On Christmas Eve, I went to my friend PJ's house to exchange gifts.
He loved the helicopter that I gave him. He is into machines that go.
Next, I opened a gift from him.
He gave me a singing Pablo and some Backyardigans coloring books and markers.
A nice "thank you" hug. 
There have been questions from two blog readers asking about where the gap in Augusta's teeth comes from....need I remind you of Great Uncle Mike?
For Mama's Birthday, we took the train to downtown Stuttgart. She got a Mocha from Starbucks and a bag of Christmas blend, which she was very excited about. Then we headed for the Christmas market. It's a big one...more than 200 food and gift vendors, an ice rink, rides (we went on a train...i hated it), and a lot of people.
When Mama said smile, I gave her my standard tongue smile.
Then she asked me to smile and show my teeth and I said "cheese" and gave my best cheesy grin. (I am pictured in front of a giant Christmas, Play Mobile display in a department store window. This prompted Mama to talk about going downtown in Seattle with her Grandmas to check out the store windows during the holidays. It doesn't take much to get Mama to reminisce.)
Just a random shot of the Christmas market, before it got too crowded, and you could still see the street. 
Last night we headed up to Ramstein (Papa had a meeting there today) and we went to the Landstuhl Christmas Market. It was a small market, but crowded and lively. I loved the music and the huge tree.
There were booths with food, drinks and gifts. Here I am checking out some puzzles. I put them on my Christmas list.
I was almost overwhelmed with excitement and I wasn't even bothered by the large numbers of people in close proximity to me!
After playgroup, my friend PJ came over to hang out for a while. He is one of my favorite people. He's a big guy, but has a nice, quiet demeanor, and doesn't try to get in my space. We shared some time at the coloring table.
A little like an old, married couple, don't ya think? 
Here are a couple of pictures of me on my way to playgroup last week.
I am holding my latest favorite stuffed animal, a dog I've named Trevor.
As you can see, it's a new winter, but the Uggs are the same. Well, not the same pair, but you know what I mean. The great thing about Uggs, they go with anything!
Despite a fever, ear infection, and the beginnings of a cold, I put on the first Christmas tree ornament this year. It was the pineapple ornament that Gab bought us at The Breakers (Newport, RI) this past summer.
I admired my handiwork...and then.....
....I was tired.
The question is...was I tired from decorating or from the story that Mama insists on telling about every ornament she unwraps...who, what, where...ugh. Isn't it enough that I wore this ridiculous hat?
Here is a picture of the finished product. It turned out nice and looks very pretty in person, especially at night. Mama was bummed that the topper didn't fit this year, but Papa is formulating a plan to get it up there. Frankly he is sounding very "Kaiser"....like you can fix anything with foil or tape.
I love to stop and check out the flowers outside our building.
I make it a point to stop and smell each one....
...and see if I can get away with picking one. Mama always says "no". It can take 10 minutes to get from the front door to the car, depending on the number of blooms. 
Here I am on my way to Playgroup on Monday. I wore my Harvard sweatshirt....
...my "future inductee into the women's hall of fame" tee from Great Uncle Mike and Great Aunt Sally....
....and a wise owl clip in my hair.
Any questions?
Alright, let's go show off my ability to count to 10 in 3 languages!
