Last run thru the Hofgarten

We spent our last Sunday morning at Starbucks, and running with the girls thru the Hofgarten next to the Residenz.  and what better way to observe the “no walking on the grass” sign than by sitting on it… 

Packing Begins…

After all this time, our life is beginning to be packed up!  It will take 2 days to pack & load onto our 40 ft container, and 2 air shipment containers (each about the size of our US baby crib.)

I can’t believe our stuff is going to fill this.  On the way over, almost 6 years ago, we filled half of a 20ft container.  We are entitled to the larger size now because we have a bigger family…  I’m pretty sure we need it!

So for now we have moved into a hotel where the girls are getting used to going to the spa pool every afternoon, we can’t quite get the a/c working in our room, and room service will get to know us quite well… And our girls are still playing dress up!

Sophia's Final Assemblies

A combination of the assemblies for the end of the year...

Sophia's Goodbye! from Moya Z on Vimeo.

End of year Assemblies

Sophia’s school does such a great job with transitions for all of the children.  Every Thursday there is an assembly for the lower school where any child who is leaving the school that week is asked to stand up & have the “good bye” song sang to them.  (It makes me cry almost every time…) Sophia & Hugo with their good bye certificates…

Then at the end of the year, there is the magic door.  The children say good bye to their current teachers, walk thru the door, and are greeted by next year’s teachers on the other side.

We now have a Grade 1 student!!

(video to come!!)

Sports day

At the end of the school year, the entire lower school is split into 4 colored teams to compete in various activities on the quad for the day.  Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue all race around the grass playing tug-o-war, 50 meter dash, spoon race, croquet, and more…

This year the weather has been so bad, the day was postponed twice before finally being scheduled 2 days before the end of the school year.  It actually was quite nice having something so fun to do, just as the year was ending!Sophia was on the blue team, and wore her USA shirt, and then was so excited to be walking across the grass & have the older kids start chanting “USA, USA!”  We are in the middle of world cup fever…

I love this photo with all of the missing teeth, and Sophia actually pulled out her 3rd tooth right after this! Then it was off to the races… Where our darling girl got 2nd!!

Salzburg for a day

Not having much time left, we’ve been thinking about the things we really want to do in Munich.  It doesn’t look like we will be able to climb the Olympic stadium, and U2 isn’t scheduled until Oct, but I really wanted to get back to Salzburg.

So today was my day.  A little strange because while both girls were in school, Troy & I were in 2 different countries, and neither were the country our girls were in.  But I could have run across the border so I felt pretty ok about it…

It was beautiful, and just amazing to be back “home.” 

I actually drove right to the Stiegl Brewery, and loved what they have done to the Brewery Museum! (loved their May Pole!!) The beer garden in the courtyard was amazing, and I know it would have been one of our hangouts – if only it was open when we lived there.  Now days, (sounding so old) the kids live across town & would never come to this area…

After picking up my kitch, I parked in the most amazing parking lot under the Moenchsberg, and walked thru town. The cathedral is finally finished – no more photos of Kylie Minogue on the outside – and looks clean, beautiful, and very peaceful considering the scene outside.

Obviously setting up for a concert.  I hope the weather holds!!

I did notice that the streets were rather empty for the end of June.  Maybe the weather in Europe is finally getting to the tourists (I’ve never see the rivers so high), or the world economy is finally taking it’s toll, but Hugo Boss is gone…  Sorry.

What a day, thank you…

World Cup Fever

I forgot to post this, with all the end of school year excitement, but now that the US has moved on to the next round, along with England, I can share with pride the night we tied…

who knew I was married to Captain America?

The group watching from inside the sports hall was quite intense, so I was part of the “outdoor crowd” that just ran to the screen when things got loud…

As an American, I was thrilled with the tie – And after 2 weeks of world cup fever, even Sophia knows how to chant “USA!  USA!”

Sophia's Irish Dancing

Just a bit of video from the performance on Saturday. The little girls, and then one of the 6-hand reels with the big girls. Enjoy!

Sophia - Irish Dancing from Moya Z on Vimeo.

Irish Dancing Performance

Sophia has been taking Irish Dancing at school for the past year, and is loving it!  Today was their end of year performance, and it is amazing what their teacher has been able to teach them, and how much fun they have had with it!

And Brehan & Caro were able to come down to see it!  She was so excited!!

Another one gone

Sophia passed another milestone today, and was able to pull out her front tooth at school!!

You can already see the big tooth coming down already!!  And then Alexandra had to be in the photo as well ~ luckily Sophia doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight…