We were in America for three weeks.

What I hated: plastic/styrofoam cups for the kids. Our children are perfectly aware of how to use normal eating/drinking utensils. By bringing a plastic cup you are creating great curiosity and excitement at a time when small people should stop wiggling and consume. This increases the likelihood of a spill and prolongs the meal. Why couldn't you just bring the small glass like we asked -- you know, the one you usually serve OJ in? Also, the excitement will lead to quick movements of the straw by one Cy Bela, which then pierces the side of styrofoam cups.

What I loved: Pointless, meaningless discussions on the playground. It's like an admission that we're all stuck there together for a couple of hours by powers well out of our control and we just better get through it as best we can. And -- hey wow! -- some parents even heard us speaking with each other and crammed out their high school German for a little levity. The day we landed in Germany I slipped right back into the Teutonic role of pretending we are the only family on the playground, refusing to make eye contact with the same half dozen parents we've spent years with on the same playground.

Photos from the first leg are here. We visited Aunt Christy and Uncle David in North Carolina. Opa and Oma Edie flew out too.

North Carolina 2007