April 23-28

Tuesday April 23

Well, I've been too busy to write as much as I would like. Writing also makes me think about leaving... I'm also starting to feel the stress of all that has to be done before we leave. How am I handling that? Procrastination! I have a list of companies, schools, city departments, etc. who have to be notified of our departure, but I have no desire to do the actual calling. Bleh.

When I picked GE up from Kindergarten her teacher handed me a form and said that she had passed the language evaluation that they did with all the 4 and 5 year olds! She wasn't even at the bottom of the pass range, but right smack solid in the middle. Her teacher said with a chuckle: "She doesn't need any language/speech therapy! She'll be just fine for the start of school if she keeps on like she's doing." The teacher knows, of course, that we are leaving, so she said this all tongue-in-cheek. I think she's been fairly impressed with how quickly GE learned German--even beyond how well young kids typically can pick up the language. Part of that is probably because we did try to speak German at home and corrected her when she used it. If we'd be staying longer, there would have been more of a push to speak English at home so she would continue to learn her mother-language, but under our circumstances, we wanted to cram as much German into her little brain as quickly as possible!

She needed a 47.8-75.0 to pass and got 56.25. Not sure what they did with her exactly but they played games and that sort of thing. "Braucht keine zusätzliche Sprachförderung" means she doesn't need any further language/speech support.

HR stayed home with a stomach ache (really? I think more likely she wanted to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma but that plan sort of backfired.) My in-laws took the train to Köln for the day, visiting the Dom and the Markt in the Altstadt. I had planned to go running with my friend, SL, but when I had to stay home with HR, I invited her over for Kaffee instead. After visiting for a while, ME came home and I could make a mad dash to the grocery store. Didn't need much since we were going out for dinner at the Afghani restaurant in Bad Godesberg. Dinner was delicious and the chef sent out two platters of a special lamb dish (guess they heard us speaking American English and wanted to make an impression!). Yum.  I was pleasantly surprised that all the girls found something at the buffet that they wanted to try and liked. I'd half expected them all to balk at having to choose between curried vegetables and spicy chicken! Maybe my international cooking is starting to wear off on them after all... We walked home in the late day sun. The weather has been just stunning the last few days and today was no exception. We made park stops along the way to let the little girls play on the swings, in the sand, etc. They both needed to be thoroughly washed when we got home...

Wednesday April 24

Spent the morning doing my shopping around Friesdorf (Pennymarkt and Der Leyenhof). In-laws just tagged along. Grandma has been walking the middle girls to school and came with me one day to drop GE off at the Kindergarten. Grandpa came this time. The weather is lovely. In the afternoon we took the girls back to Der Leyenhof because we'd seen that there were baby bunnies!

Riding bike down our street to Der Leyenhof.

Checking out the pigs too!

Notice the roof! My FIL pointed out that it was growing stuff too!

GE got to help feed the pigs (the pot in the foreground had the farm worker's leftovers from lunch which got mixed up with leftover greens.)

Happy, grunting pigs.

From there we headed over to the Klufterplatz and suddenly HR exclaimed that right over there is the Schulgarten (school garden). We parked the bikes and had her walk us over. Luckily a teacher was just leaving with a group of students and parents who had been working on one of the flower plots. She let us go in (it's gated and locked) and see HR's Schulgarten, then we walked over to get Eis at the Klufterplatz.

She planted this one. The classes each have one or two plots. The children, teachers and parents all help to maintain the garden. They go during school hours and sometimes meet after school or on weekends. Can you imagine?!

Abendbrot for dinner and then the little girls went back out with Grandpa to the "Ship Park" because the weather just screamed to be enjoyed outside. I met my running group friends for a run at 8 p.m. It stayed light the whole time!

Thursday April 25

Today we took the train to Ahrweiler (about 45 minutes total travel time). We let the little girls come along, but MK went to school. We've been to Ahrweiler twice so she wasn't missing anything new, but we wanted to show J&K one of our favorite old villages. We poked around the church (which we haven't ever managed to see before because it was closed or being used for a wedding) and the shops. J got a Jagdhut to match his traditional Trachtenmode Jacke. We ate lunch in the little Altstadt, then took the train home. Later we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Club Galicia (the local tapas soccer club joint that we like).

The vineyards on the hill overlooking the train stop where we got off.

The historic plaque on the gate (previous picture) explaining when and how the watch tower and gate were built (13/1400's). The stones are from the Drachenfels quarry near Bonn.

GE kept hiding in the doorways. Here I caught her hopping out of one to run over to another.

HR pulling the heavy wooden door of the church open to go in with me.

Gorgeous frescoes on the ceiling.

Lighting a candle--this time she said it's for her Oma and Opa (my parents).

Saying a little prayer that my parents arrive safely for their visit in a few weeks.

There was a special story about the large metal doors in this church. I couldn't find the information in the short amount of time we were there, but found them fascinating. I imagine they are based on something in Revelations? Anyone recognize what it might be? HR thought the eyeballs in the doorhandles were particularly cool.

Spring time has invaded Ahrweiler!

Checking out the baked goods while we sat out for a little Kaffee und Kuchen.

Frescoes in the plaster of the Fachwerk.

Busy streets and blue sky.

The restaurant had a patio for eating outside AND a place for the little girls to play. Perfect.

While waiting for the food to come, ME and Grandpa sat in one of the cabanas to chat.

J in his Jagdhut. Isn't he a stunner? We're going to have to put up a hat rack when we get home to VA! He's gotten a new Stetson here, the short brimmed one for his birthday, and a tweed cap when he was in Ireland in February.

Friday April 26

Grandpa rode bike with MK to her school. The clouds are moving in and the temperatures are supposed to tank over the course of the day. All the girls went to school again. My FIL came along to drop GE off at Kindergarten and then rode with me into Bad Godesberg (BG) where I got my groceries. My in-laws leave today in the afternoon, so there were lots of "lasts": last walk to Grundschule to pick up the middle girls, last lunch together, squeezing the girls one last time. I raced to get GE from Kindergarten so she could see them as they left. It was raining and I had to put on all my water-proof gear and took Matschhosen and raincoat along for GE.  After they left, I headed into BG to watch MK at her dance class, then raced with her over to a place that supposedly does ear piercing (they close at 4 and her class goes until 3:45) only to discover that they don't do it anymore, so then into Bonn instead. Mission accomplished! She has also outgrown her clothes from last summer, so we shopped for gym shorts, some more short sleeved shirts, and some capri jeans.

Then home to spruce up for my celebratory dinner with my running group at Tuscolo in Bonn! At 8 I met my running friends at a house down the street and we drove in to Bonn together (originally we were going to bike, but the rain nixed that plan).  There were 10 women plus our trainer! I took my camera but had forgotten to put the SD card back in after downloading pictures. It was one of those gatherings where we talked and talked and I suddenly looked at  my watch and saw it was past 11 p.m.! The food was wonderful, but the company even better! We were some of the last to leave.

Saturday April 27

This morning's running group was the finale to the "course" that started in January (you thought it was the 1/2 marathon, but that would be wrong!). Our trainer, HW, called it the "Sparta 1000". It was hard, but good! I made it through (can't believe I did 100 pushups!). Points to anyone who can read the introduction!

100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats with cinder block overhead press, 100 leg lifts, 100 pull ups (lying down under a chair, feet up on another chair), 100 twists (seated, cinder block held outstretched and passed side to side over knees), 100 bicep curls (cinder block in each hand!), 100 burpees, 100 dips (triceps: hands on a stool/bench, feet up on another, lower self between the chairs), 100 leg pulls (seated, stretch legs out as far as possible at 45 degree above ground, then pull knees in to shoulders as fast as possible). Then 10 km run while carrying a weighted ball.

Came home, lunched, showered, grocery shopped, napped!

The big girls had gone over on Friday evening to ME's friend's house to spend the night and then went with them to Phantasialand, a theme park near Bonn. It was a lot colder today and rainy at first but they still had a great time.

Sunday March 28

A quiet morning (the big girls spent the night again at ME's friend's house!). We slept late, the little girls played nicely together (why is it so much quieter when MK and ME are gone?!), I cooked and baked. My friend SL had planned to do a barbeque today and we were invited, but she postponed it due to the cold weather, so I took the opportunity to invite them over for Kaffee und Kuchen this afternoon. I made my chocolate mayonnaise cake recipe but put the batter in my mini-muffin pan so I wouldn't have to go to the neighbor's house to bake it. The first pan stuck to the muffin forms, but then I oiled them a bit and the second pan turned out great! I also have some fresh fruit and Quark.

Had a lovely time talking SL and her husband O. Their son, N, is also in the 4th grade at the Bodelschwingheschule but in another class. SL had told me that he was interested in the computer game, Minecraft (having heard of it from other classmates), but that they didn't know much about it. I offered to have MK show him some of things you can do (it's sort of like Legos on a computer, if you're not familiar with it). So, they were busy with that while the grown-ups (intermittently interrupted by GE or HR) visited over Kaffee. We'll get together again for coffee/tea tomorrow morning.

April 15-22

Monday April 15

Still flying high from the race yesterday. Yeah! And to top it off, the weather is just gorgeous: sun, 70's, a slight breeze. Love it. The daffodils and forsythia are blooming and the trees are starting to get their yellowish-green halos! Finally!

Did some wash Sunday night and hung it out on the balcony today--dry by mid-afternoon! After picking GE up from Kindergarten I took her and HR over to one of the near-by play grounds to play. The place was crawling with kids... and this time we actually knew quite a few of them from either school or Kindergarten. Nice feeling, but a little sad too since we will be leaving in just 2 months.

GE with the pigtail on the swing.

HR climbing.

Swinging with friends from her Kindergarten.

Digging in the sandbox with friends L and J from Kindergarten.

Some clouds moved in later and it started to spritz. Rain overnight but then it was sunny again on Wednesday.

Doesn't she look comfy?!

ME went to her Irish dance class and then stayed at her friend's house to play for a while afterwards. MK went to her German tutoring.

Tuesday April 16

It's my friend SL's birthday and she invited me over for Kaffee this morning. The sun is shining again! I dropped GE off and then rode over to SL's. We visited until nearly 11 a.m. and then I had to hurry to get my groceries (thankfully not a long list).

Took the girls (ME too this time) to the park after Kindergarten again. Played and played with neighborhood friends while I sat and chatted with other moms or read on my Kindle. HR took an awful spill on her scooter just as we left, scraping the skin off both knees (she was wearing shorts) and the tops of her feet! Oi vey. Thankfully I had a stash of bandaids in my purse, so we patched her up and she hobbled home a little more slowly.

Wednesday April 17

A cloudy, cooler start to the day, but by mid-afternoon it was in the 70's and sunny again. Lovely! Got my groceries in the a.m., then practiced my music for May 19 when I'm singing in church again. Then made lunch for the middle girls, helped HR with her homework when she came home, and took a nap after lunch! Picked GE up at 2 and headed into Bad Godesberg with her to get tennis shoes--her winter boots and Gummistiefel are too hot for days like this!  MK needed an outfit for her dance thing on Friday, so she ended up bringing ME and HR on the bus to Bad Godesberg and meeting me there. Everyone got an ice cream cone and then we went into the shopping Galeria and got everyone a few things. Remind me not to shop with all four girls at once...

Rode home with GE on the bike and the bags loaded in my paniers. The other girls rode the bus, getting home just 10 minutes after me. I quick threw supper together and bathed GE, then headed out to run with some of my running group friends. It's not an official training night since our trainer is taking a week break between the 1/2 marathon and starting a new course next week, but some of us wanted to meet and run while the weather is so lovely!

Thursday April 18

Cleaned the apartment in the a.m. Another pretty day, but cooler. J gave a presentation in the evening to the group of Doctoral students that meet periodically to vet their research projects to each other.

Friday April 19

Cooler, but still sunny and gorgeous! Got my groceries after dropping GE off, took some packages to the Post to mail home (Christmas ornaments and gifts). HR's friend E came over to play after school and her mother will pick them both up around dinnertime to go to their house and spend the night.

We've been meaning to invite over a number of different families we've gotten to know or who have extended a warm welcome our way at some point during the year. This evening ME's friend, Y, and her family (from Siberia, Russia) are coming over for dessert and drinks. J picked up some good Calvados (a French apple brandy), Scotch, wine and a bottle of Sect (which I like--sweet & bubbly). I made a chocolate applesauce cake and got the fixings for a peach dessert that a German friend introduced me to: Amarettini (little Italian cookies) crumbled, then topped with fruit (this time peach slices), and a dollop of Quark on top (I substitute goat's milk yogurt because I can't eat the cow's milk Quark) and a sprinkle of ground vanilla. We started with the latter, then I brought out a plate of small squares of the cake. We chatted, shared stories and watched some YouTube videos that sparked some interesting discussion. Y and ME performed their pantomime skit that they had done together for the party program at the end of their Klassenfahrt a few weeks ago. At some point GE was climbing all over Y's brother (who was clearly not accustomed to a 4 year old's antics), so I shuttled her into my room with a pile of books and said I'd come check on her. It got quiet very fast! (Not sure she even looked at the books! Baby KO!)

Saturday April 20

I met some of the running group women for a morning run (about 7 km). J took ME along to the airport to meet his parents. MK stayed home and babysat GE. HR was still at her friends' house. I picked up a few groceries before heading home to make lunch for everyone: a hefty vegetable stew to serve with fresh Brötchen. Their arrival went smoothly. HR's friend's mom dropped her off shortly after they arrived and we all squeezed in at the table to eat.  After lunch we tromped over to the Friesdorferhof to check them in. J's mom, KSF, stayed to take a nap while his dad, JF, walked with us over to the big playground. The sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm sitting in the sun. Around 2 I took HR home again to take a short nap before she went to a classmate's birthday party at 3:30.

Full, but pleasant day! Love the signs of spring all around: trees getting their green halos, tulips and daffodils blooming, flowering tress with fluttering pink and white petals. Finally.

The trees are starting to glow light green--can you see them up on the hill in the woods?

Flowering trees across the street.

Forsythia at the neighbor's!

Sunday April 21

J and his dad picked up fresh Brötchen for breakfast. We planned to go to church which usually starts at 10:30. A few minutes before 10 I noticed the church bells were ringing, but I disregarded it. However, it was clear when we got there that the service had already started and that it was *very* full... Confirmation Sunday for about 15 youth! Yikes. Decided not to barrel in during the sermon with four squirmy kids (who didn't actually want to be there), but we weren't sure exactly what to do instead. I definitely didn't want to sit around all day crammed into our apartment (or I'd go nuts!). So, we stopped back at the apartment for some day-outing supplies (backpack with water bottles, pretzels, baby wipes, kleenex, and some warmer layers for the girls), then headed into Bonn. At first our plan was to eat somewhere and then to go to the König Museum, but as we got off the U-bahn I suddenly remembered that the Botanical Gardens are open for the spring and they have Sunday hours (and are closed on Saturdays?! How crazy is that?!), so instead of eating downtown and then taking the U-bahn back to museum, we ate at Im Südhaus in the pedestrian zone and then walked down the promenade to the Poppelsdorfer Schloss and around the back to the Botanical Gardens. We spent at least an hour in the gardens--the kids exploring and running and finding flowers (we drove home the fact that they were not allowed to pick the flowers, so they looked for ones that had fallen to the ground) while I fiddled with other settings on my camera. Then home for some naps and quiet time before a light supper.

Walking past the Sterntor in the pedestrian zone.

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Discovering a play area we'd never noticed before!

Sweetness!

Poppelsdorfer Schloss

Grape Hyacinth

Turtle!

Flowers in her hair, pink flower from the ground.

Messing with my manual settings... too bright, overexposed.

Better...

Too dark...

Better...

using my "soft" effects

Cactus house.

Mommy and baby turtle!

Three generations.

Back at home, working on Minecraft with Grandpa.

Brushing Grandma's long hair while Daddy reads some from a Little House book.

After the kids were in bed, the grown ups sat around the T.V. to watch an episode of Tatort, a German crime procedural show. When it was over, JF (my FIL) and I walked to the U-bahn to meet J's aunt and uncle who are visiting us for 14.5 hours on their way back to Paris. We walked them to the same hotel (Friesdorferhof) where my in-laws are and got them settled.

Monday April 22

Got up early (5:45) for a 7 km run with my FIL. Then back to the apartment to get the kids out the door for school and Kindergarten. J's aunt and uncle joined us for brunch at 9:30: soft boiled eggs, Muesli with yogurt, berries and pumpkin seeds, variety of Brötchen (we stopped at the bakery at the end of our run), coffee, tea, jams, Quark, and soft cheese. Yum!!

It was shaping up to be another pretty day, so I took my bike to Bad Godesberg for groceries while J and the others took the bus and met me there to wander around a bit and hit up the bank for needed cash. Hung out with the kids in the afternoon and then J and his mom walked his aunt and uncle back to the U-bahn station so they could get their train at 4:40 from Köln. There was a bit of an incident just before they left because my MIL left a plastic tupperware container on the stove top to dry and my aunt accidentally turned the burner on when she was washing the stove top down after lunch causing the plastic to burn and smoke up the kitchen. Thankfully, it was such a gorgeous day that we just threw open all the windows and went out on the balcony and sidewalk until it aired out, then my FIL scraped up the plastic and cleaned up. Oh dear!

After the kitchen was put to rights, I made a slow cooked spicy spinach dish, baked some sweet potatoes, steamed the salmon and broccoli (not together), and served up a yummy supper.