Warm 'Woollies' + Wobbly Wheels

Dear Great Gran,
In the last couple of weeks, Ruthie has been getting lots of use the warm PJs that you gave her!
She has also been trying out the new plywood "walking bike" that Sue and Neil bought for her. This type of kids bike us very popular in Germany where it is called a Laufrad . Ruth already christened her bike with two names: "It's my Wobbly Bike and my Falling Down Bike."
Here she is on her (more) trusty trike with Vida on her scooter. They have the hobby horse and wooden bike close by and ready for action.We have also put Ruthie's jumpsuit on the other morning when it was really frosty and it's been so long since she's worn it that she can't remember wearing it before! Hence her question "What do you do in a jumpsuit?" I filmed my answer:

(sorry about the sideways format)
much love,
Brendan

Hello Flynn!

Dear Great Gran,
we were very excited to meet your newest great grandchild at last!
Here is Ruthie giving Shush a kiss! Hooray for Flynn!
We are very happy with our new cousin (and nephew) !
much love
Brendan

Goodbye Berlin

Dear Great Gran,
we've said tschüss to the really spectacular playgrounds...
...and to summer and the delicious Eis from our favourite Turkish gelati shop (You can see a picture of Julie - with Ruth in utero - from 3 years ago at the same location in the July 2005 archive!)

...before stopping over to watch the scavenger boat in Honk Kong harbour...and getting ready to eat some local food at the hotel restaurant

love Brendan

Achtung Seehunds!

Dear Great Gran,
Here Ruthie expresses her joy at architect Bruno Taut's 1924 Schiller Park Estate's recent inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
R and I spent Monday at the zoo. Here she is getting close to one of the few animals that you are allowed to feed...
..and getting quite close to an Eisbar which you are not. I should point out that there is glass in between the two of them.
But my favourite was watching Ruth's thinking "how much is that Seehund in the window?"...
...and here is a short video of it (you need Flash player loaded and to press play button for it to work)...

much love,
Brendan

What have we forgotten?

Dear Great Gran,
We're glad to be staying in the one place this week, not least because Ruthie had developed the habit of asking "What have we forgotten?" whenever we even mention that we are planning to leave a hotel room or our seats on a train. It is quite a disconcerting question to be asked before you even start packing up!

Here's some more Berlin pictures from 2 weeks ago:
Ruthie singing in front of the Brandenburger Tor. In this same location today there is a big party in the Pariser Platz square to celebrate the opening of the new USA embassy there - the embassy is returning to its pre-World War II site.

More singing in front of the US "starchitect" Frank Gehry's apartment building that is across the road of the Jewish Holocaust memorial.
Smiling with cherubs and roses in front of our apartment building
And sitting with bear at the playground.
This week we caught this little train at the Britzer Park that were created for the 1985 national garden show.

The coooler weather today has meant the Ruthie could wear the skirt and tights outfit that Lorraine bought for her... This morning's rain menat we spent the morning in the toy and kids books section of KaDeWe before feasting in the Wintergarden. You can see that she developed a good appetite from all that playing!
love from
Brendan