It's a girl !!!

Kate Andrea Theresia arrived on Tuesday 17th of April at 02:22. Typical for me to have babies in the middle of the night....
She is not so little...9lb 8oz (4300g) and she is a spitting image of Danny.

All part of growing up....

But the question here is "Who needs to grow up?" I guess that'll be me.

My little boy Alec has his first school trip today. A bus journey of approx. 45 minutes to a lovely aquarium. All kids were well excited - lunch should be packed in a carrier bag NOT the lunch box, Alec kept reminding me. And NO money. Even in the car Alec went on about the fact that I MUST NOT give him money (will he keep that attitude??? Doubt it)

I on the other hand asked his head teacher, if I could just follow the bus to the final destination. She smiled and said, that I am not the only one. :-)

I think I need to let go - I did NOT follow the bus. Instead I went to a pottery place half way *yeah* and painted 2 mugs with Danny. But I took a load of pictures of Alec this morning. Just because....

I expected the big farewell (we do have to pick them up 15 minutes later after all!!) to be memorable. Naaaaaaaaaah. Alec disappeared in the class room as it was chucking down with rain, turned around, waved and that was it. Me and Doobs left to pick up the pieces. (What pieces?????)

We got soaking wet, painted the mugs, went into town to get even more wet, so I can purchase my first pair of Wellingtons. For about 2 years, I am trying to get wellingtons. But I must have mishaped feet. They are all snug at the front and I slip at the back. The lady just said that I must have slim heels.... "must be the only slim feature on me at the moment" I mumbled ....

Still I got them, will wear them in the mud tomorrow and going (growing???) to love them.

Right, gotta get prepared to pick up my big boy from school soon.

I promise - I grew up that little bit today.

Love

Andrea. xxxxx

As time goes by

Blimey, it has been a long time, since I last wrote.
Well, lot's happend. Young Danny turned 3 and I am now a proud Mama of a 3 and a 4 year old. Alec is still happy at school. However he is having a tonsillectomy on February 13th. Dreading it, but it has to be done. Both boys have been poorly over the past 3 weeks - usually when Daddy is away - thanks a bunch... Hopfully Alec is getting fit enough for the operation. Still nearly a week to go.
My Mama's 3rd anniversary has also been and gone. I seem to have no real time to sit down and properly think about her. The weeks before the 25th of January have been hard. Nearly every day it hit me that she is gone and how much I still miss her. But life goes on and espacially now with little baby growing inside me. That, of course, seems to bring back even more memories of that time when I lost her. Wearing the coat again with a big belly, the cardigan...all those memories keep rushing back. Still, that makes her more and more present at the moment.
After Danny's party, the boys got one balloon each and the second we left the building, Dannys balloon flew away. He was not really bothered, but Alec was well upset. Somehow they both got it in their little heads, that Oma in heaven got the balloon now. Not very satisfying. The following morning Daddy flew to USA and each and every day on the phone the boys reminded him to pass by Oma on the flight back and fetch that balloon back. Oma doesn't really need it they decided.
I love the boys! Unconditionally.
Andrea. x

Willkommen Hannah Sophie

Welcome to my lovely little niece Hannah Sophie born on November 26th in far away Canada.
Congratulations to my sis and Stefan and Paulchen.
Love

Andrea. x

Yorkshire Pudding

Right, whats the big deal with Yorkshire pudding? I have never made them, but after a few loooovely roast dinners I though, you know, with Christmas coming up, I should master the mysterious Yorkshire pudding myself.

I checked out a brilliand website *Marions Kochbuch*, got a recipe and started baking.

Et voilà:

OK, I have to admit, they do lack a little of fluffiness, but I can only improve. Not sure if I was supposed to eat the whole lot by myself, but hey - I am preggers and can do what I want...or can I?

So long

Andrea. x

Halloween

Wow - it has been a while since I wrote - well, Halloween has been and gone and so has Guy Fawkes. Amazing how things change. I expected a few underage kids asking for "a penny for a guy" but did not expect teenager, with a fag in their hand asking for a pound (!!) for themselves....

Still, the boys loved the fireworks and cannot wait until New Years Eve to see more. Every night for a week the patio doors were coverd in little hand and nose prints where they stood in ahhhhhs and oooohs. Love it.

The pumpkin carving was postponed to the 1st of November as we spent most of Halloween afternoon/evening in the FIAT garage getting the front headlight bulb replaced which was quite an undertaking. Remind me when I buy the next car to check that these kind of things do NOT need an hour visit to the garage and cost 35 pounds....

Anyways, here is our (Bruce's) first carved pumpkin !!!!

Adios

Andrea.x

Gedanken

Alec fragte mich neulich, ob die Oma die Blaetter im Herbst vom Baum pustest.
Mir wurde so warm ums Herz - ja, habe ich gesagt, manchmal, wenn ganz nah bei Dir ein Blatt am Baum weht, dann pustet die Oma, um Dir zu zeigen, dass sie ganz nah ist.
Das fand er prima. Und er hat Danny erklaert, warum der Regen so doll kam neulich. "da hat Oma oben im Himmel getanzt und ein Glas Wasser umgeworfen" Das fand Danny auch lustig. Alec meinte dann noch, dass eigentlich die Wolken das mit dem Regen machen, aber Oma waer schoener.
Kinder sind einfach wunderbar!!!

We proudly present

Rafiki - well, I promise, it won't be Rafiki, once it's out.

Tadaaaaaaaaaaaa



Head is on the RHS and you can see it wave!!

Lotsaluv

Andrea. x