Learn to Ride a Bicycle - ✔

After a summer of hard practice, Sophie finally got the hang of riding her bicycle, including the starting and stopping parts. Suddenly she is not our little girl anymore. But she is so proud - as are we of course.

Later that day she also managed to climb up (and down) the bigger rock at the playground with just a bit of guidance by me. 

Chocolate Face

Berit treated us to ice cream today. 

Sophie did not like it at all.

A Brisk Morning

We definitely get to experience the seasons here (except for the lack of snow last winter). There is no ignoring that it is autumn.  As Sophie is singing her fall songs on the bike, we ride along some hobby gardens (allotments) to her preschool.

 Today there was frost on the ground.

 All bundled up again (i.e. calculate at least five more minutes to get ready before leaving the house).

Horses right by Sophie's preschool.

Pumpkin Patch

We took a trip out to the country fairly early this morning to visit a little pumpkin patch. The American Women's Club of Duesseldorf had set up a tent there and organized a little crafts event for the kids. It was very well done and we are looking forward to their upcoming parties and events (such as Halloween).

 Here is Sophie painting her pumpkin.

Sophie moved from table to table and tirelessly did every craft offered. At this station she is creating a picture frame.

After the Rain

It has been raining a lot over the past few days. At least here is our reward for having to put up with all that gray:

Cleaning Mice

Berit asked for Sophie's help to "clean her mice" today. Sophie was briefly disappointed when she found out that this did not mean giving the mice a bath, but cleaning their cage. 

 She quickly perked up when she was given the important task to watch them in their temporary housing and make sure that they did not escape. She took her job very seriously and the two mice never had a chance to go anywhere.

Royal Company

My brother with his two kids in tow has been visiting with my mum's for a few days. Today they came over to Duesseldorf to drill a few more holes into my sister's walls at her new place. She has done more with her studio in the last two months than we have with our place in the past year. ☺

Talea and Thore stayed at our house to play with Sophie while my brother Stefan went off to work on said project.

 Here is a picture of Princesses Talea and Sophie and Thore the knight at their dinner of cannelloni. 

Thore actually said to me that he did not like the meal at all as he was munching away. 

I put the hair clips in so that he could at least see his food.