Oma and Grandpa's Back Yard!

Wm and Mg loved playing in the back yard at O and G's house!

Is there anything better than poking a stick in a pond in the company of a dog?

Visiting with Lansdale Friends

Sean's brother Mike and Sean's friend...Mike.

Bill, Sean, and Karey. Wipe that smile off your face, Sean!

The HF and Bill's wife, Liz.

Visiting Sean's College Buddies

We visited Sean's Bucknell friends Tom and Jenn and their children Patrick and Charlotte over the Christmas break.

They have a beautiful home. The kids got to watch Scooby Doo while eating pizza! Paradise!











Charlotte drew us a picture of Spongebob S.P.
















Did these two college roommates ever think they'd be sitting around with their wives, stopping at just one beer, discussing Spongebob Squarepants, and juggling the needs of four children?

A Bad Day in the Kitchen for the HF.

Today, I burned my arm making undercooked, bland filet of fish for lunch.

And this evening, while making cauliflower ( with breadcrumbs, butter, and cheese) the smell was such that my one-and-half year old daughter came walking into the kitchen screaming "stinky!" and handed me a diaper. Oh, the honesty of children!

Tomorrow I'm not trying anything new in the kitchen.

Read All About It! Dr. HF Shares Some 'Dirty Laundry'!

We're home from our trip and we had a wonderful time! I will post pictures from the trip soon...but until then, I'll be working on the laundry pile....

We are Home!

...and we've finally let her out of the bag!

Where are the posts?

Dr. Hausfrau has been on vacation... but check out Ebee's blog, Andy's blog, Oma's blog, and Ginny's blog (see sidebar links) for pictures from the last two weeks! Thanks to my friends to picking up the blogging slack! We'll be back on-line when we get over our jet-lag!

Bis Bald!

BAH HUMBUG!!

http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=1553430362

Merry Christmas!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1535430753

This girl is not fooled by the rescue heroes.

" I can tell they aren't *real* pirates!"

Play Date!

Today, Joshua came over. They stopped moving so fast during snack time, so I was able to get a few pictures.
They were playing that they were rescue heroes PRETENDING to be pirates.

A surprised rescue hero, pretending to be a pirate.

A happy rescue hero, pretending to be a pirate.

This rescue hero, who was also pretending to be a pirate ,tried to look mean but couldn't quite do it!

This rescue hero is a grumpy pirate. He practices this look daily.

That's a little meaner! Keep up the good work, rescue heroes!

SHOES!

Margaret just happens to be a girl who really likes shoes. We will work on her sense of color later.

Sankt Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht

This is Knecht Ruprecht, known in Holland as "Black Pete". If you have been a bad little boy or girl, he beats you with his stick - or leaves a little stick by your boots as a warning. Since he is a slightly brutal character, he is often left out of the St. Nick celebrations...but I am starting to appreciate his worth! :^)

Sankt Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht. Will you get Lebkuchen and little oranges, or will you get a wack with a straw broom? Better stop stealing toys from your sister at every turn!

Sankt Nikolaus ! (Dec 6)

Nikolaustag was Dec. 6 (see last year's post on that date). On the evening of the 5th, you put your clean boots outside your door and hope you've been good! If you've been good, St. Nikolaus - who looks like a bishop, and NOT like Santa Claus - comes and leaves presents! Above, see that Sean, Katy, Wm, Mg, and Claire were ALL GOOD!!! YES!

William got a dinosaur! He now sleeps with it at night, because it protects him from monsters.

And Margaret got a little stuffed T-Rex in a little tiny boot.

Two More Pictures.

Sean's birthday cake !

Wm and Mg waiting for the bus on an outing with Dada.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dude of Honor!!

Hi Bro! Your birthday e-mail bounced back to me...but I was thinking of you yesterday. I'll call today. Happy Birthday!

Blogjacking

Katy is apparently off of her Blog phase and switching to piano or sewing pillows or whatever current mania. Thus you missed my birthday:

the fact Claire moved to Konstanz:

and William's trip to the very impressive Dinosaur Museum

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving!

Claire and I worked hard this year - and this year the food was really good and was all finished and warm at the same time! With the exception of the glue-like mashed potatoes ( which tasted good anyway), the meal was PERFECT! YUM! Above, I am holding the recipe cards that helped us through our two-day cooking extravaganza. Note also my bandaged thumb (green beans with zest of orange and a little zest of right thumb...). Claire is ready to get to the exquisitely tender maple-glazed ( 90.00 dollar) turkey, lovingly basted ( almost) every half an hour. You can't see her hands, but she has blisters from cutting and peeling potatoes! Who knew that the skills we learned as chemistry lab partners way back in high school would serve us so well in the kitchen!

Even the pecan pie worked this year!

The table looked orderly and serene...

...for about 30 seconds.

Juergen and Claire, waiting to dig in!

Nadia and Juergen enjoy their second Thanksgiving ever. I don't have a picture of Aline - she comes from Brazil and had her first Thanksgiving yesterday with us in Germany! 6 adults and 5 ( this time, amazingly well-behaved!!!!!!!!! ) children made a lively gathering.

Afterwards, Sean teaches Juergen how to be an American. Football was on. The beer and the couch were calling.

Thanksgiving Menu, 2007

Maple-Glazed Turkey with pan gravy ( Turkey special-ordered from the farm in Dinglesdorf)
Chestnut-Fig Stuffing
Green Beans with Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette
Ginny's Bourbon Sweet Potatoes
Claire's Sweet Potatoes with Apples, Walnuts, and Brown Sugar
Mom's Basic Mashed Potatoes
Cranberries ( recipe on bag)
Ineke's Scalloped Corn
Claire's Corn Bread ( Corn Meal imported from Rome)
Katy's Basic Lamb's-Ear Lettuce and "Whatever We Have Around" Salad
Pecan Pie (recipe on Karo Syrup Bottle, Pecans imported from Rome)
Pumpkin Pie (from canned pumpkin imported from Rome)
McCrea Family 24-Hour Salad with Mini-Marshmallows

...Time to go shopping!

William's Swim Class

Here are some pictures from William's swim class! They do all kinds of crazy exercises and games there. Above, the children are racing ( in water they can stand up in -the water level of the pool can be changed!) from one end of the pool, collecting water in a bucket, and transfering their water to a bucket on the other side of the pool. I couldn't help thinking how completely futile their efforts were...but William (foreground) seemed to enjoy himself!

Whee!

William is always making this face!

At least it is better than the face his father is making!

Sometimes the grown-ups have to demonstrate swimming underwater!