Aachen, 06.08.2014 Rhineland visit
While Tobi and I had only the chance to stay one night in Aachen, Mia and Moritz enjoyed their school holiday at my parents place. They visited a garden show, a raptor show, and (almost) a castle, and spent some time with my aunt Irmgard and uncle Gerhard.
Potsdam, 10.08.2014 Karl Foerster Garden
We have never been here before, but it is a great location not only to take a look at plants, but also to buy some that differ from the usual DIY store collection.
Querfurt, 23.08.2014 Fridolin
I am blessed with not only two kids of my own, but with four great godsons too, Fridolin being the youngest one of them. We were lucky to spent the weekend with the entire family, enjoying each others company and some wonderful old mirabelle and plum trees covered in fruits.
Berlin, 03.10.2014 Picture postcard perfect
Mia enjoyed dressing up at Moritz last birthday party so much that she wanted to have the same kind of activity for her party, too. Here are some of the pics Tobi turned into picture postcards with funny backgrounds afterwards. The party was relaxed, with kids playing with Playmobil (which they actually rarely play with on normal occasions) and filling sticker albums. I enjoyed having girls and boys still mixed up and was wondering, how long that peace will still last?
Somewhere close to Treuenbriezen, 04.10.2014 Secrets
I just finished a great book "The omnivores dilemma", and remember a certain paragraph where the author writes on mushroom hunting. He states that most of those 'hunters' never take strangers or even friends with them to look for mushrooms since they want to keep their spots secret avoiding others to collect their 'prey'. We actually love to take friends and meet strangers while doing so, since the woods surrounding Berlin are simply big enough for everyone to get fed. This year, we went so often, that we had to dry some of the mushrooms, letting them hang from the kitchen ceiling. Julia visiting was delighted: 'your kitchen now looks like one of the Janosch pictures, with tiger and bear preparing food for winter time.' Proud that it does!
Berlin, 10.10.2014 Autumn festival in Mias class
Berlin, 12.10.2014 Dirty little funny war
Sorry, Mia, that it had to be you, but I have to post this. Now and then, one of our kids is in a certain mood to decide that he/she does not really like what is on the table for breakfast/lunch/dinner. It's what I could call a dirty little funny war between kids (fussing on something simply to get attention) and parents (having the duty to teach kids we can 1. all be happy that here is enough food and that kids are simply to young and stupid to understand how spoiled they already are with our choices) Tobi and I share the opinion that we are both able to cook quite well and that is is just too boring chosing just the favourite foods of our kids, since we would be stuck with mashed potato and spinach, pizza, pasta, rice, tofu and soup for Mia and an extra Bratwurst and meatballs for Moritz. So now and then, a war has to be fought, that might include flying tableware, cold food and a lot of frustrated family members.
Berlin, 14.10.2014 Daniel
Having Daniel with us is obviously so wonderful we rarely think about taking any pictures. But here are at least some, taken while strolling the forest and spending a beautiful evening on one of the last warm evenings of the year!
Wilhelmsaue, 20.10.2014 Oderbruch
Teambuilding: Nine people, 36 hours. It was a welcome change to traveling with kids, with everyone helping to cook and no one complaining on the choices we made. Very vast, very lonesome landscape, and a magical retreat, the former millyard Jochmann.
Kassel, 25.10.2014 Hessen holiday
With both parents working, the kids visited the grandparents, grandaunt Edith and greatuncle Guenter and even their daughter Maria, their grandsons Xaver and Hauke, which I myself never met before.
