Stop . . . Collaborate and Listen!

Sporadic internet connection (still using the neighbor's wireless connection which only gets reception in good weather) has limited my computer use. That, and unpacking numerous boxes and figuring out where to take all the trash. Many of you have written me, which I am truly thankful for, and as soon as Peter sets up our computers and configures the our internet, I will be in business and will write back to you all individually. But thought you might like a quick update in the meantime.

Since I last wrote, we have received our furniture. It did not come on that Thursday, but rather on Friday. Peter had taken Thursday off since that was when the movers were supposed to come, and as we were sitting waiting for their promised arrival time of 8:00 am, we finally got a call around 9 that a crane broke so they couldn't load the container onto a truck. I was feigning curse words Yosemite Sam style, but Peter's were much more direct. Since he had already taken the day off, we decided to head to the next biggest town and get my Visa and a cell phone for me. We sat at a fantastic outdoor cafe for lunch, as it was an unusually warm day and enjoyed a delicious lunch with Kayla and Cooper (yes, even dogs can come to a restaurant). For some reason unbeknownst to me, Peter found it incredibly exciting that the public transportation buses passing by were so darn quiet, I think he might have tinkled in his pants just a little.

But my exciting adventure came later. I needed to get a quick passport style picture made for my visa, and Peter and I scoured the area for a good 20 minutes looking for a photo shop that could make this. We stumbled across a local photographer, and Peter stayed in the car with the chaps (Cooper and Kayla) while I ventured in alone depending on my very rusty German skills to pull me through. It was only after I got inside and described that I just needed this simple photo done, and the very nice photographer directed me to a mirror to check myself out that I noticed what was surrounding me. Lots of artistic images of naked women. It was like a 40 car pile up on the autobahn, I couldn't help it . . . I had to look. I tried my best to look completely normal and hide any awkwardness, and told the man that his pictures were very beautiful. Then he proceeds to tell me how he enjoys getting to know his "subjects", and how it takes time for the women to loosen up but that they have a wonderful time after that. Well, that certainly didn't help me loosen up any, and I was glad to get my pictures and scedaddle right on out of there!

Peter has been to London for part of this last week, and while he was gone I painted the living room and kitchen. The highlight of this was listening to my favorite radio station here, Bayern Drei (3). Maybe it comes from living in Augusta for the past several years with no really good stations, but I was dully impressed with the composition of all time favorites on this frequency, and although I could only understand bits and pieces of the DJ's, I am fully confident that they were seriously funny.

Well, it all started with some Funky Cold Medina. Now you can't tell me that you wouldn't have enjoyed that as well. It took me back to middle school riding in the golf cart with my friends and singing about the girl named Sheila with her Oscar Meyer Weiner. Tone-Loc had it right, you don't mess with the Funky Cold Medina. Then we hit a little speed bump to slow things down with some REO Speed Wagon, and I knew that I just couldn't fight this feeling anymore. Sure there was some current tunage with your typical Fergie, Maroon 5, and Rihanna, but who couldn't use a little Wham from time to time. I can belt the melody as good as anyone to Lionel Richie and the Commodores cause you know I'm easy like Sunday morning. And the new Willy Nelson song was pure genious (apparently a tribute to his 75th birthday if I understood correctly . . . funny I could have sworn he was 75 when I was 8). But the absolute cherry perched top of the whipped cream on top of the warm, gooey chocolate syrup smothering the bananas sandwiching the creamiest ice cream ever, was nothing less than . . .

wait for it . . .

here it comes . . .

VANILLA ICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ice, Ice Baby, Too Cold, Too Cold. Well, not in my kitchen. My booty action was down right steamin'! Will it ever stop, yo, I don't know. Oh, whatever. You know you couldn't resist it either. I could just feel myself Rolling in my 5.0 with my rag top down so my hair can blow. You can imagine my disappointment that there were no David Hasselhof songs during this time (as promised by Brad P.), so I am looking to surprise Peter with some concert tickets. If anyone knows when the former Baywatch "hunk?" come drunkard is touring give me a hollar!

OK seriously. Let me tell you what's new with the Claus family. Peter is working both for Disney and for me! He has lots of pictures to hang, furniture to move, and things to set up. But feel free to drop him an e-mail to prod him to get Skype and internet working so that we can communicate more. Kayla is adjusting well now that our furniture has arrived. I swear, one more day without a sofa and she surely would have perished or at least she seems to think so. All within walking distance of our house are sheep, ponies, roosters, and chickens, plus your standard collection of dogs and cats. Kayla has already made friends with a black lab down the street (maybe he reminds her of her old boyfriend Coal) and she salivates over the chickens. They look fun to chase and even I would say that they look pretty juicy! But she had an incident trying to get to know the ponies and she is still a little skiddish a day later. Kayla went to sniff and discovered what an electric fence feels like. You should have heard the yelp! She ran off screaming in the opposite direction and had no idea what hit her. Hopefully it is a lesson she only has to learn once!

Cooper is as delightful as ever. He had a little sniffy nose after the flight, but has been clean as a whistle ever since. Two new teeth coming in on the top, I think they are his incisors. That would make 14, I think. I think I am safe in assuming that most mothers measure their baby's health by the poops. The amount, size, consistency, odor, and color can tell you so much and Cooper's diapers are telling me several times a day how healthy he is! This has to do with his hearty little appetite. Wait, little isn't the word. This guy is truly his father's son. This is what he ate the other day:

Breakfast - one roll with butter and jam cut into bits, one whole banana, one granola bar, and if still hungry a jogurt

Lunch - handful of pretzels, 1/2 can mandarin oranges, 1 cup veggies mixed with about 1/2 cup baby food (baby food here is excellent with lots of different stages to ease kids into big people food a little better and apparently, it tastes great to Cooper cause it gets him to scarf up his veggies), 1 cup applesauce, and 2 cookies

Snack - Another whole banana (he's my little monkey and he goes crazy over bananas), 2 slices of cheese, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Dinner - 1/2 can mandarin oranges, 3 meatballs (about an inch in diameter), 1 cup of noodles with spinach, 1/2 cup peas and carrots, some bread, and 2 cookies

Add lots of milk and some juice to this and this kid gives true meaning to the saying about a hollow leg, cause his belly just isn't that big. And he is still skinny! Cooper still loves his baths, and has now learned from watching mommy clean up the toys to take the little cups and put them inside each other. But his favorite bath toy is attached to his body between his legs. He did the sweetest thing in the tub last night. I was done bathing him and just watching him play and talking to him. He pulled himself up to stand, kissed me on the lips, and sat back down to continue playing. I'll change 100 poopy diapers and wake up in the middle of the night 50 times for 1 moment like that. Granted his kisses are with a slobbery open mouth, and if Cooper were a theme song, it might be Def Leppard's "Love Bites" cause he does tend to use those teeth along with kisses sometimes. Other than that, still not walking on his own, although he can walk along holding on to just 1 finger of mine. He just isn't ready to let go yet. And he will repeat Papa after us, but no real words. He knows several words, and cookie is his favorite, but he doesn't say any yet.

Our house is a contemporary style split level, and by split levels, I mean that we basically have 6 floors, 5 flights of stairs with 8 steps each, and so the levels go back and forth:
1. basement and laundry room
2. guest room and storage closet
3. kitchen, 1/2 bath, and pantry
4. living room
5. master bedroom and full bathroom
6. Cooper's room and playroom

Cooper has become an expert at navigating the stairs and can go up and down on his own. He knows where his playroom is and if I am not watching, before I know it he has gone up a few flights on his own and I can hear the familiar toys. OK, now I have written far more than most of you care to read and it is time to get jiggy with more housework. I miss you all and can't wait to talk to you more. Please e-mail us back and let us know how you are. We are missing so much with you all, pregnancies, adoptions, up and coming summer vacations, 1st birthdays, home improvement projects, finishing school, and more. Know that we are thinking about you and can't wait to get in touch.