Only Child

Benjamin thoroughly enjoyed being an only child for the week Josie was gone at camp.  He had a couple of play dates and had our undivided attention.  I, in no way, think that having an only child would be easier.  In many ways I bet it is harder.  But what I did notice throughout

the week that Josie was gone is that no matter how much time we as parents are giving our kids, they probably need double that.  Benjamin was such an amazing kid the entire week.  He relished in the extra attention and was calm, cool and did not flip his lid one time.  It made me really want to spend more one on one time with each kid.  It really does make such a difference.

One night we rode our bikes (4 miles each way) to his favorite Indian restaurant.  Normally Josie complains because she doesn't like it but with her at camp it was a really positive experience.  Marty and Benjamin worked on a school assigned Sudoku puzzle and we all ate until we were full.  Then rode back home. 
During the week we got a couple of letters from Josie.  Benjamin ran to his room to read his.

Summer STILL

The second week of October and it still feels like SUMMER.  This

Spring/Summer/Fall has been the most amazing weather-wise.  It started in early April with summer like weather and it has not stopped.  Even as we are mid way through October.  The week Josie was gone the temps were mid to upper 70's.  It was gorgeous as the leaves have already started to change and the sun was not only shining brightly but actually sandals, shorts and tank tops warm.
Marty and I went on a couple long bike rides as well as a couple long walks.  Always to find food, of course.
I will need to remind myself of these gloriously warm summery days when the cold, dark winter hits.  I know it is right around the corner.

Coffee and Beer

It's funny, I wasn't a big coffee or alcohol drinker for the vast majority of my adult life.  I liked both but caffeinated coffee made me super jittery and I was such a light weight that one drink nearly put me over the edge.  This all changed right around the time Benjamin came along.  The kid literally was up every 2 hours for roughly his first two years of life and I was beyond tired.
As soon as I was done nursing I started in on coffee and didn't look back.  It no longer made me jittery but got me through the long mornings and afternoons with young children.  Now I'm clearly addicted as I can't go a day without it or I will get a headache.  I can't remember which came first the alcohol or the coffee but right around the same time I had a beer while we were out to eat.  The kids were very young and anyone who remembers what going out to eat with two young kids was like, it was anything but relaxing.  I remember thinking after drinking the beer that all those small annoying things the kids do were not so annoying.  And... in came the alcohol. Thankfully not every day like coffee but a beer a couple of times a week while I was making dinner became pretty normal.
Funny enough, Marty has never really drank either either.  Before I met him he didn't even drink hot drinks.  He said he had burnt his tongue too many times and just didn't like hot drinks.  He eventually got into tea and sometimes a mocha.  He very occasionally would have a beer but often would get a migraine the next day - not really making it worth it.  He didn't love the taste of beer nor coffee but something about being here in Germany has changed all that.
It started with the beer.  Most restaurants here do not give free water.  We always ask for tap water and sometimes they will bring it but more times than not you have to buy water which happens to be more expensive that a coke or a beer.  So we both figured if we have to buy a beverage it might as well be a beer.  Now he enjoys beer much more than I ever thought he would.
And then while we were in Stockholm at the amazing breakfast buffet he decided he wanted to try to make himself a mocha.  He made himself one each morning we were there and now he is hooked.  I've had to double the amount of coffee I brew each morning.
Coffee and beer.  Who would have thought he would grow to love.. well, love might be too strong a word, but really like both. Cheers!! 

6th Grade Camp Send Off

Josie has been SOO excited for her  trip to the Harz Mountains with her entire 6th grade class - all 125 students and 10 teachers.  Wow.  What a huge group.  Actually she had been so excited that Marty and I were worried that she might have been building it up so big in her mind that we feared nothing could live up to that and she would end up disappointed.
She had been packing and counting down to Monday, October 8th for weeks and weeks.  We checked and double checked that she had all the items on the packing list.  We tried different suitcases/backpacks so that she could choose the one she liked the best.  She went to bed Sunday night very excited for the next day.

Marty took Benjamin to school as normal on Monday morning and I rode my bike to the store to pick up a couple of bus snacks for Josie.  She didn't have to be at school until an hour later than normal - a fact that she rubbed in Benjamin's face more than once 😉

We put Josie's suitcase into my bike basket (I'm still amazed at what and how much I can fit into that thing!!)  Josie hopped onto Marty's bike after we put the seat down waaaaayyy low.  Marty jogged along with us riding the mile between our house and school.

When we arrived at school there were loads of excited students and anxious but mostly excited parents.  It was a huge group!  Marty and I waited with her or at least near her.  She was wrapped up by all of her equally excited friends.

Then it was time to load the suitcases and for the kids and teachers to board the bus. 
Everyone was in great spirits - teachers included. Marty and I gave her probably one too many hugs and too many kisses but she quietly put up with us.  You could tell that within her utter excitement there was just a touch of trepidation.  She boarded the bus and Marty sneaked up after her for one final picture.

Josie's AWESOME teacher.  She was up for retirement last year but "begged" the administration to stay one final year to see her class of then to be 6th graders through their final year of elementary.  She is incredible.  A true veteran teacher. 

We waved to her as the bus pulled away and she took off for a full week full of fun and adventure. We will miss you so much this week, Josie.  But we know you will have a blast!

In preparation for her leaving, we each wrote her a letter or two and mailed them even before she left in hopes that they would all arrive in time for her to get them while at camp.  Benjamin wrote the most classic little brother card.  Hahaha!!

It says "Hey Josie What's up! Are you having fun without me! If you are then stop having fun! Also it smells way better than when you were here! Also Dad keeps crying his head off! P. S. I want to show you how good I'm getting at cirsive (cursive) You are idiot (in cursive) Love, Ben

Birthday Party and One on One and Solo Time

Our Saturday started as most do here with back to back soccer practices.  Benjamin starts off at 9AM and Josie starts at 10.  Marty and Benjamin take off together and Josie and I follow an hour or so behind.  This Saturday Josie needed a few last minute things for her upcoming school camp trip so we did that before

soccer.  All things being closed on Sunday is nice but it does really make you think ahead on Saturdays. 

Later that afternoon Benjamin was invited to his good friend, Clayton's, 9th birthday party.  It was at a climbing park where the kids all were able to learn to rock climb. Benjamin has never done it before and came home really excited about it.  He had fun with all of his buddies and the rest of us enjoyed the 5ish hours of free

time.

Marty wanted some one on one time with Josie.  We are both making an extra effort to try to spend quality one on one time with each kid by ourselves - even just 20 minutes if it has to be here and there.  So with Benjamin gone Marty had the chance to do something special with Josie.  They had big ideas like going to an escape room but this required both a reservation, which neither of the are good at planning that far ahead and also Josie asking a few of her friends to come along which would defeat the goal of one on one time.  They also had the idea of an ropes course/adventure park.  But again the making reservations part killed that idea.  They just decided to go and see where they landed.  After making it to the downtown area, they landed on going to a movie.  We have gone to the theater just once with the kids since moving here so it really does check of the "make it special" box.

 Before the movie they had time for a nice Vietnamese meal and even movie theater popcorn, which we NEVER buy.
I also had a wonderful 5 hours on my own.  I very rarely have time just to myself.  I have a lot of free time, don't get me wrong but rarely is there a huge 5 hour block unaccounted for.  After I dropped Benjamin off at Clayton's I rode my bike to Schlachtensee and the walked around the lake.  It was an absolutely gorgeous spring day that was more summer like than Spring with temps in the mid 70's. 

On  the way back from the lake I stopped by the store to pick up something to eat.  I was

craving nachos and although I cannot make them here like I do at home they were tasty and totally hit the spot along with an ice cold beer.  Since the weather started getting warm last April I have taken to putting beer pint glasses in the freezer and the icy glass makes the beer that much better.  Ahhhhh!  Very nice and relaxing Saturday. 

Octoberfest

Marty and I went to our first ever Octoberfest party on Tuesday night.  Wednesday, Oct 3rd was German Reunification Day and therefore the kids didn't have school the following day which allowed us to stay out without guilt.  They stayed at home and they have been pretty good about just taking care of themselves while we are out (with a few texts back and forth or calls) but they are never very good at getting to bed.  So unless it is a weekend or the day before a holiday I don't like to leave them alone.
Anyway, it was the Octoberfest party for a neighboring private school (BBIS) and our good friends, Gillian and Andy invited us to join them.  It was billed as "Octoberfest attire optional - but much more fun if you dress up"  Neither Marty nor I have ever had a dirndl or lederhosen.  We didn't want to buy them just for a one off

party but I really did want to dress up.
A friend here set me a picture of her in the German Alps near Munich with a newly purchased dirndl.  I commented how cute it was and that I needed one for an upcoming party.  She said I could borrow hers.  I also had posted that Marty needed some lederhosen and asked where to buy them in Berlin.  Another friend said that her husband had some that Marty could borrow.  Marty and I are both nowhere near "average size" 

He is super tall and I am super short.  The chances of anything randomly fitting us would be slim but I thought we should give it a try.  Lo and behold they both fit us perfectly.  Neither of these garments are forgiving.  The dirndl is like a wedding dress - very tight along the zip up sides.  The lederhosen are thick, leather pants - no give at all!!  We could have spent an hour at several different stores looking and not found clothes that fit us this well.
The restaurant had an authentic Octoberfest keg from Munich area.  Octoberfest is MUCH more a southern Germany thing that a northern one but still celebrated here and there just without as much gusto.  The keg is apparently "tapped" by hammering in a tap into the real wooden keg.

As you can imagine much of the beer came pouring out as they were trying to hammer in this tap.  It came bubbling out of the top and spilled out over the floor.  The waste was kind of crazy actually.  Not sure if they just didn't know what they were doing or this was typically when tapping this type of keg.  Nonetheless the beer finally came out and it was tasty.  Different than the typical Hefeweizen or Pilsner type you get in Berlin.

 The food was VERY Bavarian - basically huge chunks of meat.
Very fun for our first taste of Octoberfest.

Boys in the Park - and on a Train and Raft

While Josie and her crew of friends headed to paint Marty took Benjamin and Clayton across town to some cool park that he has spotted a few months back when he was in the area chaperoning one of Josie's school field trips. 

They took a long train ride (or two) to the park where they got on a train and then played and ate lunch and had a great time together.
There was apparently this raft/boat thing. 

Benjamin and Clayton wanted to take it out on the water - kind of a pond area.  There were no signs saying you couldn't and since that seems to be the rule here - if things don't say "verboten" forbidden, then it is free game. The boys starting taking other park goers across in their paddle raft.  Marty said they had a great time carting people across the pond.  I told Benjamin he should have charged 50 cents a ride. 
At the end they got soft eis.  Soft served ice cream which is Marty's favorite and hard to find here. 
At the end of the day we were all pooped and ready for an early Sunday bedtime.  What a weekend.