dc (re)discoveries

Noah turning 1 reminded us that we've already been a year back in DC!

Time to capture a few things we love about living here:

• Our home! Especially the big garden for the three critters to run around, and discover bunnies, squirrels, butterflies and other bugs ;-)

• Our neighborhood - so green and leafy (fall colors are stunning here!), with many young families, doggies, nearby woods & trails for Penny and the kids to explore... yet only a 15 minute drive into town

• Reconnecting with a lot of old friends (with new babies now too ;-)

• Seasons! It's nice to see the change in nature (ok, minus 90 degree summer heat and humidity... and a few too many snowstorms ;-)

• The small town feel combined with international big world exposure to all the embassies, expats and languages

• All the fun things to do, especially with kids (farms, woods and trails, the beach and bay are all just a drive away while the city has so much theater, music, festivals, free Smithsonian museums... to offer)

• East Coast sports

• Both families closer by!

happy birthday, boy!

... Charlotte exclaimed this morning, when we were all in utter disbelief that our baby Noah turned 1! (and isn't a baby anymore, at all...)

After some family cuddling in Mama & Daddy's bed, including a first  
 ♬ happy birthday, big sister (aka master of ceremonies) announced that "little man and big man were to sleep a bit more" while "the ladies would go downstairs and bake" (Charlotte, you crack us up!)

... luckily, Mama was already prepared ;-)

So Charlotte made sure little brother had a decorated birthday table,...

... could enjoy some cinnamon muffins,...

... got help in blowing the candles out...

... and had a picnic set up too, just in case!

-- Because she "loves him so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much!"

Oh she does. And so do we!

Happy birthday, sweet sweet Noey.

so charlotte

Oh Charlotte. You are funny, and sweet! Here's a collection of our favorite "Charlotte says" moments of the past year:

Guys, let's have quiet dinner -- no conversations, okay?! (She actually managed to not break her own rule for a few minutes)

Daddy, it's possible that I love you.

I want to drive a car. I'm 3, I'm a big girl now!

I like to drink BEER! (Good German genes! ;-)

You get what you get and you don't get upset. (Thanks, daycare!!!)

Party in the house! 

Daddy, don't give me a salami kiss!!

Noah Gnocchi (We still need to fill you in on Charlotte's love of giving nicknames, especially in form of alliterations ;-)

(Daddy: Do you want to try a hot dog?) No, I want a warm dog. I like cold ones too.

Nice to meet you, my name is Charlotte. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Charlotte. 

I love you guys AAAALL NIGHT!

I live on Rodaman Street

I am FOUR! (Her favorite number, and because she knows bigger girls can do more ;-)

When I'm a baby [again] I can... do [this, this and this]...! (Knowing babies (are allowed to) do things she is, supposedly, too old to do ;-) 

I want to sleep in a cradle too, Mama, like baby Noah. (Sorry Charlotte, you are too big for a cradle.) Can you buy me a big cradle then?

Daddy, can you teach me how to climb a tree?! (We love having a tomboy!) 

Yeah, Ghana! (Her favorite team during the world cup, when realizing Mama and Daddy cheered for Germany and the US - oh toddlers! ;-)

Also, while Charlotte a) started talking pretty early, b) has quite a vocabulary, and c) spoke fairly intelligible from the start, she has some funny special words -- that actually express pretty well how she feels about them:

sunscream (and scream she does...)

swimming cool (water play is certainly one of her favorite!)

I didn't feel so good and flew up...

Let's take the alligator! (aka elevator)

climbing up the ladder

As you know, Noah is really going places these days: One of his latest mobile discoveries in the past few weeks has been CLIMBING.

Combined with mimicking big sister, that makes our little man climb the bathroom stepping stools all by himself now: to watch his pretty little giggly(!) face in the mirror, to brush his teeth (all alone, Mama!), and to point to all the other lotions and potions he'd like to have (...in his mouth).

Oh, and yes, Noah is already a Beatles fan!

date night!

Well, not for us.

But Charlotte enjoyed a night on the town with (one ;-) of her boyfriends at the ballpark:



While Daddy said he did not catch much of the Nats vs. Phillies game, Charlotte's recollection of the evening got a little blurry towards the end...