The time was 3:45pm, I was finishing up an episode of the West Wing Season 4 that I didn't get to finish the night before, passing the time until 4pm, which is when I was supposed to give my mom a call. Carson had recently filled his diaper with a little bit of baby joy. He is a sight to see when he works his magic: chin scrunched into the rolls of his neck, chubby cheeks looking even chubbier because of the stern, serious line that his mouth makes, and his face turns bright red as he grunts and pushes with gusto. I affectionately call this look "the poopy face." This process takes but a few seconds and then he relaxes and waits for me to discover the precious gift he has left me.
As I lay him down on the changing mat he squeels and wiggles, probably laughing at the fact that I have no idea that I am about to discover he had put a little extra effort into his daily ritual than normal. I unbotton the legs of his outfit and was shocked to find thick mustard yellow cream all the way down to the calf of his right leg. It must have come out the side. I try to clean off his leg with a wipe and he finds it rather humorous and kicks his legs faster than I can grab them.
I finally get the leg cleaned off and work up the courage to see what else my little bundle of joy had left for me. I knew the diaper would be full, but surely that would be the end of it.
Of course not. I lift his little booty off the floor to move his shirt out of the way and I see a strip of yellow going right up the center of his back, practically to his shoulder blades. I pull out 8 or 9 wipes in anticipation of wipe down and attempt to get these clothes off of him. It figures that today is one of the rare occasions where I dress him in something that has to be taken off over his head. I remove the garment as carefully as possible, but none the less end up getting a large goup of mustard right in his hair. At that moment I decide this is a job for the bath tub.
By this time, Maddox has realized what was going on and wanted in on the action. He insisted on helping to clean "his baby" in the bathtub. This makes everything ten times more difficult because I have to clean Carson and make sure Maddox doesn't fall in as he leans as far as he can over the edge.
A few minutes pass and, with the help of Maddox, Carson is shining like a new penny. I lift him out of the baby tub and he spits up a half ton of formula all over himself. I put him back in the tub, rewash him ensuring to get in all of those neck rolls that spit up loves to hide in, and grab his towel to get him out.
Exit attempt #2 was unsuccessful. As I am about to lift Carson out of the tub, he decides now is a good time to pee. It shoots up and (if you've ever given a baby boy a bath, you know how that goes.) Now, lets not forget about Maddox here. At this very moment he is leaning so far over the tub that his feet come off the ground and his head is directly in shooting range. Carson's golden stream not only soaks him from head to toe, but also wets the entire backside of Maddox's head. Wonderful!
I let out Carson's pee-pee water, refill his tub and scrub him down for the third time. I guess he had decided that he had his fun for the day because all bodily fluids stayed where they should be. I get him out and in a little ducky towel. At this time I realize it's 4:00 and I need to call mom.
I call, tell her this crazy story and tell her I'll call her later because boy #2 needed to get a bath as soon as possible since his hair was soaking we with something other than water. I rush to put a diaper on Carson (not risking any more episodes with him today), strip Maddox down while filling the tub with water and Elmo bubbles. Maddox, like always, loved his bath, but he must have known something was not right. He usually hates, and I mean HATES getting his hair washed, but this day, when I put him in the tub the first thing he did was point to his head and hand me the cup that I used to rinse the shampoo out of his hair.
That, my friends, is 15 minutes of my life. Tschuss!!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Happy Kids
This weekend we decided to get Maddox out of the house and take him to one of the indoor child play houses in the area. There is one called JumpInn and one called Happy Kids. This came up in a conversation I had with Ben's 1st SGT's wife and she persuaded us to try Happy Kids. Apparently, JumpInn is in a huge building and targets more of the older children. There is a play area for toddlers, but there is a lot going on and she said we would most likely be chasing him all over the building. So today, Sunday we piled into the car, joined by the Dukes' family, and headed to Eppelheim. We picked a good day to go because it's rainy, cold, and an all around gloomy day.
Eppelheim is a small German community just minutes from Heidelberg. I guess it would be like a suburb, but it is just a couple blocks of housing area (mostly apartment buildings several stories high) a little downtown/business district, and surrounded by farm feilds (OH - they started plowing and fertilizing the feilds around our housing area this weekend and BOY does it stink like cow manure!) Since we invited friends along on the journey we drove around yesterday to make sure we could find the place. It is in an industrial area, with drabby looking buildings and grafiti, but the inside turned out to be much nicer. There were beautiful murals on all the walls with tropical flowers and birds.
We walk up to the register and I asked the lady "Sprechen sie english?" "No," she replies shaking her head. OH no. In anticipation of this I had looked up how to say "two adults and one child" in german, but choked under pressure and couldn't remember how to say adult. So, I turned to her and said the german word for two, then pointed to Ben and myself, then said the german word for one and pointed to Maddox. That worked well enough, we paid the fee and entered the play area.
There were two seperate play areas, one for chidlren under 4 and one for older children. The older section had a giant blow up slide in the shape of an alligator. You cimb in through the mouth, then slide down it's back. Every couple of minutes the mouth closes and it looks like the kids are getting eaten by the alligator. It was entertaining to watch.
Maddox's section had a ball pit with a slide that went into it, a bounce house, a bunch of little cars and trikes to ride around, and several other things to play with. He had a great time mostly riding the cars around and ramming into something every once in a while. He pulled his typical bully behavior by chasing a little german girl around and tried to steal everything she played with. Once we noticed that we put a stop to it. So, he found another little girl to chase and made her cry while she was going through the tunnel.
Ben was in the feild with Maddox most of the time while I took care of Carson in the table section.
He had fun playing with the toys too.
You could tell we were American by the Red Sox sweat suit Ben had to dress Maddox in. The German children were definitely dressed differently. They wore very tight pants and most of the time I couldn't tell which was a girl and which was a boy. Cultural differences I guess.
And Carson was chilled out most of the day. He's such a good baby :)
Eppelheim is a small German community just minutes from Heidelberg. I guess it would be like a suburb, but it is just a couple blocks of housing area (mostly apartment buildings several stories high) a little downtown/business district, and surrounded by farm feilds (OH - they started plowing and fertilizing the feilds around our housing area this weekend and BOY does it stink like cow manure!) Since we invited friends along on the journey we drove around yesterday to make sure we could find the place. It is in an industrial area, with drabby looking buildings and grafiti, but the inside turned out to be much nicer. There were beautiful murals on all the walls with tropical flowers and birds.
We walk up to the register and I asked the lady "Sprechen sie english?" "No," she replies shaking her head. OH no. In anticipation of this I had looked up how to say "two adults and one child" in german, but choked under pressure and couldn't remember how to say adult. So, I turned to her and said the german word for two, then pointed to Ben and myself, then said the german word for one and pointed to Maddox. That worked well enough, we paid the fee and entered the play area.
There were two seperate play areas, one for chidlren under 4 and one for older children. The older section had a giant blow up slide in the shape of an alligator. You cimb in through the mouth, then slide down it's back. Every couple of minutes the mouth closes and it looks like the kids are getting eaten by the alligator. It was entertaining to watch.
Maddox's section had a ball pit with a slide that went into it, a bounce house, a bunch of little cars and trikes to ride around, and several other things to play with. He had a great time mostly riding the cars around and ramming into something every once in a while. He pulled his typical bully behavior by chasing a little german girl around and tried to steal everything she played with. Once we noticed that we put a stop to it. So, he found another little girl to chase and made her cry while she was going through the tunnel.
Ben was in the feild with Maddox most of the time while I took care of Carson in the table section.
He had fun playing with the toys too.
You could tell we were American by the Red Sox sweat suit Ben had to dress Maddox in. The German children were definitely dressed differently. They wore very tight pants and most of the time I couldn't tell which was a girl and which was a boy. Cultural differences I guess.
And Carson was chilled out most of the day. He's such a good baby :)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The German Driver's Test
Ben came home from work early today and picked me up to take me to take my driving test so I can get a USAER Liscense. The class started at 12:30, went until around 2:15 and then we started the test. They went over the german driving laws, some are different, others the same in the US. There is no speed limit on some parts of the autoban here, but the reccommended speed is 130K (80mph). Because of the high speeds your tires have to have a certain amount of tred and you have to have winter tires to drive from Oct - Easter (it's against the law if you don't). You also have to keep a special first aid kit and warning triangle in your car - but not in the trunk. The person going straight through the intersection does not have the right of way. Whoever is to your right goes first, if there is no one on your right then you can go. Another thing that I was raving about on a previous blog is the fact that you have to get two liscenses in order to drive out of Germany (just like we need two passports to travel out of country.) Apparently this is not the military's fault, it is the rest of Europe that is the problem. Certain countries won't accept a USAER driver's liscense, you need an international liscense. One example: England accepts the USAER Liscense, but France does not. You have to drive through France to get on the boat to England. Therefore, you need the international liscense to travel to England but not in England. I guess there are hefty fines involved. Similar to this is a safety vest that you have to keep in your car, not in the trunck. If you must get out of the car to get the vest you get fined.
So, I take the test and finish by 3, get a 92% and go to my eye exam.
My vision has gotten worse since having had my boys (yes, I am blaming it on pregnancy, not age) and my eye exam isn't until March. I have been stressing about wether or not I will be able to pass my eye exam so before I left for my test, Ben stuck his glasses in my pocket. We have come to the moment of truth. The examiner tells me to cover my right eye and read line B. It looked like a long black blob on the white paper. Well, not exactly that bad. I could distinguish a few letters, but not enough. Reluctantly I pulled out the glasses, put them on and read the line. So, the examiner marked "corrective lenses" on my liscense. That was the first step down from my high of passing the test.
The second step down (actually, the FALL down) from that high was when I pulled my phone out of my purse and turned it on (they made us turn our phones off for the test.) When it powered up it asked for a PIN. I started to panic. The first pin - wrong. The second pin - wrong. Two tries left before it locks me out. Wrong. Wrong. A message that says this phone can only be used for emergency calling appeared. Great. Did I have the house phone number or any phone numbers written down? Of course not (this is a bad habit that my generation has gotten into thanks to cell phones.)
I remembered calling Ben before the test to find out his office phone number because I had to fill it out on the form. I found my form, asked the examiner if I could use the phone and started calling hoping someone would answer and have my husband's number and could call him. If they couldn't call him maybe they could call the LT or our friend who works there and they could get in touch with Ben. I tried three times with no answer. There was noone in the office. Well, I thought, I'll just take the bus back to PHV (housing). I asked someone in the lobby where the bus stop was and headed out. The sun was shining, but it was still a little chilly. I got to the stop and checked the schedule. The next bus was supposed to come at 3:09. What time was it now? I had no watch and the clock on my phone was not visible because it was locked.
I walked into the USO to check the time and out the window I see the bus! I ran out of the buidling and across the parking lot to try to catch it. I didn't even come close to making it. I walk back into the USO and ask them if they have the phone number to the MP's on post. Maybe one of them will have my husband's number or someone elses number who has it. While she was searching for a number I saw another bus outside. I ran out and asked the driver if he was going to PHV. No, he was going to Manheim. As I was walking away, dissappointed, he yelled out "Next bus 5:08." By this time it was almost 3:30. Two soldiers got off the bus as he was yelling that and pointed out the spot to wait at. They told me that sometimes people will stop and give you a ride if they see you are sitting there waiting for the bus. They attempted to unlock my phone but couldn't. They told me I could go to the inprocessing center and they would probably have a number for the MP's. So, I walk over there and the friendly man at the counter and I start calling operators. We try several numbers and someone finally picks up. I asked if they had my husband's number. No, but they know who he is. What about our friend who works there. Yes! I write down her number, call it, it rings....and she picks up!! Yay!!!
I tell her what's going on and she said she will call my husband and tell him to pick me up. Finally! What a life-saver she is. I stand outside for what feels like eternity waiting on Ben to get there (it takes a while to load up the kids, drive up there, and get through the gate.) He gets there around 4:15 or so. What an ordeal. Some may call this an adventure, but I call it a headache.
At least I can drive!
Next, off to our first FRG meeting were Maddox was the loudest child in the room and the crankiest by the end. Yes!
So, I take the test and finish by 3, get a 92% and go to my eye exam.
My vision has gotten worse since having had my boys (yes, I am blaming it on pregnancy, not age) and my eye exam isn't until March. I have been stressing about wether or not I will be able to pass my eye exam so before I left for my test, Ben stuck his glasses in my pocket. We have come to the moment of truth. The examiner tells me to cover my right eye and read line B. It looked like a long black blob on the white paper. Well, not exactly that bad. I could distinguish a few letters, but not enough. Reluctantly I pulled out the glasses, put them on and read the line. So, the examiner marked "corrective lenses" on my liscense. That was the first step down from my high of passing the test.
The second step down (actually, the FALL down) from that high was when I pulled my phone out of my purse and turned it on (they made us turn our phones off for the test.) When it powered up it asked for a PIN. I started to panic. The first pin - wrong. The second pin - wrong. Two tries left before it locks me out. Wrong. Wrong. A message that says this phone can only be used for emergency calling appeared. Great. Did I have the house phone number or any phone numbers written down? Of course not (this is a bad habit that my generation has gotten into thanks to cell phones.)
I remembered calling Ben before the test to find out his office phone number because I had to fill it out on the form. I found my form, asked the examiner if I could use the phone and started calling hoping someone would answer and have my husband's number and could call him. If they couldn't call him maybe they could call the LT or our friend who works there and they could get in touch with Ben. I tried three times with no answer. There was noone in the office. Well, I thought, I'll just take the bus back to PHV (housing). I asked someone in the lobby where the bus stop was and headed out. The sun was shining, but it was still a little chilly. I got to the stop and checked the schedule. The next bus was supposed to come at 3:09. What time was it now? I had no watch and the clock on my phone was not visible because it was locked.
I walked into the USO to check the time and out the window I see the bus! I ran out of the buidling and across the parking lot to try to catch it. I didn't even come close to making it. I walk back into the USO and ask them if they have the phone number to the MP's on post. Maybe one of them will have my husband's number or someone elses number who has it. While she was searching for a number I saw another bus outside. I ran out and asked the driver if he was going to PHV. No, he was going to Manheim. As I was walking away, dissappointed, he yelled out "Next bus 5:08." By this time it was almost 3:30. Two soldiers got off the bus as he was yelling that and pointed out the spot to wait at. They told me that sometimes people will stop and give you a ride if they see you are sitting there waiting for the bus. They attempted to unlock my phone but couldn't. They told me I could go to the inprocessing center and they would probably have a number for the MP's. So, I walk over there and the friendly man at the counter and I start calling operators. We try several numbers and someone finally picks up. I asked if they had my husband's number. No, but they know who he is. What about our friend who works there. Yes! I write down her number, call it, it rings....and she picks up!! Yay!!!
I tell her what's going on and she said she will call my husband and tell him to pick me up. Finally! What a life-saver she is. I stand outside for what feels like eternity waiting on Ben to get there (it takes a while to load up the kids, drive up there, and get through the gate.) He gets there around 4:15 or so. What an ordeal. Some may call this an adventure, but I call it a headache.
At least I can drive!
Next, off to our first FRG meeting were Maddox was the loudest child in the room and the crankiest by the end. Yes!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Household Goods
We have been here for about a month and finally our household goods have arrived. We shipped it two months prior - must be a slow ship (as my grandmother said). The Army had lended us furniture while we were waiting for our things to arrive. Unfortunately they couldn't come and pick it all up before our things were delivered. So, we stacked it all on top of each other while the movers set up their tarps and prepared to unload the truck.
Here is the first truck with our Household Goods on it.
It was rainy and icey. They insisted on putting rock salt outside our entrance, so all day they were tracking in mud and giant granules of salt. Our floor was white by the time they were done.
The stacks.
The movers broke for lunch around noon for an hour. Right before they got back witht the second truck, the government showed up and loaded up all of their furniture. We were greatful to have had it, but glad it was finally out of the way. It's taken two weeks but things are mostly put away.
Here is the entrance.
The living room with our family photo wall,
The rest of the room with my Four Old Men painting, and Ben's Drill Sergeant Hat.
The dinning room.
Hallway
Maddox's room, which was clean 5 minutes ago. He is hiding behind his barn because he just went "number two".
The toddler bed that I put together with a can opener and a knife because I had no tools (quite proud of myself).
Germany is known for it's beer, but I was surpriesed to see that we are surrounded by little vineyards here, so last night we tried our first bottle of German wine. It was very good.
Today the weather is decent enough to take the boys out. It is still a little chilly when the sun isn't shining, but getting Maddox out of the house has got to be a priority. He had a great time playing on the little kid playground near our apartment.
I ran around the side of the playground and scared him.
ROAR!
Scared him again. He jumps, but he laughs so hard!
Loves the slide.
Carson was a good sport.
Pooped out early and taking up all of mommy and daddy's bed. This could be a problem....I think we need a king size.
They are the cutest!
Here is the first truck with our Household Goods on it.
It was rainy and icey. They insisted on putting rock salt outside our entrance, so all day they were tracking in mud and giant granules of salt. Our floor was white by the time they were done.
The stacks.
The movers broke for lunch around noon for an hour. Right before they got back witht the second truck, the government showed up and loaded up all of their furniture. We were greatful to have had it, but glad it was finally out of the way. It's taken two weeks but things are mostly put away.
Here is the entrance.
The living room with our family photo wall,
The rest of the room with my Four Old Men painting, and Ben's Drill Sergeant Hat.
The dinning room.
Hallway
Maddox's room, which was clean 5 minutes ago. He is hiding behind his barn because he just went "number two".
The toddler bed that I put together with a can opener and a knife because I had no tools (quite proud of myself).
Germany is known for it's beer, but I was surpriesed to see that we are surrounded by little vineyards here, so last night we tried our first bottle of German wine. It was very good.
Today the weather is decent enough to take the boys out. It is still a little chilly when the sun isn't shining, but getting Maddox out of the house has got to be a priority. He had a great time playing on the little kid playground near our apartment.
I ran around the side of the playground and scared him.
ROAR!
Scared him again. He jumps, but he laughs so hard!
Loves the slide.
Carson was a good sport.
Pooped out early and taking up all of mommy and daddy's bed. This could be a problem....I think we need a king size.
They are the cutest!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The 4 Castle Town - Neckarsteinach
Ben got his drivers license after a 2 hour class and written test on Thursday. On Friday, he drove to Manheim and picked up our car. Unfortunately, the car did not make the trip without getting a few bumps and bruises. There is damage on the side and on the bumper.
It was a disappointment, but the shipping company will fix it. I just hope they pay for a rental while it's getting fixed because we don't have another mode of transportation and I really don't feel like being car-less again.
We've been staying local and doing some sight seeing. There is alot to see around Heidelberg and in close driving distance. I'm happy that there is plenty to see and do in Germany because the Army makes you jump several hurdles in order to travel to any other countries in Europe. In a previous blog I wrote about the government passports, which are only good to get you in to Germany. In order to travel out of it and around Europe you have to purchase your own passport (which is the EXACT same thing except that there isn't a page stamped saying it's only to be used for unrestricted access into Germany.) I have a passport that is good until 2014, but we have to buy 3 more for all the boys, and one each for Morgan and Susan. If the passports weren't enough, now it turns out our drivers licenses are only good for driving in Germany. After sitting through the two hour class and taking the test, you have to get another license to drive in the rest of Europe, an international license. It seems to me that, if they are going to make us go through the inconvenience of being forced to live in a foreign country, they could at least make it easier for us to travel. Why not get both the licenses in the same day, or better yet, get one license that includes driving on post, in Germany, and the rest of Europe.
So today, Sunday, we decided to take a local excursion and drive down the Neckar River. There is a road called Castle Road (Burgenstrasse) that runs from Manheim to Prague and will take you past around 70 castles and fortresses. We stopped and got Maddox some german Capri Sun for the trip. I find it far less sweet than the american kind and like it much better.
I typed the name of the road into the GPS and it was a little rocky getting to it. I thought it was going to take us to downtown Heidelberg and follow the river around, but it ended up taking us over some mountains. We got in an argument because I told Ben to turn around go back to Heidelberg and he insisted on following the GPS up the hill and around winding roads. I was giving him the silent treatment because all I could picture was us ending up lost somewhere and me getting carsick from the constant curves. I took some pictures of some cute german neighborhoods, despite my protest.
At one point we came out of the woods and there was Neckarsteinach and it's 4 castles perched high on the hillside towering over the little city.
(Some photos didn't turn out very well because of the fog and glare from the sun - the sun sets very early here.)
It was rather chilly, but the sun was out so we decided to park the car and walk up to one of the castles. This was the only one we visited because of the weather, but we plan on returning to walk amongst the other 3 in the springtime. I did not do much research on this destination because it was a spur of the moment trip, but I did find out that these castles are from the 12th and 13th century. The path to the castle was steep and rocky, but Maddox, being Mr. Independent, insisted on walking by himself. We made it up at a slow and steady pace.
A man was kind enough to take our picture on the way down (too bad he cut out Carson.)
Maddox and Ben went to the top of the tower.
I stayed down below with Carson (I am the little red dot, if that gives you an idea of how high they were)
The view from the top.
Thick, stone walls
My boys :) Maddox is such a ham.
I have to find out what this statue is all about (I'll post when I know).
Don't know about this one yet, either.
It was a disappointment, but the shipping company will fix it. I just hope they pay for a rental while it's getting fixed because we don't have another mode of transportation and I really don't feel like being car-less again.
We've been staying local and doing some sight seeing. There is alot to see around Heidelberg and in close driving distance. I'm happy that there is plenty to see and do in Germany because the Army makes you jump several hurdles in order to travel to any other countries in Europe. In a previous blog I wrote about the government passports, which are only good to get you in to Germany. In order to travel out of it and around Europe you have to purchase your own passport (which is the EXACT same thing except that there isn't a page stamped saying it's only to be used for unrestricted access into Germany.) I have a passport that is good until 2014, but we have to buy 3 more for all the boys, and one each for Morgan and Susan. If the passports weren't enough, now it turns out our drivers licenses are only good for driving in Germany. After sitting through the two hour class and taking the test, you have to get another license to drive in the rest of Europe, an international license. It seems to me that, if they are going to make us go through the inconvenience of being forced to live in a foreign country, they could at least make it easier for us to travel. Why not get both the licenses in the same day, or better yet, get one license that includes driving on post, in Germany, and the rest of Europe.
So today, Sunday, we decided to take a local excursion and drive down the Neckar River. There is a road called Castle Road (Burgenstrasse) that runs from Manheim to Prague and will take you past around 70 castles and fortresses. We stopped and got Maddox some german Capri Sun for the trip. I find it far less sweet than the american kind and like it much better.
I typed the name of the road into the GPS and it was a little rocky getting to it. I thought it was going to take us to downtown Heidelberg and follow the river around, but it ended up taking us over some mountains. We got in an argument because I told Ben to turn around go back to Heidelberg and he insisted on following the GPS up the hill and around winding roads. I was giving him the silent treatment because all I could picture was us ending up lost somewhere and me getting carsick from the constant curves. I took some pictures of some cute german neighborhoods, despite my protest.
At one point we came out of the woods and there was Neckarsteinach and it's 4 castles perched high on the hillside towering over the little city.
(Some photos didn't turn out very well because of the fog and glare from the sun - the sun sets very early here.)
It was rather chilly, but the sun was out so we decided to park the car and walk up to one of the castles. This was the only one we visited because of the weather, but we plan on returning to walk amongst the other 3 in the springtime. I did not do much research on this destination because it was a spur of the moment trip, but I did find out that these castles are from the 12th and 13th century. The path to the castle was steep and rocky, but Maddox, being Mr. Independent, insisted on walking by himself. We made it up at a slow and steady pace.
A man was kind enough to take our picture on the way down (too bad he cut out Carson.)
Maddox and Ben went to the top of the tower.
I stayed down below with Carson (I am the little red dot, if that gives you an idea of how high they were)
The view from the top.
Thick, stone walls
My boys :) Maddox is such a ham.
I have to find out what this statue is all about (I'll post when I know).
Don't know about this one yet, either.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Two year olds and restaurants do not mix.
On Saturday we went to our first authentic german restaurant in Heidelberg. When Ben said we were ALL going out with another couple I had my reservations. I have taken Maddox to restaurants on rare occasions lately because, to put it bluntly, he is a little terror. This started happening somewhere between 15 and 18 months. He used to be the sweetest and most well behaved child..."used to be" is the key phrase.
The couple we were going out with have a 7 month old and Ben insisted Maddox would be fine, but the thought of it gave me a sour stomach. I really wanted to get out of the house and try some local food, so I agreed. The menu was all in german so we had no idea what to order, but the waiter was a kind older man who liked to put his two cents in. He reccommended some delicious dishes. I was going to try a schnitzel because that is traditional german food, but the waiter must have sensed my insecurities about it. I ended up having some kind of fish fillet, Ben had a pork steak, and Maddox ended up with french fries. We had planned on just sharing our dinners with Maddox because the waiter said it was a lot of food, but had to get him french fries after he loudly protested any fish, pork, or potatos. After two hours of Maddox screaming "NO", stealing food off our our friend's plates, and him trying to squirm out of his seat constantly we called it a night. I have come to the conslusion that restaurants and two year olds do not mix. I will only go out to eat if Maddox is left with a baby sitter from now on. We'll try again when he is three.
The couple we were going out with have a 7 month old and Ben insisted Maddox would be fine, but the thought of it gave me a sour stomach. I really wanted to get out of the house and try some local food, so I agreed. The menu was all in german so we had no idea what to order, but the waiter was a kind older man who liked to put his two cents in. He reccommended some delicious dishes. I was going to try a schnitzel because that is traditional german food, but the waiter must have sensed my insecurities about it. I ended up having some kind of fish fillet, Ben had a pork steak, and Maddox ended up with french fries. We had planned on just sharing our dinners with Maddox because the waiter said it was a lot of food, but had to get him french fries after he loudly protested any fish, pork, or potatos. After two hours of Maddox screaming "NO", stealing food off our our friend's plates, and him trying to squirm out of his seat constantly we called it a night. I have come to the conslusion that restaurants and two year olds do not mix. I will only go out to eat if Maddox is left with a baby sitter from now on. We'll try again when he is three.
Passing the time
We've been here for a few weeks and with no car or household goods we have been finding ways to pass the time. We have no cable because you can only get Armed Forces Network here. I watched some in the hotel and the shows seemed to be a season or two behind. Plus, I'm sure we will end up only watching kid shows and cartoons. The library here has over 6,000 DVD's so we are going to check those out, wait until we've watched them all, then decide if we want to invest in cable.
Maddox watches Baby Einstein, Finding Nemo, and Elmo's World several times a day (I tried to put in Monsters Inc so we could watch something I like, but it scared him. It will be a while before we get to watch that one again...rats). I've been watching seasons of the West Wing and Desperate Housewives on the laptop to save my sanity while feeding Carson 7 times a day. He's still waking up twice a night to eat, 2am and 5am, almost like clockwork. When Ben gets home we usually have dinner, drink some german beer - KrystalWeisen is my favorite - and play some cribbage. We also make some time to study for the dreaded drivers test. Driving is serious business here in Germany...although many of the german drivers don't even follow their own rules.
Ben losing in Cribbage for the first time.
Me, winning for the first time (I kicked his butt with a 24 point first hand).
Our first meal from a vendor in Germany: Yufka and Pommes Frites. I think the Yufka is Greek and the Pommes Frites are thick french fries with a special seasoning (the best french fries I have ever had.) The vendor hooked us in by giving Maddox a free bag of fries, so that means we have to go back again.
Maddox entertaining himself by wearing my boots around the house (of course we have a messy floor. Things get picked up after bedtime, we clean the floor, and the place is trashed again 10 minutes after wake up....and only a quarter of his toys are even here right now!)
Carson sleeping. Too bad it's not night time.
Brothers...
All dressed up and nowhere to go :(
Carson smiling. He's starting to laugh now too!
Maddox throwing a temper tantrum because I turned the TV off for the day. (two year olds are so much fun)
Maddox watches Baby Einstein, Finding Nemo, and Elmo's World several times a day (I tried to put in Monsters Inc so we could watch something I like, but it scared him. It will be a while before we get to watch that one again...rats). I've been watching seasons of the West Wing and Desperate Housewives on the laptop to save my sanity while feeding Carson 7 times a day. He's still waking up twice a night to eat, 2am and 5am, almost like clockwork. When Ben gets home we usually have dinner, drink some german beer - KrystalWeisen is my favorite - and play some cribbage. We also make some time to study for the dreaded drivers test. Driving is serious business here in Germany...although many of the german drivers don't even follow their own rules.
Ben losing in Cribbage for the first time.
Me, winning for the first time (I kicked his butt with a 24 point first hand).
Our first meal from a vendor in Germany: Yufka and Pommes Frites. I think the Yufka is Greek and the Pommes Frites are thick french fries with a special seasoning (the best french fries I have ever had.) The vendor hooked us in by giving Maddox a free bag of fries, so that means we have to go back again.
Maddox entertaining himself by wearing my boots around the house (of course we have a messy floor. Things get picked up after bedtime, we clean the floor, and the place is trashed again 10 minutes after wake up....and only a quarter of his toys are even here right now!)
Carson sleeping. Too bad it's not night time.
Brothers...
All dressed up and nowhere to go :(
Carson smiling. He's starting to laugh now too!
Maddox throwing a temper tantrum because I turned the TV off for the day. (two year olds are so much fun)
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