Goodbye, Grampa!

My grandfather passed away exactly five months after my grandmother. His health, like her's, had been declining, but since I am so far away and removed from everything, I often still picture both of them sitting side-by-side in their arm chairs.  I will miss them both!

As an engineer, he had a way with numbers and facts that carried over into almost every facet of his life, and I remember watching him complete home repairs and financial reports of all kinds with meticulous precision.  But, he also had a tender side, particularly with my grandmother.  And, my Grampa always had a soft spot for me!  I am thankful that he got to know my daughters and his six other great-grandchildren and will treasure the pictures and memories I have of him!

Mira is 1 Year & 5 Months Old!

Mira is quite the model toddler.

She is pre-programmed better than our alarm clocks

to go to sleep between 7:30 and 8pm and wake up at 7am.

Her molars are coming in (that will make 12 teeth!)

and she's transitioning from formula to 

regular milk in her morning and evening bottles.

She loves to read books and happily parks 

herself in our laps for as long as we will oblige, 

particularly when the books include pictures of animals.

She's starting to say her versions of "please" 

and "thank you" with some regularity.

When I carry her outside, she leans in front of my face, 

says, "Wa?" and points to the ground, indicating 

that she would prefer to walk by herself.

She loves to climb up the three flights of stairs

in our apartment building, yelping and laughing 

all the way at the echo caused by her shenanigans.

She has officially started having tantrums,

throwing herself on the floor and everything. 

And, Mira sings and dances along with songs like

"Itsy, Bitsy Spider,"

"The Wheels on the Bus," and

"If You're Happy and You Know It"

and is showing more interest in watching 

children's videos and shows with her sister. 

St. Martin's Day and the Lantern Parade

Rana had the privilege of alternating between

two different lanterns this year,
as Mira was not interested in holding her's. 

They both enjoyed crafting the lanterns 

as well as the festivities in town, though!

We paraded through town and up to the castle

to sing a few songs around a bonfire with 

St. Martin on his horse accompanied by a few of 

Königstein's other "nobilities," including Princess Nora I. 

Rana is 6 Years & 5 Months Old!

Rana has always loved games and coloring, 

but she has recently discovered that she can 

sneak into her room and play with toys

that her little sister shouldn't, including 

games with little parts, beads, and legos. 

This villa is a replica of the one on the box

and Rana worked diligently to find the right 

pieces and put it together with very little help. 

Kata & Adele's Visit!

We were so very pleased to finally meet Rana and Mira's 

9-month-old cousin Adele! She and her mama, Kata, 

made the long trek over to spend a lovely week with us

during Rana's fall break from school. 

Adele charmed us with her grins and giggles and

 overcame the jetlag within the first day like a champ! 

Mira gave her "little" cousin lots of lovin'

and Adele taught Mira how to smile for the camera!

As usual, Rana was wonderful with both girls

and savored the time with her Aunt Kata.

 We miss you loads already, Kata and Adele!

Thank you for coming to see us!!

Physical Therapy

Mira has been going to weekly PT appointments 

to improve how she walks and we have been doing

a variety of exercises with her at home as well as

wrapping her feet at night. 

Even though she usually cries through the sessions,

we've already noticed an improvement

and are encouraged that we can help her 

straighten things out before she gets any older.

Dance Class!

Rana is taking an after-school dance class

and learning all sorts of ways to stretch, move,

and balance her body as well as a few dance steps.

"Look, Mom!" - Mira at 16 Months

At 16 months, Mira continues to be a bundle of energy.

She loves to climb and dance and run around.

She has started communicating more with us, 

saying more words and clearly comprehending more.

Much to our enjoyment, she has also started 

nodding and shaking her head for "yes" and "no,"

which makes it easier for all of us to figure out 

just what she wants! 

She is learning so much these days!

Some of her favorite words are:

Ana (Rana)

Baba

Mama

hi

hum (food, I want to eat!)

hot

bah (all done!)

bow-wow (dog)

boo (ghost)

wa-wa (hurt)

bye-bye

She has also started making all sorts of animal noises,

which we have to capture on video soon!

Mira loves to be out and about

and doesn't seem phased by our busy schedules.

What a fun age!