Christmas Playlist 2015 Additions

Check these out if you don't have them already:

1. Jingle Bell Rock, Bobby Helms
2. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Casting Crowns
3. White Christmas, Michael Buble (with Shania Twain)
4. Deck the Halls, St. Patrick's Hope Choir
5. Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Chet Atkins
6. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, She & Him
7. Joy to the World, Sufjan Stevens
8. Silver Bells, Martina McBride
9. Ave Maria, Stevie Wonder

Talking to My Kids About ISIS

Our family talked a lot recently about terrorism, and about ISIS specifically. I got into a lot of details that I really didn't want to discuss with my little innocents, but the news was on, it was horrible, and they were asking questions. So it was time.

Then Madeline said, "I hate ISIS. I want to do something to stop them. What can I do?"

As a father, I was proud of her instinct and courage, but I was stumped in practical terms. After a moment, I simply told her to be good. "I think," I suggested, "that every act of kindness is an act of counter-terrorism. So be good. At all costs and at all times, be good and kind and loving." Then, because there is a hawk that stirs my soul at times such as these, I added, "And pray for our warriors who are fighting them head on."

The Pakistan Chord

We have a piano. It is not a very good piano. Old. Banged up. Several keys out of tune.

No one plays our piano. It is a decorative piece. Basically our piano is a table for the router. It is also heavy.

We move a lot. When we move, we have a weight limit. There are many things I could ship in place of a 400 pound router table with keys. So when an offer came to give it away, it was a no brainer.

The first attempt to give it away failed when scaffolding associated with our new siding and windows thwarted efforts to remove it via the window.

A second attempt was scheduled for this week. We informed the kids that it was going. Their response was unexpected.

Madeline wept. Katie and I exchanged a puzzled look.

"That piano is Virginia," Maddie explained. "I took lessons when dad was in Pakistan. We all took lessons together when he was in Pakistan. That piano is what we did together in Virginia when dad was gone. How can you do this? You can't just take that from me. If you take the piano, I'll forget Virginia."

The piano delivery was cancelled. I love my router table.

Trick or Treat Results Prompt Tax Debate

Madeline, dressed as Artemis Queen of the Forest (shown previously), departed early, teamed with friends, and systematically acquired candy from all participating apartments. Caleb and Henry (death and zombie, respectively) stayed with the parental units, to their candy gathering detriment.

Zombie, with a hint of Joker (accidentally)

Caleb reprised last year's Death

The parent-led party, predictably, pursued a leisurely pace, avoided multiple visits to the same distributor, visited with friends, and so forth. The boys' candy haul faced additional headwinds when their group decided to vacate the gathering process in favor of the haunted house. Alas, the house was a bit too haunted (it was the crazy clown) and we exited mid-tour. Thus, anticipated positive candy-for-fun trade offs did not materialize.

Upon returning home, Madeline revealed that her go-without-grown-ups strategy had yielded superior candy returns, even after paying "mom and dad" fees in the form of Butterfingers and Almond Joys.

Caleb and Henry informed their board, at family council, that they intend to seek remedy in the form of a confiscatory candy-tax regime overseen by mom with regular candy distribution.

Artemis, Queen of the Goalie Box

The FIS Warriors had two games this weekend, both against Zurich International School. Madeline again split time at goalkeeper and defense. The Zurich team was very tactical and had a set play to split the defenders any time the defense tried to press the off-side line away from the goal. They ran it successfully six times in the first half resulting in six instances of Goalkeeper Maddie one-on-one against their striker. She stopped three of the six attacks, which to me is a success under the circumstances.

Between games, I coached her on coming out of the goal and charging the ball in such circumstances. In the second game, she charged the ball and surrendered no goals.

Also, last night was her first dance ever, a costume dance at the school. I discovered after the dance that we have entered the Full On Tween Drama phase of parenting and growing up. This phase arrives without warning after the brief transitional Still A Kid But Hints of Drama phase. Can't share the details because, privacy, but, wow, drama!

All made up as Artemis for the dance

Is It Safe

Dentistry is basically the socially acceptable outlet for sociopaths. Like what Dexter should be doing. By the way, if you are not understanding the title of this post in this context, see Marathon Man.

Our dentist derived considerable apparent pleasure from the circumstance of one of Henry's fillings falling out. I, on the other hand, was troubled at a deep primordial level by the gaping hole left behind. Upon discovering the hole while helping Henry floss one night, I dug and dug, digging out ever more food that had taken the place of the filling. I had to get a sort of plastic pick to dig ever deeper. It was just awful. Decay, for me, is the emotional equivalent of finger nails on the chalk board.

The dentist, upon observing the yawning gap of hellish decay, was gleeful. When his work was done he pumped his fist and congratulated himself. "That is a really good filling," he said aloud.

Meanwhile, to update on other events for grandparents and similarly interested readers, Madeline learned early in the week that she would be playing goalie for the first time on Friday. She was a nervous wreck and sought every excuse to skip the game. She did not want to let the team down in a very visible position. Not to mention she is the shortest player on the team and appears in her yellow goalkeeper's jersey like a canary on the sill of the goal's window.

In the end she performed quite admirably with four stops and one goal allowed when her sweeper failed to make what should have been a routine stop of the advancing player. Having received many cheers and congratulations, she is suddenly quite optimistic about continuing at the position.

Henry vs His Thumb (and other photos)

Henry decided he was ready to stop sucking his thumb. He allowed me for the first time to apply the nasty tasting "thumb polish" (as he calls it) before he went to bed. This was five days ago and he has not sucked his thumb since. This is very good. Of course, what he does not know is that this means his orthodontic regime is about to commence.

He said to me the other day, "Dad, I told my friends my secret about my thumb."

"That you're trying to stop sucking it?"

"No, I told them my secret that I suck my thumb."

"OK."

"They said they already knew."

In other news, Western Austria (Tirol) is my favorite place on earth.

Atop Zugspitze

Happy 70th Mom

We celebrated mom's birthday first at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, as shown below.

Then we ascended Germany's highest peak, Zugspitze, and sang Happy Birthday while freezing in the wind.

Finally, a Tyrollean dinner and birthday cake to end the day.

We worked them hard. Lots of hiking. Loads of stairs to and from castles. I'm proud of my septuagenarian parents.

My Parents in Germany, Part II, Week 2 and Other Updates

Castles! And more castles yet to come next week.

Tim vs The Grill. So, I didn't buy a grill...yet. I was in the check out line, with the grill. Then I thought, next week I might find out that they are moving us to Manila, where we will live in a high rise apartment building, where there will be no grilling. I'm going to wait a week. Alas, still no news on whether we're staying or going. And Katie teasing me all the while.

Madeline vs Her Mother. Maddie told Katie about her "date" for the upcoming Halloween dance, so perhaps this conflict is in detente.

My Parents Came to Germany (Again!)

They came while the kids are in school this time, so mostly they've been helping with chores, which I'm sure is why they came. They got to see Maddie's first game as a Frankfurt Warrior.

And we went to Rudesheim

Their first sunny (mostly) day in Germany

And then to Burg Eltz ("So it's castle, but what else?" was the joke I attempted seven or eight times. No laughs.)

A Few Storylines

Tim vs The Grill. How we spend our summers in this overseas, frequently moving lifestyle is a point of grave debate and the most ernest consideration. For one thing, it is getting rather expensive to house a family of five in short-term rental quarters for two months.

So I presented this awesome idea of how we could buy fixer-uppers, spend the summer fixing them up and then sell them the next summer (or after a few summers as dictated by transaction cost, blah, blah, blah). To which Katie responded, "You can't even grill a steak."

I am purchasing a grill. Will Tim learn to grill a steak and thus earn his wife's confidence in fixing up old houses (because they are totally related)? Or will he succumb to his wife's prejudice that he cannot perform traditional male roles? Stay tuned.

Madeline vs Her Mother. 

"Mom, what did I do?"

"What do you think you did?"

"I don't know. I was just sitting on the couch."

"Maddie, I'm tired of being yelled at."

"I just wanted some food."

"The kitchen is full of food. You're eleven years old. You need to learn to get your own food."

"Do you hate me?"

Stay tuned.

Caleb's Tae Kwon Do Quest. Caleb achieved his blue belt in Cairo. In Germany, he discovered that the standards were different (more strict). He likely would not have qualified for the belt here without more precise movements. His confidence was shaken and he felt to retreat. To his credit, he is back on the mat and committed to advancing to blue-with-red. Stay tuned.