Here's a little picture round-up of what we've been up to lately. I can bottom line it for you, though: nothing! I wish I had some better pictures, but Bop has this new deal now where she doesn't smile or even look at the camera for me. This just means I have to be extra quick and get her before she sees the camera. We have also been taking drivers' ed, a subject which deserves its own post entirely.
Bop eating melon and watching squirrels. When she sees baby anythings (even tiny acorns), she asks "where's his mommy?" Here we were identifying the mommies, daddies & babies of the squirrels.
Bop cutting a rug at the park.
She's figured out how to shake, groove, mash potato, twist, and shout.
Emphasis on the shout.
We've gone to the zoo about a billion times.
Claudia and Carsten discussing the lazy life of hippos.
These creatures are always sleeping. Always.
There has been no shortage of rain in Budapest. Every day after the rain subsides, we go out rescuing snails and worms. This is one of Bop's favorite activities. It's not a pretty sight when you find one that didn't make it off the sidewalk in time. She always comments "they [the snails/worms] are so proud of me." On the subject of rain, we are sending lots of well wishes for a good, hard rain to come to Texas, which is presently experiencing a crippling drought.
Our street has, what feels like, a 45 degree incline. Take that back. It's definitely 60 degrees. Buda is known for its hills and we picked a real doozie of a street to live on. This picture was taken on one of the zillion breaks I take while dragging Bop's wagon up the street to our house. She just looks at me with this pitiful look, as if to say "you really should work out more, Mom."
Bop and her new panties. She insisted on holding the package on the drive back from the store. In route, she took every single pair out and began accessorizing.
Careful consideration was taken as to wear each pair.
Bop eating grilled cheese.
My silly monkey's outfit of choice: undershirt, panties, socks, sandals.
Throw in some major bedhead for good measure.
We try not to leave the house like this too much.
On one of the many rainy days we've had, we went to the Buda Castle Labyrinth. See this inconspicuous doorway? It leads to a massive, underground cave network that's underneath Buda Castle. Originally, it was a drip-stone cave, but it was remodeled during the Middle Ages by the invading Turks who used the network to hold everything from wine cellars to prison cells.
The cave network would later be used as a military hospital and shelter during WWII. It's lit entirely by lanterns and is actually open 24 hours a day. I suspect its pretty spooky at night.
Claudia was not scared one little bit. She ran right in. There were a few older children who got spooked and we kept hearing parents say "
nézd meg, hogy a kislány!", which means, roughly "Look at that little girl!" Then they'd push their whimpering kids through this dark, dank, scary cave maze.
We always love a good cave adventure and there were lots of rambunctious tots at this one. No danger of getting kicked out, like last time at Szemlo-hegyi cave.
Our best summer discovery was that of the ice cream man! We got a bunch of orange Popsicles. Here's Bop eating one, while skyping, while wearing her favorite shirt. It has Olivia the pig on it and she wears it about 5 out of the 7 days of the week.
Bop pretending to be a ghost. The fun stopped when she forgot
she was the ghost and thought she was being chased by
another ghost. It took a good fifteen minutes for her to calm down. She was got a heck of an imagination.
Moto riding in the rain.
Lastly, the coolest banana split ever. You put a chilled banana and vanilla ice cream under a chocolate dome-shaped shell.
Then you pour hot cream over the top of the frozen chocolate shell and it melts away to reveal the contents. Plus, look at that awesome nail art of our waitress! I will figure out how to make this chocolate dome-shaped shell and share. PS - I have
yet to finish my sea fan project because its been too rainy to spray paint, but luckily, the rain has finally stopped! Time to get spray painting.
All the animals, and Claudia, my little wild animal, marching onto the ark.
fascinated by the animals...
... and the bugs. The model ark also housed bugs, cones, seeds, fungi and every other little form of life you could imagine.
She couldn't care less about the butterflies, but was fascinated by the beetles and all the other creepy crawlers.
The primate section. All she could say was "the gorilla is sad. He wants his mommy."
This was actually the reason we came. To observe, poke and feed rocks to the dinosaurs.
She asked to be hoisted atop the T-rex so that she could ride him.
It briefly warmed up in Budapest enough for Claudia to play in her splash pool. Observe this feat of strength. 
