Third Time's the Charm
On Wednesday night, Liam reached another milestone. While we were waiting in the lobby at Lydia's dance lesson, he stood up, gained his balance, and then took three steps to me. I was so proud! He looked so cute while he was doing it, with the sweetest look of gleeful determination on his face. Since then, he likes to practice his new skill. Today, every time I clapped my hands and said, "yay!" he would stand up and try it again. He got up to five consecutive steps.

This was a milestone for me as well. Out of all three children, Liam is the first one to take his first steps to me. When Braden was little, he took his first steps at our friends' house. I was there, but he chose to aim his direction toward our friend instead of me! I started crying (because I was so happy and proud -- it didn't really hurt my feelings that he didn't walk to me), and our friends were confused. Until we explained that those were his very first steps. Still, when we see those friends at Church in Maryland, they mention how Braden took his first steps at their house.

Lydia chose to take her first steps while I was gone for only one hour to pick Morgan up from the airport. My friend Maia was visiting from Utah, and had offered to watch the kids at Morgan's parents' house for me while I went to pick him up. When we returned she mentioned that Lydia had been taking some steps. I couldn't believe I missed it! I hardly ever leave my kids, especially during their first two years, and she had chosen the one time I left her to take her first steps! Honestly, I was too excited to really be upset that I missed it, but I was beginning to see a trend. Well, Liam has now broken that trend!

I know that pretty soon I will be wondering why I was so excited for him to walk. But he is really fast on all fours, so I don't think walking is going to make him any more mobile. And maybe, just maybe, if he is standing upright rather than at ground level, he won't be enticed to put every little thing into his mouth. We'll see, I guess!

Potty ProblemsI just don't understand. How is it, that children, who love to push buttons, levers, knobs of all shapes and sizes, have such a difficult time flushing the toilet! My kids actually argue over whose turn it is to push doorbells, crosswalk buttons, and elevator controls. But do they flush? No! I feel like I am constantly saying, "Did you flush and wash?" Normally this isn't so much a problem, as a yucky inconvenience. But yesterday, it was a problem. Liam is a very curious boy, and I make sure that the bathroom doors are always closed because I have found him, more than once, playing with the toilet brush! Ewww! Yesterday, as I was making breakfast, I heard some splashing coming from the bathroom. Yes, splashing! Panicked, I ran to find him fishing around in the toilet, which is really quite a feat considering that German toilets only have about a cup and a half of water in them! He was reaching down in, swishing away. Had it been flushed? I'm afraid not.
I just had to post a picture of this contraption. It is in our powder room, or "the Boys' Room" as Braden calls it. Yes, it is a urinal. We have a urinal in our house! Something I never considered having, but it comes in handy around here!

Birthday Suit!

Well, not that kind of birthday suit! This is Braden in his new suit that Mamaw and Papa Hanners sent him for his birthday. He looks so handsome! He has been outgrowing everything we buy him faster than we can keep up with! He just turned 8, but we decided to put him in size 10 slim, and it fits perfectly. What a little man!

Happy Birthday Braden!

It seems like just yesterday that Braden was this tiny boy in my arms. Everyone warned me that they grow up amazingly fast, and they were right. I know that he still has lots of growing to do here with me, but I can't help but be amazed at how fast the past eight years have gone.

Braden, you bring so much joy into all of our lives. You have always been such a sweet, loving boy, and I have always been impressed by what a deep thinker you are. I am proud of all that you do, and all that you are interested in. I love it that your favorite type of book is "non-fiction" and how excited you always are to talk to your friend Alex about those books. How you pour over National Geographic magazines, and can spend hours making Lego creations. I love how you can talk endlessly about Transformers, even though I haven't got the slightest idea what any of it means (thank goodness for Daddy!) I love it that you can express your feelings so well through words, art and writing, like the time you drew a "feelings tree" in your journal. You are a great big brother. I love to see how much you love to play with Lydia. And you are so helpful with Liam. I also think it is wonderful that you want twelve brothers and sisters (but hope you'll settle for 3 or 4). I am so proud of you, and love you so very much.

In our church, the eighth birthday is very special. It is the age at which children can be baptized, and become members of our church. I am so happy that Braden has chosen to be baptized next month when Morgan comes home.

I am excited to see what the next 8 years have in store for us! We love you Braden!

My HummelsWhile I was taking Liam's lederhosen pictures (previous post) it struck me just how much he looked like a Hummel figurine! Hummels have played a big role in my life, and I wanted to share a little bit of my story on this blog.

When I was a little girl, my Grandma collected Hummels. She had a collection of about ten of them on the top shelf of her kitchen hutch. She and I loved each other very much, and had a special relationship, so when she died when I was six, I was heartbroken. Shortly after her death, as the family was discussing Grandma's will, I was told that she had left me her Hummel collection. I felt so special to have been left something, because I was only six, after all. My Grandpa said that he would keep them until we settled down one day (my Dad was in the Army, and we moved quite frequently).

Years later, my Grandpa passed away as well. Through some sort of misunderstanding, his new wife sold the entire Hummel collection before I could retreive them. I was just recently married, and ready to settle down finally, and had a home for the Hummels. At the time, I was devastated, because those Hummels had always meant so much to me. It was never about the actual figurines for me, but the love they represented. The fact that my Grandma loved me so much when I was so little, that she would leave me her prized collection, had always made me feel so loved and special. I eventually came to peace with the situation, and realized that although the figurines were sold, the love could never be taken away.

Now I have a new Hummel collection that means just as much to me because it has been given to me with just as much love as the original. My first Hummels came from my Aunt Dawn and Uncle Bobby, who, knowing the whole situation, wanted to help me start a new collection. That was such a thoughtful and sweet thing to do, and it means a great deal to me.

My more recent Hummels have come from Morgan's Mom, who saw how hurt I was when my Hummels were sold, and decided to recreate my collection. I had a picture of my Grandma's collection, so going off of that she has managed to track down all of the original ten. She has put so much effort and thought into giving me this collection, and has made me feel so loved in the process. As a bonus, she has developed a new interest, and has her own collection of Hummels now.

I posted these particular pictures of Hummels, because they show little boys in lederhosen! There is just something about short leather pants with suspenders that is just so cute! Berta Hummel saw it, and I do too!

Lederhosen!We couldn't help ourselves! But can you really blame us? We just had to buy our sweet baby a pair of lederhosen. We bought them last week at a huge bazaar, where we also bought Lydia a beautiful Bavarian dress (pictures to come). When we asked the lady about lederhosen for Braden, she said that she would have to special order them. We decided to wait and see what Braden thought of them first, and boy, am I glad we did! When I told him that we wanted to buy some for him, his response was, "Absolutely not!" Fortunately, I think we can get him a nice German vest or something so he won't be left out, and still won't have to be humiliated!

I was really hoping to do a nice photo shoot and get some quality pictures of him, but he was just a blur! He loves playing in the grass, and I couldn't keep him still for more than a milisecond! I am still waiting to get my portrait studio set up, so maybe when I can photograph him indoors (and have Morgan's help) I will be able to get some nice pictures. But I still love these pictures, because they show so much of his adorable personality. He is just such a busy baby, and rarely sits still, so they capture his true self!

TV

We haven't signed up for TV service here yet, which I was surprised to find has not been a problem for anyone in our family. After living in temporary housing for 2 months, without toys, friends, a car, we totally overdosed on Disney Channel and cartoons. We usually don't have cable, and do just fine with PBS (I love PBS Kids for the kids, and Masterpiece Theater is the highlight of my week). But whenever we travel, we love to watch the Disney Channel. Not just the kids. Morgan and I have been known to fall asleep watching "That's So Raven!"

So when we moved into our house, signing up for TV was just not a priority. We were too busy unpacking, getting ready for the start of school, traveling, etc., and we just never got around to it. We can actually sign up for Armed Forces Network (AFN) for free, which is probably what we will do. They have about ten channels, which is amazing to me! When I was younger and lived here, AFN was only 1 channel, and it was very limited (however, I never had to miss an episode of "The Electric Company." )

Morgan is gone for two weeks, and now I am really starting to miss TV! The kids still don't mind not having it, but they have friends! I never realized how much company TV can be when you are alone, and rarely talk to anyone older than 8! I have been watching different versions of "Pride and Prejudice" the past few nights (I never realized what a dreamy Mr. Darcy Laurence Olivier was!), but I can't help wondering what is going on on TV. Not that I follow any shows. I used to watch some of the crime dramas when Morgan was busy doing something else. He really doesn't like them at all for two reasons: 1. When you are dealing with crime at work all day, it isn't fun to watch it on TV, and 2. He gets extremely annoyed at how unrealistic they are, i.e. "They just sent that DNA out for testing an hour ago, and it's already back!?! That takes six months!!" I imagine it's similar to watching "ER" with a doctor. Kind of annoying.

Funny enough, though, I feel the same way about "Super Nanny." When I have finally read stories to, said prayers with, given cups of water to, kissed, and cuddled with my children, and have succeeded at keeping them in their beds, the last thing I want to watch is another mom struggling to get her kids to stay in bed. And like Morgan with the unrealistic DNA tests, I can't help but think "sure, they are obedient when a stranger and an entire camera crew are there. What happens when they leave?"

So, I guess the conclusion I am coming to is that I am not really missing anything, am I? Maybe I should just stick with Mr. Darcy.

News!

I have added some fun things to my blog. Can you find them? I wanted to share this news with you all personally, but I don't have my e-mail addresses any more, and we are on the other side of the planet. So if you didn't get a phone call or a personal e-mail, it's not that I wasn't thinking of you. We will keep you updated, and look forward to sharing this experience with you all!

Fall Soccer 2007

We had a great kick-off to the soccer season on Saturday. For the opening ceremony, all of the teams paraded in front of the parents. Shortly after the ceremony, Braden had his first game.

Braden's soccer skills have been steadily improving with each season he plays. I was so proud of him as I was watching him really get into the game. At one point, he ran toward the ball and slid right into a kick. Now, I don't know too much about soccer, so I didn't realize that that is against the rules. But the father of one of the kids on the opposing team said, "That's not allowed!" and went as far as to call our coach on it. Our coach good-naturedly said, "they're still just learning" but the father actually accused Braden of doing it on purpose! Not wanting to start a heated shouting match, I quietly said, "I am pretty sure he just fell," but no one heard me. The coach ended up going out to talk to Braden, and I stood there, quietly fuming, when I overheard the father who accused Braden saying, "That Number 12 is pretty good, huh?" He may have accused my son of intentional illegal slip-kicking, but he said he was good! All was forgiven. He has tried so hard for so long, and he is finally really coming into his own with soccer. Braden's team, the Blue Dragons, tied the Eagles 1-1.

Lydia's team is called the Transformers, and her coach's wife made this incredible banner for the opening ceremony parade.

Lydia's game was next, and she had so much fun! She first played defense, and was unsure whether she could move from her position, so ended up standing where her coach had placed her for most of the quarter. But when he put her on offense, she was all over the field! My favorite moment was when she was running after the ball, and caught sight of me. As she was playing, she smiled and waved at me. I wish I could have caught that on the camera! The Transformers won their first game 3-1.

Open House

At their School Open House last week, Lydia's class sang a song for us, and then she showed us around her room.

Braden's class did a fun activity. They had all made self-portraits, and their teacher had numbered them and hung them on the board. Then all of the parents had to guess which portrait was of their child. Here is Braden with his portrait.

Lydia's First Day of Kindergarten

Lydia woke up bright and early on her first day of kindergarten. The night before, she had requested scrambled eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast, so here she is enjoying her meal. She had also helped me pack her lunch the night before, and laid out her clothes, shoes and barrettes.

The night before, for Family Home Evening, we read a book about starting kindergarten (which I could hardly finish because I was crying), and gave Lydia this locket. Before we gave it to her, we all put kisses inside it, so she could bring them with her to school and remember how much we love her.Here she is outside our door, ready to head to the bus stop. We wanted to drive her to school, but she was too excited to take the bus. I love taking pictures of the backs of my kids' heads. Someday I will have enough for a scrapbook! The moment she had been waiting for finally arrived! She followed Braden onto the bus, and was off to her very first day of school. But she knew the drill: turn and smile for the picture! I couldn't help crying as she sped away in her bus.

I remember when Braden started kindergarten. I was allowed to take him into his classroom and take pictures of him at his desk. I could hardly see through all the tears as I walked down the hall that day. It is not that I worry that they won't be treated well, it is just that it is such a huge milestone, and another step toward independence. Lydia obviously enjoyed her first day (and I survived it as well). Here she is at the end of the day, getting off the bus. After this picture was taken she did a happy dance and sang, "I love, love, love school!" I am so glad that she loves it.
And I'm proud of her progress and growth, and wonder if I am growing in a similar way as I help her to spread her wings and take flight.

A Visit to the Land of my Birth

I was born in Heidelberg, Germany, and I have not been back since I was three months old. So a couple of Saturdays ago we loaded up the family in the mini van, and headed to the land of my birth. We had a great time roaming around the castle grounds, walking around downtown, and eating a yummy German meal at an outdoor cafe.

Lydia gave some coins to this street performer, and got to shake her hand. I would have been much too scared to do that at her age, but she was thrilled!

Home Sweet Home

Here are a few pictures of our new home, and the view from our windows. I will start taking some pictures of the inside soon. I am still trying to get everything put away. German houses don't have closets, so it takes a little longer to get everything organized. The Base lent us some wardrobes, and we have bought some other furniture. I am also going through the boxes as I unpack, and getting rid of things we don't need or have room for.

Most German houses are built as multi-family dwellings, usually with three floors and an apartment on each level. Our house is no different, but it was never used by three families. You can, however, see where the kitchens were inteded on each level, even though there is only one "real" kitchen on the main level.

We love this house, and are having fun getting settled into it for our time in Germany.

This is our backyard. The kids love playing out there, and it is a great place for barbeques.

This is the kids' playhouse in the backyard. The previous residents used it for storage, but our kids took up residence in it as soon as we moved in. There is plenty of outdoor storage with an outdoor closet, small shed, and two-car garage, so we gave them this house for their playhouse.

This is the view from our dining room. I love our village with its brick streets, red roofs, and proximity to hiking trails through the woods. I know we are going to be very happy here.

I've Been Tagged!

This is a fun game that my dear friend Mendy tagged me for. Here are the rules:

A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it."

1. My first kiss was on stage when I was a senior in high school playing "Sandy" in Grease.
2. I enjoy pregnancy and having babies so much that I sometimes worry that I will never want to stop, and end up with 15 children!
3. Despite the fact that I have never successfully learned to drive a stick shift, I have actually driven across country several times in one. Once from Utah to California and back, and then from Utah to New Hampshire with my friend Linda, and then once with Mendy from Pennsylvania to Utah. All three trips, whenever it was my turn behind the wheel, Linda or Mendy just told me when to press the clutch, and they shifted for me.
4. From the time I was three until I was seven, I wanted to grow up to be Wonder Woman. I thought that if I could spin fast enough, I would turn into her.
5. I absolutely hate clutter. I regularly purge our belongings and either take them to charities or have yard sales.
6. I would love to be a photographer, and am setting up a small photo studio in my basement to take portraits of my children.
7. I am really not a picky eater, and have tried many exotic foods. But there are two things that I try to avoid -- raw carrots and brothy soups. I don't know what it is about carrots. I like them very much when they are cooked. But I'm not a fan of soup because I don't like the thought of meat juice. Juice should be flavored like fruit, not beef!

Well, there you have it. A glimpse into my mind! Now I tag Anna, Kimberly, Amber, Melissa J., and Aunt Dawn. Have fun!