Since I have put off writing/posting anything about Christmas (and subsequently, New year, and Amelia's Birthday, and Valentines...) I decided to start off slow and just post some pictures. I take WAY TOO MANY pictures, and I have WAY TOO LITTLE time to go through them all, which is why this got put off for so long! So, without further ado, it's Picture time! (I'm going to add a few to this post and, as usual, all of them will be presented in the Photos section.)
We are officially not getting deported! After finally getting everything we needed together to go to our appointment, which was supposed to be in early November, and having to reschedule, we made it to our appointment on November 26th. Our friend, Achim, stayed with the girls so we wouldn't have to wrangle the kids while trying to fill out forms and talk to the lady. All the stress and worry proved futile after arriving at the appointment. The lady was personable and friendly which helped to make the whole process a little less grueling. Earlier in the day we went to get out Bio-metric pictures taken for our visa applications (for the girls and I). Let me just mention, it is not the easiest of tasks to get a normal, straight-faced, head shot of an active 21 month old! They got worse before we got lucky. At the end of the day, we received our registration cards and they are good until April 7th 2015, when Hugh's working Visa expires, and we will all renew together. She also mentioned that if I wanted to I could also apply for a working Visa and it would be no problem. But that isn't in our cards for the moment. Hooray for good news!
I mean, honestly, it was all great. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't proud of myself, and excited to do it again. Good thing Christmas is so close so I can spoil our friends with tasty treats! We held dinner (and cooked) at Kiki and Oli's place for space reasons. Oli's parents and a couple of their friends stopped by while I was cooking. They didn't stay for dinner but did join us for a pre-dinner pie slice and appetizers!
Thanks-birth-giving-day food
Amelia couldn't walk (although it wasn't long after we got here that she started!). And Charlotte was still in diapers.We have grown immensely this past year, including Hugh and myself.The chaos that was once what we called living is much more organized. The dust is settling and I see more clearly the path ahead. This one has brighter lights and paved roads, but I'm sure we will still have to look out for potholes. We spent the parting summer days going on bike rides around the city or to Kirchzarten and taking the kids to the park. It is definitely one of our favorite ways to pass the time. We recently came into some more space also. We will still be looking for a permanent place to live but with the extra space it seems - slightly - less dire. We still have room mates and the girls still don't have their own room, but we are getting there!
Coming soon... we have our Visa appointment. And of course, Charlotte's Birthday is right around the corner. The next post will be full of that and hopefully more good news as we forge ahead. Now I will leave you with a few photos of the girls from last year and now(ish). As always the photos section has been updated, here. Oh and hey! Did you notice the new layout to the blog? Amelia Lu.Charlotte Grace.I have some prints for sale HERE! Check them out, there are also throw pillows, tote bags, i pad / computer skins...etc! We opened a "Go Fund Me" account to help us get into an apartment.
No obligations, just putting it out there. Go Fund Me I don't know about you guys, but (one of) my favorite things about being a mom is watching them learn and play. A child's brain is an amazing machine, constantly expanding and moving. No wonder kids sleep a lot! I can almost see the cogs and gears, levers and pulleys moving and working things out. As Charlotte plays with her Lego Duplo set or when Amelia tries to imitate sounds and gestures. It's fascinating and makes me so proud. We recently found a little wooden kitchen set for the girls on 'Ebay Kleinanzeigen'. Which is German for Classifieds. It is the cutest thing. I can't count how many tea parties I have attended the past days since acquiring it. And I can't tell you how much fake food I have pretended to ingest. But it is so worth it to hear every cute little giggle and joyful screech. Charlotte will set up a tea party at a small table and announce "Momma! Cuppa tea!" Amelia enjoys the tea parties also, but in a somewhat different way. Let's just say she is the "jerk at the beach" when it comes to Charlotte's tea and crumpet festivities. I suppose it is a good thing the tea is invisible or we would have a few stains on the carpet. Although Amelia is starting to say a few things in her squeaky little almost toddler voice, she is still more focused on the physical aspect of getting bigger. Which is the exact opposite of Charlotte, and is perfectly OK. She has toned down her climbing. (Or maybe we have managed to arrange the furniture just right to spoil her attempts.) And she is listening better when we tell her no and following commands better. My favorite is telling her to 'give Daddy a hug' and watching her run to him with a smile on her face and her arms stretched behind her. Of course, I have to admit, I love being on the receiving end of that one also! Amelia's sweetness is shining through more than ever. Random kisses and hugs. Not only for Hugh and I but for Charlotte, too. With Charlotte's 3rd birthday around the corner, and the weather being so nice, we decided to get her a balance bike which is basically a tiny bike with no pedals. She calls it her Motorcycle and is very excited about it. I also got a new (to me) bike and kid trailer using the eBay Kleinanzeigen. I know, I know, it's not my birthday, but Hugh just loves me that much! And since we are on the topic of birthdays, I have been asked by a couple people what they could get Charlotte for hers. I put together an Amazon.de wishlist for her to give some ideas and make it easier to order and ship things (I know it's in German, but if I'm sure your browser will translate it! (Google Chrome does it automatically. It's easier to use the German one because some items from the American Amazon cannot be shipped to Germany because of strict regulations. Also the shipping is cheaper because the products come from Germany.( But ya know, if you want!) Here is the link for that: Charlotte's Wish List! As always, this post comes chock full of adorable pictures of my insanely cute kids. Please venture over to the Picture - September - page to see all of those. I mean, if you want. :)
Until next time! The Skiffington Clan It is one of the most incredible and rewarding things; watching someone you love, grow and learn. As our kids slumbered through the night a few weeks ago, I retold a story to Hugh about something amazing Charlotte did earlier in the day. I said to him, "Every night when our kids go to bed I love them so much I can't imagine loving them any more than in that moment. Until the next day when they do and say new things and as they sleep I once again can't imagine loving them any more than in THAT moment." When Amelia holds up a round red fruit with a stem and proclaims APPLE! Then proceeds to do a somersault off the armrest onto the couch. When Charlotte shows her goofy personality (and makes it so obvious she is our daughter) saying things like "poop-tella"after I say her farts will smell like Nutella if she eats too much. Or when they sing and dance and mouth the words to their favorite songs. Unprompted kisses. Tight squeezing hugs. Snuggles. Giggles. Or, like the story I told Hugh that night about Charlotte. That day she took off her diaper and looked at me like she was being sneaky. I said I didn't care, just as long as she went pee in the potty chair. She agreed to the established terms and conditions and went about her business playing with her horse toys and dolls. We have been through this so many times, I was preparing for the inevitable pee puddle. I certainly wasn't expecting the puddle to be IN the potty chair! Not to mention three more "puddles" shortly after the first. What a big girl! Though, being exceptionally proud of, both her initiative and the simple act of 'going', I kept my hopes close to the floor where I would eventually be cleaning up the pee puddles. We put a diaper on her that night of course. But since she did so well the day before; we continued the diaper-free escapades. And now you can imagine, a few weeks later... Although she prefers to be naked while we are home still because it is easier than dealing with pulling up and down her pants, she can and will do it. She has been dry at night for 4 nights in a row now! I can't even remember the last time I put a diaper on Charlotte. I am not sure if it's more liberating for her or for me. Either way, we are all excited and very, VERY proud. And when it comes to diapers, Charlotte ain't got time for that.
Until next time Heidi More Pictures I have added a few more categories of pictures and I uploaded a couple videos to YouTube. You can find the new pictures by following the links in the menu above. Or you can CLICK HERE and it will take you to the photos of the girls. If you haven't checked out the videos I have on youtube, or if you want to see them again and view the new ones I uploaded, CLICK HERE! (Clicking this link will open a new window).
We haven't been up to much since we have been home. Hugh has been working a good amount and working on getting our ducks in a row. Searching for a new place to live. The girls are doing great and the weather has been nice, what more could you ask for?! Some pictures of our adventures in the states to tide everyone over until I write about our adventures getting here! |