Lunch Duty and German Level D2

Since Marty was in Seattle I was on pick up and lunch duty with Benjamin.  And since Marty has a way of spoiling the kids a bit the precedent was set that Marty picks up Benjamin each day and then they enjoy a school cafeteria lunch.  It definitely is MUCH better than Seattle schools lunch options but it is still a school cafeteria. Not the best food and a bit overpriced. 
Benjamin to his credit does mix it up a bit and chooses different things.  I had fun doing it but I think he still prefers Marty as I would't give in to buying him a daily treat.  How much sugar does this kid need anyway?

After lunch we would often go out to the playground and he would play a bit digging in the sand.

Josie came home from school on Wednesday with very big news.  She was moved up yet another level in her German class.  They have levels (D4= no previous German, D3b = a bit more than no previous German and this is where she was originally placed, D3a = you understand and can speak a little and this is where she was moved to shortly after school started, D2 = you can read, write, speak and understand but you are not at mother tongue or native speaker level yet, Double Mother Tongue is where kids are equal in their abilities in German and English.
A week or two ago Josie told me "I'm not sure what happened but I can all of a sudden read and understand what I'm reading in German"  The human brain is so amazing.  After studying language acquisition and teaching Spanish I know quite a bit about how one goes about learning another language but to see it played out is so so cool. 
On Wednesday she came home with the news that she has now been placed in D2!  This is quite a feat.  She is now reading a novel in German and is able to write it German as well.  We are so so proud of her.  I think all other subjects here are easier than in Seattle but maybe that is OK so she can focus her energy on learning German.  Something she would not be able to do in Seattle.
 It is funny because I would have never believed that some people are just gifted at learning another language until having my two children.  They could not be more different in how they have approached other languages.  They have both been exposed equally to German.  We had Julie live with us for a year when Benjamin was a baby and then Franziska for another year. They both spoke quite a bit of German to the kids.  When Josie was young, probably for her first year or two,  I spoke to her for a few hours a day in Spanish as well.  Unfortunately I stopped because the further away from teaching Spanish the more rusty and difficult it was for me to speak it.  And then Benjamin came along and I was just too tired to parent in a language that wasn't my first language.  Anyway, Josie has always been open and a natural at learning languages.  And Benjamin, well, he has always fought it. I remember when he was still pretty young he would put his fingers in his ears and yell "I hate German!!"  So, yeah.  It doesn't help that they don't start teaching German formally until grade 3 so the only instruction he gets in German is indirectly through songs and other things in class.  Actually, this probably helps him not feel so intimidated by it and just let it seep in. 
Having Marty be gone this past week has made me realize that I definitely need to learn German as well.  I'm planning on signing up for an intensive class very soon.  Stay tuned for my progress

Park with Julie & Frida

When we went to the park with Julie and Frida last weekend Julie took some fantastic photos:

The Zoo

One of Josie's new good friends, actually her very first new friend here, Josephine, couldn't come to ice cream to celebrate Josie's birthday on Friday.  We decide to go to the zoo with Josephine on Tuesday as a delayed celebration.  We meet her at her trains station and then we are off.
Buying that annual zoo passes was one of the best purchases we have made. We have more than paid it off probably a couple of visits ago.  Although Benjamin and I have been 7 or 8 times, this is only Josie's second time.

They spend most of their time on the amazing playground and then at the petting zoo.  We did end up seeing the penguin feeding, the panda bears and the sea otter show.

Josie found the goat that Marty named
"human lips" because he does look like he
has human lips. 

We had mostly pretty decent weather except for a major downpour where we hid out in the indoor bird house until it past. 
An overall good day at the zoo and end of the long weekend. 
Two more days until Marty gets back.. actually 3 because he leaves Seattle on Thursday but doesn't make it here until Friday afternoon.

Kuhflecken

Monday was the "bridge holiday" between the weekend and the actual holiday on Tuesday which celebrates German unification.
The kids didn't have school on either day so it was a long 4 day weekend. We all decided that Monday should be a really low key, not do much type of day.  We were all a bit worn out from the swim practices and swim meets and being out and about most of the weekend. 
The kids think it would be fun to make something from the new German cookbook that Liz and Ed, Marty's sister and brother in law, sent to Josie for her birthday.   

We narrow it down to a few recipes but end up on Kuhflecken or "Cow spots" which are chocolate brownies with white chocolate melted in. 
The kids decided they were just too tired to ride the little over half a mile to the grocery store so I happily get

on my bike and bike alone channeling that older woman dressed up with dress shoes who so gracefully rode by me once I fell a couple days earlier and even try to have as good of bike posture.  That bike posture is not easy but I made it with no crashing. It was so fun to have a list of ingredients that are already in German no need to use my google translator on my phone or speak my toddler German to the workers trying to locate something.
When I get home we all take part in making the brownies.  They kids have always enjoyed baking and cooking.  The kitchen here is so small though it was difficult to have us all in there trying to get through the recipe. 

Benjamin was the bowl and spoon licker

Josie translated the entire thing for us and only had to look up a few words (hand mixer, chop and frothy)
Once the brownies are done it was time for Josie to go to swim practice.  This is the 3rd day in a row of swimming and she is a bit worn out. 

Rightfully so.  But she didn't complain much which was nice.  We all go together because we planned to head to Vietnamese food afterward on our way home. Benjamin and I go for a walk in the rain while Josie practices.  Unfortunately, the restaurant that Josie had picked was closed.  Not sure if that is because of the "bridge holiday" or just always closed on Monday.  She opts for her favorite Italian restaurant and thankfully Benjamin and I are both flexible and excited for Italian too.

The candle and the rose make it appear to be a much
fancier restaurant than it was but I love this pic of them.

Such a beauty!

Dinner was delicious and the kids and I really had a good time.  We are all missing Marty like crazy but making the best of it.  In Seattle I don't really eat out much with the kids alone but it is either their age or they have matured a ton since arriving but going out to eat with them alone is actually quite fun. 

We get home and dig into our freshly baked brownies and they were delicious.  And because the previous night of cozy movie was so nice we decide to have another movie.  Why not, it is vacation.

Swim Meet #1

Up side down Benjamin.  He
must have turned himself around
during the night. 

After missing so many bus connections the day before I was NOT about to make the same mistake this time.  We have to be at the swim meet at 7:45 AM Sunday morning.  We have to go to yet another unfamiliar pool in an unfamiliar part of town on unfamiliar buses.  But I was up for the challenge.  I didn't sleep well (again) because I was scared of sleeping through my 6AM alarm clock.   I had to be up, back snacks, make breakfast and we all had to be out the door before 7AM.  I do honestly LOVE not having a car and public transport is amazing but on Sundays our favorite bus (X10) doesn't start running until 9 or 10 AM and the other buses are much less frequent.

So early.  We are all so tired. 
But we didn't miss the bus

But we get to the bus stop with a few minutes to spare.  We make our connection easily and are at the pool a few minutes early.  I know it is stupid to feel successful about such a small thing but I did!! 

And we made knew went to the correct bus
stop and made our connection.  I know, a dumb
thing to be excited over but we were. 

The kids are also in good spirits which helps,  Josie is nervous but excited too whereas the morning before she was just nervous.  Benjamin is tired but thankfully his scholastic book order came in the day before so he had reading material for the long day ahead.

Josie goes and gets ready.  Neither of us really know what do to or where to go but just follow along.  There are only a very few new kids on the team so nothing is really explained.  Of course, when I ask anyone there they are more than helpful but I've already asked my fair share of questions.
Benjamin stays in the lobby while Josie and I head to the pool.  She feels and looks lost and is a bit teary.  She hasn't really met friends on the swim team yet because unlike other sports there really isn't any time to talk at practice.  They are face in the water the whole time.  Funny side story, the first time Marty met my parents we drove down to Bend, Oregon for a long weekend.  My dad swims at an awesome outdoor pool there so the morning after we arrived we meet my parents at the pool and after a quick introduction Marty and my dad go swimming.  There wasn't much time to get to know each other because like Josie's swim practice it was face in the water.  My dad calls it the loneliest sport but honestly, I think that is why I like it so much.  It is peaceful and quiet.

Josie with her new swim friends. 

OK, back to the swim meet, she hasn't met many friends and everyone around us seems to know what they are doing.  We ask a few people a few questions and they starts talking to another girl and they become fast friends and then she is off and running.  The team does some practice laps, they get their assigned heats and races and write it on their arm so they don't forget.

Benjamin was getting a bit antsy.  It was SO incredibly hot and humid in the pool area that it was almost uncomfortable.  Next time I will remember summer clothing to change into!
The meet starts and Josie's first heat is #9. 

We are sitting on the side benches when one of the new people I've met sees Benjamin is struggling a bit and being pretty impatient,  She tells us that they are down a timer and wonders if we might like the job.  At first I hesitated because I didn't know how it worked and if it would make Benjamin more antsy and once I committed to a job would I be able to do it in its entirety with an impatient son along side and Marty half way around the world.  It turned out to be the best thing for us.  They have 3 timers at the end of every lane.  Then they take the 3 times and average them.  Just knowing there were two other timers there in case I messed up helped. 

And then they gave Benjamin his own timer which helped immensely.  He likes pushing buttons.

Josie swims her first race, freestyle, and does great. She comes in last but not by much and it was her FIRST race ever.
We then have a LONG wait and time other racers until her next race, #21.  This time she did the back stroke and did great too.  Last again but again, not by much.  There are rules, with back stroke and breast stroke.  We are still learning these. 

Apparently free style is pretty open - just there and back.  Back stroke you have to touch the wall before your shoulders come out of the water so you have to use the flags above your head to guide you.  You can't flip over until you've touched the all.  The breast stroke you have to touch both walls with both hands.

Her final race #29 is the breast stroke and she has a strong swim but was DQ'd because shedidn't touch both walls with both hands, she only touched it on her turn around.  I wouldn't have known that either.  Thankfully, she was cool with it and shook it off and everyone says that being DQ'd is no big deal and everyone has had it several times. 

Funny, she thought it would be like getting a red card in soccer where they announce it but they just quietly told her after the race.  Now that she knows how it works the DQ thing is a much smaller deal.

Josie in the middle with her new friends. 

The entire day was nearly 8 hours long from when we left the house to when we returned.  We were exhausted when we got home but I told the kids that we would eat out twice while Marty was gone.  Benjamin, of course, chooses Indian and Josie chooses Vietnamese.  I told Josie since it was her swim meet day she could choose first.  But, because she likes to complain about Indian I'm pretty certain only because her brother loves it, she says she wants to go to Indian today "to get it out of the way" 

New (to us) bus and and new (to us)  bus stop.  

We head out toward Indian and discover a different bus that we can take there.  And the bonus was that across the street from where the bus lets us off is an amazing (new to us) park   I know I've said it many times but the parks here are incredible.  Creative, fun and challenging.

The kids play for awhile at the park and then we head to dinner.  I was feeling so successful but ended up ordering the wrong thing.

In Seattle Benjamin loves Chicken Tikka Masala.  Here the Tikka Masala is totally different.  Dry chicken and no sauce.  The kids actually like the sauce the best.  When we've gone in the past I don't really even look at the menu because Marty does the ordering.  When I see Chicken Tikka Masala I think that must be what we get but unfortunately it wasn't.  Benjamin, amazingly did not put up a fit.  They brought us a side of sauce, not quite the same but close and we are all happy.  Well not Josie because she HHHHAATTTEESS Indian food but she pulled it together.

Here they have this puffer bread (kind of like naan and kind of like a crepe that they blow up with air and slightly sweeten it) that is so so so good.  She likes that and the white rice - totally healthy dinner, right? 

We finish up dinner and then catch the bus home and even make our connection and then decide to have our first in Berlin movie night.  I made popcorn and the kids cozied up on the bean bag and laughed and laughed.  Such a good end to a long day.

Saturday in the Park

Older man carrying home
a 12 pack of beer.  

After our morning of missed connections we had a pretty chill day.  I rode to the grocery store while the kids stayed home.  I am still constantly amazed at the amount of bike traffic you see in this city.  And the variety of bikers is unlike any I have ever seen.  All ages ride bikes here from the teeny tiniest kids to women and men well into their 80's.  No one ever seems like they are working very hard either.  They are just slow and steady and sit with the most amazing bike posture.  I have never been much of a biker mostly because riding in the streets of Seattle I have always felt unsafe.  Here there are bike lanes/paths that are like sidewalks - up and away from cars that run along the walking sidewalk.  When you are going in the correct direction on a bike path it is so easy to feel self righteous if someone accidentally walks into your lane.  You have every right to be in that bike path going any speed you like (just like a car on a street) and everyone else should stand clear.

As I was leaving the grocery store I saw an older woman who had to have been in her upper 80's.  She was nicely dressed with dress shoes getting on her bike.  I thought, wow, that is amazing.  I start biking home and I don't know what happened but I came to a cross street where I would need to wait for passing traffic.  There was no light because it was a side street.  My new bike has back, coaster brakes that have taken me awhile to get used to but now that is what I use 99% of the time.  I also have one hand brake.  Anyway my pedals must have been in the wrong position, I was probably day dreaming about something and not really paying attention and I went to brake and I didn't slow down.  At the last minute I switched to my hand brake but it was too late I was already heading for a fall.  I'm not even sure what happened.  It was all in slow motion and I thought I could catch myself but nope!!  My bike goes over and all of my groceries spill out of my bike basket.  I was totally fine, just a little embarrassed.  I assessed the damage to my body which was jut a small scrape and knew it meant probably a tight back later.  There was a car that stopped.  They didn't say anything (thank goodness because I wouldn't have understood them) but waited until I was back up and pedaling.  As I was slowly pedaling home that same 80+ year old woman that I saw at the store a few minutes earlier passes me.  She is very gracefully pedaling past me with the best bike posture.  Humbling!

As much as they fight they also hug.

The kids and I have to run a few errands and get Josie a few new swim things before her meet the next day.  We get her goggles and a swim buoy.  Then we head out to meet Julie and Frida at a park.  It was still gloriously sunny and we all enjoyed the time outdoors.  I know for a fact that it will not be in the 70's again until probably April!! So we soaked up all we could and got to bed early for our early alarm clock the next day for Josie's first swim meet.