A Georgia Girl in Germany

Benjamin’s kindergarten class took an optional class trip to a local pumpkin farm shortly before Halloween. They can’t really afford to do off-site-during-school field trips (meaning they can only do walking field trips on base), so this was an informal trip for families as well.

The Sunshine Farm Pumpkin Patch was pretty neat -- we were able to wander the fields and select pumpkins right out of the field! Of course, Benjamin selected on immediately, and didn’t let it out of his hands.

MacKenzie found a large one, and immediately tried to convince me to get it for her. It had good color, but really was rather large, so I convinced her to keep looking.

Zachary was very thorough in his search, and even traipsed through the field where the vines hadn’t been cleared away as much. He found a decent-size one that should make for good carving.

Benjamin enjoyed finding flowers still on some vines, and I explained that the flowers would eventually turn into pumpkins. He was amazed at how that works, and kept pointing out more flowers, and reminding me that more pumpkins would be growing. I’d say he learns quickly!



MacKenzie was persistent in her search for the biggest pumpkin out there. Zachary even tried to help her roll one out of the field, but didn’t make it more than a few yards. Finally, she convinced me to carry this one out for her. Egads, was it heavy!

After making our pumpkin selections, the farmer offered to take the group to see his livestock. We all piled in a trailer being pulled behind a tractor and were on our way.

We first came to the barn with some dairy cows. Benjamin didn’t like the smell. He disliked it so much that he wouldn’t let go of his nose, only stepped inside the barn for a few seconds, and had huge tears in his eyes as he asked when the tractor would return to take us back.

We walked to the next barn and saw two ponies (from outside, so the smell wasn’t nearly as bad) before going inside to see lots of younger cows and calves.

MacKenzie was brave enough to feed the cows in these pens. They’re all tagged and tracked because of Mad Cow Disease, and even the feeding system is pretty advanced -- it’s computerized and determines how much formula to mix for each specific cow based on age (a lesson in mot letting appearances fool you, the farm is very rustic-looking, and didn’t appear to be a large-scale operation). Benjamin, on the other hand, kept calling out, “Mama, come on, let’s go!” I don’t know if he was truly worried about being left behind or if he simply wanted to get away from the cow smell.

Soon, we passed an indoor pig pen and came to an open yard with about a dozen chickens and with two geese on the opposite side of the fence. MacKenzie and Benjamin enjoyed petting this brown chicken. MacKenzie kept asking me how to pick up a chicken, but when the farmer offered to let kids hold it, she showed no desire.

Benjamin soon found this little covered area where the chickens would hide. With two classes-worth of kindergarteners (and associated siblings -- younger and older -- running around, I don’t blame them!). At one point, there must have been 10 chickens hiding from the young visitors here.



As a bonus, here’s one of Benjamin’s drawings -- our house surrounded by pumpkins. Can you tell he’s ready for Halloween to get here?

Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Zachary

On Monday of the Columbus Day weekend, I took the kids to Holiday Park. MacKenzie had won two tickets through AFN and the USO before we left Stuttgart, so I didn’t hesitate to buy two more tickets for all four of us to go. Since it was a U.S. holiday, the park wasn’t very crowded at all -- that’s when I prefer to visit German amusement parks. We rarely had to wait in lines for rides or food, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the day. We needed an unstructured day after how busy our weeks have become lately!



Zachary decided that he wanted to go on a more thrilling roller coaster, so MacKenzie (reluctantly) agreed to stay with Benjamin at the bottom so I could ride with Zachary on the “Expedition Ge Force.” The first drop was a doozy (see the track just behind his right ear?), but he enjoyed it. Before we went on the ride, he said he was going to hold his hands up, but about half-way through I reached over and motioned for him to raise his hands...he didn’t. When he stepped off the ride, his hair was literally plastered back and straight up from the constant wind as we moved through the air at such high speeds!

MacKenzie wasn’t old enough to ride the Expedition Ge Force (had to be 11), so opted for the “Super-Wirbel.” It didn’t have quite the extreme initial drop, but it did have two corkscrew loops -- which she didn’t warn me about! She actually convinced me to ride it twice with her, and, yes, it was Zachary’s turn to wait with Benjamin. I think I may have two roller coaster enthusiasts on my hands here!

After our roller coaster experiences, we decided it was snack time -- and we soon found our favorite: chocolate-covered strawberries on a stick. It didn’t take us long to devour them -- they definitely hit the spot and were delicious, as always.



The last time we had this treat, I only bought three, and Zachary, MacKenzie and I each shared one strawberry with Benjamin. He clearly remembered the injustice and wasn’t going to stand for it this time and quickly reminded me that he wanted his own. Yup, he got his own.

I enjoyed seeing the display of pumpkins and gourds behind a set of benches and made the kids sit for a few photos -- which Benjamin wasn’t too thrilled with.



After our snack break, we headed to the Bounty Tower, where Zachary and MacKenzie rode the swings high into the sky. Benjamin wasn’t big enough to ride this ride, so it was my turn to wait with him. We enjoyed trying to find Zachary and MacKenzie as they went round and round way above us.

Our favorite ride of the day, though, was the Riesenweinfass raft ride. Benjamin was about an inch taller than the minimum height requirement, so enjoyed that he didn’t have to sit this one out. We went on the ride several times shortly after we arrived, and all three kiddos agreed to wear their rain jackets. MacKenzie was real good about holding Benjamin’s hand to help him keep his balance as we twirled around.

By the time we went on our last ride, Benjamin decided not to wear his rain jacket...and he got drenched. Fortunately, it had warmed up during the day, so he wasn’t too chilled from his wet clothes. He and Zachary were anticipating a big splash here.

Fortunately, it didn’t soak them much more than they already were, but we soon got caught in a small alcove and several other rafts passed us before the currents freed us. The kids got a kick out of spinning there for a while.

We were one of the last groups of people on the ride, and the kids enjoyed watching them put the rafts away for the night. Notice that Benjamin took off his wet sweatshirt and how the seat of MacKenzie’s pants is soaked!

Benjamin really wasn’t ready to leave yet, and wanted to watch until the last raft was tucked away. We stayed to watch the Halloween parade as the park closed. It was nothing like a Disney parade, but still entertaining.

Labels: Benjamin, Germany, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary

After our visit to London came to a close, we loaded back up on the bus and headed south. When we got ready to depart the island, we passed this fortress perched atop the White Cliffs of Dover.

The cliffs face toward Continental Europe across the narrowest part of the English Channel, so therefore they have great symbolic value for Britain since this is where invasions have historically threatened the country. Naturally, the cliffs form a symbolic guard against invaders. Before the advent of air travel, crossing the English Channel here was the primary route to the continent before air travel, the white line of cliffs also formed the first (or last) sight of the UK for travelers -- as it did for us.

We stopped for a quick -- early -- lunch before loading the ferry for the crossing, and had to rush after taking this photo to catch the bus before it drove onto the ferry.

Several seagulls flew above the back deck while we were eating, and this one sat down to join Benjamin. He was really hoping Benjamin would share his nuggets.

We had one last look at the cliffs as our ferry headed south across the English Channel for our short ride back to the mainland -- of course, Benjamin was being stubborn and refused to look at the camera. The cliffs really are a beautiful site.

Labels: Benjamin, England, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary

One of the Girl Scout patches MacKenzie decided to work on was the “Americans in London” patch. To earn this one, she had to track down several famous Americans or American landmarks in the city. Our first stop was to Grosvenor Square. The square was built in the 1720s as the centerpiece to the Grosvenor Estate, but in the 1930s began a strong association with Americans. In 1938, the U.S. Embassy moved in at 1 Grosvenor Square. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a clear shot. When we walked closer, it was sad to see the tall concrete wall that separated the embassy from the public. The line of lights in front of the embassy sit atop the barrier so pedestrians can find their way along the sidewalk in front. I understand (and appreciate) the need for security for Americans living and working around the world, but wonder how we come across to our hosts when we barricade ourselves to this extreme in so many places.

Also in Grosvenor Square is a memorial statue of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that was unveiled in 1948. Even though it was getting dark, the kids enjoyed wandering around through the park and discovering the beauty nearly hidden by the veil of dusk.

From there, we walked toward New Bond Street. Benjamin helped me find our way on a map, and asked me what the arrow next to the “N” was. When I told him it was “north,” he replied, “Hey! Santa lives there!” Can you guess who he was expecting to visit in about a month?

After our short walk, we found the statue “Allies” inviting us to take a seat. MacKenzie sat on FDR’s lap while Zachary acted bemused and Benjamin climbed into Sir Winston Churchill’s lap. The statue was unveiled in 1995 to commemorate 50 years of peace following World War II.

We continued our evening trek via the Tube back toward Trafalgar Square, where MacKenzie was excited when she found a statue of President George Washington. The square is rather large, so it felt almost like a scavenger hunt to find this statue off in a grassy area facing Nelson’s Column.

We also passed by the Texas Embassy on our trek. We had hoped to eat supper there, but would have had to wait more than an hour since we didn’t have reservations -- that would have been too long to make our appetites wait, so we settled for Pizza Hut down the street. But, oh, the steaks smelled great, and reminded me of the steak houses you can easily find in the states. My mouth was really watering as we turned to leave.

The last Americans we had to find were King Kamehameha II and Queen Victoria Kamamalu of Hawaii. They died of measles when visiting London in 1824, and I read that they are buried at St. Martin-In-the-Fields Church. However, I also read that their bodies were returned to Hawaii for burial, and since the church and its grounds were being restored and everything was walled off, this was as close as we could get to seeing if they were actually buried there or not. We’ll have to add this to our list of places to visit on a return trip.

Labels: Benjamin, England, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary

There are several notable ways to get around London, and we had to try several of them. The most efficient, and cheapest, is the London Underground -- the Tube. Zachary quickly became a pro at reading the Underground map, and even factoring in the varying lines that were closed from day to day. Sometimes it got so crowded as the trains came and went, but the kids were awesome about staying together. They never ventured off alone in the crowds and kept an eye on each other (especially Benjamin) and me.

Other times, we seemed to have the stations to ourselves, which made our travels less harried. Zachary and Benjamin took a break to wait for the District Line at the Westminster station and MacKenzie posed in the Waterloo station.

We had to stand for a while after we got on the Tube after visiting Hamley’s Toy Store, but as the car slowly emptied, Zachary and MacKenzie found seats next to each other so they could ham it up for the camera.

This is MacKenzie just a few minutes earlier, when the train had emptied slightly. Fortunately, she wasn’t standing shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone by then.

Benjamin couldn’t stand to keep “London” the polar bear in the bag after we left Hamley’s, and had to pose with him on the Tube. In fact, as we walked to the Underground station, I tried to convince him to leave the bear in the bag (for ease of carrying) by suggesting that he’d be cold outside the bag. Benjamin used his quick wit and replied that he’s a polar bear and therefore likes the cold -- as he yanked him out of the bag in a large sweeping motion. Yup, his point made more sense, and London stayed under his arm all the way back to the hotel -- except when he fell asleep a few stops before we got off.

I later asked Benjamin if he liked trains, to which he replied, “Yes, I do like trains -- except sometimes I get sleepy on trains.” How true, how true -- especially when I keep him up late dragging him around London.

The next night, we took a ride in a famous London Black Cab. While not many of them are the traditional black color any longer, ours was. What makes a London Cab different from cabs in any other city? For starters, the driver is on the right side, just like all other British cars. The drivers also have to study two to three years before they can take “the knowledge” exam on how to get around the city. It helps that the cars can turn on a dime -- or rather -- on a shilling.

The cars themselves seat up to five people in the back seat -- two backwards. My seat was the “jump seat” that folds up to make it easier for passengers to climb into the cab.

Benjamin and MacKenzie simply enjoyed being in the cab.

Our next mode of transportation was the classic red double-decker bus. We only traveled two stops on the bus, and by the time we climbed up to the second level it was almost time to climb back down so we could get off at our stop.

Of course, going up and down the stairs was made more difficult by the sheer number of people on the bus. But, the kids thought it was novel to ride on the top level of the bus. Definitely a must-do ride when in London!

Labels: Benjamin, England, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary

As much as I would have enjoyed seeing a play in the London theatre, I figured the kids would enjoy wandering around the city on our own a bit. So, we bought a pass for the Tube, armed ourselves with lists of sights to discover for optional Girl Scout patches, and ventured out.

We began our adventure by going to Kensington Park, where we found this fountain stature of two bear cubs embracing. As always, Benjamin enjoyed dropping rocks and sticks into the water.

The Darling family, made famous by J. M. Barrie’s story, lived close to Kensington Park. And wherever the Darling children live, Peter Pan surely can’t be too far away -- and Zachary and MacKenzie found him without too much difficulty.



A little further into the park, we came across the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, which led us to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. However, since it was late November, we had to enjoy the fountain from behind a fence since it closes earlier in the winter.

We also trekked to Trafalgar Square, where we had a magnificent view of Big Ben across the city.

The kids enjoyed getting a closer look of the lions at the base of Nelson’s Column.

Admiral Lord Nelson sure does look stately lit up with the fog rolling through.

Labels: Benjamin, England, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary