Jason and I have started a little tradition of taking our children to Germany when they are four months old. Honestly, it wasn't at all on purpose that this trip was planned when Nora was almost the same age as Liam was the first time he went. It just happened that way. And it turns out that Liam isn't the only good traveler we have. Nora wasn't so bad herself. Apparently, being in a plane is like Ambien for Nora. The sound and the motion made for a very sleepy baby. And Liam was pretty content watching hours upon hours of movies and shows on his private TV. Both Liam and Nora are at great ages for traveling. Liam is old enough to sit still, follow directions, and to understand what we're up to. Also, he eats regular food with gown up utensils, drinks out of regular cups, and doesn't take naps anymore. All of this makes for light packing a very portable preschooler. And Nora - well she isn't mobile, has no idea what's going on, and isn't on a nap schedule yet (though that is coming very soon). And because she's exclusively breastfed, her meals are always ready to go and require nothing extra.
Jonas and Brittany were also in Germany with us with little Heiko and they didn't have it as easy. Heiko is ultra chill and plays along with anything. But he is at that magical age where he wants to get down, crawl, and explore but doesn't understand that the outside world isn't baby proofed. He also needs baby food which requires a little bowl and spoon, drinks from a sippy cup, needs a high chair and a bib, and relies on regular naps. Though, Jonas and Brittany navigated these extra challenges like pros. And I'm so glad they did because spending that time with them in Germany was really wonderful - even if we were all a bit sleep deprived from jet-lagged babies being up all night. Klaus was also there to lend a helping hand and to serve as a living example that eventually these babies will grow up and one day we will all be able to sleep a full night and travel unencumbered once again.
When we were younger we used to take turns going to Germany two or three kids at a time for six weeks during the summer. Since grad school and kids entered my life, I haven't been able to go as frequently or for such long periods of time. And a lot has changed there in the past couple of years. My grandparents are having more health issues and have all moved out of and sold their homes. In fact, no one lives in Heidenheim anymore, which is the small town where both of my parents were raised and where we spent our summers as children. So, for the first time ever, we didn't even go to Heidenheim during this trip. We split our time between Bensheim where we stayed with my Aunt Beate and Stuttgart were we stayed with my cousin Leonie and where Omi and Opa have taken up residence in an assisted living community. But despite the new "home base" locations we did many of the usual activities: we ate and ate and ate, we drank wine and beer with every meal, we ate ice cream, we explored small towns and old castles, we bought chocolate, we took lots of pictures, we watched soccer, and we practiced our German.
In many ways Germany is my happy place and so it was pretty fun for me to watch Liam soak it in too. I also really enjoyed having our entire little family together. Often its just the kids and me since Jason works pretty long hours most days. But for one whole week we all slept in the same room, drove in the same car, and had all of our meals together. Since we are firmly decided that we are finished having kids, it's nice to know that this is our complete crew. The four of us. And since we're relatively new to this two-kid thing, it was nice to see that we can function very well on-the-go. Jason manages Liam and I Nora and we can do just about anything. Also, I should add that Jason is a trooper. Spending a week with a family that isn't yours and dealing with a language you don't speak is not easy. But I think he managed to have a great time, which makes me love him just a little bit more than the usual amount.
I have a TON of pictures... but here are just a few of my favorites:
