Smart Girl

Emily hit a milestone today: today was the first time that she drank from a bottle.

She didn't like it at first, but after many tries (and not giving up), she started sucking...and drank the whole portion.

Whew! This is definitely a relief. We've heard horror stories about other children that didn't (easily) take a bottle, and it was nice to have it work the first time...

Thoughtful Child

As Eva and I are playing what has turned into the nightly 'go to bed, get up, go to bed, get up' game with Quinn, I had to remind myself of Quinn this morning.

As I was leaving for work, he came up to me and hugged me goodbye. This is practically a part of our daily ritual. This time, however, he left some of his morning yoghurt on my topcoat.

I didn't think much of it...just rubbed it off. We have all experienced worse.

Quinn comes back a few seconds later, as I'm leaving out the door, with a tissue in hand, grabs me by the coat, and wipes off the little bit of yoghurt that is left.

Very, very cool. I had to hug him back.

...now if he will only stay in bed...

Father Son Fieldtrips

These last few weeks, Quinn and I have been taking fieldtrips on Sunday. Our first, shortly after New Years, was to the German Train Museum in Nürnberg. Quinn loved the fact that we needed to take a bus, train, and subway to get there.

I loved the museum. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the place was totally designed for kids (and their parents). There was lots of cool stuff, and everything was more or less protected from the curious hands of a 2 year old, sparing me from having to say 'don't touch' a million times.

In the main train hall, they had the Adler next to the ICE. Quinn is posing with the Adler above - the first successful locomotive in Germany, which went initially between Nürnberg and Fürth.

The ICE is the German High Speed train, a Siemens product (Eva works for the 'trains' business unit), which has manifested itself in different countries (Spain, Russia, China).

Along with at least 10 full size trains / locs, there were two floors of stuff to see on the history of trains. I could have spent the whole day there (and will the next time my dad is in town...a great father/son activity for all generations).

At the end, they had a bunch of 'trains' that the kids could ride on (Bobby Cars / Big Wheels), a huge wooden train set (Brio) for the kids to play on, as well as an electric train to try out.

All in all, a great day! We got home at 3pm. Eva was getting worried that disaster struck, and that I'd walk in the door, mad, with a screaming 2 year old. I was smiling from ear to ear...and Quinn was exhausted.

The last two weekends, we have gone to an indoor swimming pool. The first time, as we were leaving, Quinn saw some kids with a soccer ball. Curious, we followed them into the stands, where we could watch another team play.

Indoor soccer...cool.

At first, we were not in the first row, but Quinn wanted to get closer to the action. As 'luck' would have it, when Quinn stood on the first row, a steel bar was directly in his line of sight. I seemed to always have this problem as a kid (always a bit too short), so I could empathize with the little guy.

So...I let Quinn stand on my backpack.

We must have watched soccer for 90 minutes. Quinn stood perfectly still the whole time. An amazing feat for any two year old.

Almost all week, Quinn kept asking to swim and watch soccer...so we did it again.

Great fun for both father and son (and a nice break from the boys for Mama).

Phone Conversation

I was in Berlin for most of the week with a customer wanting to audit our manufacturing facilities.

I called home on Tuesday night, and Quinn wanted to talk to me. While this is normal behavior for him, he normally gets gunshy when Eva gives him the phone and just says 'hallo' and then not another word.

For the first time, we actually had a conversation. It was really cool...for just a second, I thought it was Eva impersonating Quinn. He even asked me a few questions (when was I coming home and if I would put chocolate in my shirt pocket). It was very strange and yet very exciting.

One of the best things in the world is coming home after a biz trip when Eva and the kids meet me in the airport. The look on Quinn's face (and hopefully oneday soon Emily's face) is amazing.

Like every other time, when Quinn saw me, he smiled from ear to ear, ran to me, gave me a big hug, and shoved his hand in my shirt pocket...for his chocolate.

Just a Pic

Thought you would like this one of Quinn and Emily.
After Emily woke up one morning last week with her eye closed shut from 'gunk' that had dried up overnight, we decided that we should finally go to the doc to figure out what all this 'gunk' was that was constantly in her eyes.

Pink eye (Bindehaut Entzündung). Great.

The meds are working their course, but Emily's eye is not totally healed.

Sledding Fun

We've a pretty long cold stretch these last few weeks...and a fair amount of snow to go along with it. Great dry snow that is bad for making snowmen, but great for sledding.
Since Quinn's sled broke a few weeks ago, we've been talking about getting a new one. I really liked the wooden toboggans - partially because I think they look cool (in an old school sort of way) and because I can ride with the kiddoes.

I have to admit, I was more excited trying out Quinn's new sled than he was. So, yesterday morning, I called the neighbor, and asked if they wanted to go sledding with us.

Kaya and Elena joined us (and brought their toboggan as well). I ended up pulling all three kids.

Afterwards, we played in our backyard and tried to build a snoman out of the dry snow. We played, and played, and played: everything from football, soccer, to 'horsey' (which is killer on my back), to 'tumbleweed', to 'running around like idots'...all of our favorite games made more fun by the snow.

It was a ball...but I'm hurting today...

Kindergarten Kid

Emily hit a milestone a few days before Christmas: she can now grab and hold onto stuff now! While she has always been able to grab onto my chest hairs, holding onto a ring is a major step. Before we know it, she'll be crawling...
We got some snow the last few days, and we took the chance during a visit from Tanja and Rene (and their kids) to break up the coffee and cake routine for some sledding. We have a great sledding hill a few minute walk from our place...and on snowy days, it is oozing with kids (and their parents). Sounds on the hill range from screaming (for joy) and screaming (due to a crash).

I even convinced Quinn to pull the sled up the hill a few times. The point of the whole exercise was to tire Quinn out, but with me schlepping him up the hill, I'm the one that was tired and sore.

Correction (from the editor): I didn't just go to tire Quinn out...I really wanted to sled! Fun, Fun!

Quinn hit another milestone today as well: he had his first day in Kindergarten! Kindergarten in Germany is for kids ranging from 2.5 to 6 (or a bit older, depending on their age when they go into first grade in the Fall), which is slightly different than in the US where kindergarten is the grade prior to first grade, with PreSchool coming before kindergarten.

As the kids get older, they take on more tasks to get them ready for first grade...

All in all, a huge milestone for Quinn. Quinn was stoked about going to Kindergarten (Eva and I have been playing it up for weeks), and we were a bit saddened (yet happy) to see our little baby head to Kindergarten.

Quinn was pooped when Eva picked him up around 1pm. Quinn NEVER sleeps on his back, but he was so wiped out that he crashed on his back in our bed when he got home.

P.S. Quinn is sleeping in a regular toddler's bed now.

Christmas 2009

Oh...the spirit of Christmas. Somehow, I had remembered it a bit different as a kid. With Quinn getting a bit older, I thought that this was the year that you would see the glow of Christmas in his eyes.

Looking back, I'm sure this was the case, but an almost 3 year old all worked up on chocolate and cookies the month of December made things a bit tense. I need to learn to relax a bit more.

All things considered - especially with us still getting used to life as a foursome - we had a great time as a family. And, that is the important thing. Oh...that DVD of mine that Quinn broke (Frosty the Snowman) wasn't really all that important. It was super cool, however, to see his excitement watching the super old school 1960's version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! (I loved that as a child!)

...some assembly required.
Of course, of all the tools with his wooden workbench, Quinn liked the hammer the most.

Eva sporting her Michael Jackson look...

Quinn really got into the unwrapping this year. We had to work a bit harder this year - keeping both the German (Christkind & Weihnachtsmann) and the American (Santa Claus) traditions straight...Quinn will remember next year what we told him...

Quinn checking to make sure Opa's heart is still beating!

We can't believe it, but Emily is already over 3 months old and is growing well. Her length and weight are all normal...but she still screams like a stuck pig before she goes to bed each night...Nonetheless, she is beginning to coo and can sort of grab things now.

In keeping with my family's Christmas Day tradition, we allowed Quinn to stay in his PJ's all day and let him eat (mostly) all the cookies and chocolate he could handle. Since he makes a fuss just about every day about getting dressed, he REALLY loved getting to stay in his PJ's all day. Odd the things that kids like...

Quinn as a lumberjack...

Family picture I. We had to tickle Quinn to get him to smile.

A great one of Quinn and Tick-Tack Opa.

Emily flirting with her Godfather, Kocka.

Family Pic II.

As with every year, December seems to be the fastest month of the year. You look forward to Christmas each year - especially the time with family and friends - and then it is already New Years. Crazy...as a kid, December was the slowest darn month of the year.

Next year, we promise to get out Christmas Cards...(this was the first year in my adult life that I missed sending out cards...). Hope you and your family and friends had a great holiday season!

Happy New Year 2010!

It didn't dawn on me until a few days ago that yesterday was the end of a decade. Wow...didn't it just get started? Then, Prince's song (1999) came rushing into my mind...we're going to party like it's 1999.

Yes, 1999 was one hell of a party. Sam and BW were in KC, and we had a table reserved at a pretty good bar. I was the only one that didn't have a girlfriend (or didn't end up with a new girlfriend) that night. Man, did we party. I still don't know how many Gin & Tonics I had that night (I lost count around 12 or 15). The bar had one of those guys in the bathroom that would turn the water on for you or give you a paper towel (which I normally don't like...I can turn on the water for myself, thank you). I brought that guy at least 4 G&T's that night. The lights didn't go out, and Y2K will go down as one of the largest jokes in history.

Jan 1, 2000 started with one of the biggest hangovers I have ever had.

My world is significantly different now...marriage, kids, career, travel, vacations, business trips, new culture and language. There is less time, there are more people and things pulling for my attention, I'm slower, a bit fatter, and I have a LOT more grey hair. My back hurts.

But, if the next 10 years provide similar highs as the last, I'll be able to look back at the 'teens' and smile as I'm doing now at the 'naughties / aughts'. In that perspective, grey hair and a hurting back is a small price to pay.

Happy New Year to you all. May your new year be filled with health, happiness, peace, and a ton of fun!