Stuttgart

I remember showing up here 3 and a half years ago, eager and full of umph to travel around, see the sights, explore cool places. As we've lived here I've seen somewhat of a morphosis, we've evolved in to a different traveling creature. At first we could throw Chance in the stroller and walk and walk and walk. Our trips were primarily sightseeing focused trips, with a park here or there mixed in for the munchkin. Then Chance outgrew the stroller and we started to opt for the one city vacation with a car, or the all inclusive resort type place. Then came the new little bundle....and our trips have now morphed in to chaos. I'm trying to stay positive here, really, but the reality of it is that sometimes the oxytocin becomes a little too plentiful and I forget how hard it is to travel with 2 little ones.

So several weekends ago, precisely this happened again. It was probably something like 8 p.m. on a Thursday night, the kids were finally in bed and I start my panicking about us only being here several more months, and why aren't we traveling? Why have we never been a German Christmas market? I am sure it was at that moment or maybe as I fell asleep that night I dreamed about strolling thru the uncrowded Christmas market

with Gluhwein in hand,

with Brooks sleeping in the stroller

and Chance with one hand on the stroller, and Kinderpunsch in the other. The happy family looking at all the goodies for sale and then in the evening ice skating outside the Stuttgart castle under the stars. So romantic, even with children.

So that day dream soon turned to reality. We had a hotel room booked and the car packed for our 2 hour drive to Stuttgart. At last we were going to a real christmas market.

Next thing I know, we are sitting in a restaurant for dinner, I have just returned from 20 minutes in the bathroom changing Brooks out of his soiled clothes on the nasty floor cause there is no changing table to be found, Chance is being less than well behaved and Ryan and I just look at eachother both with the expression of why in the hell are we in Stuttgart and not at home? Why have we spent all day in search of a Starbucks so I could nurse or chasing our chiid that wont stay close to us amidst the massive crowds of the market stalls?

So our weekend did involve Kinderpunsch and hot chocolate, and a little ice skating but was often muddled by the difficulty of parenthood. The closest we got to the Christmas market stalls was a quick walk thru the hoards of people, never stopping once to browse the goods. Well, I take that back. We did stop at one for some sausages, and I at another for a tastey little almond chocolate bar while the boys ice skated. Chance did love the ice skating, and Ryan is really improving his axel jumps and pirouettes.
And Chance got to ride on a miniature steam train that seemed to entertain for awhile.

It's got to get better, I keep telling myself. And as Ryan says alot lately, one day at a time......one day at a time. But at least now we can say we've been to a REAL German Christmas market, easy or not.