Hiking with a 40 year old Guide Book

So the kids had some time off,  (more about that in the next post) and we decided to go do some hiking.

First, we have to decide where to go. Maps and such. 

STEP 1: Hike is behind a hospital, we go there, but the hospital looks newer than our guide-book, so we just bushwhack up the hill.

Happy at the top. From there we see what we think is the trail ..... that's right ..... back at the bottom of the hill. That's ok.

Nice little pathway.

/

Then followed a logging road

Found some Hirsch on a Hill

and went home. :)

Theodore's Birthday Poem

I've been writing a little poem to him on his birthday most years of his life. Here's this one.

Theodore's six
and knows the tricks
to make us smile
can bike a mile
and loves to run for fun

Theodore's six
and knows the tricks
to swing on boards
and play some chords
and write about his kite.

Theodore's six
and knows the tricks
to invent new things
and tie with strings
he's full of creative ideas.

Happy Birthday, little Theodore!

Birthdays

So we celebrated some February birthdays!

Theodore turned 6, and Cecilia, a leap-year child, turned 7 only three days later.  For a present, Aunt Centa gave her nephew "Now We Are Six" by A.A.Milne. Mary and Martin and Agnes came to visit too!

 We did so much baking for Theodore's birthday.
* Ingrid baked him a cake in the shape of a train, that had a real chimney. It was so big it the photos needed to be stitched into a panorama.

* Theodore baked "apple roses" (rolled up apple and pie dough that gets baked in a muffin tin that looks like flowers, pretty!) for his kindergarten class.
* Theodore also made an Altwiener Patzengugelhupf from a recipe he found in a cookbook, for his own birthday cake.
* Not really baking, but Theodore also made some Spätzle for his dinner.

There was also sheets painting (with fabric paint), and cars playing. Ingrid made her house into a terrific party area just for Theodore, and he loved it. So did his brothers and cousin!

apple roses baking

the littlest ones helping with morning coffee time.

spaetzle making.

Now We Are Six

Theodore's "NEW" (30 year old) instamatic.

Theodore's Gugelhupf.

Henry with cars

Happy Agnes.

Then we went home and played with the Amazon box from Dudidadi and Tante Puk for hours.

 We did so much baking for Cecilia's birthday, too.
She wanted a "typical kid's birthday party" so we went a little crazy on the sweets. Fine by me!

 It's obviously not the season for my birthday, but it felt like my birthday a little bit, because I got a great present - Amanda came to visit me for a few days! She wrote a post that also includes Centa's birthday.

Here's Amanda's version

And she got there just in time to fix my cake. so it looked awesome.

and more importantly, tasted awesome:

Happy birthday Centa!