Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Konrad working...
Konrad is fascinated by cable and computers, even though he has never really used a real computer, except during Skype chats with Grandma. He recently started setting up his workspace (machines) wherever convenient for him to get his work done ;). He always manages to find a place to plug in the cords as you can see from pictures and video below. I haven't figured out how to turn the video yet so you will have to turn your head sideways...The video is just a few second long so hopefully you won't get a neck cramp ; )
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Konrad flying his plane
Who would of thought IKEA furniture was so versatile. Our IKEA table with a few chairs on top quickly became an airplane that Konrad piloted to Oma and Opa's house and to America to see Grandma.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Walking in the rain with Liliana and Lara
Liliana and Lara love walking outside and have started insisting on wearing boots no matter how challenging it is for them to walk in them. In this video you will notice I managed to convince them that one boot and one regular shoe was perfectly acceptable.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween
Halloween is not a typical German holiday, but is slowly pushing its way into Germany (mostly in the communities where there is an American presence). This year we invited several of our neighbors to carve pumpkins with us and even asked if we could take the kids to trick or treat at their houses. Everyone was really nice, and even a bit enthusiastic, about the holiday.
All three kids dressed up in costume: Konrad was a monkey, Lara a dinosaur and Liliana a bear.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Lara's alternative to crawling...
Twins definitely don't reach developmental milestones at the same time. In the case of Lara and Liliana they also don't follow the same path...Here is a little video of Lara's sitting crawl...This was taken 2 weeks ago. Now she has joined the world of walkers and toddler more than crawls or scoots.
Lara and Liliana having fun
Amazing how much fun Lara and Liliana have with each other. Here is a little video...
Visiting Papa at work
A few weeks ago we went to visit Thomas at work. The kids went 'on rounds' with Papa. That is around and around the hallways sitting on the wheeled cart. As it neared time to go, Thomas took Lara off the cart. Lara angrily brushed Papa away and climbed back on the cart. Needless to say, Thomas took them on one more round ; )
Konrad likes bikes...
Konrad is really into bikes. He loves to ride his walking/running bike and also likes to ride on Papa's bike (with or without a child seat). He also started to become more aware and decisive about getting his picture taken. When he doesn't want it taken he will tell you and when he does he will also tell you. He picks his own pose and who he wants in the picture..The last three pictures of him are of his own deciding ; )
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Pictures from our visit to the Heidelberg Castle with Amy in Sept.
Here are two pictures I wanted to add from our visit to the castle when Amy was here in September. One is Liliana carrying Konrad's ever so talented doll (the doll can chase and jump on pigeons, jump down stairs, spend the night in the cold garage in the doll stroller and loves to be carried anywhere by anyone). The doll is about half as big as Liliana and use to be a collectors doll from Grandma. Thanks to Grandma not having enough time to try and resell the doll on ebay it has been able to feel very loved and move to Germany.
The picture of Konrad and I gives a greet view of Heidelberg from the castle.
Anyone want to come and visit!?
The picture of Konrad and I gives a greet view of Heidelberg from the castle.
Anyone want to come and visit!?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A walk with Amy
Just had a few minutes to upload a few pictures and even a video. Things are quite busy these days and I think often how I want to share pictures and stories with friends and family, but it is hard to find the time...So here are a few pictures with very little description but I think they speak for themselves ; ) Konrad playing the Harmonica, Liliana in Purple and Lara eating the few drops of ice cream Konrad left in his bowl ;)
Photos are all thanks to Amy Carlson who is visiting us from the US!!!
A big thanks to Auntie Joyce who will see how loved the dog that she gave Konrad is...The Lewis and Clark model Dog will go on exploring here in Germany along with Konrad ; )
Monday, July 13, 2009
Liliana's first steps
Liliana Belle took her first steps on Sunday, 12 July. I wanted to be sure and post it in the blog so all would know ( and so I wouldn't forget the date!).
WE caught a few on video ;)
WE caught a few on video ;)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Naptime….
I have documentation (pictures) to go along with this story so thought I would write about it quickly. One of the most challenging times of the day for me is getting all three kids down for their afternoon naps…Konrad goes to daycare during the mornings and I pick him up at lunchtime, he comes home and if he is not too tired he eats lunch and then takes a nap. After I get him in bed, then I try to get Liliana and Lara to sleep (this gets more challenging as they get older). My latest strategy has been to choose the most tired looking one and put her in the Ergo (baby carrier) and do things around the house until she falls asleep, put her down to bed and then tackle the other one…Depending how tired everyone is I may or may not have time to read stories with Konrad. When I don’t have time to read with him, I help him pick out a book to look at on his own in bed.
A few weeks ago it was one of those days where everyone was tired (no time to read) so he picked out a book about horses that has little flaps to lift up and turn. I tucked him into bed and dedicated myself to putting Lara and Liliana to sleep as well as cleaning up a bit. I heard Konrad talking to himself a little bit, but he didn’t call out for me so I didn’t disturb him.
Once I got both Liliana and Lara down for a nap I peaked into Konrad’s room and he was fast asleep, however…. his water bottle was emptied on one half of his bed and on the other half he was asleep on top of the horse book which had almost all the flaps ripped out and in tiny pieces underneath him…See pictures below…
When Konrad woke up from his nap I asked him what had happened to his book and he said ‘broken’ with the most innocent/puzzled voice. And then he said that Papa needed to fix the book. I can only imagine what was going through his mind as he ripped the tiny pieces out of the book…His imagination is really flourishing these days…
A few weeks ago it was one of those days where everyone was tired (no time to read) so he picked out a book about horses that has little flaps to lift up and turn. I tucked him into bed and dedicated myself to putting Lara and Liliana to sleep as well as cleaning up a bit. I heard Konrad talking to himself a little bit, but he didn’t call out for me so I didn’t disturb him.
Once I got both Liliana and Lara down for a nap I peaked into Konrad’s room and he was fast asleep, however…. his water bottle was emptied on one half of his bed and on the other half he was asleep on top of the horse book which had almost all the flaps ripped out and in tiny pieces underneath him…See pictures below…
When Konrad woke up from his nap I asked him what had happened to his book and he said ‘broken’ with the most innocent/puzzled voice. And then he said that Papa needed to fix the book. I can only imagine what was going through his mind as he ripped the tiny pieces out of the book…His imagination is really flourishing these days…
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The not soo terrible two’s
I just had a few stories to share about Konrad so this posting is dedicated to Konrad...
Being a big brother to twins is a challenging role. When my brother found out we were expecting twins he said, “Konrad won’t know what hit him…”. Maybe this once my brother was right…Ever since Lara and Liliana came home Konrad seems to try and figure out how they fit into his life and what they can do or be used for ;) Evolving Science experiments are the most consistent way Konrad has decided to integrate them into his life so far…
Physics:
101: When Liliana and Lara first were able to sit up by themselves, Konrad would sit between their legs and lean backwards until the lucky baby fell backwards. Then Konrad would help them back up and start all over again.
102: Then Lara and Liliana started to crawl and are pretty quick about getting to the toys that Konrad is playing with. Despite their best of intentions ,their fine motor skills are still a bit rusty and although I am sure they were trying to help their brother with the tower or other creation he is building or playing with, they usually end up knocking it over…Konrad response was to usually push them away. The push is for some reason always directed at the face, which I guess gets the most immediate scream from the baby being pushed, which gets an adults attention and then eventually the baby is moved away (picked up and consoled by the adult).
103: About a month ago both girls started to pull themselves up to the standing position. Since they are not able to stand by themselves yet they hold on tightly to what ever is near by. Sometimes the object that they depend on to remain standing is Konrads high chair or bed…In either case Konrad pries their little fingers off the object and then seems somewhat surprised (yet satisfied) that Liliana and/or Lara plop to the ground giving out a cry of defeat.
104: Konrad has recently decided that he wants to carry either baby. In the beginning I told him that he must put his arms under the babys arms to carry her (before he would just grab the head and try to pick her up in a semi head lock). I must say that he is generally pretty careful when he carries them although my heart often skips a beat from nervousness each time he picks one up. Ninety percent of the time both Liliana and Lara get the biggest smiles on their faces whenever there brother picks them up and moves them so I try not to intervene too often and just provide verbal guidance, although I find myself trying to anticipate the worst-case scenario and ready to intervene if necessary.
Konrad seems to have an ability to block everything out except what he is concentrating on at the moment. The kind of concentration you wish you had when you are trying to read a scientific paper in a noisy place or when you are trying to take a test or study and others are talking next to you. Just one example of this is last week when I ran a block after him down the street to tell him to stop…I was a bit frustrated he didn’t stop when I first asked him to and tried to explain it to him once I reached him and picked him up…”Konrad you can’t run down the street away from mommy, there could be cars and it is not safe” all he responded (totally oblivious to my concern and frustration), “Mommy what is the trailer for?” as he looked at the large truck pulling a generator trailer…How nice it must be to focus so entirely upon one thing.
For some reason people usually refer to the second year of life as the terrible twos…
Since the Liliana and Lara were born Konrad has felt the need to have TWO of many things. First, it started with his pacifiers (we use the German word Schnulli’s)…he can even put two in his mouth at the same time! Then he added two babies (dolls) and sometimes even takes both with him to school, on some trips and other occasions. Recently he has also requested to use two toothbrushes…Before bed Konrad also likes to be read two books (although he says 2 he actually brings a pile of 5 or more books).
On one occasion Konrad even tried three schnulli’s in his mouth. The one advantage to having three is that he can give one to Liliana and one to Lara and he still has one for himself! see pictures below…
Being a big brother to twins is a challenging role. When my brother found out we were expecting twins he said, “Konrad won’t know what hit him…”. Maybe this once my brother was right…Ever since Lara and Liliana came home Konrad seems to try and figure out how they fit into his life and what they can do or be used for ;) Evolving Science experiments are the most consistent way Konrad has decided to integrate them into his life so far…
Physics:
101: When Liliana and Lara first were able to sit up by themselves, Konrad would sit between their legs and lean backwards until the lucky baby fell backwards. Then Konrad would help them back up and start all over again.
102: Then Lara and Liliana started to crawl and are pretty quick about getting to the toys that Konrad is playing with. Despite their best of intentions ,their fine motor skills are still a bit rusty and although I am sure they were trying to help their brother with the tower or other creation he is building or playing with, they usually end up knocking it over…Konrad response was to usually push them away. The push is for some reason always directed at the face, which I guess gets the most immediate scream from the baby being pushed, which gets an adults attention and then eventually the baby is moved away (picked up and consoled by the adult).
103: About a month ago both girls started to pull themselves up to the standing position. Since they are not able to stand by themselves yet they hold on tightly to what ever is near by. Sometimes the object that they depend on to remain standing is Konrads high chair or bed…In either case Konrad pries their little fingers off the object and then seems somewhat surprised (yet satisfied) that Liliana and/or Lara plop to the ground giving out a cry of defeat.
104: Konrad has recently decided that he wants to carry either baby. In the beginning I told him that he must put his arms under the babys arms to carry her (before he would just grab the head and try to pick her up in a semi head lock). I must say that he is generally pretty careful when he carries them although my heart often skips a beat from nervousness each time he picks one up. Ninety percent of the time both Liliana and Lara get the biggest smiles on their faces whenever there brother picks them up and moves them so I try not to intervene too often and just provide verbal guidance, although I find myself trying to anticipate the worst-case scenario and ready to intervene if necessary.
Konrad seems to have an ability to block everything out except what he is concentrating on at the moment. The kind of concentration you wish you had when you are trying to read a scientific paper in a noisy place or when you are trying to take a test or study and others are talking next to you. Just one example of this is last week when I ran a block after him down the street to tell him to stop…I was a bit frustrated he didn’t stop when I first asked him to and tried to explain it to him once I reached him and picked him up…”Konrad you can’t run down the street away from mommy, there could be cars and it is not safe” all he responded (totally oblivious to my concern and frustration), “Mommy what is the trailer for?” as he looked at the large truck pulling a generator trailer…How nice it must be to focus so entirely upon one thing.
For some reason people usually refer to the second year of life as the terrible twos…
Since the Liliana and Lara were born Konrad has felt the need to have TWO of many things. First, it started with his pacifiers (we use the German word Schnulli’s)…he can even put two in his mouth at the same time! Then he added two babies (dolls) and sometimes even takes both with him to school, on some trips and other occasions. Recently he has also requested to use two toothbrushes…Before bed Konrad also likes to be read two books (although he says 2 he actually brings a pile of 5 or more books).
On one occasion Konrad even tried three schnulli’s in his mouth. The one advantage to having three is that he can give one to Liliana and one to Lara and he still has one for himself! see pictures below…
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Here we are again….
After a long (many months) pause I am going to try and start updating the blog again. I am so far behind on emails to friends and have minimal social contact with other adults (except my neighbors) that by updating the blog, family and friends will believe that I am still alive, not crazy and also get a peek at our extraordinary family…
Also with hardly anytime to sit and have a quiet moment I am very challenged to note down special milestones or precious moments. My memory is not what it was before and I no longer believe I will remember these things. (My wake up call regarding this was a doctors appointment we had for Lara during which the doctor asked when she started sitting up on her own, crawling, standing, etc. and my answer for all was “about 3 weeks ago”.)
Now I am determined to take a few minutes each week to share a little bit about the joys, adventures and challenging moments with all of you. I may insert some old stories and pictures as I go (if my memory permits).
Konrad is now 2.5 years old and goes to ‘school’ (really a daycare) for 4 hours a day. Starting about a week ago everyday I go to pick him up from school he wants me to stay and play with him at school. Usually I convince a babysitter, relative or friend to stay with the girls so I can get him quickly. Needless to say, I don’t really have much time to stay at school with him. I try earnestly to explain to him that we have to get home quickly because……is waiting for us. These words seems to have no affect on him and he insists that I stay…I suppose he enjoys having all mommy’s attention and anticipates the slight chaos that welcomes him at home. I usually end up carrying him (all 25 lbs.) the four blocks home. Today he refused to put on his shoes so I couldn’t ask him to walk the last block as my arms ached. Instead as he slipped down from my tired arms he grabbed on tight and said “Mommy hold on, mommy tired”. The ache in my arms became numb and we made it through the door of out apartment ; )
Liliana and Lara are 9 months and as active as ever. Both girls stand up on anything they can and also have begun pushing, baskets and garbage cans around so they can walk. (Today Liliana walked the perimeter of the kitchen pushing an upside down plastic bucket). Both are getting their first tooth and developing a crazy appetite. They especially love anything they can put in their mouth themselves. Today they enjoyed grated apples for the first time and Cherrios ;) I think Thomas’s Aunt Hannelore even sneaked them a few bites of mash potatoes and cheese ;) They seem comforted by each other’s presence and often ‘share toys’ and make each other laugh. Liliana and Lara both avidly watch Konrad despite the numerous times he puts them in a head lock, pulls their hands away from the object they are depending on for balance, or climbs on top of them.
I included a few pictures below...
I must head to bed as I hear a little one requesting to be fed
Also with hardly anytime to sit and have a quiet moment I am very challenged to note down special milestones or precious moments. My memory is not what it was before and I no longer believe I will remember these things. (My wake up call regarding this was a doctors appointment we had for Lara during which the doctor asked when she started sitting up on her own, crawling, standing, etc. and my answer for all was “about 3 weeks ago”.)
Now I am determined to take a few minutes each week to share a little bit about the joys, adventures and challenging moments with all of you. I may insert some old stories and pictures as I go (if my memory permits).
Konrad is now 2.5 years old and goes to ‘school’ (really a daycare) for 4 hours a day. Starting about a week ago everyday I go to pick him up from school he wants me to stay and play with him at school. Usually I convince a babysitter, relative or friend to stay with the girls so I can get him quickly. Needless to say, I don’t really have much time to stay at school with him. I try earnestly to explain to him that we have to get home quickly because……is waiting for us. These words seems to have no affect on him and he insists that I stay…I suppose he enjoys having all mommy’s attention and anticipates the slight chaos that welcomes him at home. I usually end up carrying him (all 25 lbs.) the four blocks home. Today he refused to put on his shoes so I couldn’t ask him to walk the last block as my arms ached. Instead as he slipped down from my tired arms he grabbed on tight and said “Mommy hold on, mommy tired”. The ache in my arms became numb and we made it through the door of out apartment ; )
Liliana and Lara are 9 months and as active as ever. Both girls stand up on anything they can and also have begun pushing, baskets and garbage cans around so they can walk. (Today Liliana walked the perimeter of the kitchen pushing an upside down plastic bucket). Both are getting their first tooth and developing a crazy appetite. They especially love anything they can put in their mouth themselves. Today they enjoyed grated apples for the first time and Cherrios ;) I think Thomas’s Aunt Hannelore even sneaked them a few bites of mash potatoes and cheese ;) They seem comforted by each other’s presence and often ‘share toys’ and make each other laugh. Liliana and Lara both avidly watch Konrad despite the numerous times he puts them in a head lock, pulls their hands away from the object they are depending on for balance, or climbs on top of them.
I included a few pictures below...
I must head to bed as I hear a little one requesting to be fed
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