Look Out Behind You!

Red is clearly the color of the day. Even the dining room got the memo.

Until Mom took this picture, I hadn't noticed the trio of zombies on the couch behind us. The Princess Bride melted their brains, or maybe it was Robin Hood. I'm sure I'll understand how that happens when I'm a little older.

Sufficient Incentive

Cousins Martha and Sarah are a little intimidating, but I'll brave their rambunctiousness when brownies are on the line.

Holiday Addition

A bunch of Dad's relatives (my relatives too, I guess) came all the way to Munich to play with me. But they got cold feet at the last minute and hid in baggage claim for 2 hours. Their feet are going to get a lot colder, because it's -6 C outside and their boots are in Rome with the rest of their stuff. From left to right, that's Sarah, Aunt Martha, Ethan, and Uncle Colin riding in from the airport. Cousin Martha, Dad's shoulder, and I are reflected in the train window.

Swing Assembly

Grandma sent me a swing. Mom put it together tonight. Once again I helpfully slept through it all. Don't count on too much more of that, Mom. Unless that swing is as relaxing as Sadie says they are.

Bye-Bye, Grandma

Grandma left this morning. I never managed to talk her into a pony. She'll be back in just a few weeks, though, so I'm planning my strategy now.

Watch Me

My first visitor! What'd you bring me, Grandma? Ah, cuddly arms. Yeah, that'll do for now.

Back to the nursery for more oxygen observation this afternoon. They say they need to keep me until 6:30 PM, to have 24 hours of data. I think they just miss me too much, after the amazing job I did with the disco lights last night.

Sub-Compact

The big car left, but Anya and Yash were nice enough to give me a lift.

The Hills are Alive

Woah — how'd we end up where we were heading? Kitzbühel must be pretty amazed too: they brought out the brass band to welcome us.

Schloss Nymphenburg

Second stop: Schloss Nymphenburg gardens. Also not on the way to Kitzbühel, I note.

You're not convincing me this is a princess castle, either. If I'd known it was famed for its Gallery of Beauties, I'd have dressed nicer for my portrait. Oh well, it all looks like the inside of a hat to me.

Olympiaturm

First stop: Olympiaturm. This tower looms over my neighborhood, but this is the first time I've loomed too. Hey, that's my house over there!

This isn't exactly on the way to Kitzbühel... has Uncle Henhuh been navigating again?

On the Road Again

Who shrank my carseat? This is nowhere near as comfy as a Daddy Saddle.

Uncle Henhuh has a friend in Kitzbühel, Austria, so we're all heading there for the weekend. I hear they have great skiing!

Madness Regens

Today we set out to show Anya the princess castle at Schloss Neuschwanstein, about 3 hours southwest of here, which somehow meant taking trains north to Ingolstadt and Regensburg and then going home. Regensburg has a castle too, which we adroitly avoided by visiting the town hall and dungeon for a couple of hours.

Uncle Henhuh's navigation skills are beyond me, but it's still fun to practice walking on a moving train.

Zoo crew

With four adults and three kids in the house, it's getting to be a zoo around here. So I figured a trip to the real zoo would be instructive.

Dad wants me to pick up some feeding habits from the goats in the petting zoo, but I can't reach the vending-machine chute even on my hind legs. Plus, those green pellets are hard on the gums.

Yash doesn't feel so good

Yash must have brought California's hot weather with him, because I can feel it radiating from his head. The doctor says the heat wave should break in a day or two. Meanwhile he gets to have lots of yummy acetaminophen. No fair!

Jet lag is for wimps

Since Anya and Yash haven't gotten their Munich legs yet, I only took them to the playground today. Come play, Anya! Anya?

Cousincidence

Munich is celebrating today: my cousins came to visit! So many people turned out to welcome them at the airport that a big-screen TV had to be set up in the courtyard between the terminals. Since it was there anyway, before Anya and Yash showed up somebody got it to show the Germany-Argentina World Cup game. My cousins are good luck, too. Germany won!

Catching On

First, my housemates all moved out. Then, both sets of grandparents came to visit. After that, our stuff all disappeared. Even the piano, which only just came back. This morning, three different sets of people came to see me in my empty house: the former housies, the cousins, and Uncle David and Aunt Pam, along with a very nice lady who I guess is my first-cousin-once-removed-in-law. I'm pretty sure some kind of change is afoot.

Ein Bonn firrenburnen

Ted and Vicki held a "Bonn Voyage" fire for us. A whole bunch of our friends were there — Amanda even came all the way from Virginia just to see me. Anya, Yash, Rebecca, Penelope, and their parents showed up decorated in their Holi colors. Mom, can I have a technicolor mohawk like Penelope?

Mom and Dad made everybody take one of the bags of stuff from our living room. I guess the garbage bins at home were full. I didn't see anybody toss their bag into the fire, but there was a lot of swapping going on. What can I get for a soggy piece of banana bread?

Takin' it to the streets

While Grandma Natalie enjoys going out to eat, apparently Grandma Rhode's idea of a good time is waiting in long lines at the DMV. I guess everybody loves going to the DMV, because as far as I can tell nobody goes there only once. I went with Dad and Grandma twice in the same afternoon.

And Eat It Too

Grandma and Grandpa Rhode came to visit so they could take their turn basking in my glow. Hey, don't they need me to have cake too?