Thomas' Birthday

Thomas turned 4 today. He wanted a Transformer Birthday cake, so I spend a while surfing the net trying to find an easy one to make. I love making the kids' cakes. Although it can take quite awhile and I never get things just right. But who cares the kids love my cakes. You might notice on this cake, I could not get the icing quite red enough. This is also the reason for our Toys"R"Us visit. I wanted to find little toy Transformers to go the cake. Thomas loved his cake, he said it was the "COOLEST he had ever seen".

Here is Thomas blowing out his candles, Zachary was ready to help, so we had to tell him right off it is Thomas' turn. You can also see Thomas wondering where to start with all his presents. And Zachary is trying to help. Thomas was a kind big brother and let Zachary open one of them.

























Grandma Suzanne sent Thomas a magnifying glass. As well as some pretty cool clothes he loved, Transformers and Lightening McQueen. The other picture is of Thomas thanking Grandma Suzanne for his clothes and toys. She called to wish him a Happy Birthday, which happened to be right in the middle of him opening his presents. Thomas didn't mind stopping to chat on the phone. We just had to keep Zachary from opening the presents without him. Stewart soon discovered how powerful the magnifying glass was. He demonstrated to them that it could start a fire with an envelope while sitting on the couch.



























Thomas got his first bicycle for his birthday too. He was ready to go with a new helmet, elbow pads and knee pads. We took him for a short ride down our street. Stewart helped him figure out his brakes and Cassidy would ride next to him to tell him when he should use his breaks and which way to steer. I don't know why she thinks he should know his right from left when she barely remembers. But she was playing the role of big sister and trying to help, you can't fault that.

America? where is that?

So it has almost been one year, since we moved here. I was driving the kids home from Legoland last week and realized many things don't seem strange to me anymore. We were on the Autobahn and a car came whizzing past me. Ok, no bid deal I know, but I was going 85mph and they passed me like I was parked. Also I no longer take second looks when I see a little Mercedes or Audi pulling a camper trailer or horse trailer, that is just the norm around here. I also don't remember which side of the road the yellow lines are on, back in the States. Here in Germany the road only has white lines, unless there is construction, then they sometimes use yellow. I also am used to grocery carts being chained together. I am now carrying my cart coin around with me, so I can use them.

I just drive by the gardens, that use to surprise me. They have areas where flowers have been planted and you can go cut them and take them home. You see the kids standing by the cash register (Kasse in German). They provide scissors and clippers to cut the flowers for your home. It is a great idea, since there are so many people who have no yards. I have never seen anyone working at these place, they just trust that you will be honest and pay for your flowers. This field is just a short walk, or bike ride from our house.

I don't even look twice at the hearts in the fields. I pass two of them everyday.

I don't think it is strange that one day I will see a herd of sheep in a field on the right side of the road, then the next day they are on the left, then the day after they are fenced in another field. This picture is nothing out of the ordinary, unless you look close at the orange fence. The shepherd goes out in the morning and put up this fence, then he brings his sheep and herds them in. They stay there one maybe two days then the sheep get moved to the next field. In a few more days they get placed in yet another field. They seem to make it to our side of town every two or three months.

We are really not missing much as far as American goods. We can just about get all we need from here. Stewart did go back to the States awhile ago and brought back a particular brand of dental floss and toothpaste we like. He also brought back round toothpicks of all things. All we could find here were flat toothpicks and they always broke. A few months after Stewart came home, we found them at the store, they must have just run out or something. And really what more do we need than Toys"R"Us? It is about 25 miles away. Cassidy, Zachary and I spent 1 hour and 45 minutes wandering around in the store. We went there looking for Transformers for Thomas' birthday.



So things that seemed so strange to me a year ago, I don't even think twice about. We are settled into our home and our surroundings. I do still smile at the kids pointing and stares I get from the adults while driving our Suburban around. I took our German neighbor on an errand the other day in our car. We went to take a portable air conditioning unit to the repair shop, she talked to the kids the whole way there. But on the way home, she wondered why they were so quiet. I had put a movie in for them to watch. She couldn't get over it. She also couldn't get over the back up camera we have, and just the size of the interior. There are a few Suburbans around, but not many.

Schloss Solitude

Well with Stewart back in Texas for 2 weeks the kids and I needed to get out and go somewhere. We drive by this castle on the way to church and have driven around it, but never gotten out to see it. I had to go to the church tonight to drop something off, so I packed up a picnic dinner and off we went. Rain or shine I was going to go see the castle. Well we got a bit of rain.

We were not going to let a little rain stop us. After all what kid doesn't like to play in the rain.

Castle Solitude was built as a hunting lodge, construction began in 1665, by Duke Karl Eugen of Württemberg. This is the biggest hunting lodge I have ever seen (so far).

The cost of building the castle exceeded the budget. And due to a war against Prussia the Duke had to relocate to the castle in Ludwigsburg. In 1770 the castle was turned into a high school. Then an arts academy, a military academy and also an University for the elite.











It is now the home of the Academy Castle Solitude which was founded in 1990. The academy gives art scholarships to students around the world. They are given living quarters, working and exhibition space in the buildings surrounding the castle.

It only rained a little. We had a nice quiet stroll around the area. It is always crowded on the weekends when we drive by. There are walking trails and forests all around castle. The large grassy areas are filled with blankets, picnics and kids playing soccer. But tonight we saw maybe 15 people there. The kids and I played with Thomas' balloon helicopter until the balloon popped. I have never heard such a loud pop. We were about 300 feet from the castle, but the pop echoed through the open area under the castle and sounded more like a cannon shot. So we played a bit of soccer after that.

I had the kids pose for pictures by this field of flowers. It took quite a while to get Zachary to look at the camera and not the bees on the flowers. Cassidy had to make silly faces and noises while standing behind me. It took some coaxing to get Cassidy out there for the picture with the bees flying around. And as you see I didn't succeed with Thomas. He does not like bugs flying around him or crawling on him.

We ate dinner by this tree. Zachary found out the spaces around the trunk were filled with water. His shoes and socks were soaked when we got back to the car.

Birkenkopf Memorial

The Relief Society had a little get together this week. We met at a local park and hiked up a trail to the Birkenkopf Memorial. It is the highest point of the inner regions of Stuttgart.

We had a great view of Stuttgart as we walked around. If you look closely behind Thomas in this picture you will see a tower. This tower was the inspiration for the Space Needle in Seattle. Thomas saw it and said "I see Legoland, mom there's Legoland". Legoland has a tower that takes you up and rotates around to show you the view. This is actually the world's first TV tower made from concrete finished in 1956.


























You might notice the boulders we are climbing on are not those made in nature. As a matter of fact, neither is this hill. It is an artificial hill made from the ruins and rubble of World War II.

















53 bombing missions took place in the Stuttgart area destroying 40% of Stuttgart. After the war the people cleaned the bricks that could be reused. But the ones that could not be used were hauled up this hill. When the clean up was completed the hill had been raised 40 meters, or 131 feet. One of our church member's husband is German and his family is from Stuttgart. His father had to clean the bricks after the war. He said the hauling of bricks was done by hand carts. They had no machinery, no bulldozers, no tractors that worked. It all had to be done by hand.

Independence Day Celebration

The boys got haircuts first thing today. It is not a German Holiday, so the barber shop was open.

We spent the afternoon, evening and night at the American Military Base. The kids first adventure was the carousel. Cassidy and Madison, we not real impressed after spending yesterday riding roller coasters. But the rest of the kids had fun. Thomas and Zachary found horses to ride, while Cassidy had a relaxing ride as the Swan Princess.

The next adventure was the Titanic. The pictures say it all.

Now its on to the Bouncy Castle. Zachary was too little and kept getting knocked down, so he ended up just laying there getting bounced around by the other kids.

We then went over to the concessions for dinner. Stewart had a Doner Kebap, while the kids and I had Bratwurst. The Cook's waited in the longest line to get hot dogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob.


After dinner we claimed our spot on the grass for the fireworks. The boys played a little soccer, while Cassidy found some friends from school.
























We then headed over to the games and face painting. Cassidy and Madison were the first to try Belly Bumpers.

READY, SET..
























GO!!!

Thomas had his turn next. He went up against an older, bigger kid. Thomas was great and knocked the other kid down more than once. Cassidy was coaching him.

























Zachary our little bruiser had to try too. He went up against another 2 year old. So neither could hold up the inner tube, so the moms had to help. The boys were all laughs, especially when I rolled him upside down.


Stewart ran over to the store and bought Drumsticks for everyone. It was a big hit, and not too messy.

Zachary with his airplane. Cassidy with her Drumstick and fireworks.

This is Zachary's first face painting. He kept sticking his cheek out so everyone could see his fireworks. We watched the fireworks that started at 2300. Thomas and Zachary were snuggled up to Stewart with their hands over their ears. Thomas doesn't like loud noises and Zachary just likes to copy him. Zachary now calls fireworks, BOOM, BOOM. I showed him the pictures below, and he smiled and said "BOOM, BOOM".