Now is the winter of our...

Parents arriving from the states is of course what Shakespeare was insinuating with that statement in Richard III. No, not really. Really it is lovely here. Great cocoa and hot tea weather and time to visit indoors. Mom and Dad are really looking forward to some great interaction time with Eileen. And she in turn is looking forward to even more people treating her as though she is the center of the universe. And smiling when she says 'cookie please.' We will probably explore Christmas markets in Germany and locally. Possibly see a couple of Castles decorated for the holidays.

So, there are some questions that you might have: 1) will you have Thanksgiving. The answer is yes! I bought our turkey a couple of weeks ago -- it is about 18 pounds and kosher -- and I bought it from the nearest US commissary*. 2) is it traditional here? No, neither Thanksgiving, nor enormous birds are traditional here -- even though many from the Mayflower started their journey from these shores. Final bonus question: yes, I am still sick, though my doctor claims that he no longer hears the seven dwarves hammering against my lungs with every ragged breath I try to draw. Eric and Eileen aren't much healthier. In fact, none of our friends are.

*Caveat: we are actually helping some of the single guys and new families with their Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day, so ours will be on Friday night with a couple of Dutch friends and my parents.

As Fall Heads Toward Winter

We live pretty close to Germany. In Germany from about the middle of November on, there are these things called Markets. They sell snacks (sweet and savory), hot beverages (with and without alcohol) and of course lovely things that could be gifts (ceramics and wood -- toys, household goods, etc. mostly 'hand made' or at least look that way).

We went to Germany yesterday to go to the nearest Sea Life Center. In case you don't know of Sea Life Center, here is their website http://www.sealifeeurope.com/ My toddler has become obsessed with Fish, so we went to a large shopping mall in Germany (Centro in Oberhausen) and also visited the Sea Life Center.

Backing up, Eileen likes to play on our Wii. We have a fishing game on that. She will run up to the TV and scream FISH at the top of her lungs any time we catch a fish on that game. Hence the need to visit some real life fish. I have been printing out fish coloring pages for her. Today, I am going to use some card stock and make her a fish hat to decorate. Before she goes to the swimming pool.

Now, back to the visit to Germany. I had not visited one of these markets before, but at the mall at Oberhausen, they were busy installing the little plywood huts for the Kerst Market. All I can say is it is like walking through a town designed for a child sized railroad. It should be fun when there are actually things to buy.

For those of you looking for a health update: 1) x-ray came back without much on it. 2) I am still coughing, though not as badly. 3) Eileen is now coughing and it seems like more than just imitating a sound she hears (e.g. she does it in her sleep).