March 23rd, 2017
Here’s a big hodge-podge of memories from the end of January through the beginning of March to give you glimpses into what we’ve been up too!
Medals…both boys received medals this past winter!
S played in a soccer tournament at the end of January. His team got split into two teams that both competed. Every child received a medal for participation. He was so proud and excited to earn his first medal in fussball!
E placed second in his division at the Cub Scouts Pine Wood Derby at the beginning of February. He built a car with his Daddy, a first for the two of them! His is the silver blur on the tracks in the pictures below!
Our little glass cleaner!
Valentine’s Day…The boys got crafty this year as they wrote out their own valentines for their classmates and added stickers and candy. I was so proud of their hard work and how LONG they sat at the table to get the job done!
On the evening of Valentine’s Day, the boys brought me home flowers and then joined their Daddy in preparing me a wonderful dinner! E helped cook while S was in charge of decorating the table. They were so excited to call me into the kitchen when everything was ready! For dessert, we enjoyed the homemade cookies Momo sent. I loved every minute of it!
Stylin’…One of S’s new things is having his hair styled. He loves it when his Daddy makes it stand up!
25+25+25+25=100!…E had to do a 100’s project for the One Hundredth Day of School. He needed to have a theme, one hundred objects and show a mathematical pattern. He picked “100 Ways to Travel.” In a large box, he had 25 cars, 25 airplanes, 25 trains and 25 pairs of feet (Lego and Playmobil people). Our European travels provided some frame-work!
Weekend in Paris!
I am so grateful for my two dear friends in our village! I have mentioned Amy and Clara here on the blog before. They have become fast friends, kindred spirits and are at the core of our community. In February, with our husband’s blessings and incredible help, we took a Ladies’ Trip to Paris over a three-day weekend. Our group dynamic worked out even better than we could have hoped. We lingered in book stores, churches and cafés, walked the artist square in Montmartre, navigated public transportation, saw the sights and enjoyed some of the best chocolate eclairs. We never ran out of things to talk about and stayed up late into the night getting to know each other better and sharing our stories. Thankfully, Amy found us a fantastic breakfast place around the corner from our apartment that served good coffee and a delicious green-energy drink to wake us up in the morning!
We walked into Tiffany & Co. on the Champs Elysees. On one of the walls, we found a letter from Audrey Hepburn to Tiffany. For those of you who have seen “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” you would enjoy what Ms. Hepburn had to say.
Riding the Trails…S and I took a bike ride one Sunday afternoon on one of the many trails around our village while Daddy and E were at Scouts. We appreciate the value German’s put on nature!
A Force to be Reckoned With…here’s S with his little buddy J. I love how they still enjoy dressing up in costumes!
Celebrating Fasching at the International Tea…on Tuesday afternoons we join other internationals in our village for a time to connect, learn about German culture and eat some delicious, home-made treats. The Mennonite Church sponsors the tea. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, many of the Germans were dressed up to celebrate the end of Fasching. This carnival season starts on the 11th day of November at exactly 11minutes after 11am and ends at the stroke of midnight on Shroud Tuesday – often referred to as Fat Tuesday. It was fun to learn more about this tradition!
Dr. Seuss’s Birthday…the boys’ school celebrated with an evening of fun, games, a story reenactment and even green eggs and ham! E’s teacher from last year dressed up as the Cat in the Hat. The boys LOVE her!! We are really hoping S will get her next year.
Below is S with his kindergarten teacher. He scored BIG time!!! How I wish E got her when he first started school. Thankfully, we like E’s teacher this year too (pictured below in the blue shirt as we acted out the book, Ten Apples on Top).
Trains and Automobiles…we took the train downtown the first Saturday in May to meet up with a new friend of ours. The boys found a German newspaper on the train that kept their interest for the ride. As we were walking to a park, we passed a green VW Bug. It reminded me of stories my parents told about my Mami driving a green VW Bug when they lived in Germany!
Our Wolf…E had an award ceremony/potluck dinner for his Cub Scout Troop on March 5th. He received his Bobcat badge after demonstrating his understanding of Scouting’s core values alongside other requirements. He also earned some other patches. E and his Daddy participated in a special “fireside” pinning of his Bobcat badge which enables E to move through the Cub Scout ranks. As a second grader, he is currently a Wolf.
Love Sent in a Package…the boys both received handmade hats from their Momo in their favorite colors! She made fourteen hats for the younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her incredible labor of love arrived in a box full of treats for my Birthday. We were all loved on! Thanks Momo!
Our lives are getting busier as we continue to get more connected and engaged! Now we are moving into a season of visitors. More on that in the next few posts!
Tschüss! (“bye” in German)
