The Barber.

Originally, this post was going to be entirely about my little angel, London, and all the adorable things she does all day long... A sort of "I know this is the reason you read my blog anyway, family" post. But then today was actually pretty eventful, so now it will have to include both!

The day began early for us...8:30. We went to see Roman ruins that the Jordanians artfully "restored."There is an old Roman amphitheater and a row of columns. After our short visit to the amphitheater museum, we went to the ruins of a citadel on top of a hill in Amman. One of the best aspects of the citadel was the outstanding view of the entire city. I was impressed!

We got home at noon, London took a nap, and we finally cleaned out the front bathroom that I was too overwhelmed/terrified to touch. Now to the good part.

We were running low on fruit (which might as well be the end of the world for me) and planned to walk down to our favorite market to pick some up. Kyle was in desperate need of a hair-cut, so I suggested we stop at a barber on the way. My entire life, every time we went to Mexico, my dad stopped at the barber to get a real man's shave. He talked about it weeks before and days after as the most wonderful thing on the planet. So I told Kyle I would be disappointed if his haircut didn't include one of those fancy shave jobs. I was not disappointed.

We actually forgot the camera on this one, which is in some ways better because you can create your own picture of my macho husband in a Jordanian barber shop. First, a normal haircut. Next, the barber gets out a string and starts threading my husband's eyebrows. After the threading, a shave. After the shave, a facial. Like a real, several step, you are about to have glowing skin, facial. It was hilarious! And for the hour-long comedy special, 7 JD, roughly $10. 
When we walked out, I asked him how it felt. His response, "That freaking hurt!" To be fair, the barber did accidentally butcher his cheek/neck. Poor pampered husband. His skin was so silky smooth I nearly broke 29 Jordanian laws and kissed him in the street on the way to the market. 

A view from downtown.

Now to talk about the new things London started doing...

Knocking. I'm pretty sure we can credit this one to Uncle Noah. She knocks all the time now. If she's hungry, she knocks on the refrigerator door. If she's up from her nap, she knocks on her bedroom door until I come get her. If she wants to play outside, she knocks on the sliding glass door until I open it for her. The tapping of her baby knock might be my new favorite sound, except for the other adorable sounds she makes.

Singing with the Call To Prayer. Five times a day, load speakers from tall towers all over the city play the Call To Prayer. London thinks the musical Arabic prayer is the whooping Indian noise and enthusiastically joins in.

Copying mom. She follows every single step I take. If I'm cooking dinner, she is holding the spoon too. When I reach in to feel the shower water, she reaches in with me. We even got her her own miniature broom and dustpan so she can "sweep" with me. The only time she isn't either in my arms or has both her arms wrapped tight around my legs-- is when she is sleeping.

Talking on her cell phone. Everything is a cell phone. Shoes. Batteries. Boxes of raisins. Water bottles. Her pocket-mirror. The TV remote. My hairspray. The computer mouse. My glasses case.  You name it. She puts it up to her ear and has a conversation with it. She also hands the object to you so you can talk on it too.

Look, Papa! She already loves museums.

My Big Animal Book. It's hard enough to keep London from adopting one of the stray kittens outside our building, but now, she has been gifted a book that makes her love animals even more. This book has everything: farm animals, zoo animals, pets, baby animals; all for London's reading pleasure. She points at the animals over and over and over, making me repeat the sounds they all make. Every animal noise makes her laugh and point again. Seriously, Dad, this girl needs a puppy.