Sean found a great bunk bed!

Read to me!

Eric Meets Grandpa Tom!

Beeba and Baby Three.

William's First Day of School! 24 August,2009.

Sean and I both walked William to school on the first day.  Turns out we were lucky! The school mascot is the shark! We just happened to have picked out a shark backpack! School is cool!

William didn't want his picture taken on the first day of school, so his parents wrestled him into submission.  Some things just have to be documented. (So the Dr.Hausfrau bloggies don't get too grumpy!)

With the help of Oma and Grandpa, we created a Schultute for William.  This conical sea-themed treats, toys, and school supply delivery-device helped William look forward to the first day of school.  It is a tradition we plan on keeping!

Below is the playground at his school.

So far, school is going well! He is already reading a little bit!

Blogger Reunion.

We missed our Bloomingtonaut, but the Pless People, the Krentz Family, and the Hausfrau Five were all in the same place at the same time.  There were so many children that our great plans to chat endlessly on the phone with the Tallahassee Two were thwarted.  It was wonderful to see my *really old* friends after having to leave friends in Konstanz.  A sadness replaced by a happiness.

Sorry, Kate. The third child is always perfect, but nobody can ever remember it exactly.

Eric had his first solid food.  William, Margaret, and I all fed him a spoonful of mushed banana as Sean took pictures.  We took pictures, at least.  It happened maybe about a month ago? 

He found it interesting. That is how I interpret his google-eyed expression.

And then all of a sudden, he could sit up! I think that started a couple weeks ago.  He's getting better at it all the time.

Awkward Transformations

I think this picture captures our strange life situation of suddenly, after six years in South Germany, finding oneself in a huge manicured lawn in Wyoming.  We've still got our Football, the Tragetuch, and a Bodensee tote.  Margaret's style may transcend cultures.  I've tried to update the look with some much-needed sunglasses, but it is clear that our americanization will take more time.

I Say Hello.

I Don't Know Why You Say Goodbye

July was hard.  We had to say goodbye to all our friends.

The moving van came.  Goodbye to the bright green building across the street...

It helped that the first thing I saw in Wyoming was a double rainbow.

Welcome to Laramie

Welcome to Laramie, where the local airport has convenient connections to Denver (only!).

After a long blog-break, Dr. Hausfrau and the Hausfrau Five are back on the wagon.  Just a different wagon, this time.  The following posts will attempt to illustrate our recent transformation from suddeutschland to the Wild West.  Bear with us, this was not without some culture shock.  Zum Beispiel, "Bear with us" is NO LONGER just a figure of speech!

Getting there...

Last Week

Last week, our neglected middle child actually had a playdate with a friend that was NOT the sibling of one of William's friends. They played so beautifully - there was no fighting or screaming! When they were done putting every single stuffed animal in the house on the couch, they put them all back where they belonged before having cake and milk in the kitchen!
This week, Eric was adored by his older siblings.
This week, Margaret and William served themselves yogurt and drinks and played quietly until their parents emerged "at a reasonable hour" from the bedroom.
This week, William and Margaret made the greatest stone soup using stones from the Bodensee, rice, popcorn kernels, five year old dried split-peas, and the rest of various spices from my cabinet! See, getting ready to move can be FUN! I also taught William to vacuum on this day. (MOST BRILLIANT parenting move EVER!!)
"Would you like your soup with Dill, Oregano, Cloves, or Bay leaves, Mama?"
This week, Sean played "Handyman" with William and Margaret, and they took apart a good 50% of the furniture. How wonderful to be able to use the naturally destructive nature of our children to our advantage!
Margaret demonstrates proper usage of the "Ikea-tool". Maybe we should move more often!

Suddenly tired!

Brothers McCrea

Little Buddy!

"The Stupids Die" and why reading is bad for your children

Dr HF is vacuuming.
Marga: Where is my green vacuum cleaner? Where is my green vacuum cleaner?
Dr HF: Your what?
Marga: Where is my green vacuum cleaner?
Dr HF: Um, I don't know?
Marga: I can't find my green vacuum cleaner, the one that cuts the rug!
Dr: OH! You mean your plastic green LAWN MOWER!!! You got confused when I read you the book, "The Stupids Die"!

OMA RETIRES TOMORROW!!

Today the birthday, tomorrow the reward!

Happy Birthday, Ebee!

Enjoy your manatee!
We love you,
Familia Hausfrau

William and the Mola Mola

So, we were sitting together on the couch looking at Sean's pictures from his recent trip to Lisbon. I was frustrated because I had just spent a good fifteen minutes working with William and he still was unable to identify the letter "J" with any reliability! We came across this picture. "Eew, what is that?", I asked. "I forget. But it was really big!", Sean responded. " I think it is a mola-mola.", William stated seriously. "Check and see if he is right!", I said, and Sean opened Wikipedia. Turns out those National Geographic Kids videos William was watching so often LAST YEAR have provided him with some good marine trivia that impressed his parents! Now, back to the letter "J"!!!