Time goes by sooo fast here....

My kids have totally become German/Polish here.  They never know if they should say "Danke" or "Dziekuje" It is quite cute!!!  Time seems to fly sooo fast here- I can't believe it is Friday already.  I don't want my time with my family to go so fast!!!
Every day the kids get to go to a Cafe with us- my aunt and I always get an EISKAFFEE (ice coffee) and the kids get some awesome ice cream concoction. I can't complain- I LOVE EISKAFFEE....

 My aunt Ilona is spoiling the kids, I am getting lots of girl talk and relaxation, and everyone is very happy.

Today we went the the Aquarium- the most favorite part for the kids- the ANACONDA that eats humans....please don't ask what an ANACONDA is doing in an aquarium....I have no answer.... 

 













Also- proof that Germany ROCKS- Trader Joes is here alive and well....

 

Why don't I live in Hambug??? Please remind me....

Apparently the only person who is having a hard time with jetlag is ME.  Kids are just fine.  Me- I'm up till 1am every night and up at 7am.  Small price to pay....

My kids are absolutely LOVING Hamburg.  I am thrilled to be giving them this adventure- I want them to love travel as much as I do and I think they are catching the bug :)

We have spent the last two days trying to use up the kids pent up energy.  We went to my most favorite park in the ENTIRE world.  Planten und Bloomen is a park I discovered when I was 16 years old (I mean it was always there- I just found it then).  I would spend hours walking, reading, exploring this beautiful sanctuary in the middle of a huge city.  When John and I married, I took him there to share this special place.  I took Christopher there when he was 2 1/2 years old.  Today I took him and Olivia there with my Aunt Ilona.  This place is such a special part of my life and to bring my children there now is kind of surreal.  Of course they DID NOT get the significance of my "self reflection".  All they wanted to do was go to the kids playpark part and all their mom wanted to do was take pictures at every step there.  "You are GOING to sit by this Japanese garden and you are GOING to smile damn it!!!!"

After a few hours of the kids enjoying the kidspark, we decided to take the subway/rail to the Hamburg port.  Kids loved riding the subway.  It was kind of embarassing how excited they were- people around us thought I was some kind of weird parent that never took her kids into the city but whatever! Olivia declared that she LOVED Germany.  Christopher said he would love to keep riding the subway all day (really??? I mean are my kids that deprived that riding a subway makes their vacation THE BEST EVER????)

 

At the port we took a boat around the harbor.  It was so fun for the kids.  I absolutely fell in love with Hamburg ALL over again.  I do every time I come here.  I love this amazing city.

The kids favorite German word is EIS (ice cream).  Mommy's favorite German word after all day of walking miles in a black boot in 85F weather is WEIN (wine).

Here are some fun tidbits my kids have let me in on:
- Germany has very small cars
- Ice cream here is soooo much better than at home
- Watching Spongebob Squarepants in German is hilarious ("someone needs to teach him English"Olivia said)
-Riding on trains, subways, and buses are the best things that had ever happened to them
- Hot dogs here ROCK
-WE MISS DADDY  (yeah- I do too kiddos...I do too!)

I love spending time with my Aunt Ilona.  She's like a second mother to me and every moment I spend with her is precious.  My kids already are in love with her (who wouldn't be? She's so sweet!). I am so fortunate...I know....I just wish we lived closer.....

WE MADE IT!!!!!!

We got to the airport and I went to the "special services" desk.  My kids and I were all sniffling from saying goodbye to John, our luggage, and my beautiful walking boot.  The man behind the counter was trying to check our luggage in and when I began weeping that my kids and I are not sitting together...he realized he was dealing with either a crazy woman or just a pathetic one.  Whatever it was- he took pity on our sorrowful bunch.  He let John get a "boarding" pass so that he could go with us all the way to the gate.  Love you Mr. Red Suit Jacket!

We went through security.  So here is the exchange between me and Newark's security officer:

official safety man(OSF):  "Mam...please take off the boot"
me:"My walking boot? OK" and I proceed to unstrap the 20 velcro straps that hold this contraption together.  When it is off, I am balancing on one leg.
OSF: "Mam- are you able to walk through the xray machine without the boot?"
me: "Well....they wheeled me here in a wheelchair and now I am hobbling on one foot soooo what do you think?" (ok- so I said that in my head but whatever) and I proceeded to hop through the xray machine as the OSF kept saying "don't touch the sides!"

Then they proceeded to take the travel size playdough from the kids backpacks cause apparently they were going to use it to make some kind of explosive device.

The flight went pretty well- the kids did great with their own tv screens.  Olivia got 3 hours of sleep and Christopher about 1.5.  Me??  I got two kids laying on me so I watched some really bad movie with Jennifer Aniston in it.  8 hours later we landed tired but happy.

Right now it's 7:20pm here.  I am trying to keep the kids awake till 8pm so that we can try to fight this jetlag....

OK- 24 hours to go....

I am freaking out....oh yes...that is exactly what I am doing.  We brought up the suitcases....UNPACKED them all and proceeded to REPACK them....my hubby apparently thought my packing skills were lacking and he decided to "help".  Ok- so he did help but he also brought on my anxiety attack....


I get it- it's really not that big of a deal- traveling with two kids on your own is NOT the hardest thing in life- my sane brain gets that.  I'm traveling to family whom I love and cannot wait to see....my sane brain gets that.  I have traveled many many times before...my sane brain gets that too.

HOWEVER- my anxiety brain just took over and wacked my sane brain with an overstuffed suitcase. My anxiety brain is thinking of all the things that can go wrong- at the airport, ON THE FLIGHT, during the whole trip- the train rides, the other plane rides from Germany to Poland, the BOOT- damn that BOOT!!  It's screaming at me "WHY am I doing this ALONE- I can't even walk properly for pete's sake-  I mean WHY???? " 

My anxiety brain spent an HOUR and 10 minutes on HOLD with Continental airlines cause apparently my kids and I are NOT SITTING TOGETHER ON THE 8 hour flight....I'm all for that- not sure if the passengers next to them will be so thrilled.  So what answer do I get after sacrificing all that time...I am told "you will have to fix that at the airport".  OH THANK YOU! 

So today I am breathing deep, hanging out with friends, having some liquid courage, enjoying my husband since I won't be seeing him for 5 weeks, and not even THINKING about tomorrow.....

The looooong drive...

After triple checking all the bags, making sure we had our passports and tickets....we embarked on the long road trip to New Jersey.  When I say long, I mean looooooooong.  11 hours total to get to our destination.  So here is a snapshot of our trip:

Hour 1- singing to songs on the radio
Hour 2-  first bathroom break and first time the phrase "are we there yet" is used by one of the offspring
Hour 3- second bathroom break and first movie is popped into the DVD player
Hour 4- lunch, bathroom, "are we there yet?"
Hour 5- "WE ARE ALL TAKING A NAP!!" (that's me offering a "suggestion")
Hour 5.5- "Mommy- I'm done with nap- I need to potty"
Hour 6- "I'm hungry" , "Are we there yet?", "I don't want to take a nap"
Hours 7,8,9,10- a blur of whining, an endless game of I Spy, another movie, bathroom visits galore
LAST HOUR- "OH MY GOD- IF I DON'T GET OUT OF THIS CAR RIGHT NOW I AM GOING TO LOSE IT!!!!" (that's me)

SIDEBAR- Pennsylvania is soooooooo endless- I mean come on people- it takes FOREVER on Route 80 to get through this state-the view from Route 80- hills, trees, hills, trees, road, hills, trees.....It got so boring we had to let doggie drive for a while....

We came to my friend Kristen and Darren's house and were greeted with DELICIOUS (real NJ) pizza, some wine, and a nice place to stay.  Kids are too excited to play with their "cousin" Cieran to even think about going to bed.  Kristen and Darren are crazy to have us here till our departure on Sunday but we are sooo thankful! 

Random thoughts as I pack....

1. Why do I feel the need to pack every single piece of clothing my kids own? I mean- sure the weather may change but do I have to pack like we are spending all 4 seasons in Europe?

2. Why are clothes so damn heavy?

3. Why are these suitcases so small?

4. How did I go backpacking through Europe (for 3 months) on my own with one little backpack and now I can't leave the house without 4 pieces of luggage?

5. Shoes!!! Damn it I forgot to pack any shoes!!!!! Crap- I'm running out of space....

odds and ends....

Obligatory vacation haircuts underway......

TA....DA......

                     

4 loads of laundry done.....suitcases brought up from the basement....now the packing begins.........