My hubby, the midget and I were in Germany for two weeks to visit my extended family. We had an absolute blast, minus the traveling itself and the fact that all three of us got chest colds. Here are a few picture highlights of our trip (well, part 1 anyway):
In the train from Zuerich, Switzerland to Frick, Switzerland, which we weren't even supposed to be on. So there's a story behind this... thanks to traveling with a baby on an overnight flight (during which he slept for at least 4-5 hours and we did not sleep at all) we had a lot of luggage, including his stroller and car seat. So the idea was to get a rental car, which I'd reserved, and then drive the hour to my grandmother's house. We get to the counter, with our cart and the stroller only to find out that we needed a card that actually said "Credit" on it, because unlike the U.S. where most people will run your Debit card as Credit, and despite having a bunch of money sitting in that account to cover any incidental costs like the rental car, they wouldn't run it. My husband had brought his actual Credit card, but because we only had a $500 limit on it, and the rental car company wanted a deposit, the card wouldn't go through. We were exhausted, our kid was cranky, and I'm pretty sure I nearly cried. Long story short, we ended up on a train instead with all our luggage, but we made it.
Eating bread pudding at my Oma Fini's house. Richard picked up how to use utensils while we were there. We kept getting punted back and forth between my grandmothers for lunch and dinner.
The midget showing off his cup stacking skills for my Oma Ursel. She was suitably impressed.
My 90-year-old Oma Fini, showing the midget a puzzle. He loved the "dat" (cat, but can also mean dog or baby depending on the situation) on the puzzle. And started saying "bap" which I think means sheep (because they go "baa").
Our entire first week there, it rained and was quite cold. Not a usual German summer, and we were not prepared for it. The Rhine was also running super high. Those trees left of the path are usually sitting on dry land. The next day they even closed this path entirely.
Me, after our shopping trip to get our midget a jacket, with downtown Bad Saeckingen in the background. I was able to borrow one from my Oma and my husband borrowed one from my uncle.
My aunt playing with the midget in Oma Ursel's backyard.
One of the few sunny afternoons during our first week there. We decided to take advantage of nap time to sit outside and catch a few rays and read our books. That's Moritz, one of my Oma Ursel's two cats, and my hubby.
My Oma Ursel with the midget. She had knee replacement surgery a few weeks prior and recently came home from rehab. She still has some rehab to go, but was getting around fairly well.
Rough housing with the midget at Oma Fini's.
Running around in Oma Fini's backyard.
The hill you have to walk up to get to my Oma Fini's place from my Oma Ursel's.
When we were at Oma Fini's for lunch, we napped the midget in my dad's old room, which is where the crib had ended up at some point. After clearing it of all the mattresses and chairs pads and things, it worked out fairly well until it get really hot the second week.
Oma Fini holding her great-grandson. The first one she's met, although not the first chronologically. My sister has us beat by 5 weeks on that score. :)
My mother came two days after us, and my brother happened to be in Germany the same two weeks for work and drove to my grandmother's Friday evening after work and drove back to Munich on Sunday afternoon. It was great to see them both.
We handed the monitor off to my mother and grandmother on Friday night after the midget was sleeping, so we could go on a date. We went to the Greek restaurant that's just a short walk from my grandmother's house and the food was amazing. They started us off with a complimentary shot of Ouzo, then we had the appetizer platter, followed with a platter of meats, and finally dessert. Greek food is really quite good in Germany, because there are a decent amount of Greek immigrants.
My brother watching the midget for a few minutes. That driveway used to have a gate, but it's not there any longer. Otherwise it would have been a lot easier to just let him run around.
Sitting is his new thing, specifically finding an elevated place he wants to sit and then getting himself there. He always looks so proud of himself when he's finally sitting.
On Saturday we had a visit from long-time family friends. And we took them out to my mother's favorite pizza place, Pizzeria Gabriele. The pizza is so good, probably because the chef is from Italy.
The midget wanted to play pass the baby. And suckers that we are, we totally played along. Coffee and cake at my Oma Ursel's, which is like tea time in England.
My uncle and my Thai aunt came with their son.
My cousin Markus keeping the midget entertained with his phone.
On Sunday, Oma Fini invited us out for dinner to celebrate her 90th birthday (she turned 90 in January). From left to right: my mom, my Oma Ursel, me, my half-America son, my aunt Irmi, my brother, my half-Iraqi cousin Muna, my half-Thai cousin Markus (hidden in the corner), my Thai aunt Daeng, my uncle Abi, my great-aunt Klara, and my Oma Fini. We're a pretty multi-cultural family.
Our kiddo is happiest when he's chowing down on something. Luckily they brought out bread while we were waiting for our lunch.
Coffee and cake, including Cream Cake and Black Forest Cake.
My mother playing with the kiddo in Oma Ursel's backyard.
On Monday, we drove to Karlsruhe to see an old friend of mine from Spain, Sandra. We had kebabs for lunch, then went to a playground, and finished off our visit with German ice cream (which is on the order of Italian gelato).
We continued on to Zapfendorf/Lauf and spent the night at a friend's parents' house from Kindergarten. From left to right: me, my friend Andrea, her sister Christa, and their brother, Sebastian.
They have chickens (also "dat" apparently) and the kiddo got to hold an egg, until he dropped it on the floor.
I'm getting tired, so I'll have to save the other half of our trip for the next time.
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