A Georgia Girl in Germany

As promised, here are the answers to the 2007 Cook Clan holiday quiz so you can grade yourselves. Hope you all passed with flying colors! I think I stumped a few people this year who thought ALL the answers were correct. Be sure to keep checking back here to study for next year's quiz. Also, feel free to browse for amplifying details to support this year's answers in the site's archives.

Answers
Benjamin: a, b, c, d, e, f
MacKenzie: a, b, c, d, e, f, g
Zachary: a, b, d, e, f, g
Pam: a, c, d, e

Photo key (left to right, from top): Visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa; Zachary placed fifth in his school-wide spelling bee; Benjamin sleds during one of last year’s few snow days; snow-bunny MacKenzie; overlooking the Neckar River with Heidelberg Castle in the background; at the Pompeii Forum with Mount Vesuvius in the background; at the Vatican after the Christmas Day Papal blessing; Zachary in a Cub Scouts open ranks inspection; gardening with Nana; on a torchmarch in Volkach; Benjamin preferred watching his soccer practice; MacKenzie loved making her own chocolate bars at the Ritter-Sport factory; Benjamin was unsure about the butterfly that landed on Pam at Mainau Gardens; Benjamin in front of Rome’s Colosseum; MacKenzie feeding a Barbary Macaques monkey at Affenberg Salem; Zachary enjoying a fresh-grown tomato from Nana & Papa’s garden; Zachary & MacKenzie in front of a German U-boat in Speyer; enjoying chocolate-covered Belgian waffles; Pam & Benjamin get up-close and personal with Gary Sinise during a USO concert; MacKenzie on the soccer field; Zachary on his way to a week-long campout in England; Pam & MacKenzie on a fossil dig in Holzmaden; on the Thames River with the Tower Bridge behind them; Granny Walker with her Quarnaccio grandkids & great-grandkids (before Andrew’s arrival); Zachary buried at Lewes Beach, Delaware; Benjamin loves bowling; the boys dressed warmly for the 4th of July fireworks display (Benjamin wore snow boots!); MacKenzie liked the Rose Biscuits famous in Reims, France; getting a funnel cake fix at the Delaware State Fair; Pam found the longest bench in the world in Geneva; enjoying a chocolate-covered pretzel at Esslingen’s Fasching parade; Pam in front of Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square; MacKenzie piloting a boat on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland; Zachary flying a Cessna over the Rhine River; in the gallows outside Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s Criminal Museum; MacKenzie wasn’t worried about Dracula at Frankenstein’s Castle; Benjamin enjoyed a lollypop while riding on the Öchsle Bahn narrow gauge steam railway; Halloween costumes; visiting the Schloss Ludwigsburg pumpkin festival; Pam at a pre-World War II pillbox on the Maginot Line near Bitche, France; the kids take a break with FDR & Winston Churchill in London; marveling at Stonehenge.

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary

When I tucked the kids in to bed (or rather their makeshift beds in the living room) on Christmas Eve, I told them they were allowed to wake me up at 7 a.m. However, after trying to stay awake long enough to catch Santa in the act, they all slept late. They didn’t come bounding into my room until just after 8 a.m.!

When they led me into the living room, they quickly dove into their stockings. Benjamin emptied his the quickest -- by holding it upside down! The down side to his emptying technique is that it took him longer to sort through his loot to discover his new treasures.

MacKenzie loved all her new pets. What you can’t see behind her slew of new friends is a new veterinarian smock that she was wearing. Taking care of animals definitely seems to be her one true passion!

Zachary seemed to enjoy his new flight simulator software and was intrigued with figuring out all the different controls on his new flight joystick. He didn’t seem too disappointed that Santa didn’t bring him a Wii, and even commented that this Christmas was his best one ever. I suppose sometimes the best gifts are the ones that surprise you.

Benjamin was ecstatic about every gift he opened, even his clothes...as was evident when he put on a new fleece jacket as soon as he unwrapped it.

When all was said and done, Christmas once again managed to explode into our living room. It was a wonderful day of excitement and joy, which is still continuing each day as the kids excitedly wear their new clothes and play their new games – often together, which is the true joy of the season.

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary

My how the time flies! It seems like I just finished writing last year’s quiz, and here it’s already time to summarize 2007! We’re still enjoying living in Europe and all the travel opportunities it provides. I’m hoping to be allowed to stay in Germany an extra year (until summer of 2009), but won’t know definitively until February. So, we’re prioritizing our travel schedule in case our remaining time here is a matter of months instead of a year and a half. That also means that anyone wanting to visit us before we depart needs to start planning to do so soon. That said, whether we stay or go this upcoming year, it’s time once again for our annual holiday quiz. As a reminder, there is more than one answer for each person (check back in a few days to see the answer key).

Benjamin is a very observant, singing, dancing and talkative 4½-year-old, attends part-day preschool, and:
a. can spell and type his name, and even read a few simple words (such as “off,” “on” and “zoo”)
b. is working on his baseball skills -- he slides everywhere he goes in the house, just like sliding into home plate...I expect he’ll be a natural when/if he ever decides to play baseball
c. enjoyed visiting “that stone place” -- Stonehenge, England -- and wandering around the perimeter of the huge, ancient sarsen stones and bluestones
d. played soccer for the first time, although he wasn’t thrilled about sharing his soccer ball with his teammates during practices
e. enjoyed selecting delectable treats when we visited Brussels, Belgium: Belgian waffles, Belgian chocolates, chocolate-covered waffles, ice cream and gourmet gummies
f. definitely knows what he likes, especially when he asks me most weekends whether we’re going to Legoland, the bowling alley or the chocolate factory -- his three favorite places to visit!

MacKenzie is a 9½-year-old Junior Girl Scout, a 4th-grader at Patch Elementary School, and:
a. especially enjoyed being allowed into the back room of the Ritter-Sport chocolate factory with her Brownie troop where she made her own chocolate bars with M&Ms, marshmallows and rice krispies
b. fought with a vexe during a Fasching parade in Esslingen when he tried stealing her candy
c. was in tears our last night in Rome last December...because she was going to miss all the delicious spaghetti she’d been eating all week
d. got back into playing soccer and enjoyed playing goalie...even when one of her friends on an opposing team scored a goal against her
e. got friendly with many ghosts, ghouls, monsters & vexes haunting Frankenstein’s Castle before Halloween -- she wasn’t scared a bit!
f. began her paleontology training at a Jurassic-era fossil site in Holzmaden where she found a plethora of ammonites and two sections of Mesozoic fish in the shale
g. after slight hesitance, warmed up to many of the 190 endangered Barbary Macaques monkeys at Affenberg Salem -- Monkey Mountain -- near Lake Constance

Zachary, 12, is a 6th-grader at Robinson Barracks Middle School, only a few inches shorter than Pam and:
a. was recognized as having the “Best Body Design” during his final Cub Scout Pinewood Derby with a blue and gold wide-body shark complete with dorsal and side fins
b. took the first step toward earning his private pilot license by flying a Cessna 172 over the Rhine River
c. after building his own computer last year, has begun a computer-repair business through word-of-mouth advertising, and uses his earnings to fund his gaming hobby
d. crossed up to Boy Scouts, and soon afterward found himself in the middle of a national disaster area when he went camping at Camp Baden-Powell near Sheffield, England, during massive flooding in the area (he still enjoyed the week though)...Lord Baden-Powell was the founder of the Scouting movement
e. enjoyed walking on the wing of a Lufthansa 747 that was suspended more than 65 feet in the air at the Speyer Technik Museum (Papa liked being allowed inside the Soviet Antonov 22 cargo plane)
f. wore a ship captain’s hat for the first time when at the helm of a tour boat on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
g. really enjoys camping, especially the few unique camping opportunities he’s had this year: Intercamp in Gundershoffen, France (it was co-ed!) and winter camping near home shortly after a decent snowfall

Pam is now the chief of media relations for U.S. European Command’s Public Affairs office, helping tell the story of U.S. military involvement in 92 countries in Europe and Africa, and:
a. after 16 years with long hair, decided to cut it short and donate it to Locks of Love (MacKenzie did also)
b. was hit by the fitness bug and trained for -- and ran -- the Northern Black Forest Marathon in Egenhausen in April, finishing the 26.2 miles in 5:37:04...not bad for her first marathon!
c. finally traveled to a country that her dad never managed to get into during his Air Force career -- Russia -- when she spent a week and a half working at the Moscow International Air Show
d. is continuing her Girl Scouting skills as one of MacKenzie’s Junior leaders...still not the “cookie mom” though!
e. enjoyed spending Thanksgiving in London, and still wants to travel back again...England is such a wonderful place to visit (and they speak English, which is very helpful!)

We’re going to stick close to home for the holidays this year, and enjoy spending some down time together as a family. All three kids performed in the church Christmas Pageant, and Pam really enoyed the show! MacKenzie’s also in the school chorus, and enjoying those performances as well. We also welcomed a new nephew/cousin: Andrew Cooper Quarnaccio on Nov. 14 (born to Pam’s brother and sister-in-law), and are looking forward to meeting him and spending time with his big sister Rachel at the next opportunity!

We’ve added a few more countries to our repertoire since our last letter: the Vatican, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and England as a family, plus Russia and Slovenia for Pam. We also made additional trips to new locales in Belgium, France and Italy...trying to fit in as much sightseeing as possible in case we’re heading back to the states in a few months for Pam’s next assignment. As we enter the New Year, remember that all of you are welcome in our home if you decide to make a trek this way, especially since this may be our last year in Germany. Our 2008 travel calendar is still fairly open, but it may not stay that way for long (Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands, Paris and Normandy are definitely on this year’s list).

We hope you’re all doing well and looking forward to 2008. Take care, and please keep in touch!!

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary

The kids are all nestled, snug on the couches, with visions of catching Santa dancing in their heads. But first, a recap of our evening.

Yes, all three kids are excited about Santa’s imminent visit. We went to church tonight, and Benjamin provided unscripted entertainment to the worshipers in the back fourth of the sanctuary when he danced in the aisle as the gospel choir sang. He really had some moves!

When we returned home, MacKenzie helped finish frosting the cookies for Santa while Zachary loaded up his plate and poured a large glass of milk. MacKenzie then filled a cup of eggnog for the big guy while she and Benjamin each downed a cup themselves. They all quickly got their pajamas on, brushed their teeth and wrote letters to Santa with last-minute reminders of their wishes (nothing changed from when they talked to him a few weeks ago). They’re all wearing their new slippers/socks...their single Christmas Eve gifts to whet their appetites for Christmas morning (not that it will take much to get them excited about being allowed to tear into the gifts under the tree and tucked away in their stockings!).

Benjamin worked diligently to write his letter himself! I was very impressed!

Zachary even had time to check Santa’s progress on the NORAD site here. When they realized he was in Europe, they kicked it into high gear getting ready for bed!

Zachary had the initial idea of sleeping in the living room in hopes of catching Santa in the act of delivering gifts, and MacKenzie quickly joined the bandwagon. They didn’t talk it up too much in front of Benjamin since I hadn’t granted permission yet. When they came up with a plan for all of them to sleep out there without fighting over which two of them got the couches, it was difficult for me to say “no.”

So here they are. Zachary made a bed out of two large floor pillows and a fleece blanket.

MacKenzie has her camera on the floor next to her makeshift bed so she can quickly snap a photo when he appears.

Benjamin was trying so hard to quickly fall asleep, yet was the last one to succumb...after two extra bathroom trips (which is especially surprising since he skipped his nap two days in a row!).

I just checked the NORAD site, and it looks like Santa has already been to Berlin and flew over Neuschwanstein Castle, so I suppose I need to crawl into bed myself so he can stop here.

Frohe Weihnachten!

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary

Last Sunday, the Children’s Church led the service with “A Mouse’s Tale” Christmas Pageant. All three Cook kids were in the pageant, and Zachary & MacKenzie even had lines in the scripture choir.

Benjamin wasn’t too sure about participating, although he did like his costume -- he was a shepherd boy. I tried all I could to convince him, if nothing else, to stand up front with everyone else. He finally seemed to agree, and waited in the back with Zachary. However, when the shepherds had their grand entrance, he led the way...looking for me. When he found me, he quickly climbed into the pew beside me and let the rest of the shepherds continue their entrance (Zachary included).

The angels weren’t far behind the shepherds, all wearing wonderful white wings and silver or gold halos that they made themselves.

After a short while, I convinced Benjamin to join Zachary onstage. Unfortunately, since Zachary was one of the taller kids onstage, he was in the back...which meant we couldn’t see Benjamin until they sat down between songs. This is the only photo I have of both boys together during the pageant.

The pageant told the story of Jesus’ birth from the perspective of the animals who were in the manger that night. Between narration scenes, the kids led the congregation singing several traditional Christmas hymns. MacKenzie was one of the taller angels, so she was toward the back of the angel chorus.

Benjamin stayed with Zachary for a few songs, but no one could see him when they stood up to sing.

After a while, Benjamin decided he had participated enough, and came back down to sit by me. Apparently, he timed his grand exit perfectly since he claimed the rock/rap-style version of “Joy to the World” scared him. He’s hiding his ears under my arm here since it was too loud for his taste!

When that song was over, he decided to help me with the cameras. He took over the camcorder for a while, then snagged my camera as well. He reminded me of how MacKenzie tried stealing my camera during my cousin Hannah’s wedding when she was 4. I suppose they both come by it rightfully!

After everyone took their bows and the kids received candy cane rewards, I managed to get all three of them together -- in costume -- before they disrobed and ran off. Benjamin liked his costume so much, he wanted to keep it and bring home. However, he didn’t wear it at all when we had it at home, so I’m not sure why he was so intrigued with it.

(Yes, MacKenzie snuck out of the house with sneakers on instead of her nice black church shoes. Can you guess what she’s more comfortable wearing?)

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary

{{Someone found a copy of my letter to Santa and has been sharing it around the internet, so I figured since it’s already making its rounds I'd share it with the rest of you. By the way, if any of you have discovered the perfect location to hide while talking on the phone, please let me know...I'm sure Santa will be running low on refrigerators with secret compartments.}}

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold 62 cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find any more free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

• I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.


• I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.


• If you're hauling big-ticket items this year, I'd like fingerprint-resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.


• On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pair of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.


• I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting “Don't eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.


• If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.


• If you don’t mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don’t catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. Yours Always,
MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to still believe in you.

Labels: Christmas

Children are constant reminders of the many gifts we receive daily that are so freely given to us.

And when one of those gifts is a new child to welcome into the world, it's a doubly-blessed gift.

In that vein, congratulations to my cousin Hannah and her husband on the arrival of their second daughter: Emma Claire Murray. She was born Dec. 8 at 9:49 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. and 21.5 inches long.

Labels: Birthdays

Tonight was the official tree-lighting ceremony on post. The evening started out splendidly, with the elementary school choruses singing holiday songs. This is MacKenzie’s first year in chorus, and she seems to enjoy it. I was really impressed with their performance! They sang wonderful renditions, with very upbeat and new updates to several classical Christmas songs. I especially liked their version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Both were very lively!

Benjamin even sang along with several songs. He knows the words to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed-Reindeer,” “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” and portions of a few other carols that surprised me. Fortunately, the chorus didn’t sing the “Batman Smells” version of Jingle Bells.

After MacKenzie’s performance, we walked around the Winter Fest area (a significantly smaller version of the traditional German Christmas markets), and took time to enjoy chocolate-covered fruit. We usually get these delicious desserts-on-a-stick at the fests, but decided to enjoy dessert before supper tonight. I figure the fruit qualifies them as appetizers as much as desserts.

Afterward, we headed over to where Santa was available to visit with the kids. Zachary asked for a Wii (!!), MacKenzie was too shy to ask for anything (although I think she is hoping for “a real dog that doesn’t run on batteries”), and Benjamin hurriedly asked for “a GameBoy, a DS, a bed for Baby Puppy and new shoes.” The idea for a GameBoy and a DS definitely came from his older brother! Baby Puppy is his stuffed beanie-baby puppy that sleeps with him every night. I suppose we’ll have to wait to see what Santa ends up bringing this year.

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary