September 22, 2009

So apparently I am a soccer mom now...

Brad Wearing his "Shin Gardens"

Brad with his Good Buddy Hallie

I also happen to be very crafty, a talent (how about a bachelor's degree) that has been neglected in recent years when the time needed to invest in a quality project far outweighs the time I actually have to put into it. Now with two kids in school, I am fortunately rediscovering some of my old self again one morning at a time...

Unfinished Kitchen Table

Painted and Lacquered by Me!

I have also hidden the letter r on one chair and the letter b on another chair within the tree branches. I wanted to have a table that fit well in our little kitchen for the kids to eat at, and later when we move, maybe we won't need an extra kitchen table and the kids can have it for a playroom. I love creating multifunctional stuff!

Rhiannon is only 4 weeks into school and has learned an incredible amount so far. Her reading is improving by the day. She makes it really easy for me; things seem to click in her head. Just this week she explained to me what quotation marks were for. She also told me a cute little story about squeezing the i out of "there is" and having the dot turn into a "perphostraphe". I am also volunteering in her class one day a week to help with the reading groups. Each week, we get a different group of kids and go through many steps to read and understand a simple story together. It is really fun and challenging especially with so many different personalities in a classroom. God bless teachers and their endless supply of patience and creativity!

September 11, 2009

Wine Festival in Bernkastel, Germany

The ladies got the weekend off and enjoyed some great food, wines and bands along the Mosel River in southern Germany. I can't believe I am saying it but I think I've had enough wine for a little while...

September 2, 2009

Manderscheid, Germany Castle Festival and Camping Trip

Last weekend we took our last camping trip of the season in the Eifel region of Germany and went to a Medieval castle festival complete with buffoons, jousting, wine cellars, great food, crafts and goods for sale. The kids really enjoyed it and we had beautiful weather during the day. The nights were rather chilly though. I think fall is definitely in the air. Aside from the chilly nights, the only damper on the trip was discovering on the ride home about 8 euros in coins stuffed into the car cd player. Miraculously Jim fished out all but one coin and that's the one that jammed the player. So added to my list of things to do this week...dismantle my car dashboard, remove stereo and perform surgery on the cd player. Oh and then I have to get it back into the car and reassemble the dashboard and hope it all works when I'm done.




















Last week our friends went home and school started. Rhiannon is now a proud first grader and her work load is incredible! The main focus this year is reading and she is already way ahead of the game. She loves to read. With Brad in school for part of the day as well I have five whole hours of free time to do with what I please. Mostly I have been doing the same things as before, only now without the added debacle of tripping over someone while cleaning, pacifying a meltdown, cleaning up an unexpected soiling of underpants and constant buckling and unbuckling of a car seat. It is a wonderful thing and they are both in great schools learning things I cannot teach them at home but I would be lying if I didn't say the truth...I really miss those guys when they aren't around. But then the 3:30-8pm witching hour begins and I wish for the relief of the next morning. Sigh...

Rhiannon has also started up her ballet lessons again. I've been teaching her how to knit on the wooden spool so she is making a long knitted cord that she hopes one day to make into a rug. It's amazing how quickly she picked it up and I think she might be ready for a crochet lesson soon. Her little motor skills are really developing fast.


Brad on the other hand has a long way to go in that department. Last week while purchasing train tickets he decided to run around the station and smack his face into a metal chair. We all know how that ended up...me mopping up blood from every surface within close proximity of his flailing arms. He survived with a cut on the lip but it looks like it might scar. I guess it does make it harder to see what you are about to crash into when you are wearing an eye patch. Poor guy. Also taking him to the dentist this week. One of his front teeth is turning gray and I am afraid it's from one of the many times he's banged up his mouth. If he takes after daddy, we should just get him the implant teeth now. If it does end up being a dead tooth, at least it's only his first set and I know it's a common occurrence among little boys. But still, I shake my head in disbelief. How will I maintain the strength to raise this child?

August 20, 2009

August 29th is the one year mark of our family arriving in Germany. It seems time has flown since then and we have certainly enjoyed ourselves this past year with trips to Scotland, Paris, Amsterdam, Salzburg and countless places throughout Germany itself. This is one of the greatest assignments a person could ask for and we are so lucky that Jim has earned it through his hard work in Florida, giving our family opportunities to travel and experience new cultures that most people only dream about in their lifetimes. I know the next 3 years will probably pass in a blink but I am so looking forward to the memories we will make here. Here are some pictures literally of our backyard in our village of Langbroich.

The Spiders are Getting Active Again

The Big Daddy Bull

Squadron 2 Family Day

Last week our friends from home arrived for a visit. So far we've taken them around town to meet some of our friends here, to Jim's squadron family day with a tour of the AWACS, and we took a big trip to Paris. I have to say, it was way more enjoyable in the summer!

On the NATO Railways!

Jim and Travis with Work Friends

In the Cockpit of the AWACS

It was cool that the family day fell during Travis and Emily's visit. I myself had not even seen the inside of the AWACS yet. The kids really enjoyed seeing where Daddy works, pushed a lot of buttons on the plane and even got to go out on the wing. What a sweet deal.

Paris

Next on the agenda, we spent a few days in Paris. This time we saw Versailles, stayed in an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and fully enjoyed being outside in the summer heat. It is such a beautiful city, one that I could see myself living in...if only it weren't so expensive. We lucked out big time "saving" money with a free parking spot (turns out parking is free for August) in front of the apartment we stayed in, and we brought most of our food with us, only splurging on two meals. We are definitely learning a lot about budgeting and making the most of our time and money the more we travel.

Versailles

Us in the Hall of Mirrors

Versailles was amazing. The gardens are enormous and beautiful. I can't imagine how much work goes into maintaining them and one could easily get lost among the shrubs on one of the many paths. There were people soaking their feet in the fountains and row boating on the little lake as well as sunbathing and having picnics on the sprawling lawns. It was a gorgeous day. Next time we go to Versailles, we'll skip the interior tour and just spend the day in the gardens.

Travis and Emily

Too Tired to Take Another Step

We also did the usual sights of Paris, Notre Dame, Pere Lachais, Eiffel Tower, etc. It never gets old. We got so many new pictures, I had to post them here.

Rhi climbed to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower with Jim.
What a trooper.

Back of Notre Dame

Pere Lachais

Chopin

The Crematorium

Sarah Bernhardt

On our way home, we dropped Travis and Emily off in Brussels for a few days of alone time. I took just a few pictures of the city center and we had a late lunch. Back in Germany now until the wind blows us in another direction...

Balcony Shots