This is Jasper’s BaBlog

The Sunday Carousel

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:56:30 -0700

Das Karussell
Jardin du Luxembourg  Mit einem Dach und seinem Schatten dreht sich eine kleine Weile der Bestand von bunten Pferden, alle aus dem Land, das lange zögert, eh es untergeht. Zwar manche sind an Wagen angespannt, doch alle haben Mut in ihren Mienen; ein böser roter Löwe geht mit ihnen und dann und wann ein weißer Elefant.  Sogar ein Hirsch ist da, ganz wie im Wald, nur dass er einen Sattel trägt und drüber ein kleines blaues Mädchen aufgeschnallt.  Und auf dem Löwen reitet weiß ein Junge und hält sich mit der kleinen heißen Hand dieweil der Löwe Zähne zeigt und Zunge.  Und dann und wann ein weißer Elefant.  Und auf den Pferden kommen sie vorüber, auch Mädchen, helle, diesem Pferdesprunge fast schon entwachsen; mitten in dem Schwunge schauen sie auf, irgendwohin, herüber -  Und dann und wann ein weißer Elefant.  Und das geht hin und eilt sich, dass es endet, und kreist und dreht sich nur und hat kein Ziel. Ein Rot, ein Grün, ein Grau vorbeigesendet, ein kleines kaum begonnenes Profil -. Und manchesmal ein Lächeln, hergewendet, ein seliges, das blendet und verschwendet an dieses atemlose blinde Spiel. . .
 Rainer Maria Rilke, Juni 1906, Paris

Jasper skiing at age one (OK, 23 months ...)

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:57:00 -0800

Call us crazy--we have been taking Jasper up into the Heavenly ski resort since his second day on kids’ training skis. He had a great time, and he is getting better and better! Of course, he’s not really “skiing” yet--just between Papa’s legs--but they go fast! Most recently (January 17), they also do deep powder mogul slopes together, leaving Mama scrambling to find alternative routes ... These movies are from December 12 and 13, 2009.

Le Filou

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Jasper stole Mama’s hat while we were having lunch at the Ferry Building on Sunday, and found it very funny!

One of the best recent pictures of Jasper. Or, ever. He certainly knows how to pose, le petit filou!

Weihnachten in Heidelberg

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

A very special Christmas for us this year--Weihnachten in Heidelberg! Jasper (and his parents) survived the long flight and the inevitable jetlag, and had a wonderful Christmas eve and a few more days with Opa Rainer, Oma Susanne, Lilli, Onkel Sebastian and Tante Karo, Tante Isi und her boyfriend Mait. Unfortunately, cousin Julia and Tante Tina could not make it, but at least we were able to speak on the phone and send warm greetings to Hildesheim. On Christmas Eve Papa and Mama took Jasper to a tiny little church (more like a chapel) where other children performed the story of the Holy Family at Bethlehem, and sang cheerful German Christmas songs. After that, we opened many, many, many presents and had a great dinner at home, im Kreise der Familie. Froehliche Weihnachten fuer alle und mit allen!

On the steps at Oma and Opa’s house, and in a German bakery in Heidelberg. Oh, the wonderful smells in both of these places ...

Visiting a Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt held at a local cloister, but it was sooo cold-- minus 11 degrees Celsius! We warmed us by the fire, and the adults had some Gluehwein. This was on the weekend before Christmas, when Thomas, Heike, and Zora came to visit. We also took Jasper’s eight-year-old cousin Lilli along. Zora and Lilli got along very well.

Getting ready on Christmas Eve morning. Here’s the beautiful tree with some of presents already placed underneath, and of course carrying real candles! A German tradition. (The corresponding other German tradition is a bucket full of water placed right behind the Christmas tree, just in case ...)

Tante Karo does needlepoint by the window..

And we’re off to church, climbing the steep hill by Oma and Opa’s house on foot. It’s already dusk, and the bells are ringing and pealing, calling out to us through the crisp winter air.

In the tiny, packed village church, standing high up on the organ platform. Papa carries Jasper on his shoulders so he can see the local children performing the story of Bethlehem, no microphones, hovering moms or professional costumes (thank goodness), but a lot of heartfelt enthusiasm.

Then a short walk back through the dark and cold, seeing lots of windows with Christmas trees and looking forward to Christmas Eve with the family.

Let the festivities begin!

Very soon Jasper will have a little cousin! Onkel Sebi und Tante Karo are expecting. Hooray!

Bei Oma und Opa ist es einfach nur schoen.

(Jasper denkt: “Ich komm schon ganz bald wieder, hihi.”)

Hmmm, Duck a l’Orange! Bravo, chef cook Oma Susanne.

Jetzt noch ein paar Fotos und am Schluss auch noch Filchen von den Weihnachtstagen ... Bis bald, Ihr Lieben! Happy new year!

Above: Jasper, Sebastian and Lilli, who hardly left Sebastian’s side. They had great fun wrestling on the floor--of course Lilli won. 

Jasper’s second birthday

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

This year Jasper spent his birthday in the midst of a family party--Mama and Papa took him to Germany fro Christmas. Assembled at the Kaffee and Kuchen table were Oma and Opa, Mama and Papa, and Uncle Sebi and Aunt Karo.

The cake which Marion Ibruegger baked for Jasper was a big hit--mmmmmm .... Except for the part where Opa lost two of his artificial teeth and had to call the dentist to get them fixed the next day ... But that had NOTHING to do with the cake, which was great!
 

After Jasper had practiced a little with the birthday candles, he learned how to blow out a candle all by himself!

Jasper loved his new Lego plane, his Children’s fork/knife/spoons set, and all the other nice gifts.

Hoch soll er leben, hoch soll er leben, dreimal hoch! Herzlichen Glueckwunsch zum Geburtstag, unser lieber Kleiner! Spass haben wir gehabt, oh ja ...

Jasper and Zora

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

One of the best parts of the recent trip to Germany was seeing Uncle Thomas, Heike, and Zora. Zora and Jasper found a new friend in Jasper’s cousin Lilli, eight years old, daughter of Claudio. We went to the Weihnachtsmarkt, to a French restaurant, and hung out together at Rainer and Susanne’s house. The kids were so cute together! It was great to see. Thanks for coming all the way from Berlin to visit us. We had a really nice time with you.

Santa Claus!

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 21:11:05 -0800

On Saturday, Papa took Jasper on a little adevnture to a Christmas tree farm in Half Moon Bay, together with Uncle Astro and his kids, Willow and Griffin. They cut a huge Christmas tree for Astro’s apartment, and then they all rode a train with Santa Claus! Unfortunately, Mama had to stay home and keep on writing that book ....

First skiing day of the season

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:02:04 -0800

Petra and Sebastian had some fun on the slopes at Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe today. Gorgeous weather, and a wonderful start to the skiing season.

First snow of the season

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:23:27 -0800

Thanksgiving weekend is turning out to be a wonderful family mini-vacation. We are in Tahoe, and last night we had the first serious snow of the season. So of course, first chance we got this morning, we went out to play in the snow. First, we tried out the new toddler skis on the snow in the driveway--Jasper was a little bit skeptical. But then Jasper received his first downhill skiing lesson from Daddy at a nearby sledding hill and loved it. All the while, Mommy held the camera and helped push the two dudes up hill again many, many, many times .... then it was on to the sled and learning to walk on snow and ice for a bit, before breakfast omelettes suddenly sounded like a VERY good idea! In a shop, Jasper tried on cool sunglasses, but he may be a bit too young for Miami glitz, so we didn’t buy them for him.

Tischfussball

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:30:02 -0800

Jasper--we think you misunderstood the rules of table foosball ... !

Horses and cars

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:47:47 -0800

Riding a horse while Daddy’s car gets a good soak at the car wash.

Purzelbaum!

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:46:41 -0800

Weekend fun

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

On top of the world with Daddy, just the guys. You wouldn’t believe that Daddy biked all the way up here with Jasper in a baby bike trailer! Mommy is really glad she didn’t have to go (she was at a conference in Montreal.)

The video is of Jasper in the Shoup Park playground on a Sunday afternoon.

Visit to Hidden Villa

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:24:59 -0700

Today was a beautiful fall day, and we decided to pay a visit to Hidden Villa, an organic farm tucked away in an enchanted valley in the Los Altos Hills. Hidden Villa does educational programs for kids and has a great vegetable garden with a tube made out of a hollow tree trunk. Jasper loved to crawl in and out. There are also some very happy chickens, cows, goats, sheep, and even a very lazy, huge pig that snorted loudly (and scared Jasper!). There was even a pony one could ride--oh wait, that was Daddy--ouch! All three of us had a great time at this special place. www.hiddenvilla.org

Sunday afternoon in Bol Park

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:35:00 -0700

Jasper is getting better and better at walking--and running away while giggling, too!

Bol Park is a great little community park in Palo Alto that also houses two donkeys, a few chickens and a rooster, and some goats behind a fence nearby. It has a great play structure as well.