The Famous Exploding TV's

Apparently under communism, the Soviets invented a tv that had an uncanny ability to catch fire when left plugged in. Instead of altering the design, the government opted for the propoganda solution, and produced signs like this one, which warn residents against the dangerous consequences of irresponsibly leaving any electronic device plugged in when not in use.

Dinner and Dancing

Sometimes it takes a little music to get Ella in the mood to eat.

Her Father's Shoes

Ella is already really into shoes. She's not too discriminating about size though.

The Squirrel Park

The fluffy poukh that plagues Moscow in the early summer drove us from our usual park and we discovered a much cleaner park a little further away that features a large cage with squirrels. Ella really likes this part of the park. It took awhile to get the hang of feeding them, but now as you can see, she's a pro.


At first she couldn't figure out why the squirrel couldn't reach the food.

Then she developed the drop technique.

This squirrel was really intent on watching her human visitors.


I think Ella and the squirrel are having a serious discussion of their feelings.

Little Surprises

After Ella goes to bed, we find her little treasures carefully arranged in odd places.

Barbeque at Rosinka

We decided to celebrate spring with a picnic in Rosinka. Ella loved the trampoline and playing with the McGhie's toys. It was nice to take a break from the congested city for a few hours.

At the zoo.

It's the spring holidays in Moscow, so we spent Saturday afternoon at the zoo with Paul, Lindsey and Owen Cox. Ella loved seeing all the animals. She pointed and growled at most of them.

Ella's talking to the polar bears with her bear growl. Maybe someday she'll be interested in communicating with humans.