Congratulations! It's a ....... primate?!?!?

As we were going upstairs for bathtime, Daddy said "Lydia, what's in Mommy's tummy?". Lydia confidently replied, "Baby boy".

Mommy, thinking she would get a little inspiration, decided to seize the opportunity and asked, "Lydia, what's the baby boy's name?" (We're currently at a standstill in the naming department).

Without hesitation, Lydia proclaimed, "Monkey."

Daddy and Mommy, both taken a bit offguard, sought to clarify "The baby boy's name is Monkey?" With a big grin, she looked at us and responded "Ooh. Ooh. Ah. Ah. Ah."

We'll call him Monk for short....

(For the record, we have only told her ONE TIME that Mommy has a monkey in her tummy. And that was FOUR MONTHS ago!!!)

And her dreams were shattered....

So, I've been craving real, American, chocolate chip cookies for approximately 1 year now. (Notice, it can NOT be blamed on the pregnancy!). I also just so happen to be hosting playgroup tomorrow morning. "Aha!" I sneakily thought. "The perfect opportunity to bake chocolate chip cookies, and Brandon won't think I'm insane!" Tonight I set about my task, eager to do a taste test before the guests arrive in the morning... Weeeelllllll.... Two batches into the process, I had to make the decision to cease production. I am still perplexed as to what may be the problem, but as I put the dough into the oven, it turned immediately to puddles of chocolate-chip cookie soup. I think it may be the Czech flour. My "cookies" are paper-thin. In fact, if you hold them up, you can see light through them. I can't serve them to my guests for fear this may be the first experience with chocolate chip cookies for some of them. The silver lining? I have 2 dozen ultra-thin cookies with which to satiate my tastebuds. And they've got to be half the calories, right?

Just so you can share in my pain: Here you see my goal, and the end result... Boo.

Prague at it's best!

Our tour with the Verbrugges concluded in Prague. We had the most beautiful weather while they were here.... haven't seen so much sunshine in the entire year leading up to their visit, nor since! We spent the time hitting the major sites in Prague and also took a day trip to a lesser known castle in the Czech Republic. The "Lesser Known Factor" was verified by the non-existance of English tours. So... we took the handy, dandy English tour book they supplied us with and joined the Czech tour. I am pretty confident that we did not receive half of the info as our Czech tour friends -- but hey, we saw a pretty cool castle. And THAT is what we paid $5 for...

Prague Roofline

Czech Republic countryside

If and when you visit us in Prague, there is a good chance we will introduce you to our favorite eating spot -- Ambiente Brasilio. An all-you-can eat Brazilian barbeque, where mass quantities of meat are cut from the skewer at your plate. Go hungry or don't go at all! (Don't worry vegetarian buddies -- the salad bar is amazing!)

Built in 1891 on the Worlds Fair Exhibiton grounds is an amazing fountain. Every night, there are three 45 minute shows where the fountain is illuminated in color and choreographed to music -- an opera, a ballet, a movie soundtrack, classical or modern music. A perfect ending to a wonderful visit with family!

Isn't he a cutie?

Lydia's baby brother

At dinner tonight, nearly 2 weeks after their departure, Lydia pointed across the table and proclaimed "Grampa's Chair." This was where Grandpa sat at mealtimes during their visit.... We miss you Grandpa and Grandma Verbrugge!!!

Kiddie Wonderland

On our way back to Prague, we stopped in Nurnberg, Germany. It's a quaint town with a nice town square, a cathedral (of course), and a castle. I had also read about a Playmobil Park that was there for kids. (Playmobil is similar to Lego). This park was so much fun! It had different themed areas with life-size Playmobil figures. If Lydia hadn't been so overwhelmed with the sensory overload, I'm sure it would've been a much more relaxing visit for us. As it was, she bounced from one activity to the next -- determined to see it all, without taking a breath! Since it's only 2-1/2 hours away I think we'll need to make a return trip sometime...


Lydia giving the horses a bath

Displaying affection for her new-found "friends"

How the Playmobil toys look when Lydia (and Daddy) are finished with them. Don't even THINK about disrupting their order!!!

There's a first (and LAST) time for everything....

Right, Grandpa? ;-)
So, the German sausage and sauerkraut didn't exactly hit the spot. Who'da thunk it?!?!

Quiet as a Church Mouse

(YEAH, RIGHT!)


Lydia in the Cologne (Koln), Germany Cathedral

Our Fill of Dutch Kitsch

Next we headed to some towns near Amsterdam. One that offered demonstrations on the making of cheese and wooden shoes (not in the same product, silly!). The other village had several functioning windmills. Unfortunately, the weather turned incredibly nasty. So we walked around a bit, taste-tested our first Dutch pancakes (not at ALL like those served at Kiwanis breakfasts in Northwest Iowa Dutch communities!) and hit souvenier shops. And more souvenier shops. IF I had the need for some Delft Blue windmills or wooden tulips, this would've been the place to go.

The "Motherland"

Oh, where to begin??? Receiving the honor of our first blood relatives to take the leap to this side o' the pond, Grandpa and Grandma Verbrugge (Brandon's parents) made our Spring 2006. Upon arrival in Amsterdam, we quickly initiated them into "European life" by dumping them into "Queen's Day", the biggest holiday in the Netherlands. Shoulder to shoulder with Dutch, college-aged partiers draped in all forms of orange garments, it wasn't long before we all agreed it was time for a quiet dinner back near the hotel... a true cultural experience.

Holland's Beauty

No, I haven't fallen!

Off the face of the earth, that is...

Now that the weather has finally taken a turn for the better, it seems we are trying to cram as much fun into the few months of Prague sunshine that we can!

Brandon's parents just came for a wonderful, much anticipated, much appreciated visit. We managed to see the Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic while they were here. Whew! They left on Wednesday, and our house is not the same. Tonight we are off for an overnight church retreat... But you have my word, there will be lots and lots of posts when we return home this weekend.