Settling in Slowly

G was gone for two weeks so I was alone with A. We managed to stay busy: potty training (off and on - which probably confuses the poor girl), attending small group Sunday mornings, learning the way to a nearby park, shopping at a little grocery store around the corner, cooking and baking a little bit, constantly cleaning, training A on how to walk on these busy streets and to hold Mommy's hand, major spending at Ikea, dislocating A's elbow and experiencing our first visit to the E.R. in this country, paying a bill (which involved walking several slippery blocks on a rainy day - I had a couple of close calls while carrying A), diffusing A's bedtime battles, meeting new co-workers, learning how to order dinner/lunch and have it delivered to my door, discovering stores, and watching lots of movies. Yeah, we're getting settled in.

I am getting closer to being able to sew a little bit. I have been itching a bit to sew it but didn't have everything I needed. I ordered a dining table set which is great to finally have a place to eat at as a family and I can work and sew at the table. I just bought an iron and ironing board today so I am just one step away from being ready to sew. All I need is a power transformer for my sewing machine. I brought my machine from the States and since the electrical system and outlets are different, I need a power transformer for the machine to work. I should be getting that tomorrow, yippee!

I also ordered a toddler table/chair set for A. I'd been dying to get her a set since long before we left the States and we held off until we got here. Finally, she has her spot to color, play with play-doh, do crafty things and I won't care if the table gets dented, scratched, and colored upon. 

We still need a bed frame for our bed (we're sleeping on a mattress on the floor) and a desk. We need a couple of furniture pieces here and there. Curtains need to be made and hung; couple of pillows to be covered; rug or two to put down on our bare parquet floors; maybe a reading lamp for the couch. We need a fan with a light hung in A's room. She has no light source in her bedroom whatsoever - she had an old, used floor lamp that broke a few days ago. We need to put up shelves and pictures but that requires a special drill for these smooth, concrete walls. There are a couple of things I also want to do but I think I may be getting too ambitious and will lose interest long before I can find the time to do them.

In a couple of days, we will mark our one-month anniversary of being here. We should be starting our language training next month and that will keep us busy. I am looking forward to exploring and getting to know the city better. I found an aquarium that we could take A to. She loves Finding Nemo and all things fish. Hopefully, we can make that trip soon and post pictures later!