Fall weather

Fall has arrived in Berlin! The weather is much colder now: Clara uses mittens to ride her bike in the morning, and kids are in winter jackets and hats. We still go to the playground whenever it isn't raining. I think Oscar loves being outside anyway. He likes the wind (so cute how he stretches his hands up in the air and smiles), and he rolls in the sand nevermind that it is cold and wet... we have mudpants for him now that keep him a little warm, and I try to keep a hat on him to keep most of the sand out of his hair - but mostly he just has a bath every night!

Look, even my face and hands are sandy!

The trees are changing color! As long as it's not raining, fall can be nice in Berlin. Recently we went for a big walk in a nearby park. Clara rode her bike up and down the hill (Chris had to run after her to help her stop - she was so excited about going fast).

Even Oscar walked for a bit, since he doesn't like being stuck in the stroller very much. He walks (and even runs!) so well now. Just... not in the right direction. Walking with a toddler is funny, because every leaf (or cigarette butt) has to be investigated. And usually Oscar is much more interested in walking towards the street, because shiny big cars are parked there!



I even let Oscar climb the stairs (two very high floors) to our apartment a few times. Every time we go up he's almost jumping out of my arms in this "I can do it myself!"-way. So I send Clara up ahead to call to him as an incentive (otherwise he just keeps playing on the stairs and going up and down... and we'd never get in the house!) It works quite well - and the bath in the evening is planned, anyway ;)

Clara and Oscar playing on the playground recently:



Let's see what Oscar can do next week! Unfortunately he's sick right now with a really high fever... for two days all he's been doing is snuggling us. He didn't have any energy to walk or play, and today he hasn't even eaten much food. A little sickie is so sad (although I do like the snuggles - feels like having a baby again instead of a big boy!). But usually after a few days of being sick, the kids impress us with new abilities after they get better! Let's see what his brain has been working on while he has been incapacitated!

Oscar has been talking much more, too, and being more able to communicate. In the last couple of days he started answering "Ja!" and vigorously nodding his head in affirmation. He does this to answer direct questions ("Do you want some banana") but also generally to show his excitement ("And then we'll go pick up Clara." - "JA!")