Post-Guest Attempts to Amuse a Baby

With friends and family absent for the time being, Will and I were astonished to realize that we would actually have to keep the baby happy last weekend. Oh the indignity. We were equally flummoxed to learn that when a baby has been held, played with, and otherwise engaged for all of her waking hours for the majority of the past three weeks, she is somehow not more happy to play alone than before. Curious. You'd think she'd enjoy the peace, finally get back to that novel she'd been meaning to finish. Babies are strange creatures, indeed.

Rising to the unexpected challenge, we ventured downtown to a small English language bookshop on Saturday. Before we left, we checked to see if there was a football (i.e. soccer) game that day which would have impeded our train ride home. No game, so off we went. We forgot to check the schedule for massive anti-nuclear energy protests, the epicenter of which would be exactly at mouth of the escalator that one would emerge from if one were to venture to a small English language bookshop. It took us 20 or 30 minutes until we finally got to a break in the crowd. On the bright side, my German is improving enough to understand many of the jeers and criticisms I got for bring a stroller into the center of a protest. Thanks for that, helpful citizens!

On Sunday, we forewent the stroller and opted for the hiking carrier that Aunt Omi got us, as E is finally big enough to sit in it. And off we went to the zoo. Not much to mention here except that 8 mo. olds aren't terribly amused by anteaters in the distance. Again, who would've expected that? Next week we'll take her to a wine tasting or the movies. I'll figure her out yet.