Catching Up

Some of these pictures are at least a month old, so let's play catch up. On a particularly hot day, we decided to try the pool with a view in Vianden. 

 What. A. View. It was stunning.

 Noah got to show off his new Euro trunks and swim cap.

 Sienna and I had a huge battle in the locker room bathroom over her loose front tooth. She'd already lost one and the other had been dangling for days and was driving me nuts. She stood her ground and wouldn't let me pull it out. This is her finding a much nicer parent in her father.

 And the next day it fell out on its own! See how happy she is, Mom?! If I'd only leave well enough alone sometimes ...

 Nearing the last days of school, Noah's class baked bread. It was so yummy.

 And he was so cute showing it off. It was supposed to be a fish.

 Hanging out after school. My kids dress (or don't dress) themselves.

 

Filling the two hour lunch slot with a picnic on the balcony.

The last day of school was July 15. We were all relieved. There were some difficult days in there trying to convince them that this all made sense. It didn't really, which was why it was so difficult.

 Chocolate dipped waffle cookies as eyes.

 Sooooo excited about her new goggles.

 I took this picture to remember the five seconds of sweetness Noah is first thing in the morning ... right before his attitude deteriorates for the rest of the day.

 

For the first month we were here Noah was a huge mess. He whined incessantly and crumbled emotionally when we asked him to do anything. Anything. "Walk, Noah." Collapse, wail, weep, gnash. It was unbearable. Adam and I had a heated discussion about his future and decided to try chore charts. We started small with the promise of a very exciting toy that he chose, and the old Noah has all but disappeared. We needed him to do basic things like put on his own clothes and walk by himself. And he's finally doing them! What a relief to have my (mostly) happy and functioning child back. 

The farm park with friends!

 The castle park on a hot, hot day without friends. "Look Mom, Lambers is in the cage with the bunny."

 What Noah thought of the castle park on a hot, hot day with no friends. (This is pre-chore chart Noah. Seriously! He cried all the time!)

 A friend invited us to the Remich outdoor pool. I took a scenic drive around the town after the pool and before we went home. We bought Adam's co-worker's car and we have decided we shall name him Biff.

 Remich was very cute. The kids just wanted to go home already.

 We went to Parc Merveilleux with the same fun church friends who invite us everywhere! Hooray for other families with small kids who want to hang out (and who plan fun things so I don't have to even think about it)!

 The Parc is part zoo / part carnival ride / part playground / part fairy tale story telling shadow boxes. Verrrrrry interesting. It provided hours of fun for our small humans.

 The sleeping elf was a hit. Or was he a dead elf? We may never know.

 

Noah and his buddy on the Luxair playground.

 They had the best goat petting zoo! The kids just loved that.

 Finally, Noah got what he'd been asking for all day: a ride on the horsies!