Sunny and Warm

We have been enjoying beautiful weather here for the last week or more. I'd like to say that I've been faithfully taking Ruby out for a new adventure each and every day, but that really isn't all that easy or practical. We did, however, visit Frederiksberg Have (Park) last Wednesday afternoon. Even on a week day, there were oodles of people out enjoying the sun and flowers. We met Claire and Carter there and the kids enjoyed some time at the playground before we hit the walking trails. Ruby managed to put a whole handful of pebbles down her shirt and ultimately into her diaper, which I discovered when I changed her an hour or so later at home--talk about the princess and the pea!

I had to take a picture of this Danish phenomenon--The Pacifier Tree! There are lots of these all around Copenhagen, though this is the biggest one I've ever seen. Apparently, when Mom and Dad decide it's time to retire the pacies, they tie them all onto a long ribbon and throw them up in the tree. Some of them have notes attached telling what a good friend, etc. the pacifier had been to the child. It's a bit of an eyesore, but it's actually a good idea I think. Then the kids know that this is it, we're saying goodbye to the pacies forever. I suppose they could come back and visit thier old friends, though it seems a bit odd to. Here in Denmark, kids will keep the pacies until they are about 3. We're going to be doing this before the end of the summer. I don't think that it's going to get any easier the longer we wait.

Ruby has officially been weaned for one week. It was much easier than I thought it would be. The big change is that we don't bring her up to our bed to snuggle in the morning, it's just up and at 'em with a cup of milk. She hasn't ever tried to nurse or even asked to, so I think that she was ready. The gradual method was very easy on me too, so in the end I was glad that we dragged it out to one year. I hope that wasn't too much information for anyone... but, that was a big step for all of us!


We had a bit of a sad story this last week in our own backyard. One afternoon Ruby and I went into the backyard to swing and we saw these two ducks swimming around in our little pond. Later that night, I didn't see them around, so I figured they must have gone along on their way. Well, sure enough, the next morning Mr. Duck was standing next to the pond and Mrs. Duck was sitting in the reedy area next to the pond. I went back into the house and suddenly heard a bunch of commotion and quacking out by the pond. Later, Ruby and I went out there and the ducks were gone, but there was an egg lying right where Mrs. Duck had been sitting. I left it alone in hopes that they would soon be back. Well, they weren't and something ate the poor little egg. The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Duck were back again standing stock still for several minutes. It was almost as if they were having a moment of silence for their little lost egg. I haven't seen them since, so I suppose they went on to find somewhere a bit less hostile to raise a family. I was so sad though, I was so hoping to have a little duckling hatch and swim around our little pond... oh well, maybe next year.