Smiles, Art and Cuddles

Abby wrote me this little note. It says: I hop you haf a grat day. Translation: I hope you have a great day! I love that she is writing now and spells everything phonetically.

Abby still can't get enough of holding little Alexandra. In fact, a few days ago Alex wasn't feeling well and Abby was so distraught that she couldn't hold her. She was grumpy the rest of the day as a result She is getting more and more confident with her and is quite a good little babysitter. While I am making dinner she still holds her but now I see her move her from the couch to the swing to the bouncy chair and back. She never felt confident enough to do that a couple of weeks ago. Alexandra is perfectly content with her and gives her big smiles when she sees her.

This was a family project to dress up the gingerbread girl. Daddy did her outfit (nice work, it even matches!). I made the high heel shoes and lips and Abby and Sammy did the hair and the rest of her face. I think she turned out looking a little like a tramp but the girls loved her.

Smiley little Alexandra. She is such a happy, easy-going baby.

Sammy's alligator puppet

Abby's Hungry Caterpillar

Goofing off at a birthday party

Last but not least, this is our Tom Turkey in disguise, so he won't be eaten for Thanksgiving dinner.

(He is a clown if you can't tell.)

Rock & Roll Legend

Willkommen bei RENFT!

Instead of running on the treadmill this morning, I decided to walk at a fast pace on an incline. Then I could get some reading done at the same time. I still put on the iPod and listened to some "workout" tunes - Metallica, AeroSmith, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the like. With these tunes in the background, I started reading a chapter from my book, "Stasiland; Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall." The chapter that I happen to be on was about the music scene in East Germany after WWII and a man named Klaus Renft, an East German rock star.

Renft was referred to as "the bad boy of East German rock'n'roll" and the Klaus Renft Combo "the wildest and most popular rock band in the GDR(German Democratic Republic)." Some of his band's music was original but a lot of it he copied from the West, from bands like: the Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.The group learned about "this decadent Western filth" phonetically by taping Rias (Radio in the American Sector) broadcasts, however the funny thing is that they didn't even speak English.

Of "Satisfaction", Renft explained, "We didn't know what it meant." These songs rallied the people of East Germany and the concerts were always to sold out crowds. In 1965 his band and him were banned from performing. Authorities did not lift the ban until 1967. Then on 22 September 1975, the group was called before the authorities to be told that they didn't exist any longer. Renft had had enough foreign currency to buy a cassette recorder and he taped the interview. He later let on that the incriminating tape was in West Berlin. Overnight, gigs stopped and Renft vanished from the music scene. Two of his band members were thrown in prison and died later of cancer due to radiation poisoning.

Amazingly, Renft reached West Berlin in 1975, finding employment with the radio station Rias. He later toured, revisited old material and recorded new material.
Renft definitely earned his spot as a European rock legend.

After reading this fascinating chapter while listening to several of the bands mentioned, I could not help but wonder if these bands (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones etc.) had any idea of the impact their music was making in a little walled-off country. A place where people had little freedom. Where they were venting their frustrations through this music. What an awesome story. The author of the book did say that after the wall fell, Renft instantly was the most famous musician in East Germany because he was the only thing they had left that was their own.

I Am So Thankful For....

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I asked Abby and Sammy what they are grateful for. These were their responses:

Abby - "my family, friends, food, school, Mrs. Smith (Abby’s teacher) and my purple lamp. "

Sammy – "the Earth, and my baby, the baby’s room, my mommy, my sister, my Daddy, my school, my T.V., Alex’s car seat, mommy’s closet to try on shoes. I am mostly thankful for babies and babies and babies and my house and babies. I am thankful for toe and nail polish and babies. Hee hee! I am thankful for my cheeks and chin..."

I also ran across this response from Abby about what she was thankful for in November 2007. Her response was: "birds and socks." So simple.

Word to Your Mother...

I have a secret.

It's one that I don't share with people (however, I realize I am now sharing it with a lot of people).

Charles doesn't even know.

I only think of it or listen to it while no one else is around.

Yes, it is a song.

I have it all memorized.

Its an oldie but it still ranks high on my list.

I listen to it secretly on the iPod while I am working out.



The song is: Ice Ice Baby by who other than Vanilla Ice!



In fact, this morning it was the first song on the iPod as I was getting on the treadmill. I started dancing/running and hopping. I got so into it that I was waving my arms around in my funky Vanilla Ice dance so much that I knocked the iPod right off it's perch. It crashed onto the belt of the treadmill and rode to the floor.



Listening to the song reminds me of when I was in ninth grade and I went to the Vanilla Ice concert with my sister Eileen (Denise) and some friends of ours. The concert was really crowded but somehow we managed to get to the front by the stage. It was body to body and constant pushing throughout the whole show. I remember because my sister almost got in a fight with a Mexican chick who kept pushing us with her rear end. She was mean but my sister fought back. Vanilla Ice came out on stage, I screamed and danced. Nothing could be better. We jammed to all our favorites and even got to touch his hand at one point. I bragged to the whole ninth grade the next day at school. It was the best day of my life.









I really wanted Charles to be Vanilla Ice for Halloween this year. I think he could pull it off nicely. But no surprise, he wouldn't do it... maybe someday!

The Girls

Abby is obsessed with holding Alexandra. It is so nice because she holds her while I make dinner or do any other variety of tasks and I don't even have to worry at all. I must say, having a baby this time around has been a lot easier with her help. Sammy is a great helper too. She loves to run over and put Alexandra's pacifier in whenever it falls out whether she needs it or not. Many times Abby and Sammy end up fighting over who gets to put her pacifier in. Charles and I realized one night during dinner that we did not have to get up even once to put her pacifier in. We had a very peaceful meal while Sammy and Abby took turns every two minutes getting up to put it back in or comfort their sister. We smiled and commented that life was good! Abby and Sammy also fight over who will go upstairs and get me any number of items needed for baby. I love it! Hopefully, it will not wear off too soon...

Uncle David, friend Elijah and the girls

Everyone loving Alexandra

more loves for Alexandra

Sammy's preschool class dressed up for Halloween

Sammy got to lead the Halloween parade around the school

My little Halloween elf and Sammy

Thanks Auntie Cindy for the adorable Halloween outfit!

I didn't get a picture of Abby in her costume this year. She was a dancing elephant. Her school cancelled their Halloween parade because of rain. It was then held inside for staff and students only. When we went trick-or-treating on Halloween we were at a friends' house and I forgot my camera. She was a very cute elephant though and was quite happy her costume was so warm!

More Pictures...

Introducing Fuzzy....

Introducing Fuzzy, or at least that is what Sammy wanted to call the newest addition to our family. She was born on Sept. 30th at 11:35pm and was 7 lbs. 6 oz. Her name is actually Alexandra Bronwen. Abby and Sammy are so excited for her arrival and can't stop touching, kissing and handling her.

Alexandra was born with no drugs at all, completely natural. I am not sure if I would have consciously chosen that but there was no time whatsoever for any kind of thinking. We arrived at the hospital at 10:45pm completely dialated and ready to go. My water broke upon arrival and I was ready to push within 10 minutes of being at the hospital. I was rushed into a birthing room where nine doctors and nurses were scrambling to get things ready. It was all very quick but not painless!

Sammy has been kissing my bump for the last nine months and was so ready to kiss the REAL baby...

I started having contractions on Monday. Monday night I went to bed thinking I would wake up in the middle of the night and rush to the hospital. I woke up Tuesday morning to no contractions at all. Tuesday night I started having contractions again. I thought I would go to bed again and wake up in the middle of the night and rush to the hospital. Wednesday morning, I woke up again to nothing! I made up my mind that I was sick of the whole thing. Wednesday I went to the library and ran several errands and was determined not to let a few stupid contractions stop me. I even insisted on making dinner even though my contractions had started again. However, this time it was different. We had dinner and around 8pm my contractions got increasingly more intense. By 10pm I was telling Charles to call the hospital. Charles was still skeptical from the previous two nights of me crying "wolf" and nothing happening. He finally believed me and we left for the hospital and BARELY made it in time. What a crazy way to have a baby! But, I got my second VBAC and am quite pleased!