeee hee heee

Since Brian and I cannot seem to co-exist on an air mattress – I’ve been curling up next to Bea most nights. I find myself not sleepy and spending a long time looking at her serene baby face. Such a precious sight that I’m sure no mother can resist.  

Pretty dreams, my baby, wait
Just beyond the Slumber Gate;
Come, dreams,
Come to baby, come;
Come, dreams,
Come to baby, come.

Weary you must be with play,
Running, running, all the day;
Come, dreams,
Come to baby, come;
Come, dreams,
Come to baby, come.

Big and strong you’re sure to grow,
If to sleep you’ll quickly go;
Come, dreams,
Come to baby, come;
Come, dreams,
Come to baby, come.

– a French lullaby

Tuesdays are free at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. So in an effort to get out of the house Bea and I drove down. We had a pretty good time, but I have to say I’ve never been really excited by the art at the MoCA. I find the contemporary collections at the Art Institute more interesting. Maybe I just don’t like this very new art and I am more drawn to the art that was first labeled contemporary in the 1950’s and 60’s. Also, some of it just seems ridiculous. For example the series of photos that showed chairs that had a texture or pattern on the seat and then a naked butt in the next picture that was imprinted with the texture. I tried to find the pictures online but decided to stop when I realized I was searching the internet for naked butt photos. It was kind of amusing and clever – but art – mmmmm – no – not for me anyway.

I guess it’s telling that my photos are of looking out the window at buildings and snowmen and looking at fish.

We are just kinda hangin’ out here. Sitting around on our air mattresses waiting for the next big chapter to begin. Twiddling my thumbs and also looking over my intimidating to-do list.

Not much else to say so I thought I would make a wordle:

 

I miss my sewing machine and my fabric and my crafty supplies. I can’t wait to get set up and have a bit of time to try the new Oliver + S patterns that Brian gave me for my birthday.