We got Santa Pictures!!

2012 is a year for the memory books for the Willis family!  Little R has ALWAYS been terrified of Santa!  He has had an enormous fear of being anywhere near Santa...even being in the same mall was too close for our little guy!

R and I are pretty much experts on Santa fear.  A was also terrified of the jolly man.  I have one picture of A with Santa, when she was almost a year old.  She is SCREAMING!!  We didn't try Santa again until A was 6 years old!

But this year was a bit different.  Little R began showing some interest in Santa.  Then we saw him outside the PX when we were in the van.  Little R didn't cry.  Then we saw Santa across the food court while we were eating dinner.  Little R kept his eye on him, but he didn't cry.  So I made the decision that this was going to be our year for our first Little R Santa pictures.

I had this great little outfit I had bought on clearance at Target before we left the States.  A had a pretty hand-me-down Christmas outfit from T.  So we dressed them both up, and told them we were going to see Santa!!

As I put Little R's outfit on him, I was almost in tears!  He looked so handsome!!  I took him to the full length mirror in my room to show him how handsome he looked.  He was so proud!!  He kept looking at himself and getting this little grin on his face...it was too cute!  He said numerous times throughout the night "I look snazzy"!! 

A & Little R at home, before we left.

He had to show off his reindeer ornament he made at school.  It's his footprint!  I LOVE IT...and so does he!

So off we went to the PX.  Little R and A both went up to Santa...Little R sat on his lap...and.didn't.cry!  He didn't talk to Santa...not one word...but he didn't cry!  This Mama was proud of her big boy!!

My very handsome little man...with Santa!!

And A was so sweet to go along with him.  I am pretty sure he wouldn't have done it by himself.

And she wasn't afraid to talk to him!

When we got back to the car, Little R was still pretty hyped up by the experience, and looking so "snazzy".  From the backseat he says "Is this what I'm gonna wear when I marry Piper?"  Oh, my heart melted!!  Piper is the daughter of some of our very best friends back in Oklahoma.  And while we talk about this family A LOT, we don't specifically talk about him marrying Piper.  It was just very sweet that he still remembers her, and the fact that he thinks he is going to marry her just shows that he felt the love in this amazing family!  So my answer was, "Yes, Buddy, I think that would be a GREAT outfit to wear when you marry Piper."

A's Christmas Party & Performance

A has still been going strong in Team Dance and Tumbling.  We are still missing the activities we had in Edmond...the skill level was much higher, and I think A would be far more advanced in both if we had been able to stay there.  But this is keeping her active while we are here, and hopefully she will be able to get back into her cheer & tumbling when we return to Edmond.  She has definitely shown improvement in her tumbling, and her instructor is advising her to move up from the beginner class...so that's our next step!  If nothing else, she is having fun with her friends in dance, and she has built up some serious muscle during the course of her tumbling classes!  The girl has gained around 15 pounds...and it's definitely not fat!!  The girl loves to cheer and dance...she lights up when she is performing...and I love seeing her enjoy something so much!

Part of the dance crew before the performance.  You see how these girls love the camera??

This is A's friend Ava, in the white leggings, standing right next to A.  They are in the same class at school, and everyone (even the teachers) get them confused!  It irritates A very much that she is called Ava almost as much as she is called by her own name!  Of course it doesn't help that they not only LOOK alike, they ACT alike, too!  They have very similar personalities and mannerisms.  I had to get a picture of this...as they were waiting for instruction, they were standing almost exactly the same!!  Silly girls!

This is the best pic we got of the performance...poor lighting, movement, and some guy's big head kept us from having any really good pics!

 

http://vimeo.com/56396594


This is a video of A's performance.  We had a bad angle, so we lost some of it behind the curtain.  This was A's first time doing ANY tumbling for an audience, so she was nervous!  But she did it!  We were quite proud of her!

Little R's First School Program!

Earlier this year, we had a huge (to us) decision on our hands:  whether to leave Little R in German kindergarten, or place him in the American Pre-K program on post.  We decided to go with the American Pre-K program, and it has been great!  It takes a little more work on my part...he goes 5 days a week, 3 hours a day...and it's a 15-20 minute drive from our house.  So my mornings are pretty much taken up with getting him to school, and then what seems like minutes later, picking him up from school!  But I don't regret the decision at all!

He is definitely thriving in the environment!  He has great friends, and is learning to stop, be still, and listen to a lesson.  And for our super-active little guy that's a big accomplishment!!  He received rave reviews from his teacher at parent/teacher conference a few weeks ago!  I think he will definitely be prepared for kindergarten next year, without a doubt!

For Christmas, the school had a small program for the parents.  The kids made penguin costumes and performed a song for us, and then we had "made especially for us, by the kids" gingerbread cookies.  It was very sweet, and I love seeing my little guy interact with kids his age!

The Penguin Parade

He was a little concerned about how many parents were watching!

My Perfectly Proud Penguin

These are little R's two very best buddies...Sterling & Luis!  I would say that Sterling is his first "best" friend!  He doesn't do or say much that doesn't involve Sterling!

Little R enjoying his gingerbread cookie!
 

Willis Family Snow Day

We designated today as a snow day for our kids, even though schools were in session with no delays! 
We have 4 posts here in Stuttgart, and when they are "grading" the road conditions, they consider the roads between the 4 posts.  The only problem is that a large number of people live in small towns a pretty good distance from the 4 posts...and the roads there are usually not comparable to the main roads between the posts.  So this morning, they graded the roads amber, and had a normal school day with no delays.  I drove home from one of the posts at 10:30 yesterday morning, and it was ROUGH.  It snowed continuously the rest of the day yesterday, and throughout the night, and never rose above freezing.  And yet they were saying for us to put our kids on the school bus at 7:00 and get them to school on time!  Our answer was a definite NO!!  The main roads had not even been plowed at that time!  I truly believe school is very important, but I don't think it is worth risking the lives of my kiddos!!  I don't believe that the people making these decisions have the best interests of our kids in mind!  Just one more thing to dislike...

But my rant is over!!  The kids enjoyed some fun snow time!!  They built a (small) snowman, and had a blast running around the field, making snow angels, and tackling each other in the deep snow!  And they are now safe and warm in the house, with a fire going in the fireplace.  And I am much happier knowing they are here, and not about to head home on scary roads in a bus!

R was working hard at digging a "home" for Frosty!

A's a poser!!

"It won't stick together"

T was working hard!

Little R named him "Frosty"...how original!

Frosty is sporting his UCO hat!

All 3 kids with the finished product!!  The size does not represent the effort!!  The snow is very dry and powdery...it didn't make very good snowmen or snowballs!

Christmas Market Fun!

Christmas Markets are HUGE here in Germany!!  Every town has one, and some of them in the bigger towns are quite the affair!  We went to our first Christmas market last year, and it was one of the big (and very crowded) ones.  We decided to start this year with the very small one here in our town of Holzgerlingen.  R is still not up to walking long distances, so we thought the small one would be a good start.

The Christmas market itself was very cute!  The weather was VERY cold!!  We got all bundled up, and away we went!  The camera battery died immediately after we got there, so the only shots we got were the posers before we got there.

We bought some ornaments for friends, A bought a Nutella crepe (YUM), T bought a bratwurst, and Little R bought a pony ride!  This was his first ever pony ride, and I am so disappointed I didn't have my camera!!  He was so proud of himself!!  And this wasn't just a ride in a circle...they went down the street and back again.  As he came back into sight, I waved at him, and he waved back, beaming!!

After that, he had a major meltdown.  Little R does NOT like the cold, and it was in the 20s yesterday.  And we were out in it for about 45 minutes to an hour...so that was more than enough for him!  And for some reason, he was devastated at having to walk through the brown, slushy snow on the streets and sidewalk...he said it was GROSS!!  This boy does NOT like his shoes to get dirty!! : )

We will definitely be going to another, larger Christmas market during this Christmas season.  But this was a nice introduction to the German Christmas season!  And maybe we will get lucky, and the temps will climb back up into the 30s for our next Christmas Market adventure! : )

All bundled up!  He even wore my scarf!

This was before they were frozen!!  Little R was still happy because he hadn't encountered the "slush" yet!

T LOVES hugs from Daddy!!  Especially in public!

Ready for some shopping!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!!!

It's beginning to look Christmasy around here!  Once again, another "new" house this Christmas.  Trying to decide where to put the tree and decorations is always a challenge in a new place.

I love Christmas time!!  I love decorating the tree!!  It is a walk down memory lane for us...we have to discuss each ornament as it is taken out of the wrap...most of them are handmade by the kids, or gifts from friends along the way.  Each one has a story...and we love to relive those stories each year as we decorate the tree.  Now I will admit, I have seen much prettier trees than ours.  The themed trees that people post are absolutely beautiful!!  But I wouldn't trade my "memory" tree for any of them!! 

Little R was very involved in hanging ornaments this year.

Lots of helpers!

This is Little R's tree in his room.  He decorated it all by himself...can you tell??



The Hulk made an appearance at our tree decorating!!  He is usually the official "angel placer", but our angel won't fit on top of our tree this year...our ceilings are too low!  So "Oatmeal", has found a perch on a shelf for this Christmas season, and our "angel placer" decided to entertain himself in other ways!

Rudolph noses!!

The stockings are hung!

We actually got to decorate our mantle this year!

Our tree!  Yes, it leans just a bit...that just adds to the character!  I think we are actually going to try a real tree next year, and see if A tolerates it okay.  I grew up with a real tree, and I have great memories of hunting for that perfect tree each year!  I would love to pass that on to our kids.

Look who showed up at our house!!

Little R was supposed to be Captain America for Halloween.  I bought the costume months ago, and we've been talking about it since.  Then R's foot surgery was scheduled for Halloween, and that cancelled all plans for us.  I put Little R's costume in his closet, and pretty much forgot about it.  Yesterday, while cleaning out the closet, I came across the costume.  I gave it to Little R, and he had Daddy put it on him immediately.  He LOVED it!!  He wore it the rest of the day...took it off for dinner...and then put it back on again!!

Needless to say, there was LOTS of superhero action at our house yesterday!!  Lots of muscle-flexing, sound-effect making action!!  No bad guys near our house, not a chance!

Thankful

We had a very low-key Thanksgiving this year...just the 5 of us.  We prepared a HUGE meal, and we are still working on the leftovers!

We are still struggling here in Germany, but even with all the struggles, we have MUCH to be thankful for!  We are together, we are healthy, and everyday we receive blessings that we truly don't deserve.  But we sure can't wait for a Thanksgiving day with family and friends!!

Turkeys made by OUR little turkeys!

Little R's turkey.

A's turkey.

T's Turkey.

Little R made the turkey centerpiece at school.

So.much.food!!!  We took a large plate over to our German neighbors, and we still have so many leftovers we'll never be able to conquer them all!!

Anji's new bed??

After R's surgery on his foot, I knew he would have to sleep on his back with his foot propped up for a while.  I also knew that this would mean some very loud snoring coming from his side of the bed, and I couldn't rudely wake him up and ask him to roll over.  I didn't want to sleep in one of the extra bedrooms, because they are too far away, and I wouldn't be able to hear him if he needed me during the night.  So...my solution was to bring a mattress from the guest room and put it in the floor of the dining room (which is very near our bedroom).  Problem solved:  I was close enough to hear him if he needed me, but not so close that the snoring was unbearable! : )

I lugged the mattress upstairs from the basement, and as soon as I plopped it down on the floor and put the sheets and blanket on it, Anji jumped right up and snuggled in.  I truly believe she thought I brought it up just for her, and she appreciated it!  Of course, she was a bit upset when I made it clear to her that she would be sharing that space...with me!

Our First Snow!

We had our first snow early this year...in October!  Hoping it's not a sign of a long, snowy winter!

It was a wet, heavy snow and did a lot of damage to the trees in our area,  but it was perfect for making snowballs!  And it lasted just long enough for the kids to play in it a few times!  A and Little R spent a lot of time out there.  Little R saw his first snow last year, and he played in it, but for a very short time.  This year he is a huge fan!! 

A & Little R bundled up and ready to play!  R's snowsuit from last year is WAY too small, and A needs snow pants AND snow boots...but they made the best of it!  And Mommy has some shopping to do! : )

A snow covered trampoline is even more fun!!

This was the field BEFORE A & Little R destroyed the beauty of it! : )
 

Run 4 Life

Last Friday was the Run 4 Life here at Stuttgart.  A's dance team was performing, so I went ahead and signed us up to walk in it, too.  At the time, we thought MiMi & PaPa would still be here, so I planned for them to stay at home with Little R, and R, the girls, and I could participate in the Run 4 Life.

But since MiMi & PaPa left a week early, we had to do the event WITH Little R.  After a rough start with some major whining, Little R came around and we all ended up having a really good time!

A takes a Team Dance class, and this was their first ever performance.  They needed a little (or a lot) more work as a team, but this gave them a chance to get up in front of people, and now they know what they need to work on!  A hasn't performed in front of people since we left Cheer 4 Christ in Oklahoma...and she has missed it!  But I definitely think she has lost some of that confidence that she used to have...hoping she can get that back!

After her performance, the kids played out in the fields.  Little R was definitely feeling the music, and had quite the little dance party...showing some moves we had never seen before!  The girls had friends there too, and had their own little dance party...even T was dancing!! : )

Then we headed out to walk our laps, but Little R had other things in mind...he took off sprinting!  And that little dude is FAST!  I think he ended up running 3 laps...with some short walk breaks here and there...so that's a mile...pretty impressive for a 5-year old...AND after his bedtime! : )

All in all it was a good night.  We got to support A and her performance, we got to honor Grandma & Grandpa Coffey, and we got to spend a few hours together as a family doing it.  Not bad for a Friday night!!

Little R with the luminary that T decorated

A and her Dance Team, about to perform

Little R getting his groove on...he was using his hat as part of his dance moves...passing it behind his back, throwing it in the air.  He had strangers stopping to watch!



Exhausted!!

The girls getting their groove on!!  That's A in the dark pink, and T is in the back with the red? hat on

Ireland, Day 8 & 9

The next morning we got packed up and checked out of the house.  The house was amazing, and we loved it, but the best part was the people we rented it from!  They were SO very nice, and we had some great conversations with them at check-in and check-out.  Just really great people!  If you EVER go to Ireland...EVER, I highly recommend this house, from these people!  It simply could not have been any better!

After we left the house, we drove back to Bunratty for some souvenir shopping.  They had an amazing shop!! We all got tons of stuff there!  The kids all got Irish sweaters...too cute!

After shopping a bit, we started the drive to Dublin.  Almost as soon as we got on the highway, traffic stopped completely.  There was a vehicle on fire up ahead, and we were stuck for about an hour.  So our 3 hour trip turned into over 4 hours!  But we finally made it to the hotel, and R returned Big Bertha (our rental van) to the airport.  We had pizza delivered to the hotel, and then all crashed pretty early.  I was actually in bed before 10:00...that NEVER happens!!  I think I was just relieved that all my planning and tour guide duties were over! : )  We had to get up early the next morning and head to the airport.  Two relatively smooth flights, and we were back "home" in Stuttgart.  It was a great trip, but it sure was nice to be home! 

I am so very thankful that we got to do this trip with my parents.  It was such a blessing to have them visit, and although the trip had its stressful moments, it was wonderful nonetheless!!  Thanks Mom & Dad for coming to see us in Germany, and thanks for the fun times in Paris and Ireland!!  We definitely made memories that none of us will ever forget!!

Last pics before we left the house.  Beautiful sunshine to start the day!

Some of the last pretty views before we got into Dublin.

Notice the big highway??  So much easier for R to drive on the big roads.

A rainbow on the way to Dublin.  We saw several rainbows during the week.

Pizza delivered to the hotel.

Little R ate 3 pieces!!!

Nothing better than pizza after a hard day of traveling!

The men finished off their evening with a Guinness.

I finished off my evening with some quiet time with my little man.

Early the next morning as we were getting ready to wake up the kids...Little R rolled over, put his arm around T, and smiled...still pretty much asleep.  VERY sweet!

At the airport.  R likes to get there early...so we always have a long wait at the gate.

Fun times!

We pointed out this sign to Little R.  He thought it was great that it had his name on it!

And then we spotted the airplane with his name!!  Very exciting!  But then he wanted to know why we weren't flying on an airplane that had his name on it...

Little R loves flying!  No fear at all for this guy.  The flight attendant gave Teddy a seat belt that attached to Little R's...to keep him safe.  Little R thought that was very cool!