Dan and Em's Blog

In true “little brother” fashion, Liam likes everything Benjamin likes.  Whatever Benjamin is eating, watching or playing with, Liam wants it too.  Whatever Liam sees Benjamin doing, he is going to try.  It’s resulted in some really cute behavior, like Liam already climbing up onto B’s tricycle (although he can’t yet reach the pedals), and Liam already attempting to figure out how to ride B’s bike (although he’ll need to gain a few inches before that’s possible).  Generally, it’s cute to see Liam trying to be like his big brother.

(more…)

I acknowledge that the holidays are over, although you wouldn’t know it if you came into our house.  Our tree is still up (with about half of its original lights illuminated, but it’s up) and not a single decoration has been taken down.  Our stockings are still hung by our terrace with care (no chimney), we still have a wreath on our front door and the boys still have their (completely opened) Advent calendars hung on their bedroom doors.  I enjoy the feeling of the holidays, and I’m not ever in a hurry to put everything away and get back to normal.

(more…)

As we do almost every year, we got to December 30 without having any idea of what we were going to do to celebrate New Year’s.  I don’t really get excited about New Year’s — I like the holiday, I think it’s great to ring in a new year, but after all that goes in to making Christmas, I’m usually pretty spent by December 31.  We usually do very little (if anything) and, since B was born, we don’t always even make it until midnight.

(more…)

Being a parent is hard.  It’s the absolute best thing I’ve ever done (and I’m not just saying that) but it would be significantly easier if there were some kind of manual or user’s guide that came along with our darling little bundles.  These are some basic principles I’ve discovered so far, in my first almost 3 1/2 years as a mom (as much to write them down for myself as to spread my wisdom, such as it is).  Please don’t misunderstand my intention — I don’t claim to know it all, have all the answers or have it all figured out.  (I know that I don’t.)  I don’t think these ideas are new, either — I’ve heard them about 100 times each (or more), but they’re just now starting to sink in — these are just some things that I’m learning as I go.

(more…)

I expect that 2012 will be a big year for us — at the very least, it’s the only full calendar year that we’ll be living abroad, which makes it pretty special.  We’re already over 1/3 of the way through our Austrian adventure, so this is going to be a big year for travel — we have four international trips tentatively planned, as well as about as many domestic trips (inside of Austria), and also one or two trips home to the US.  I’m really hoping that it works out that we’ll be able to play host to a good number of friends and family who want to come and visit, too.  (I can’t wait!)  I also really want to keep working on my German:  it would be a shame to move home after two years here and not feel like I’d at least learned enough to make myself understood.

(more…)

It’s been a big year.  This time last year, we hadn’t yet made the final decision about whether or not we were going to take this opportunity and move to Austria.  Now, here we are, we’ve been here almost 9 months, and we’re feeling relatively settled (but very homesick).

(more…)

Putting my kids down to bed is one of my favorite parts of the day.  Not because they’re asleep and I can have a moment to think in peace (although some days it’s part of the reason) but mostly, it’s because I love to get them fed, clean, cuddled and happy, and tuck them in to a nice cozy bed.  To me, there’s nothing that feels more comforting and secure than snuggling up in a warm bed.

(more…)