Rowan loves his cupcakes. The boys helped me make them today. Elijah wasn’t feeling too well so he didn’t eat a whole lot.

Michael’s mom bought these wood animals for the boys and they really enjoy playing with it. Elijah especially likes to play “zoo” and stand all the animals in a row. They aren’t too good at putting them back yet.

Well, we got our first kindergarten call! The kindergarten that we liked called us yesterday and wanted to do an interview. The guy was kind of surprised that I spoke mostly English and he asked if my husband speaks German. I guess since our application was so well written, it took him by surprise. I set up an appointment for this morning for a 15 minute interview. I immediately left a message for Michael to get his hair cut!!!

We were kind of running late this morning, but managed to make it there right on time. I thought it was going to be a casual thing, us mingling with the teachers/parents, but it was really formal. There were about 6 teachers and parents behind a table and some chairs for us to sit on. The boys sat with us for some of the time and then played on the trampoline. They behaved very well except for sticking every tea spoon in their mouths. oops.

They asked us really serious questions and we were so nervous about answering that I don’t know if we gave really good answers. As I replay it in my head, it gets worse and worse and now I feel like there is no hope for them to call us back. I think the whole English thing might not be very good for them - most of them didn’t feel comfortable speaking English. We did do a question in German, so maybe that helped our lost cause. The thing that’s good about this place is that they give a 50% sibling discount!!! The main guy who talked to us is a twin himself so maybe he will take pity on us.

We should’ve prepared a couple of questions for them, but we really didn’t have any. That may have been a bad thing though. Oh well. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

I also wanted to tell you about some of the words the boys have learned. Rowan learned “crying” because in the “Teeth are not for Biting” book, there is a girl who was crying because she got bitten. Elijah has learned “I do” for when he wants to do something himself. He also has some cute pronunciations like “noop” (milk) and “pea ba-pur” (peanut butter). Recently he started saying “big eat” for when he has a big spoonful of whatever. Rowan says “zeet” (shirt). They both know the stuffed animals in their room - Heedley, Ivan and Hector.

They have been driving me nuts with how much mess they can make, but I’ve been trying as much as possible to have them put something away before taking the next thing out. Usually their cars/bikes makes them put everything away. Also when they mess their bed up, I make them put it back. Of course they can’t put the blankets back on properly, so I let them sleep with it messed up. They are a little disturbed when they don’t have perfectly made beds. But not disturbed enough that they don’t mess it up. Their cars, bikes and chairs have been in multiple timeouts whenever they are in the kitchen. It is slowly working.

They are in a really nice hugging and kissing phase. I hope they don’t grow out of that too soon!!!

Yes, folks, I got sick again! It’s a head cold, lots of snot and mucus and coughing. I’m sure I got it from the boys since they have the same thing. Yesterday I was really tired but today I seem to have a little energy back. So much has happened and since I’ve started the knitting blog, I’ve been pretty lazy with this one.

Last Saturday, Michael went climbing and I got a babysitter so that I could go shopping. I went all over Munich. I keep forgetting that the more I shop, the heavier my load gets. Luckily I did most of the grocery shopping on a separate trip, and that’s the heaviest stuff. First I went to Marienplatz to C&A to get the boys some new socks. Their old socks are waaaay too tight and I’ve just never been in the neighborhood to get more. I ended up spending 90 euros, but I bought a lot - 2 light jackets, 4 shirts and 2 pants. After that, I went to Ludwig Beck to get some wool wash and a set of dpns which I now realize is the wrong size. I got back on the train to go to Sendlinger Tor to the Wollkorb yarn store to get some Noro yarn. It’s expensive yarn but perfect for what I want to make (a felted bag). Then I hopped back on the train and went to Hauptbahnhof, where I went to Hertie to get some spaghetti noodles (they are the ONLY ones I know of that carry the #3 barilla noodles), then I walked through Hertie to get to Karlsplatz, where I went to dm (drugstore), and Idee (craft store). After the craft store, I went to the ATM to get out cash and when I got there, I noticed my bag was half open and my wallet….GONE! I went into a panic!!! All of a sudden there were suspicious characters all around me, seemingly laughing at my demise. I thought that maybe, just maybe, it fell out at the craft store. So I had to go all the way back and on the way, I was thinking about how much work it’s going to be to replace everything in my wallet, especially my driver’s licence. How am I going to get that back??? And credit cards, and it’s a Saturday evening, etc. I went back to the craft store and asked if they’ve seen it and they said….YES!! Imagine my shock that they actually had it, someone had turned it in. Only in Germany. I went back to the ATM, got my money and ate at McDonalds. On the way home, I realized that I left my blocking sticks (from the craft store) somewhere. Where is my head? I went back to McDonalds and the ATM to see if I left it there. Nothing, I asked around too. I probably left it back at the craft store. I was tired, my feet and back were hurting and I didn’t feel like embarassing myself again over 1.50 worth of stuff. So I just went home.

I haven’t gone shopping like that in awhile and 4 hours of carting around bags really takes it’s toll. I hurt everywhere - my shoulders, arms, back, feet, hands… I must be old!

The boys have been talking a lot, it’s a little difficult to decipher what they’re trying to say. Elijah really likes confirmation that he’s saying it right. If he says “clock”, you can’t just say “yes” or “uh huh”, you have to say “yes, it’s a clock”. Rowan is really into reading too, which is strange because it used to be the opposite. He is always bringing me book after book to read. Elijah loves to draw on his magna doodle. And he always asks us to draw him a house for some reason. So all day I’m reading books and drawing houses.

I have been increasingly frustrated with how much mess they make all the time. I feel like “noo noo” and following them around cleaning up all their messes. They like to do stuff like turn over their lego bin and spread around the pieces. So one by one I’ve been taking away things. Now our living room is kind of empty. :) I also put away a lot of books because they just like to spread it all over the floor. Now that they only have 2 little rows of books, they haven’t done that too much.

Elijah also taught me how to deal with his tantrums. He is increasingly throwing them, mostly when he doesn’t get his way. Before I would just ignore them and he would get so frustrated that he would bite - me or Rowan. This last time he bit me really good on the leg and I realized that this method isn’t working. I remembered from Love and Logic that you need to empathize with them. So now when Elijah is crying or throwing a tantrum, I still don’t give in but instead offer a hug. He usually hugs me back and 90% of the time the tantrum ends. It’s made a huge difference, his tantrums don’t escalate to the point of biting anymore. I think sometimes he feels really insecure and just needs some reassurance.

As for the Kindergarten search, we didn’t get our first choice and it was really sad that we didn’t even make the 1st cut. I was so sure that they would call. It’s been kind of depressing. I’m not sure if it’s because we can’t speak German very well, or if it’s because the boys are not yet 3. It could be a combination of both. I can’t believe how competitive it is. We have another open house this Saturday but the place is kind of far away, so we probably won’t go there. The most likely case is that we won’t even get called.

Other than that, I’ve just been knitting and knitting. And knitting more. I just learned how to felt - it’s basically knitting something - usually a bag, and then putting it in the washer and it shrinks and becomes a felted material. It’s a really cool process that I’ve always wanted to do but wasn’t sure how. There will be lots of felting in my future!

We’ve been having nice spring weather until NOW! Don’t worry, the snow didn’t last more than a couple of hours. The loud crashes you hear is from Elijah turning over the Lego bucket.

Here we are, enjoying our dinner

This evening we attended “Genießen im Dunkeln”, which means “dining in the dark”. We’ve been wanting to do this before we even moved here, it sounded like something cool to try. Well, we had the best time and it was one of the best experiences we’ve had in Munich, and probably the best dining experience ever! The restaurant does this regularly during March and November, so it’s not something you can do as a tourist unless you happen to be here during those months. Also, if you want a Friday or Saturday night reservation, you have to call well in advance.

Michael and I met at the restaurant the Vinorant Alter Hof. All the participants were in a room and we were given champaigne. It wasn’t dark yet, I think they just wanted to make sure everyone was there before proceeding. It was a flat fee of 49 euros per person and that included a 4 course meal and drinks. They explained about the wine and water glasses and how to pour your water. You need to put your finger in the glass to feel when the glass is full enough.

Then it was time to go in. We were called by the waiter and there were 2 sets of heavy drapes that created a small area so that you can close off the lighted area from the dark. Much like a photography darkroom or a butterfly room at the science center. When I say dark, there is absolutely NO light, you can’t see 1″ from your face. We were led to our table by putting our hands on the shoulder of the person in front of us. The waiters had those infrared vision things so they were the only ones who could “see”. Once seated, you get your bearings by feeling around where your forks, knife and glasses were. It was fun to feel around and find the bread, the water glass, and even toast each other. It’s pretty amazing how used to the dark you get. There were a few incidents where a small stream of light came in and it was kind of disappointing. Everyone kind of groaned when that happened because there’s something magical about imagining the room you’re in and what everything looks like, and you don’t really want to know the reality.

We introduced ourselves to the table and this guy asked Michael if he was “colored” or not. And we were kind of taken aback by that question. The guy said that he only saw 2 english speaking people, one white and one black. But is that something that matters? When they poured the wine, the first question everyone asked is “red or white” and the waiter would reply “it’s wine”. And then we thought about it and yes, it really doesn’t matter. As long as you like the taste, then who cares if it’s red or white? BTW, I should mention that everything is in German so we understood only about 1/2 of what was said.

Then the food came. I got the vegetarian meal and Michael got the regular one. It was so fun eating without being able to see! And you don’t really know what you’re putting in your mouth until you taste it. It really did heighten our taste buds and it was so much fun trying to guess. Sometimes it was obvious - like bell peppers and broccoli, but other times you weren’t so sure. After every course, the woman rang a gong and asked what we think we ate and then she revealed what it was. Unfortunately for me, because my meal was special, I didn’t really know until the end. Didn’t matter, I literally scraped the food off my plate. I was so disappointed whenever I finished each course because I wanted MORE! The first course Michael had some kind of seafood (scampi?) with glass noodles and I had vegetables sauteed in oil and herbs. Then we had potato cream soup (?) and it was served in a champaigne glass and we ate it with a straw! Then our main course I had potatoes and green beans with oyster mushrooms and something or another. Michael had a duck dish. It’s so weird how duck has more in common with beef than with chicken. Then for dessert we had pannacotta. The wine flowed freely and we drank quite a bit of it! I sat there, in the dark, sipping my wine, really relishing every moment. Being in the dark really heightens your senses to taste, touch, smells, and hearing. You try to guess what you think everything is. And then on top of that, it’s all in German so we’re also “in the dark” about things that they said.

We sat next to a blind guy, Robert, and it was interesting talking to him about how he does things like surf the net and get around on the UBahn and go shopping. In between the courses, he got up from the table (we didn’t hear him get up) and he read to everyone a story. It was in German so we didn’t understand a whole lot. But it was very enjoyable to listen to. Michael thought it was memorized but we forgot that he can read braille!!! At the end of dinner, they turned on a dim light, just enough to get a feel of the room and the people around us. What a treat that was! The light actually hurt our eyes for a minute. At the exit, they displayed all the food that we ate (of course, mine was different), but that was a treat too. We stayed there until around 11pm, when we had to ride our bikes home. Drinking and biking don’t mix! Naw, it was fine. We weren’t THAT drunk.

If anyone has the opportunity to do this, DO IT! Even though it’s expensive, it’s TOTALLY worth every penny!!!

Rowan just did something really funny, we were playing with these wooden stacking toys. It’s the wood rings that you put on a stick and then at the top is a ball for a head. He put it all together himself and then was saying “no”. I was confused why he was saying no, and then I realized that he was moving the wooden head back and forth like the toy was saying no. It cracked me up.

That Rowan, he grabbed for the raisins on the kitchen counter and it spilled everywhere. He then sat down and started shoving it all in his mouth.

Here is Elijah telling me what everything is on a page of “Goodnight Little Bear”.

First haircut

I’m usually pretty good about updating the boys’ pictures, but ever since I got back from Hawaii, I’ve been pictured out and haven’t really taken a whole lot. But I finally put up what I did take (click on links on the right).

Some new news is that the boys finally got their first hair cut on Friday. Elijah went first and refused it all the way. But it got done. I brought along my laptop with teletubbies as well as some juice. The bad part was that they had to sit on this stool way up high (kinda scary) so they didn’t really feel secure. The poor hair cutting lady cut herself because as she was cutting Elijah, he turned his head really quickly and it made her scissors poke in between her index and middle finger. Ouch! Rowan was a breeze. He just sat on the chair and didn’t put up any fuss. It was a pretty expensive cut at 25 euros a piece, but it is really convenient. I’ll probably go somewhere cheaper next time. The reason I got a pro haircut is because we have to submit pictures with our kindergarten application and they need to look presentable!

Both of the boys are in a really cute hugging and kissing phase. They will hug and kiss anyone. Out of the blue, one of them will say “huk” and they will hug. So cute! They have also surprised us with some words. When Elijah got hurt, he comes to me for a kiss and then he said “ah beto” (all better) and then happily walked away. He also said “Dada is a whir” (daddy is at work). My favorite though is when we read “Goodnight little bear” and Rowan sees a picture of a beehive on one of the pages and he says “beece!” Today we went to a beer garden (it was closed) and played in the play area. Elijah went up to this other kid and bent over a little to make sure he was looking him in the eye and then started telling him something. It was kind of strange. And of course the boy didn’t know what he was saying so Elijah talked even more. I wish we heard what he was saying. At least he didn’t push him or hit (what I was expecting).

Both boys are now sick. They have fevers and they’ve been pooping a lot. At least Rowan is getting pretty consistent with telling me he needs changing. Elijah doesn’t like changing at all so he will not bring up the subject.

Elijah has been getting really independent, always insisting on doing things himself. At first we thought he was throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want to do what we asked, but he really was throwing it because he wanted to do it himself. Like zipping up/down his jacket, taking off his socks, getting out of the stroller, going down the stairs, holding his hand on some playground facilities, etc. Rowan is more mellow about it and does things himself, but won’t put up a fuss if we help.

Rowan just came up to me and pointed to his diaper and said “doo doo!” And then I said “well, we need to change your diaper”. And he went into his room and lied down and waited for me. Talk about total shock! And he really did poop! Sometimes he says it and he didn’t poop. He also says it when he farts too. It’s kind of funny. But this is the first time he said it and he actually went! The first step to potty training is acknowledging the problem!! :)