Christmas Eve

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve we did the traditionally thing to do and set up the Christmas tree. We had bought it a week earlier and stored it on the balcony

Its also a tradition that Mia helps decorating it

Then she was part of the nativity play at church again as a shepart

After the church service for families it was already dark outside and at home the presents were waiting under he tree

Uncle Stefan had given a small but very popular present - a flying ball with LED lights

Oatmeal Cookies

Mia had discovered a recipe for oatmeal cookies in one of her books she liked. The weekend before Christmas she baked them for the second time

Ice Skating Field Trip

The last week of school before the Christmas break started with a field trip to the ice skating rink that is part of the Christmas market in the old town in Heidelberg.

Christmas Market Ladenburg

After we missed the Christmas market in Bad Wimpfen - we went there only to find out that it was already closed on the weekend before Christmas - we went to the one in Ladenburg instead.

It is small but very pretty. The market square is surrounded but old half timbered houses and one can get something hot to drink or something to eat

It had snowed a bit during the day and the town looked like out of a fairy tale book

10 years old

Luckily Mia's tenth birthday was on a Sunday. So she could sleep in before opening her presents

After a quick breakfast we had to run to the music school where her choir grooup was part of a Christmas concert

 Back home there was some time to relax and to play a new game with uncle Stafan

Then it was time for the birthday cake. Ji had baked it with lots of chocolate the day before

After dropping Stefan at the train station in the afternoon and some time to relax with a book it was time for a birthday party with friends from school at a bowling alley across the street

Some girls asked for extra straws

They also had fun with the bowling balls

After two hours of bowling it was time for party food

The day ended how it had started: Unpacking of presents

Stefan in Town for the Birthday Weekend

For the big birthday weekend Stefan came for a visit to Heidelberg. We picked ihm up Saturday afternoon at the train station  and after some quick Christmas shopping for his wife in the old town we headed to a newly opened Chines restaurant the first birthday girl had picked

Well, we couldn't finish all the food even though it was really good and took some of it home.
First we stopped at a Christmas market in Handschuhsheim - a neighborhood in Heidelberg with the ruins of a small castle in the center

This weekend the inside courtyard had turned in a Christmas market with arts and crafts

Christmas Market Mannheim

After many months of not much rain there was finally some much needed heavy rain this weekend. Not so good for outdoor activities but when there was a break in the afternoon we hopped on a train to Mannheim to see the Christmas market there

We found a stand with great potato pancakes - Reibekuchen - and had crepes with sugar and cinnamon for desert