Olives

 I'm sure only my immediate family will appreciate this but I (newly) love olives.  My entire life I have hated them.  Not just did I hate them I'd gag if one accidentally showed up on my slice of pizza.  My sister, Kim, knowing that I hated them would put a big, black olive on each of her 5 fingers and eat them off one by one right next to me, loudly chomping and opening her mouth as she chewed to torture me EACH and EVERY Thanksgiving that I can remember from my growing up years.  She probably did at at different meals too but I vividly remember this at each Thanksgiving family dinner. Well, in the past 6 months something with my taste buds have definitely changed.  Now, I LOVE them.  At first a few months ago, I just wasn't bothered by them.  Then I ate them when served and sometimes would eat too many not used to how rich they can be.  Now, today, a new milestone.  My first ever, purchased olives.  Marty and I were taking a walk while the kids stayed back at the house and we came upon an olive stand.  The guy was from Italy and spoke a little German.  I said I spoke Spanish so the three of us spoke in German, Spanish and Italian and somehow understood each other.  He offered a taste of the olives he was selling and they were SO good.  I bought a small tub and am so excited to eat them.  None of my family likes them so they are all mine.  Goes to show your taste buds do actually change.
Marty and I are really enjoying our new found freedom of leaving the kids for an hour or so to walk around or into town. It is so nice to have a bit of time to have an entire conversation without being interrupted.  I do need to work on taking selfies, though. He had just bought a piece of Bienenstich (a typical German cake that his mom always made) He has been eyeing different Bienenstich for 3 weeks and always drooling saying he wanted to buy one.  Well, today at the Farmers Market was the day.  Unfortunately, it did not hold up to his mom's Bienenstich.  She really is the BEST baker!!
After the walk and the local Farmer's Market we decide to head to the mall.  Yes, that SAME mall because Josie needs her own bus/train pass.  We had been waiting to buy her the monthly pass because once you get your student ID (we picked it up on Friday at orientation)  there is a half price discount.

One the way to the mall in the top front seats
of a doubledecker bus

 So we headed to the mall that had a BVG (their metro transit company) to buy her pass. The kids, of course, wanted their favorite lunch - Indian for Benjamin and Vietnamese for Josie.  When we get to the BVG with Josie's new school ID in hand they tell us we need another passport sized photo.  UGH! Marty printed out and brought over with us several passport photos of all of us - he is a think ahead kind of guy.  But we forgot them at home.  So, we decided that Marty would run back home (walk to S-bahn, take a bus home, then took his bike back to S-bahn then train ride back to the mall) while the kids and I waited and ate ice cream.  I think I won in that scenario.  But, we were successful.

She is now the proud owner of her very own bus/train pass.  She can go anywhere by bus, underground train, over head train or street car with this pass.  And for just $29 € per month it is pretty reasonable.