Holiday Monday

Monday, May 1st was the first in a whole bunch of German holidays and "bridge holidays"   I have never seen so many days off in the school calendar aside from the long summer and winter breaks.  And because so many of these holidays happened to fall on a Thursday or Friday they tended to take the day off in between the holiday and the weekend.  In the month of May the kids would have:
  7 - school days off
  3 -  four day weekends
  1 - three day weekend
  1 - full week of classes with 5 actual school days. 

There really are so many more days off and holidays throughout the school year here.  Summer vacation is only 7 weeks instead of the Seattle's 10+  So it makes sense and I have to say I quite prefer breaks here and there and cutting down summer break by a few weeks.  Someone told me the other day that the ONLY month that the kids have a full 4 weeks of school at JFK is in June.  So, maybe I should wait and see what that is like before I give my preference.

But it is really crazy how many holidays are in May in Germany. 
Monday was the "bridge holiday" because Tuesday was the actual holiday - Labor Day- in Germany.   We decided to meet up with some friends at the nearby lake - Schlachtensee.  Clayton, his brother, Gavin and mom, Shantal met up with us as did my friend (another one I don't see often enough) Gillian from Maine but lives just a 10 minute bike ride from us.  Her two kids, Oliver and Maddie who attend BBIS and her British husband, Andy.  We all brought a picnic lunch. 

We rented three boats and divided up the people.  The minute and I kid you not, the MINUTE we all got into the boats a huge storm blew in.  It has been beautifully sunny and warm and calm until we got into the boats.

 And then.. huge storm that made it so incredibly difficult to paddle anything but around in circles right in front of the rental area. 

The kids hopped from boat to boat.  Nearly everyone had a chance to paddle.  In the end we all tied up together and then tried to meander slowly back into the slips of the rental place.  SO funny.  Everyone had a good time though. 

After the picnicking and the paddling, Marty and Andy both had to check out early to get back to work...  it wasn't a holiday in Seattle so he had to get back to do the radio show. 

  

The moms and the kids stayed at the park and they played and laughed and we thoroughly enjoyed the first of many May vacation days.