Ausfahrt to America

Ok, ok, so we weren't stationed in Germany, but Ausfahrt is a way better word than exit, escape, flee...etc. Due to some misplaced electronics and sanity, I'm a little behind the power curve with my posts. So, if you don't mind a quick trip back in time as the Conderman kids have one last hoorah at destroying the ambiance of European cities...the date was 11July.... and I fed the kids doughnuts for breakfast...because...i....never...learn....
So, on July 11th, the kids and I wake up to catch a cab to the bus to take us to a Hotel near Heathrow. I watched my daughter lapse into a perfect cockney British accent while speaking with the cab driver only to turn around and yell at Eli in perfect Midwestern American Drawl. My sweet little bilingual angel...so we arrive at the hotel, spend the day swimming, and then we decided to dress up fancy and go have one last meal in a British hotel before flying home the next morning. Eli has had enough fancy at this point....
My kid after way too much chocolate!
Yummy....some days I really hate my 30 year old metabolism! The fruit salad just wasn't as...um...fancy.
Ava channels Grandpa Conderman for this picture...
So, (out of order as usual), here we were waiting for the bus before the yummy chocolate meal. The kids entertained themselves by putting together puzzles at the bus stop!
Yes, it took a few tears of the damsel in distress variety, but I got all you see in this picture home to Indiana by myself...ok, maybe more than a few tears;)
We actually did really well on the flight home right up until the last hour. Eli hadn't had a nap so, he decided to take off his shoe and fling it at the people across the aisle, who were eating. While I was giving Eli "what for" in the airplane bathroom , 30 thousand feet in the air, the kid looks at me deviously, and licks (yes licks) the toilet seat...of the airplane bathroom. Eli also got to taste airplane bathroom soap for dessert...poor kid. No more international flights until they are safely addicted to some kind of handheld video game. More to come on tooth fairies, dinosaurs, and tree climbing:)

A Story of a Little Boy ...

Every day one walks into this educational center there is something to read. You can see what it says! And so Elijah is going to the Mother Goose Pre-school and Daycare Center. And he seems to be loving it. Miss Donna is a certified Early Childhood Development Teacher and already has them on a vigorous program of education. Today the letter "a", tomorrow nuclear physics!
Excellent work from Little Man! He seems to be really loving it too. He has numerous friends and a huge play area to enjoy after school is over (9-11:30). And he is doing the Pledge of Allegience just like Ava. (Not so accurately I might add - Ava has something about a "public" on which "Richard stands".)
Here is the classroom. Don't bother looking for Eli. He was ready to leave to go see Ava who was studiously doing her homework back at the house. For as much as he loves going to school, it pales in comparison to his love for being with his sibling (with whom he can't seem to stop fighting - I don't get it!!!)
And so as you can see Eli is transitioning nicely from England. (If there is one thing I am sure about these two, it's that they should grow up able to adapt to new situations.) So rest assured, he is happy and VERY 3 with all the joys that come with it!

I Don't Think Ness Will Like This!!!

But the kids are going SNAKE crazy!!! Ava and Eli got the opportunity to see a snake show at Church. They had already been reading about them and I think they almost have replaced dinosaurs in importance. But then this show sealed all our fates.

The handler brought a bunch of snake skins too! Here Ava is displaying them for all to see.
This was the pride and joy of the handler - Chiquita - an albino python. Thankfully, he told the kids that snakes can make good pets, but NOT one that gets as big as this one!

And yes, Eli is just as interested in them as Ava. (Because anything Ava likes Eli just HAS to like too!!)

Then, if fate didn't make this too easy, Ava and Eli were out walking with their Grammy talking about ... yes ... snakes when they came across two Garter snakes. And sadly, no fear from either of them :(

And so ... snakes are the animal of the month. One can only hope that this too shall pass, because you all know that if the kids want a snake for a pet (in the FFFAAARRR future) then it is definitely going to fall on daddy to house it. Because if any of you know Ness - pigs will fly and hell will freeze before she lives in a house with Chiquita.