Fun Run and Fridays for the Future

 Friday was the biennial Fun Run at JFKS.  It is funny to think back to our first Fun Run two years ago when we were so new.  We hadn't really met any friends yet, Benjamin had only been attending school or a week or so and Josie about 4 weeks.  We were mesmerized by the huge production that it was and it was fun to see the first, of what became many, FULL school events.  There is so much added to a school event when it spans grades K-12.

This year Marty and I were both signed up to help all day.  He was back in his familiar role as the DJ/MC and I was helping hand out the free Verein Fun Day tshirts.
The day started early at 7:30 and the weather was perfect.  A bit

My dear friend, Fiounnuala, who I met for the first
time 2 years ago at this same event. 

crisp but sunny and bright.  This year the Verein decided to add a bit of Fun Day to the Fun Run for the first time so there were food booths and musical acts.
The kids both ran during their grade's allotted time period.  Each grade was given 30 minutes to run as many laps as possible and as they passed their class table on the track a parent would mark their arm with another hashtag and at the end they counted up their laps and the people who sponsored would give money to the school for each lap.  Benjamin really gave it his all and ran 10 laps.  So 2.5 miles.  He is not a runner but he chugged along the entire 30 minutes.  Fourth grade must be the peak of interest in this event as the 4th graders well out did every other grade in number of laps.

Benjamin with one of his best buddies, Zeke. 

Josie is entering the age/grade where Fun Run becomes kind of dumb so most of her friends walked.  She walked (mostly) ran a little 5 laps. And DID NOT want pictures.

After the event Josie went with her friends to the enormous protest at Brandenburg Gate.  She waved an extremely tall sign (which her friend's dad attached to a window washer extendable stick) and came home inspired and tired and said "There were SOOOOO #FridaysforFuture

many people"  Estimates say close to 170,000 people showed up in Berlin!!  Wow!! 
#Climatestrike

The future is loud and bold!

Thursdays

The past several Thursdays (and for nearly 4 months last Spring) I have been volunteering with an amazing organization that helps immigrant and refugee women get what is pretty much the equivalent to the American GED certificate.  The test requires a passing grade in German, Biology, English and Math. The organization is called TIO and is mostly funded by the government. 

These women come from mostly worn torn countries - Afghanistan, Kosovo, Syria, Turkey, Macedonia - and are really trying to better their lives.  Over the course of the past few months I have gotten to know them and a bit of their stories.  All of them speak German already. They have been in Berlin (or somewhere in Germany) from between one year and their entire lives.  Most women are between the ages of 18 and 40.  Most of them have children and all of them want so badly to be able to speak English enough to pass the test.  After they pass the test they will go on to do internships and then find full or part time work. 

My part is to pull them out of class one at a time up to three at a time and practice conversational skill which they will need for their test.  They are so receptive and so eager to learn and so very kind.  This Thursday we worked one and one with their presentation.  One part of the English test will be for them to give a 3 minute presentation about themselves talking about the basics of their life and further about their hobbies.  Nearly every one of them enjoys mostly spending time with their families. Nearly all of them long to be with their extended families back in their homeland but all of them are grateful to be living in a country with so many more possibilities given to them as women.

After volunteering I picked up Benjamin and we rode our bikes to get his haircut.  He was getting pretty moppy.  The haircut place happens to be right across the street from his favorite doner place. Win! Win!

In construction news - our house is still a PIT!!  Someday... someday...

This is our back door which has been completely unusable for nearly THREE weeks!! We ripped off the very small and quirky back deck and are rebuilding stairs out these two double doors and then a large patio area onto the grass.  

 Enormous HOLE outside that door.  We have it fully locked but still. The hole is probably 10+feet deep. What a mess!

And our lovely Front Yard!! 

Appointments, Missed Buses and Sous Chef

Another full day which started off with a trip to the US embassy to get Benjamin's US passport renewed.  We made an early appointment so we all rode our bikes to school together, parked our bikes there, Josie went on to school and the three of us hopped on a bus and headed to the embassy.  There is a consulate that is just a couple miles away which is super convenient that we don't have to go to the actually embassy downtown.
We get there with plenty of time and snap a quick photo before they take our backpacks, our cell phones and my pack of chewing gum??  Not sure what was so illegal about that.  It was a very quick and efficient process.  And they say we should get his new passport in a couple of weeks.
After the appointment we ride the bus back to school, drop Benjamin off, went back home and got a ton of stuff done around the house and then I had my first appointment with a new Dr to help with my chronic back pain.  I have seen a couple of doctors here and none of them have helped at all.  I was a bit skeptical with another recommendation but I was a bit eager as my back has been pretty painful and tight lately.
It turned out to be one of the best experiences I have had in relation to helping my back. She asked if I had a chin injury... why yes!  I was hit by a bike while roller blading (nearly 20 years ago!!) and flew over the handle bars and landed right on my chin. I have had problems with my jaw and chin ever since but I never bring that up with anyone.  It seemed unfixable.  She had me walk back and forth and asked if I had problems with my feet.  Why yes again!!  I have had a bad case of plantar fasciitis ever since my Cuba trip where I walked 10 + miles in flip flops! But even when I went to a podiatrist he just diagnosed me and prescribed a boot that I had to wear at night.
She really found every spot I have problems with and then really and painfully dug in... to my feet to my hips to my back.  OUCH!!  But with the long term value of paying off in the end.  I left sore but happy.
On Wednesdays Josie has a special math class at the university. Normally I ride the bus with her and then she returns on her own.  This week I told her that I had a dr appointment and she would have to go on her own.  I texted her with the exact time she should leave to catch the bus.  I couldn't have been clearer.  I raced home and waited at the bus stop she should have gone to to get to her class.  She didn't show up.  I was so mad!!  I marched home pissed to find her on a video game with her brother.  She was so distraught that she has missed her class but I was still so mad.

I am the default parent.  When Marty and I decided to have kids we wanted one of us to always be there for the kids.  I quickly became the "default parent" as it is much more difficult to raise a family as a teacher's salary and I knew that teaching and parenting is the same emotional draw.  I could not do both well.  Which means that I am the one to always be there for the kids.  To get them to and from their activities and appointments. To make sure that they have their PE clothes on PE (here called "sport") sign them up for camps and after school enrichment.   Josie is very much old enough to get herself to her activities on her own but often times she wants me to go. Truth be told, I half hate it (I have so much to do) and half love it as I know my time with her is numbered and soon enough she won't want me to go with her to places.
We decided that she should still go to her math class even thought she would be a bit late. We hopped on the next bus. When we got to the stop at the University we ran as fast as this 50 year old body will allow me to go.  She ended up being less than 10 minutes late and here everyone is used to missing a bus or two.

After we said goodbye I got back on the bus and crossed town for the umpteenth time that day.  When I walk in the house  I dive right into making dinner.  I had hopes of making a more complicated vegan dish for dinner but now my time was rather tight.  Benjamin asked to help and at first I said -no way!! but then I thought, what's the rush? He turned out being the best sous chef and we made a delicious vegan meal complete with vegan gravy.  We are not gravy fans but this Shepard's pie with Rockstar gravy from the cookbook "Cookin' Up a Storm" was seriously amazing.

Josie came back from her math class barely phased by the trauma of missing her bus and we had a great, vegan meal together.
A full and frustrating day.

Interviews, Play Dates and Snacks from Home

Yesterday was full from start to finish.  I have recently been wanting to go back to work.  Actually, more accurately, I have been wanting to reinvent myself.  I'm not sure teaching is really my thing anymore but I really don't know what else I'd like to do.  I don't want to get a full time job or even set hours in a part time job unless I really love it.  I looked a bit and put the word out there but nothing promising came across my path.

I thought of substitute teaching but the school our kids go to do not do the traditional US type subbing where they call you in for a day here or there but rather only for long term - 3 months every day - type subs.  In my opinion I would much rather be a full time teacher than a long term sub.  Long term subs have to do all the work as a full time teacher (for a set period of time) but get none of the follow your kids through the year type satisfaction.

There is a private, international IB school very close to our house - 15 minute bike ride to be exact - that does do the traditional call in sub type subbing.  I have actually sent my resume to this school each year, very half heartedly, with no reply.  This year I sent it in again with much different response. I got emails from both the elementary and high school principals requesting an interview.  That was promising.  In between the emails and setting up an interview another job became available at another nearbyinternational school for a part time English speaking librarian.  At first, this seemed perfect to me but then I found out that it is only 6 hours per week.  Well, good I thought. I could also do both.  Librarian and subbing.  But... they have a thing here called a "mini job" and you are only allowed to make a certain amount total with all of your one or 10 mini jobs.  If I did subbing (you are only allowed 5 days per month) and the library job I would make over the allowed amount.  The limit is not a lot of money, in

This is at our favorite Asian
restaurant but picture
was taken the week previous
when he actually had the
surgery.. like I said -
any excuse we go!

fact it is quite small but it seems the subbing job, with the flexibility and the ability to at least make up to the limit of the mini job cut off seems to make more sense.  Plus I am certified to teach in the high school and elementary so both principals made me feel like they actually wanted me... I have to choose between the two schools.  Even though I can technically teach any grade because of scheduling I have to choose.  I'm torn.  I'm drawn more to the high
school age but upper elementary would also be fun.  Regardless, I got a job!  One day a week/5 days a month.  I filled out the paperwork on the spot and then took my application for a background check to the "Burgeramt" and just have to wait a few weeks to be cleared and then I'm good to go.  Kind of excited.  Kind of nervous.  Will keep you posted.

While I was at my interview Marty had a follow up for his cataract surgery that he had the week previous.  He got a glowing report from his doctor who said it was "Perfekt!"  Germans do not throw out that word lightly!!

When we texted each other we decided to meet for lunch to celebrate at our favorite Vietnamese place.  Any excuse to go there is a welcomed one.  Yay for a successful surgery and a new (very part time) job!

I went to school to pick up Benjamin and his friend Zeke.  We are starting weekly playdates alternating houses - one week his house next week ours.  They are great friends and treat each other as

equals.  Zeke's mom said she liked them together because they don't overpower each other the way kids so often do at this age.  Early in the school year last year Benjamin came bounding out of school saying "I want a play date with Zeke"  Him mom Gayla happened to be standing where we were unlocking our bikes and she told us that Zeke was her son.  And a fast friendship between the families began.  We love the Renslows!!  Happy for their friendship.

So while I was at school picking up the boys Josie comes bounding over saying she doesn't have class last hour.  Benjamin gets out of school at 2pm and Josie at 3pm.  This is perhaps the 5th time that there isn't a sub to cover one of her classes and she gets let out early.  Remember when I said that their school doesn't have traditional subbing?  As far as I can tell when a teacher needs a sub one of the other teacher's fills in during their planning period.  But if that class happens to be first or last hour then they just cancel class??? Crazy!  She is only 7th grade.  The kids love it and I guess I'm not even bothered by it but it is a huge difference from the US.  We couldn't even do that with our high school students and some of them were 18.
Anyway, so Josie and her friend Meredith came home with us.  Snacks, play time and laughter.  I really do love a full house and love that we live even closer (just by 5 minutes) to school than we did last year.
Oh and at the store I found some comforts of home.  The food here is really good.  You can find just about anything - except real,

natural peanut butter and red licorice- but pretty much everything else I have found.  They do not do convenience snacks very well though. The "granola" bars are just glorified candy bars, they just don't have good snacky stuff, or good crackers or good chips.  But there is a grocery store here called Aldi and somehow (I've heard various stories about how they are related ) but Aldi is tied to Trader Joe's in some way so sometimes it makes me happy to buy the "trader joe's" labeled brand even

though the snacks aren't nearly as good... but better than the traditional German variety.

Oh and in construction news they broke through the attic floor for real this time and the ceiling split in our bedroom and the large light fell onto our bed.  A soft landing, thankfully so nothing broke but disconcerting all the same.

Family Dinners

For the past few weeks we have had a weekly dinner with Julie, Micha and their dog Frida.  So fun to have family here in Berlin.  Makes me miss my family back home although we all lived so far apart we could never do a weekly dinner.  Tonight on the menu was a chickpea stew. 

Marty, Josie and Julie are all vegetarians.  So I normally go veggie on family dinner night with a meat option for Micha and
Benjamin - the carnivores. I opted for a spiced chickpea stew with coconut milk.  I had seen this recipe several weeks ago but it has been way too warm for a stew.  As the weather is starting to change to Fall it was the perfect choice. I will definitely make it again.  I added a bit of cumin and a squeeze of lemon along with chopped mint and a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkle of red chili flakes (that I was able to find for the first time since moving here!!)  It was so good.  A big debate in the comments was whether to use the full 2 cans of coconut milk like suggested.  I double the recipe (and it was just the right amount for 5 hungry people - enough for 3 people to have seconds.  Since I doubled the recipe I used 3 cans (not 4) of coconut milk.  It did not need more.  Here is the recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019772-spiced-chickpea-stew-with-coconut-and-turmeric

After school and before Family dinner I picked Benjamin and his friend Lukas up at school and took them to the traffic school.  Every 4th grader in Berlin has to pass a bike test at the end of the school year.  Part of the requirement for the test is that they have to visit the little traffic schools and get a stamp at least 6 times.  This was Benjamin's second visit.  The first visit last week was met with a lot of scolding and doing things

wrong for both of us.  I was not to take pictures (fat chance!!) I was not to go in with him to register, I was to sit here and not there... Benjamin was to tighten his helmet. It was too big, he was to turn right not left when exiting the parked bike area, he was to do a safety look when coming to a crosswalk.  Everything was in German.  100% German.  I couldn't tell from where I was sitting if Benjamin was just nodding and not understanding or if he was fully understanding.  At the end I asked him why he was scolded so many times.  He said he wasn't really scolded but that the police officers were just telling him what to do and how to correct some of his patterns.  He is already becoming German in that the scolding doesn't bother him. And he said he completely understood what they were saying.  Amazing!!
So after our experience last week Benjamin thought it would be fun
to go with a friend, a German speaking friend to be exact.  We had already had the play date set up with Lukas (a completely bilingual kid) so it worked out well. 
After traffic school we took the bus home and the boys had a snack and some games and then they ended up reading together.  So sweet.  Lukas likes books about as much as Benjamin does.

Trying to get the
three squiggly dogs
back in their yard. 

Just before dinner we walked Lukas to the bus stop and on our way back we realized that our neighbors three dogs had escaped for the one billioneth time.  All the neighbors have walked these poor three dogs back to their home at least 20 times each.  I'm not sure what is up with these people but clearly they either need to keep their dogs inside or build a better fence.  Those poor dogs are going to get hit by a car.  They had already lost one dog to a car awhile back.

The dogs were completely spent... so cute

Julie and Micha and Frida came and as always bring nice, young energy.  The dogs always have a nice time and get some energy out in the backyard before they crash together.  We even had time for a few games of Schafkopf (a favorite German card game)

Sunday at the Grunewald

We have heard about the Grunewald since moving here.  We live right on the corner of it.  Marty points out how amazing it is every time we take the S7 (Sbahn7) train line because it is his favorite train because it runs right through the Grunewald.  Direct translation of Grunewald is Green Forest.  It is a massive forest set right in Berlin among some of the most expensive real estate in the area of Dahlem.

We especially heard about this park from dog owners and dog lovers as it is one of the largest off leash dog parks in all of Europe.  After a leisurely morning (for the kids, Marty and Mogli) I was still trying to clean this house which because of the remodel is a hopeless, tireless - I should

probably just give up and let it go - battle...we packed a bag with Mogli treats and toys and headed off on the bus to the great Grunewald.
We entered and it seemed like a really flat hiking trail that you would find near Seattle.  We let Mogli run free and at first it was pretty quiet, not many people or dogs.

But after a turn toward the lake we seemed to pass dog after dog after dog.  Mogli does really well with nearly every dog he comes in contact with.  I can only imagine that after

being a street dog in Crete he has learned how to not be aggressive and go with the flow around another pups.  He plays and runs and has a great time.  The only time we ever really worry about him is when he takes off and doesn't want to listen to our calls to come back.  He has always come back, obviously but it freaks us out... mostly just Josie and me.

After a few friends he makes on the way to the lake none of us had any idea of the hour long fun he would have down at and IN the lake.  He has never really liked water so

we weren't sure if he would actually go in but he spent a solid hour in pure dog HEAVEN.  So many dogs so many balls so much playing and running and just being allowed to be a dog.  Heaven for sure.

We decided to leave while he was still listening to us.  We are relatively new dog owners but we equated it to when the kids were young and if we stayed too long at a playground they inevitably always got hurt.  They would either be too tired to climb or would miss a rung of the ladder or would simply melt down before getting to the car or home.  We made the right call.  Mogli had energy on his way out but we decided to stop for dinner at a newly recommended burger place that had plenty of

veggie options.  It was a HIT.  Mogli happily came along, ate his dinner that we had packed and then spent the rest of the time asleep under the table.   One big thing here that makes me so angry is the lack of water fountains.  In Seattle, and I imagine most of the US, there are ample water fountains.  It is a huge pet peeve to live in a country with fresh, clean tap water and not have it accessible.  So much better for the environment to have a drinking fountain or
filling station at the ready at train stations and bus stations.  We always bring water with us but now with 5 of us wanting water it is nice to have a place to refill.  It must be some thing new in Berlin because this is the third one we have seen since returning from Seattle. YAY for water fountains!!!!!
We made it home and we all crashed.  This is how Sundays were meant to be.

Slowly Slidding into September

It is strange to think that this is our THIRD September here in Berlin.  How can that be when our plan was to just come for one year.  It is crazy and cool all at the same time. 

WAY too many good times in Seattle to
add all the photos.  We were FULL with friends
family and food.  25 pounds of fresh raspberries
picked and eaten. YUMMM

I'm obviously not catching up on the past 2.5 months.  I keep thinking that I should and then I feel overwhelmed by all that I would have to say about our fabulous July, August and early half of September that I know I just need to start with today.  Friday, September 13th.

The kids are nearly a full month into their 4th and 7th grade years.  By all accounts they are thriving and enjoying it here.  We still have a bit of push back from Josie missing Seattle and her friends.  I get it!! We do too and we do for her, especially.  When you are in your 50's you know your friendships that are built to last and know that it can withstand a few, a bunch, who knows how many years abroad.  But when you are 12 a year is a long time to be reunited with your awesome friends.
Benjamin went to a week long sleep away survival camp for his second week of school.  Marty and I were both a bit anxious.  He is normally pretty much a home body and hasn't ever slept away from us for more than a couple of nights and

that has always been with A
unt Liz and Uncle Ed who he LOVES.  So being a camp with a group of kids and teachers was going to be very different.  Not to worry, he had a great time and barely even missed us!!  He was so dirty and stinky when he arrived back on Friday but very happy and tired.  They did a lot of wilderness training and using a carving knife (Carving knife was on the packing list... along with a pack of band aids 😁) He did great and we were all proud that he did it and had a good time.

Josie attends FU (Frei Universitat) once per week
Hilarious that the initials are FU....

Josie had a bit of a rough start to 7th grade.  She was assigned into the German track (half of the 7th graders have the majority of their classes taught in English and the

other half have the majority of their classes taught in German) She had tested into the group that could be put in either group but we didn't think she would actually be put in the German side. We have only been here for 2 years and typically it take 3 to 5 years to acquire academic language.  Conversational language is so much easier.  So her first day she came home filled with tears and was completely overwhelmed.  Her Ethics, Geography, Biology, Social Studies, Sport and German Language classes would all be taught

Nightly walks, rolls, scoots with Mogli

exclusively in German.  I totally understand.  I would not feel comfortable taking any of these classes in Spanish and I taught the language.   But much to her credit, by day two she was just going with the flow and seemed to feel she could handle it... or at least was not freaking out about it.  Very proud of her.  She continues to excel in school and does it like it is no big deal. She also tested into a special math program for 7th graders.  Just a few made it into the program where she goes once a week to a local university and has a 2 hour math class.

We are over our heads with our old (new to us) house remodel.  It is constant and yet nothing has been finished yet.  We have several spaces that feel relatively normal and untouched by the

construction but nothing feels normal in the sense that there are still boxes and dust and out every door there are workers from 7am until 4:30 every day.  Step by step we will get there... I hope.