Six weeks of being away from their friends was a very long time – especially when it comes to Gaang, who both kids missed quite a bit. Today they reunited, including baby Sahn who continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

Mika is attending a ‘summer gardening session’ at her new school, PS 29. Yesterday the kids had to identify, describe, and draw all vital parts of: carrot-, tomato-, fennel-, cucumber-, squash-, lettuce- basil- and bean plants. Today they were supposed to observe bugs, but the relentless heat scared all but a few brave bees and one dragonfly away. The favorite part of the class is, of course, the harvest. They are allowed to pluck, pull, and cut a few samples here and there. Especially fun if somebody else is actually eating all the veggies one doesn’t care for. Fyi: Tobin did finish the cucumber pictured above. As a result, he fell into his naptime before noon (and before lunch).

Today we had a thank-goodness-they-are-still-waiting-for-baby brunch at Eugenie and John’s house. Since we were out of town for the actual baby shower, Mika and Tobin could already inspect a range of new toys and child care products for the little girl to come. They gave their two thumbs up – except regarding the cats, who repeatedly withdrew from inspection.

Euge and John, we can’t wait to meet the newest addition to the ‘half-asian team’…

This time, the kids have had problems adjusting to the local time zone. Our first night back home was a disaster, and this past night was still waaay too short. Surprising upside: we beat the crowds (and the heat) at the Union Square Farmers Market and got a first glimpse of the abundance of late summer/early fall produce. It’s good to be home.

All trips have to come to an end – even the longest one to date. Thank you Omi Hiltraud and Opa Addi for 6 weeks of summer fun and setting up ‘Camp MiNiToSu’. A special thank you for letting Ni & Su escape to Sweden for almost a week! We miss you already and hope to see you again as soon as possible…

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For the past 4 months Tobin has called himself ‘Bru’, after his best friend Bruno. It started with a long look into the mirror and when he saw a small, half asian boy, he called out ‘Bru!’. It was funny at first, but once he got into the habit he didn’t switch to his own name. At all. He is able to pronounce ‘To-bin’ clearly, but flat out refuses to apply the name when he talks about himself.

Today, there seemed a solution to his dilemma. He started to use ‘ich’ (the German ‘I’/’me’) instead. At first, he started to copy us enthusiastically (and fairly accent free):

Ich sinke Appelsap (Ich trinke Apfelsaft) = I am drinking apple juice

Ich sinke Wasser (Ich trinke Wasser) = I am drinking water

Ich ess ‘mate (Ich esse Tomate) = I am eating tomato

But later in the afternoon he spontaneously called out ‘Ich sehen!‘ (Me see!) when he wanted to have a look at some photos, and by the end of the day he had found the most important key to a successful life as little brother: ‘Ich auch!!!‘ (‘Me too!’), yelled at the top of his voice. He’s still using plenty of ‘Bru‘, but has turned a big corner…

We had another spectacular play date with the Durry clan, just as last summer. Omi Hiltraud and Omi Ulla presided over a total of 3 daughters, 1 son-in-law, and 6 grandchildren. Crazy to see how fast time flies: last year’s babies are walking and talking now, and the oldest children are already turning into lanky pre-teens.

Finally we reunited as a family. The kids were all over Sung, naturally. Tobin made sure he got the real thing … not just another iChat illusion.

We made a last-minute break to Berlin, before MiNiToSu will be reunited in Hamburg this Friday. My dear friend Julia and her family are fantastic hosts, just like last summer. Sung, you’re missed by all of us!!!

Dear Sung/Daddy – We miss you and hope you have a great Birthday back in NY. We made buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and ate them in your honor, and the weather finally improved from a week-long rainy spell. We’ll catch you later via iChat, but here are a couple of songs for you and Mika’s birthday card!

Lots of love from MiNiTo (+Hiltraud and Addi).

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My parents kept a good amount of my childhood toys in the attic for decades and release one box at a time on rainy days. A current favorite of Mika is the ‘Matador Ki Baukasten‘, which is still available in stores, unchanged, 40 years later. Tobin loves it as well, especially the big blue hammer. Good thing he doesn’t eat any small parts anymore…

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Just as Tobin is getting closer to ‘the terrible twos’ and become a master of whining and throwing tantrums himself, Mika still hasn’t outgrown those pesky habits. However, it doesn’t keep her from applying the countless lessons directed at herself … to her brother. Especially when it’s to her personal advantage. Watch for yourself.