Turkish Market and School Concert

On Tuesday Josie said she felt good to go to school.  Phew!! We got ready and then just before it was time to leave she says she feels sick again.  I tell her to stay home for now and hopefully she can go to school just a bit late. Benjamin and I bike to school, just the two of us, again.  He gets there in a good mood and with plenty of time.
When I get back home she is starting to panic because she's not sure how she feels but she REALLY doesn't want to miss school nor her concert.  And I REALLY don't want to sit home for another day while one of my friends is visiting from far away and only has a limited time here.    We talk it over. And over and over.  We finally come up with her

going to school at 9:30 and then I plan to meet Simone at the Sbahn after dropping  her off.  Even though she was very whiny and unsure at home she was confident and not at all

needy once at school.  That teenage mentality has definitely kicked in and once she is around her friends there is not much need for me.  I didn't think it at the time but that need to always be "on" always be aware always be confident must be exhausting to a teen and preteen.
Once on the train, we decide to hit the weekly Turkish Market in Nuekolln.  It was pretty nasty weather but the market itself was cool.  It reminded me of the market we walked through in Antalya but this on in Berlin was actually bigger.
Simone suggested we walk around the market and then grab lunch.  As always, I'm ever mindful of the time when I have to get back to school by 2PM to pick up Benjamin.  This still feels tight

but so much better than last year when he got out at 1PM (!?!?!) I knew we likely wouldn't have time to do both but we carelessly walked through the market.  And then by the time we were done and ready for lunch it was time for me to go get Benjamin.

Thankfully, Simone had a long list of things to see so I took off and headed home.
The kids had their big music concert at school that night.  We at to be there an hour before performance for practice!!  So I sat in the audience surrounded by other parents with kids in the show.
Both kids did great.  This was Benjamin's first performance and he was quite proud.