The Good Bad and Ugly

I'm happy that it's May. This means spring is here and there are leaves on the trees again. It means flip flops, short sleeved shirts, and ice tea. And maybe I can finally put away the winter coats. It's been 7 months that we have been living here and I thought I'd reflect on that.

• The Good: The kids can speak German, and I am also learning, very slowly, but learning. Couldn't be happier with putting them in school here, I hope that they look back on this time with fond memories. It's amazing to see Europe. It's not like we have travelled that much, but it is so beautiful and amazing to see. We love the village we live in and the slower pace of life. The kids can walk down to the corner store alone, or the park and I don't worry about them. Our house is awesome, and I have my sewing room. It's pretty great, especially considering our old house.


• The Bad: Our family is so far away. I obviously knew this would be an issue, but it's still hard. We miss them at birthday's holidays and just seeing them on a regular basis. Miss the option to fly down for a quick weekend. Plus it's so hard to plan tips here because of every ones different schedule and the price of a flight. Having to convert dollars into Euro, it's hard to explain all the whys on this one, but if you live here you know what I'm taking about.


• The Ugly: The trash is annoying. I do like to recycle, but sometimes I just want to throw something away without thinking so much about it. The language. We are learning, but it's hard. Can't read a menu. Can't ask for directions. Can't talk to someone as they are passing by. Can't ask someone who fell if they are ok. WOW that's not so fun. And car sickness. I don't think there is a straight road in all of Germany. At lease we haven't found them. Which means car sick kids and barf bags ready.

Wordless Wednesday

Take Your Child to Work Day

The little boys played ARMY with dad last week, and had a good time. Mostly just hanging out, and playing with the equipment. It was for the morning so not everyone was able to go. Silus "worked" and Martin said Toben did a lot of crying when it was time to leave, so I think he had a good time too.

NIVIA

Nivia is this lotion that is extremely thick, and can be a little oily. I put it on my hands after I've been cleaning or if they are feeling a bit dry. It works great. It makes your hands so soft and lasts for hours.

So the other day while enjoying a few creative moments in my sewing room I hear giggling and Toben comes in. White hands and and white on one side of his head. Nivia all over. Not so easy to clean up that's for sure. On a side note Toben is softer than ever.

Wordless Wednesday

Naomi is 10

What will it be like to be 10? I THINK JUST THE SAME, EXCEPT MAYBE I WILL GET MORE RESPONSIBILITY. What do you mean by that? STAY UP LATER, AND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO TO MY FRIENDS MORE OFTEN.

How about a favorite color? GREEN AND ROBIN EGG BLUE food? PEPPERONI PIZZA AND SOMETIMES THE SHELLS OH AND CAULIFLOWER SPAGHETTI What is something you don't like? TOMATOES. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I DON'T EAT. RIGHT? I can think of a few more. LIKE WHAT? Sandwiches. YEA TRUE. Eggs. WELL I CAN EAT THOSE. You didn't eat them the last time I made them. TRUE. SOMETIMES I LIKE THEM SOMETIMES I DON'T.

Favorite thing to do? READ. READ. READ. Best part of day? I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY ACTIVITY WE DO. LIKE SWIMMING, OR IF WE GO SIGHT SEEING. What do you like most about Germany? I THINK THAT I LIKE LEARNING THE LANGUAGE. AND I LIKE ALL THE LITTLE SHOPS. What do you like about school? I THINK I LIKE ART THE BEST. EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT GERMAN. I ALSO LIKE TEACHING ENGLISH. Do you help with English every time? YEA, OR IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION.

If you could DO anything what would it be I THINK IF I COULD DO ANYTHING I THINK I WOULD PET EVERY ANIMAL IN THE WORLD OR HAVE EVERY ANIMAL IN MY HOUSE. I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE IN A MANSION.

Hardest thing you've ever done? I'VE REALLY NOT DONE ANYTHING HARD. MAYBE RUNNING AWAY FROM EYAN. BECAUSE THAT NEVER STOPS. OR DEPARTING FROM MY FRIENDS, BUT THAT WASN'T THAT HARD.

What will you be when you grow up? (GROAN) WELL YOU HAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR 4 YEARS TO BE A LIBRARIAN OR A TEACHER. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE AN ARTIST. what kind of artist? I WOULD DO IT ALL. PAINT, DRAW, A VERY FLEXIBLE ARTIST. I COULD BUILD DRAW AND PAINT.

Where will you live? I WOULD LIVE IN ROTHENBURG. IT'S BEAUTIFUL THERE. LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO DRAW. BUT, IF I WANTED TO HAVE A LIBRARY I WOULD GO TO HAWAII. OR I COULD HAVE A PORTABLE LIBRARY AND LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND HAVE A LIBRARY. Will you be married and have kids? YEA How old will you be? 20 OR OLDER. OR WHEN I FIND THE PERFECT MATCH AND THE PUZZLE FITS.

ok thanks Naomi! That's it! THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE?!?

Acht is 8

What do you think it will be like to be 8? THE SAME. What is something you want to DO when you're 8? I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A CAR. What is your favorite color? UM I DON'T KNOW. I HAVE A LOT OF THEM. Pick one. CAN IT BE ANY COLOR? Just pick one. BLACK

What is your favorite food? THAT THING I HAD FOR LUNCH. BEEF STROGANOFF WITH NOODLES. What is something you don't like to eat? STUFFED SHELLS. What is your favorite animal? MONKEY Favorite thing to do? CLIMB TREES

What is the best part of your day? BASICALLY EVERYTHING. SCHOOL. What do you like about school? MY TEACHER AND FRIENDS. I LIKE ART WITH HER. What is your favorite thing about Germany? IT'S NOT SO COLD OR SO HOT HERE.

If you could DO anything what would it be? TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD IN 8 HOURS. OR SKYDIVE. Tell me about the worst thing that has ever happened to you. I TOUCHED AN ELECTRIC FENCE. What did that feel like? KIND OF HARD TO EXPLAIN. ELECTRIC.

What will you be when you grow up? A ZOO KEEPER, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF ANIMALS. Will you be married and have kids? YEA. How many kids? I DON'T REALLY KNOW.
How old will you be when you're married? HOW OLD DO YOU HAVE TO BE? You have to be an adult. HOW OLD IS THAT? 30 years old. 30 THEN I GUESS Where will you live? IN EL PASO, TEXAS.