Postings from Germany

USA - Week 1
The best trip is the most uneventful. This ranks right up there with the most boring - that is to say, perfect. No significant delays, no cancellations, THE BAGS ARRIVED WITH US. That's worth a beer.

Yells and jumpings of the up and down sort greeted us when we got to Michelle and Joey's; that's simply the best. The kids have not grown so much as matured. A few months makes such a difference!

Unpack, get organized, hand out the little gifts. Hunter and Hannah really like the German Űberraschungseier, a chocolate egg with a little toy inside. So far, six of the ten are gone. The chocolate is of course incidental to the toy, which is cheap plastic, small, but somehow a little fascinating. Hunter has tucked away the ones from last time we were here.

Friday night there was a tag football game for Hunter in this incredible indoor complex for all kinds of sports. It was hopping! Lots (more than three is lots and this was way too many) teenagers doing what they do, noise, parents, popcorn, little kids. The game was fast and fun to watch.



Saturday we were back there again for indoor soccer, but we got the schedule a bit off and so missed the game. Only crocodile tears were shed - we showed up at 10 for the 8 o'clock game, but 8 might have brought on real tears!


And then it was Super Bowl Sunday! Party!



Here's Werner painting the field on some artificial turf that covered the table (later covered by lots of food) .....







...... and Hunter with his hand-made goal posts, one for the Colts, one for the Bears.







So many of the neighbors we've come to know so well were there - along with the kids. J+M had ordered a blow-up slide/jump thingy that kept the kids happy while the grown ups ate and bet and watched the game on the three televisions set up - family room, living room and terrace. Though it hadn't been a sunny day, there wasn't any rain (thank you!) and a good time was had by all - little kids and big kids alike. The Colts won, but that was incidental to all the fun.





Clean up is a breeze since the guys have no qualms about doing the house work.


Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we walked to school to pick up the kids and then walked home together. That was a little adventure since they'd never done it before. It's not all that far - a mile plus - but there are only spotty sidewalks and a major intersection to cross. Going it alone is out of the question! But we had fun doing it together, throwing rocks in the water, finding rusty screws and checking out the flowers blooming already!

Michelle had repainted Hannah's room, so there was a bit of redecorating to do. Here's Hannah doing a bit of sewing with me. Never too young to learn!


So now it's off to Orlando and Lee, Crissy and Hayden. Part two coming soon.