adventually

We had a great Thanksgiving with the Sheplers and I do intend to post some more pics soon especially some very cute ones of Ellis giving baby Devlin a bottle. Instead, here is a little project we did in this model.

 It's an advent calendar made out of a mini-muffin tin. I enlisted all the boys to help and so it didn't turn out exactly I was envisioning. I'm pretty much the worst when it comes to this kind of stuff...I want it to look the way I want it, not the way anyone else does it. I probably ought to just do it myself, but I feel like it should be a family activity. It pretty much just turns into an exercise in taking deep breaths for me. Gah! Don't even get me started on what happened when we tried to set up the Christmas village.

And done! I'm filling each muffin cup with some holiday activity- some that we'd probably do anyway- a mix of fun stuff, gift giving, and service stuff. Cause even holiday joy needs to be carefully scheduled around here basically just to undermine my natural scrooge-tendencies.

auroras

This year we begin in earnest something I have long dreaded....school projects. At his preschool, Ellis did have to complete an annual "International Day" poster. But we're talking about printing a few pictures out after a google search, gluing them onto a post board, and then throwing something together for the all-countries potluck.Waiting a four-year-old to eke out all those letters in Germany was the worst it got. This year his first big project is a display and demonstration of the Northern Lights. There are color changing LEDs, there are plastic figurines, I had to dig out the glue gun for pete's sake! And we haven't even started the demonstration component of this mess. Trey's taking the lead on this one and it's likely to involve a hammer and some wintergreen Lifesavers. Just what we want  to be putting the hands of grade-schoolers, I think.The hardest part of this for me is helping without helping too much. I want him to be happy with what he's done but feel that he has ownership. As a grown-up it's so easy to see how things could be more precise, more polished, more impressive. And it really doesn't matter what I think. So I just try to remind him we can make changes if we try something and don't like it and most of all, just keep my mouth shut as he glues 80% of the plastic animals into the diorama with their butts facing the viewer. And look...taking pictures is just what I need to keep my hands from reaching in there.

For Old Time's Sake

Well I am back in Heidelberg on business, a little less than four years after returning to the U.S. For old time's sake, a bulletted list of my impressions looking back and some interesting things from the trip:

• My German was probably much better than I thought when we lived over here. Based on how easily I have been able to conduct conversations in restaurants and stores on this trip, I must have been pretty close to fluent and or at least functional. It has worked to my advantage in business as well, as one of our meetings was with people who didn't realize I could understand their side conversations. 
• Heidelberg has become even more touristy, especially in the old city. Seasonal treats are available year round and the souvenir shops seem to have expanded. Of course, the things that attract tourists haven't changed and they are indeed very interesting historical sites.
• There has been a big expansion in ethnic food available. We had Kebap, one place for middle eastern food and that was about it. There are several new Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Lebanese places and even some places advertising some terrifying looking Mexican food which seems to be Kebap meat dressed with Mexican trimmings. Sushi is all over too.
• Had several discussions with old friends over meals. It was interesting to note that my Swiss friends feel as out of place in Germany as I did. Some of my other friends who originated in Southern Germany even said they felt very out of place when they visited the north eastern part of the country.
• Interest rates on a mortgage for a normal sized house are below 3% here right now. It seems that 5% is considered pretty high, even when the European central bank isn't fighting to keep rates low.
• This morning I saw more than 30 bikes stopped at a light waiting patiently to continue their journeys on to work. The critical mass of bikers to keep the cars vigilant AND to get the bikers to obey traffic lights properly probably has something to do with the fact that not a one of them had a helmet.
• According to nearly everyone I have asked, the weather here this past year or two hasn't been as seemingly abnormal as what we have had in the states.
•  I have heard some interesting things from people as far as sentiments about Greece. My sample is limited to highly educated people, but they see a difference between the Greek government, the Greek people and the Greek banks. They seem to see reasons to help the government and the people of Greece, but feel that the Greek banks aren't trustworthy and should be allowed to fail even if that means that the European Central Bank has to insure the deposits of individuals.
• Austerity is beginning to make people nervous.
• There is intense interest in the American election. Most, of course, prefer Obama. It seems that W. gave the Germans a very bad feeling about how an America with a Republican in charge would behave as a citizen of the world. It seems the "Yosemite Sam" caricature of W. has stuck. 
• Beyond the Presidential race, it is amazing how closely congressional elections are being watched. Can you name one member of the German Parliament?
• Imagining travelling on the train with Maddox makes me shudder although I am sure both boys would totally love it.
• For Pete's sake, why can't we get some decent trains?
• Would I come back to live? It doesn't sound too bad looking back and thinking about what it might be like if I was happier in the job I was doing. Depending on the election result, maybe we will have to  consider returning to exile.
• Happiness is a memory.
• Did I mention that America needs some decent trains?

halloween, no hurricane

Early last week Vermont was expecting the remains of Hurricane Sandy. Given how the region was unexpectedly pummeled by Hurricane Irene last year, I think people got a little carried away. School actually let out early on Monday and was cancelled on Tuesday. I had visions of being trapped in the house with the kids (with Trey on a different continent) without electricity while rain poured down. I could only console myself by thinking about the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories we read last year. In short...this was no "long winter" and we'd basically be in the lap of luxury where the biggest problem was trying to get all my pawns "home" in the 4th game of Sorry!

Fortunately, the storm didn't really make it all the way to Vermont and Halloween was chilly but dry. Ellis's school had a Halloween party on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately the only picture I got of him was seconds after finished his face paint in the cubby area. He's so much like Trey in wanting to get things just perfect (though I've never seen Trey this serious costuming choices) and then do what he's supposed to be doing (i.e., attending the party in the cafeteria).

 Maddox, though, takes more after me:

 He seriously spent the whole party sitting on a stool eating popcorn out of that tub. To be fair the cafeteria was kind of loud and the games were oriented for bigger kids. But to never even go back out and look at what was going on? The kid is hard-core. The popcorn wasn't even fresh!

We went candy hunting with the neighbor girls, who are fortunate to have grandparents in a close-packed, candy-heavy neighborhood. Maddox a bit hesitant at first showing me every piece with a "look at dis! look at dis!" before moving into full on collection mode. He even managed to spit out "say tick a teet" at a few houses. Speech therapy must have been successful if he can now talk strangers into giving him candy, right?

Now thank goodness I can be done embarrassing myself over the sewing machine for another 11 months!