Munich

Last weekend we went on our first solo Ryan family vacation in Europe and it was really good. The weather was great, the kids did well - no major meltdowns, and we didn't get lost once (thank goodness for GPS), so I would call it a success!

We got into Munich on Saturday afternoon. We hit some major traffic on the autobahn - I didn't think that was supposed to happen! The kids did well in the car, although I could tell that it has been a while since they were in their carseats. We normally bike everywhere, so they only ride in the car a few times a month. So, a 5 hour car ride was a bit of a stretch, especially for Beckett!

Our apartment that we stayed at was about 20 minutes from the center of the city, however the subway line was right across the street. Surprisingly, I am getting very good at navigating public transportation in Europe! When you come up from the subway , you are right in the center of the city.

City center

It was much warmer than we thought it was going to be, so Ava cooled off in the fountain.

Hofbrauhaus for dinner.

You have to go with the liter of beer!

 I couldn't lift it with just 1 hand it was so heavy!

Beckett loved the music! He kept trying to run over to listen. 

Yum, Gelato! 

We went to the zoo on Sunday. Ava was so excited! She kept saying "Guys, let's go see the next animal!". She even went through the map after we were done to make sure we saw everything.

I don't know why it is so difficult to get 2 children to look at the camera at the same time!

 This may have been the scariest slide I have ever gone down. Ava had no problem with it.

This was Ava's favorite part of the zoo. She hasn't stopped talking about it yet. 

This makes me happy! 

I would much rather take Ava down the scary slide than be attacked by goats! 

 At dinner in the city. Somehow Princess Celestia made it into quite a few pictures this trip.



The view from our table. 

Love spatzle! 

Ava loved the musicians. She refused to put money in their basket, but jumped at the chance to take a picture with Daddy's phone.

On Monday we rented bikes and rode through the English Garden. It was a little crazy riding out of the center of the city, but once we got it, it was awesome!

She is always happy when she can have a chocolate croissant for breakfast!

Watching the glockenspiels.

I think he is trying to pose like his sister.

Love her!

Him too!

Chinese Tower

Beckett was sweating, so we decided to cool him down a bit.

 Most of the time they love eachother.

Chilling out before dinner.

Angry faces at dinner.

St. Peter's church - I wanted to go to the top, but it was closed for renovations.

On Tuesday, we went to OlympiaPark and the BMW museum before we headed home. Our goal was to tire them out so they slept the entire way home. Too bad they only slept an hour. 

We made Ava walk up the hill without help and she still only took an hour nap!

Me and Mini-me!

BMW showroom

Checking out the girls already!



Easter weekend

During the past 4 weeks, at least one person in our family has been sick every day, with Ken taking up most of the time. A couple of weeks ago he had strep and he never really fully recovered. Last Monday he went back to the Dr. and was diagnosed with a throat infection. So, he is back on antibiotics and finally feeling better. Beckett had a fever last weekend, recovered, but got sick again on Friday night and has been sick all weekend. Ava had her turn on Thursday, which meant she had to miss school and have movie day at home. Thankfully, with the kids, the ibuprofen works wonders (thanks Jana!) and for the most part, they still sleep well as long as we keep the meds going.

In France, we have bank holidays on Good Friday and the Monday after Easter. It is great to be able to have Ken and Ava home for 4 days in a row. The bad part is that everything is closed on those days, including the grocery stores. I was supposed to go grocery shopping during the day on Thursday, but Ava was home sick so I had to wait for Ken to get home from work. Ken got home a little after 7 and the grocery store closed at 8:30 - perfect, I can still make it! I got into the grocery store and it was packed! They were totally out of some things, they started turning off the lights at 8:00 (at least I thought they were open until 8:30) and I had to wait almost a half an hour to check out. The bummer was I forgot some things and had to go back on Saturday and wait another half an hour in line again!

Waiting in line on Thursday night.



On Friday, Ava was feeling better (Beckett didn't get a fever until after nap), so we went to the Jardin des Deux Rives. There is a footbridge over the Rhine River that you can walk over from Strasbourg to Kehl, Germany.

Ken went to the bakery for croissants for breakfast. Notice Becketts technique to eating his chocolate croissant - rip it open and only eat the chocolate.

Couples leave a lock of love on the bridge. Ken and I did not come prepared with our "love lock".

Beckett loves his scooter.

Showing off a little.

 On the Germany side.

Ken and Ava climbed the tower in Germany. Ken is actually afraid of heights and hated this:)

 The view from the top.

 Beckett loved this for the first couple of seconds and then freaked out.

The most ridiculous slide - there is no ladder to get up. Ken got to the top via the ropes course while the kids climbed up the slide.

Heading back into France.

Beckett was sick today, so just Ava and I went to the Swaymans for an Easter egg hunt and brunch. She had tons of fun playing with her friends, finding eggs and eating tons of chocolate!

Happy Easter!

Ibuprofen had kicked in by now. An hour before he was running a fever of 102.

Kids table. No mimosas were consumed by any child, even though it looks like it.

So happy.

Holidays aren't commercialized here nearly as much as in the states. They don't sell any plastic eggs and it is very difficult to find baskets, which is why Ava is using a bucket! 

Checking out what they got.

 

Ava's "Holiday"

Ava just had a 2 week "holiday" from school. Normally, as a teacher, I would forward to these breaks and love every single day. Now, as a stay at home Mom, I am really looking forward to tomorrow morning when she goes back to school! I hate to sound like "that" Mom, but after 2 weeks, it is time! The first week was great, the beginning of the 2nd wasn't so bad, and by Thursday and Friday I was counting down until Monday.

During the past 2 weeks, we have actually been quite busy. Thankfully it has been nice, so we have been able to be outside, meet friends at the park and go downtown to walk around. Ken was sick for about 5 days last week - fever, cough and chills. He is feeling better, but still has the cough. I am looking forward to the day all 4 of us are healthy! It seems someone always has a cough or runny nose lately.

On Wednesday of last week, I took the kids to "Carnival" in Basel, Switzerland. There was a group of us that took the train from Strasbourg. The day went better than any of us expected. The kids were great, the weather was perfect, and we went with a family that used to live in Basel, so they knew where they were going and the rest of us just followed and enjoyed the day. I had many "I can't believe that I live here and this is my life" moments that day.

 Ava's first train ride (I think...).  She was so excited that Evrard was coming with us.

She talks ALOT about Evrard!

 My handsome boy.

 He is going to be crazy!

 Basel, Switzerland

 I had to hold Ava for the first 20 minutes of the parade because she was so scared.

 Some of them were pretty scary.

 The kids loved throwing the confetti!

 Getting a little more brave.

 Beckett with his first love, Millie. Too bad she doesn't love him as much as he loves her.

 So tired.



Thankfully, no children fell in!

Playing in the fountain at a restaurant in Basel.

This week we also visited Le Vaisseau which is the childrens museum here in Strasbourg. Both kids really loved it. 

Beckett loved the water.

"The Magic Carpet Ride"

The kids get to look at a TV and it looks like they are flying. Becketts face cracks me up!

On Saturday night, Ken and I took the kids to a section of downtown Strasbourg called "Petite France". Ava loves walking downtown and watching the river.  

 She insisted on doing some kind of ballet pose for the picture.