My Amy's back (hey-na, hey-na) My Amy's back

Straight off the bat, let me tell you that the joys of single parenthood are significantly over-rated.

With the help of the US Army (the finest army in all the world...they are a strong army of one, don't you know... apropos nothing, I used to think that the old army commercials used to say "beef, all you can beef, in the Army" not "be all you can be".  Imagine my confusion.) Anyway, with the help of the Army, Amy got a nearly all expense paid trip back to Maryland for a conference.

And was gone about nine days.

Nine days long days with no sleep, about three totals meals, and enough floor cleaning solution to kill a mid-sized wildebeest (I hear that they are sensitive to that kind of thing).

For the record, all animals and plants....well, almost all the plants, made it through the week with flying colors.  Some of those colors are back and blue and were received as a result of flying through the air, but "survived" is the key point I am trying to make. This was, in no small part, largely thanks to Sponge Bob Square Pants, the Dinosaur Park, and Futurerama (don't tell Amy about the Futurerama, she doesn't like it, but doesn't read this, so lets see how long it can remain a secret.  I'm looking at you, Diana).

The best, or perhaps the most exciting thing about Amy coming home (other than, hey, I've had a night of decent sleep) is that Amy brought her pet tortoise, Rocky, back with her.  The most exciting thing about this, is that we found out that Rocky, who is a Bell's Hingeback Tortoise, has somehow made her way onto the endangered/protected species list...which makes her export/import ever so complicated.  Which would have been good to know before Amy showed up at the Frankfort customs office with Rocky in tow. Thus, now we have to find a way to retroactively fill out the required US Department of Wildlife / Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (or CITES) paperwork that will allow Rocky to enter Germany...which, has already happened.  So, "confusion" seems to be the name of the game here.

Also, but unrelated, since Amy came back, the work on the backyard has commenced in earnest; most of the sod is down and slowly, but surely, the patio is coming together.  I'm not sure when the fence will be put in, but "eventually" seems to be the name of the game here (I don't like this game, I am not good at waiting).

Anyway, my head is a little wobbly this morning, Ari woke up at 0330 and I never really got back to sleep after that.  So here are pictures. Have I said that the Dinosaur Park saves lives?  It does.

Hard to see here, but the back of the car in front of me has a sticker that says "White Power" which is probably one of two things: a wholly inappropriate thing to call a little white car that you zoom about the Autobahn in, or, a proud declaration of racist beliefs. Most of the time, those here who support the "movement of the 1930's & 40's just put the Confederate "stars and bars" on their cars. 

Getting ready for school

At the Dinosaur Park there is so much to see, one must always be on the move

Best. Slide. In. The. World.

Climbin'

Slides and stairs and slides and stairs and slides and stairs

Sorry for the glare, but here is the backyard in progress