asleep

I'll keep the commentary brief and just let you enjoy the photos. Gavin likes to cover his face when he sleeps, which is a huge concern. So the next two photos were taken when I checked on him during a nap. Good thing I check, right? The other photos (and video) are just for fun.

Gummibaerchen

I meant to include this photo on the food post from our recent trip. Gavin sticks everything in his mouth, as babies do, and I was thinking that chewing gummy bears (through the wrapper) might be satisfying. He loved it.

Belgium

On our way home from Germany we visited Brussels and Bruges in Belgium. One of Brussels' claims to fame is the statue called Manneken Pis, dating from 1619. Yes, it's the little boy peeing that has been replicated in zillions of garden statues all over the world. Here's a photo of the real thing, then two replicas combining the various Brussels icons: Manneken Pis with Belgian waffles and Manneken Pis with Belgian chocolate (both of which we did partake in).

All that was left of our Belgian chocolates when we got home were a few tiramisu almonds and 2 truffles. (The truffles were ok, but the covered almonds were AMAZING.)

Then it was on to Bruges, which is a city much lovelier than the photos we took. It's beautiful and quaint and cute.

Bruges is also a possible location of origin for French fries. So we ate them (but did not have time to tour the museum).

Germany trip

We drove to Germany last weekend, and in order to get there Gavin took his first boat ride. Here's a photo of him (just after we drove off the ferry) with his first boat in the background.

While in Bavaria we visited a cute medieval town called Rothenberg ob der Tauber, which is completely surrounded by a wall, which you can walk. Here I am on the wall, and below that Jacob and Gavin are at the city gate. You might remember my disappointment at hiking to a certain alpine bridge with the expectation of unspoiled vistas, and seeing scaffolding instead. Well this time we got it right. Here we are with the long-dreamed-of views of Neuschwanstein. We had a hard time getting Gavin to look at the camera. Silly us--of course he wanted to be looking at the castle too.The same Bavarian king who built Neuschwanstein (Ludwig II) also built a small palace called Linderhof Palace. It's small but beautiful, and there are a few eccentricities that made it a really amazing place to visit. The palace was built for one since the king never married and was very reclusive. He was tall and had a huge (unbelievably beautiful) bed. Also, his dining room table was built on a set of pulleys so it could be lowered into the kitchens below and raised back up, preventing the king from having to interact even with his servants. Overall, Gavin traveled really well and was a champion during the long car rides. And his country count is now 5.

German food

The food deserves its own post because it's so amazing and such a huge part of what we do when we're in Germany, and also because Gavin got to try some of it too... but not the doner kebab above.Rothenberg ob der Tauber has a famous food specialty called Schneeballen (translated as snowballs). They weren't at all what we were expecting when we saw them. They're basically little cookies smashed together in balls with various fillings. We tried the original (no filling--just covered in powdered sugar), nougat and chocolate. The dissected one below shows the cookie layering. In the next photo are two of the most amazing pastries we've ever had: on the right a strawberry one with cream and custard; on the left a cherry one, below which you can see an actual cherry pit Jacob encountered while eating it. He was excited by that indication it was made with real cherries. :) We also visited the Ritter Sport chocolate museum and gift shop near Stuttgart and came away with quite a stash. It was fun. We've talked before about one of Jacob's favorite German foods, the Schweinehaxe (here, here and here, for example). I love the below photo that shows how large the Haxe is in comparison to Gavin's head.Below is a photo of my wild boar and venison. At that same meal, Jacob had reindeer goulash. The only photo we have is Gavin licking it off his fingers. That's right, Gavin (and Jacob) ate Rudolph. And if Gavin ever asks whether Rudolph is real, Jacob plans to tell him that he WAS...until Gavin ate him.For dessert? Gelato!

Strong swimmer

Gavin went swimming for the first time (and several subsequent times) while we were in Germany. The above photo showcases the adorable swimming attire his Grandma Lund gave him. the terry hoodie even has a little fin on top to match all the fish on his trunks. He looks like he has a 6-pack in the next photo. The rest of the photos show how much he enjoyed the experience. (Note: he loved it until it was over when he realized he was cold and exhausted. That part was a bit painful for all of us.)

My first Mother's Day

In the UK Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday) falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which means it was last Sunday, April 3rd. Even though we weren't in the UK and I'm not British, I'm still counting it as my first Mother's Day as a mom because we are UK residents and my child was born here. It was a fun day in Germany. (more on that trip later...)