Weather Woes

Yesterday I felt like Alexander in Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Well, maybe that is an exaggeration.  I just had a bad afternoon, but CD was a little angel and I love him for that.  He was the one who stayed calm, cool and collected.  I LOVE him.

Yesterday morning CD decided he wasn’t going to nap and I was fine with that.  He had been having odd nap issues this week (not napping, crying while going down for a nap) so I wasn’t going to push it.  As he was finishing up his lunch though, he got sleepy so I put him down after lunch and he napped like a champ.

I had my “bad” afternoon, but if I put in perspective and I look back now, it wasn’t THAT bad.  That is why I didn’t post yesterday.  I didn’t want to have a sour taste in my mouth over silly stuff.  🙂

After CD went down for the night, I got sick to my stomach and had a rough night, but when the morning came, I had gotten a chunk of sleep and was ready to start today.

I opened all of the doors/windows today when I woke up since it was SO much cooler and the cool, fresh air felt good.  CD also didn’t want to nap at his usual time (10am) but he did go down at 11 am.

I had plans to meet my friend J and catch up with her since we really haven’t had time to chat.  We had set a time of 14:30 (2:30) and of course we were both late and had to ride the U-Bahn just to get there within a reasonable time.  CD decided that he would wait until I reached down to pick him up to put him in the stroller and then he would take off crawling and stop and laugh thinking it was funny.  It WAS but I couldn’t laugh because I didn’t want him to continue doing this.

When J and I finally met up and were eating, the wind picked up and when we decided to get on the move to a coffee shop, of course that is when it decided to downpour and the wind was whipping around like crazy.  We hung out under building awnings and then timed our dashes with the changing street lights.

When we got to the coffee shop, it was packed- everyone else had the same idea because of the rain.  When we finally got a table, CD found a neighbor who had their phone plugged into the wall charging near him and CD LOVED the cord, just like at home.  The gentleman was nice enough to understand.  Then CD found the thermostat and the guy thought it was HILARIOUS that CD was trying to change the temperature of the shop.  (I think he actually did because when I looked at what temperature it was set for, it said 25 degrees C, which is about 77 degrees F.  I nonchalantly turned it back down to a NORMAL temperature.  All the time that CD was going crazy with the phone cord and the thermostat (electronics), J’s baby E was making friends with anyone who sat at the table behind her.  She is really good at this since she is SO ADORABLE.  J and I could barely drink our drinks since we were laughing so hard at both of them.

J mentioned that she remembered how it was with me  and CD awhile back and how she couldn’t imagine dealing with it- just all the moving, needing to be entertained, feeding, going out with a baby, etc- and now she is there.  So I got to laugh- in a good friendly way- at her and told her to keep notes and remember what I do with CD so she will know what to do/not do when E gets to that age.  🙂

Once the rain stopped, we said our goodbyes since it was late and went our separate ways to head home.

CD was great on the U-Bahn home, except when he thought that I was getting off and leaving him behind.  I have never left him in my life so I have no idea why/where he would get this idea.  What a goof.  He got off the U-Bahn with me.  Like always.  🙂

Looking forward to tomorrow- playgroup regular lunch date.  I just checked our conversation board and someone asked if we meet at 13:30 (1:30) and a regular member wrote back: “don’t be surprised if you are there at 1:30 and can’t see any prams(strollers). By 2 everybody should be there.  We will try to be there at 1:30 tomorrow.”  HA!  As you can see schedules don’t really work with kids as this comment matches our playgroup and my post above about meeting J today!

Have a great night tonight.  I’m going to relax!

Mr. Sandbaby

Yesterday was a holiday (Whit Monday) and CD and I headed to the park.  We had a good time watching kids run around.  CD was fixated on 2 boys kicking a soccer ball around.  I could see his brain working on trying to figure out how HE could do that.  When we got home we tried to “practice” walking and he wanted NONE of it.  None. Of. It.  🙂

Whit Monday park visit

Today we headed out to the market since we couldn’t go yesterday (holiday).  When we got there, I hit it at the right time and found flowers that I actually liked and hadn’t been picked through.  The good flowers go REALLY quickly.  I made the decision to pick them up and scratch the majority of my shopping list in order to transport them back home.  I couldn’t buy the soil so they are just sitting in the planter right now. Tomorrow I will get the soil and really plant them.  This isn’t the best picture but here are my flowers!  🙂  They make me happy.  🙂

My flowers

Our afternoon was spent getting ready for a play date.  We headed out to our friend’s flat (apartment) and when we got there, we decided that it was too nice to be inside so the 3 of us headed to a park.  This was a good idea for the weather, but a bad idea for CD since he is mobile but not on his feet.  The other 2 woman have 2 small girls (3 months and 7 months) and 2 older boys (3 years and 2 1/2 years) so it was easy for them to hang out.  I took the plunge and allowed CD to crawl in the sand.    SO not my style.

He is now my Sandbaby.  He loved it!  He enjoyed raking it and running it through his fingers…and throwing it, but not really eating it…which is what I feared.

Here is a video of him crawling in the sand.  CD the Sandbaby – YouTube.

After CD got used to crawling around and wanted to explore, he found the “dragon” ride.  He loved it.  That is our friend in the blue pants!

Dragon ride

When we got home, CD chugged his sippy cup.  This is the first time he has done that and I was glad that I had it ready and waiting.  He also INHALED SO MUCH FOOD at dinner.  He doesn’t like to chew his food because he just wants more.  He had a blast eating his peas.  He squished one and it squirted all over his face.  In the course of his dinner…with his dirty body from playing, he burped, farted, pooped, shoved his food in his mouth as fast as he could and had food all over his face.  He was a mess.  🙂  Good thing he got his bath afterwards!

Enjoy your sand-free lifestyle!

 

Great Use of Wonderful Weather

Yesterday night we slept with doors/windows open since it was so nice and it let cool air into our flat (apartment).  I slept like a log and don’t think I even rolled over once during the night.  Well, day broke and I heard this very weird noise.  I listened to it for a while because I have heard it before, but this time I really questioned exactly WHAT it was.  I couldn’t tell if it was a baby, an old person (since our bedroom window faces towards an older person home, or an animal.  It is quite disturbing when you have all three of those are can’t figure out if it is actually human or not.    I just wanted it to end, but of course it wouldn’t so I had to get up and close the window.

After that our day was pretty standard, feed CD, play with CD, put him down for a nap, fold laundry, put laundry in the wash, straighten the house, etc.  You get the picture.  Then it came time to leave for the weekly playgroup meeting at the restaurant.  We did not attend last week due to the Blockupy event in Frankfurt.  It was a small group that met this week (only 4 total) but it was nice to catch up with them. I guess I had been getting text messages from J (playgroup friend) but my phone has been having “issues” lately.  So we caught up on what has been happening with her at the playgroup.

Afterwards, E (another friend) and I went to Long Island Summer Lounge and had a drink.  We also dipped the kids toes in the pool that they have there.  Now, we went during the day and it is more of a family atmosphere there at that time with mostly younger kids in the pool.  It was really pretty and nice.  I would go back there again.  I had an Aperol drink and it is quite popular here.  I for one LOVED the color…Orange.  🙂

Tip…I mean “Dip” Toes

When I went to put CD to bed on Friday, his Sleep Sheep stopped working!  ARGHHH!!  I thought it would have been the end of the world but he was tired enough and only noticed for about 1 second and then didn’t care that it wasn’t working.  WHEW!  I thought it was going to be a disaster, but it wasn’t.  Such a good boy!  🙂

Today we woke up and headed out for breakfast at the Palmengarten.  It was such beautiful weather again today that we couldn’t stay inside.  After we returned from breakfast, I put CD down for a nap and headed out to get some groceries.  Now, this is very, very key to do today since Sunday you can’t shop and Monday is a holiday so EVERYTHING is closed.  I will say that today the Rewe was not too crazy with people, which was nice.

When I got home I decided that I needed shorts for today and the rest of the days that it will be nice weather.  We all know shopping doesn’t really work with CD (see I’m Feeling HOT, HOT, HOT!) so I cut a very long pair of jeans that would be meant for heels, but I will never be in heels again because of CD and the cobblestones.  I am shaky to being with in heels on flat ground let alone the gaps of cobblestones.  How these girls do it here is an art form to me!

Once everyone was awake, I fed CD his meal so we could go out for the day.  Now, he got a hold of the UN-cooked potato and decided that it was the greatest thing in the world and wanted to eat THAT…instead of the cooked potato meal I made for him.  Ugh!

UN-cooked potato

Yummy potato

We then headed out to the Fressgass Fest for some food since C and I decided we wanted COOKED food.

Fest crowd and tents

Fest tents

Fest meal tent…where we ate

My Fest CANDY house

Yup, so I saw that they made “my house” (from I’m Feeling HOT, HOT, HOT! post) into a CANDY house.  It had all different kinds of lollipops, etc. there.

Then we stopped for a drink before we headed off to the Pealing of the Bells, which I have been waiting for and one of the reasons for our trip out today.  We stopped at the Apfelwein Tent and got one.  It is an acquired taste I will say.  🙂

Apfelwein tent

On a side note:  I cringe at the red and purple together, but whatever.  🙂

Apfelwein

Props to C for taking this picture!  Thanks as it turned out wonderful!

After we finished our drinks, we started to walk so that we could hear the Pealing of the Bells.  This is 50 bells from 10 churches ringing for 30 minutes together in harmony.  It happens 4 times a year: Christmas Eve, the 1st Advent Sat, the day before Easter, and the day before Pfingsten (Pentacost).

We didn’t get the best sound video for it but here goes:

Pealing of the Bells, Frankfurt Germany – YouTube

Then we continued on our way and headed down to the Dragon Boat Festival on the Main.  This was fun too and reminded me of Philadelphia a bit and college.

Paddleboarding

Dreikönigskirche church in the background

In the belly of the…dragon

Dragon boat race

Dragon Boat Festival, Frankfurt Germany – YouTube.

Dragon Boat Festival Frankfurt, Germany – YouTube.

All was fun but then it was a full day so we hopped on the U-Bahn to get home a little quicker since C had to catch a cab to the airport to fly out to Brasil for work.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

I’m Feeling HOT, HOT, HOT!

I updated CD’s 11-month birthday post.  Check out his picture here: Happy Birthday

Our weather has finally taken a turn for the worse…or better, depending on what type of weather you like.  It has gotten really warm and is supposed to be warm ALL WEEK!  Ugh.  I’m not a fan of warm (um, hot) weather, especially when I only have jeans to wear.  And yes, I have already rolled them up into Capri pants, but let’s all be serious, that doesn’t cut it when you are looking for shorts.  🙂

CD and I met C for lunch today and then headed down to go shopping, so I could find some shorts.  I didn’t bring any of mine with me when we moved because they didn’t fit, and they wouldn’t have fit me anyway so it wouldn’t have helped to have packed them.

On our walk down to meet C, I was already “Glistening” a.k.a sweating.  We made it through lunch and then I thought it would be fine to go shopping.  As we walked, I had forgotten that the Fressgass Fest had been postponed until this week due to the Blockupy events in Frankfurt last week.

Here are some of the pictures of the Fest being set up by organizers.

Fressgass Fest Sign

Notice that they “taped” over the old dates with the new ones.  🙂

Fressgass Fest Tents

This is not a really good picture, but I was on a mission to find shorts, not take pictures of people on bikes…I mean tents.  HA!

Fressgass Fest Stand

I don’t know what this is a stand for, since there were no signs near it yet, but forget it being a stand, I want to live there!  I think it is cute, so I took a picture of it.

After I took my Fressgass Fest pictures, we walked into the first store and their lift (elevator) did not work, so we couldn’t shop there since clothes were not the ground floor.

We found a jackpot in the next store that we entered, one that I had never been in before.  When I got to the correct floor and started to look around, CD decided he was going to SCREAM AND CRY at the top of his lungs, make his face turn bright red and tears stream down his face.  All so people could look at him and so I would take him out of the stroller.  Now, if anyone has had a child, you know it is difficult to shop AND HOLD your child, but CD was happy and content, so I managed to do it.

We tried on some things and found some winners.  At this point I decided that I would stop by the baby changing area before we had our long walk home since CD had been in his diaper for a while.  I had to use the lift to get to a different floor and when I got there, I realized that I had merchandise that I WANTED to buy, but didn’t know if this was going to put CD over the edge and we would just have to leave.  If I knew with 100% confidence that I would have enough time to change CD AND wait in line to buy the thing, I would have taken it into the bathroom with me.  BUT, because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, I had to hang it on a door handle OUTSIDE the bathroom.  I hated to do this because I feared it wouldn’t be there when I came out of the bathroom but I couldn’t take it in with me because that is just gross.  No one wants this: Seinfeld Clip – George’s Toilet Book – YouTube

Well, CD got cranky, but he did get his diaper changed and when I came out of the diaper changing area………………the clothes were gone.  Now, CD is cranky, the clothes were the only one in its size that worked for me, so that meant if I even went back to the right floor, it probably wouldn’t have been there.  So I pouted because the trip became pointless and now that CD was crying in the lift again, there was no hope of trying to shop again so we just headed home.  CD fell asleep on the walk and I slowly walked back to the apartment….sweaty.

Happy Birthday

Happy 11-month birthday CD.  I have to get the paper printed for his picture, so it should be posted tomorrow.

**Update:  Here is CD’s picture!  He is in a short-sleeve shirt because it has been VERY warm for the past two days.  I’m writing this on 22-5-12 and it is supposed to be HOT, HOT, HOT all week.

11-months old!

On our way to be German drivers

Thursday was a holiday (Ascension).  I love holidays here in some ways- Germans take them seriously- no work and stores are closed so people can enjoy the day.

I did go to Rewe Wednesday night after CD went to bed and C came home.  The store was cleared out of most of the food.  It is funny because someone posted on the English community website that you can tell it is a holiday if Germans line up at the stores and clear out all of the food like the Apocalypse is coming…and it is SO true!  I went in and all the produce bins were empty!  I guess the equivalent in the States is when they are predicting a major snowfall and EVERYONE clears out the bread, milk and eggs.  But that is not this extreme, and it doesn’t happen as often as a German holiday.  The next holiday is 27-28 May (Whit Monday).  That is 2 DAYS and one is a SUNDAY!!!!!   AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!  What are we going to do?!?!??!?!?!  This one MUST be the Apocalypse.  You better believe I am going to be like every other German and stocking up on Saturday.  They also get very testy and pushy in the stores.  I will just run them over with the stroller if needed…just kidding…maybe.  🙂

Friday morning we had our appointment to start the process for our German driver’s licenses.  You are only allowed to drive on your passport for 6 months before that becomes invalid.  Of course, we had to drive through the city to get to the driver center…and we saw TONS of police due to the Blockupy events in Frankfurt.  It was actually pretty exciting.  I knew we were safe and there was no harm coming to us, so I liked it.  They had the metal fences up around the bank centers, sculptures were padded and wrapped up to be protected, road detours, and police were checking cars.  You saw them studying the maps of the city as they were driving in their police vans.  At one point C mentioned that it looked like we were in a subdued war-zone, and it felt like it.  I’m sure if we walked around it would feel more like it too since police are apparently checking IDs, etc.

We got to the driver’s license center and I had packed everything and anything for CD thinking that it may be like the States- waiting for an extremely long time to spend five seconds at the counter.  I forgot that we are in Germany and they are actually quite efficient.  We met with MR who was to help us translate and walk through the process and picked our number to wait.  We were called pretty quickly and the process was quite painless.  Since it was so quick, CD was well-behaved and didn’t need any of the backup that I had brought with me (light-up music playing toys, Cheerios, banana, blueberries, my bracelet, etc.)  He did however play with C’s coffee cup holder and my wallet…after he started to EAT the cardboard coffee cup holder.  🙂

We now have to wait for a letter to come in the mail saying that we can go and pick up our licenses…and from what I understand, that should be in about 2 to 2 and 1/2 months…the non-efficient part of Germany.  🙂

When we were leaving the center, C and I decided that we should try to avoid the city since there were ALL those cops…I mean TONS of them…like nothing I have ever seen before.  They say that the numbers are somewhere over 5,000 police.  Now you may say that it isn’t a large number, but if you know how small of an area that they are covering, then it is insane really.  I hope nothing gets rowdy, like the protests in March did.  Well, in trying to avoid the city, we ran into a “turn right” on the GPS where the road didn’t exist.  We did not do what Michael Scott from The Office did (The Office – Michael Drives Car into lake – YouTube), but we turned around.  All of our roads then led to detours and MORE police.  We finally found our way home, but not without CD passing gas in the car to the point where C thought CD had pooped and 3 of the 4 windows in the car were rolled down.  On our drive home, we spotted, what we believed to be the police central dispatch location.  WOW…all the cops and all sorts of vehicles.  We also saw the line of the water cannon vehicles that they have brought into the city.

It all seems pretty serious, protestors and police alike.  We will continue to be safe but will not be held to our apartment, since we have the right to move around freely.  If we are out and are stopped by police, we will oblige to what they ask…if I can understand them, but we want to enjoy the nice weather and what we call our backyard.

* Some info:  I wrote this on Friday afternoon when CD was napping think that I would get to read it and then post it by Friday night.  Well, as you can see that did not happen, so I am posting it now (Saturday night).  CD and I had gone out, but not in the protest area (C did today though).

Enjoy your night and try to relax on your Saturday!

National Police Week…in the USA

National Police Week

Here is CD’s tribute to all the officers out there.  Thanks Aunt C for this onesie!  It still fits him!!!  This was the only picture we could get of him being STILL so enjoy!

Tribute to Police

P.S. Since we are kinda stuck in the house (due to “blockupy”- nothing really seems to be crazy near us so we are ok), I painted my fingernails ORANGE!  I love it, but CD is not too sure about it.   Nail polish never lasts long on my fingers so by the time he gets used to it, it will have disappeared.  🙂

“Blockupy”

I have been frequenting my English community website and came across that there is going to be a “Blockupy” event in Frankfurt.  This is a huge protest against the banks and the police actually think that it may get a bit violent.  “Blockupy” is to start tomorrow and last through the weekend.  Some major public transportation sites have been closed due to this and the police force is ready and waiting with their water cannon!  Yes, water cannon to “hose down” protestors if they get too violent.  Here is a picture of the one they used in Berlin for the May Day events- yes, we were in Berlin at that time too.  Ugh!  Not sure if this is what the one looks like for the “Blockupy” but I know it would make me run.  Kinda looks like a Transformer.  🙂

High-tech water cannon

What that means is that we are going to be holed up in the apartment for these next few days.  UGH!  I don’t enjoy this and I know CD will NOT like it either.

I mentioned the “Blockupy” to C when I heard about it the other day and his company is now actually going to be having people working from home because of it.  

Frankfurt actually had to reschedule the Fressgasse Fest (a festival, yes I know- great description.  I have been trying to find out what this festival is for a while now, but can’t tell.  If anyone knows what it is/finds out what it is, let me know).  When it returns, believe me, CD and I will be in attendance.  🙂

We did attend the Green Sauce Festival (yes, the “soup” that I had been looking for at Easter-time”).  They had different people/groups make the green sauce and then they were judged.  I didn’t eat any, as I don’t really care for it.    But it is HUGE in Frankfurt.

Green sauce festival

Green sauce festival

On an apartment note: What I was able to do was put together CD’s bookshelves.  Now his books are neatly placed on the bookshelves…and this is only because he is sleeping and not tearing it apart!

CD’s bookshelf

Stay safe and celebrate the police- It’s National Police Week in the States!  That ones for you Uncle TS!

Mother’s Day

First of all, I would like to wish a wonderful Mother’s Day to every single mother, mom, mama, mommy, etc. out there.  I’m actually glad that I was able to have waited to celebrate my FIRST Mother’s Day.  It allowed me to appreciate a bit more with having an older baby vs. a new one and celebrating.  Mother’s Day History

We were able to have a FABULOUS brunch at the Palmengarten, relax during the day and then head to Upper West Side for an early dinner.  After we returned from dinner, I got my precious kisses from CD and it just made the day THAT MUCH BETTER!  Along with the kisses, I got some gorgeous flowers and some fresh smelling lotion/perfume set.

CD is a bundle of energy sometimes, but he works hard and plays even harder.  What a good philosophy!

Mother’s Day Bib

CD & Mommy
P.S. CD’s shirt says “Mommy Rocks”

Off to enjoy the rest of MY day!

In Attendance to First Birthday

We attended our first 1st birthday party today.  We all trekked there by the U-Bahn, which I loved because we weren’t sure about the weather.  And good thing we did because we got to the party right as it was starting to rain.

CD had a good time hanging out at O’s house for his 1st birthday.  I got CD dressed up for the special occasion.  He looked so cute!  J asked where we got the outfit and I told her it was from N in the States.  She said that it looked like a preppy American outfit!  HA!  🙂  We both couldn’t deny that he looked great.

I had thought that CD would be interested in one of the other babies that was there, but he didn’t really care about the baby, he just loved to play with the little fabric rose-buds on her sweater.  It was funny to watch him being so intense about trying to figure out what was on her shirt.  Maybe I should by him clothes that have things sticking off of them.  He could be entertained for hours!

At one point, CD was playing with my phone and bumped himself in his mouth (where he has popped ANOTHER tooth on the bottom left) and started to cry.  J’s baby then started the sympathy cry and the two of them cried together.  It is kind of odd how they get along, but it is also pretty amazing.  As soon as CD stopped crying, so did E (J’s baby).

I had to keep CD distracted from trying to eat the adult food by letting him play with my phone and also by holding him up to the balloon decorations.  We now know that CD likes balloons and likes to watch them float back and forth…along with punching them too.  🙂

Here is a picture of CD with the birthday boy.

CD & O

Yup, that is about the size of each of them… CD is a bit sturdier than O, even though O is a bit older.  They actually get along quite well too.  O is pretty possessive of his toys, but he shares them with CD and is okay with it.

I’m wearing the hat…are you happy now, mom???

It was funny because we put the birthday hats on the kids and they all looked so hilarious…and the funny part was that they didn’t even know they were on their heads until some time went by.  I think O won the game of wearing the hat the longest.

We had to wait a bit after the party to actually leave because heavy rainstorms went through.  When we got home, CD did exactly what any child would do after a party…went basically straight to bed from all of the excitement.

We all love parties and I think CD is preparing for his own…I know I sure am!  🙂