Another Week-August 15-21

This was a full week. Looking back, I can’t believe all that went on. Monday our bishop invited our family to join them for FHE. He is a nice guy, who happens to be one of the best friends of one of our good friends from Turkey (Harwood). So anyone who really knows John Harwood, has got to have some great stories. We had a nice night, then a great walk to a pond/park area, all the while laughing and story swapping. Tuesday I went to base to get on the computer, load up at the library and then buy school supplies. I wish that Darin had listened to me about picking up supplies before we got here. Then again, we are still missing 2 boxes and a French horn in the mail, so it would have been one more box that I would be looking for. However, it is frustrating not finding the requested supplies, but even more so is finding the supplies and then seeing the price. $1 for a spiral notebook that sells for 10₵ at Target, then needing to pick up a dozen…the inner bargain hunter is crying. I am trying to remind myself of the mental shopping switch that needs to happen when living overseas. If I see something I want or like or may need in the future, I need to grab it then. I can’t wait because chances are it won’t be there when I need it. I looked off base for supplies, but with the exchange rate the prices are worse than the BX.


I drove myself to the church twice WITHOUT a GPS! This is a major feat. It is a 40 minute drive from my house. I am AMAZING! Once was to take the boys to mutual/scouts. I get to just hang out in the foyer of the church for an hour and a half every week…my favorite Sunday activity is now a Tuesday activity as well! I am going to have to figure out how to keep Anya and the 2 other boys happy, or how to find a nearby store. Both boys walked out of their Tuesday activities and said that they’d had a great time, and that it was so much fun. Great, now I am going to have to keep going to church with the masses. It is best for the boys, but it is going to take some getting used to. I drove myself to a RS meeting on Thursday. It was one of those stupid get to know yous, but since the boys decided that we were staying in the ward, it was time to get to know a few people. I like people. I like to know people. I just hate introducing myself and then trying to make small talk. I have to remind myself that 17 families moved out and 18 new families moved into the ward within the last 2 months. That is crazy turnover. I’m going to give it 6 months; I think I have found some good people.

Wednesday we spent the morning and most of the afternoon dealing with Christians face. We were supposed to go on a great adventure with some ladies and kids from church, but of course it couldn’t work out. We did take the time to walk the little trail between our village and the next to grab some nice rolls for dinner. That always makes me happy.

Saturday was my favorite day of the week! We finally, finally did something other than look for boring stuff for the house. We went to Trier. It is about 45 minutes north of us by the Luxemburg border. Trier is the oldest city in Germany and it is filled with awesome, ancient Roman ruins. There were great churches and a pedestrian zone that was filled with great smells and sights. We wondered. We ate ice cream and French fries. We looked inside the Dom church. We listened to the bells and climbed the Porta Nigra. We had a wonderful time. Finally! It was a perfect day. When we left, we went to a village near our home called Matzenbach to a Medieval Fest. That was fun to wonder through. Lots of crazy dressed up people. There were cute booths with swords and baskets. We grabbed some food and called it a day. It was my favorite day so far.

Matzenbach:

Our Sunday walk was to a castle in Kusel, near our home. It was an awesome find. I think that Sunday walks are going to be so much better than they were in Texas where we just walked around the block sweating. This castle had a restaurant, 2 museums, and a youth hostel in it.

I have a ton more pictures, but the library can only upload 1 at a time and the boys are hot/hungry.  They will be posted later.

German Chocolate Cake?

Darin just had a birthday. He loves German chocolate cake. I had to send an email to Utah to get a recipe for German chocolate cake, while living in Germany. That doesn’t seem right. Our landlord, a Real Live German, came over that night to look at some house issues. He tried the cake. He said that he’d never had anything like it. No German chocolate cake in Germany. That just isn’t right at all. Why the name?


Then we started talking about Canadian bacon…that just doesn’t make sense either.

This is not German Chocolate, but cherry strusel cake from a bakery.  We had to have something officially German on his day.

We Hate Stick Furniture/Again?

When we moved to Turkey, Davis lost his balance and fell out of his bed. He hit his ear on the nightstand and cut it really bad. He had to go and have his earlobe (basically) reattached. It all happened right as we were starting to get settled, and before we knew how anything worked. It was a memorable and traumatic start to our time in Turkey.


We got stick furniture (dressers, wardrobes, nightstands) on Tuesday.

Tuesday night/Wednesday early morning, I heard a huge thump from upstairs, then a scream. I met Christian half way between the two rooms, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. I couldn’t understand what he was saying or where the blood was coming from. After calming him down enough to talk to him, I learned that he had been up to the bathroom. He’d gone back to bed and as he jumped into bed, he missed his pillow and smashed his face on the edge of the dresser. Hard. Two things: he had turned himself upside down to sleep, and he’d propped his pillow on the dresser so that he could sleep more upright…a bad combination. We knew that he’d cut himself really bad, but we didn’t know what to do about it. We decided that because his nose didn’t look or feel broken, it was probably a blessing that he’d hit just the cartilage. We also decided that there really wasn’t much that would be done with cuts in the mouth, so we tried to get him to sleep. He kept complaining about his mouth and teeth. His teeth were quite loose; of course they had to be the permanent ones. In the morning we decided that it was best to get him to the doctor. His face was really swollen on the one side, and he was still complaining about the pain. He couldn’t close his mouth or swallow or eat. Every time he cried about the pain, the whole thing started bleeding again. The doctor confirmed that nothing was broken, however it looked like it was still bleeding from the roots of his teeth. And since they were loose, he sent us to the dentist to get x-rays. The dentist said that the mouth and gums were really cut up, and his teeth were really traumatized; but his teeth still looked alive. He was sent home with instructions to avoid biting on anything with his front teeth for several weeks; he can’t even brush his teeth. He was given really strong mouth wash to help clean the teeth in the meantime.

So for now we cut his food up tiny. We bought soft foods for him and he sticks the food back to his molars to chew.

His face is swollen and continued to grow for a few days. It was so swollen that we couldn’t lift his lip to look at his gums because the skin was too tight. He also complained about his eye hurting because of the swelling. He has a bruise showing up from his moustache area to under his cheek bone, also by his eye. He really reminds me of one of the Whos in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie (Jim Carey version).

Luckily he has about a week and a half before school starts to get back to his handsome self. But really, AGAIN?

The pictures really don't show how terrible it really looks...that's good.

Still Silent

Just got word that we won't have a phone or internet until the end of August!  Awesome.  Not.  I have finally gotten to the library before it was closing in order to post a few things from last week.  It is going to be a long month.  I'll still be writing and posting in bundles.

loves.

Another Week-August 8-14

The week just seems to fly by and yet each day seems really long. It may have something to do with the fact that we are without TV or internet. I haven’t had a car this week, and the kids only brought 1 game (UNO) and a handful of tiny toys each. Each day seems to be longer than the previous one. At least it is summer; summer can always be longer.
Monday I took, and passed, my driver’s test. I about lost it when I read the first 2 problems and didn’t have a clue about the answer. Not usually how I prefer to start a test. But, alas, I passed. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be able to drive. I feel like I am 16 and nervous. However, the new freedom will be great.

Tuesday Noah started kindergarten. He is happy and looks forward to each day. We also had most of our “stick” furniture come. The beds just keep getting worse and worse. I can’t wait to see my own mattress again…can’t come fast enough, but I’d be crazy to hope for fast. The house is big and bare. I have been letting the boys play hide-and-go-seek, ghost in the graveyard, dodge ball, and various other off limits games IN the HOUSE. I don’t even like the games outside, but with only so many things for them to do, it prevents more fighting. I have already told them how nice I am being now, and not to expect it when we actually have stuff in our house. The house needs stuff…like closets or cabinets or something-ANYTHING-in which to put stuff. Bathrooms are tough if you don’t have anywhere to put towels, medicines, womanly doodads, etc. I have been a bore when meeting new people, “So, where do you put stuff in your bathroom? How do you arrange your house?” It sounds like we will need to head to IKEA soon.

We put food in our cupboards and I started to cook. Like I’ve told the boys, “It may not feel like home yet, but it will smell like home today.” If I can cook, I feel like everything is possible and doable. It makes me feel happy and in control of my life again. My favorite experience was when our landlord brought over his brothers girlfriend to help me figure out how to use a German oven. She didn’t speak any English, but I could tell with her hand movements what she was talking about. We were able to bond over cooking terms and I am happy to report that my cookies turned out great this week. I even made rolls that worked as well. She really saved me and that long learning curve that I was sure was coming. The day after my oven lesson, when I’d made cookies, my landlord came over, I had him try the cookies and he said, “I didn’t die.” I told him that it is a wonder the ladies aren’t lined up with his smooth talking.

This week we started exploring the town. Without a car, we found many places to walk to. We walked to the next town and to the grocery on a cute back trail. At one point we had to go through a tunnel under the sidewalk. It was plastered with graffiti. The best graffiti was in English, “Cats are beautiful.” I think something may have been lost in translation, because I have a hard time imagining the person who tagged the tunnel risking it all to tell the town that Cats are Beautiful. I laughed all the way to the store. I plan on going back and getting a picture of that one.

We walked to the village bakery. It had been closed for holiday, but is now open. It is a great little place, and I know that I will be a frequent visitor. The little lady running it was helpful and spoke English (secretly I cheered). We also found the woods and the church above our house. The church bells chime all the time and I love it. I think that America is missing church bells. I am glad that there are bells so close to my house.

I drove for the first time on Thursday when we went to pick up Darin’s new car. I think that I will get the hang of it soon enough. Autobahn- fast. Ausfahrt- laugh like I’m 10, and then exit.

Darin has been working for some of the week. He’s been gone, but busy with other things. Work is just now getting started.

We got callings in church today. We will be team teaching the 12/13 year old Sunday school class. Not bad and it gets me out of my gospel doctrine class. Every time I went there, I missed my primary days.

I still find myself being amazed that this is my life and this is where I live. I can’t wait for family to see how beautiful Germany is. It is so green. Yes, it rains all the time, but not all day long. We are still cold most of the days. I am never without a jacket on in the house. I am hoping that once we have our stuff in the house it will feel warmer, but for now we wear our jackets.

With the suggestion of a friend, we started playing UNO in German. Say the color and number, learn the colors and numbers. Noah can only talk in a funny accent. I hope that he doesn’t do that at school.

It was a good week. I hope that we actually get internet this week and I can feel connected to the world again. Until then, I just hope nothing major happens without us.



Tschus!

Darin- A1C

Darin finally bought a car. Now, I said finally, but really it was only a week. Anyone who knows Darin knows that a week is Lightning Speed for him. It is a Mercedes and black. It looks really nice. Darin said that he doesn’t think he can drive it, because it is too nice for a Griswold to drive. He is looking like an A1C, Airman First Class. It is proven that all airmen drive cars that look 10 xs better than anything an officer drives. All the nice cars on base always belong to the young, enlisted, broke, airmen. He's embarrassed for his friends/family in the states to see what he is driving, because it is so not like him.


This will end; it is a European spec car, so it won’t be coming with us. He will just have to sell it to an A1C in 3 years.

Kindergarten Meets Noah

I don’t know why I thought that it would be a great idea to put Noah in German Kindergarten. I would be terrified. It is like all my fears in one setting; being expected to interact with people who don’t speak your same language for hours. Noah was excited. I am excited. He is going to learn this language better than any of us. He has a sweet teacher and she seems to be keeping her eye on him, translating for him. He skipped all the way to school, holding my hand. We went inside and put on the house shoes (slippers) and off to play. The first day I only left him there for an hour. When I went to pick him up, he was still happy. He talked all about playing all day. He learned the German word for play-dough. It was a good day. We walked and skipped all the way home, nothing is better than skipping with a 4 year old.


The second day he came racing into my room in the morning afraid that he was going to be late for school, good sign that he is eager to go back. It has been my experience that fear hits on the second or third day, but nothing yet. This time he stayed for 2 hours. He got to play outside because it wasn’t raining. He also got to play in the “ball bath,” which was wonderful for him. It is a tent/ball pit that is in the gym area of the school. He talked and talked about how much fun it was. He may play all day, but I really don’t care. All I care about is that he is playing with little German kids in a little German school.

Frau Sonja told me that Noah is such a nice boy and mature for his age. He is good and plays nice. WHO is she talking about?! I was so worried, but I guess that the lack of communicating with his peers is keeping him from punching them all. Good. I hope that it continues, but for now the teacher thinks he is wonderful. I don’t know how long it will take before he starts playing with, and not next to, the other kids. He was trying to talk to a little boy on the teeter totter. He just kept talking sweeter and sweeter, like he does with Anya, hoping that he would do what he’d wanted. The boy was in the younger class and so I don’t know how much he spoke anyway.

My favorite was when Christian asked Noah if the kids spoke German, he said, “Yes. They speak German. No one speaks Texas!” Here is to hoping my Texas boy learns German!

Going Silent

We are moving.  I am going to be without internet for who knows how long, the guy spoke German.  I think that he said it is supposed to be installed by Christmas.  I am going to try to use the library computers on occasion, but it is going to be quiet for awhile. 

What am I going to do without the internet?  The thought of the pre-computer days frighten me (I am too young to remember a time :0 ). 

Guess I'll just clean my big empty house and read a book.

I'm the Best Driver Everywhere

Due to the fact that I am a fairly recent graduate of a 6-hour defensive driving course in TX, and now a card carrying, drivers license holding, resident of Germany, I am the best driver everywhere. 

Germany has a bazillion street signs and you are required to know them in order to pass the test.  I did, pass.  Now I am going to be expected to drive myself places.  I am not too sure that I want to do that.  Germans are fast drivers.  The roads are narrow and, like I said, there are a gabillion street signs trying to tell you what to do and where to go. 

This is nothing like driving in Turkey where there weren't rules.  I just feel like I am 16 again, all nervous at the thought of having to drive by myself. 

Good luck Germany the best driver everywhere is coming at ya!  Now if I can avoid getting lost...

FYI:  Darin bought a car today.  Hurray!

I Forgot

I forgot one of my favorite things that we did this past week.  We went to a large shopping area, like Walmart in that you can pick up food, rubber boots, and a vacuum all at one stop.  Better than Walmart because they didn't have greeters and because it was German.  We wandered.  We bought Noah official house shoes and rubber boots.  We bought candy (always treats) and I received the lecture from Darin that I can't always do that.  Buying lots of German treats just can't continue.  I bargained with giving up all treats that I might buy from the Commissary in trade for the treats that come from the local stores.  He is still thinking about it.  They had an entire aisle designated to Musli. We just had to have some.   We/I love the local stores.

Week 2 Pictures

Flo Markt and the goof balls.  There were tons of people and tons of crap to buy.

The church with the bells.

Darin and Anya in front of the local war memorial.



Goofy in the forest.

Christian was posing for his photo when his brothers hijacked the shot.



Week 2 in Review

Once again, if you aren't family or extremely bored, you will find this sleep promoting and a waste of time.    These reviews are meant to keep our parents happy, and as a journal-type record for me.

Really these weeks seem endlessly long.  We are busy and constantly doing or going, but in comparison to the busy and stress that was Texas, we are taking things easy.  We have been in another "hotel" house this past week.  It is in a city closer to the base.  It is conviently located, but not nearly as beautiful as the other.  Monday when we got here, the kids found Brittish TV.  The shows are strange, but the lure of English TV wins out.  Really though, what are those crazy Brits thinking with some of their shows?

Darin spent most of the week running around to finalize the house papers, getting one paper signed or another, or setting something up.  Half the time we were with him and the kids were fighting and complaining.  The other half of the time we were at the room and the boys were making up games using all our paper plates, then fighting and complaining.  Brittish TV is only good for so long.

We went to our house twice and can't wait to finally unpack our suitcases.  Tuesday is the day our "loaner/stick furniture" is being delivered.  We won't have any closets or wardrobes for another week plus, but hey, they can throw their clothes on the floors of their own rooms.

Our landlord took us to the local kindergarten and Noah and I were able to meet the lady that will have the pleasure of putting up with him.  It is a little building and the cute director, Sonja, spoke English (better than the German I spoke).  I think that it will be great for Noah to have something to do, and I'll have my own little translator in a few months.  Sonja said that he was the last kid that could fit, "Good Lucky."  Yes!  Good Lucky.  He is supposed to have 3 other Americans in his class. His only school supplies were house shoes, rubber boots, and 3 euro a month for juice and fruit. His first day is on Tuesday, I hope we don't get kicked out on the first day.  I am hoping that he will take his time to warm up to his loving, punching, yelling self. 

I've had a week of learning.  Learning to use the stove because I had to have cookies, not from a box, but real cookies.  The oven has a bunch of pictures and if it was just setting the correct temp of 175 instead of the usual 350, I'd have had great cookies.  But the fan.  I just can't figure out what the fan is doing.  First batch and they were really dark and crunchy in like 6 minutes.  Awesome time saver if I had known it was going to take 6 minutes and not 10.  Next batch I changed the fan settings, they didn't seem to be blowing as hard.  Checked the cookies in 5 minutes to be safe...right side brown, left side gooey.   Last batch I decided that I'd just start turning the tray around until they were evenly not burnt.  It is going to be taking me a lot of practice to figure out the ovens.  Fortunately, I like cookies dark (with milk) and gooey and everywhere in between.  No waste, because I wouldn't know which recycling bag to put them in anyway.

Speaking of recycling.  UGH Germany!  As if the language wasn't enough, I have an entire recycling language to try and figure out.  I have 4 different colored garbage cans, yellow bags, trash bags and a list that is going to take real concentration to decypher.  The kids just put it on the counter and expect me to figure it out.  All the food scraps, minus meat anything, go in the brown bag/can for great compost making somewhere in Germany.  It has to stink, because my house stinks after a day of food scraps.  I can't just send them down the drain, because there aren't disposals, so I have become the crazy "eat every last bite" mother.  "Don't you leave one Cheerio in that bowl.  I have to fish it out and put it in that horrible, stinky brown bag."  Like I said, German isn't the only foreign language that I'm trying to learn.

Darin had a family sports day on Friday, so we met all of the bosses and spouses as we tried to make riveting conversation.  I hate the first month of moving anywhere.  I like knowing people.  I like friends.  But I hate introductions and the like.  I hate being new and having to make small talk with people.  It is so much better when this phase is over.

Saturday we went to a Flo Markt (flea market) in a town called Homburg closer to the French border.  It was a giant garage sale in which they also sell good food.  There was a lot of German crap that wasn't that different from American crap. I think that there are also hidden treasures and furniture if I know where to look.  We'll go back when we know what to look for.  We ate crapes, brots, and pretzels.  Then we spent the rest of Saturday looking at and test driving used cars.  We need a car ASAP.  We found a great little car in a town forever away.  We thought that it was a go and were meeting him on Monday,  but received a sneaky email on Sunday in which the sleezy owner tells us that he'd sold it to someone else.  We are now back at square one and mad that we'd wasted all that time.  Grr.

On Sunday we went for a walk to look for bells.  We hear the church bells ringing every hour.  My favorite is at 7AM when they ring for a long time to tell you to get to work, the bus, or just out of bed (my take on them), and it always works.  They also ring a lot at 2200 (10 PM, yes, I am learning time that way.  All of Europe uses it.  Another thing that Americans have to learn as if the metric system wasn't enough.)  I think that means you should be in bed.    We wondered the streets of the town in which we are staying and found the neat churches.  We also found a great war memorial and then the boys got lost in the nearby forest.  They thought that it was the coolest Sunday walk in a long time.

We've lived in Turkey, but this is currently harder.  In Turkey you had to stay in the Hoja until they gave you a house on base.  You could walk everywhere if you needed.  And the only decision that you really needed to make was to hire the gardener or not.  Here we have had to find our own temp housing because they are full everywhere.  We picked a town, picked a house and are now trying to set up utilities.  Darin wanted me to call for phone and internet.  I growled and complained, (I can't buy a pastry item)  but he told me that they would speak English, they are used to Americans.  I dialed the number and waited, hopefully for the message to say, " For English press 2."  Nope.  German, German, German music, more German.  I hung up.  Darin later called and asked the customer service person, "Do you speak English?"  in German of course.... "No."  That was it.  No they don't.  You're in Germany, do you speak German?  Nope.  Danke.  Click.  Now what? 

Back in the Saddle

Today we all ate pretzels.  I pointed fabulously!

Just Get Me A Pretzel!

Darin is still practicing his "tough love" with me, forcing me to order things and talk to people.  I hate it.  I won't mind once I've actually learned some German, but for now it just makes me feel seriously STUPID.  Darin knows quite a bit of German, thanks to a 3 month mission detour, and so it is easier for him.  I think that he just likes to see me squirm under the pressure.

At the bakery:

Me:  "4 pretzels, please"  (Of course my numbers are correct.  I know "please", and I sounded out the word for pretzel fabulous I'm sure.)

Grouchy German Frau:  "Are you an idiot?  There are clearly only 2 pretzels in this bin (ignore the full tray nearby).  Go talk to someone who cares."  (I am positive that is what she said...of course it was in German and I'm not quite fluent.)

Me:  Stand and look confused and stupid while the lady ignores me and talks to a guy friend at the end of the counter.  She never came back.

Darin and the boys kept telling me to ask again.  We want pretzels.  I begged Darin to do it for me.  NO, tough love sucks! 

I walked away!  I refused to be made to feel stupid again.  Enough for one day.  Who really likes those warm pretzels anyway?  Kids whine all the way back to the room.  Who Cares?!

Needs Flowers

This is our new house.  It is in need of the cute flowerboxes and over flowing flowers that are everywhere around here.  It will look much better with the rolladens (window coverings) up and the flowers out.   We can't wait to start moving in.  Of course that is technically next week, but nothing of ours will be there anytime before October.  I am hoping to see it before Halloween.

Looking out over our village.  Muhlbach.



Picts From Week #1: Germany

Our "Hotel."  We occupied the top floor of this house.  3 bedrooms, 2 bath, small kitchen, and living room.

Me and my yogurt!  Brooke, this is for you!

Walking the streets of Eulenbis with the kids.

Pictures from our windows of the town.

Out the window, in the morning, looking at the distant village.  The fog made the whole thing seem magical.  It is hard to believe that this is where we now live.  Hard to believe. 





Picts From Week #1

Our Baltimore Summer Vacation.  Davis is lost in the covers.

Getting ready for take-off.  We were the second ones on the plane and ended up waiting a long, hot while.  Anya isn't throwing her loud, screaming fit yet.

Sometime around 5 AM a bland breakfast was served.  Not one woke to enjoy it.

Anya tried sleeping in every position.  She couldn't sleep in the carseat, so it was all over me.  By the time I woke her, my legs were swollen.  They also happened to be the only part of me that was asleep.