Must ... Keep ... Awake

Sure, it's 9pm in New Jersey, but 3am in Berlin and that's where my head is at. But ... must ... stay ... awake or this jet lag will own me.

We kept the kids up to about 7:30pm. Alice rallied, just before she dropped from exhaustion she was running from room to room shrieking with laughter. Leah didn't fare so well, she was sacked out on the sofa barely able to keep her eyes open. On the plus side, there was absolutely no argument when I called "bedtime."

The flight home today was like running a marathon. Nine hours of keeping two small kids occupied. Luckily, my ace in the hole is TV. Leah could sit for hours watching it. Alice, on the other hand, got restless several times -- sending me into the nether-regions of my backpack to produce something that would keep her sitting.

My house looked different to me walking in. The colors more crisper than I was imagining in my head. And my bed couldn't look more like appealing, after weeks on a 5-inch foam mattress we slept on in Berlin, it looked like a cloud ....

Ugh. Must stop thinking about my bed ...

I Hate My Coat, by Alice

As I've mentioned before, Alice hates outerwear. I don't think she realizes it's no longer summer. And Berlin has gotten much colder much faster than home. Here's a fun video of Alice hating her coat on a 40 degree day at the playground. Meanwhile, Leah is blissfully playing in the sand.

Perhaps she'll cover The Seasons at day care when we get home. Otherwise, it's going to be a long winter.

10 Tips for Traveling With a 2-Year-Old

After seven weeks traveling with my demanding 2-year-old, I've learned a thing or two. Here are my tips:

1. Find a hotel near a playground or park area. Like puppies, they will need their exercise. If you wear them out, they will sleep. 
2. Carry food with you at all times. When you are at a deli counter or cafe, order extra to put in your bag. If you're not embarressed, put zip-lock bags in your purse so you can stash more food. They are always hungry. (And, usually thirsty.)
3. There is no shame in letting them watch a little TV. (iTunes on my laptop has been a savior.) You need the rest. They need the rest after sightseeing. Bonus points for finding shows with relevence to travel, like Disney's Little Einsteins. 
4. Picture books are helpful to divert little attention spans. 
5. The tactic "come now or I will leave without you" does not work on a toddler. The preschooler, sure. The toddler will call your bluff every time. 
6. Pack an emergency diaper. Though, inevitably, it will be the one time you forget that you have a major need for one. (Details here are unnecessary.)
7. Keep your sense of humor. Even a tantrum in the middle of a train station will be a funny story later.
8. Toddlers thrive on routine. Traveling takes that routine away. So there's a loss of control for them. Be patient and supportive. 
9. A stroller that is comfortable enough to sleep in is key. But must be light enough to lug up subway steps. Invest wisely.
10. Have a very short memory. If they misbehave, forget about it after 15 minutes. No use holding a grudge. They don't care and it just makes the trip lousy for you. 

It's tough traveling with such a small volatile thing (much like a walking time-bomb), but it was worth the effort (and embarrassment). She might not remember the experience, but I will. 

Berlin, We'll Always Have...

Things I will always remember about Berlin:

• Einfahrt means exit. teehee!
• East and West are two very distinct areas, even though they are no longer divided by the Wall. 
• The dairy here rocks -- we all indulged in too much yogurt, cheese, milk and ice cream.
• Too much currywurst can be a bad thing.
• Mass transit works on the honor system with occasional ticket checks; a risk-lovers paradise. 
• Seeing Nazi-used buildings has a chilling effect on one's blood. 
• While seeing the remnants of The Wall is awe-inspiring. 
• Schmuck translates to jewelry in German. Heh. 
• When done right, the renovation of a 15th-century neo-baroque building can be beautiful.
• A mall is just a mall, whether it's in Berlin or Paramus. 
• Telling time on the 24 hour clock annoys David to no end. Me: "It's 14:10 already!" Dave: "Grrrrrr, don't you mean 2:10?" Me: "No."  Hehe

Happy Anniversary, Carol and Allan!!! Three years went by fast! 

Get Me Home

Okay. I know I said how much fun we're having and what a privilege this whole experience has been. And it has been. We're so fortunate that we were able to do this, for a lot of reasons. But now, as the flight home gets closer and closer, I'm ready.

I'm ready to get my bed back. And my big kitchen (well, big compared to this Berlin apartment) filled with familiar food (Trader Joe's!). I'm ready to drop the kids off at day care so they can be with other kids that speak their language. I'm ready to see friends and family -- and gear up for holiday madness.

I've missed the end of my farmer's market, prime apple picking and the start of all the TV shows we watch (my DVR is jam-packed).

Okay, so in exchange I've seen Paris and Milan and gotten to know Berlin incredibly well. So, all good. But, yeah, I'll be happy to be home.

See you soon!

Family Trip to the Aquarium

Ehhh!

Nasty reptiles will haunt my dreams.

The Berlin Zoo also includes a world-famous Aquarium, which we skipped over when we first arrived in favor of the zoo. Today, since the weather is getting colder, the aquarium was our destination.

As usual, it's nice to find an indoor haven where we can unleash the kids and let them run wild. Which is what they did, with the handful of other children who were there.

Alice's staring contest with a fish

The first floor was many aquariums with fish and other things you'd expect at an aquarium. Alice liked staring at the fish and Leah was just in a rush to see it all.

The second floor was mostly reptiles (including "Alligator Alley") and the third floor was bugs. I kid you not, ants were suspended from the ceiling and hairy spiders were displayed in the benches. But I don't mind bugs as much as I do reptiles. Snakes, namely. And there were too many of those. And turtles, which I've had an aversion to since I nearly was killed by one as a kid. (No jokes about it being a harmless snapping turtle. It was out for my blood.)

Looking at fish

Overall a successful trip to the Aquarium, which included a stop to the gift shop. (Dave's favorite part.)

Afterwards, we drove along Ku'Dam. What is Ku'Dam? Geez, I've only mentioned it in several posts!! It's the shopping street that took the place of Unter Den Linden once the Wall went up. It was the Western version of a grand shopping avenue. And it's pretty grand, and included all the big names,  though being Sunday, nothing was open.

Well, that completes are last weekend in Berlin. Next weekend, we'll be home and celebrating Halloween. And, since it is Sunday, we'll be watching football -- and event Dave is probably most excited about.