Kids over the weekend

As you can see I am busy.  I would be sharing more of my life otherwise!
We had Jackson and Evan over the weekend, their parents were attending a function at the Jersey Shore.  The boys were dropped off at Aunt Erika's, since M had watched Matthew and Jessica for three days last week, and Erika invited us to dinner (thanks Erika, it was delicious, I love fish tacos!).

Anyway, by the time we got home it was 8 o'clock in the evening, and the boys wanted to play.  Fine, let them play, they have to get adjusted to being in another house, and so on.  The were put to bed between 9 and 9:30, and finally were asleep by 10 PM.

We had a great day Saturday, we really didn't go anywhere, and the boys were happy to just play at home.  We started the day with chocolate chip pancakes and syrup, of course, let's wind them up, but good!
We finally decided to go to the playground in the afternoon, we brought the biggest toys along in a bag, and off we went.  The playground part of the excursion went fine, the walk to the baseball field not so good.  The heavens opened up and a thunderstorm of biblical proportions poured down on us.  We did survive - we literally live only steps from the schools - and finished the day out at home.

I decided to make it easy on myself and bring Evan (2 - two!) to bed first, let him go to sleep, and then have Jackson go to bed.
Well, good plan.
When I was finally ready to bring Jackson into the room - and it was very, very quiet from the bedroom - I opened the door and found this:

The bed stripped, the port-a-crib  he was supposed to be sleeping in collapsed, stuff all over the room - and him with a big happy grin on his face!
Me remaking the bed:

and minutes later, on our way to bed, just behind the kids:

And yes, Evan is in the crib, asleep.

His mother told me that they had to change his crib at home to a youth bed, and that she struggled with him to keep him in bed the first night in his bed.

Der Grund warum ich nicht mehr soviel blogge ist natuerlich dass der Alltag mich wieder hat.  

Letztes Wochenende hatten wir Evan und Jackson, da die Eltern an einer Feier am Strand in New Jersey teilnahmen.  M passte letzte Woche 3 Tage auf Matthew und Jessica auf, und Erika lud uns zum Abendessen ein, lecker, Fisch-Tacos!

Danach trafen wir die Eltern der Jungens mit den Jungens und brachten sie mit nach Hause.  Na, zuerst hiess es mal spielen.  So liess ich sie mal spielen und brachte sie erst spaeter ins Bett.  Es wurde 10 Uhr abends bevor die Kinder einschliefen.

Am naechsten Morgen gabs Pancakes mit Schokoladen chips und natuerlich Syrup, wir wollten die Kinder voller Zucker, wie es sich fuer Grosseltern gehoert!

Sie spielten den ganzen Tag, wir versuchten zum Spielplatz zu gehen, und hatten auch fuer etwas Spiel Zeit bevor uns ein Sturm in biblischen Groessen ueberraschte.  Nass nach Hause, es war natuerlich fuer die Kinder ein Abenteuer.

Ich versuchte dann Evan zuerst ins Bett zu stecken, gab ihm gut 45 Minuten Vorsprung, dachte schoen, alles funktioniert prima, hatte Jackson schon auf STille vorbereitet, und mache die Tuer auf, siehe erstes Bild.

Weiter brauche ich garnicht zu erzaehlen, ich schreibe nur, dass es wieder endlich 10 Uhr wurde, bevor die Kinder einschliefen.....

Und wir waren gleich hinterher.

August weekend with the boys

The boys, Jackson and Evan, are spending the weekend with us.  The week was filled with children, far and near.  M's granddaughter turned five, and M brought back a cuckoo clock for her and her cousin, who really wanted one.
We saw Matthew and Jessica, Jessica spending the work day with me and M yesterday since she didn't want to go to camp and cried crocodile tears.  I handed her some material, a needle, and showed her quickly how to use it, and she was busy for hours.  The three of us shared lunch, worked some more, and then left to pick up Matthew at soccer camp.  Erika took us all out to dinner, and after that we met the boys, brought them home, and (tried)  put them to bed.
A five and a two year old are as wiggly as puppies.  By ten o'clock they finally were asleep (past our bedtime), and we weren't far behind.
The plan for today?  No clue yet!

Die zwei Brueder, Evan und Jackson sind uebers Wochenende bei uns.  Die Woche war voller Kinder, weit weg und nah.  M's Enkeltochter wurde fuenf, und M brachte ihr und ihrem Cousin eine Kuckusuhr aus Deutschland.
Wir sahen Matthew und Jessica, Jessica verbrachte Freitag mit M und mir auf der Arbeit, da sie Krokodilstraenen weinte und nicht ins Tagescamp wollte.  Ich gab ihr Nadel, Faden und Stoff, zeigte ihr wie man ein paar Stiche macht, und sie verbrachte Stunden beim naehen.  Wir drei teilten uns Mittagessen, arbeiteten dann noch ein bisschen weiter, und holten dann Matthew vom Fussball Camp ab.  Erika lud uns zum Abendessen ein, und danach trafen wir Evan und Jackson un nahmen sie mit nach Hause, die Eltern wollen an einem Fest am Strand teilnehmen.
Ein Zwei- und ein Fuenfjaehriger sind so wibbelig wie Welpen.  Um zehn Uhr (nach unserer Bett-geh-Zeit) waren sie endlich eingeschlafen, und wir nicht lange danach im Bett.
Der Plan fuer heute?  Keine Idee!

 Greg and Evan

 Memories from the trip: Koblenz, Deutsches Eck

Baby

Remember the pregnant ladies in the photo while we were in Germany?

Well, Dani, the one in the white shirt, had her baby!
A little boy, David.

Congratulations, Dani and Holger!
We are so happy for you!

Everyday

Everyday has us back.  We're finally over our jet lag, and I don't want to hear how you get over it in two days, for me it takes a week.  It was funny to me to see M fall asleep at 7 PM, but I have to say I wasn't far behind.  We're finally over waking up at 3 to 4 AM, and actually overslept today until 5:30 AM!
Busy at work too, so busy, I lugged five packages to UPS!

Bits and pieces:
One bit: my dad would have been 94 years old today.  I don't think he would have liked being 94, he was way to active, and would have hated having to sit still and be careful, etc.

My daughter, who was in the hospital in Germany on our trip, had a dental implant done after she got home.  Not a good idea on a pregnant lady!  She was convinced it was infected, and had it removed.  Now she'll wait until after the baby is born, and then decide what to do about the infected tooth.
Pictures?  On the bottom.  I don't even know what I'll put!

Der Alltag hat uns wieder.  Wir sind endlich ueber dem Jetlag weg, und wachen zu normalen Zeit auf.  Egal was andere sagen, ich brauche eine Woche bis ich wieder hier bin.  Es war lustig, M zu sehen, als er um 19 Uhr einschlief, um um 300 Uhr wach zu werden!  Ich war natuerlich nicht weit hinterher.  Heute haben wir sogar normal bis 5;30 Uhr geschlafen.

Auch auf der Arbeit bin ich voll beschaeftigt, ich habe heute 5 Pakete zu UPS bringen muessen!

Mein Vater waere heute 94 Jahre alt geworden.  Ich glaube nicht, dass es ihm gefallen haette, 94 Jahre alt zu sein, er war so voll aktiv und voller Leben, dass er bestimmt nicht froh mit langsamer treten gewesen sei.

Meine Tocher, die in Deutschland im Krankenhaus war, hatte eine Zahnoperation 2 Tage nachdem sie nach Hause kam.  Keine gute Idee fuer eine Schwangere!  Sie war ueberzeugt, dass sich eine Entzuendung gebildet hatte, und liess das Knochenstueck, das einoperiert wurde, wieder rausholen. Jetzt wird sie warten bis das Baby geboren ist, und dann entscheiden, was sie tun wird.
Bilder?  Hach, ich leg doch einfach zu gern Bilder mit in den Blog.

 Das ist die Burg Stahleck, wie sie in meiner Jugend aussah.  

(photo courtesy of wikepedia)

This is the Castle Stahleck the way it looked when I was young.

and below the way it looks today

Und hier wie sie jetzt aussieht.

Unabux

Still thinking about the trip, still digesting memories, still thinking of moments during our time there.  So special to see loved ones, to travel with loved ones, to see things through the kids eyes, and one memory makes me laugh, but unfortunately someone only speaking English will not get it, but I'll try to explain.

When my children were growing up we went to Germany about every other year, and we would stay from four to six weeks.  During the really long vacations we would have a vacation within a vacation, going to Switzerland for two weeks at a time.

But I digress.  My children absorbed Germany, they watched Elvis movies on German television, they heard their friends and family speaking German, their grandparents - my mother tried, my dad never spoke a word of English.  Anyway, the kids learned German during those times, enough to develop an interest in the language, they all took German in high school, and I am proud to say, all three of them understand and speak it.  Not necessarily perfect, but they can make their point, understand, and even supply a word or two that I'm searching for.

But sometimes the local dialect comes through.  So it was in Koblenz, as we were walking through the shopping area and came across a stand with beautiful underwear - boxers - in lovely fabrics.  Looking back I should have bought at least one pair.  What caught my eye was the name on the stand "Unabux" which is a dialect word, roughly translated into the English equivalent of 'undies'.

So I mentioned the to me funny name, and she looked at me with a blank expression, saying 'so, isn't that what it's called?'

After I got done laughing, I had to explain that 'unabux' is a colloquialism, and that 'Unterhose' is the correct term.

(Deutsche Version nach den Fotos, wer noch soviel Geduld hat!)

 M getting on Max to take a ride around the block (don't forget, Max is a clydesdale!)

 This is back on the left Rhein side, us climbing (having the time of our lives) on the Rheinstieg

Das ist wieder auf der linken Rheinseite, (wo wir uns pudelwohl fuehlten, als wir auf dem Rheinstieg zwischen St. Goar und Oberwesel rumkletterten)

 Really, who does that?!

Wirklich, wer macht sowas?!

 Not a grandmother of 6 1/2!

Keine Grossmutter von 6 1/2!

Ach, es hat riesig Spass gemacht!

Oh, it was such fun!

Als meine Kinder aufwuchsen, wurden sie alle zwei Jahre oder so ins Flugzeug gesteckt und zu Oma und Opa - natuerlich mit mir - geflogen.  Meine Kinder koennen alle drei deutsch, nicht unbedingt perfekt, aber sie koennen sich verstaendigen (wie meine schwangere Tochter in drei Tagen Krankenhaus bewies).  Als sie in Deutschland waren, redeten sie mit Verwandten, Freunden, Oma und Opa - Opa konnte kein Wort englisch, die Oma versuchte es wenigstens - und deutschem Fernsehen.  Eine Nebenwirkung davon war, dass manche Verwandte/Bekannte Dialekt sprachen.  Was weiter nicht schlimm ist, aber oft kommen die Nachwirkungen Jahre spaeter.

Wir waren in Koblenz, Stadt wo meine Mutter aufwuchs, und kamen an einem Stand vorbei mit wunderschoenen Unterhosen - Boxers - aus ganz tollen Stoffen genaeht, und auf dem Stand war der Name 'Unabux' (laut sagen).  Ich fand es lustig, und erwaehnte es im Gespraech mit meiner Tochter.  Die mich verstaendnislos anschaute, und sagte, das ist doch der Name von 'underpants'.  Als ich mich vom lachen erholte, musste ich sie erst einmal aufklaeren, dass 'unabux' ich denke sehr lokal in unserer Gegend benutzt wird.  Es tut mir jetzt natuerlich leid, dass ich erstens keine 'unabux' kaufte, und zweitens sie nicht wenigstens fotografierte!

Ausserdem muss ich doch noch erwaehnen, dass ich es total langweilig finde, den Text, den ich in englisch schreibe Wort fuer Wort zu uebersetzen.  Deshalb hat der deutsche Text zwar vielleicht inhaltlich dasselbe, aber ich schreibe lieber frei Schnauze, als nochmal dasselbe.  Doch, ich kanns, ich hab Jahre Konversationen zwischen meinen Eltern und der gesammelten Verwandschaft/Bekanntschaft in den Staaten gemacht, unzaehlige Speisekarten uebersetzt von einer Sprache in die andere, auf beiden Seiten des Atlantiks, bis ich selbst keinen Hunger mehr hatte.

Ich bitte um Verstaendnis, und wuensche ein schoenes Wochenende!

vacation over, back home

We landed back home in the US today.  After a long bumpy boring flight. While one sits on the plane it seems like it's forever, and once back on land, it seems to have passed so fast.  And home seems so far away on vacation and the vacation so far away once home.
We did have a whirl wind vacation.  It started with two and a half days in Germany, staying on the Hunsrueck, and visiting all over the place.  We walked on the Rheinsteig on the 'wrong' side the first day there, and took photos of one of my favorites places along the Rhine River.

One day with my brother and his wife just the four of us, plus their two new puppies, Eurasians, named Alice and Cooper.  Get it?  Not me, it took me three days!
On the second day the girls and their families arrived, with their children.  On Sunday we had a get-together with the people we love and don't see often enough.  Three pregnant ladies, and the others.  Mu sister-in-law did a fabulous job organizing the party, we had plenty of food, and a lot of fun.

On Monday we drove through France to the very south of Germany, in the three-country-corner of France, Germany and Switzerland, where my other brother lives.  We stopped for lunch in Colmar, and with our combined (non)knowledge of French managed to order red wine, Flammkuchen, and pasta.

We had sleeping babies, storchs, and a pile of kids.  We had horses, dogs, and cats, and we went up a Swiss mountain.  We had a scare of an early arrival of a baby, and a pregnant mom who spent two nights/days in the best hospital she could be in, the University hospital in Freiburg in the Black Forest.  We ate supper at a castle on the terrace outside, we went for coach rides, we rode up a mountain in Switzerland in a cable car to the very top, we lunched at a castle back in Germany in style, we visited the Marksburg castle in Germany, and we stayed overnight in Burg Stahleck, a castle in Bacharach, which was converted into a youth hostel.
My grandchildren were scandalized at the concept of sharing a bathroom with strangers, we took a long walk in the woods and introduced the children to ant hills in the woods.  We checked out the crane that is simply huge and erects the power-producing windmills.

We visited with family and friends.  And didn't say thank you often enough.  But we felt it.  And now I'll say good night to nurse my jet lag.

Update

Nicole is still in the hospital and the decision will be made today on whether or not she'll go home on Monday.
Everything is fine, no change, however, and of course we're hoping it'll be okay.

In the meantime, we're seeing a lot of the area.  We were in Switzerland on top of a mountain, and loved it (which also might be the reason Nicole is in the hospital, it was very high, over 2,000 meters, or 7,000 feet), with climbing to the tops of the mountain from the cable car.

Vacation with hic ups

We are having a great time on vacation.  Germany, then a brief trip through the Alsace region of France, back to the very South of Germany, and a day trip to the top of Pilatus Mountain in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The next day a trip through Freiburg was on the agenda.  Yes, we did make it to Freiburg, but with one side trip to the hospital, since the pregnant one had some complication, and they are keeping her for a couple of days.  We are confident she and the baby will be fine.

Big Trip

We're preparing for a big trip.  Today!  Packing, printing e-tickets, washing, making last minute preparations, hoping everything will go all right, charging batteries, looking for things, washing the soles of sneakers....
Unfortunately I will not be able to meet with other bloggers, I'm sorry!  My daughters and their families are also going - it was their idea originally, they asked if we wanted to come along - and the time, which is short to begin with - is already allotted to family, sight-seeing and friends.  Since M will be in Germany for the first time, there is lots to show.

If I get a chance, I'll show pictures, and share a little bit.

Wir bereiten uns auf eine grosse Reise vor.  Heute!  Packen, e-tickets drucken, waschen, last-minute preps, Batterien aufladen, fuer 'verlorene' Sachen suchen, die Sohlen der Sneakers fuer den Koffer waschen....
Leider wird es mir nicht moeglich sein, mit anderen bloggern zu treffen.  Tut mir sehr leid!  Meine Toechter und Familien fliegen auch mit, es war ihre Idee, ich fand es total lieb, dass sie mich fragten, ob wir mitkommen wollen.  Die Zeit ist kurz, wir treffen uns/besuchen Brueder und Freunde, und die kurze Zeit, die uebrig bleibt ist zum sight-seeing vorbehalten, da es M's erster Besuch in Deutschland ist, und es gibt viel zu zeigen.

 Matthew playing baseball

 We had Jackson and Evan over the weekend