Friends - and Doctors and Snails

We all had our physical with the local family doctor this morning.  We found out last week that in order to get health insurance we all would need a well check before we were legit. Marty and Benjamin bike over there (about a 5 minute bike ride) in a light rain.  Josie's and my appointments were 90 minutes later so we head out and by then it is pouring rain so we decide to walk.  She doesn't let me take photos of her anymore so I have to resort to taking photos from behind. She was happy to be using her rain cover on her new school backpack.

We arrive just as the guys are leaving the office and Marty gives me a brief run down because they speak very little English there.  Josie and I walk into the reception area.  We muddle through with broken English and nearly non exist German.  The receptionist tells me there are some things on the form that my husband didn't know about my health history.  But the forms are all in German so we both look at each other and shrug.  The universal sign for "oh, well. It's all good"  She motions to us that we should have a seat in the waiting room.  A very sterile looking room with about 9 chairs and 7 people sitting in those chairs.  Josie and I find a seat and sit.  There is a loud speaker up in the corner of the room circa 1945.  The Dr calls out some name (sounds like complete gibberish and static) over the loud speaker and a patient from the waiting room stands up and opens a door then closes it behind.  With 7 people in the waiting room and one Dr I'm thinking that this is going to take forever!!! A man in the waiting room has a big gauze bandage over his ear.  One woman is coughing the other 5 people are just sitting there looking grumpy.  The Dr. keeps calling names and each patient spends about 2 minutes in with the Dr.  I can't even imagine what he could possibly do in the 2 minutes he has with them.  But the waiting room is quickly emptying.  Then I hear "Mrs. Riemer and her daughter"  Oh, he speaks English!  Yay.  Josie and I head through the door.  Another very sterile looking room.  He looks like some kind of physical therapist dressed in a blue polo shirt and light khaki pants.  He is sitting behind a desk.  He greets us and asks us a few questions in decent English.  He asks what I do for a profession and I tell him that I'm just a mom now but I was a high school Spanish teacher.  He lights up and says that he speaks Spanish. I break into Spanish, feeling proud that I DO know another language even if not the language of the country I'm currently living but nonetheless it makes me happy to finally be able to communicate in a level higher than a toddler.  He looks at me puzzled and says in English "Oh, no, I just started taking lessons two weeks ago"  So bummed!  Then he smiles and says "hasta luego" and I don't want to burst his bubble but this isn't really the point in the conversation that you would say "see you later" but points for trying I suppose.
 After the questionnaire he ushers us back to the exam room.  It looks a bit like from the 1950's but whatever. He tells Josie to undress to her underwear.  There is the little half curtained off area and Josie and I are giggling a bit.  He just kind of stands there and waits.  The curtain is just for show as it really doesn't cover anything. Josie is a good sport.  She is getting to that age where undressing is becoming a bigger deal.  In the states the Dr would leave while you undressed and give you a gown to put on.  But Josie hops up on the exam table with just underwear and he does a quick exam.  Feels around her stomach, taps her back, listens to her heart, bends her knees and takes her blood pressure. "I have to do these things for the insurance.  Sorry", he says.  Josie's is done and then he says to me "ok, take everything off except your underwear."  I know Americans, me included, are more prudish than the average European but it is just strange.  I leave my bra on.  It's considered "underwear" right?  He doesn't leave, no gown... same exam Josie had.  She is giggling away standing next to me.  He gets to the blood pressure part and I just mention that I have extremely low blood pressure (80 over 60 and sometimes even lower) And with that he doesn't even complete the blood pressure test.  "Well, then you are good!" he says.  Then we get dressed and meet him back at his desk.  Then he says "oh, and I have to measure your necks"  So strange.  He again says "it's for the insurance, I'm sorry"  So, he measures both of our necks.  Seems like our neck measurements are fine.  He rubber stamps both of our papers and tells us we are good to go.  He tells us that he hopes he doesn't see us again during our year here and that all remain healthy.  "Adios" we both say at the same time and Josie and I leave giggling the whole way home.

Maybe because it had rained in the morning but we see some amazing snails on the way home.

In the afternoon our second set of visitors arrived. My sister was visitor #1 and our really good friends Dawna, Kurt, Bryn, Ansley and Paige are our 2nd visitors.  So SO great to see them!!
Josie and I met Dawna and Bryn through our PEPS group when Josie and Byrn were 3 months old.  We became fast friends (Dawna and I) and because of our weekly PEPS meetings and then many MANY other play dates the girls became best friends.  When Josie and Bryn were only 14 months old we were both looking for a part time nanny. I just needed a few hours a week and Dawna need a bit more because she was returning to work.  I figured that it would make more sense to get a nanny that spoke either German or Spanish instead of just simple care.  Marty was, of course, pushing for German.  I thought it unlikely but promised that I'd try.  My VERY first time looking we found Semi who was and continues to be a very close family friend.

She watched both girls, introduced them both to German, told us about the Au Pair program (she had been an au pair herself) which led us to Julie  and also led Bryn's family to 7 successful German Au Pairs.  It is amazing to look back and see how influential Semi has been in all of our lives!!  So Josie and Bryn have been best friends and Dawna, Kurt and Marty and I have talked about us all vacationing together in Germany some day and we are all in disbelief that we are all here now together with them visiting and us actually living here.

They moved to New York a couple of years ago so we haven't seen them much but as it is with good friends we just picked up right where we left off.
We walked to the park by JFK and Josie and Bryn held hands the entire time.  So Sweet!!

Then we took a long (unintentional ) detour and then made it home in time for dinner.

Julie joined us for most of the day which was SO nice as well.  When Julie spent the year living with us in 2010 she also was an unofficial Au Pair for Bryn's family.  Now she looks just like one of the kids.  They have all gotten SO big.

Speaking of big, Bryn (who is not even 11 yet) is taller than me by at least an inch or two!  I know, not a huge feat to be taller than me, but still.  I have known here since she was 3 months old and now she is taller than me.

Dawna gave me the most thoughtful gift.  Measuring spoons and cups which I so much needed and a nice NY bag which I also needed and some Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips which are awesome because even though the chocolate here is top notch the chocolate chips leave something to be desired.  Thank you, Dawna!!