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Europe is awesome for kids! We went to an indoor play arena for kids win the homeschool group last week. I think my 32 year old kid had the most fun. At the place they had a few different cargo trikes for kids. They are apparently made by Winther but I couldn’t find anything on their website. Sorry the pictures are so blurry, she moves fast!
She was not able to pull Daddy on the trike but she tried really hard!
Germany has some amazing playgrounds for kids. Our new neighborhood has a bunch of themed playgrounds that are CLEAN, and well maintained. This particular one is my favorite. It’s called the Race Track park which I think works I guess although I’d name it something different and make the miniature roads more of a feature because that is my favorite part.
The mini roads and road signs are too adorable and are the perfect size for Cady on her balance bike
Like lots of German playgrounds there is a hammock 🙂 I love when the playgrounds have these. Especially when we are there in the middle of a school day and the playground is empty. I can hang out in a hammock and read while the kids play.
We wandered away a little bit and the kids ate some blackberries off a bush they found 🙂
One last shot of the park and Topper’s bike.
I really wanted to use this park for my co-op bicycle class next week but since we are using some paint and making a mess we need to stay away from the pretty park.
We had a busy week this week.
We went for a nature walk to collect pine cones to make peanut butter bird feeders later this weekend.
We rode to Schwetzingen to see the blossoms at the palace. So far the cherry trees only were out.
Husband reenlisted on Wednesday in Heidelberg 🙂
We went for another bike ride yesterday through the woods and Justin found a cool “work stand” to use
And tonight we went to the school carnival. Cady had her face painted and made crafts.
And they both had cotton candy and jumped in the bouncy houses.
We did lots of Math and Ancient China history at home this week but oddly have nothing to show for it. I know there were some worksheets and coloring pages around, hmmm…
All systems go!
Yes, we still live in the GET-O, but hopefully not for too much longer.
We took a beautiful Spring ride to Schwetzingen today to see if any flowers were blooming yet at the palace gardens. There were a few cherry blossoms out but nothing else yet so we will wait another week and hopefully it will be a Spring wonderland. We snapped some pictures from across the creek before heading home to meet some friends at the playground.
I’m so glad Spring has finally arrived 🙂
We discovered this weekend that we need something for Topper to ride at Oma’s. We tried out a few scooters at the LBS. This Puky one was one of them.
While it would be really cool to have, it doesn’t quite fit the bill. The scooter needs to be small enough to travel with but have air-filled tires for the gravel driveway. If anyone knows of something like this I would appreciate a steer in the right direction. We have a razor scooter and I’d really love to find something just like it but with air-filled tires.
This past week I did a 22k day with the kids. We rode to the PX to run some errands, then to what I like to call the “free zoo”. We have an awesome pet shop nearby and we stop in and visit every now and then. I do buy dog treats and accessories here when needed so we aren’t total freeloaders. They have a HUGE koi pond. Some of these fish are as big as Cady and cost 1500€. When you stand next to the tank they swim over and open their mouths 🙂
The kids thought this crab was cool. He was about the size of my fist and had little hairs all over him.
They also had a really playful (and talkative) African Gray Parrot
Silly kids
We found this playground on the way back and stopped for awhile. There was even an adult sized hammock!
Trex and Hopper waiting at the park 🙂
We left the house around 11 and returned home just in time for dinner. I’m glad I went since it rained the next two days. Summer doesn’t seem to be happening here in Germany.
One of my best friends is in town visiting this week. Today we rode to Plankstadt to visit the Welde Brewerei and go on the tour. It was 9€ each for adults and 4€ for children. We got a souvenir glass and all the beer we could drink in the tasting room. We rode 16k round trip to and from the tour. Today was probably my favorite bike trip to date!
I carried the stroller today with me on Trex. I didn’t get a picture but I’ll be doing it a few more times this week so I’ll have to remember to take one next time.
I love this light fixture! Maybe I’ll start collecting bottles? I’m sure it’ll look like junk in my house though.
Cady “taking pictures” with a rock
The map shot of our ride today, although only on the way there since my phone died before the return trip.
One the way back we stopped at the commissary for Salmon for dinner, yum! When we came out I had some admirers so I answered questions about Trex for a few minutes. I need to get some xtracycle business cards printed!
Before suburban sprawl set in there were wheat fields behind my subdivision. In fact the neighborhood is called Wheatfield. Now there’s a Target and a highway, and my Dad no longer lives there but wheat fields still remind me of home.
We went camping for Father’s Day with some friends. We did some hiking and some biking and took lots of pictures. I’m still winding down from the trip and unpacking and doing laundry so I’ll just share some photos quickly 🙂
The “time tunnel” to Austria
Inside the Partnachklamm Gorge
A cycle truck in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
The view at dinner one night
The “wagon” with our Taj Mahal tent
The stand-in for the stolen Trek is Justin’s Kona Ute. He can’t play around as much on it but I still think it’s gorgeous.
Unfortunately we did not get a group picture. We wanted one with everyone and their bikes. I guess we’ll just have to go again!
This is where our bikes live. Sometimes the Kona Ute and Topper’s Specialized Rock Hopper and Cady’s Puky Laufräder go inside and down to the community storage room but mine is outside unless there is assistance from Justin. I use my bike like a car and it’s easier for me to keep it outside.
We live in Army housing and have no garage. My bike’s journey inside would look like this:
In this (usually) locked door
Down these steps, stone-like and slippery when wet
Through this door, which sometimes sticks and I can’t get it open
I lugged my bike down the stairs and parked it here once but as my neighbor’s teenage children like to leave ice cream cups, chip bags and soda cans laying around we have ants in our stairwell and I found my bike covered in them once. So no more parking here.
Okay back to the sticky door to your right. Go through that and down this hallway
And through this locked door into the community storage room where my bike would still not be 100% safe
So then to ride my bike I would do all this in reverse and back up the stairs to the front door (Aspen is scoffing at the trash left in the stairwell)
That’s a few doors, a few obstacles, sometimes some trash and too much headache. So there she sits outside with the cars. I tell her it’s ok since she’s like a car and that someday she will have a garage to park in like a car. Until then she will be a little dirty and wet but it’s worth it since we spend so much time together 🙂
September 11, 2013
armygreenmama
armygreenmama 