Home for the holidays

Christmas Market in Mainz

Okay, okay. I'm not ACTUALLY home, but I'm at the home in Germany with the family this week, since I decided to take off from work and take advantage of the slowness there during this time.  (Do I even have a job right now?  I guess I will wait to be concerned about it until Wednesday.)

For my time off, and at their request, I spent some special time with Livvy and Griffin.  Livvy wanted to go out at night time, so at 5:00, we took the bus into Wiesbaden and walked around the Christmas market and got her a Steiff raccoon.  What a cutie. It was the "best day ever" for her since she unexpectedly got something. I have been intending to get all of the children a Steiff while they're here as their quintessential German souvenir. Alex chose a lorikeet and Griffin chose a kitten.  Neither of them care for them much, but maybe they will a bit later.  Livvy chose a raccoon, and it is SO cute. I might have to get myself a Steiff!  Lilly cried because she wanted it. But I will take her to get a Steiff, God willing, when the weather gets nice again, and she is a little bit older. It will be the "best day ever."

Griffin wanted to go spend a gift card he had received for his birthday from one of his classmates, and I wanted to go to the Mainz Christmas market, so we did that. It was the "best day ever" for him, as well.  We had a good time eating noodles at Mosch Mosch. We also went into the Mainz Dom, where there was an orchestra practicing followed closely by a harpist playing for a woman singing Ave Maria. And it was amazing.  I had never heard a harp live before.  It was much prettier than the Mozart music box that I had bought for the twins when they were born.  I was surprised.  And I was also surprised by how well Griffin sat and listened.  When we left, he said, "That wasn't that bad. I thought the church was going to take forever!" 

Today I had intended to take Alex to Rudesheim for the last day of their Christmas market, but it rained all day, so I was just going to go by myself, but it rained all day (still), and I wasn't crazy about walking around the market in the rain all alone for the day.  I probably should have gone, but since I didn't, we watched Christmas cartoons and read Luke chapter 23 together. Actually, Alex read most of our chapter tonight.  I played with the kids a lot today, and it was nice.  I'm rather enjoying antagonizing them about the presents from David and I that I wrapped.  They've already opened their gifts from Grandma and Nana, but the gifts from us are eating away at them (since they know they exist!). I'm pretty sure they will be pleased with their "loot" from Santa Claus.  I'm so excited for it, and it's only two days away!

Merry Christmas, everybody!  I hope you have a great day and get to enjoy some time with your family!

Rothenburg--just to keep the Christmas markets in a single blog post.

Lilly LOVES this choo choo train from Grandma.

Wiesbaden Christmas market.

The hat girl strikes a pose in front of a hat shop.

The Mainz Christmas market nativity.

Inside Mainz Dom. The interesting thing about these cathedrals is how different they look every time you visit based on the light in the sky.

Mainz Christmas market.

Harry Potter Lego set from Nana.  Think he was happy about it?