Visit Our New Shutterfly Website for 2010 News!

After a long lull in posting photos and anecdotes to our blog, we decided to start fresh with a shutterfly website that includes more functionality and the ease of ordering photos directly from the website. You can view more current photos, funny videos, and Maier family stories at http://theventuramaiers.shutterfly.com. You don't have to register or become a member to view the site. If time permits, we may come back to our blog site as well.

Warm Regards,

Tricia, Jochen, Joshua, and Toby

Merry Christmas und Frohe Weihnachten!

Wishing all of our friends and family peace this Christmas and happiness in 2010!

2009 has been an eventful year for us. We settled into our new house-- completing myriad home projects-- celebrated Jochen's 40th birthday in June, and recently discovered German TV on the internet.

Scroll down to read our reflections on Advent, view photos of our summer trip to Europe, and to experience some of the adventures we enjoyed as a family.

Warmly, Jochen, Tricia, Joshua, & Tobias

Wir wuenschen unseren Freunden und Familie ein schoenes Weihnachtsfest und ein gutes neues Jahr 2010!

Im zurueckliegenden Jahr war viel los. Wir haben uns in unserem neuen Haus gut eingelebt, viele kleine und grosse Projekte im Haus erledigt, Jochens 40. Geburtstag gefeiert und vor kurzem deutsches Fernsehen im Internet entdeckt. Schaut Euch in unserem Blog um, lest die Gedanken zum Advent, schaut Euch Urlaubsfotos an und verschafft Euch damit einen Einblick in unsere Familienerlebnisse.

Jochen, Tricia, Joshua, und Tobias

Advent Reflections

Advent season. A time of expectation and anticipation. Of yearning.

One could say that life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Jochen and I are daily reminded of this as we re-live the childhood sense of wonder from a 5 and 7-year old perspective this Christmas.

Like most boys their ages, Toby and Joshua are dreaming of St. Nicholas and Star Wars toys. Toby is convinced he'll see Santa this year if he can just keep his eyes open all night, and Joshua is counting and recounting the days until Christmas. This is part of the joy of Christmas, along with reading Christmas stories with them, singing Jingle Bells and The Twelve Days of Christmas over and over again, and decorating our tree and house together. Advent is rightfully a time of anticipation, but it is also much more.

That's why earlier in the month, the boys drew homemade cards for relatives and helped Jochen select gifts for a four-year old homeless boy named David at a local shelter. And on Friday afternoon, the four of us will stroll down to the local middle school to help load food baskets with canned goods to be delivered to 350 needy families in Ventura. A group of families at our church participate each year in this event so that our kids-- no matter how small-- are given the chance to experience the joy of giving as well as receiving.

Yesterday we opened our home up to our neighbors on Fremont Street. Surprisingly, there were families we've barely met who joined us to chat over a cup of hot apple cider. For a few hours we munched on German Stollen and Lebkuchen and shared the warmth of candles, a lit fire, and Christmas cheer.

For me, there is something almost magical about spending time with friends and family at Christmas, lighting the Advent wreath each day, and teaching our children to celebrate Jesus' birth by giving and sharing.

May this Advent be a magical time for you; may it usher in a season of hope, transformation, and peace in your home in 2010.

TRICIA

Our Halloween Week

Halloween week was a special treat for us this year. The boys had the week off school for Fall Break and I took a few days off work. On Friday, I visited the pumpkin patch with Toby's preschool class and then we all climbed into the car to drive north. Our destination? To see Shana, Brett, & Bella in their new Fresno home and to spend some quality time with good friends recently transplanted to Mariposa.

This allowed us to also spend a full day reveling in the grandeur of Yosemite National Park. One of the recurring themes in Ken Burns' recent National Parks film series on PBS is that, "America's National Parks are not just a good idea, they're a democratic ideal." They are a spectacular resource available to all Americans regardless of race, gender, status, education, or income and they include some of the most valuable, wild and natural lands in the United States.

We were not disappointed. The weather in Yosemite Valley was unseasonably warm (around 70 degrees), but recent rains graced the mountains with powerful waterfalls and the leaves of black oaks, maples, and cottonwoods indigenous to the park provided a magnificent show in various shades of yellow.

Liz and Kent were our guides in the park --Kent works for the National Park Service and spent most of his life in or near Yosemite. Liz is a dear friend and former planning colleague who moved to Yosemite for love, but remains a great favorite of both Toby and Joshua. While visiting them in Mariposa, the boys trekked over their 4-acre rural property with Kent, ostensibly on a "hunt" for wild animals using self-crafted bows & arrows (from tree branches and ropes). They did not catch anything, however they discovered unusual and elegant bird feathers, and an abandoned deer skull, which (as you can imagine) made the entire trip worthwhile.

In Fresno, the cousins made Halloween crafts together with Aunt Shana, went to the movies with Uncle Brett, and donned their costumes for a Halloween party with Bella's gymnastics class. We were delighted to discover that the northeast side of Fresno-- which resembles southern Orange County, given the amount of recent development-- is filled with lovely parks, tree-lined streets, and ubiquitous walking paths that would be the envy of of many Venturans. To be fair, this was our first visit to the City of Fresno, so we weren't sure what to expect.

Halloween finally arrived and we couldn't resist dressing up as a family. The holiday is just more fun that way. I was a medieval maiden, Jochen transformed into a vaudeville performer, Joshua posed as Hercules, and Toby was a fierce X-man Wolverine.

We joined the family of Joshua's best friend, Evan Sheaffer, for our now customary Halloween pizza and then trick-or-treating together in their neighborhood. The Sheaffer's neighborhood is comprised of many streets that go all-out for Halloween with decorations, garage parties, and even haunted houses that bring in crowds. Needless to say, the boys were giddy with excitement.

What we didn't realize was that one of our sons (need I say who?) wasn't just collecting candy at the various homes, rather he was eating it under cover of darkness. So much, that when we arrived back at Evan's house, I put my hand in his bag and discovered two huge handfuls of empty wrappers. Only to hear him exclaim moments later, "Mommy, my tummy hurts. . ."

Our Family Journey to Europe

Joshua leaps with his cousin Ellena into the warm Adriatic Sea.

Highlights of Our Trip

Precious time with friends and family who opened their homes to us. Enjoying long walks with Oma and Opa. Picking small, ripe mirabelle plums from trees along the walking paths and popping them in our mouths. Taking in the deep green countryside and colorful scenery of Gemany in the summertime. Diving again and again into the warm, mediterranean waters of Croatia. Sharing a pizza at the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Seeing the German women's national soccer team beat the Dutch women's team 6-0 in the Sinsheim stadium before going on to win the European Championship. Wandering the familiar streets of Old Town Heidelberg and marveling once again at the centuries old architecture and sense of history. The boys hammering, sanding, and building with Opa in his workshop. Biting into the tasty pastries of the Croatian Istrian coast -- foods like burek and krofna. Sitting on the beach at dusk at Hotel Brioni in Pula with Stefan, Vesna, Ellena, and Sandro watching the sun shimmer on the water. Drinking Croatian beer, capuccinos, and red pasareta soda (the Croatian version of a Shirley Temple). Enjoying the long, warm summer nights where the sun lingers until almost 9:30 p.m. Learning we were far more flexible as a family than we realized as we navigated the different customs, cultures, foods, languages, and schedules in three countries without a hitch. Exploring the narrow cobblestone streets and sampling the charm of medieval towns in Germany and Slovenia. Visiting castles with real dungeons! Catching crabs and small fish in the tidepools along Croatia's coast. A jubilant Toby when he caught a small anchovy with his hands after valiently attempting the feat for hours in a small, protected inlet. Riding on Uncle Stanko's boat to spend the day on Veruda island. The cousins jumping off the pier holding hands and reveling in time together.

Jochen enjoys a German beer with his Dad.

Joshua with Sandro (8) and Ellena (9) on our first day in Germany. The cousins were inseparable during our stay.Visiting castles with real dungeons, towers, and knight's armor inspired Toby and Joshua's imaginations.

Tidepooling with Uncle Stefan in the Mediterranean waters of Pula, Croatia. They found jellyfish, anchovies, crabs, and other crusteaceans.

Jochen poses with his brother Stefan on our last evening in Croatia. It's already nearly 8:00 p.m. when this photo was taken and we were on our way to enjoy a traditional Croatian meal at a restaurant with the Croatian and Italian relatives.

Hanging out with Mom in Slovenia's beautiful capital city, Ljubljana. We toured the Ljubljana castle, dined in a former monastary and marveled at the Old World charm of the city Rick Steve's calls "the next Prague". The entire city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1895 and rebuilt in the Art Noveau style popular in Vienna at the time.
Joshua plays dress-up with Sandro.
Toby tests the waters on Veruda Island, Croatia. He spent hours every day snorkeling, diving, and swimming in what he proudly referred to as, "the deep end of the ocean".

Toby and Joshua were eager to spend time using tools in Opa's workshop. They worked together to build a peg game (shown above) that the boys brought home as a memory of their time with Opa.
We wandered through many delightful towns on the Istrian coast of Croatia. This one was Rovinj -- built in Venetian style with narrow, cobblestone streets, but with a colorful Croatian flare. (Notice the laundry hanging in the background behind them.)

(View the full slideshow of our time in Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia in the right sidebar. Double-clicking will take you to the Picasa website, where you can enlarge the view.)

Reflections on Walking

I can hardly believe that more than two months have passed since we returned from Europe. It was an amazing trip in many ways; we visited friends and family in Germany and then cruised through Austria and eastern Europe in a rented station wagon for 12 days. It has been a long time dream to visit Croatia, because Jochen's sister-in-law is from Pula, Croatia -- a historic coastal city settled originally by the Romans 2,000+ years ago that is a vacation destination for many Italians, Slovenians, and Germans during the summer months. On my next post I will share some of the highlights of our journey to Kirchheim unter Teck (Jochen's hometown), Heidelberg, Ljubljana (Slovenia's capital), and the Istrian coast of Croatia.

In true German style, we rested from jetlag one day before setting out on a short wanderung (hike) with Jochen's family. It was 7 miles roundtrip -- the first 3.5 miles uphill!-- to Burg Teck (a small fortified castle that sits above the region of Germany where Jochen grew up). The German countryside was a lush mixture of deep greens and the boys were happy to spend the day outdoors with their cousins after our 24-hour trip (door-to-door) to Stuttgart.

Ultimately, extensive walking was something we did nearly every day during our sojourn in Germany. The forest is often only steps away from the urban neighborhoods and the open air cafes and downtown pedestrian plazas beckon one to visit and linger during the summer months. Toby was eager to don a small backpack that included water, a magnifying glass, a map, and other items he considered essential for his new "career" as a spy, and both boys were easily enticed to walk longer distances by the offer of a scoop of Italian gelato at our destination. (Old Town Heidelberg, shown in the two photos below, is a very walkable city where we stayed with friends for a long weekend).
Inspired by this new pedestrian existence (however brief) I've set myself the goal to walk at least 10 miles a week since returning.

To walk this distance requires about 200 minutes of my time each week, time which-- as a Mom working 9 hour days-- is in short supply for me. Thus, I'm forced to integrate walking into my normal daily routine. I now walk to work at the Government Center and back more often. I make an effort to walk to the post office or grocery/drugstore for smaller items and I often take the boys with me. I meet with friends to walk after work when I can. And as a family, we walk or ride our bicycles to Saturday morning soccer games, the public library, and the community swimming pool. After 14 years of Jochen gently urging me out of my car, I'm finally a convert!

I find that as I stop using my car, I don't feel as rushed. This is the paradox. Previously I drove from place-to-place precisely because I felt my quality of life was improved by the speed offered by a vehicle and the trip-linking I could do. I now realize that taking the time to stroll rather than drive (to work, for instance) allows me to experience the world in a provocatively different manner.

Over the past weeks I've observed the row of poplar trees along my route change color, I've breathed in the heady scents of new rain and freshly mowed grass, I've bundled myself against the biting wind, I've listened to the rythmic sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet, and I have more time to meditate and ponder.

I ask myself why our southern California culture is so enamored with a car-centric existence? What do we gain from losing our connection to the outdoor world and racing at breakneck speed to every location in larger, more comfortable vehicles? What do our children learn with this as a model?

Here's to more time spent on foot and bicycle!

911 Uh-Oh

This is one of those family stories that must be written down before it's forgotten.

Toby (who gave up naps at age 2) was enjoying his "rest time" after lunch yesterday when two friendly Ventura policemen came knocking on our front door. When Jochen answered, they wanted to know whether there was an emergency, because a five year old contacted a 911 dispatcher from our residence.

To fully understand how this unfolded, I have to begin a couple weeks ago, when Toby told me he needed his own cell phone and I responded with a firm "No".

"But I'm a real spy, and all spies have cell phones for their missions," he explained.

"How about using your Spiderman phone, then?" I suggested.

"No, I mean a real phone. That one is made out of plastic. And besides, you can't make phone calls with that one."

"Well, if that doesn't work, maybe you can get a cell phone from your spy boss. You must have a boss, since I'm not the one paying you for your spy work, right?"

"You're right!" he agreed enthusiastically before darting out of the kitchen. I naively thought that was the end of the conversation.

But two days later, he snagged my cell phone and took it to preschool in his pocket! Luckily the teacher observed Toby showing the phone to friends on the playground before Jochen departed and she hastily pulled him aside to ask, "Did you give Toby his own cell phone?"

About five days following this incident, in the last moments before leaving for work I walked into the garage and discovered both Toby and Joshua on their bicycles, helmuts firmly snapped on, ready to leave. I asked the obvious question at 7:15 a.m., "What's going on?"

"It's not what it looks like," Joshua began. "I'm trying to stop Toby. He was ready to leave on a bicycle by himself to go find his boss to ask for a cell phone. I stalled him by telling him I would go with him."

"I see."

I then explained to both Toby and Joshua that leaving on their bikes to ride around the neighborhood before school without permission wasn't going to fly, phone or no phone. That was last week.

Then sometime yesterday morning, Toby discovered an old cell phone in our garage that was hidden from view and not easily accessible without climbing on the washing machine. (He's nothing, if not resourceful.)

Joshua was at school when all of this occurred, so we've had to piece the story together based on Toby's selective five-year old memory. We believe Toby "discovered" the cell phone and immediately took it from the garage to his bedroom, where he hid it under his bed. When his daily "rest time" rolled around after lunch, Jochen remembers Toby being very eager to leave the table to go play in his room.

How Toby succeeded in turning the phone on and dialing the only phone number that would have worked we'll never know. That the phone was still operating at all was quite remarkable. The cell service to that phone was turned off six months ago and the battery remained uncharged. We do know that last spring a couple of firemen visited his preschool and emphasized how to dial 9-1-1, so this is when he memorized the emergency phone number and his address.

According to Officers Cole and Alexander, who responded to the call, Toby told the 911 dispatcher his name, his age, and where he lived on Fremont Street. Then he started spinning one of his imaginative tales. He told the dispatcher that he was home alone and his Daddy was supposed to be there, but he wasn't. Since Toby has never been much of a conversationalist on the phone, we believe this was in response to questions the dispatcher was likely asking him.

Jochen recounts that Toby was genuinely surprised when the police arrived at our door. Perhaps not as unpleasantly surprised as Jochen, though! When Toby was called downstairs to meet the officers, he was unable to describe what happened or why he called. For their part, the officers were very kind. They introduced themselves to Toby and explained that calling 911 was serious business, to be used only for real emergencies. They told him they came to check on him and make sure he and his family were okay. Toby blinked and nodded solemnly through all of this, but had little to say.

When I came home from work last night, Toby shared with me that he was scared when he marched downstairs and realized the policemen were there. He was sure the officers were going to take Jochen to jail, because he (Toby) did something bad! Of course I explained that this would never happen, but the shock of the experience clearly made an impression.

Jochen had Toby write an apology in his own words to the officers to be delivered to the Ventura police station today. He told me that Toby started it out with, "Thank you for not taking my Daddy to jail. . . ."