The Pumpkin Patch

Today some friends and I traveled out of the city to check out a farmer's market. Way fun. Not only did they have rides and awesome food, but they made the most fantastic sculptures out of vegetables. We're saving the big corn maze and shopping for Wednesday when we return.

The kids (minus Abby) belong to Shawn and Shawna. They are my Berlin peeps and I invite myself along to everything they do. I'm real polite like that.

I think fall vegetables are beautiful. They compliment my skin tones, so no matter where I stood I was looking hot.

It would be sacrilegious to eat out in Germany and not have some sort of hot dog. These girls never break the rules.

The sculpture theme was fairy tales. I have no idea what this one was, but if I didn't know the theme I would have guessed they created Check Point Charlie. The over-the-top communist eyebrows totally give it away.

Five dollars to anyone who can guess what fairy tale this is.

This is Cinderella's pumpkin coach. Those look like real horses that have been tared and feathered.

These two are always sharing secrets.

Don't these pumpkins look like they were once WAY fatter but lost a lot of weight and are covered in hanging skin? Maybe it's just me, but the one on the right kind of looks like my stomach after the c-section.

These balloon jumpers were the must-ride of the market. I would have gone up but I was rocking Oliver in the Bjorn.

This is Shawna's niece. She is way fun. She made sure Abby didn't eat it while I was taking pictures.

What fairy tale has a huge cannon in it? And why would they pick that one object out of the fairy tale to highlight?

This one has to be that Piper dude.

Totally my fav.

Random napping guy. Sometimes things just get lost in translation.

This is Snow White, but she looks like some fairy tale you can only legally 'read' in Amsterdam (if you know what I'm saying).

Stinks to be one of the seven dwarfs in Germany -- one of their names turned out to be Pimpel.

Shawna is a free-range parent -- quit clapping with approval, Crystal. She let her daughter Bella ride on the merry-go-round solo (she just turned one). Abby is 2.5 and I had to force myself not to ride behind her and hold her down. I did, however, stand irresponsibly close just in case she forgot the rules of the road and needed me to throw myself in front of the car to save her. I am so going to cramp her style when she gets older with my helicopter parenting.

Jeremy couldn't be there, but I was kind enough to get him some pumpkin flavored treats.

Guess who is getting some doilies, Mom(s). I can't help but feed your addictions.

Since You've Been Gone

Things have been pretty hectic over the past two weeks -- Jeremy is in America. This is our first separation since we've moved to Germany and my first time parenting solo with two kiddos. Some days are just insane, but other days are so full of tender mercies that we can't help but smile through them.

So much has happened since he's been gone.

Berlin is now bursting with fall color. These photos do its beauty no justice.

Oliver has been accompanying me on my walks with the dogs. He loves to snuggle in the Bjorn and is a huge fan of his snowsuit.

Abby HATES to wear her winter jacket, so we compromise with the puffy trucker vest in the afternoons when it gets warm enough to go outside.

Beth is getting a bath twice a week to combat her rotting flesh smell. It is seriously indescribable. She's definitely winding down but still has "the joy."

Oliver and Abby love to do everything together, even bath. Oliver had a HUGE blowout before this photo and every single one of us was covered in his poop. She is much too happy after that traumatizing experience.

Here I caught Abby trying on my dirty laundry when she should have been napping.

Just another afternoon of cooking, arts and crafts, and assorted Tom Foolery.

I woke up early this morning and caught Abby reading Oliver a book in his bed. I have no idea how she scaled the baby gate. I couldn't help but grab my camera:

Prague

I took my mom to Prague when she came to visit. It was our first European road trip. I was a little apprehensive taking Oliver, but he rocked it like a champion. Abby is always great in the car and this trip was no exception.

Prague is AMAZING. A must see for anyone coming to Europe.

My first though of Prague was: wow, this place is old. My second thought was: this reminds me so much of Epcot Center at Disney World. That place has ruined me. Every time I see something for real it always looks fake because Disney did it so much better.

I had way too many photos to try to organize so they are not in any order. I tried to caption them as best I could.

Note: You're probably wondering why my mom isn't in any photos. She wouldn't let me blog anything about her until she got home just in case some people wanted to break into her house while she was gone to steal her miniatures and country crafts. Insert your own joke here_______.

This was our hotel. It was a bed and breakfast. Totally fun.

The hotel had a separate mom's room in our room. That was great.

The street our hotel was on.

The Palace

This was from St. Vitus Cathedral on the palace grounds.

Love the bones-in-my-fireplace look.

Fun buildings around town.

The Prague countryside.

Around the palace.

St. Vitus Cathedral

A view from the palace.

The Church of Our Lady.

The old clock tower. A soldier would come out and blow his trumpet on the hour. Abby LOVED it.

Some fun pictures of Jeremy cuddling with the kids. There was an extremely drunk man doing beggar karaoke on the street. I just had to stop and listen.

The view from Charles Bridge.