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.

The Time Has Come, the Walrus Said...

To talk of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing wax; of cabbages and kings; and when the sea is boiling hot; and whether pigs have wings. Or of how this is my LAST WEEK with the family! Yikes!

I think this whole things is being held against me by a certain 8-year-old who seems to be determined to make me pay for leaving early (because of course it's my fault) by being absolutely beastly to me every chance she gets. I haven't heard a single pleasant thing from her since about 16:45 on Wednesday afternoon. It's not exactly making me wish I could stay here longer...but everything else is going well. I've started packing - a daunting task that leaves me prone to being easily distracted by just about anything. How I wish my wonderful, talented mother was here to help me, like she did when I was coming over here! I fear I may never get it myself.

Today was my last Sunday at church - and I finally got to sing on praise team!! Perfect timing. It was a blast. I will be thrilled to go back home to Palmcroft, though. I found out that my college pastor, the amazing John Craft, has his sermons on iTunes as podcasts...how I wish I'd known that a few months ago when I was desperately missing home, instead of now when I know I'll be there in a month! Sigh. It's still cool to hear them, though, and to hear the voices of my friends answering questions or being talked about during announcements. A little piece of home.

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!

On the first day of...

SNOW! YES, SNOW! I LIVE SOMEWHERE WITH SNOW!! Isn't that exciting?!?! There we were, sitting in German class, when the teacher looks out the window and says, oh, it's snowing. What?!? Celeste and I (my fellow desert dweller, shivering here in the frozen north) ask for permission then run outside. SNOW! It was too warm for it to stay on the ground, but it was coming down pretty thick, and it was beautiful! Sadly, I didn't have my camera dabei any of the times it snowed, because I was either in class or driving. But still! It snowed! And I have high hopes for more! I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....

Then, today was full. We made cookies! Watching four kids (Lena was over) and trying to bake cookies and clean up all at the same time is a handful. And tomorrow I get the kids all alone, all day long. Eek! A true test of my abilities. But yes, the first cookies of the season! Woo-hoo!! I love this time of year!!!!!

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.