I think I can categorize myself as a "Runner"

No family photos to post, no exciting news about the kids, just a post about myself. I started running a few months ago and after the first week of recovery pain and telling myself how much I did not like running.... I surprised myself and started to enjoy it. I've always been an elliptical machine person, walking person, or I've always gotten a decent workout swimming laps. Sometime between having Beckett, moving to Germany and moving within Germany... I think I hit my most UN-fit stage of my life. No, I wasn't fat, just no where near as healthy as I have been in the past.

Truly a dilemma that we (meaning Mother's) all face. Kids to chase after, laundry that piles up, errands to run.... and the list goes on. For me, I have always hated to sacrifice our precious family time for gym time. So, I figured out a way to work it all into my new schedule.
I drag the kids to the gym, they color or read books on the floor of a glassed in area, all while I get the wiggle out of my jiggle on the treadmill. While I would rather run outside, I also refuse to get out of bed prior to Charlie leaving the house at 5:30 am for me to run or trying to run after 7 or 8 pm when he finally comes home for the evening.

Yesterday, I took my new running self to a whole new level! I ran 8 MILES! I sort of thought that I would be running about 6 and Charlie tried to warn me that he thought it was farther. I made a gigantic loop through 2 other cute villages and then back to our house. It was amazing and I didn't feel like tossing my cookies afterwards! I am a little sore today, but it was so worth it. I am planning to run in a 10k in October, so I will definitely be ready.

Did I mention that I have a road bike that I have been riding, too? Between the running and biking, my new bucket list includes a triathlon in my future and a half marathon. SUPER EXCITING!!!

Taking a Dip

Tonight I sent Ava and Brady upstairs to get into the bathtub while I finished getting dinner into the oven. Apparently, Beckett escaped to the upstairs and the next thing you know... he decided to climb into the bath tub, too. Ava came screaming down the stairs, sopping wet, and all I could understand was "Beckett", "bathtub" and, "clothes". I panicked and ran upstairs thinking he chipped his teeth again, but nope.... he decided to climb into the bath with them. He loves taking a bath and I had no idea that he was able to physically climb into the tub. A few pictures later, one super-soggy diaper, and siblings that were rewarding him with lots of laughter... here he is: Note to self: 17 month old can climb into bath tub by himself now.
And note to the curious readers: Beckett has indeed chipped his beautiful front tooth again. This last time he did it on the bathroom sink while he was trying to pull himself up. My Mom is coming to visit next week and the dentist will probably be putting him to sleep again to fix it with a pin. They put a pin in his other front tooth last time and that tooth is standing up to his bumps and falls. Aside from bubble wrapping him, we have almost exhausted all other options.

A love for long weekends!

Living in Germany has been a real treat. We actually get extra long weeks every once in a while that don't coincide with a holiday. Usually we try to maximize our long weekend by traveling around Europe, but nothing beats a long weekend, spend at home.
This weekend was one of them and it caught me off guard. I had made plans to visit Legoland with the kids on Monday and on Sunday evening I was baking cookies to take with us for a snack. Charlie wanted to know if he was included because I had not said a word to him about it. (Yes, we have a communication issue when it comes to what my plans are during the week when he is working.) I was so excited for lots of reasons.... he was going to visit Legoland with us and it was a 4 day weekend that I had no idea about!!!! I actually thought that next weekend was a 4 day.
We started the weekend with a camp-out on our back porch. On the 3rd floor, we have a giant patio/deck that runs the length of our house, so Charlie was able to fit our monstrous 8-man tent out there on Friday night for himself and the kids. I chose to spend my 56 degree night in the house with Beckett. We actually put the kids to bed in the tent first. They had books, stuffed animals, and the sounds of the church bells and airplanes flying overhead to lull themselves to sleep. I took a bet with Charlie on how long they would last out there without him. He voted 20 minutes, I voted 10. We both lost. They fell asleep on their own and nobody came into the house to go potty or to get a drink or to ask a question. Then Charlie joined them when he went to bed.


Setting up the tent with even the smallest child's help.

Brady sleeping soundly with his bear.

Beckett dunking it with Dad. Maybe he should have been a Pierce???

A view of the court from the dining room.

Fairytale Land

On Wednesday we visited the Marchengarten (Fairytale Land) at the Ludwigsburg Palace grounds. Lots of Fairytale Stories set up in cute little huts and then the puppets told snippets of the Fairytale's in German. There were a few Fairytales that we didn't know... but everyone knows Little Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio. There were goats to pet, a train ride, and a boat ride through Pinocchio land.

Beckett thought the goats were cute from afar, but as soon as this one came after his little tootsies, he freaked and we were out of there.

But, Brady didn't mind them!

Ava enjoying the ride through Pinocchio Land with our friends, the Ongs.

A scene from Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf in Grandma's bed.

The kids checking out the ducks in front of the Palace. I think they would have stayed there all day and forgotten about the Fairytale Garden.

A whole crew of Waldenbuch children all squished onto one car. Some precious cargo that train had!

What's Cooking at Our House

So, you might ask why my crockpot is on the floor in the kitchen....well my kitchen is about the size of a modern day, walk-in closet in the Unites States. And I have not one, but two crockpots. One is for 220 volts and the other is for 110 volts. I thought that my 220 volt crockpot was in the in-law suit downstairs, so I went to get it, pulled out the cord.... and it was the 110 volt crockpot and completely useless in my closet kitchen. In a moment of despair, I set it down in the only place it would fit. Look who decided he could use it as a boat? I wonder what other 110 appliances I have laying around that could (at the very least) be used for a photo-shoot.....

OUR COMING OUT (... of the classroom)

It's official.... we are officially HOMESCHOOLERS!!!! We've been plugging away out our school work and the kids are 5 weeks into it. Yesterday was our first day where I was being asked to start school for the day. I questioned Jordan one final time about public school versus homeschooling 2 days ago... with public school starting just around the corner, I wanted to know if he was still up for continuing to homeschool . He said that he still wanted to homeschool, even when school at home is harder than actual school. He's definitely dedicated!!! Enjoy our pictures from today's lessons at our family-style desk.


Jordan working on his spelling.

Ava doing her lesson in "Explode the Code" a series of books used to develop reading and writing skills.

Still Exploding the Code!

Jordan working on his math. We are using Singapore Math and so far so good.

Beckett catching some ZZZZ's today. It was too cute to pass up because Brady shared his bears with Beckett for nap time.