We're back!!! We did ten days - six cities, four countries and two continents. I don't even know where to begin with writing about this amazing trip - we, honestly, could not had asked for a better time. The cruise ship was top-notch - we were upgraded to a balcony suite, and ate like royalty with seven-course meals. We saw sights that I never even knew existed and got some awesome family pictures. Elliott behaved better than we even thought possible - I think he only had one toddler-sized meltdown ... on the steps of the cathedral in Barcelona, but it was a long day, so we'll cut him some slack.
Rome was our ultimate favorite - definitely a dream come true.
We came back to Germany to broken Internet so I am unable to upload pictures, but hopefully it will be fixed soon.
We also came home to some bad news that Vic is leaving soon ... like, really soon, so we're enjoying our last few days together. Today we're putting up Christmas decorations - my favorite.
Stay tuned for pictures!! We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
We attempted some more family pictures a few weeks ago - to make up for that time that Elliott went crazy. There was a freak rainstorm during this shoot, so she was only able to get a handful of shots. They turned out pretty nice, but we have decided that organized family pictures are just not our thing ... so we'll treasure these photos ...
This is in a little town called Weiden ... about 20 - 40 minutes from our house (timing depends on whether or not you get stuck behind a tractor). I love this shot ... mostly for the very German looking scenery.
This is a very strange, but cute, picture of E ... it doesn't look like him at all. Maybe the lighting? Either way - his hair is out of control ...
I love this one ...
This is funny because we look like we're in a romantic pose, but we're really laughing about how uncomfortable these pictures were making us ...
Sooo ... it has been raining for two weeks ... straight. We are really hoping that we catch a break on our cruise - we would really like to enjoy some sunny skies!
Next weekend Vic and I are heading to Nuremberg for the night ... without Elliott!! I met a friend of a friend who runs a daycare (sponsored by the Army) out of her house, so Vic and I went to visit this weekend and it's awesome - she has a daughter the same age as Elliott and they were having so much fun playing together. She does weekend/overnight care ... and we couldn't pass up the opportunity - it will be the perfect getaway for my 30th birthday, and Elliott will have a blast.
We leave on the 21st for our big cruise. We fly into Italy on Thursday night, then we will wake up early on Friday morning and try to squeeze in a quick trip to the Vatican before we catch our cruise ship in the afternoon. We go from Rome to Genoa, Italy to Marseille, France to Barcelona, Spain to Tunisia, Africa to Sicily, and then back to Rome. We are staying one extra night in Rome so we have a chance to see the Colosseum and all of that jazz. We are super excited ... and a little nervous. This is a huge task to take on with a toddler ... we may live to regret it, but we'll see some awesome places along the way!!
Vic's deployment is up in the air at this point ... they are going back and forth ... and back and forth with whether or not they are sending his team, so we'll see what happens!! We're prepared for the worst at this point ... so we are really just hoping for a solid decision soon.
I don't have much to share this week, but I do love this picture ...
He loves to do whatever Daddy is doing!
Elliott's vocabulary has tripled in the last few weeks. It is crazy ... the kid will not shut up!
Here is a video from bath time. He has started 'saying' his ABC's ... which is just a bunch of babbling to the tune of the song. Of course, he wouldn't do it for the camera ... but I'll get it one of these days. You can hear him say 'Elliott' - which just started in the last week!
We'll update after our trip to Nuremberg next weekend!!!
We had a great, but busy, week! We skipped actual trick-or-treating and opted for Vic's Company party instead. They did a little Halloween walk - followed by a get-together. Elliott dressed up like his favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character - DJ Lance Rock. Not many people knew who he was, but it was hilarious for us!
On actual Halloween we just locked ourselves inside and closed the shutters. Surprisingly we didn't get a single trick-or-treater.
E's daycare did a big party where the kids were able to wear costumes. When I asked the teacher if he had fun, she said, "ummm, he didn't want to touch any if the gooey, messy stuff ... and seemed to have the most fun cleaning up". Oops ... I've created a little OCD clean freak! After that comment I immediately went and bought some Play-Doh so we can try some 'messy' activities at home.
We had our first potty experience this week! E was pulling on his diaper, so I said, "do you need to use the potty?" - not expecting a response. When he said 'yes' ... I panicked because we don't even have a little potty! I tore his diaper off and rushed him to the BIG potty, and he went!! He was so proud of himself. I made sure to grab a potty the next day - he loves it. We're not pushing the whole thing too hard because I want to wait until after the cruise to even think about underwear and all the good stuff. Something about a potty-training toddler and multi-country traveling doesn't mix.
I have worked all week on a project for a class that I am so completely lost in ... like - we're mid-way through the semester and I still don't know what the class is even about. Anyway, I turned in - what appears to be some semi-correct information, and I have one test and one project left in this ridiculousness that I will probably never use again. I'm praying for a B at this point ...
We are laying low again this weekend - it's raining and a perfect day for movies!
I feel like we have been traveling non-stop for the past month, so this weekend we have done nothing but lounge around ... and eat. It's been great.
Last weekend we headed to Munich to sightsee for the day and then drop Vic's friend at the airport the next morning. My streak of booking nice hotels is officially over - since I put us up in the Red Light District ... nestled right between two strip clubs. The hotel itself wasn't too bad, but our room was a 1-star - at best. We made it work, and thank goodness we just needed it for the night!
Car ride to Munich ... he was great ...
Main square in Munich.
Running around in front of the Rathskeller ...
He loved the big lions ...
In the palace gardens ...
We were a week short of Oktoberfest, but we still stopped by the, ever popular, Hofbrauhaus. It was packed, but we got an awesome table. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the men in their lederhosen, but I was too focused on my gigantic beer.
This is a liter ... and it was delicious!
Elliott was bouncing off the walls in this place, but loved listening to the traditional Bavarian music.
Peek-a-boo with beer coasters.
He was crawling under the table, and would take quick breaks to watch his show. Doesn't Vic look like he's having so much fun???
This picture cracks me up. I didn't realize he had his finger in his nose until after I took the picture. Hilarious.
His first ice cream cone ...
It was a great little trip. We have a few little things planned, but mostly we are going to lay low until our big cruise at the end of November. I am researching my brains out so we can have the smoothest trip possible.
Elliott's vocabulary has tripled in the last couple of weeks ... I am amazed at how quickly he can pick things up. He loves to read, and it's so funny to watch him read to himself some of the books we have read a million times together.
If you're thinking of Christmas/birthday gifts - books are always welcome (especially over drum sets) ... if I have to read Corduroy or The Very Hungry Caterpillar one more time - my brain might explode!
I thought this video was funny - he gets so excited when he gets to show off his belly!!
That's all that is going on here ... now it's back to school work for me!!
We have spent the last two weekends in the Czech Republic. We visited Pilsen last weekend, and went back to Prague this weekend. We visited Prague last winter, but it was freezing, and we barely explored anything.
Pilsen was awesome! We originally decided to go there because it was a quick get-away, and they were having a big beer festival. A few days before we left I started to research where my Great-grandma's family was from. I knew it was in the Bohemia area, so I figured it was probably close to Pilsen. As a matter of fact - they are from a little village just a couple of miles outside of Pilsen! Upon further research I found out that my great-great-great grandpa owned the bar/inn in the town - which is not still standing today. I also discovered that the residents of this particular town put on a festival for my great-great uncle every year. I found a couple potential distant relatives on Facebook, so I sent them a creepy note ... but they have yet to respond. We tried to find the town, but we got lost ... and that's not something you want to do in the Czech Republic. We may try again one of these days!
Anyway, the beer festival was great ... we stumbled upon a little carnival beforehand and Elliott had a blast riding his first ferris wheel. We got to the beer fest nice and early, so we were able to relax while E ran around. About two hours later the place got so packed that we couldn't even moved, so we called it a night and headed into town for dinner.
Our hotel was really awesome ... I'm on a streak of picking nice places! We had a great view, and the only room with a balcony.
See us waving from the balcony??
Elliott loves carnival rides!!
Church in the middle of the square. There was some kind of anti-communism rally going on ... so we tried to avoid this area.
Beers at lunch ...
Pilsner ... which is brewed in the town ...
Pork knuckle ... take one guess who ordered this ...
Beer festival!
Everyone enjoys a beer festival!
Our favorite Czech pastry (see further below for a more detailed description of this deliciousness ... )
Entrance to the festival/city ...
This was about all I needed to see before we decided to leave ... seriously, open-stall urinals!! Ewwwww ... no no no ... but I had to get a picture!
For dinner we decided on a doner kebab ... so good.
The next morning we headed out to the zoo ... which ended up being one of the coolest I have ever been to. The place was empty - we were, literally. the first car in the parking lot. The enclosures were really open, so we had the opportunity to get really close to the animal - a little too close to some of them. Elliott absolutely loved it.
This hippo was just strolling around in some bushes - only separated by a knee-high fence ... it moved back when we got closer, but I seriously could have rode this thing.
Giraffes ... who were fighting, or performing some kind of mating ritual by hitting each other in the butts with their heads ... hilarious to watch. I'll upload a video one day when I'm not so lazy.
This fence was all that separated us from this tiger ...
I despise shoulder rides.
Sherman tank used by Patton's army to liberate the city of Pilsen during WWII ...
So close to this eagle ... he was terrified!
Vic has a friend in town for the week, and we thought Prague would be a fun for us all to see together. The night before our trip we headed out to dinner with some friends. We got to talking about Prague and they decided to join in the fun. They even ended up being able to book a room right next to ours. Also, I picked another awesome hotel - complete with an underground car elevator!
View from the Prague Castle ...
Prague Cathedral ...
Inside the Cathedral ...
Taking a walk with daddy. He was great on both the trips ... I am amazed at how easy he travels (minus the occasional car sickness) ...
Gardens of the castle ...
Entrance to the castle ... the were huge ...
Entertaining himself while I rested my legs ...
View from Charles Bridge on our second day ...
The girls on Charles Bridge ...
Elliott has a huge crush on Kaizlee ... they were so cute together ...
The boys. The wives stayed back in the hotel and let them have a night out on the town. They have been talking about having a 'boys night out' in Prague for months and months, so they definitely lived it up!
View from Prague Castle ...
Enjoying beers at the market ...
So much good food!!
Potatoes on a stick! I could live in this town forever ... just because of the food!
Fish pedicure anyone?? Seriously, you stick your feet in here and the fish eat off all of your dead skin! Gross!
Here are the doughy things that we originally found in Pilsen. The are called 'trdelnik' ... basically it is dough wrapped around a wooden rod and then coated with glaze, cinnamon, sugar and some kind of nuts ... so, so good.
We really had a great time on both trips! This weekend we are headed on a boat tour down the Danube River and then a couple days in Munich before we drop Vic's friend off at the airport.
Vic is starting to get all packed up for this upcoming deployment. We haven't really had much time to think about it, and we're just happy that we'll get to go on the cruise before he has to go!
This picture cracks me up ... sticking out his tongue is his 'new' thing ...
Cooking with mommy. We were making chicken dip, and he was the official stirrer ...
He worked very hard on his picture for Nana Jen ...
His personality is really starting to come out and he is so funny. This is his clown nose that he so desperately wanted to wear to daycare one day last week - and that just wasn't going to happen. Anyway, he was walking around the house just cracking himself up in the mirror.
He finally is starting to tell us 'no' ... which has been pretty funny, but I'm sure that will wear off soon!!
We also started to work on letters ... so far we have E and O down!! He also knows circle and the color green ...
Last Friday I convinced Vic (on his day off) to volunteer on my school's Volksmarch (a German event where you walk a predetermined route and stop along the way for snacks and drinks ... it's a nature thing). Well, it rained the entire 5K, and was actually pretty miserable, but he was a good sport and his help was much needed and appreciated. That's him in the picture - carrying the boy's bookbag who was too tired by the last leg!
That's all I have!! I'll update next weekend with more pictures from our adventures!
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