Cycling Through

As we began our house search a few months back, we consistently noticed how very "active" St. Leon-ers were. Oftenwe would see more people on bikes than in cars and definitely a heard of walkers and even roller-bladers everywhere (I thought roller-blading went out in the 90's!). The best part was they all looked like they were enjoying it!

After we committed to the house that we have recently moved into, we decided it was time to dust off our bikes! We've always been good with hiking, but never did any biking as a family. So we sent our bikes off to the shop to get tuned up (after sitting in the garage for 3 years). Kaiserslautern just was NOT conducive to biking. Everything, everywhere was uphill.

This week, I scored us a baby bike-trailer. I put it together on Thursday, on Friday we took Zac for a walk in it (as it converts to a "stroller") and Saturday afternoon we took a very short tour around the neighborhood so that we could all g

et used to it. Zac took to it very well. So we figured it was time for a longer journey.

This morning (Sunday) we woke up, drank our coffee then committed to biking to the lake nearby (appx. 2.8 miles). I thought that 2.8 miles was PERFECT for our first sojourn. We haven't been on bikes in 3 years so a nice short trip would be a great way to break in our newest interest.

About 10 a.m. we were out the door and headed for fun! It didn't take long at all to get to the lake, we even had time to stop for fresh pretzles and we only had to spend about a 1/2 a mile on busier streets, otherwise it was all side streets and bike paths. We got to the lake, locked up the bikes and disengaged the trailer and transformed it into a stroller.

We wheeled our way over to one of the larger play areas on the lake, spread out the blanket and nibbled away on pretzels and apples

. Zac played on the playground, ran around in the green space and we generally had a good time.

Stephen was getting antsy to get back on the road, but I wanted to stay a while yet. However, he tempted me away by saying "let's find that Chinese restaurant my co-worker recommended". DANG, Chinese food, my weakness!

We whipped out the iPhone and started mapping our route...humm, just another 4.5 miles away and it's in the direction of home. So I was onboard. Zac was back in the trailer and off we went to find lunch.

Approximately 3 miles later, my legs had had just about enough! (Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that I was the one pulling Zac). The promise of Chinese food was not keeping my momentum up, but finally the trees began to thin out and red paper lanterns could be seen in the spaces between. WE MADE IT!!

By now, Zac was way past done. He had been sitting for far too long hypnotized by the back wheel of my bike. So Stephen and Zac played outside while I got us settled at a table and got drinks ordered.

We dined at Ho's Garten in Kronau and it was delicious! We opted for the buffet (13.50 euro per person) and it was piled with fresh entrees, fried bits of all kinds, fresh fruit, sushi and even a mongolian grill. DELICIOUS! It was a bit expensive as a lunch stop, but we're happy we got to try the recommendation. Now we'll have to go back some time and order off the menu.

Once we were back on the paths to home, Zac started grumping again. I knew he was getting tired, but we had to make it home before any of us could do anything about it. About 5 min. into the final leg, we passed a dad and daughter also riding bikes and the daughters shouts to dad (in german) "the baby's asleep!" I turn my head and poor Zac is crumpled in half totally zonked out. We made a quick stop to see if we could get him a little more comfortable and with the help of a stuffed animal and a towel, we like to think that we did him a little service.

On the way home, we passed by a Neuwein stand!! I didn't think it was time yet! For those who don't know, Neuwein ("New Wine") is the first pressing of the seasons grapes. It's still lightly bubbly and usually has a low alcohol content. It's only available for a few weeks each year and comes in red and white. I prefer the white as it reminds me of apple cider...but with the added bonus of being wine! So I am now, as I type, enjoying my first glass of Neuwein on our balcony, recovering from our bike ride! I can't think of a better way than this.

On being a responsible community member of the Parenthood

As we "move in" to the "Parenthood" you learn new things by the bucket loads. You especially learn that life just isn't the same as pre-baby, and for the most part, it's really ok - sometimes, it's pretty AWESOME!

There are those things that change in your life that are not so great. The loss of some basic rights and privileges like: staying up partying all night, sleeping in, pooping without an audience, spontaneity. But, like I said earlier, these things usually are balanced out by the awesomeness of having a little one in your life.

In the past several weeks, my husband and I have been preparing to move to a new city. This is, at times, a stressful ordeal. There's much to do and often too little time and too many puppets to master. So, in an effort to maintain our sanity, we planned a date night. That date night was canceled on three separate occasions due to our babysitter canceling and so this week when our 3rd attempt had been thwarted, Stephen said that I should still go to the movie by myself. I DID NOT HESITATE! I had dinner ready when Stephen was home from work, Zac was already fed his dinner and after I ate my own dinner, I grabbed my purse and ran.

I had the pleasure of watching Harry Potter 7 and the movie was great! Unfortunately, it was only playing in 3D (perhaps sometime I'll tell you about how annoying I find the damn 3D glasses and the movies - especially those not shot in 3D like HP7.) As I was waiting for the doors to open to the viewing room, I was sitting enjoying some "fresh" popcorn and a cool beer (yes! they even serve beer at the movies here), a young Airman showed up with a baby carrier. Inside the carrier was what looked to be a two month old. My ticket was for the 8:30 p.m. showing so my brow wrinkled at the thought of even bringing such a young infant out of the house at that hour - let alone do so for a 2 hour movie!

We all know babies cry. We all know that no one likes it when babies cry. So why the hell did this man (and his wife, who joined them later after scoring her own popcorn and beer) even think that this was a good idea? Here I am, having date night BY MYSELF and now I have to share it with a pair of irresponsible Parenthood community members. GAH!

Well, it turns out there were at least two small infants invited to this evenings showing. And about mid-movie, just when the explosions were getting more intense and the screaming was getting more piercing, the babies began to cry. It's late, they're overstimulated and now I was watching the movie with the ears and eyes of an overprotective parent. The explosions and magical creatures were WAY too scary, the sound was WAY too loud and were definitely going to result in measurable infant hearing loss.

Please, please, PLEEEEEASE - I beg of you parents and parents-to-be; treat the rest of the community with the level of respect that you wish to be treated. I lost my babysitter and so I lost my date night - but I did NOT inflict a crying, over-tired toddler to my fellow movie goers.

Sacrifice is a part of being in the "'Hood" but it is all worth it, eventually.

Free-Range Eggs

I have long been a proponent of "Free-Range" eggs. I have made extra effort and paid a higher price at the check out in order to support what I thought was a more humane way of raising chickens.

Unfortunately, my recent study of free-range eggs has led me to a very disappointing conclusion: "free-range" is the new "all natural".

In the U.S. there are no standards that eggs must meet to be considered "free-range". That means just about any 'ole egg can be labeled as such.

Many egg suppliers will often add "cage free" or "barn roaming" to further their "free-range" claim so when buying your eggs, look for these labels! Or simplify life by choosing "Organic".

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia to outline Organic Eggs:

Organic egg production is the production of eggs through organic means. In this process, the poultry are fed organic feed. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic means that the laying hens must have access to the outdoors and cannot be raised in cages.^[1] Organic egg producers cannot use antibiotics except during an infectious outbreak. Only natural molting can occur within the flock; forced molting is not allowed. Organic certification also requires maintenance of basic animal welfare standards.

That seals it for me!! I'm switching to organic - even though the cost of the eggs are double. On the up side, I have found that organic eggs taste better and have better color.

Will you join me in the push for organic eggs? If not for me, do it for those hard working hens. They don't deserved to be penned, injected and forced to produce.

Now it's time to dye some eggs!

Project 52

So I've been seeing a couple people in my social network working on "365 Projects" (posting photos or blogs daily w/ specific themes in mind). I guarantee you that 365 postings in a year is WAY more than I can commit to. Just look at my most recent history...my last posting was in October!! So much has happened since then but I've not posted about it.

Please don't hold your breath - I just can't catch up! So I'm starting fresh for the new year...that started four months ago.

HEY! lay off, i'm a busy woman.

If you're interested, here is the site that I'm getting my inspiration from: http://www.project52.net/

Yes, the year is currently in the 13th week, but I'm going to start with week one - "EGG".

Egg is my theme this week and I will post a photo and a story about an egg, centering on an egg or having some sort of egg relation. I will have this posted no later than Wed. April 13.

Now I need you to hold me to it! In fact, join me.

"It Was a Power Ranger and a Cowboy."

We just simply couldn't pass up an opportunity to visit the British Territory of Gibraltar this last Saturday (Oct. 2, 2010). You've probably heard of "the Rock of Gibraltar"... Well, we did it and it's more like "the small mountain of Gibraltar" Rock is a misnomer.

We hiked the "Rock" and a small part of the city of Gibraltar for over 5 hours!! My feet are still sore.

But let's begin at the beginning!

To see all the photos, go here.

We left Sat. morning from our hotel in Rota, Spain. It was a 2 hour drive thru dusty, scrub brush and cacti. About half way there, Zac got hungry and needed a diaper change. Good thing, because mommy was about to need a

diaper change too! Not a rest stop was to be found! We were surrounded by ranches and rolling hills but no services. I had to do the unthinkable! We pulled off the highway onto a ranch road where I nursed Zac and as I handed him off to dad for a diaper change, Stephen handed me a baby wipe, "for you" he said. Oh how sweet, my husband has just handed me a wet wipe so that I don't have to drip dry!

The whole operation was a success. Zac was fed and clean and I was relieved with out tripping, falling or peeing on myself!

We arrived in Gibraltar a little after noon. The weather was spectacular!! Sunny and 80 with the air spiked with just enough sea water to keep the humidity in check. The line of cars going into the territory was long, slow and winding.

Eventually we got through the passport check and were immediately stopped by a traffic light. As we w

ere sitting at the light, more and more mopeds and motorcycles were filling in the last bits of free space. In the length of 3 cars two across, there were easily 30 bikes!

Suddenly the pedestrian crowd just beyond our car windows started to get excited, cameras and camcorders flew up and we realized that were were about to watch the take off of a commercial jet. Gibraltar is so small (just 7 mi. long and only half that wide) that their airport runway crosses the controlled entrance in. That means, every time a plane lands or takes off, traffic is halted! It was so funny!!After the plane took off, we were allowed in where we found parking and were off to our first activity for the day - dolphin watching.

During the 1.5 hour cruise

around the bay of Gibraltar we saw 20 or more dolphins! It was beautiful. The crew was fun, the other passengers were few and Zac took to it like an old pro. Zac's first boat ride zonked him out.

After the boat ride, we were off to finally find some lunch. I opted for some "original" fish & chips (YUM) while Stephen enjoyed the chicken & chips.

After lunch we made our way to the cable car station and hitched a ride to the top of the rock. At the top is the home of the Barbary Apes. They are wild monkeys that just hang out with the visitors. When we first got off the tram, we had a bit of a scare as one of the monkeys saw Zac and made a bee line for him. I'm sure it was out of curiosity - but I wasn't going to let this Ape rip the arms off my baby. I urged Stephen's attention away from his camera and onto the monkey while I scooped Zac out of the stroller and into the wrap where I felt I could better control the situation (though I'm sure the monkey could rip of my arm if she wanted to).

We saw several apes and there were cute as a button (once I got over my initial fear). There were a few babys that would just melt your heart w/ cuteness! Unfortunately it was starting to get late, so the monkey business was not booming. We still got excellent photos from the top of the rock, that included the African coast! Yes, I saw AFRICA!!

After the monkeys, we hiked to a Cave, St. Michael's Cave. This was my first Cave experience and it was beautiful! The cave used to be a sacred space of the indigenous people, but has since (in the last several thousand years) been turned into a concert hall. I can imagine how amazing a small orchestra or a piano concert would be in this space.

After the cave I was starting to feel the day. I was tired and not looking forward to the 40+ minute hike back up the hill to the cable car and said as much to Stephen when he asked if we were ready to go. The security guard overheard me and said, "well if you follow this road here, take a left at the sign and then a right at the benches, it's only a 20 min walk to the bottom of the rock". SCORE! Sounded good to me. Walking down hill for 20 min or uphill for 40...which would you take?

We apparently missed our turns, because it took us 90 min to reach civilization again.

It was now 9pm we were all hungry and tired. We found a pub and enjoyed an excellent meal.

Near the end of the meal and couple of Saturday hooligans were stumbling home and in their jubilation, they decided that a little disorderly conduct was in order. After kicking over some furniture at the Pub we were dining at as well as a restaurant down the way - the pub called the police. By the time the cops showed up, the hooligans were well gone...but left behind one distinct impression - they were dressed in costumes (for unknown reasons). One was a yellow Power Ranger and the other a cowboy. These were the distinguishing "marks" that I thought could identify them for the cops. I told the waiter this and he immediately shouted to the cop (in an authentic british accent) "One was a POWER RANGER and the other a COWBOY".

Immediately the waiter rolled his eyes and looked to us saying, "I can't believe I just shouted that to a police officer!" And we all got a great laugh.

After dinner (now 10:30pm) we ambled our way back to the car. Thankfully, Zac and fallen asleep durning dinner. We arrived "home" at 12:15 am and VERY happy to see our beds.

What an excellent adventure!!

To see all the photos, go here.

Greetings from Spain

Yes, you're right. It's been roughly a million years since i posted an updated blog! In fact, I've missed the entire summer - and what a summer! Stay tuned, and eventually i'll have my summer overview posted.

However, now to the issue at hand...our Spain adventure! Zac and I have been in Spain now for 4 days. We came to meet Stephen who preceded us by a week - he's here on business. It's BEAUTIFUL! Stephen mentioned a few days ago that the peak of Spanish tourism season ends Sept. 15 (it's now Sept. 30). Well, my friend, I say go to spain Sept. 16th!! The weather is unbeatable (80s and sunny), the crowds are gone, and the hotel prices are down.

We are in the lovely coastal city of Rota. It's on the south-western tip of spin and is a city smack dab on the tip of a peninsula, so there's water on 3 sides! It's AWESOME!! Our hotel is a 3 minute walk to the beach (across the road and down a picturesque boardwalk thru sand and pines with lilies and various cacti!!).

Zac and I have had the pleasure of checking out the area on foot and (yesterday) by bus. It's a small city with many people (i don't know how many, if you're interested, google it). Stephen has a rental car so Zac and I are left to our own devices - as I prefer it!

Yesterday, we found out that the bus only costs 60 euro cents to ride. That's WAY cheaper than getting our own rental car. Stephen offered us a car yesterday on our way home from dinner and I turned it down. I figured, if there was something that I wanted to do that required a car, it would be easy enough to rent a car for the day - in the mean time, save the money and spend it elsewhere!

Oh boy, and did we spend some money when we got here.

Since I was traveling alone, I packed light. I pre packed some things in Stephen's luggage (cuz he had room and a much larger allowance) which REALLY helped me out. However, when we got here, we picked up a few things that weren't worth packing: diapers, wipes, groceries, baby food & supplies. Then S took us to the department store on base. This is a navy base, so it's similar to what we are used to...but oh so different! Their selection in clothing is great! now I may be saying this because I'm fed up with what we're offered back home, or because the first day we were here, we bought 6 new outfits (2-3 pc. sets) for Zac, as well as several pieces for each of us off the MEGA clearance rack.

We went back on the 2nd day i was here and bought a new MacBook pro because the price was right and I had no internet access at the hotel w/o a computer (at least this is what Stephen used to persuade me - the man collects computers like "Carrie" [from Sex and the City] collects Shoes).

The 3rd day we went back because I needed flip flops and to see if we could find a specific toy for Zac. Well, we found the flip flops (on clearance) and we found the toy...just not on clearance :( however, now Zac has an awesome new activity center that will grow with him! We now have to figure out how to ship it back. It came in a box roughly the size of 3 shoe boxes. With "some assembly required" it now measures about 2.5' x 3'x 3.5'.

Even with all the enjoyment we've experienced, it wouldn't be a cultural exchange with out some discomfort. Sure enough, I'm having just a little trouble with the language (2 years of H.S. spanish isn't quite enough to get me by now) and our biggest issue is that dinner isn't served until AT LEAST 8pm each night. Kitchens don't open until 8pm!!!

Now you can drink your brains out till then. But not a spot of food till the clock strikes 8 (and later in some establishments).

This wouldn't be such a problem, except Zac's bedtime is between 7 and 8 pm. The poor thing just can't take it after 8pm. We've slowly adjusted and finally had a dinner out on the town last night. Zac did great...until we got home.

He had a meltdown when we got home (about 9:30pm) and finally fell asleep shortly after 10pm - but spent the rest of the night up and down every 2 hours. I'm exhausted.

So, we've decided that dining out just isn't worth it! We'll probably try 2 more times and see how it goes (in another day or so). But thankfully where we are staying is actually and apartment (1 bedroom w/ kitchenette - about 600 sq. ft). So we've got a mini fridge stocked w/ 2 meals and we'll just play it by ear as we go.

Speaking of the hotel, it's quite a nice place! Very affordable (thanks to the off-season pricing) and lots of amenities (laundry room, restaurant, pool, spa [closed for maintenance], located on bus route, private parking, excellent staff). Seeing how we're set up here - I don't' think the 3 of us could ever fit into a hotel room for an extended period!!! (this is the first time we're traveling as a family and not staying in our parents' homes.) I do love it here. It's so comfortable and family friendly. There's even a kids club house - which we haven't checked out yet, but will soon. And, as i said earlier, we're a very short walk to the beach with a long, winding board walk to keep us occupied for days! Just yesterday we discovered an equestrian sporting arena, a small playground and a bike park w/ obstacles ( yes, we did it in the stroller - no one was there to yell at us so i thought "why not?!")

So, after just 4 short days, we're all feeling at home in our space and enjoying our time on the beach and in the sun. Perhaps this weekend we'll head to Gibraltar, or maybe take a ferry to AFRICA!!!

I AM SO BLESSED!

Wepon of Mass Interruption

Probably the most difficult thing to get used to as a new mom is interruption. Sleep is optional, eating is ocassional and showering really only affects those around you - but the ability to get things done (for me) is directly linked to my sense of purpose and self value. Now that Zac is here, my ability to get stuff done has been seriously altered! But, in the end, all for the better.




It's far better to have Zac and not get as much done because I get to watch, experience and encourage all these wonderful moments between us and even between Zac and Stephen. Having an infant really does make you appreciate so much more about your life - life before and after baby.



This weekend we took Zac to the pool for the first time. It was magical to watch him explore the water, how his body works in the water and the wonderment of being in the water. It's these moments that you can never appreciate until you're actually there! And that was worth WAY more than getting the laundry done, paying bills, meeting the repair man, etc. etc.

For more photos, click here.

On Tuesday, June 29 we are headed back to the U.S. for our first trip to America as a new and improved family. I'm quite nervous for how much stress it'll be. I know that the cooler I keep it, the cooler it will be for Zac and for Stephen. We all feed off each other in stressful situations. I truly hope that the whole flight (approx. 10 hours) will be no problem for him.

The thing I'm most concerned about is how he's going to transition to the new time. All the other travelling mommies I've talked to said it's just like adults, it takes a couple days, but eventually he'll be on track. The worst part will be when we come back to Germany - going east is far more difficult jetlag.

While back home we will be spending 2 weeks with my parents - who have never met Zac before. I'm so excited to introduce them to my son. I'm so proud of him - he's the best! And I can't wait till my parents get to see that as well.

After that, we'll spend a week with Stephen's family - they haven't seen Zac since he was a month old. Quite a lot has changed since then!

This month, as previous months, has seen a great number of firsts:

• Zac now loves laying on his back, putting his feet in the air and grabbing them to bring his toes into his mouth.
• Zac can now lift his own body weight onto his legs. We just have to hold his hands or body for balance and give him the initial momentum, but once he's on his way up, he's in total control.
• Zac can roll from belly to back (it took another month to get our 2nd instance of rolling) and just yesterday he did a back to belly roll. That one will take some more time to become reliable...but it's coming!
• He is now pushing up on his arms a little bit to lift his chest off the floor during tummy time.
• He grabs for toys when playing on his tummy, back or sitting in his chair.
• He sits, supported, in his high chair!
• He makes chewing motions while he watches us eat, and much of the excess saliva is now being swollowed (both signs of him getting ready for solids).
• He loves playing peek-a-boo with dad and dancing with anybody. He enjoys "pony rides" on your knee and can't get enough of silly sounds and faces.