Sick and home, but not homesick

Hello everyone. Perhaps some of you have been wondering where we've been. I didn't want to put this out on the internet before, but Greg left three weeks ago for some training, so the kids and I were all alone (not really a thing to tell to the general public). I decided that I'd had enough and needed to come home, so I caught a space-a flight in a C17 cargo jet back to the States on Sunday. My friend Jillian, another Captain's wife came with us, and was a tremendous help. I couldn't have done this trip without her. It took us 4 days of waiting at the Air Force base to finally get a flight that could seat us, but it's worth it just to be home. My mom and Jonathan came to pick us up at McGuire in NJ, and I felt like I would cry with relief when I saw their car drive up. It was a long trip.

No more details right now -- I have a head cold and fever, but it's just good to be here. All I wanted was my mom. I have things that I need to do, a list of stuff to buy etc. before going back in a few weeks, but for right now I think I'll just hibernate for a little while.

I'll try to post pictures of the kids etc. soon, but for now I just need to lie down. It's good to be home.

Berlin

(This post contains large photo collages. If you wish to see all of these pictures and more, click on the collage and it will take you to that particular photo set. I created 5 sets for this trip, according to subject.)

Honestly, when we decided to go to Berlin for a few days, I had no idea what to expect. I knew a tiny bit about the historic aspects of the city, but nothing more. Hannah had been there though, earlier this year, and based on her recommendation and those of a few other friends, we booked four nights in a hostel called Odyssee, and set off.

As it turned out, the city was fascinating. We stood next to the Berlin Wall and started to understand it for the first time.

Strangely ugly and beautiful all at once. The painting of the walls began years before the two sides of Berlin were reunited in an expression of individual protest from the West (the free side, and the only side that was also free to touch it).

We bought some books about it, and have been learning more about it. (You can also read about it at Wikipedia here..)

The boys had a great time at the zoo. In the top left corner, you can see how Lavella was able to stay warm, even on that cold and rainy day (can you spot her?)


We also visited a huge museum, and spent a whole day there.


We also spent some time at Unter den Linden, saw the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis-Kirche (the roof was bombed out, but the church still stands, with modern portions built up on either side).

In this collage, you can also peek into the hostel we stayed at. Does anyone know the signifigance of the orange/purple/yellow mural in the bottom two rows below? It was painted across one wall of our room, and depicted some important Berlin landmarks (the Fernsehturm TV tower, for one) along with a woman in a purple hat. We couldn't figure out what it was supposed to mean.


And of course, there was the food. We ate at some hole-in-the-wall places and did a bit of fine dining as well. Quite honestly, the "finest" of the dining I found a bit pretencious, but at another restaurant just a step lower, we had some of the best Italian food we've ever had in our lives. Seriously.

In the top left corner, you can see Andrew enjoying a Kombucha Tea. This was the first time I'd found it for sale anywhere, and it's very tasty. I wish that I knew someone who would share a Kombucha mushroom with me, because I'd love to be able to make it at home.

In the bottom row, you can see the chocolate shop we visited, Melanie (on the corner of Goethestrasse and Knesebeckstrasse, in case you ever want to stop by). Some of the truffle flavors we purchased included lavendar, thyme, rosemary, and curry. I'm pretty sure it was some of the best chocolate I've ever had in my life. The actual address of this place is Goethestrasse 4, Charlottenburg.

Alltogether we had a wonderful trip, and I'd love to go back sometime.

The German Mall

Yesterday, I went to a German mall for the first time. Greg stayed home with the boys, so it was just Lavella and I with my friend Jillian.

(This is on top of the parking garage)

Jillian is American, so between the English conversation and the familiar surroundings, I almost felt like I was back in the States again.

There were, however, some differences. Like this produce store tucked into a corner.

There was also a fresh pasta and cheese counter. You just don't see that back home, where malls are the land of the ultra-processed with nary a fresh thing to be found.

Jillian and I couldn't help giggling about these transparent boxer-briefs in the men's section of one of the department stores.

(I claim no responsibility for ending up there.)

We visited my favorite store, H&M, and Jillian bought Lavella some dresses that were just too cute to pass up. Of course we had to dress her in one of them right away (she's my tiny baby-doll).

I also made a few purchases. I've been wanting a hat with a bill for a while, to keep out the sun while playing outside with the boys. The trouble is, I look terrible in hats. At H&M, I finally found one that suited me.

I've also been wanting some wide, fabric headbands for a long time, and keep telling myself that I'll just sew some up. I've got fabric, I've got elastic, how hard can it be to just sit down and make them? Apparently, too hard for me.

I adore this one, and don't regret the purchase. In fact, I think that I need about 20 more.

Of course, there was a souvenir yarn purchase. What's a trip to the mall without some new sock yarn?

I know the colors are insane (my question is, what nation does this represent?!), but I couldn't put it down once I'd picked it up, so it just had to come home with me.

There was also a huge pink hat for Lavella, but I didn't take any pictures of it, so instead I leave you with a photo of another (similar) hat in yellow that we got the other day, along with the boys at the playground, sending their trucks and cars down the slide.

Only in Germany....

So I thought I'd include a few random snapshots of things you'd probably not see in the US...


Keg mounted to the back of a motorcycle....


Public cigarette dispenser (older picture of Faith)....


Driving on the autobahn (oh yeah!). This was always one of my life's goals. I found out that, although our four cylinder Jetta says it can go 140 mph, it actually governors out at 125. But, as I've experienced, it's not very safe driving much over 120 anyway. 100 is a good, average cruising speed, and any slower than 80, you're causing more of a hazard for everybody else.

Krauterfest

Today we went to a Krauterfest (herb festival), celebrating garden life. Click on the collage for more details about our adventure.



Lavella is exactly 2 months old.

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads!

Elijah's birthday weekend

Here's the photo set from Elijah's birthday. Click on the mural above to look through all the pics and read descriptions, if you'd like. (The children are referred to with their "public bloggable" names of Sparky, Max and Daisy, since that photo account also hosts pics for my fiber blog. If you leave a comment on any of the pictures on that site, please do not use their real names. Thanks!)

Another big box...

Here are the things that came in a box from Greg's side of the family (Poppy & Nana, Aunt Dawn, Grandpa D & Grandma D):
Each of the boys got a full set of "Cars" movie cars ("Light-min A-queen", according to both boys), a bunch of monster trucks, granola bars, an outfit for Lavella, etc.
Greg blew up some of the baloons included in the box into....um, interesting shapes.

Just one more picture...
It's all about the boots.

Thank you!!

Birthday boy!

Yesterday, Elijah turned 2. I would have blogged on the day, but I decided that he'd rather have his mommy all to himself rather than hanging out on the computer. (Blogging really takes a heck of a lot of time, when it comes down to it!)

Anyway, we had a nice day with some of the boys favorite activities: stamping and coloring with my art supplies (they get to use their own any day, but mine are only for special occasions where I'm willing to directly supervise and prevent destruction of my stuff), some new videos from the library, boxed macaroni & cheese for dinner cooked by Daddy (score for me -- I didn't have to cook; score for Elijah -- he could eat his favorite food), ice cream after dinner at the Eis shop nearby, and an elastic bedtime (they finally got in bed a little after 9 instead of the usual 8. I mean, you don't turn 2 every day now, do you?)

All in all, I think that he had a pretty fun day. We didn't buy him any gifts; we haven't bought either of the boys Christmas or birthday gifts yet since extended family showers them so heavily with things, and also because when they're this young, they don't expect it.

I had promised a while ago of pictures of the boys opening a huge box from Aunt Terry and Grandma Annette. In the meantime, yet another box came for Elijah (apparently the first box was for Lavella's birth, with extras for the boys -- the second box was just for Elijah's birthday!)

Here's the first one:

They were super excited, as always. "A box! For us!! Let's open it right now!"

I made sure they'd had breakfast first, because I had a feeling there would be candy...

Sure enough, there was some, but thankfully not too much. The boys were especially thrilled about the honey wheat pretzels and the play-dough eggs. The play-dough has kept them happy on more than one occasion since. There were also two DVD's, which have been greatly enjoyed (I especially like the Veggie Tales one, "Moe and the Big Exit". Very cute!)

Behind them you can see a brand new swing for Lavella. She loves it, and has taken several naps in there already. She's not so good with the naps, so anything that helps her sleep is wonderful to have around. This particular swing is especially cool, because it's portable and I can just bring it wherever I'm going to be in the house. I can carry it with one hand, which is key when the other arm is holding a fussy baby.

Not pictured is a beautiful Ralph Lauren crochet/cotton little one piece outfit for Lavella. She's nearly big enough to wear it, and as soon as I put it on her for the first time I'll be sure to take a picture.

The second box had a huge model of Lightening McQueen from the Cars movie (a current favorite around here since Christmas). Andrew was very sad that there wasn't one for him too, but Elijah was completely delighted, and pushed the noisy buttons all day. Aunt Terry told my dad that she'd sent Elijah something that he would love, and that I might really dislike. I'm sure this was said with much evil laughing. You're right Aunt Terry, Elijah does love it.
He wouldn't turn around for the picture, because he was guarding it from Andrew, who was creeping towards him, ready for the attack. You can see him looking at a Cars movie coloring book, which was also included in the gift. I've scanned in a bunch of the pages so that the boys can share them and re-use it. (Cheap, or thrifty?)

Elijah and Lavella have also recently received generous checks from Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Bob. Thank you to both of you as well! Elijah will be buying some molded plastic dinosaurs with his money; we'll go out shopping next week, and I'll make sure he knows who supplied the funds.

Another large box arrived this week from Greg's family, which will be blogged as soon as we get some pics.

We also have some pictures of last night and today, because we've been out at the beer festival, but I'll post those later. Have a great weekend everyone!

Greg's Update....

I know that some of you have been concerned that, amidst the busyness of my current job, and the flurry of activity surrounding the new baby, I’ve been unable to keep up with the ever evolving music scene. Well dear friends, let me set your minds at ease and give you a quick update on Greg’s recent musical ventures.

Although somewhat difficult at first, I have, with relative ease, tapped into the local music scene, and have attended two great shows in the past couple of months.

In February I went to Trier (about 45 minutes from our town) to see Origin, Misery Index, and Necrophagist play. Unfortunately the band I was really there to see (Necrophagist) had to cancel, but such is life, I guess, in the underground music scene. The venue was a bit small, but I was able to get some pretty good pictures, and the bands were great.

In April I went to Saarbrucken (about 40 minutes away) to see the Mad Caddies. I hadn’t seen them play since 1998, when one of my college roommates and I saw them in Raleigh, NC. Anyway, I’d never been to Saarbrucken before, but it was very easy to find, and it actually turned out to be a pretty hip town. They have a lot of really nice restaurants, a college, museums, and a great live venue called The Garage, where I saw the Caddies play. The venue was quite large, and afforded plenty of room to move around a get some really great pictures. The band was amazing, as usual (one of my favorite live bands), and they even put their new record up for sale four days early since it was the kick-off of the tour.

In a few weeks I’m going to Trier again to see Leng Tch’e, who I’ve never gotten to see live before.

Also, for those who care, here are the top 15 albums on my iPod playlist.

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster – II
Phenomenal dirty, hard-southern rock. I’ve always loved this particular style, and these boys pull it off like a swift baseball bat to the face. This one definitely has to be played at full volume with all the windows down.
Over The Rhine – Live From Nowhere, Vol. II
OTR’s annual Live… series just gets better every single year. I still can’t believe these guys aren’t huge.
Leng Tch’e – Merasmus
Very well done and very heavy death-grind. Slightly less grind and a little more death than their previous efforts, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that whatsoever.
Zikrayat – Live At Lotus
This Brooklyn-based ensemble plays a wide variety of Arabic music styles. Previously available only as Podcast excerpts, their songs are now finally available on plastic. The recording quality is quite good, despite it being live, and all of the different instruments are exhibited quite well.
Virgin Black – Requiem – Mezzo Forte
The middle album of their very ambitious, three-part Requiem… series. Beautifully performed gothic-classical, featuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and guest guitarist, Mark Kelson (The Eternal).
Lovedrug – Everything Starts Where It Ends
Finally (!), the long awaited follow-up to Pretend You’re Alive, and it has definitely been worth the wait.
Mad Caddies – Keep It Going
I think this is like their sixth album or something, and it just might be their best ever. These guys are just a lot of fun. They remind me of many of my friends from growing up.
Belle And Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
Jack Black mocked these guys in High Fidelity but I really like them. This record is a bit more consistent than Dear Catastrophe Waitress and, for some reason, I like Stuart’s voice better on this one.
Sixteen Horsepower – Folklore
Definitely one of my favorite bands of all time. A sound like none other.
Seckou Keita – Afro-Mandinka Soul
Seckou is, in my opinion, the best Kora player in the world. And not only is he a master of the Kora, but also an excellent percussionist of many traditional African drums.
The Innocence Mission – We Walked In Song
Although I have been a very devoted Innocence Mission fan for many years, I still like Birds Of My Neighborhood and Befriended the best. Not that this record is bad whatsoever, I just really like some of the older ones better.
mewithoutYou – Brother, Sister
This was my record-of-the-year for 2006. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, well what’s wrong with you!!!
The Cassettes – ‘Neath The Pale Moon
I originally got into these guys because Shelby Cinca, formerly of Frodus and Decahdron fronts the band. Very unique sound, including a theremin, played by a master theremin player, who’s been playing for over 20 years. He also makes them and sells them on the band’s website for a mere $250.00!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Baby 81
Another stylistic change on BRMC’s fourth album. Rock and roll how it should be played.
The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
This album is automatically my favorite of all Arcade Fire albums simply because they included little flipbooks with the CD. Who can resist trying little flipbooks?


Book Recommendations:



They Like Jesus But Not The Church, by Dan Kimball
Faith and I are both raving fans of this book. A lot of the discussion therein has confirmed many of the frustrations I’ve been voicing for a long time, and it’s good to know that I’m not the only one. Dan includes real interviews from many of his friends, some of whom have either left organized church groups or who aren’t a part of any church, and he gets their opinions and perspectives. Actually I find myself a lot like many of the ‘they’ who are featured in this book. Faith and I give this one our highest recommendation.

Preaching Re-Imagined, by Doug Pagitt
A follow-up to his book Church Re-Imagined, Doug presents a very well thought out, and very well written, objective look at what the act of preaching has become in many churches. He argues that preaching has essentially become glorified speech making, or ‘speaching’, as he calls it. Doug presents the fact that this speaching act has developed, within many churchgoers, the expectancy to just sit, week-in and week-out, being ‘speached’ to, with no real depth being rooted in their lives. His solution is a term he has coined, ‘progressional dialogue’, one in which the body of believers are actively involved in the message, not just a one-person-show being presented every week. I think if more Christians put some of these ideas into practice, the church as a whole would truly become the active, missional, body that everyone seems to talk a lot about, but never really sees the full fruit of. Faith and I also give this book our highest recommendation.

G'night, sweets

Today we went to the story hour at the library on post for the first time. I was hoping that the boys and I might find some friends. There was one other mother there, with her little girl. My boys were so incredibly shy and reticent to even look at anyone, that the other mother and I never even spoke to each other. Andrew just stood outside the door of the room for the first 20 minutes, and then lay on the floor with his hat over his face for the rest of the time. Even peanut butter cookies and strawberry Fig Newtons weren't doing it for him. My goodness.

The two ladies directing the story time ended it by having the children re-pot these flowers, which was so sweet. Elijah finally decided to help shovel some of the dirt in, but Andrew crouched behind my chair. As soon as everyone left, the boys tongues were suddenly loosed again, and it was all questions, all the time (back to normal).

We checked out some videos and I got the first Harry Potter book on audio. I've been wanting to read them to see what all the fuss is about for a while now. Jom told me that they were very well written and enjoyable. I knit and spin so much though that I don't make the time to read all that often, so I have really enjoyed getting into audio books recently. I'll keep you all posted on what I think of this one.

After that, we went to the post office, picked up some things at the commissary, stopped by Greg's work to have lunch with him, then back to the commissary for stuff we forgot the first time around. We got back home at 3, and Elijah was totally exhausted, but thankfully he went down well for his nap (even though I may have given him a little bit of chocolate...)

Here's two videos for you. The first, Elijah says what I say to him when I put him down to sleep ("G'night, sweets"), and in the second, Lavella smiles (she really does at the end), and Elijah is drinking a bottle. They were recorded yesterday.

(Notice that Lavella's little head is still bobbing around, even though Elijah is "putting her to bed")


(They're all lined up for assembly-line diaper changing)