We've been parents for SIX years!?

We're a little tired...
...but enjoying the ride.

In Grandpa's Hands

Grandpa held Eric at least 50% of the entire time he was here! They are such buddies. Grandpa calls Eric "Toot"...because of, um, his extreme gas problem.
Look how Grandpa's hands are as big as Toot.
Grandpa and Toot holding hands. Thanks for your help the last two weeks, Grandpa!

Happy 6th Birthday, William!!

We celebrated William's birthday a few days early this year. He wanted a gorilla-theme. So I bought a few plastic chimpanzees and a couple bunches of bananas and we took them to an indoor playground with trampolines. Close enough, I decided! The party was a great success! I *loved* not having it in my living room! It was so relaxing that the adults had time to have not one, but two cups of coffee each! I'll never be tired again!
Make a wish!
OOO! Star Wars lego set from Grandpa and Oma!
Glow in the dark dinosaur bones? Could life get any cooler?
Fun was had by all!

Hail Storm!!

A couple days ago there was a really big hail storm in Konstanz. A lot of people suffered damage from the storm, trees and branches were flying everywhere. But we were safe inside and we had fun watching the flower boxes float down the road and the windowsills fill up with piles of hail! We collected some hail and ate it with a spoon to see what it tasted like. Then we had the following educational conversation:

DrHf: What does hail turn into when it gets warm?
Wm: WATER!!!
Claire: What happens to water when it gets really hot?
Wm: It explodes!
DrHf: Well, that's close..
Margaret: I KNOW! I KNOW! ...It turns to SALAD!!!!

Margaret throws a fit at the table.

Grandpa Cuddles on the Couch

I'm getting bigger!

Eric remains the most even-tempered of our babies. We are SO GRATEFUL!!

Grandpa Has Arrived!

After all day on the train from Holland with a slipped-disc in his back, Grandpa still put on his funny hair to meet the kids at the train station. I thought at first that the cane was part of the costume...until I saw the poor man walk! The next morning, he got a magic shot of anti-inflammatory medicine at the orthopedist.
He was happy to see the grandkids!
He played with his new grandbaby.
Then, demonstrated his exceptional talent at putting babies to sleep by singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot".

Waiting for Grandpa!

We went to the park by the train station before we picked Grandpa up. It was a beautiful day. This (above) was the sort of mood our William was in *before* he decided he needed a lilly pad, fell in the shallow mucky pond, clammered out again jumping up and down and yelling hysterically, "I'm stinky! I'm stinky", and was further enraged by his parents throwing up their hands and having giggle fits, the laughter of passers-by fed the fire...William screamed and screamed, louder and louder. Wiggling around, throwing his shoes off, trying to get away from the pond scum all over his clothes and skin....

Margaret, before William's "Pond Scum Meltdown of '09".

The happy, relaxed parents...before the Swamp Monster Incident.

William's first real football game!

Sean took William on a big boy outing! They drove to Stuttgart to see a real soccer game! Go VfB Stuttgart! They won 2-0. Fun was had by all.

kaboutertje

oma!

Father and son.

Margaret helps me.

Conversations

I.
Wm: Look, mama. My tooth is wiggling. Soon it is going to fall out. (editor's note: this is not true, but his friends are loosing teeth already)
Hf: Cool! When it falls out you can put it under your pillow and the Tooth Fairy will come bring you a present.
Wm: Will the Tooth Fairy bring Pokemon?
Hf: I am not sure what the the Konstanz, Germany Tooth Fairy will bring. Each Fairy has a different jurisdiction, and different tastes.
Marga: Not true! It's not truuu-uue!
Wm: Yes it is!
Marga: No,it is no-ot!
Wm: Yes it is Marga. It's true just like Jesus is true. If Jesus is true, then so is the Tooth Fairy.
Hf: That's right, William. Marga, leave him alone.

II.
We are watching Pete's Dragon, a video Beeba gave us and that I remember either from my childhood or from last week...I don't know anymore. Anyway, there is a part in the movie in which the lovesick female protagonist sees her rugged sailor true love, whom she had believed to be lost forever at sea...they run toward each other, the music swells, I tear up...and William clasps his hand over his eyes and hangs his head.

Hf: What's wrong, William?
Wm: Don't you know, Mama? Watching girls always gives me a headache!

III.
And finally, the first thing Mr drHf said to drHf yesterday morning:

"William needs help getting his escaped snails off the kitchen window"

Eric

William goes for a swim

Okay, maybe three is a little harder than two...

When Oma arrived 6 days ago, she looked and acted normal. Educated, professional, insightful, aware... slowly the transformation occurred. As the sleep deprivation added up, she started to respond more to the strange demands of the 3 and 5 year olds in the house. Pretty soon she was a king from a distant land. She had royal underlings, they had a royal snack...and they created a royal mess!
The King from a distant land oversees the resolution of the royal mess.

Welcome, Oma!

Oma meets Eric, and Margaret shows off her new role as big sister.
Three generations of McCrea!

Pacifying Pirate Skeleton

This child has rejected all pacifiers until today, when Sean's colleagues gave us a "baby rock star" pacifier...with a skull and crossbones on it! We gave him this pacifier and he has been awake and happy for an hour! Sean and I had a relaxing dinner together!