The leftovers bandit

Taylor has figured out that there is yummy food out on the table after meal time. We often catch him on the table eating whatever is there. Sometimes he gets soggy cereal. Other times he gets lucky and finds the Nutella.

The last snow storm...I hope

I started working on this blog about a week ago (I got distracted.) Since then, the weather is approaching spring-like. It was 55 degrees today. But, two weeks ago one of my friends said that this the coldest winter in Germany in 100 years. I don't know if that is true, but I feel lucky to be a part of it.........not really.

Residency is over

Greg has always been helpful. Let's just say that he is even more helpful than ever. Comments from him include, "don't eat that in here....I just vaccuumed," and "are you going to clean up that hot cocoa you spilled on the counter?"

I love it.

A king is crowned

Our kids know good chocolate when they taste it, probably from a combination of tasting the good chocolate here in Germany and the sophisticated chocolate taste of my husband. They frequently make comments about lesser forms chocolate....."this isn't cocoa, it is hot milk," "this isn't a chocolate cookie, it is just brown."

I told them that they are used to having very rich cocoa because their dad likes to make it really thick with chocolate sludge on the bottom. They agreed. Because of the influence their dad they are lovers of dark, rich chocolate.

The other day Micah tried to pull one over on Greg. While Greg was getting the kids off to school, he asked Micah what I normally put in his lunch. Micah responded...."a sandwhich....and chocolate chips." "Really? Chocolate chips?" Greg responded. "No," said Micah, "but since you are the Chocolate king.....I thought I would try....."

Taylor the Arsonist

It has been known for some time now that Taylor likes to turn the knobs on our stove. We removed all of the knobs, fearing that he might start a fire. I never thought to worry about the stoves of my friends.....regrettably.

The other day we visited our friends the Booths. We enjoyed a nice visit and left their home without worrying about checking the kitchen. Since Nikki had to pick up her husband from work, they left with us. At about 8pm we received a phone call informing us that the came home to a kitchen full of glass shards and burned cake. Taylor had turned on two burners. One burner had left over cake in a pyrex pan. After being on the stove for four hours, it exploded. The other burner had a pot holder only centimeters away. Fortunately it didn't catch on fire.

That night we said thank you prayers that their house didn't catch on fire and that no one was in the kitchen when the cake exploded. Now we check the kitchens of the houses we visit.

The raisin drawer

Since we don't have much closet space, or very many cabinets, we needed some storage solutions. One of the answers was a buffet. It is very handy with ten drawers, which are just the right size for linens, silverware and teacups. Taylor has also found the drawers quite convenient. He adopted one just his size. After the buffet was delivered, he opened the drawer and dumped in his box of raisins and returned periodically for a quick snack.

After we found my cell phone (after a week of looking) amongst Taylor's stash, we learned to look in Taylor's raisin drawer first before anywhere in the house. Things that we have found in his drawer include: various toys, pokemon cards, dried up bread, Micah's shoe, keys, etc. One thing, however didn't quite fit. One day I walked into the diningroom and saw a very frustrated Taylor who was trying his hardest to stuff our mop into his little drawer. I tried to get a picture, but once he saw me laughing he decided it wasn't a such a good idea.

Happy Valentines Day

For a combined valentines day and birthday present, Greg planned a trip back to Dresden. I was disappointed that we couldn't see the Opera house the first time we visited, so he purchased tickets and arranged for a babysitter so we could attend a concert on February 13th. It was a quick trip, but we enjoyed the alone time in the car, the night life of Dresden, and the concert itself. The car ride was pleasant. It took five hours and we planned on listening to books on CD. We didn't listen to much, because we ended up talking most of the time. It is amazing how much conversation is better when kids are not interrupting. We also enjoyed stopping where WE wanted to for lunch, QUICK bathroom breaks and listening to the music of OUR choice.

We arrived at our hotel in time to get settled and enjoy a nice dinner before getting ready for the concert. The hotel was conveniently located in the city center so we could walk everywhere. The city was alive with activities, since it was the 64 aniversary of the bombing of Dresden. People were everywhere. There were concerts and memorial services at all of the churchs. People were placing candles at the base of the Frauenkirche and wearing white roses.

The concert started at 8pm and was amazing. It was a sold out performance of Verdi's Requiem mass. We had great seats and could feel the energy from the performers. The concert began and ended without applause. When the music ended, the entire audience stood up without clapping and there was a minute of silence for those who died in the bombing. It was very dramatic.

Upon leaving the opera house, the streets were again filled with people. All the church bells began tolling while people walked around town holding candles.

I am not a boot girl

After writing this blog, this is how I found Sadie. She likes them, a boot girl through and through.

Okay, so I finally succombed to boot pressure, for three reasons. My legs are not what they used to be, it is stinking cold outside and it is no fun wearing a dress in winter. Also, I have several skirts that might look better worn with a pair of boots. The only problem is that I feel a little bit out of my comfort zone. I don't necessarily trust my opinion when it comes to fashion and I definitely don't like to stand out. So, I am soliciting the help of those of you, who are the fashion experts. The boots in question. I wanted something with a heel, black, and in expensive.

It was a little bit difficult to take a picture with Taylor, but I got some decent shots.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I could also use some opinions on "how" to wear boots, ie skirt length, style, etc..........

And please cast a vote!