Voltigieren = Vaulting

Girls and horses -- an exciting combination.

Aside from falling in love with our pup, Rikki; my girls love horses, too.

They love horseback riding, though their only experience includes a few minutes on a horse. But they swear they love horses. And indeed, visiting the stalls are always a part of our weekend walks.

One Saturday, we surprised them by bringing them to the Reit-und Fahrverein Birkenau e.V. It was the club's Open House. Aside from winning loads of raffle prizes; we had a great lunch, a plate of homemade cakes, and enjoyed the show. The highlight for the girls? The horseback riding time. They were on the horse so many times!

And then came Voltigieren (Vaulting) show. Little girls doing what looks like circus moves on the horse. My girls were fascinated. But no, they don't like to do something like that. Only horseback riding and taking care of the horse.

Asking around, we learned that there are lessons every Fridays and Saturdays. The girls absolutely want to be there.

The next weekend, we took the girls for a try-out. It was recommended to us that voltigieren is the best way to start with small kids if they want to get used to horses. We arrived early. The girls helped in preparing the horse. And despite wanting to sign-up for horseback riding ONLY; the girls ended up doing the same circus moves on a horse!!!

It was explained to us that voltigieren (vaulting) are gymnastics performed on a moving horse going on a circle line, in full harmony. I was proud of the girls. They were doing gymnastics on top of a moving horse after only a few minutes of trial lessons.

What's more, they were doing almost every move perfectly that the trainer asked if they practiced.

That just shows how interested they are. I noticed how they focused on the trainer; how they concentrated on learning the moves shown to them, how they practiced on the wooden horse, how relaxed they were.

I admit, I really thought they would back out as soon as they see the 'dangerous' moves involve. The girls showed me how wrong I am. The moves are not dangerous at all. 'Mama, they are very easy, ' they told me.

The girls engaged themselves with the cleaning, brushing and the clearing of the stall and the practice arena. And on our way back home, they can't stop gushing about the experience. And even started using the back of our sofa as a 'horse' to practice their moves.

I am glad the girls finally found an activity that they really love. And I am proud seeing them up there!

Coleslaw with Apples and Pears

It is really fun to experiment with recipes if the ingredients are ready for the picking.

Just like the pears and apples. We have more than enough. The girls have had enough of cakes and cookies made of pears and apples. They wanted something different.

So why not Coleslaw with Apples and Pears?

Ingredients:
6-8 cups of chopped coleslaw
3 pcs of apples, chopped
3 pcs of pears, chopped
1 1/4 c mayo
1 c chopped onion
1/4 c wine vinegar (essig)
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients. Refrigerate in a tightly-lid container.

Tip: Store the Coleslaw with Apples and Pears in smaller containers, ready for each meal.

My girls, who are not cabbage fans, loved it.

I therefore conclude that my experiment is a success! Now we are thinking of planting cabbage in our garden.

Picnic in Heidelberg

We took advantage of another sunny day this October.

We arranged to meet friends in the grounds of the Heidelberg Castle on a Saturday. Do some touristy stuff, enjoy the company, etc...

When we checked the weather forecast (it's going to be a sunny day); we added picnic in our agenda, too. Good thing that dogs on leash are allowed in the castle grounds. (We always check in the internet if dogs are allowed before we drive for most of all our family trips now.)

The girls decided we should bring: some cheese, some fruits and some drinks. My husband suggested some cold cuts, pretzels and rolls. And Rikki nudged me with her nose so as not to forget her dog food.

Therefore our picnic basket was full of sliced cold cuts, cheese cubes, boiled eggs, chopped apples and freshly baked pretzels and rolls. I added some waffles, gummi bears, chips and slices of freshly baked lemon cake. For our pup, a bone and her dog food. Plus, bottles of water and our picnic blankets.

Off to Heidelberg. It was easy to find the right spot for a great picnic; after all, the Heidelberg Castle grounds is huge!

There's enough trees if you want the shades. There's enough hidden corners if you want privacy. There's enough benches if you want to take a break. There's enough to see if you want to feed the eyes. And there's more than enough space to move!

That sunny day, we shared the picnic grounds with some university students reviewing, sun bathers, dog walkers; and plenty of tourists. The girls went wild, running around; the dog echoed their excitement.

Some people avoid the Heidelberg Castle grounds for picnics because they said they don't want to be gawked and photographed by the piles of tourists.

Well, on that day; we received smiles and noticed some are pointing cameras at us. I guess most of them are thinking how lucky we are -- enjoying the warm day with a picnic; on the grounds of a historical castle; with good friends for company.