Saturday Morning

We woke at 6 am to the sound of a barking seal. Annika had about two weeks of health between her strep throat and her current “upper respiratory infection.” (Diagnosis brought to you courtesy of a 50-euro doctor visit, brought on by a low-ish fever on the Friday before a German three-day weekend.)

Soon Katrina was up, as well, and by 6:30 the three of us were downstairs, leaving hubby to sleep in. (I get to sleep in tomorrow, yay!) Annika demanded MELMO! as she has every morning, noon, and night—or any time she catches sight of the TV—for the past few weeks. But I had promised Katrina she could watch the end of “Escape to Witch Mountain,” which she started before bedtime last night. This classic Disney flick has held up pretty well. I loved it as a child, and still thought it was pretty good. Katrina gave it her seal of approval, which was more than she gave the recent remake we watched last month. When did the Disney oeuvre include straight-up action flicks starring The Rock?

Annika got her MELMO fix while I started breakfast, but even Elmo did not prevent her from deciding it was time to change her diaper. And SHE was just the one to do it. So she stripped off her sleeper and diaper. And then decided that I was not to touch the new diaper…she would put it on herself. Or, you know, clutch it against her yelling NO everytime I reached for it. I managed to get the new diaper on—and her sleeper—and went back to cooking bacon and making coffee. Not five minutes later, she walked into the kitchen totally naked. This time, there would be NO diaper, Mama. So we had our first Naked Temper Tantrum. It was both frustrating and amusing.

About this time, hubby got up (wonder why? the house was so quiet) and managed to get a Pull-Up on her while I attempted to rescue the burning bacon (eh. not too bad).

So. a lovely start to the day.

BUT! It is sunny and warm for the first time since, oh, April. So I got myself and the girls dressed and ready. The goal---the strawberry-and-asparagus stand at the bottom of our hill, followed by the little farmer’s market in the town square.  Katrina glided on her scooter while I pulled Annika in the wagon. The strawberries looked a little pale, but they were sweet and fresh. We also got a few veggies at the farmer’s market, and a bouquet.

And here’s what happens when you put open containers of strawberries in the wagon with a toddler.

That is not a rash on her face; it’s strawberry juice. One of the berries was as big as her little hand. It looked like she was eating an apple. I tried to get a close-up, but she was too interested in grabbing the camera, so this is the best I got.

And here is our bounty from our walk.

See those berry containers? They used to be full.

So, a good morning, despite the barking cough and the Tantrum. It occurred to me that I have absorbed some German attitudes…like, “oh, the baby’s sick? some fresh air will do her good!”

But on a day like this, no one wants to be inside.

Unless, of course, MELMO is on.