Catching Up

I can't believe it has been 8 months since I wrote. Alot has happened in that time - nothing big but just fun moments while living in Germany. To catch you up before I complain about the cost of living here..

February - a fantastic 12 day cruise preceded by 3 days in Barcelona. Cruise went from Barcelona to Rome to Athens to Turkey to Egypt to Malta and back to Barcelona. This was cruise number 30 for me but the first for the kids and was fantastic. It was tough to get them out of the Kids' Club.

April - Made our extension to stay in Germany through June 2011 official. Who knows where we will end up thereafter but I will be pushing hard for Cleveland...unless they have some other wonderful place for us to spend some time.

May - Rebecca and I went on our first trip alone to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We flew our babysitter (and essentially one of the family since she has been with us since Kate was little) from the US. She came a week early to "learn the ropes" - driving, taking the kids to school, meals, etc. The trip was fantastic. We drove first to Venice, then Florence, Pisa and then to the Cinque Terre, 5 gorgeous cities on the Italian Riviera. The first 5 days were full of museums and we were quite tired of museums by then. The last 4 days were relaxing - some hiking along the coast and sitting on the beach for the day. We even decided to come home a say early as we missed the girls. All was wonderful, Natalie did a fantastic job. Aside from my leaving $1,500 in cash in a safe in Florence...got it back but a few panicy hours.

May - My sister Becca, her husband Bryan and 2 year old son Ben (the B's) came over for 10 days. We had so much fun sharing with them where we lived, exploring the local area (castles, Frankfurt, etc) and they had a few day jaunt to Munich to check it out. Glad they could make it over before baby number 2 joins us in the next week or so!

June - Went to Berlin for a 4-day weekend. My firs trip back since January 1990, just after the wall came down and so much has changed. Construction everywhere and really a big city, cosmopolitan feel. Such fun to show Rebecca (a European history major) the wall, museum of the SS, Brandenburg Gate and many other very historical sites. We stayed in an apartment hotel that worked out well.

July - The family few home to Cleveland on the 2nd, originally staying for 5 weeks, though we extended it to 6 before we even left. Ended up changing it to 7 near the end of the trip. We had a great time seeing family in Cleveland, staying with Mimi, a week at the cottage swimming, jet skiing, etc. and just visiting with everyone. I flew home the 17th and the family stayed through August 16th. However, I was able to work on a project in Toronto, Canada so was in North America for the next month and got to visit every weekend. Not ideal but better than spending the summer in Germany alone! Kate and Lauren spent 4 hours a day in the pool at Rebecca's parents house and are swimming so well. Kate dove to the bottom of the 10 foot pool to fetch rings and Lauren is swimming all alone with no flotation devices. Really proud of them!

August/September - Back to school! Kate came home and discovered she had "two wobbly teeth" and the first fell out yesterday! She was sooooo excited. Kids enjoy their classes and it is nice to get back into the swing of things.

We are now gearing up for a trip to the Canary Islands in about 3 weeks for a week. We have rented a villa with a pool near the beach and expect a Florida-like atmosphere and weather. It is hard to find warmth in Europe after September but the Canary Islands are quite far south, off the Atlantic coast of Morocco. They are owned by Spain...though are about as far from Spain as Puerto Rico is from the US.

On to cost of living. We get a decent cost of living allowance to account for the difference between living in Cleveland and Frankfurt. And frankly, I believe it covers us pretty well as Rebecca and I are relatively frugal except for our wonderful travels. However it is times like yesterday that just blow my mind...

I took my car to the car dealer for the 65,000 mile check up and the cost was...$1,900. And that was without anything broken....just to change oils, lubricants, filters, general check up. The oil is about $40 a liter...so changing my oil was $200. With all other lubricants and filters, just the oil change was about $400. Compared with $20 in the US? Good fricking god. And every two years, cars must be inspected to allow them to remain driving. The findings on mine?

1. A small nick in the windshield, causing the ENTIRE windshield to have to be replaced.

2. A fog light was out

3. The light in the glove box was not working and needed to be replaced

4. The first aid kit that is mandatory in every car in Germany was missing.

5. A small piece that is part of the windshield wiper was missing and had to be replaced. But they don't have that piece separately so I needed entirely new wipers. Which, I had just replaced in May prior to our anniversary trip. Only $80. What a bargain.

And, of course, they couldn't fix any of these things as they don't carry the inventory of ANY of them so I had to make another appointment. Oh...and then ANOTHER appointment for a reinspection.

No wonder Germany has such a high GDP and strong economy. Their processes and laws ensure that so much money is spent on maintaining one's vehicle (and property - get this, you MUST pull your weeds in the sidewalk every 7 days or face a ticket, you MUST have all snow shoveled each morning by 7 am or be cited), therefore boosting the economy.

So for all the times I think we are saving some money on the cost of living increase, I have to be reminded of times like these. Car maintenance and housing....so expensive.

Vacation

The girls have been ok on our previous flights, usually 6-7 hours. We chose to fly directly to Orlando last Saturday (a 10.5 hour flight) and then drive to Naples the same evening. A week stay in Naples at a rented home and a week back in Orlando at Disney then fly home. The flight was unbearably long...I have taken many flights that were longer but never in coach class and never with two young kids. They were well-behaved but it was tough. Thank God for modern technology - DVD players and TVs in the back of every seat rest.

We landed in Orlando uneventfully, Rebecca got the luggage with Kate and I took Lauren to get the rental car ($1,900 for two weeks and that was for standard size, nothing larger was available when I booked in June!!!) The Camry we were given barely fit all of our luggage, and that was with one suitcase inside another and four empty duffle bags which we expected to fill with food, kids' clothes and Christmas presents. The 4 hour drive to Naples from 8pm to midnight (2 am to 6 am German time) was painful and we switched drivers a few times and tried to keep each other awake. We had decided it was probably best to stop but there were no hotels on the back roads of central Florida we were willing to try. We arrived at our rental house, carried the girls in and went to sleep.

They were up at 5 and have progressively slept a little later each day this week, usually until 6 or 630. The house has a pool and the girls have adored swimming, Kate learning to dive for rings. We saw some old friends and my mom flew down to join us for a few days which has been fantastic. We had a second Christmas with my mom (see the pics) and several days of warmth, a few hours at the beach here and there and some outlet store shopping. Most things we buy here are about 1/3 the cost as in Europe with the exchange rate impact, as well as the extra taxes and higher costs. This makes purchasing clothing for the kids worth a special trip here itself.

We are winding down our first week and heading to Orlando for a week at Disney Saturday. We had to rent a second car to go to Orlando to carry all our stuff! But are looking forward to seeing my dad and all of Rebecca's family from NY, OH and Alaska!

I got a new camera for Christmas to travel with so I can take pictures throughout my journeys. The pics and video attached are taken with it. Happy New Year!

Traveling in Europe and babies!

It is often said that Europe is an efficient and easy place to travel due to the timely trains and extent of the rail networks. Which doesn't help those of us who travel by plane throughout Europe. I like the trains but they take too long and I prefer to spend as much time as possible at home with my family. And while the airports are similar, the one thing that drives me crazy at the larger airports is that most of the planes park at an outside position (apron position, as the call them) to increase flight volume, away from the terminal and accessible only by bus. So when the plane starts boarding, everyone lines up (and don't get me started on the inability of most of Europe to form and adhere to simple courtesies of lining up) and then boards a bus. They jam as many people in the bus as possible before allowing people to get on the next bus, no one wants to move deeper inside the bus as that will make them last off and so they crowd the doors not allowing others to get on or past them easily. Same thing happens on the arrival side...exit the plane, board a bus, ride sometimes for up to 10 minutes to baggage claim/passport control. While this doesn't sound like a major inconvenience (and its not), its just one more thing in the typical day of a business traveler that adds a few minutes to each end of the trip.

However, there was a bright spot while sitting on the bus this morning. Most non-Germans comment on the Germans' stereotypical stoicism, formality and lack of friendliness. Those of us who have spent time here realize that that is not typically the case once you get to know people. Germans are a bit more reserved, less open to small talk and formal in their day-to-day lives. But once you get to know them and become friends rather than just neighbors or co-workers, they are just as charming as anybody else. So...the bus was almost full this morning and a woman got on carrying a baby who was about 9-10 months old. Someone offered their seat and she sat down. And EVERY person in the front of the bus (mostly adults 40+) could not stop staring and smiling at the baby. Maybe they all had families at home they missed, maybe it was just a rare occurrence to see a baby on a 6 am flight usually full of only business travelers or maybe it had something to do with the holiday season. But seeing the bus transform from one of little emotion and straight faces to one filled with emotion and smiles made my day.

Christmas markets again!

We hadn't yet been to a Christmas market this year so went this weekend. The Christmas markets are fantastic - several stands (some markets have 20 or so, some stretch for several blocks) selling Christmas gifts, local specialties, candies, hot chocolate and mulled wine, food and often carousels and things for kids - puppet shows, people dressed up, etc. We walked to the local small market with some German friends and their children. It was the coldest day of the year so far (about a high of 32F) and the kids were cold quickly. But the walk was refreshing, the kids enjoyed the carousel and the crepes and mulled wine were great! Some pictures to follow later today...We hope to drive the two hours to one of the best markets in Germany in Nürnberg this weekend as we procrastinate wrapping presents for the kids and packing for the trip to the US in 11 days. We sat down and listed all the Xmas gifts for the girls last night and found that we may have enough for the next few years! But luckily Lauren's birthday is in January and we can stretch the gifts out. Rebecca does such a wonderful job of finding gifts throughout the year at good prices...its often hard to stop buying for them!

Quick pondering - Kate started counting how long it would take us to get home the other day and said "One Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc." which caused me to wonder where she heard it. I asked if she learned it from her teacher (an American) and she said that she learned it from a classmate named Freya who is British and whose parents are both British. Which caused me to wonder further....wouldn't kids from different countries have a local adaptation of One Mississippi to approximate a second? I would have expected her to say "One Notting Hill, two Notting Hill" or "One Warwickshire, two Warwickshire..." I will have to ask her parents next time I see them.

I was just asked by a German colleague whether he should use the word "it's" or "its" in a sentence in his report and I led him astray, realizing it after looking it up on the internet. I have always fancied myself a very good grammarian and getting that wrong is embarassing! The result of living in another country for a couple of years...that is what I will blame it on. It is amazing how many words I forget or can't use properly when I speak English as I hear so much German all day long.

Update

I can't believe it has been 4 and 1/2 months since I have written. Many thoughts and issues pop into my mind as I fly, drive or am working but none have found the time to make their way on paper. I have committed to myself to write something at least once a week as I always enjoy doing it, but don't want it to become an onerous obligation and not look forward to it. So we shall see...A million things to mention:

1. The family and I have made the commitment to remain in Germany another year! This was a difficult decision, as though we all love Germany, being so far away from family and friends is difficult. However, the personal and professional experiences of the last 16 months pushed us towards staying another year. Now if we can just ensure Cleveland is the final destination when we return, I will be happy!

2. We are all extremely excited about heading to the US in 15 days. Dec 26th we fly to Orlando and drive to Naples for a week in a rented home near the water with my mom joining us. We then drive to Orlando for a week staying on the Disney property where we will be joined (in alternative lodging) by Rebecca's parents, my father, Rebecca's sister and brother-in-law from Alaska and Rebecca's brother from New York. A wonderful family reunion of sorts. Several meals have been planned with characters (not talking about her family, DISNEY characters) and we will be celebrating Lauren's 3rd birthday at a character breakfast as well. The next 6 months have us making a few wonderful vacations - Florida, 2 week cruise in the Mediterranean after a few days in Barcelona prior to the cruise and a week away from the kids to celebrate our 10th anniversary in Italy. Fun!

3. We had a fantastic vacation in London in October for 7 days. Having only been there for work several times, it was great to see all the sights, ride in the open top double decker busses and experience London with the kids. Rebecca ended up going back 6 weeks later for her first weekend away from the kids when she met a close friend from the US there for some time to refresh.

4. I have joined a baseball team about 20 minutes from our house that plays across Germany throughout the summer and practices once a week indoors during the winter. The practices have kicked my ass (sprints, push ups, situps) but I have loved every minute of it. Anything to play baseball. I have lost 25 lbs. since August and this commitment is one way to ensure some exercise. The main problem is trying to make practices on Wednesday nights, as I have been traveling alot the last 4 months for work. While I haven't played baseball in many years, I love playing again. The last time I really played (other than softball) was trying out for the 9th grade team and, because my parents pulled us out of school a day early for spring break, I missed the last try out day and was told I could not be on the team. For 9th grade, freshman baseball! So disappointing as baseball has been my one love consistent since I was a kid (I guess second love since I remember falling in love with Rebecca in 2nd grade!) My love of baseball does predate her though....

5. Kate had a wonderful dance recital last week and unfortunately I am missing her winter choral concert today. But luckily mom is video taping it for me! One of the pictures shown is sweet Kate with her flower bouquet after her performance.

I am sure there is more to add and will do so more regularly. Just wanted to get everyone caught up! A few more pics are also attached from the last few weeks.

Time

It seems as if I was just sitting in the cafe in Paris writing my last note but the date counter shows it has been 6 weeks. It blows my mind...and scares the hell out of me. Next thing I know, I will be going to my kids' graduations and weddings.

Anyway, I have sat alone in our empty house in Germany for a week now as I returned from our trip to the US 10 days before the rest of the family. And it is soooo quiet - too quiet. Boredom set in the first night without toys to pick up, kids not wanting to go to bed and my wife to talk to. But I have survived by doing going to work, working in the garden which has become overgrown with roses and sage (only 2 bee stings cutting it all back) and watching a few movies.

Our trip to the US was fantastic - saw tons of friends and family and loved being back. It was hectic as we tried to see and spend time with everybody. And included its share of incidents - a car accident as the taxi pulled up to catch our flight to the US when SheWhoShallNotBeNamed mighta hit the retaining wall by our garage, traffic violation in a construction zone (not I again :)), and numerous doctors' visits for check ups and yet again pink eye. But the trip was well worth it...and I just cross my fingers that Rebecca has a decent flight back tomorrow night with the kids and is not exhausted the next day.

Its funny - every time I get a day or two alone in the house (either here or the US), I always look forward to it as time to relax a bit and catch up on things - sleep, work, whatever. However, within a few hours I find I am bored and missing the organized chaos of this household. I recently saw this comment on someone else's blog but am going to borrow it...perhaps we need some more "tiny toes" to keep things chaotic??? Not that they are becoming routine and boring but the girls often play nicely together now giving brief periods of rest. Part of me says "Yes! I would love a new little one!" while another part of me says "No way! We are past the hard part. Why start over?"

Several thoughts

I have a million different things I have been meaning to write about lately but just haven't had a chance. Work has finally been busy and challenging so have kept the posts to a minimum. I sit right now in a Cafe on Rue de Rivoli in Paris. It is 9 pm. I have been in and out of Paris for the past 8 weeks or so working on a project and been here since Sunday night (Friday night now). I plan on being here for another 5 days or so before heading to Munich for a few days. But, luckily, the kids had a few days off school and Rebecca jumped on the train and brought the family on Wednesday night. I took Thursday off and we saw the eiffel tower, notre dame and walked alot. Walking Paris with a 4 and 2 year old is not ideal so we have been quite realistic. I worked all day today and Rebecca and the girls were beat when I got back to the hotel so I came out for dinner.
I find Paris to be one of the most fascinating cities. The history, the building and (most of all) the people. This city is alive at all hours and there are hundreds of people streaming by. A great place for people watching. I learned today that France and Paris are the number one tourist destinations in the world.
Tomorrow we head out again - perhaps to Versailles palace or just to wander - before the family heads back Sunday morning. Kate has 5 days of school left and we head to the US in 2 weeks - me for 2 weeks and the rest of the family for a month. We can't wait, though there is some trepidation. There are so many things we ask people to bring and send from the US that we can't get here and we are trying to plan as well as possible how to fit mac and cheese, bisquick and all the next year's clothes we want to buy into our suitcases. Quite alot of logistical planning but Rebecca is a master at it so I am sure we will be fine. The other concern (more from Rebecca than me though I understand perfectly) is that now we have come to enjoy and live life here comfortably, a month home with comforts and family will make leaving again hard. We shall see...I can do with missing the food and many other things. The hardest part is leaving family.
So I wanted to write a few weeks ago and didn't have time so hope I don't forget it all. And, as requested by Jenny, I do plan on posting pictures of the tulips from our visit to Holland (as soon as Rebecca sends them to me).
But what I wanted to write about was a mixture of fun (a day at a German amusement park geared towards kids) and frustration (the lack of German etiquette when it comes to getting in lines and not cutting). However, now that I have spent time in Paris, I realize that Germans are fantastic about getting in lines and it is the French who are very challenged.
So we went to this amusement park about 30 minutes from our house. Mini sized and geared toward kids 12 and under or so but with some good rides - a roller coaster, sky lifts, ferris wheel, etc. It was a relatively small park with much of the park geared towards little shelters and barbecue sites for families coming to spend the day, have fun as well as eat. There is a petting zoo and much of it is geared around the life of farming. But what amazed me is that almost all of the rides were human powered. The kids got on a ferris wheel and there was another kid riding a bike powering the wheel. The "sky ride" was a pedal ride that took you around the park. The chair lift ride that shoots you across the park is essentially 100% gravity based. And on all but one ride, there was no attendant. Lines were not managed by attendants, attendants did not ensure you put your belt on or didn't hang out of the ride. Nothing. And while that ran relatively well...the one ride where there were lines (for the kids to drive actual small boats) and had an attendant, she did not pay attention at all to the mass chaos that was going on in the lines. She would pick the 5 kids who would go next and then parents would push and pull and force their kids in front of those 5 and she would just take the first 5. And this is acceptable behavior! (See my post in December about the carousel and this was quite similar). It was really quite overwhelming that even I, who has never been in a fight that I recall, just wanted to start hitting people. Amazing....
And that was not topped until we stood in line for 2 hours at the Eiffel tower and the French were just pushing themselves in line near the front. We wait for 2 hours with kids and the couple in front of us decided they could just cut the line. Amazingly rude...though only rude by American standards I suppose. It is just the culture here...Just hard to explain to kids.

Sorry for my rambling...