Todd Family Blog: Deutschland, Chapter 4. 3 1/2 Months!

Let the 'xplorin' (That would be "exploring") begin! Now that we are settled, we have been working hard to get to know Munich better, the area towns near Starnberg better, and also crossing some boarders (to be covered in another post). We were thrilled to have Nana and Pa visit for 2 weeks as well (also in the next post)!

Things we've noticed....

Still a few interesting cultural observations we've found here and there. During the month of May Brad didn't work one full week thanks to Bavarian and Germany vacations! You would think this would be great, but the poor guy was SO stressed. What people forget to tell you, especially if you work for an international company where your peers are still working "across the pond," is that you will only have 3 days instead of 5 to get the same amount of work done. And in Brad's job you can't do it all by yourself at home after hours to squeeze it in. So, I guess there is a happy medium with vacation days. A good learning experience.

During this month we enjoyed FC Bayern (the soccer team) winning the European Championship. Funny thing though, we couldn't watch the semi-finals and much of the beginning of the tournament on TV! We have cable, but still it wasn't on! It would be like the AFC or NFC Championships not being on network or basic cable at home. That was a big surprise (and frustration to Brad)!

LT at 3....The Changes Keep Comin'

Of course, no matter where we are living, Levi continues to grow into a little boy and we wait with bated breath to hear his sweet, hilarious, and sometimes challenging comments. One thing I have found most amazing is how Levi has been quoting phrases from when he was a baby. I used to always say, "Are you Mama's baby doll?" Now, when I snuggle him he'll sing out, "Mama's baby doll!" I can't believe he can remember that. He also has asked to be "Baby in a Sack" after bath time, which is what we used to say when we would wrap him up and swing him in his towel. Goodness! How are those things still in there? Again, thank God we keep our mouths clean!

Levi's clock obsession also began this month. Thanks to that monster memory he quickly memorized where the numbers go on the clock, that there are two different hands and where they need to be for the "o'clock's." Now he always wants to know what time things happen and loves doing a clock puzzle. It's actually pretty handy for explaining what will happen throughout the day.

I love, love, love how Levi prays at dinner. A sample recently after Nana and Pa's visit:

"Dear God,...for Mommy and Daddy, Thank you for food...and Nana and Pa, and Mommy and Daddy...for a safe trip...and Mommy and Daddy come kiss Levi when sleeping...In Jesus...Amen." The boy just loves praying in general. One morning he didn't want to go to school and I asked him if we should pray about it. He said yes and then, "Dear God, help Levi go to school and do his work. In Jesus name, Amen."

Levi's Big Ol' Noggin:

Informed me that please starts with P
and then helped me spell out the word "gate.";
Suddenly one day looks at me and says, "N is for Nature!";

Obsessed with "car buttons" (ex: the BMW circle symbol on the front of a car). Has to find them on EVERY car;

Likes to retell me stories he's overheard, and then expands on it: "Neenie climbed all the way up mountain in Vermont and saw a big bear. Run home. Vi run home too.
Run to Neenie and Papa's house. Vi jump in!";

Very into wanting to climb all the mountains he sees:
"Vi climb all the way up to those mountains, touch the sky!
Too hot. Clouds are cold.";

Everything is "Look at that [fill in the blank]!!!";

Really getting to know all his lowercase letters and is super solid on all his uppercase, as well as their phonics;

"Reads" a lot of books to me;

Has started to comfort Tigie, his stuffed Tiger, when Tigie falls.
He shusses him, takes him to bed, tells him everything is alright, and that he will feel better.
Then he "helps" Tigie fall again so that he can again be comforted;

Favorite game is hide and seek,
but he is currently the worst hide and seek player ever;

Very, um, observant: "Luke has no hands for clapping!";

14 is his favorite number and is often
repeated over and over while counting;

Cat in the Hat and Cat in the Hat Comes Back are probably
the preferred books of the month;

Levi Says....

MY favorite thing that he said constantly this month is when he lists all his grandparents and then says, "Love Vi SOOOOOOO much!";

Absolute favorite phrase and we have no idea where it came from: whenever we laugh he says, "You're killin' me!";

"Pop, Pop goes the weasel, the weasel...." (Thanks, Brad.);

"Watch out for doggy poo! Doggie poo make people sad.";

In the middle of crying that he didn't want to go to the new grocery store here, "I miss Kroger! Mommy and Vi go to Kroger!";

Brad: "How can we stay dry?" (Hoping he'll say "use the potty.") LT: "Put on a mouse diaper." (Mickey is on his diapers!);

As Brad was about to tell him something, "I"m sorry, I need to finish my dream first." (stared off in space....then,)
"Okay. I'm finished now."

Me: "What were you dreaming about?"
LT: "Cars and trucks on a car road.";

Walked into get him at school, he's all snuggled into his teacher and he says, "Vi reading a book with all Vi's friends!";

Me: "Want to help Mommy make cookies?"
LT: "Need baking powder, salt, eggs!";

(Then, after being a cookie theif, stealing cookies off the counter)
Me: "Does Mommy make the best cookies?" (Yes, I'm fishing....) LT: "Ever!" (Awwwwww.....);

"Vi talk to God. Anytime Vi want.";

"Those toys wait right there. I need to sleep.";

"Pa, that is ENOUGH elephant noises!";

Trying to convince Daddy to read his favorite book, Walter the Tooting [Really says "Farting," but for obviously reasons we read it as, "Tooting."] Dog, which is NOT Daddy's favorite book: "Read Tooting Dog...and no other books!";

Sometimes gets very serious before going to bed and will give us a very solemn, "I love you."

Out and About as a Family

This was obviously the funniest thing that had ever happened, at least for Levi. Not sure what the dogs thought.
It has happened so many times since, it is now no big deal.

Why shouldn't a dog have a lounger too?

Wagon ride to the park in the woods by our house.

Picnic by the river in Bad Tölz

And "Eis" afterwards on the main street (Levi "hiding").

Exploring the nearby town of Amersee

And looking very big doing it....

Walking around Schloss Nymphenberg and the beautiful public gardens. Next time, we'll take the bike!

There is a tiny dot at the end of that path - that's Levi.

And after the Schloss, the attached museum. As always during our weekday adventures, we had the Museum of Man and Nature all to ourselves. They had some very cool stuffed animal exhibits. When I asked him later what his favorite was he said,

"Lions. Eating a deer. What lions eat for dinner."

One of our new very favorite towns, Lamsberg am Lechs.

This woman was putting on quite the show, tap dancing on top of a little organ outside the church.

And one of our favorite walks in the nearby town of Bernried. There is a restaurant there we really enjoy and we had a great lunch with Gracie on the patio that day. Fantastic to finally have our station wagon and be able to cart a dog around!

Levi having a "chat" with Daddy

about the importance of listening while on his bike.

I've been trying to explore some on my own, picking a neighborhood and going into Munich now and then. This day I went to the Glyptothek Museum, a collection of Greek and Roman statues. Really lovely, and in a neat area of town too.

I stumbled upon a Chipotle knockoff for lunch called Pure Burrito! It's not quite the same, but definitely close enough!

General silliness

Levi began a trend (which continues months later) of needing his cars to watch a show or read a book with him. He carries them around in that green bin and unloads them for every event.

It's time for a bike! After seeing his good buddy, Abel, zooming around on his push bike Levi was obsessed. Thankfully, we had bought one back Stateside and brought it over. He was wobbly a bit in the beginning but it took almost no time at all before he was coasting with no feet, keeping his wheel straight, and going faster than I can keep up with!

As you can imagine, riding his bike through puddles in this very wet and chilly spring has been one of his biggest joys. He runs through them yelling at the top of his lungs, "Splish, Splash, Splosh!!"

One of Levi's Top 10 things in his life is biking to his favorite place - The Neighborhood Restaurant, as he calls it. It really is a very good Italian spot and just about the only place in easy walking distance. On the way there he cried out, "Levi make a choice to go fast!"

And he does. We have to run to keep up.