Last Day #1

Meaning, last working day. How I wanted to end on a high note - and how incredibly off-pitch that note was. One child sick (he was the best behaved, however), one child screaming, one child beastly, and my least-favorite of the friends. I have a few new bruises (courtesty of beastly child), and I ended up bleeding twice. One was my own fault, at least (I stubbed that toe WAY hard), the other I had my fingers in a toy chest cleaning up and as I pulled my hand out someone decdied that was the best time to jump on the lid. OUCH. Pain I can deal with - but that girl, I swear, I think it's her goal that I leave joyously thankful that I get to get away.

Anyways, I'm really hoping that tomorrow goes well, as it's my last day with the family, since I leave early Sunday morning. I really want to not be rejoicing that I'm leaving. I want to have fond memories of here, and not the kind that fill my head after nights like these.

Life Comes At You Fast

Well, this is probably going to be the most shocking entry I ever write.

I'm leaving this family next week.

Yes, you read that right. Sunday, March 2nd, I'm getting on a train and going away. Am I running away? No. Am I fired? No. It's rather a long story...my guest-mother came to me yesterday (wow, it seems like so much longer!) and asked if I had a flight home already. I said no, we're looking at May 19th, but we haven't bought the ticket yet. Well, she said, the thing is...

They've found the lady they want as their next Kinderfrau. They're done with Aupairs, they want someone permanent. It's hard to find someone willing to work afternoons, and who lives here nearby, and is willing to be here long-term, and this lady apparently worked for my guest-mother's boss for like 10 years with his kids, so she's got great references, yada yada yada. Great, why are you telling me this? Well, she's been unemployed for a while now, and after a certain amount of time, the German unemployment agency stops giving you money, and she needs a job now. If they don't let her start early, she's going to have to look for a different job, and they really really want her, and don't want to have to do the whole search again, it takes so long and is so difficult. So, they ask if I can fly home early. Sure, no problem, I don't have to stay for my choir concert if it will help. How early are we talking about? Well, she wants to start March 3rd.

...


..........!!


What?!?!?! Did I hear that correctly? I only have to work here for 10 more days, and then just - that's it? Go home? WOW what just happened here?? I just started my 3 month countdown, and it suddenly got jumped to like 2 weeks! Less than! WHAT? It took a very long time to sink in. Actually, I'm pretty sure it still hasn't entirely sunken in.

So, yes. Next Friday is my last day of work, Saturday is packing, and Sunday is getting on a train. A train, not a plane. I'm not ready to leave Germany yet!!! So, thanks to the grace of God and the generosity of the Ellgens, I am going to live with Brad and Debbie for about a month before flying home. I'll help them out in any way I can, enjoy the rest of my time in Germany, and, of course, see Rob. God is good!

Most of you know this because you were praying for me, but about two weeks ago, I almost quit and came home. I was so sick of dealing with some things, I called my parents crying and asked them to bring me home. After the rest of the day, I had calmed down and thought things through and knew I didn't really want to just up and leave, but at the same time, I was so exhausted from struggling with some of the things here and wanted to give up. Mom reminded me of God's promise that no temptation has overcome us but that which is common to man, and that He will not give us anything we can't handle, but along with it provides a way of escape. I resolved to trust Him and stick out my last 3 months, no matter what, because to say God isn't enough would be terrible. Two weeks later, God has provided my way out - and I didn't have to quit or get fired or anything, AND I get to go back to the Festaburg, which in my opinion beats Disneyland any day for The Happiest Place on Earth.

So, WOW! That's all I can say, wow. I'm still rather overwhelmed by the shock of it all, and a little stressed that my time here has suddenly been chopped, but it's all in God's hands. If any of you think of something you'd like me to bring you from over here, please let me know!! I thought I had a lot more time to work on that, but not anymore!

I'll still keep blogging, even though the Aupair year will be over. And, I'll see you all in April!!

9 Months

Yes, I have been here 9 months. 3/4 of my year is over!! The last three months have arrived. Wow. 75% done. Wow. Wow. I know, very articulate, aren't I?

So, today was interesting. Remember how I told you that the lady at church wanted me to teach sign for a mother's evening performance or something? Well, I went in today to do that, and found out that I'm really doing something very, very different. (I didn't think my German was that bad!!) Instead of teaching them sign for a song they want to do, I'm choreographing a dance - or two, or three - for them to perform. I get to pick the music, choreograph it, and then teach them. Woo-hoo! Kind of a surprise - but sounds like fun!! I will also hopefully be helping with another group of these kids who are doing sketches and scenes and stuff. Fun fun fun fun fun.

Oh, and I went to IKEA today - SO much fun!! The store is simply amazing. I love it. It excites me like no other. I could spend so many fortunes there!! It's kind of a dangerous place, because it gets me thinking about decorating everything...hmmm :)

An Expensive Mistake

So, I accidentally used up all my phone money. Which is saying something. :( Calling home from my landline here is really super cheap, and I had approx. a 20 euro per month limit. No problem, I maybe used the full twenty once or twice so far. Well, then came this month. Apparently, calling a german cell phone from a german landline is much more expensive than calling an American number from a german landline - who'da thunk it? So, this month, my phone usuage was pretty much the same as normal, just to a different kind of number - and there went the rest of my year's phone money. Ouuuuuch. So, now I get to pay my own phone bill, woo-hoo! I really don't mind that at all. I just feel bad, cause I really had NO IDEA that it cost that much more, and that's a lot of money I used up. I'm not going to mention the number. But I feel bad - more, I feel they're a little, well, disappointed isn't quite the right word, but maybe disapproving? But honestly, it was an accident - I had no idea at all. Dang it.

Ha, and to make things even 'better,' my pre-paid cell phone needs to be re-upped. I never use it, hardly, and haven't had to put more money on it since like July, but the timing would happen right after I have other phone/money issues. Joy.

So, just pray for me? That I don't feel so guilty about this or worry about it so much. Honestly, I hardly slept last night for worrying about it. See, originally there was only one number I couldn't call, and I could still call home and other stuff, so I was confused as to why it wasn't working, and then it stopped working all together, and I knew I'd used up all the money - and spent the whole night worrying about what I had done and what the consequences could be. Fortunately just a mild lecture and having to pay my own, but still.... :( I do feel badly. Very badly. Why does calling a german cell from a german landline have to be so darn expensive???

Something Worth Mentioning

I just got my first kiss! From Flori, that is. He and Benni have been running into my room all night and running back out again, but just now they ran in, and Flori said, "Nacht, Nacht, Nacht Joua!" (pronounced Yo-wa, and "nacht" is "gute Nacht," which is goodnight) and then made little kissing noises, and gave me a good night kiss! And then Benni said, me too! I feel so loved by my boys. First kiss after 8 months!

Morgen kommt der

Weihnachtsman! Well, not. Last night der Nikolaus came, though. A little info about German Christmastime. December 6th is the day that Sankt Nikolaus (St. Nicholas) comes and fills the children's boots with mandarin oranges and apples and nuts and chocolates, and on December 24th the Christkind (Christ child) comes and gives them their big presents. So, yesterday afternoon we cleaned up the kids' boots and set them outside the front door, including a little one for Lennard, and stuck their wishlists inside for Nikolaus to take (to give to the Christkind? I don't know.)

This morning we woke up, and I came downstairs to find Tina rejoicing over the chocolate and small gift left in her boot. When I went back into my dark entryway to put on my shoe, I narrowly avoided squashing an unexpected surprise in my shoe. Wow, der Nikolaus found my tennis shoe, even though it wasn't outside! How nice of him! He also sent me the coolest cd ever - Die Schöne und das Biest (Beauty and the Beast, in German). (thanks again mom!!!!!) (now I really want to watch a Disney movie - particularly this one!) (sorry for all the parentheses.) (really.)

Then tonight, as we were sitting around after dinner and the kids were watching tv, Tina just about shrieks and runs in to cling to me out of fear because "a man knocked on the window." Maybe it was der Nikolaus? She was terrified, almost in tears, and apparently it happened again. I didn't hear it either time. But with Florian on my hip and Tina clinging desperately on my other arm, and Benni laughing at the "Angsthasen" (scaredy rabbits), we opened the door to see if someone was there. Presents! Three bags full of even more chocolate for the kids, and on a second look later, two plates of even MORE chocolate, one of which was for me! I feel so special. First an advent's calendar full of chocolatey goodness, then a shoe full, and now a plate full. I love the Christmas season. ;)

For the most humorous description of the St. Nikolaus holiday I've ever heard - thanks to Brad Ellgen - go read this: David Sedaris's 6 to 8 Black Men.

It's beginning to look a lot like

Christmas! Yes, it's finally December! Wow! How exciting is that?? Very!! The first day of advent's calendars is here! haha I helped Christiane make calendars for the kids, they're rather sepectacular. I remember advent's calendars as being flat, with little doors you open and find a chocolatey surprise. Well, they seem to be a bit of a bigger deal here. We spent about 3 1/2 hours making them, because you have to make all the little pieces, fill them, glue them together, and stick them on. It was fun!! here in the picture, you can see me building it. I was very sticky afterwards. Then it was so sweet, because I woke up this morning and came into my living room and found an advent's calendar hanging on my wall! Tina and Benni filled it up for me.


We've decorated the front door, there's a string of star lights on the wardrobe, I have strings of red beads in my room (I need to buy some lights!), and there's a silly santa sitting in my chair. My favorite, though, is driving through town. The main street is lined with real Christmas trees, in various stages of decoration, and there are lights! It looks so pretty! Now, I just need to praaaaaaaay for snow! I want my first white Christmas! It all looks so lovely. And the Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas markets) have begun in cities all over the country. That's very exciting - I can hardly wait for tonight so I can go to my first one!

Another Day

Today is rather how I thought life here would be - a very typical aupair day. Wake up to a smile, take people to school, go to German class, come home, do homework, eat lunch, grab a nap before spending the afternoon playing fetch and being a stoplight for racing traktors and pushing swings, seeing the most colorful sunset here to date (this picture is at 4:15 pm) then coming in (to a nice warm fire after FREEZING outside) and playing after setting the table, picking up, eating dinner, helping get kids to bed, and spending a lovely evening reading by the fire and listening to the German "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," before coming upstairs to call my bestie on her birthday, finishing travel plans, and settling down for one more chapter of HP7 (third time in as many months, I know, I know) with my cup of Kamille tea and a couple cookies before bed. Just a good day.

Eek!

So, due to some random whim of the internet, my blog seems to have been deleted, but here I am re-instated on the same site, so we'll just continue from here. After all, it's a new leaf to go with the fact that -

I've been here 6 months!!!!

Can you believe it?!?!? I can't hardly believe it! From now on, every day that I am here means that I have been here longer than I have until I go home. Counting down and not up. Half-way!! Not that I'm so terribly anxious to leave already, but it's a huge thing. Think: I have been living in Germany, in Europe, for half a year! Half-way! What a concept.

Oh, and its amazing how much of a lift one can get from talking with one's best friend for the first time in 4 months. :)

Anyways, if you could all continue to keep me in your prayers, it'd be much appreciated. What with holidays approaching, the homesickness is creeping in! Eek. And pray that Tiffany and I have a safe trip next weekend, that everything goes well!