Tag #4

Xanten (11-22-05)
Today we visited an ancient Roman city on the northern-most edge of the Roman empire, Xanten. The ruins were discovered shortly before the turn of the century. The last one that is, not this one.

It's surprising just how excited a 5 year old can get about ruins. The most impressive piece was the partially reconstructed Roman temple. JBP could've spent all day exploring that.

They also had an example of how Roman homes were laid out, using shrubbery to indicate the walls.

The most fun for JBP was the playground designed to look like a Roman fortification. He probably would've wanted to stay all day, except it was getting cold out. Mostly the wind.

JBP was just as happy to check out the museum in town that accompanies the Ruins-Park. He was so eager to find out what happened when that he'd beg us to explain one display to him and then be off to the next one before we could get halfway through it.

We also checked out the cathedral there. JBP was impressed although he still has a little trouble understanding my explanations about religious differences and respecting said differences! It'll come.


"Shut-up!"
Every time Der Deutscher gets out of the car we've been loaned for the week, it starts dinging at him. Most of the time he mildly tells it to, "Shut-up".

Today, when Der Deutscher got out to close the garage door behind us, the car started dinging. Before he could say anything, JBP chimes in, "Shut-up!"

We laughed.

When we got to Xanten, JBP tried it again. Der Deutscher had to remind him of the rule, "Once, funny. Twice, annoying."


Chocolate Shopping
This evening, Der Deutscher and I took off solo for town to do our first round of chocolate shopping. (Aren't grandparents a wonderful thing?)

We checked out one store but chose not to buy anything there. At the next store however, we loaded ourselves down with just about as much chocolate as we could carry.

Most of it we still have. I must admit I've already broken into some of it! I still plan on buying another $20 or so worth of chocolate before we leave.


English Class
My Father-In-Law, aka Opa, and Mika attend an English language class at the local, I guess it's roughly equivalent to a community college. They were supposed to go tonight and take JBP with them for a little show-and-tell.

JBP was very excited and spent much of the day packing and repacking the little lunch bag Opa and Ms Gudi had given him.... for school!

For some reason, I couldn't quite figure out why, they decided to skip class tonight. Der Deutscher had told JBP this, but it didn't really sink in for him until bedtime. At which point, he wailed, 'But I have to go to schooooooooll!'

Nimitz' Lady