Many couple therapists and other relationship experts highly recommend is to free some time from time to time to spend time as a couple without children. Sarah is ​​four months now, but still pretty mama-dependent, so we decided to take her with us to our Date Night. 

A colleague of Marco invited us to a party exactly for the day we planned our date night. The venue and food sounded great, so we skipped going to a restaurant. Sarah was very good, the other guests all very entertaining, the huge sun terrace with palm trees and plenty Botany high above Downtown Seattle really pretty to look at and on top of that the whole evening was all free.

Marco got a Kindle, because he has worked so hard throughout the year. The Kindle is a new electronic reading device from Amazon. One can download books from everywhere on American soil directly to the device. There are currently 145,000 titles to choose from - almost all books cost about $ 9 and it is very nice to read on it. 

I just read Barbara Walters 'Audition' on it and loved it. The only drawbacks are still the somewhat high price ($ 349), you can not see the page numbers, but only a scroll bar on the bottom of the book and we have only one of them. It's Marco new toy, so he wants to use it, but I can read on it if he isn't home.

It's hot here. Spending time on the balcony. 
Sarah still wakes up at 4 am, jet lagged baby. The worst.
Our day starts at 4.30 am now.

My observations from my latest trip to Germany:

- Germany has become way more child-friendly. Maternity leave led to increased birth rates. 
- children are welcome and doors are kept wide open for mothers with strollers
- You can see stroller everywhere.
- And everywhere we went we found some playmates for Tim and Sarah. 
- Toilets are higher in Germany. 
- Beer gardens with playgrounds are the best. Why don't we have any here?
- A Radler Mass is simply the best thirst cruncher in the heat.

12 Donnerstag Departure at 22 Uhr, very successful red eye flight with Sarah (4 months), Timmy (2.5 yrs) stayed awake
13 Freitag, der 13. 21 Uhr Arrival Munich, all went great, besides a little drama on our flight from Heathrow to Munich, when we got assigned to separate seats in the very last, super tight row, totally overly tired and a screaming baby, one suitcase missing, will be delivered later and a 23 Uhr arrival in Utting, a 21 hour trip door to door with 2 small kids and only the 4 month old slept at all
14 Grocery shopping at Edeka - Shopping-Highlight! 
Our obligatory German shopping list: Brezn, Erdnussflips, Milka, Seitenbacher Sauerteig, Nockerlgriess, Milchreis, Non-Nonfat-Erdbeerjoghurt, suesse, reife Kiwis, Obatzn, Fencheltee, Kinderschoko, Saftbaeren von Haribo, Neues von Bahlsen, Hendlmair Senf, Apfelschorle, Schluempfe Senf, Ueberraschungseier, Palmolive Aroma Therapie, IT Magazin for Marco
Yes, we can't find any of this in the US.
Prieses and Oma Carola come to Utting for coffee and a walk
15 Garden-Party with my Schongauern relatives, Marco goes to Muc
16 Shoppen at Aldi (Bedding, Bob Baumeister-Puzzle, sandals fuer Tim, a new suitcase)
spent some time sorting out my old stuff in the basement (first letter I got from my friend Jule, horse camp stuff, photos)
17 US Visa Appointment at US Consulat in Muc, Opening SSKM bank account for Sarah
18 Going for a walk and grocery shopping with my niece and Opa Franz, then visiting to my uncle and aunts in Schongau
19 Toddler gymnastics class with my sister in law, a visit from my old school friend Nicola and her daughter (3,5 Monate)
20 Shopping in Landsberg (H&M, Tchibo, Eis, Leberkaessemmel), visting my uncle Konrad, departure for Muc
dinner at Poschinger Weiher with Marcos parents, sister and our niece
21 Weisswurst-Breakfast im Aumeister, Baden in the Feringasee, 1/2 Hendl for dinner and Radler im Buergerfest Festzelt
22 Swim at Feringasee, Marcos Grandparents come to Muc
23 Breakfast and lunch with Greatgrandparents, Lasagne at Prieses
24 Grandma sick, Doener Kebap for lunch, dinner at Biergarten at Post, met Babsi & Mirja at Canape in Ismaning
25 Breakfast with great grandparents, Omily visits us at our Hotel 'Lechnerhof', Pizza and Fussball at Villa Casale
26 Shopping at OEZ (mall), 10min. in a massage chair, stopped by at Amazon.de, Augustiner with Tom und Nasim
Dinner at Taj Mahal with Ulisch, Mon, Christoph, Sissel, Daniel, Audrey und Steffen
27 Shopping at OEZ, Augustiner kaufen, Tierpark Hellabrunn with Julia & Antonie
Flaucher with all our old friends (Ulisch, Babsi, Wilko, Flo (mit Markus+Family und Korkut), Pam, Paul) and our siblings families (Isabel, Vanessa, Michi, Sigrid, Juliana, Julia, Jens & Antonie)
28 Aumeister Biergarten with Mon, Silke, Babsi, Wilko, Julia, Jens, Emanuel, Marei & Jakob
followed by packing, Pizza with Julia, Jens & Antonie
29 Breakfast, Departure Muc 12 Uhr, Arrival SEA 16 Uhr, great flight, long wait at Immigration, stroller and car seat are missing (as always), but luggage is there. Almost. Customs gives us an extra-Check for all 5 of our suitcases to check for German sausages, but only finds Nutella and apples, get a rental car seat from BA counter, so we can get home, another wait for our airport shuttle, arrive at home at 19 Uhr, very tired, 4 am German time, after being up and travelling for 20 hours without sleep.

Did I mention our kids are troopers? They did very well for a 3.5 months and 2.5 year old.

Picture gallery

How a German family spends their time travelling in Germany?
What to do with small kids in Munich?
Authentic things to do in Munich
Travel recommendations for Munich by German expats 
What to buy, eat and where to go in travelling Munich