23 Jul -- Eifel Park

Charlie and Dylan are in a fierce race

Jane's about to get lapped

Charlie shows no mercy for the photographer, better move!

Jane shows her game face...and it's a doozy

Henry and Garrett cheer from the sidelines

The lincoln log ride

Jane and Emma wave to the boys and Melissa

As we were getting our lunch ready I was digging through my bag when I heard Melissa call out.  I looked up to see this friendly face eyeing up my pommes frites (not Henry's friendly face, the other one in the pic).

Don't even think about it!

Nothing for you here, buddy.

The mushroom ride.  Jane tried to convince me that she's five and old enough to ride.  Don't think the ride operator was gonna buy that, though.

22 Jul -- Fight Club?

I think my daughter may be participating in a fight club.  A few days ago I looked at her and realized she had the starting of a black eye.  I asked her how she got it and she couldn't tell me?!  They were jumping from coffee table to couch earlier in the day, which is frowned upon in this house.  So I'm thinking she and Charlie must have made a pact not to discuss the matter.  Still, makes her look pretty tough for a 3 year old, don't you think?

20 Jul -- Happy-Land

We headed over to Happy-Land this afternoon with some friends.  They have bouncy castles and slides and courses, swings, trampolines, foam ball guns and more.  The kids loved it and ran off some energy.

These are tons of "rolling pins" that you slide down on the mat.  The heavier you are, the more speed you get.  Henry and I kicked it!

Henry's excited to try out his climbing skills in a well padded setup

"So if grab on to this red one and place my left foot on the blue.  I should be at the top in no time" 

"Could I get someone to belay me?"

Falls in bouncy castles yield much happier results after a fall.

Charlie and Jane race

Charlie optimizes his speed with a sleek, streamline position.

17 Jun -- Home Sick Home

We got home from Garmisch Thursday late afternoon.  We were supposed to stay until Saturday, but the morning was super rainy and it was predicted to rain and stay in the 50's through Saturday so we left our vacation early.  The drive home wasn't bad.  Friday was spent putting things away and running errands.  Yesterday was spent cleaning up the messy house.  Today is being spent on the couch, watching movies.  Little man woke up around 2:30, burning with fever and acting very achy.  He has not left this couch for most of the day.  For those who know Henry well know that this is not in the least bit normal.  Poor little man!

Jul 13 -- Pflegersee and Werdenfels Ruins

We woke up to rain today.  I was trying to decide what to do with the day and Henry decided to take a short morning nap.  By the time he woke up, the rain had stopped even though the clouds still hung around, we ventured out to the Pflegersee.  It was not as nice as the other two because there was not a path around the lake itself.  There were many very nice wandering paths that went into the mountains from that area, though, so we ventured down a path and found a nice flat spot for a picnic lunch.  Then we headed further down the mountain and parked before hiking a rather long trek to the Werdenfels ruins.  

These little frogs were everywhere along the paths.  It looked like the ground was popping up.

Nature called

We go thata way!

Is that a raindrop I felt or did a bird drop me a present?

Charlie picked up this beauty close to the ruins.  He carried it all the way there and then the entire hike back to the car.  He was struggling by the end.

I think she was being a butterfly

I tried to convince the kids that fairies lived under this toadstool, but they weren't as impressed.

After lugging the stick such a long way I couldn't let him abandon it on the side of the road, so it came home with us as a souvenier.

12 Jul --Munich Zoo; Garmisch Day 3

 The weather could not have been more beautiful for us when we drove up to the Munich Zoo.

Jane fell in love with this elephant at the Munich Zoo.  I think she would have liked to take it home with us.  

A little loungin'

This wobbly bridge was a hit.  

Jane's favorite animal of the day.  She walked like a penguin any time we mentioned it.  We saw them waddling at first and then later we passed by and they had filled the tank so we got to watch them swim.  

A little oriental cuisine for lunch...and pommes frites!  I loved discovering the baby carrier seat thought.  Henry was much better contained after I started doing this.

Umm, yeah, ice cream was a large part of our diet for the week.

Piggies gettin' some sun (I promise we used sunblock, Dan!)

Charlie figured out how to turn the bike trailer into a 3 kid stroller