Today was the last day of solo morning school drop off. Normally Marty bikes them in and I typically follow but leisurely, after I've cleaned up breakfast and am able to avoid any potential hassles, fights or fits. Inevitably, a few times a week, someone has a bike problem or Josie's coat is too puffy or Benjamin's gears are sticking or someone is biking too fast or too slow and it ends up in a bickering disagreement just before school. Marty is much cooler in these scenarios and since we have moved to Germany I have very thankfully turned over this duty. This week has actually gone much, much more smoothly than I would have anticipated. In the 7 days of solo school drop offs we only had one minor fight on our bike ride in. I call that a win. I'll be very grateful for my partner to be back in all ways but especially morning drop off.
Every day while Marty was gone I'd snap a pic of the kids with "Drop off Success!!" It really felt good to get there in one piece... or three pieces I suppose. The street we ride to school on turns from a very quiet residential street during the rest of the day into a one way complete chaotic scene from about 7:20 until 8:00- right in the middle of when we ride to school. There is a hospital on this road as well as an assisted living facility. There are always delivery trucks and SO many people using this road to commute to school and work. Because there isn't enough room for 2 cars going in opposite directions, cars are always pulling into the few parallel parking spots on the side to let oncoming cars go by. It is also a windy road so you can't really see around the next bend. Drivers are rightfully very annoyed by the congestion so there is less patience and more frustration. And of course, it is one of the very few streets without a bike path so we have to ride on the street, along with the frustrated drivers. We often pop up on the sidewalk to avoid the cars but there are so many people walking that this isn't always a good solution either. Thankfully, this stretch is less than a mile and takes only 5 minutes but still. Getting to school safely and happily is a big deal. The picture shows how incredibly dark it is when we get to school. Just 3 more days until the shortest day of the year. YES, I'm counting. The days are so short here in the winter.
On the way home I noticed these street cleaners. They really have an amazing system here. There are TONS of deciduous trees here. Most streets are lined by beautiful Linden, Oak, and Maple trees. When they lose their leaves it is a mess but the mess doesn't stay for long. The street cleaners (Government run) start in October when the leaves start coming down. Then on some set calendar they come back about every 2 or 3 weeks and methodically clean the streets. EVERY street. Our tiny, cobble stone street gets cleaned the same as the main thoroughfares. They start with leave blowers and then make piles. The next day they come pick up the piles. It is a big production. Getting to school on the day they were cleaning the street we bike to school on was particularly harrowing. Today must be one of the last clean ups for the year as there really isn't much left living on the trees anymore. They are mostly bare. There were about 5 people one behind the other sweeping the streets and then a truck comes and picks up the piles. It really is a pretty impressive system. The streets, sidewalks and bike paths are almost always completely bare.
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