It’s 9:20 pm local time Thursday, March 6th and I could not keep my eyes open when I started this post. I wish I knew then what I know now. I would tell my past self to stop typing because at 3:30 am you are going to wake up from a horrific dream and then jet lag will devour the remaining sleep time hours. That’s the thing about jet lag, she completely lacks sympathy.  She doesn’t care that you went out on a limb and decided to travel with two small children.  If jet lag had a motto it would be “suck it up buttercup.”  So Friday’s theme was sleep or the lack thereof.

It all started with train problems.  Lack of sleep and train problems go hand in hand.  Something about Murphy’s Law.

And this is what he looks like before he passes out for a nap on the train.

 

And this is what deliriously happy looks like after a 20 minute cat nap.

And we’re asleep again.

But that was today, the theme for Thursday, our first and only real day in Germany, was a disappointing Castle, hyper parents and the smallest ever schnitzel/wine bar.

When you tell a 6-year-old that you are going to visit a castle you best be ready to dazzle her with something other than a giant barrel. Forget that France, wars, and weather destroyed most of the castle’s exterior and most likely interior, try to explain THAT to a 6-year-old as the cause for utter lack of pomp and circumstance. Thank goodness for Versailles, there will be plenty of pomp. Lest you think she gives up easily, Lola did try to open a few doors just in case there was a chance that she could sneak in.

I’m not sure what it is, but traveling – especially in Europe – makes me hyper aware, hyper vigilant and hyper anything else. Our poor kids. Whatever normal reprimands and attention they receive back home, it’s ten fold when traveling. Sit up, don’t yell, talk louder, do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t do that. I don’t even want to hang out with me. Thursday night it all came to a head with a dinner in the tiniest schnitzel wine bar in all of Heidelberg. Seriously, a wine bar. They only served two beers. Germany, two beers, hilarious. Best schnitzel ever, but looking back we should have waited until the ONLY other high chair was free before beginning our meal. I can’t prove it with scientific theory, but when parents are hyper everything, most likely kids will be hyper just so that they fit in the family model. Coming off a long and restful nap, the last thing I expected was our toddler would be squirmy, read hyper. Of course anyone with a toddler is probably shaking their head – a non-squirmy toddler? Does that even exist? So I thought we would manage without a high chair. Fool. Hyper fool. I took one bite and just stopped. Eventually the other table gave up the coveted high chair, and I was able to finish my meal. All I have to show for the evening is a blurry pic of the dumb-waiter (teeny elevator for delivering food) and a blurry shot snapped as I was managing evasive maneuvers with the toddler.

Dumb-waiter with a cute chalk drawing.  I know.  It’s blurry, if I hadn’t been there myself I wouldn’t know what the heck I was looking at.

 

Another blurry shot.  Maybe I will begin a collection of blurry shots taken when caring for squirmy/hyper kiddos.

How does one attain that level of less hyper that without the help of “herbs” one might ask? Prayer and meditation. And deep breaths. And more chocolate covered pastries. I’m almost positive it’s a combination of the three. Oh, and sleep. Much needed, uninterrupted sleep. And then coffee when you wake. And Advil pm before any of this, I think.  I’m not sure, but I’m working on the formula.