Fall is Here

The weather is starting to cool down and the leaves are turning all the beautiful colors. Fall has been gorgeous so far, very unusual from what my German friends have told me.  Savannah loves to take walks and pick up leaves and acorns. We have quite the collection of acorns! We started to donate them to the zoo we frequent because they use them to feed the animals.


We are settled into our life here and it feels very comforting to finally be into a daily routine. I joined the gym a few blocks away. Beautiful gym with a nice pool. Savannah likes the daycare there so it's a win win for everyone! We go in the mornings and then sometimes visit the playground after. The playgrounds here are very well kept, clean and creatively built. One has a built in trampoline! Most all of them have huge sandboxes. All the little German children bring their sand toys and just hangout and play. Savannah never wants to play with the toys I bring for her, even though they are the same as the others just different colors! The children share though and Savannah has a good time.

After this we come home and Skype with Grammy (my Mom) around 12noon our time, 6am EST, while Savannah eats lunch. Then she naps for about 2 hours, give or take. We just got on the one nap schedule about 3 weeks ago and I'm LOVING it! Really great to be able to go places in the morning and later in the afternoon. She wakes up really refreshed too, it's so adorable! Afternoons are mostly spent at the playground, walking Lilly or playing in our house. Anytime we go to the zoo, story hour, or any event it's in the morning.

Most nights we all have dinner together because Rocky gets home from work and the gym around 5pm now. Savannah doesn't like to sit in her highchair that much when we are all eating at the table, she prefers to sit in a chair like a big girl! I'm going to get a booster seat. She is sleeping better too so that is great for me! :-) She got two more teeth, now she has a total of 8! She loves to say bye bye to everything. Even when the toilet is flushed...Savannah is waving bye bye. When she's finished eating she pulles the bib off and says "done done and then waves bye bye" to her plate in the high chair. She can imitate the sounds of many farm animals. Her vocabulary is about 10 words and counting everyday, "shoes" and "lilly" being her favorite words besides "mama and dada". She loves to carry around purses and put things in and take them out. Ducks are her favorite animal right now. We started to finger paint pictures and draw on a chalkboard. I think she likes it but after about 10 minutes with the paint she is in her words "done done"!

We still have one car, our 4 Runner. Thinking about getting a Vespa to zoom around the city. I mainly walk everywhere because Rocky has the car most days. I'm learning the bus system....slowly. Everything is within walking distance to us, it's phenomenal to be able to walk anywhere and everywhere. Savannah and I are becoming very city chic! :) I'm trying to learn what the German women do by observing. A lot of them ride bikes and put their children in the seat on the back, I have zero confidence in myself that I wouldn't completely crash....so no bikes for us. One thing that is different than at home is that the German women all dress up, all the time. When we're at the playground, it looks like they are going to lunch with cute pants, shoes, tops and scarves. Meanwhile I'm dressed in Under Armorer gear and Puma shoes because well we are at the playground that is pretty much a huge sandbox! How it doesn't bother them getting sand in their shoes I will never understand. But I have upped my appearance so I don't stick out like a sore thumb! It's been fun to start shopping for clothes here. Right now I'm on a hunt for a beautiful pair of boots. I'll post a pick when I find them!

I uploaded some recent pictures of the Fall and our little trip the Appel Happel, a local apple farm. They are under the Photo page at the top. Enjoy! Hugs and kisses to everyone!
XOXOX
Elizabeth