My "Only Child"

Ever since 2003, I have been getting my weekly time magazines. I read it cover to cover and love it because it makes me feel smart and knowledgeable. It comes every Saturday, which I call "Newsy Magazine Day." (That's a "Billy Madison" reference....) Well, a recent issue was titled this:

And it just absolutely made my day! It said that only children are portrayed and believed to be "overprivileged, asocial, royally autonomous...self-centered, aloof and overly intellectual." All of these things are things that I have been worried about since Maddie is an "only child." And everybody loves to tell me so ("when are you having more kids," "you don't want an only child," "she needs a brother or sister...."). The weird part was that she seemed just fine. Top of the class in all subjects, including sociable and friendly. (Of course, I think this might also have to do with the fact that I have a degree in child development and that I work my butt off to be a good mother and happened to marry a man who is a sweet father.)

Well, it turns out that this "only child" worry isn't necessarily true. "Generally, studies showed that singletons aren't measurably different from other kids - except that they score higher in measures of intelligence and achievement....No matter their income or occupation, parents of only children have more time, energy and money to invest in their kid....That attention leads to not just higher SAT scores but also higher self-esteem....Only children tend to do better in school and get more education - college, medical or law degrees - than other kids....Singeltons offer the rich experience of parenting without the consuming efforts that multiple children add: all the wonder and giggles and shampoo mohawks but with leftover energy for sex, conversation, reading and so on..."

This article made me take a huge deep breath...... Although I never intended on having an "only child," it turns out that is what I have. At least for now. And it's good to know that I'm not screwing up her life..... :o)

Wrapping it up in Austria

Our last week in Salzburg, I had to do a lot of reading and studying. Because despite all these fun pictures, I was still trying to pass my final exam. It was perfect timing for my mom to come back and spend some time with us there.

Where she climbed the entire mountain up to the abbey with Maddie on her back.

Here is the abbey where Maria was a nun (in real life, and in the movie.)

And they explored the fortress on the top off the mountain.

We got to watch an adorable marionette show of "The Sound of Music."

Maddie is pointing to the Maria puppet.

And we also found time to do a Sound of Music tour.

Where Maddie was haunted by jetlag.

Her favorite part of the movie is the "I am sixteen going on seventeen" song in the romantic gazebo. (As I'm sure is every young girl's favorite part.) She got to reenact and sing it with her papa.

And we got to see the houses that they used as the Von Tropp homes. This was the house that they used for the backyard only.

Istanbul, not Constantinople.

Next weekend stop....Istanbul, Turkey.

Where we were joined by family, Josh's dad, Rick, and my mom, Linda. Can you see how happy Josh and Maddie are to have their best friends visit? :o)

Our first night, we walked down to a square and ate all kinds of yumminess. It was surreal to keep passing the hundreds of mosques everywhere and to hear the the call to prayer five times a day. It is so loud and you can hear it all over the city.

Maddie was so happy that her Grandma was there that they slept in the same kid bed, where they were giggling and whispering late into the night.

Maddie was all about the local dress:

Dinner with my cousins Kim & Lee. Kim works for the U.S. Consulate's office in Istanbul, so going to visit her was just enough of an excuse to go all the way to Turkey. :o)

Shopping:

River Tour Cruise:

Maddie swimming in our hotel pool, which looks like a palace.

Riding in the back of a sweaty cab, hoping you won't die because the traffic is horrible and there aren't enough seatbelts to go around.

Enjoying the local cuisine:

Touring one of the Mosques:

Touring the palace of the Ottoman Emperors:

Touring the palace's "harem."

Our last night in Turkey:

The airport in Turkey was probably my least favorite time of our trip. Apparently, lines and manners and air conditioning are not a world wide custom.

Switzerland - Our Motherland

Both mine and Josh's ancestors are from Switzerland. (In fact, one of our great, great, great, great grandpas is the same guy - Johannes Reber. I know. Gross.) So for our first weekend, I got to see that beautiful country for the first time.

Maddie en route to Switzerland with her new Swiss doll. Oh, how I love iPads and iPods. Traveling without them with a child would have been a LOT harder! In fact, it turns out that Maddie is by far a better, more pleasant traveller than me. :o)

Maddie was greeted at the train station by a goat who was in love with her.

One of my memories of Switzerland is that it is a country of trains. We took trains, trains, and more trains everywhere we went.

Here we are at the very highest point of the Alps and Europe. Maddie loved all the snow.

And she loved the "ice palace" which was a huge house made out of ice. She made us call her the "ice princess" and kept saying, "I wish we could live here." I, on the other hand, was freezing cold and couldn't wait to get outta there.

We got to walk through little Swiss towns that epitomize the word "quaint."

We got to ride these ski-lift-type-things to the tops of the alps....

....and hike around. Josh was terrified when he took this picture, but neither Maddie or I are afraid of heights. We were loving it.

Here was our beautiful hotel. Fourth floor, no elevator. There are no elevators anywhere in Europe. I've now got buns of steel. :o)

A Day in the Life of living in Salzburg

The beautiful city of Salzburg, Austria.

Maddie came to visit me at my classroom.

Maddie exploring the town.

Daddy daughter date to the underground salt mines & alpine slide.

Playing horseshoes.

Eating spaghetti at our favorite restaurant.

Having fun at a park.

And another park.

Hellbrunn Palace has a garden of "trick fountains" that squirt you unexpectedly. It was Maddie's favorite place in all of Europe.

We had to play an insane amount of "thumb war" games with Maddie to keep her entertained on trains, planes, and at laundromats. She has become really good and has a freakishly strong little thumb.

Maddie became an expert of Salzburg quickly, and knew exactly how to get everywhere we needed to go. And the people at the restaurants and shops that we frequented knew her and asked about her and loved her. How could they not? She is cute.

This is the ugly fake dog we bought the day before we left for Austria, and she insisted that it come with us.....everywhere. She drug this thing through airports and city streets and insisted that it is real and named "Isabella" or "Izzy" for short. It is annoying when you are trying to pack lightly....