Summer fun

The summer has been a lot of fun (and very busy), so we're way behind in posting.  Here are some photos from the last several weeks.

Clara during Euro 2012 fever:

(Although in the end she was cheering for Italy because that's where pizza comes from...)

During our vacation at Oma's house in Stralsund we went onto the Island of Rügen to a park that had miniatures of world monuments.  Clara was sick with a terrible ear ache, but she still had some fun, especially at the start of the day:

In addition to the miniatures, the park also had a bunch of midway type rides - but without operators, you just do everything yourself (and at your own risk).  It was very fun, and something you would never see in Canada or the US.  I think the only photo I took of a ride was this horse track:

There was also a playground.  Oscar loves playgrounds, especially climbing up on things.

At Oma's house Oscar enjoyed setting up his books in a little exhibition on the stairs.  There was only one disastrous tumble over everything...

Oscar one morning in Berlin:

Helping with cleaning:

First day of Vorschule (Kindergarten):

At the playground:

Finally warm weather!

The kids Kita has a huge number of babies coming in after the summer, so Oscar had to move from the Krippe to the Kindergarten.  He's doing really really well there, and the drop offs for him are going a lot easier than they were back when he was in the baby group.  I guess he really loves playing with the big kids!

Clara is having a lot of fun in the Vorschule, but she's been reluctant to go in the mornings.  One morning last week I accidentally figured out a recipe for getting a child to stop whining on the way to to daycare.


Ingredients:
1 Watermelon
2 Children's backpacks
1 Bike helmet
1 Flight of stairs


Instructions:
While carrying the watermelon, backpacks, and helmet, fall down the flight of stairs.  Drop and/or throw each item into the air as you fall.  Optional: land badly at the bottom of the stairs and sprain your wrist.




Oscar thought it was hilarious, but Clara realized almost immediately that I hadn't done it on purpose, and she was really sweet, concerned, and well mannered for the rest of our trip to the Kita.  Somehow that day was a bad day for stairs - after Kita/work we all went to the beach and both Clara and Oscar tripped and fell on stairs, but luckily both of them fell sideways rather than down the stone staircases.