This and That

I'm starting this post with a disclaimer:    Expect no cohesiveness.   This post is less for friends and family and more for me.   Since this blog is the absolute only source of memory storage in this family, (we truly do not have one baby book, or photo album, or scrapbook from 2008-present.  This blog and the annual book that I make from it, are really it for our family.)   I would like to record some things today that may not be very interesting to anybody but us.    Most of it isn't cute or funny.   But I still want to remember it.  So, consider yourself warned.

I think I'll do a list form as that seems like the most simple way to record all that we have encountered the past couple of weeks. 

1.   I have had the pleasure during this pregnancy of developing varicose veins.   At my last check-up, the doctor prescribed blood thinning injections to help prevent blood clots.   I have tried to be a trooper and follow the nurse's little tutorial every night, but the only conclusion I can draw is that a nurse I am not.   My legs are covered in bruises.   The good news is that my thighs now match my lower legs......they are all displaying various shades of blue.    I'll spare everyone and not post any photos.

2.   Susannah tore her ankle open on the playground at school last week.   (My sincerest thanks to the rusty nail that was poking out of a broken wooden toy.)   So we had a fun trip to the German emergency room that included three stitches.   She was super brave and our experience at the hospital was great, so I'm grateful.

3.   Peter is home!   He has been in Israel and missed all of the above excitement, so Susannah and I were beyond happy to have him back with us this weekend.   He took Friday off to recover from ten intense work days and do fun things like read with Susannah.   How cute are they?

We also went to Ikea on Friday to finish the last of our "pre-baby" list.   As soon as the nursery is finished, I'll post some pics.  We are getting there. 

We spent Saturday and Sunday afternoons at our neighborhood summer fest.   They blocked off the streets and had games and food vendors and bands.   It was so much fun.  

 Susannah loved the games. 

 And she loved the prizes even more.   ;)

 They even had a little train ride through the neighborhood, which we used to get a little break from the rain shower that was moving through.

 I was so happy to spend a relaxing family day with these two.  

 Sunday morning Susannah was so excited to wear this July 4th dress.   A friend gave it to us and she has been begging to wear it for weeks.  

  It was a little high maintenance in the car seat and for trips to the potty, but she was so happy to wear it because of how well it twirled.  

 Thanks to ballet, we are really into the twirling these days. 

 We headed back down to the fest after church for lunch.    The vendors were all different as today was more like a neighborhood yard sale.   It was great because we scored a baby snow suit and a new "suitcase" for Susannah to use when we travel.   Five euros well spent.

 Best part of our neighborhood festivals??   These treats from Holland called "poffers."   They are little mini pancakes and we have only found them at street fests.   These had melted kinder chocolate on top and they were amazing. 

Susannah is so pumped to have her own "suitcase."   She has been busy playing airport since we brought it home. 

 

 

4.    I have been meaning to do a post with some Susannahisms.   She is just such a character lately.   This age has been the most challenging so far......she is definitely an opinionated and sometimes stubborn little three-year old. "But I don't want to do that," is a very commonly heard phrase these days.  But she is also hilarious, affectionate, caring, generous, and smart.   Watching her learn and develop is one of my favorite things about being her mom.    She is growing like a weed.....38 lbs and 39 inches tall.    Here are some more Susannahisms:

 

1. She often talks about how her belly is growing so big just like Mommy's.  And how her baby is kicking. 
2. Instead of tomorrow and today, she says, "next morrow" and "this day."
3. She calls Ikea "zacchaeus" as in "was a wee little man."
4. When she doesn't want to forget something, she says, "Mommy help me forget."  or  "Mommy don't let me remember."
5. She loves kindergarten and sings all the German songs all the time.   We even have to do a little "guten appetit" song and chant before eating dinner. 
6. Her favorite toys right now are her doctor kit and any game or puzzle.   She isn't competitive though and celebrates just as happily if I make it the candy castle first or I have the most matches.  
7. She is starting to mix German words into her English vocabulary.   She says "Danke" almost exclusively now instead of "thank you."   And she is also starting to speak English sentences with German grammar structure.   The effect is hilarious because she sounds like a non-native English speaker with a southern accent.   Yes, she has totally picked up my southern accent, despite never having lived in the southern US.
8.  After the doctor wrapped her ankle, she said, "Thanks.  That looks perfect doctor."   I'm sure he was so proud to have the approval of a three year old.    
9. She is just like her Daddy in that she already has an uncanny sense of direction and always asks questions like, "Are we driving or walking?"   "Are we going left or right?"   "Will we be driving through the long tunnel?"   She does not share her mommy's love of "just being along for the ride."   She definitely wants to control the ride and notices every little detail during the ride.  
10. She is so excited about the arrival of her little sister.   She talks about sharing all her toys and singing to her.   Fingers crossed that this attitude remains after sister is actually here.  

 

 Being silly in Mommy's rain-boots.

 One of her favorite things is helping at the grocery.   Especially unloading the cart. 


5.    On a totally unrelated note, our outdoor space leaves a little to be desired as it is one small balcony off the kitchen with a view of the building's parking area.   When Grammy was here though, she helped me pick out and plant some flowers, which inspired me to actually clean the porch and chairs.   And this is the result.   I'm so grateful because now when I look out the kitchen door, it gives me a little cheery boost.   Thanks Mom!   Fingers crossed I don't kill them.

6.   A few months ago I found a walking route that has become one of my favorite parts of living in the city.   Stuttgart is as hilly as San Francisco, no joke.   So while it is awful in some regards...ie groceries, strollers, ect, it is also amazing in the way that stellar views are so easily accessible.   This is the view that I enjoy on my daily walk.   Can't beat it.   And I love how it changes every single day depending on the weather.   Today it rained the entire hour that I walked, but it was beautiful in a whole new way.   And one of the benefits of walking vs running is umbrellas are possible.   So I wasn't even wet at the end. 

 

7.   Another thing I love about our apartment is the sunset view we have in our living room.  

In fairness, I should mention that on hot, sunny days with no clouds, I hate this feature because our living room heats up and we need sunglasses to watch television at 8:45 pm.  

 

Well, I think that has exhausted all of the random information that I have been wanting to record for the past couple of weeks.   We hope that all of you are well.   Happy 4th of July to everybody!





A Visit from Grammy!!

Peter has been in Israel with work, so we were extra excited to have Grammy here from Knoxville to keep us company while he was away.    We had such a great week relaxing and catching up and showing her a little taste of our life here in Stuttgart.   The weather was perfect and we took advantage of it.   Here are the photos I managed to snag.

Of course Grammy came with gifts, including this cute game of jacks which Susannah was so excited to learn.  

Grammy was a trooper and fought through the jet lag.   After landing, we went straight to my doctor's appointment where she got to see her newest grand-baby.   And then it was time to pick Susannah up from school.   Susannah was beside herself and gave Grammy the absolute biggest, tightest hug I have ever seen. 

Susannah loved showing Grammy the apartment, especially her toys and books.

Singing songs together.

Oh how we love our Grammy.

One day, we took a walk over to Stuttgart West to play on a different playground and have  a picnic lunch.  We stopped here to watch the turtles and ducks with the beautiful church in the background.   How's that for a pose?

We played bubbles after our picnic.

Or more correctly, Grammy and Susannah played bubbles while I rested.  

So fun!

We went to church on Sunday and Susannah had made this monkey mask in Sunday school because "God made all the animals."   She would only agree to a photo in her church dress if she wore the mask.   Of course.  

We took Grammy to the biergarten for lunch after church.   Susannah taught Grammy how to toast in German. 

"Prost!"

The view up there really is so phenomenal.

It was a great afternoon.

Can't beat sunny and 75 with a cool breeze.    This pregnant lady is thanking God for every single nice day because no air conditioning takes on a whole new evil meaning when you are 7 months pregnant. 

We took Grammy to our favorite gelato place a couple of different times.   Salted butter caramel.....yum.   

Grammy, we are so thankful for your visit.   We loved having you here and can't wait to have you back again!    Stayed tuned for next week, when we will have pictures from Susannah's school's "Family Forest Day."   Hope all of you are well.  

Our Latest French Adventure

Like I mentioned in the last post, we spent ten days in France, just returning on Monday.   It was such an unexpected treat to be able to do this.   Especially since we know that  once our newest family member arrives, impromptu trips will become quite a bit more complicated.   We spent 2 days in Paris on the front and back end of our week in Normandy.   We were in the city of Caen, which is the biggest metropolitan area in the Normandy region.   Peter organized and managed the veteran's support center that the French government had set up in the Caen town hall building.   Because so many heads of state were going to attend the memorial, ticket distribution and logistics were pretty complicated so Peter had his hands full.   He loved it though.   Meeting the veterans and their families and supporting them was such an honor and he loved working with the French again.   Of course, we were both so happy to be back in a country where we could communicate effectively.   Here are some photos:

Breakfast on the bullet train to Paris....Dora and a croissant at 200mph!  

Lunch outside the Louvre.   She has no idea just how cool her little life is sometimes.   

Jumping on the trampolines at the Jardin des Tuileries

She loved the playground at the Tuileries too.    This thing was tall and steep, but she didn't hesitate for a second.

This slide was a little more to Mommy's liking. 

She made some friends, but seemed confused by yet another language.   All week after I talked to someone in French, she would say, "Mommy, what did you just say?"      

This dessert plate came with her kids meal at dinner our first night.   Peter was so impressed with it, he ordered one too.

The next day, Peter had more meetings at the embassy, so Susannah and I headed back to Tuileries for some more park time.   This picture isn't clear, but the Eiffel Tower is in the background.

This one is better.......she is holding up the Eiffel Tower candy that our hotel gave her at breakfast.

Nothing like sugar on a stick at 9 am.   

 Later that day, we rented a car and drove the 2.5 hours north to Caen.   It was Peter's birthday, so after checking in to our hotel we headed off to find a good spot for a birthday dinner.   On the way, we ran into one of Peter's best friends from his Master's Program in Strasbourg, Alexi.    We were all so shocked to see each other as Alexi and Stephanie live in Brussels.   The last time we saw them was when they visited San Diego over a year ago.   So we ended up having dinner with them, which was such a fun surprise.

When we said goodbye, we joked that next time we saw each other, it should be in Africa or Asia. 

We headed back to the hotel so Daddy could open his presents and eat his "birthday cake."

Susannah and I had picked out some beautiful pastries in Paris, but despite my best efforts, they were squished by the time we arrived in Caen.   And nobody in the hotel could find any matches, so we sang "Happy Birthday" with a few unlit candles stuck into a completely smashed chocolate mousse.   It's the thought that counts, though, right?   

The next day Peter had to head over to the Caen City Hall to set up the office, so Susannah and I decided to explore the Chateau that is in the center of Caen.   Susannah loved it.

She kept saying it was like Princess Anna's house.

This church dates back to the 7th century.   

My pretty girl.

Running and singing "Open the Gates" from Frozen.

We climbed all around the outer castle walls.  All week I felt such gratitude for this opportunity to spend so much uninterrupted fun time with Susannah before her sister arrives.   

Daddy broke free before lunch so we happily went off to meet him.

We decided to spend the afternoon exploring the beaches.   This is Omaha Beach.

Susannah insisted on taking her boots off even though it was super chilly.

It was surreal to stand on the beach and picture just what all those young men (boys really) were up against.   

It was especially poignant to watch Susannah run and play so happily, knowing that her freedom to do so was a result of the courage and bloodshed of so many who perished right on the spot where we were standing.

Definitely a memorable moment.

The different beaches all have different memorial buildings and statues, but one thing they all have is the American flag waving overhead 

I can't remember the name of this little fishing village, but we stopped here for some icecream and a little hike.

Peter and I had done this little climb when we were here several years ago, and it was as scenic as we remembered.

Susannah loved hiking.

The view from the grassy cliffs.

Normandy really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.   

After two days of hectic city travel, this little walk was a much needed respite. 

This hiker was a little bit slower than last time we were here.

The view of the little harbor.

The next morning was Sunday and since I couldn't find an international church in the city, Susannah and I decided to explore their huge market while Peter headed to the office.    The market was the biggest one I've ever seen.   It seemed to stretch on for miles.   

We shopped in between loads of laundry.   Luckily the laundromat was right in front of the market.  

We assembled a delicious lunch of strawberries, apricots, and sausage sandwiches.   I offered her a crepe, but this little German girl wanted her pork!    

Peter met us right after lunch and we headed back to the coast.     These are the cliffs about Arromanches, the town that our guide book called, "ground zero for the D-Day invasion."    This is where they built the floating roads and piers to unload all the weapons and supplies after the invasion.

Playing hide and seek with Daddy.

"Oh, there you are!"

The view down to Arromanches.

You can't make it out in this picture, but several huge remnants of the invasion are still visible above the water.

This day was a little warmer and more sunny, so we let Susannah play for a while.

These jeeps were everywhere all week.   

It was pretty surreal to watch them speeding down the beach just like they did 70 years ago.

Peter checking his email.   He really worked around the clock all week.   Even when he wasn't at the office, he was handling some issue or another.   Definitely wasn't a vacation for him like it was for his girls.   

Being the awesome Daddy that he is though, he found time to play too of course.

Caen boasts one of the largest horse racing tracks in France, so they have these horses all over town.   This one was in our hotel and Susannah loved him.   She brought him sugar packets from breakfast and named him Carlo.   By the time we checked out, all of the front desk workers were calling him Carlo too.  

Susannah and I would meet Peter for lunch everyday.   This is outside his office, the town hall, or Hotel de la Ville.

The gardens were beautiful.

Susannah and I spent a lot of time at Caen's various playgrounds and carousels.   

The hotel where we spent our first two nights was booked later in the week.   We discovered that EVERYTHING in Caen was booked, much to our dismay.   But somehow, by the grace of God, we found an apartment to rent for the rest of the week.   It was on a calm side of town, right across from the horse track.   This picture is of Susannah and Peter racing on it.   When they aren't hosting races, people use it for jogging.   

Our apartment from the track.   It was a great little apartment, allowed us to have more space and eat in sometimes.   But is was a 6th floor walk-up.    Not the most fun when you are almost 7 months pregnant.   

The front of the Town Hall.   Not too shabby of a workplace, right?

Caen had a little tourist train that Susannah and I took one afternoon.    She didn't care about the commentary, of course, but any kind of train ride is a huge treat for a three year old.

The chateau from across the street.

Cute little train, wasn't it?    A couple that sat in front of us had their dog with them, which Susannah loved.

Whenever we saw another horse statue in the city, Susannah would scream, "It's Carlo's sister!!"   

One afternoon while we had our daily ice cream fix, we listened to this street musician.   Susannah danced and danced and the musicians loved it and sang to her.   

Another day, another carousel ride.

Friday was the big memorial at the beaches, so Susannah and I had mommy-daughter lunch outside in the sunshine.

"Another one of Carlo's sisters!!"

In keeping in form with French tradition, Susannah and I spent some time at outdoor cafes. 

Saturday morning we headed back to Paris, but made a really fun pit-stop along the way.   According to Peter's uncle's research, this is where the Mallory came from hundreds of years ago.   Before immigrating to England, they adopted Mallory (from Mailleraye) as their name.   

It was a beautiful, peaceful little town, right on the Seine River.

We had a delicious lunch right there on the water before heading back to the busyness of Paris.  Peter tried to convince the waitress that this was his homestead and probably his land, but she kept pointing to the water and said the river change the land a few years ago....they settled it by Peter giving her a French/American flag lapel pin.

We hit traffic coming into the city, so we were pretty exhausted by the time we checked into the hotel.  It was a beautiful night and we weren't super hungry so we decided a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower would be perfect.      

Even after visiting Paris several different times, I never tire of the excitement that I feel when I see this place in person.

This picnic was really special for us because we had picnicked in the exact same spot 3 years earlier when Susannah was a little baby.   We laughed at how we would never have guessed that we would be back so soon. 

Who can resist an after-dinner carriage ride?

Definitely not our little princess.

All the other kids wanted to ride the actual ponies, but she opted for the princess carriage instead.   

Pretty cool view, right?

After a heavenly night's sleep in our air-conditioned hotel room, we were all geared up for a day at the Jardin d'Acclimation, a children't amusement park that is right in the middle of Paris's huge park, Le Bois de Boulogne.

Susannah and Peter rode all the rides.  

Checking ourselves out in the funny mirrors.

Peter looks so comfortable, doesn't he?

Susannah loved the fishing game.

And the teacups.

She wasn't as big of a fan of the kiddie roller coaster though.   

We fed rabbits at the petting zoo.

And took a little family boat ride.

And played on yet another playground.

All in all, it was a wonderful day.   But as the temperature rose, Mommy lost her motivation for pictures, so this is the last of them.   We headed home the next day, and despite the stifling heat here in Stuttgart, we are very happy to be home.  

We miss you and love you all.   Hope all is well.