Holiday Magic 2012

Holiday Magic is the annual Christmas Party that is held on the base in Heidelberg.  At this year's event, Leena's brownie troop had a booth where they sold a variety of goodies (cookies, brownies, etc) in order to raise money and learn financial responsibility.  By the end of the night, they raised over $300!!

Leena and some of her Brownie troop mates work the booth.

When the work at the booth was over, it was time to enjoy the party.  Here is Taryn enjoying one of the art tables.

 

Leena with her art work.

Taryn and Leena chat with Mrs. Claus while they wait their turn to talk to Santa.

With the big man himself.

The girls make gingerbread houses.

Leena with her completed house.

Taryn with her house.

 

Taryn loses her first tooth!!!



 Taryn has been nursing her first loose tooth for a couple of weeks now.  I thought for sure the tooth fairy would visit us in Paris, but that did not turn out to be the case.  By the time we returned home from Paris, her tooth was flapping in the wind.  I offered to pull it and she adamantly refused.  Once I convinced her that I just wanted to wiggle it in order to check it and as soon as I got my hand on it (secretly wanting to pull it), she screamed and cried in horror and I thought for sure that the neighbors would call the German equivalent of Child Protective Services.  So, despite the fact that the tooth was either sticking straight out of her mouth or at a 45 degree angle, I let her keep it and hoped nature would soon take it's course.  Thank goodness we did not have to wait long.  A couple of days later, I got an email from Taryn's teacher informing me that it had come out at school.  The story went that she was doing some work in the classroom and was wiggling it a little bit and that it just fell out.  Apparently, she had to fish it out of her mouth.  No blood, no tears.  She informed me after school that she would like to lose the rest of her teeth like that.

 

Taryn's new smile!

Taryn places her tooth in the tooth fairy pillow before bed.

Another look at her new toothless grin!

Paris - Nov 2012

On our final day in Paris, we went into the city to revisit some of our favorite sites from last May and see some new ones. 

We found this strange outdoor gym located under a bridge in Paris.  It did not cost anything to use it.  Taryn called it the exercise playground and we had a hard time getting her to leave!

Leena on the exercise playground.

Our first stop... the mini Statue of Liberty.  It was located next to the exercise park and we could not get Taryn to leave the park to pose in this picture!

Greg and Taryn having some more fun at the exercise park.  Okay, enough, now let's go see Paris!

Finally out of the exercise park!  Ah, much better out here!

Making our way to the Eiffel Tower. 

Just love this place!

Leaving the Eiffel Tower, we passed the L'Hôtel national des Invalides, which is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military.  Nothing is done simply over here!

Next, we just wondered into this church that no one has ever heard of.  Not a tourist in sight.  Can you imagine if there was a church like this in the States.  Over here, they are a dime a dozen and all spectacular.

The girls spied this misplaced soccer ball on the facade of the church.

 

The girls stand in front of the oldest restaurant in Paris in continuous operation.  It opened in 1686.  Ben Franklin's picture is in the window because he ate here.

We finally made it to our destination... the top of Notre Dame.  We endured 400 steps to get up here and worth it!  Here the girls get face-to-face with one of the Notre Dame gargoyles.

Greg and I put on our best gargoyle face!

Family shot at the top of Notre Dame.

The girls enter the bell tower and Taryn comments that "this door is just my size!".

The largest bell at Notre Dame known as Emmanuel Bell.

Taryn makes her gargoyle face!

Shot of the Seine River with the Eiffel Tower in the distance.  In case anyone is wondering, it will take you 2 hours to walk from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame.  I know because we did it.

A view of the Seine River from the back side of Notre Dame.

Leaving Notre Dame.

A subway ride later and we were at the Arc de Triomphe.  What a beautiful sight at night!  By the second day of this trip, Leena could read the subway/train map and tell us what lines we needed to take to get somewhere!

The stores on the Champs-Élysées were decked out for the holidays!

The picture below was taken as we entered a Christmas Market at the end of the Champs-Élysées.  After our two hour walk from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, followed by the 400 step climb to the top of one of the towers, and finally the 1.5 mile walk down the Champs-Élysées, we were all done!  The Christmas Market was elbow to elbow crowded and we did not have the strength left to fight it.  So, we grabbed a quick bite to eat from one of the vendors and headed back to the hotel.  What a day!  The girls were super troopers!

Beautiful decorations at the entrance to the Christmas Market on the Champs-Élysées.

 

Château de Versailles

After an action packed day at Disneyland, there was little time to rest.  The forecast called for rain the following day, but we tried not to let that stop us.  We took the train from our hotel out to Versailles (almost a 1.5 hour trek one way).  And, wow!, what a palace!  This place defined overindulge and over spending! 

Approaching Versailles.  Greg and the girls in front of the Louis XIV statue.

Getting a little closer.  The girls and I go through the first gate.

Finally at the golden gates.  Wow!

A partial view of the palace from the back (in the gardens).

A view of the gardens.  It seems to stretch as far as the eye can see.  The water canal in the far, far distance is called The Grand Canal.  Back in the day of Louis XIV, they brought in gondolas and gondoliers from Venice to row people around in the canal.  In the summer/spring, you can actually rent boats and cruise around in the Grand Canal.

The girls in front of one of the famous fountains, the Latona Fountain.  It depicts Latona and her children, Apollo and Diana being tormented with mud slung by Lycian peasants who refused to let her and her children drink from their pond.  Latona appealed to Zeus who responded by turning the Lycians into frogs and lizards.  There were originally 1,400 fountains and there are 604 left today.  In the summer through autumn, they put on a fountain show.  I'm sure it's amazing.

The focal point of the garden is the Apollo Fountain which depicts the sun god driving his chariot to light the sky.  Louis XIV called himself the Sun God because he considered himself the radiant giver of life and warmth around whom the whole world revolved.  Do I sense an ego problem?? 

After a 40 minute walk through the palace grounds, we finally reached the Grand Trianon which King Louis XIV built in order to "get away from it all".  Wasn't that why he moved from Paris to Versailles???

Taryn in the back of the Grand Trianon.  Back in the day, Louis XIV had the flowers in this garden changed EVERYDAY.

The girls and I outside the Petit Trianon which is a "small" chateau that was given to Marie Antoinette by Louis XVI.

Leena in front of the Petit Trianon.

Leena entering the Queen's Hamlet.  Marie Antoinette wanted to bring the charms of country life to Versailles so she ordered the construction of the Hamlet which was created in the spirit of a true Norman village.  It had eleven houses (four of which were occupied by peasants), a farm and a big lake.  I think someone had too much time and money on their hands!! 

A view of the Hamlet and the lake.  This was probably my favorite part of Versailles.

One of the houses in the Hamlet.  All of the houses contained a vegetable and flower garden.  So quaint!

Some stairs in need of renovation!

While in the Hamlet, Greg decided to take a break and have a sandwich.  Immediately, a swan walked out of the lake and waddled right up to him and demanded a piece of his sandwich.  He was very intimidating!!

Another shot in the Hamlet.  Remember all of this is on the palace grounds!

 

Our favorite house in the Hamlet. Just love the water wheel!

Leaving the Hamlet.

Shortly after we left the Hamlet, we found this cute little grotto.  It was closed off, so we could not enter it.

What we could see inside the grotto.

In another area of the palace grounds.  We are standing outside of a gazebo that overlooks this lake.

Leena in front of the gazebo that was used to house orchestras as they played for summer parties.  Life was good!

A fake rock built just to look cool.

Another 40 minute walk and we finally made it back to the palace.

Time to tour the main palace.  We could be here a while!!  Look at all the gold.  Just over the top!

The girls in front of Versailles.

A shot of the church inside Versailles.  This was taken from the second floor of the church and was the only view we had of the interior.

Greg and Leena in awe of one of the rooms.  One of the things about this palace that stood out to me was the hidden balcony located above the dining room table (I did not get a picture).  From the hidden balcony, an orchestra would play music for the king as he ate.  Up in the balcony, they were hidden from view and could only be heard.

Taryn in the famous hall of mirrors.  When this room was constructed in the 17th century, mirrors were one of the most expensive things to possess.  There are 357 mirrors in this hall (many of them very large).  I think it's safe to say that the French liked to flaunt their wealth!

The king's bed chamber.

The queen's bed chamber.

Whew!  That took all day!  What a palace!  Would love to come back in the spring/summer when the gardens are in full bloom!