Post bathtime and pre bedtime, in the big swivel chair. One of the many moments every day i am glad we have two children…

Since Tobin slept all throughout our first strawberry picking excursion, we went back for a second take. He definitely got to make up for lost consumption and ate his body weight worth of strawberries (and raspberries). He literally trailed me with an open mouth for the entire time … until he took matters into his own hands and carried the basket. Mika wasn’t so much about the fruit, but collected flowers and ladybugs.

A new definition of smart cars, coined by Mika (for my fellow bilingual friends):

“Kleines Auto. Just vorne, no hinten.”

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I am trying to catch up with the past weeks worth of pictures, but the connection is a bit spotty here and i can’t get anything done during my usual (night) hours, so please be patient. The posts will be dated true to the events, so keep scrolling back down for ‘new old’ stuff as well.

We went strawberry (and raspberry) picking right before a massive thunderstorm hit. The timing was perfect as the fields were deserted and we managed to fill our buckets to the brim before the rain started. These berries have nothing in common with the hollow, stone-hearted variety that dominates our supermarkets – they’re deep red all the way through and have the most wonderful flavor. We made a huge batch of strawberry jam with all the berries we couldn’t eat in a day or two.

Flying alone (in coach) with two small children is not one of my favorite activities, but this trip had a special treat to offer: our flight was completely overbooked and Tobin, now close to the age limit of two years, ended up as a true ‘lap child’. 9 hours of travel time with a squirmy preschooler next to me and an even squirmier toddler on my knees. Hooray! In the end, both kids fell asleep for a few hours, but my left arm and my legs fell asleep anyway. It could’ve been much worse, i guess. The lady who shared our little row on the isle seat was a good sport. Upon arrival she handed me a little medal/pin and i had to squint to read the tiny letters: turns out she was one of the two federal air marshals on our flight!

After jumping up and down excitedly because “we’re going to fly to Omi and Opa tomorrow, and we’ll see them in person!!!!”, Mika noted that our summer vacation comes with strings attached: a temporary good-bye from daddy and her friends (which she is prepared for) and a 6-week good-bye from Luna (which she suddenly realized). Tobin will miss daddy and Luna as well, but he’s the only family member who will miss the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the BQE (note his re-enactment in the window frame).

From next week on, we’ll broadcast from Germany!

Today, Mika graduated from her Pre-K program at Choo Choo Train, along with dear friends such as Gaang, Hannah, Diego, and Olivia. Once again, the kids (and teachers) have outdone themselves, performing a spectacular, self-written play and singing a variety of songs (some of them class-productions as well). After the Diplomas were handed out, everybody lingered in the school’s garden for a big summer BBQ. Thankfully, the weather supported our kids by finally breaking the rainy spell that had a grip on June so far.

We’re glad we could meet up with Gaang one more time before the end of the school year – tomorrow is Graduation Day! The big kids played as well together as always. Luckily, they included ‘their baby’ Tobin all afternoon. He ate big kid snacks, served as a line cook in their restaurant, and played with Gaang’s vast collection of Hotwheels cars. Every now and then the little ‘family of three‘ checked in on baby Sahn, who is doing everything in his power to catch up and join the party.

Although he still has feelings for his first ‘favorite car’, the turquoise 1967 Bronco Beach Patrol, there’s a new object of Tobin’s desire in our hood: a brand new 2009 Dodge Challenger. In his favorite color! Vrooo-m-m-m!

Our plans for a Father’s Day trip to Governor’s Island got rained out, but nothing can spoil a day in good company. We had a fantastic, laid-back time with Santiago and Nico’s clan at our house instead. In the afternoon, it even cleared up long enough for a little playground run.