December 4- 10

Tuesday December 4

Kept GE home from KG today. Nasty cold. No fever, but croupy cough and snotty nose. Relished not having to run her to and from myself! We took a short walk in the a.m. to take ME's bike to the repair shop (broken brake) and then a few things from the grocery store. GE rode her Laufrad and was happy to be out in the cold fresh air. An otherwise quiet, uneventful day.

Wednesday December 5

Typical day: took GE to KG (still a little cough, but much better already and she wanted to go). Did a little grocery shopping in Bad Godesberg, then came home. Neighbor R invited me to go to Knauper with her--a large hobby and household department store. I was able to get a few more little items to add to GE and MK's birthday presents, plus a couple little stocking stuffers. Today is St. Nikolaus Abend, so the girls will be setting out their boots for goodies from St. Nik. Click here for A great article describing the tradition around St. Nik in Germany. Oops just realized we forgot to clean them... oh well! Guess they won't be getting any goodies... Or maybe St. Nik will make an exception for our unenlightened US kids.

Training group this evening: instead of the usual warm-up run and strength training circuit, we did a Biggest-Loser style circuit: using our own body weight or a weighted ball (for example, push ups or leg lifts with weighted ball held between our feet), we repeated each exercise until we maxed out the muscle group and couldn't do another rep, then switched to a different exercise and did that one until we couldn't move. The last one was the burpee! 30 mins total, then a short run. My arms are jelly tonight...

Thursday December 6

St. Nikolaus Day! The girls loved getting their boots this morning. In the p.m. rode with GE and HR to the park near the Kindergarten to see St. Nik and GE got some goodies along with all the other kids in her KG. Then we stood around in the dark (and bitter cold) singing St. Nik songs.

I called a "no electronics" afternoon and ME was inspired by a friend at school to make cut-out paper snow flakes. The windows are now all decorated and it was so pretty to see when we came home from choir tonight with the living room lamp glow shining through. With the weather change it definitely feels more like Christmas! Even snowed while I was running this afternoon even though the sun was shining too.

Friday December 7

Well, they've been calling for it all week: SNOW. It snowed all day. We probably only got about 3 inches, but it was really beautiful light snow. I did some quick grocery shopping in the early a.m. GE's Kindergarten was closed for a teacher work day, so J stayed home with her while I did my running around. Good thing too because it was bitterly cold riding on the bike with the wind whipping snow into my face. For the first time I really wished for a car!  Later in the afternoon I went to the bakery to pick up MK's birthday cake and had to carry it quite carefully so that I didn't slide and drop or damage the cake!

ME went to children's choir. MK went to her dance class. When ME came home, she headed to a friend's house for a sleepover. Then it was a waiting game: MK's party started at 6 and she was chomping at the bit for her friends to arrive! We gathered in the restaurant downstairs for pizza, opening presents and chocolate cake, then wrapped ourselves up and headed to the bus stop to go to the movie theater in Bad Godesberg. We had tickets for the 3D showing of Wreck-it Ralph (Ralph Reichts). MK had 7 friends along: 5 from her school and 2 others. The little girls stayed at home with a babysitter and J and I accompanied the birthday party crowd. Snow ball fight at the bus stop (started by none other than dear Dad).

Everyone seemed to have a good time and we were home before it was terribly late. One of MK's friends spent the night with her as well. Happy Birthday to my oldest (she'll be 12 on 12.12.12)! One birthday down, one more to go (GE will be 4 on 12.11!).

Saturday December 8

Friesdorf Weihnachtsmarkt today. Stunning sunny weather with crisp cold air and lots of snow!

We bundled up, put the snow gear on the two youngest and braved the cold to see what was happening in "downtown" Friesdorf. The Klufterplatz was full of huts from the schools, Kindergartens, local businesses, and organizations, all selling handmade goods or yummy food. St. Nikolaus arrived about 12:30 and there was singing from a men's chorus and a group from the Catholic school. 

We had some yummies, found ME with her friend, and poked around a bit before heading home. ME was invited to stay the rest of the day and spend the night again with her friend, J. We'll get her back again sometime tomorrow!!  About an hour later MK and I walked to her friend M's house so they could play in the snow together while I walked into Bad Godesberg for a little shopping. MK is going to a friend's birthday party tomorrow so we needed to get a gift for her. I got an assortment of other household items, window shopped and took my time before heading back to pick MK up and head home. The sun was going down and we walked along the snowy streets near the woods. So beautiful! They don't salt/sand the side streets, so the road was packed white, not slushy brown/gray like at home. Everything looked so clean and fresh. Still, we were very happy to get home to the warm apartment and defrost our fingers! It didn't get above freezing today.

Pretty Fachwerk house on our street with a snowy roof and Mistletoe hanging over the window.

Sunday December 9

Walked MK to her classmate's birthday party this morning. They were cooking and baking together and then eating! A woman leads a cooking/baking class and party business out of the Haus der Familie, the family support organization of the Evangelische church. There are classes for new parents, playgroups for toddlers, afterschool programs for school age kids and that sort of thing. It snowed again over night, but then switched to a light rain so that by the time MK came home from the party it was just wet. Too bad! Yesterday was so beautiful. ME came home shortly after lunch. She'd had a grand time at her friend's house again--this time another friend from school joined them so there was a three-some slumber party. J's mother said they all got along swimmingly and they'd like to do it again. ME, however, was sooo worn out from thinking in German and, I'm sure, not really sleeping well, that she was a bit of a grump in the evening. I spent the afternoon baking for GE's birthday party: an almond bar recipe that failed (turned into a lovely granola though), a chocolate cake that also failed (sigh), and a banana chocolate chip muffin recipe that was scrumptious. I think my little oven does a good job with muffins and cookies because they don't need as long to bake, but a cake needs a more constant careful temp to come out right. I had borrowed some baking tools (muffin tins and hand mixer) from my neighbor who was kind enough to let me use her oven later in the evening after the kids were in bed to make a second attempt at the cake. This time it came out perfectly... The muffins are to take to GE's Kindergarten to share with her school friends.

Monday December 10

ME still really worn out and not feeling well (cold sores on her lip and in her mouth--she has a tendency to get them when she's run down), so she stayed home. J took GE to Kindergarten. I straightened up the apartment, hung up some laundry and then made tea for my friend, SL. We sat around for nearly two hours talking. Then I did some quick grocery shopping--thankful the snow is melted so that I could ride my bike again. I cooked a light lunch (soup and some leftovers) for the girls, then started making some food for the little party we're having for GE's birthday tonight (she'll be 4 tomorrow).  Picked up GE from Kindergarten at 2:15 and then home to finish getting set up for the party. Our neighbors came about 5:30 for a light finger-food supper and then GE opened her presents and then cake. At bedtime she was so tired, she fell asleep before J had finished reading!

Neighbor RP and her boys.

From Mommy and Daddy: a pretty pink bag with some little surprises inside...

... and a handknit sweater...

...which is not nearly as exciting as the bag!

Has anyone noticed GE's outfit? She has her favorite jumper on under a shirt which she put on herself... backwards and inside out. Did I mention the jumper is on backwards too?

Happy?! I think so! :)

Can't get a clear picture of her! Constant motion...

Counting the candles! 4

Singing "Happy Birthday"!

Candles all blown out in a whirl of motion!