"Ladies" Lunch

I met Tanja through a language partner exchange program, a week or so after we moved to Munich. In addition to simply helping me learn the language and the culture, she has also been a great friend. I've spent several meals in her home (a couple of times she and her husband invited both Steve and me over together), but we just now coordinated a time for her to come to my home. I felt a little apprehensive at first, since she has a two-year-old daughter -- I just wasn't quite sure how well that would go over with our landlady. After the first time I mentioned it, though, our landlady kept asking when my "acquaintance and her little one" were coming over. At that point, I realized she might just have more fun with it than any of us. I guess she really likes children and is not very easily disturbed by their child-like behavior... at least I hoped that was true.

So today was the day. I met Tanja on the train platform, helped her carry her "Kinderwagen" (stroller) down a flight of stairs, and walked the 20 minutes on the icy sidewalks back to our home. I was glad that the sun was shining, so it was a beautiful day to walk. Upon arrival, the little girl headed for our landlady's stack of toys for which, thankfully, I had already cleared permission. As Tanja and I made the pizzas, we could hear the other two, the 88-year-old and the 2-year-old, chattering in the other room. Every once in awhile, we would have to move out of the way of the "doll parade," and before we knew it, it was time for lunch. I invited our landlady to join us -- an invitation she rarely accepts! Well today she was on a mission to get the little one to eat a few bites of her meal, so she sat and enjoyed a slice of pizza, obviously playing the role of "example."

Afterwards, more playing in the living room, and then it was time to go back to the train station. So reverse the process -- 20-minute walk in the sunshine to the train station... but somehow the Kinderwagen was more difficult to get *up* the stairs.