Toothless performer

Despite having two parents who would rather spend their evenings at home quietly reading our Em loves to go out and loooooves to perform.  Tuesday night was the first grade musical performance, with songs from several different countries.  It was so much fun to watch her throw herself into her performance.  And, the snow which started on Tuesday night continued through the morning which resulted in our first snow day of the school year.  The second snow day was Thursday.  At this rate we'll be in school straight through the summer! 

Because we had nothing better to do with our money

Before

After

shoe thief

"Hey, have you seen my boots. . . Oh.  ?"   

Look  how teensy tiny her little toothpick legs look in my boots!

Christmas festival at Burg Lichtenburg

On the watchtower steps

Ritters camp (knight's camp)

 Christmas festivals are found all over Germany from the weekend of Thanksgiving until Christmas.  There are lots of shops, hand-made item and lots of yummy food to try.  Generally speaking, we don't shop a whole lot, but we do eat plenty.

Waiting for the Baumkuchen to cook

Certifying that the Baumkuchen is safe to eat

eating our way through the castle.

This midieval-themed market is held on the grounds of Burg Lichtenburg on the weekend after Thanksgiving.  It is one of our favorite places to visit, with a museum full of fossils and one full of musical instruments, and a gigantic xylophone outside the natural history museum to bang on.  Unfortunately the ground below the museums was completely soggy and muddy so we didn't stay to watch the knights slip around in the mud.  Fun day anyway!

Trier

The Porta Nigra, a Roman city gate

We ventured out to Trier with the intent of visiting the Christmas market, which we did, but we found much more to look at and enjoy in the Roman ruins around the city.  Plus the Karl Marx house, which was covered in scaffolding. 

We conducted exhaustive testing of the acoustical qualities of the ampitheatre.  Also, my kids were wondering why they haven't ever seen a gladiator fight.  Bloodthirsty little tykes.

Thanks

For new dishes (pretty colors and wildly mis-matched, just like us) and that most of the new goblets survived their first outing at our table. 

Giving thanks

And for little 'me, too!'

For toothless grins.