Sunday Expeditions

Last Sunday, we have been for a long walk through the Babelsberg Park. It turned out the be one of the most interesting and exciting expeditions for Anna! Rocks, wooden sticks, trees, flowers, leaves, snails, aunts, bumble-bees, sand and mud were all there awaiting Anna's diligent inspections:

Collecting little rocks (later geologically identified by her parents as either limestone, sandstone or granitic rocks)

Empress Augusta's bench was rededicated as climbing scaffold...

... and as laboratory bench for the study of aunts:

mud, Mud, MUD!!!!!

Teufelskrallen (Phyteuma) are usually not domestic in these lowlands, but there is a unique occurrence here in the park!


Studying the interaction of gravity, acceleration and wet sand on the shore of the Havel river:

On our way back home, our expedition leader declared one of our expedition members as her personal carrier:

Pentecost Vacations

In order to escape our every-day routine for a short while, we rented a vacation house in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommerschen Seenplatte over Pentecost. We invited Anna's two best friends Arne and Darius (and their parents, of course) to join us, thus we were a happy party of nine. Kamil and I spent already some holidays in this house in 2006, but our high expectations due to our good memories of this place were even outclassed! The kids were having fun, in the huge garden as in the house, we had great food (even some BBQ!), and lots of funny games and chatting in the evenings for the parents.
It was a lovely week-end, even though the weather was a bit unsettled (actually, we are still waiting for some warm days...crazy May!) and even though our Anna suffered from high fever for two days. We were well looked after and spoiled by our helpful friends!

Here are the kids and Mason in the sandbox: Darius, Anna and Arne

Anna and Arne on the sun lounger:

The kids and Petra playing with Lego (Petra tried to construct a Lego house - many times in vain!):

Arne and Anna on the patio:

Kamil brought our slackline, which we tried for the first time - argh! that's really difficult!!!!
Oh well, Kamil is doing so much better than I!

Darius and Arne as kitchen helpers:

Reading books to the kids:

And the most favourite place in the house - the appeasing rocking chair!

Kitchen Helpers

Today I was lucky to have Anna and Kamil helping me in the kitchen - serious business for the two!