Zoo (again) and Aquarium and Trains

Benjamin started his 5th no school day with a bike trip to the grocery store with Marty and came home with a HUGE pastry.  He loves his daily bike trips to the store and because the boys like to bike to the store each morning,  I've never done so little grocery shopping.  The mornings have fallen into a nice little rhythm.  Josie wakes up around 6:45.  She takes a 15 minute shower (yes, daily... she has already turned into a teenager!!) Then heads down for breakfast.  Marty and Josie eat breakfast together and then Marty bikes with Josie to school.  Benjamin typically sleeps right through all of this but is up and has eaten and ready to go on his bike right around the time Marty returns from biking Josie to school.  Then the boys head out on their bikes.  Benjamin demands a list each time to put in his pocket although I don't think they ever look at it.  It is SO very nice to have personal grocery shoppers so there is no way I'm going to complain but normally only 80% of my list is purchased.  No worry... they are heading back to the store the next morning.

Today Benjamin did a little reading and then we talked over our options for the day.  Benjamin is a lot like Marty and could honestly stay home all day.  Josie and I are much more similar and would go stir crazy if we aren't able to get out of the house.  So, motivating a homebody to go out and do something fun is not easy.  Today he decides that he will go NOWHERE if Marty doesn't join us.  Marty thankfully agrees because if I don't get out of the house I will literally go crazy.  It is another beautiful day and so I suggest the lake at Schlachtensee again or the zoo... again!  I guess maybe I need to think of things a bit farther afield but we enjoyed both of these outings so much that they both seem worth a revisit.  He chooses the zoo because there were several things that he wants to show Marty (and Josie- but that will have to wait for a weekend)  I really am not much of a zoo person but The Berlin Zoo has to be my favorite.  I don't know if it is because it feel way less crowded (even on a beautiful Friday in August) or if because the animals seem so accessible. I think all of the structures and enclosures seem almost dangerous in their lack of security that you somehow feel more "with" the animals rather than just looking at them from afar.  Also, all of the walls and things seem lower and I can see over nearly everything.

We hop on the bus that goes straight to the zoo from the end of our street but it is pretty crowded and Marty decides we should try to train there.  So we hop off at our local S-Bahn station and take the train 4 stops and then transfer to the U-Bahn and go another 9 stops and we are there.  It probably took just a touch longer than the bus but was much more fun.  Trains are always more fun.  

We show Marty the playground and the petting zoo.  Two of Benjamin's favorites from our Wednesday trip.  Then Marty needs to leave to return home for work and Benjamin and I see a few more animals and then come across this cool popcorn machine.  I had just told Marty yesterday that I was really missing popcorn.  I haven't seen it yet at the grocery store and anyone who knows me knows that it is my all time favorite snack.

So when we see this machine we decide to go for it.  You put in 3 Euro and then a flattened box pops out like cash from a cash machine.  You then open up the popcorn box and place it inside this little window/door thing and close it.  Then there is a clock countdown.  Thankfully there were photos telling you step #1, #2, etc.  I would have had no idea how to work it as all the instructions were in German. Within 2 minutes we have a small box of fresh popped popcorn.  Not the best popcorn in the world but also not half bad.  There were two options: Either salty and sweet or just sweet.  We chose sweet and salty but it was so salty we didn't taste any sweet.  

After awhile we stumble upon the Aquarium.

When we got the annual pass we added on an annual pass for the aquarium as well and I'm glad we did.  It was really well done.  Benjamin had so much fun looking around at all the sea life, reptiles, amphibians and insects. 

When it was time to go I asked Benjamin if he wanted to take the one bus directly to the end of our street or 2 trains and a bus.  He chose the latter.  Trains really are always more fun.  I'm going to miss my little travel buddy when he goes back to school.  Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait until he gets settled into school life here but I will always remember this week with just him home and us navigating the city together. 

And, just like that it is Friday!!  Josie had a great 1st week of school, Marty had another successful week of work and Benjamin and I (mostly) enjoyed our stress-free, easy going week. 

I'm on the back patio writing this blog in the sunshine, seeing my reflection in my laptop while enjoying a beer.  I can overhear Marty through his office window doing the Seattle morning radio show and the kids happily giggling away as they Skype a friend back home.  Life right now from where I'm sitting looks pretty good.  I really feel like I've become a true Berliner! 

Templehofer Park

Today Marty, Benjamin and I biked down to the S-Bahn, hopped on a train, transferred to another train (all with our bikes in tow) to Templehofer Park. This is the old Templehof Airport that was turned into a huge public park.  The history behind this airport is really quite intriguing.  Leave it to the Germans to make something very cool out of something that isn't being used anymore.  I've never really seen anything like it.  We biked all over the place - down runways and around the entire old airport.  It was nearly empty.  Granted it was Thursday midday and most people are probably at work or school (don't ask why Benjamin is not in school yet!) but still it was so quiet and empty here that at first we weren't sure if we could bike on the old runways.

It was virtually empty.  We all had a SO much fun.    I remember going to empty parking lots to try to learn to drive or ride a bike and this was an empty parking lot times 1,000.

No motorized vehicles anywhere.  There were cool, open fields, several dog parks and an enormous, public gardening plot.  In addition to biking,  people were flying kites, jogging, roller blading, skate boarding, doing walking lunges.  There was a  were a few runway-side restaurants and cafes.  Really, so very cool.  We will definitely be back.  Hopefully with Josie.  She would love it.
This was the airport used during the Berlin Airlift.  Also, quite fascinating.   I've said it before but it is worth saying again. We are walking, or in this case biking, over some amazing historical places.  And the Germans, in their German way, have preserved it in useful and non-intrusive ways.

We were all hungry from all the bike riding so we decided to stop at one of the cafes for lunch.

As usual, the way home seems much shorter and more direct than the way there. 

Some kisses and photos for the way home. 

Josie and I make plans for me to meet her after school because she realizes she needs a couple more school supplies.  I ride my bike to school and wait for her.  It takes her a bit longer because she has decided to use some of her "lunch money" to buy an after school snacks  She walks out with a pretzel in hand and is just buzzing with energy and is so talkative about everything that has happened that day.  

I'm realizing that if I don't catch her right after school she doesn't like to talk too much about it.  I think I will make excuses to meet her after school at least a few days a week.  It is a special time for us without the boys around.  Notice all the bikes?  And this was after most kids had already come and left with their bikes.  It is so cool how most kids bike to school.  I think it must be why her backpack is half the weight it was in Seattle.  Teachers must realize that kids are biking or busing or training and definitely walking much longer distances with packs on.

The food/lunch situation at JFK is pretty amazing.  Not only do they have a lot of better and healthier options but they also have plenty of time to eat their lunches.  For the past few days she has been getting a margarita pizza.  One day she bought herself a lemonade and today she also bought a salad to go along with her pizza.  Kids are pretty self sufficient.  I'm not sure what most kids order for lunch but Josie is on the healthier side.  She told me today that she has put a once a week sweets limit on herself and that the lemonade counted as her sweet for the week.  We, as parents, can put a daily and/or a monthly limit on their "chip" which is a bauble/token type thing that hangs from a key chain that each student is responsible for.  No idea how Benjamin will handle this new found freedom if he attends.  They sell doughnuts and a lot of other sweet things too. Josie is amazed that some kids just eat all bad stuff and teachers don't have any control over what they eat. 

On the bus on the way to the school supply store two girls start talking to her and asking if she is new and if she is in 5th grade.  They introduce themselves and ask Josie if she is liking it so far.  Makes me happy to know that there are some nice, outgoing girls at school.  When we return from getting school supplies two girls are walking down the ramp from the school and they both smile and wave and say hello.  Josie does the same.  Warms my heart to know she is already making friends!!  

The Zoo

Benjamin, Marty and I went to pick up Benjamin's friend Tesh on the way to the Berlin Zoo this morning.  We decided that we would go for an annual pass instead of just paying for the day.  So much more economical.  But to do this it says on the Zoo's website that everyone in your family needs to be present.  Well, Josie is in school (sore subject for Benjamin anyway, and if this keeps us from going to the zoo today it will be like salt in his wound) So, we decide to bring her passport and an extra passport photo and both of us give this a 20% chance of actually being able work without her being present.  Germans are all about protocol.
It couldn't have been easier.  We even were able to skip the mile long queue.  Worth it for that alone.  It was the perfect day, weather-wise, to be at the zoo.  And everyone else must have had the same idea.   Marty and I have been to this zoo many, many years ago.  We are both still a little traumatized by the polar bear we saw during our previous visit to this zoo. He was clearly suffering from some kind of past abuse and would just rock or pace back and forth.  I know you are probably thinking that is what all caged animals do but this was different, trust me.  There was some story behind this but I'm forgetting it now.  But this polar bear in addition to several trips to Kenya and Uganda and seeing large, wild, safari animals in their natural habitat have kind of ruined zoos for me.  But... Benjamin wanted to go so, I give.

Marty had to leave to head back home to work once we got our pass and the boys and I had fun exploring.  They both got maps and both were excited to lead our little group around.  They worked the maps well and we saw camels and rhinos and hippos.  Then they had an absolute ball at the petting zoo.  There were SO many animals, goats, mini horses, bunnies, sheep just wandering everywhere.
I had made plans to meet up with another woman who has recently moved to Berlin with her husband and three boys.  We planned to meet at the big playground and once Tesh and Benjamin saw the playground they were off and running.

I have said this before but playgrounds here are amazing.  They are not all safe and structured and are kind of wild but it allows kids to really test their own physical limitations in ways our Seattle ones do not.  The kids can totally feel this and they LOVE it.

There was another
woman with her two kids there and she asked where I was from since I was speaking English.  I said Seattle and turns out she was from Virginia.  She laughs and shakes her head and says "Wow!  None of this would be up to code in Virginia"  I agree that neither in Seattle.

 It really is a telling part of their culture that begins the independence process much, much earlier than we do.

They figure people are smart enough to play smart and not get hurt.  They likely are not as worried about being sued if someone were to get hurt.  There are NO parents helping kids anywhere on this playground.  At one point Benjamin asked me to help him up on this spinning disc thing.  It was tilted and most often spinning and so kids had to run and jump on while it was spinning.  It took everything in me to say that he could figure it out on his own...which he did!!

For almost 2 hours, the boys go wild here.  Just like all the other kids.  And it's awesome!!
We meet up with the aforementioned friend, Hollis, and her three boys.  More boys and Benjamin could not have been happier to have 4 new friends to run around with.  The 5 of them played tag and had a ball.

Hollis and her family previously lived in Seattle and had listened to Marty on the radio.  She saw one of his FB posts and sent him a message.  The rest is history.  Another fun family from the States.  It is amazing how being from USA just brings you together when you are this far from home.
Thumbs up from two hungry, tired but happy boys from the top, front seats of a double decker bus.  Success!!

On the way home Benjamin and I stop by JFK.  Before we go in I kind of think that this is just a waste of time.  They have been back from vacation for 8 work days now and we have been in to talk to the office staff at least 5 of those days.  We get there right at 3:15 (everything takes longer than you think with public transportation but its worth it) Anyway, we see the principal and he tells us that the secretary has left for the day.  Bummer. But then I walk down to see if the American Liaison woman is in her office. She apparently leaves at 3 too.  I happen to see the main secretary in a side office and try to ask as nicely as possible if there is any new news.  She says that she and her colleague have gone over the numbers and the attendance and that we should hear something on Monday (!?!?!) Feeling and probably looking defeated - both Benjamin and I.  I then ask if it would be Tuesday before he would potentially be able to attend school? She says yes.  Benjamin lets out a sad sigh.  I tell him I'm so sorry.  And I am!  This is just crazy.  The secretary then looks at me and smiles (first time for this) and says "don't give up"  This is by far the most encouragement we have gotten and I am hoping my renewed optimism is not misguided.  But seriously, how difficult is this process?  I'm sure that there are so many behind the scenes things that none of us know about and I'm sure we come off as very egocentric just worried about getting our kid in, but still.  This is anything but German efficiency at its finest!! So, maybe Benjamin and I will head out to Schlachtensee tomorrow.  Why not, he can't go to school and we won't even hear anything about school until Monday.  This, knowing we won't hear until Monday, actually helps me.  I felt like for the past two days we are just waiting around for a pot to boil.  Well we won't be again until Monday.  I plan to fully enjoy these next two days of just Benjamin time... and I really hope I can just let the school thing go.  I did today!  I can do it tomorrow, right?

2nd Day of School/No School

Today was the second day of school for Josie and second day of no school for Benjamin.  Both did great.  Benjamin doesn't seem to mind that he isn't in school but I do believe he is starting to get the itch to go back.  Maybe this was all part of the plan.  Make him so bored with Josie away and jealous from her stories of school that he wants to go more than ever.

We went back to JFK today to check in on the numbers.  We were told that they would potentially know more about no shows and possible openings on Tuesday.  Unfortunately, no new information was given today.  We did talk to a very nice secretary that we hadn't met before.  Her daughter apparently is in Josie's class.  And then we find out that she is from the Seattle area.  Bellevue actually but when you are half way around the world, that is technically from the same area.  She told us that they do have more numbers in but STILL haven't touched the admissions since returning from vacation.  I honestly just don't get it.  I know as a teacher and as a parent just how formative these first few days of school are an I'm frustrated and saddened that Benjamin is not able to participate in them.  Maybe he won't end up there and it won't matter but if he does it seems he has missed out on all the beginning of school year bonding and rules and regulations and figuring things out.
Apparently the administration is having a meeting tomorrow at 11:30.  Right after she tells us this, Benjamin says "Oh, maybe we should come right at 11:31 to find out" which was cute and showed us just how much he wants to attend this school too.  She tells us that the second grade was really tight and not any or not many students left this year so there were not many openings.  She confirms that he is top priority and it is just down to numbers.  IF and only if there is a spot for him we could hear something later this week or beginning of next.  Same story different day. I'm rather tired of the waiting to be honest. But, what can you do?

 After school I meet Josie at her bike and we take the bus to get her a couple school supplies that she realized she needed.  I also let her pick out an after school snack from the bakery.  She was SO talkative and buzzing with energy and liked her second day even more than her first.  She was excited that she moved up a level in German.  There are 4 levels 1) beginning 2) intermediate 3) high intermediate 4) mother tongue.  She went from level one to two.  Not too bad on her second day.  We are So SO happy about that she seems to enjoy school.
Oh and we got mail today!!  Yay.  It always brightens our day when we get mail.  Josie was at school when it came and it seemed the least I could do was let him open it without her.  She does get to go to school all day without him.

Thanks Hank!!!  It made our day 😀

First Day of School- Josie Part 2

While Josie was at school Marty, Benjamin and I checked out our local, public, elementary school.  It is about 350 meters away from our house so even closer to us than JFK.  We wanted to find out more information as we are now debating on just sending him here if he doesn't get into JFK.  It isn't even about the money.  Marty and I have both been very pro public schools and somehow BBIS seems so much like a "private school" that we aren't overly comfortable with that choice either. We were curious about what they would do with a student who knows virtually no German.
The kids have called this school "Hogwarts" since we arrived in Germany and say it looks like what they imagine the school to look like in the Harry Potter books.   When we enter we are mesmerized by the historic building and the amazing job they did on preserving it.  It was bright and cheery on the inside and so very well maintained.   (OK, just Marty and I were mesmerized by the historical building, Benjamin was more fascinated by the piles of dirt that the custodian must have swept in piles to come back and clean up later)

We walk around a lot of the school because we can't find the secretary's office.  We smell lunch and it smells really good- even Benjamin says "what is that good smell."  Apparently the school is in summer school session right now for just a handful of kids but even still a full, home/school cooked meal.  Pretty impressive.

I notice that there are class photos on the front of each closed classroom door.  I count the students in the photos.  Not one has over 18 students.  Most only had 15 students.  There is something so much cozier about 15 students and one teacher.  Even if you know nothing about how much class size impacts your experience and your education (A TON!!), you can tell that 15 to one is a much more reasonable ratio.
We finally find someone, a very nice woman who is running the summer school program.  She is uncharacteristically nice.  She leads us to the secretary's office and asks if we have an appointment.  Of course we don't.  And we think we will be scolded for this but that wasn't the case at all.
The secretary walks out with a very warm smile.  Again, very uncharacteristically kind.  Marty speaks to her in German.  I pick up quite a bit of the conversation but clarify with him afterward to make sure I heard it all correctly.
She says that because of the number of immigrants and especially refugees that are coming to Germany the school always has a couple of classes for students with no or very limited German.  Benjamin would start in one of these classes but would join his regular class for Sports (P.E.) Music, Math and recess and lunch.  She said that with kids this age they learn the language so quickly that it wouldn't be long before we has in the mainstream classroom all day.
She gives us a few more pieces of information about registering, tells us that school begins on Monday, September 4th and wishes us luck with JFK but tells us that they would be excited to have him if it came to that.
Wow!!  What a different feeling from this experience compared to the one at JFK.  I get it.  JFK is in incredibly high demand.  Everyone wants to go there and with that demand must come a sense of no one student is all that important as their is a LONG list of children who would readily take their place.
Then, I have to confront my prejudices and stereotypes and am completely embarrassed to admit that my first reaction to thinking of Benjamin in a class of refugees is a very racist and privileged one.  I first think: 1) oh, I wonder if the refugees will be a tough bunch? If they will be mean to Benjamin or hurt him.  2) I wonder if they will be less educated, less able to learn and bring him down, educationally 3) I am curious what type of emotional baggage they will be bringing and how that will affect him.  And then I realize how awful and how wrong all of those things are to think.  I was an ELL - English Language Learners teacher for many years myself for crying out loud! (formerly called ESL - English as a Second Language, which was changed after ethnocentric Americans realized that most of these students were not learning English as their second language but as their third or fourth or sometimes fifth!)  Anyway, how could I be so awful to think these things?  The very first things that came to my head were negative about a population I know nothing about!  I'm ashamed of myself, honestly.
Anyway, we leave the school with a lot to think about.  Benjamin now says that this local, public school is his second choice behind JFK.  I think it is ours, too.  I worry about him not knowing the language and how starting a new school is scary enough let alone surrounded by a world of people who don't speak what you speak. I worry about him making friends without the language to communicate.  But I do believe that if he wears a Minecraft t-shirt or something similar, hopefully that is universal and he could bond with some friends without the language.  I believe most of the teachers would know enough English if it were an emergency situation. As any mom, I want to make it easier for my kids not harder.  I don't want to see him suffer.  Hoping, in the end, he doesn't.

I have always said that JFK would be our softest landing educationally and emotionally.  And it would be but maybe this would be for the best?  Without a doubt he would learn German quicker and better than any of us.  So.. we shall see.  We plan to go to the office at JFK on Tuesday to check in on his status and see if there were any no shows from the first day.  After the local school visit we decide that a bike ride to buy Benjamin some ice cream is in order.

I thought I would really live it up with just Benjamin home for his final days of summer but honestly the ambiguity of his schooling has brought me down and robbed me of energy.  I hate the not knowing.  I would like a plan, a firm one.  I feel like I could embrace any of our options but since we are still in limbo with JFK I feel like I'm flailing in the wind while waiting.  I wish I were better at this!

Josie, had a GREAT day on her first day.  I don't think I have ever missed her more than I missed her for those 7 hours!  I could not wait for her to come home and tell us all about it.  My heart is honestly bursting with pride for this girl!   She rode her bike home all by herself just fine and was quite proud about it.  She came bounding in with a tired, satisfied smile on her face.  She was excited about the jelly doughnut that Marty and Benjamin had bought her.  They are called "berliners" and because she is attending JFK Marty found it fitting to get her this since JFK said "Ich bin ein Berliner" back in the 60's when he was wanting to say I am a Berliner, he was actually saying "I am a jelly doughnut"

Anyway, the reason didn't matter to her, she was excited to have some sugar.
She met a new friend, also named Josephine, who is American but has lived in Berlin nearly her entire life.  She has attended JFK since Kindergarten and showed our Josie around the entire day.  What a find!!  I asked Josie who she ate lunch with - "oh, Josephine" I asked Josie who she hung out with at recess "Oh, Josephine" I asked Josie who she walked out of school with at the end of the day "Josephine" I have no idea who this Josephine is but I am BEYOND grateful that she took my Josie under her wing yesterday.  I'm so thankful for nice kids!!
Josie said that at recess they could play anywhere - front or back of school.  And "there were no adults anywhere.  No recess monitors, no teachers.  Kids just behaved themselves"
She was so excited to buy hot lunch as their options and quality seem much superior to ours.  She unfortunately misread the sign and got pasta with bolognese and since she is a vegetarian she didn't eat much.
She likes her teachers, she likes the school and she has made a friend.  I really can't ask for anything more.  And she was excited about going to school on day #2.  Which in my opinion is actually more important than day #1.
Here is her schedule.  MT is Mother Tongue (English) PT is Partner Tongue (German) HR is Homeroom. Math Diff is for students who perform higher than the average in math.