A Further Explanation of the German Bee, the Zuider Zee, and that guy in the hat

[Achtung: this post won't make much sense unless you've read the comments on the previous post!]

The German Bee is German and the Zuider Zee is Dutch. German bees can visit the Netherlands, can't they? This one got all the way to Michigan, didn't he?

Practical questions aside, "the Zuider Zee!" is in there because it's fun to say! -- and Zoë likes anything with "Z's" in it! When the German Bee is trying to help Zoë get to sleep, he hums "zzzzzzzzzzz, zzzzzzzzzzz, zzzzzzzzzzz" in a slow, melodic kind of way (not the scary way that most bees say it when they're fliting around your lemonade).

What is the Zuider Zee? Some have said that their Dutch is too rusty to read the nice web site of the Zuider Zee museum with the picture of the man with the funny hat on. In some cases, it's so rusty that it's gone all German.

Who needs to know languages anymore? Babelfish's automatic translator can tell you who the man in the funny hat is:

In December production company made Human factor Television product ion prerecordings in the Zuiderzeemuseum. For the kerstaflevering of Koefnoen, which were transmitted Friday 24 December, the museum for just as was decorated in Dickensachtige environment. Employees of the museum had thus especially does not frighten be surprised if them furieuze ` Gerrit encountered salmon changed as Scrooge. Also several other individualities among other things political and the music world passed the revue in a playful manner.

So the man in the funny hat is apparently a salmon who has been changed into the character of Scrooge from Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." Perhaps this explains his strange happy-creepy expression.

That doesn't really tell you what the Zuider Zee is, does it?




The Zuider Zee used to be a big lake in Holland, and then there was a big flood and it became an inlet of the North Sea -- that's when it was called the "Zuider Zee" ("southern sea"). Later on, those foxy Dutch built a dam and now it's a lake called the IJsselmeer and a bit of it is part of the Waddenzee
("Wadden-sea"; see, you're Dutch is getting better already!) -- and some of it is land now with farms and such.

The great Wikipedia is down, but when it's up, you can read about the Zuider Zee there here; otherwise you can make do with the much inferior entry on the Zuider Zee from Encyclopedia.com, which mysteriously lists "French Parks" as a related topic.

Well, It's About Time!

This edition of "Hello Zoë!" is dedicated to Heather, who told Nancy specifically to ask Jon when there would be a new installment!

"What's been going on with Zoë?" you're probably wondering yourself.

Well, she's had a big "brain-spurt" recently. Look how smart she's getting!


Here's what she likes to do:

Read a book!

This one's called "Touch and Feel Baby Animals." Look at the nice ducklings!


Have visitors!

That's Zoë with her friend Anne. Anne is a therapist, like Rosie. She workerd hard on the Kerry campaign and knows a lot about Art History!

Play airplane!

Mommy likes to play airplane too!

Relax with Fergus!


Update "Hello Zoë!" with Daddy!

The people at Daddy's office think it's funny when there are pictures of him in his skivvies!

Play with her friends!

The big bear's name is Ursula; she is big and strong. The little rabbit's name is Jacques de la Pin, which means "Jack of the Pine Trees" in French; he is very sophisticated. The little bee is called "The German Bee" and he sings Zoë a little song that goes like this:

I am the German Bee!
Won't you come with me!
I am the German Bee!
We'll fly across the sea!
I am the German Bee!
We'll see the Zuider Zee!
I am the German Bee!
We'll have a cup of tea!
I am the German Bee!
I'll sit upon your knee!
I am the German Bee!
I'll bring my friend the flea!
I am the German Bee!
How happy we will be
You and me and flea
Away across the sea
Underneath a tree
Drinking honey tea
Beside the Zuider Zee!

Lounge about!


Have a nap!


For more information on the Zuider Zee, click on this picture:

Graduation Day!

Last Wednesday, Sandy came to visit Zoë and Rosie.

Sandy cooked a yummy zucchini stir-fry!

Then Daddy came home.


On Saturday night, our friends Alyssa and Dave came over with elaborate desserts -- like lemon sorbet packed in actual lemon rinds!


Alyssa and Dave are very refined:


Dave is a grad student in Philosophy, of all things. He grew up in Utah. He was excited to meet Zoë in person!

Here are the topics we discussed:

Unions
Mormonism
The Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and Jesus
Graduate School
Eccentric Philosophers
Childhood
Zoë

Later in the evening, Dave asked us to leave the room so he could sit in the dark for a while:

No, not really! It just looks like that in the picture.

What did happen is that Zoë got all squirmy-wormy and upset -- we couldn't figure out what to do.

It turned out she needed some quality time with Alyssa P...

...and then she was out for the night:


Dave and Alyssa took some nice pictures of us:


What a fine evening!


On Mondays, Mommy drops the peanut off at the union office with Daddy so she can meet with a client. Here's a picture:

Shaun is in the backround. He doesn't look too happy:


This week, Zoë came to the office on Tuesday too.

Can you see her new outfit? -- it's a present from Ant Lisa!


Wednesday was a big day, too! It was the last day of her infant massage class. Here is a picture of all the graduates!

(From L to R: Leonore, Zoë, Kaleb, Nico, Adriana, Carissa, and Lucy!)
Zoë's favorite massages are Feet Massage and Face Massage!

Here is a little collection of recent pictures of the peanut. Can you tell which is our new favorite?




Do you think Zoë looks better in pink or blue?