Double tagged

I guess I can't get out of it.

Justi and Nik both tagged me, so I guess I have no choice but to play.

So here are the rules as to what I had to do and if you are one of my lucky seven mentioned below then you need to do the following, too:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog .

Here are my Seven:

1. I feel better when I make a list for shopping, to-do, .... but it doesn't mean that I actually use it.
2. I don't really like BBQ sauce. I am more for Ketchup.
3. In high school I studied English, French and Italian as foreign languages.
4. The only kingsize quilt I ever made was during college time and almost all by hand. It took me three years. Since then I use a sewing machine and stick to smaller sizes.
5. Someday I will visit Ireland.
6. I lost my green thumb since we moved to the States.
7. When I see a spider, I usually scream, when it is huge, I run, but mostly come back with my camera and zoom in from the distance to take a picture. LOL. I know I am weird.

Now, who am I tagging?
Sandra, we spent a lot of time with her and her son Stevie and it was always fun - hurry back to Texas at least for a little while,
Audrey and Barrett - he is so cute and I do love their red hair,
Jenn and her boys - she always reminds me of Bella's Kindergarten teacher, she just looks quite a bit like her,
Becky and her adorable Eve - isn't she a doll?
Nora and little Nailah - a very good friend from us who we got to know and to love in Massachusetts has the name as this little cutie pie,
Dawn and the sweet Emilia - I just love her name
Melissa and Maddie - and new baby B.

Unsere kleine Wasserratten - Our little water rats

Da wir schon so langsam anganfen fuer den Umzug zu packen, wollten wir hier nicht mehr den grossen Pool aufbauen, sondern warten bis wir danach. Einfach zuviel Aufwand. ABER es ist hier viel zu warm um nicht im Wasser zu planschen, deswegen haben wir an einem Nachmittag vor ner Weile eine kleine quadratische Schluessel mit Wasser gefuellt, dann haben sich die Maedels auf der Slip-and-Slide Rutsche abgekuelt. Eine Weile spaeter haben wir die alte Sandkiste in einen Pool umgewandelt und es passen auch zwei Kids gleichzeitig rein. Vor kurzem fand dann auch eine kleines suesses Froschplanschbecken den Weh auf unsere Terasse und zu letzt hat Leland ein Planschbecken fuer die Maedels mitgebracht, der innerhalb Minuten aufgestellt und gefuellt war damit auch alle Kids sich abkeuhlen und beschaeftigten konnten. Also, wenn ihr bei uns in der Nachbarschaft seid, wisst ihr woher das ganze Geschrei kommt, von unserem Garten, Kann man gar net verpassen,

With getting ready to move we decided NOT to put out big pool up until we are at the new place BUT it's just way too warm here to NOT splash in the water. So first we we just filled a little square bowl with water to play, then the slip-and-slide to cool the kids a little more off. After that we transformed the sandbox in a little bitty pool, even the big girls squeezed in it. Then the green little froggy pool found its way on out patio and to keep all the girls occupied Leland found a quick set up pool. Crazy. But if you are in our neighborhood you will hear the screaming, squealing and just loud noises from our backyard. You can be sure it comes from out house because there are not many other kids outside in this road besides ours. And you can't miss it.

Here are some pictures from the latest addition and the crazy kids.

Welcome Froggy!

Isn't that a cute Pool? I had no intentions on getting a baby pool - what for? - we have the sandbox and will be putting up the big one. but when this little frogghy needed a new home who could say NO and it's perfect with the shade and fun with the water hose hooked up.

Ist das nicht ein suesses Plaschbecken? Ich hatte nicht geplant einen kleinen Pool zu kaufen, denn wir haben ja die Sandkiste praktisch eingesetzt und der grosse wird nach dem Umzug aufgebaut. Aber als dieser Frosch heimatlos wurde, konnten wir nicht Nein sagen. Und er passt perfekt, mit Schatten und sogar eingebauten Sprinkler.

Little Friends Photocards - Guck Mal.

Die Schule ist in ein paar Tagen aus und damit die Maedels den Kontakt zu ihren Freunden aufrecht erhalten koennen, haben wir kleine Karten gemacht um unsere neue Adresse und Telefonnummer weiter zu geben. Guck mal.


Noch was: Mein Computer versucht zwar immer noch zu streiken mit Access, aber nach viel Arbeit daran, denke ich, dass ich eine Loesung gefunden habe.


School is over in a few days, the girls are counting the days already but to keep the contact with their friends, we created little cards with our new address and phone number in the size 3x4. Summer is long and it would be great if they have a chance to get together.

Take a look.

Photo Cards

You might recognize the little girl on the card. Little Yessenia again.

Due to the fact that my work program totally pi$$ed me off, because my computer and access don't come along right now, I just stepped away from it for tonight and try to find a solution tomorrow.

All four(we have a sweet addition for a week) kids in the house are asleep so I finally got to finish the promised birth anouncement and thank you cards for Daniela and thought about sharing them with you. I hope she will like them. What do you think?
Step by step I figure some more out in photoshop, but there is so much more.

Mieschief LIVE

Soren is obsessed with the cat food and is usually trying to use it as snack bar and to eat it.
Yesterday he found some fallen pieces out of the bowl and indeed started putting it back in. I thought how cute.

Yeah.

What to see what I caught him doing?

Soren ist absolut begeistert vom Katzenfutter - von den Katzen auch - und normalerweise ist der Katzenfuttertrog seine Snackbar und er versucht es natuerlich zu essen.
Gestern dagegen waren ein paar Stueckchen herausgefallen und er hat doch tatsaechlich angefangen sie wieder in die Schuessel reinzutun. Ich dachte, ach wie suess.


Ja klar!

Moechtet Ihr sehen womit ich den Lauser gefunden habe einen Moment spaeter?

Meet Amelia Bedelia

No, this is no book review, even I might be able to tell you the story without the book by now after listening to Bella reading this book again and again and at least three times a day. She is hooked on Amelia Bedelia that she even insisted on taking it to school today to read it to her class.

Bella liebt ein ganz bestimmtes Buch und dieses hat sie in den letzten Tagen mindestens schon zehn Mal gelesen. Es handelts sich um Amelia Bedelia, die alles viel zu woertlich nimmt und immer GENAU das tut was ihr gesagt wird und somit immer Chaos anrichtet. Bella ist so begeistert von diesem Buch, dass sie es heute sogar mit in die Schule genommen hat um es in ihrer Klasse vorzulesen.

Es gibt eine ganze Serie davon, vielleicht finden wir noch ein paar davon.

So I want to introduce Amelia Bedelia to you if you didn't get the pleasure already.

If Amelia gets Bella to enjoy reading I guess we have to go and look if we can find a few more books from this series. (We already have two more book lworms in the house, so every book will find one lover, admirer and will be eaten up - literally)

But here she is -

Amelia Bedelia.

COME BACK, AMELIA BEDELIA by Peggy Parish

Amelia Bedelia has no idea what idioms or homonyms are. She does exactly what people tell her to do and takes everything they say literally. So when she is told to "put the lights out," she does just that --- she unscrews some light bulbs and takes them outside. Her literal mind frustrates her employers on a number of occasions but, in the end, they always forgive her. It is so much fun reading all about Amelia's strange adventures (or misadventures, I should say). But it's also enjoyable to look at the hilarious illustrations that accompany each story. After all, seeing Amelia smear jelly all over the kitchen floor has got to bring at least a smile to your face.

Idiom - An idiom is a word or phrase that says one thing but means another. You may have heard people say "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." Well, they don't really want to eat a horse --- they're just very hungry.


Homonym - A homonym is a word that sounds like another word, but their meanings (and sometimes their spellings) are different. An example would be "son" and "sun" --- the pronunciations are the same but their definitions and spellings aren't.

Little Yessenia Estelle

Die kleine Yessenia ist gerade mal zwei einhalb Wochen alt. Ist sie nicht suess?

This little beauty is just 2 and half weeks old. Isn't she cute?

Yellow, Orange, Red and of course Pink

Hier in Cove gibt es keine historisch schoenen Ecke, schoene alte Haeuser oder wenigstens alte Treppen. Nix, nada, niente. Deswegen muessen wir uns halt andere Stellen suchen zum fotografieren. Aber man weiss ja nie was wir noch finden werden.

Here in Cove are no historical beautiful place, nice old houses or at least old stairs (not even new ones). Nix, nada, niente. So we have to finde other unique places to take photographs. But you never know what we still will find.

a HUGE playpen for soren - LIVE

Seit Soren krabbeln kann ist es nicht mehr so einfach ihn draussen auf einer Decke zu halten und irgendwie ist mir das Gras in Texas nicht immer ganz geheuer mit all dem Zeug was da kriecht und schleicht. Und da wir einen RIESIGEN Laufstall im Garten stehen haben, wir dieser auch immer wieder gut genutzt. Er ist sehr gemuetlich, hat viel Platz und sehr sicher. Einen Nachteil hat er zwar, denn es stehen einem dort immer wieder mal die Haare zu Berge.

Fototechnischer Nachteil - die meisten Bilder sind verwackelt. LOL



Since Soren is able to crawl it is not so easy anymore to keep him on a blanket outside. But we have a HUGE playpen in the yard and we started using it. It is very comfy, spacy and safe. There's one disadvantage, your hair spikes in it. So forget styling.


Disadvantage regarding pictures - most of them are neither straight nor sharp. LOL

Sonne, Sonntag & Spass LIVE - Guck mal , Oma!

Am Sonntag war es auch wieder richtig schoen - nicht so kuehl wie heute - und ich habe die Madels mit Badesachen rausgeschickt zur Wasserrutsche. Als ich nach den zweien geguckt habe, planschten die beiden in der Baby-Sandkiste. LOL. Planschen.

On Sunday was a beautiful day - not as cool as today - and I sent both girls outside in the bathing suits to the slip and slide. When I checked on them I found them sitting in the baby sand box. LOL. Splashing.




Ein paar Stunden spaeter kam der neue Sandkisten-Pool Besitzer.

A few hours later the new owner of the sand box / pool came.

Saturday BBQ

Am Samstag nachmittag haben wir uns mit Sorens Krabbelstunde getroffen inklusive Papas und Geschwister. Gross und klein. Und es war ein richtig schoener Nachmittag mit leckerem BBQ. Die Kinder hatten viel Spass und waren allen nass bis auf die Unterhose und haben sich (muede) ausgetobt hatten. Chiara und Soren sind auf dem Heimweg auch gleich im Auto eingeschlafen.

Saturday afternoon we met with Soren's playgroup bringing the whole family. Big and small. It was a wonderful afternoon with a great BBQ. The kids played in and out of the water until every single one was wet and tired out. So Chiara and Soren fell asleep the minute their head touch the car seat on the way home in the car.

Sorens Spiel(Krabbel)gruppe

Am Donnerstag war wiedereinmal Sorens Spielgruppe. Die Kinder spielen alle richtig schoen miteinander und es gibt selten ein grosses Geschrei und da es manchmal schon ganz schoen viele Kinder sind wenn alle kommen ist das fast ein Wunder. Man sieht halt, dass wir alle liebe Kinder haben. LOL

Hier sind ein paar Bilder der Kids.

Thursday morning was Soren's playgroup. All the kids play really nice with each other and there's hardley ever yelling or screaming and that's quite amazing considering with all the kids, because if everybody is there there are quite a few. So you can see that our kids are really nice. LOL

Here are a few shots of the kids.

Soren

Brayden

William

Sophia

Lazy Sunday Afternoon LIVE

Am Sonntag war das Wetter einfach schoen, nicht zu kuehl und ganz besonders nicht zu heiss, einfach perfekt um eine Weile im Garten zu faulenzen. Es waren alle irgenwie beschaeftigt, da habe ich halt ein bisschen geknipst, wer mich kennt, weiss dass meine Kamera immer in der Naehe ist.



On Sunday the weather was actually beautiful, not too cold, not too hot, just perfect for hanging out outside in the yard. While everybody was busy with something, I just kept snapping pictures. You know me, the camera never too far away.

Die Maedels haben natuerlich wieder geplanscht.

The girls wanted to splash again of course.

Leland hat geklimpert (LOL) bis ihm seine Finger weh getan haben.

Leland played on his "fidel" until his fingers hurt.

Gruenes Gras. Noch ist es gruen.

Green grass. It's still green.

Soren natuerlich.

Of course Soren.

Nur darum.

Just because.

"---"

And Soren LIVE on his "Slip and Slide".