Patrick Day Was Great

Yesterday was (Saint) Patrick's Day and our little man enjoyed himself greatly. It was a wonderful, warm, sunny day here. In honor of both his day and the weather, we sat little man in his stroller and then took the street car into Heidelberg together. There we split up for a little while so that I could do a bit of shopping. When I caught up with my boys they were at a local Irish pub: one was enjoying a Guinness; the other all the attention.

Yes, the Mr. bought enough Guinness to be rewarded with that hat.

It might have helped that PJ was not only his normal adorable-self but had added another level of cuteness with his outfit.

Oh, and kiss him they did.

One of the waitresses had a green make-up stick and was thrilled when we allowed her to decorate little man's cheek. 

After enough love was shared and kisses received, we moved on to the Neckarweise, a beautiful park that runs along the Neckar river through the heart of Heidelberg. We were not the only people to have this idea. There were families, groups of friends, pick up games, and picnics all over the grass. We finally found a stop for ourselves and there our little man enjoyed his first patch of grass. 

He tried to eat it. It didn't taste that great. Not that that stopped him from trying again.

Sadly the time to return home came too soon. There the Guinness caught up with the Mr.

All in all, a pretty great first Patrick Day.



xo

The Sun is Out!

One thing I love about warm, sunny weather in Germany, are the hours spent on our balcony. Last year we finally bought a teak table we can leave outside as well as a sun-umbrella. Both have added immensely to our balcony enjoyment, the second coming in very handy to protect my lovely pale skin that loves to burn.

As spring turns to summer and then into fall, we are known to eat every meal outside (when it isn’t raining) and then fill weekend hours on our balcony reading, chatting, and the like. Today is a typical day, starting with a relaxed breakfast in the morning shade, followed by quiet hours as the sun crosses the sky, banishing away the shade.

 

By noon I usually slip into my bikini and pretend this is the year I’m going to tan and not just burn and then return to white. By two, latest three, I have to abandon the balcony and my sun-umbrella for real cover, no matter how much sunscreen I put on or how many passing clouds. This is especially true now, when I have so much more skin to care for: 

xo