Nuremberg & Back to Munich & Home-Yippee!

Our other highlights in Nuremberg included walking to the big castle, and again strolling through the Christmas Market it was a crowded place but the decorations were amazing and the stalls each had neat things to buy.

 Charlie & Katie driving the Christmas Train.

 One of the many booths behind us, this one sold pizzas but I loved the snowmen on top.

 We saw the glockenspiel perform at noon, the trumpeters were a little lackluster but the rest was neat.

 Katie gets a new friend to help her out...you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose..but you can't pick your friend's nose...or can you?

 Charlie loved the door to the castle and the key, he is trying to figure out how to get this installed on his room!

 A view from the castle street looking down, all those crowds were for the Christmas Market, we heard lots of American accents and heard quite a few Italian tourists, tons of tour busses were bringing a constant stream of people. Even with the crowds I would give it an A+ rating, not to be missed!

 Charlie and Katie on the rocks leading up to the castle.

 Very proud of Greg here, he gets in the blogging spirit and captures this photo so everyone can appreciate this lady's makeup.  We were a bit to the left in the photo below!

 The house in the back looks like such a Bavarian place! We loved wandering the streets and seeing all the shops and houses.

 Charlie being Snoopy...

 At the apartment we stayed in they had some games, our family fell in love with this one...all in German, but thanks to a youtube video we figured out how to play it.  No reading involved so even Charlie could be his own detective!

 This was the cool game, we looked in a giant toy store in Munich to buy it but the girls have decided they can make it themselves.

 Last ride on the ferris wheel.

 We stopped by the Nazi Documentation Center and Parade Grounds on the way out of town.  Here is the spot where Hitler would give his speeches and the troops would march.  My favorite part was reading about how at the end of the war the US Army marched there instead.  Also how they blew up the giant swastika that used to be above the top center of the building.

 We got to Munich and headed out to see the market and find the famous Haufbrau House.  Munichs famous glockenspiel is behind the kids we are in Marionplatz.

 Girls suggested I could submit this for Parent of the Year...

We found very neat Christmas windows at a big toy store on our walk back, Charlie was enchanted.

In the morning before we left it was raining but we had seen a cool outdoor skating rink the night before so we walked back in the rain to see if we could skate.  There was a layer of water on the ice, so we decided to wait until we got back to the airport where they also had an outdoor rink but it was under a giant cover.  This was only a temporary-but beautiful ice rink!!

Katie, Charlie and I skated at the outdoor rink at the airport-we forgot how much fun it is to skate outdoors!! Here is Katie doing one of her spins!

Everyone was excited to get on the plane..here is Kelly with like 50 things plugged in, Greg and I were cracking up watching her in action!

We had a great flight, not too many people and happy kids...we arrived in the evening and stayed at Molly & Mikes house...so exciting to be back in the states and I can't believe how fast the internet is here! 

We look forward to seeing all our family and friends!

Christmas Markets are Amazing!

We landed in Munich, headed to Nuremburg and were totally charmed by the markets.  The place we stayed was about two blocks to the Childrens Market and Charlie loved riding all the rides.

 Charlie about to buy his first Gingerbread heart- he likes those like he likes those as much as strawberry frosted from Dunkin Doughnuts!

 Our first 3 in a roll, the little Nuremburg sausages that we all loved!

The main church in the background, we watched the glockenspiel the next day at noon.

 We went to a cool toy museum and had fun trying all the toys in the attic playroom!

 For bragging rights!

The market sign at night!  It was incredible how many people were out at night!  Everyone walks around and eats little sausages and drinks gluwein.  Warm wine drink..most excellent!

On the plane!!

They just brought Charlie a kid pack with crayons and a puzzle he was delighted!  Germany here we come!

Water Fountains Here We Come!

About to leave the land of Rugby...

Charlie woke up the other morning and said..."Mom, I can't wait to go back to America for all the Water Fountains".  Mom..."Water fountains?"  Charlie, "Yes, like at the high school you worked at they had water fountains everywhere".   So, yes, he is correct, they do have water fountains everywhere in the good old USA...not so many here!   However, it wasn't quite at the top at the rest of our list!

He also said he can't wait to go to Germany because he can get the giant gingerbread cookies that you wear around your neck while you eat them!

Happy kids are done with school and we are frantically packing...can't wait!  However the weather here is in the 90's so we are packing winter coats, gloves, and sweaters...while we are wearing shorts and sandals.

We do have to share a few cool birds we have sighted, these two big guys were at the golf course by our house, they were hissing at us and lifting their wings when we got close to them.

Kelly was brave enough to take the picture, they are called spotted dikkops

This little guy is a crested barbet, there have been a few of them around our house lately, he is perched on one of our many walls!

Tomorrow night we head for the Christmas Markets of Germany!

Big Productions!

Katie had a special Valedictory ceremony for finishing 7th Grade, next year she moves on to the Senior School with Kelly.  They had a special mass for the girls then a very fancy dinner where it was only the girls and their parents.  South African Mothers are all about a beautiful party...so the dinner setup was impressive.

Here is Katie with her candle at mass which symbolizes them going out into the world.

The theme was Breakfast at Tiffanys, so everything was Tiffany Blue.

They did a massive sweet table, our contribution was Blue Hershey Kisses, Blue Laffy Taffy and Blue Jelly Bellys.  Kids thought the American candy was pretty cool.

Charlie's Nativity play was the next night and it was an adorable show!  The boys were amazing little actors we couldn't believe the amount of lines they memorized and how well they all did on stage.   Charlie was Drummer Boy #5...he was nervous before the show but then said once the show started he didn't want it to end!
We ordered a video that we will bring with us when we come home...

We are all counting down the days until we return to the US for a Christmas visit!

The End of School Year Frenzy Begins

When you travel here you have the option to get your suitcase wrapped so no one gets into your luggage.  Greg returned from yet another trip and Charlie was thrilled to unwrap the suitcase and turn himself into a mummy.

As the end of the school year approaches the kids have lots of end of year activities.  Charlie had a swim gala where he insisted on wearing his googles...the speedo is mandatory..

He survived the gala and afterward said it was fun, but he was worried about it ahead of time.

He also had a Dads & Lads golf tournament, we went to do a little practice before the big event...We sneak in as much golf as we can, the weather is beautiful and the golf is really reasonable compared to US prices.  The kids came along and drive the cart.  They jump out for a hole or two. Kelly is a maniac driver, trying to do doughnuts whenever possible.

We saw this field of clover on the course and Charlie said it was like Olaf the snowman (in Frozen) so he posed for an Olaf photo.


Greg & Charlie loved their golf tournament, Charlie was thrilled to get his participants medal at the end.








Sat morning was the end of season Dads vs Lads cricket game and I took a few photos.  The kids and Dads and a few Moms had a ball!

Here is Greg working on his pitching (bowling). Charlie is squatting down like a catcher.

Here are the two cricket stars after the match, they are standing in front of the new fountain at the entrance to the school, Charlie's school really is a beautiful place!

Charlie is wearing the cricket hat...which is the old style one like Fivel the little mouse wears!

This weekend we attended our second Marine Corp Birthday Ball, it was a great night out and the Marines always do a nice job.  We had lots of friends come along to the event, and they enjoyed the ceremony.  We stayed over in the casino hotel, kids were happy for binge TV watching!

Greg in his new tux...thanks Scott!

This week will be crazy...Katie has a big ceremony tonight for finishing the Junior School (ends in Grade 7 here) and tomorrow night Charlie will do his Christmas Nativity Play.

Halloween After Action Report

We did a great job of celebrating Halloween in a country that doesn't understand it!  We had a Halloween party and did a spooky haunted house a few weeks before, did trick or treating at my office, then we set up our own trick or treating loop in our neighborhood that the kids did on Halloween night. Here we are getting started on Halloween night.

Charlie is a shadow.he had a hood that covered his entire head..Katie is a mime!

The two teenage witches!

Candy trading time!

We also went to our friends medieval festival again this year and Mike & Molly came along too...the highlight was seeing the Swiss Choir and the guy play the instrument from the Riccola commercial!!

RICCOLA!

 Kelly gets the credit for this photo...the guy in front of us in the cake line was wearing these!

We dropped Mike & Molly off at their hotel to start their amazing motorcycle adventure, here is Charlie standing next to their bike.. .the rest of the bikes are for the other people on the tour.  (Charlie would have gladly taken any of them)

The kids gave Halloween a bigger thumbs up than last year, but they still think nothing is better than trick or treating on Stark Ave!!!