Week of May 19th, 2013

Sunday Amber slept in until about 8:30 even though the boys were up and being somewhat noisy not too far from her.  We went downstairs and had breakfast as this hotel it was included.    It was lots of fruits, meats, cheeses, breads, couple of cereals, and yogurt. I then saw the waitress bring out a plate of eggs to someone.  So I asked if they had eggs or wishfully thinking pancakes.  She said they had eggs and bacon today.  Perfect!  I ordered 2 of those and we split them.  They were pretty good. 
Since we had seen all the sights in the town yesterday I asked at the front desk if he could recommend a town close by with things to see.  So he said some big long S town and I asked him to write it down. 
So once we were ready we drove over to another town about 20 min. away.  We were trying to find the town's Palace and we drove around for a bit looking for it.  There were signs and then they just stopped.  It ended up being right in the center of town.  Kind of a weird place for it.  To tour the inside you had to book a tour and there were none in English and the ticket lady didn't really recommend it for kids.   So the big house part you can't visit but we visited the gardens and other buildings there.

Once out back of the palace on both sides of the main house were these long banquet rooms.  They would be so beautiful for a wedding reception.  Later we did see a bride arrive! 

This whole area behind the palace were the gardens that went on for miles.

We walked around in the gardens and visited this cave like building with a waterfall.

Near this was a bath house that was cool, but I couldn't take pictures and we even had to put slippers on over our shoes.  The house had 4 rooms and a grand foyer area.  One was a bedroom with a bathroom which was a chair with a hole in it and a pot beneath it!  One room was a study, and one was a sitting room and the last one was our favorite, a Jacuzzi room!  It was a stone little built in Jacuzzi.  It had stairs that went down into it and 2 benches to sit on.  Near the bath house was a really pretty building that I think might have been a greenhouse.  Now they had orange trees in there with maybe either lime or lemon trees too.

We spent about 45 min. walking around the gardens and area.  Then we left the palace and across the street was the town's big square with restaurants and outdoor seating.  Had it been a day like yesterday I am sure it would have been packed here, but today not so much.  It was about to rain.  We found a Mexican restaurant that looked good so went there.  It ended up being really good!
After lunch we walked around the town a bit but since it was a holiday today a lot of the shops were closed.  So we drove back to the hotel.  We had seen frozen yogurt signs yesterday when we were out walking so once back at the hotel we walked back down that big street from yesterday until we found the store.  It was more yogurty then the frozen yogurt from home.  And there were no flavors just natural.  But on top of it you could put sweets or fruit.  It was ok.  We then strolled back down the street to the hotel and stopped to watch a street performer juggling batons with fire on the ends of them.  Then back to the hotel for a bit to rest.  Jason didn't sleep well last night and tried to take a nap!
Once back to the hotel it just started pouring and never stopped.  So we decided we would stay for dinner b/c we wanted to try a Thai place we saw and then we would just drive home tonight instead of spending the last night there.  So we checked out of the hotel and walked in the rain a bit to the restaurant.  It is a city so you can't park anywhere and that is why we walked.  It was really good.  Then walked back.  Everyone's pants were pretty wet at the bottom.  Then we drove the 2 hours home.  Everyone was tired, but happy to sleep in their own beds!


Monday we just slept in and had pancakes and fruit slushies for breakfast since we were back home and today was a holiday here.  Amber went with a friend to an indoor play area and to McDonalds for lunch.  I made some homemade ice cream sandwiches and put them in the freezer.  Today my computer screen wouldn't work.  The computer is probably on its last leg anyway.  I didn't really like the computer Jason had brought back so I gave it to the boys as we needed a second one. Jason had bought me this external hard drive that I was suppose to back up all my pictures and files and I never did it.  Oops.  So he messed around with the computer and got the screen on again and then started the downloading.  I got everything downloaded today that I wanted.    Later in the afternoon Sean went to a friend's house and Jason tried to get Amber to ride her bike without training wheels.  She fell off and they were home after not long of trying in between the rain.  It rained on and off all day long.  Tonight Amber started not feeling good and went to bed with the sick bucket.  Could be a long night!

Tuesday I had to wake up all the kids this morning and we were running a bit later.  Amber had done fine throughout the night so she went to school today.  I was back and forth with going on Sean's field trip to Metz, France when one of my chaperons cancelled.  But in the end one other mom said she could go.  The field trip went to the cathedral in that town and then a little train that did a tour around town.  Sean had fun and was tired when he got back at the end of the school day.  I had a lunch with 2 neighbors and another mom from school.  My neighbor and the other mom are both moving back to the states this summer.  So it was a nice lunch amongst another rainy day!  After school Sean had his math and then the boys had tennis.  Tonight I made zucchini boats.  They are partly hollowed out zucchinis and then you put a mixture of veggies and ground beef and cheese and put it in the zucchinis and then bake it.  We all thought it was good, except Amber who was crying to get through eating it! 
The computer turned on today but crashed twice.  I think I am going to have to switch to the other computer.
I am trying to pick out carpet for the basement for home and it is very difficult by just looking at pictures online.  So hopefully it all turns out ok!

Wednesday Amber had her short day and I picked up her and her friend.  We had lunch here, they played and then back for ballet.  The boys had RE after school.  They have 2 teachers that rotate teaching so we brought one of their end of the year gifts just in case we miss one at the end of the classes.  The kids were doing a play today and my boys were responsible for bringing in costumes.  Jacob and Sean had worked together pulling their clothes together to see what everyone could wear.  It is just a handful of kids so not too many. 
I had to take the boy's computer back today as mine is a lost cause.  At least I got all the stuff off it I wanted.  I still don't really care for this one, but don't have much choice until we buy another one.
Right before I am starting to get dinner ready we hear this really loud alarm going off.  I have this sinking feeling it is our house.  We were all in the family room so we didn't touch anything.  We open the door and neighbors are starting to come out of their houses and are staring at us.  It is really loud outside our door, but I can't see anything.  Jacob starts to walk around the side of the house and sees the box on the front of the house that is making the noise.  Oh great.  I have no idea how to turn it off or any number for it.  I call the relocation lady and she says she will look up a number.  After a few very long, loud minutes it turns off.  I have no idea why it went off.  She calls me back with a number to call if it goes off again.  Omg I hope it doesn't go off in the middle of the night!  My neighbors will be so pissed.
So it has rained and been gloomy and cloudy for 2 weeks now. The weather forecast on the English channel on the radio was saying he looked into part of next week and it was still going to be cool, rainy, etc, and said they weren't going to report the weather any further b/c too many people were already on suicide watch with this gloomy weather!  Ha.

Thursday Amber was suppose to go on a field trip to a forest/ park, but they cancelled it.  Any guess why?  Could it be all the rain and more today made it not a good idea to go.  At least they cancelled it, b/c last year they didn't and the kids would get soaked and then we would come back early anyway.  So I went to the store and picked up all the food we need for the last minute BBQ we are hosting tomorrow assuming no one gets sick!  This mall/store was packed!  They opened up a new section of it.  It looks really nice.  They were getting all the cakes, champagne and wines ready to serve and this was at 9am!  I also had to buy a printer today to hook up to the new computer.  We have one here but we bought it used from someone leaving.  I saved the box but can't find the setup disk anywhere and it seems like maybe it is an older model so I can't get it online to download it so now I can't use this printer- ugh.  So I bought a new one today and will have to see about hooking it up this weekend. On the way home from the store I took the back roads and for most of the way I was behind this huge tractor pulling a cart of hay! 

Then for lunch today my Norwegian friend had me and another one of our friends over for a fish lunch.  She always brings back fish when she goes home and so she saved some for us and made us a super yummy lunch!  She made fish cakes and then you put them on a grainy bread with this sauce under it and some cilantro and lemon over it, delish!  Then you aren't going to believe this but then raw salmon and cod!  Omg, it was so so good.  I have never eaten raw seafood before and I couldn't believe how good it was.  I ate so much for lunch I could barely eat dinner.  Then she had a tomato/cheese/lettuce salad, typical here.  I brought fruits and my other friend did a yummy dessert.  I told her I wanted all her fishy recipes.  The salmon had such a better flavor then the salmon we are used to!  It was great freshwater fish!  It just melted in your mouth.  She had it chopped up in pieces and then you take some with your chop sticks and dip it in this good sauce and eat it!
Sean woke up with a cold today so after school he didn't feel like going to basketball so we just went home and then Jacob's guitar was cancelled so the boys had a lot of free time tonight. 
Jason got his car back today.  They serviced it and found what was wrong, some gear thing, but it took 1 1/2 weeks to fix.  It just amazes me, which I don't know why I am still surprised, that it takes people so long here to get things done.  God help anyone who builds or remodels here!  Jason car is so technological advanced I would have thought they could just plug it in to the computer and it could tell them what is wrong.  The whole car is electronic! 

Friday I had coffee at school with friends, and then went to pick up a couple things and home quickly and then tennis.  I had to take my neighbors kids to school as the parents went away.  Amber's friend that was going to spend the night tonight wasn't at school this morning and Amber was very worried.
After tennis I just got stuff ready for the BBQ.
After school the first thing Amber says to me is asking if her friend is still coming over.  Her friend was having diarrhea and then right before pickup she ended up throwing up.  Poor thing.  Well Amber just burst into tears.  We have tried to have this sleepover I think 3 times and every time one of the girls or someone in the family has gotten sick.  So we had to cancel.  So for the BBQ, one family came over and then half of the other family came.  My friend left her husband at home with the sick one and the younger one.  So I asked Amber if she wanted to ask the boy to spend the night that was coming over for the BBQ.  He is the same age and they play together as well.  So he ended up spending the night!  He is in 4 yr. old preschool just like Amber but has been reading for awhile now and can read at a 2nd grade level, great!  So he read us a book tonight for bed!  Her first official friend to sleep over here and it is a boy!  Oh no!
BBQ was good and the sun even came out for a bit for the kids to play outside and on the trampoline.

Saturday morning Amber and her friend were up and talking before 6:30.  Needless to say Amber, my sleeper, was exhausted today.  This morning after the little boy got picked up we ran to the big car boot sale here, garage sale.  It is in a big parking lot.  This has got to be the biggest English speaking event in Lux!  It is mostly expats selling their things and expats shopping!  We saw friends there.  And everyone was speaking English.  We go for the English books!  They don't really sell kids books in English here.  So this year Jacob got about 4 books to a series he likes and an army bag.  Jason got some almost new, nice golf shoes.  And Amber got a whole book series of a girly book for when she is reading chapter books.  And some little girl books too.  We also stopped at a cupcake booth that had wonderful tasting cupcakes, finally a good baker here!  She is from Australia.   So we walked all around and got our stuff then we stayed for lunch.  They had a few things so we all got some chili with rice, but it was a bit too spicy for Amber and I.  Then we came home and Amber was falling asleep on the couch.  She got about a half an hour nap in and then we had to leave to go to the American Military Cemetery for their Memorial Day ceremony.  The weather was weird while we were there, it was sunny and quite warm, then it rained, then just cloudy and cold.  So people presented, they had the band play, and they did presentation of wreaths.

We thought there was going to be a jet fly by but there wasn't.   So it lasted about an hour.  Then we walked down through the cemetery to look at the military vehicles they had brought.  The white crosses in the cemetery looked nice with the flags and each one had a rose too.

Then back home and the handy man came over.  He cuts our lawn for part of the summer and will do some hedge trimming for Jason. 
Jason and I were going out to dinner with 2 other couples tonight.  The sitter I had booked sent me a text saying that she couldn't babysit anymore tonight, but her sister was in town from college and could do it- ugh!  Her sister was very nice and goes to Univ. of Purdue!  Its a small world after all!  We travel so much here, or just do everything with the kids that we just don't use sitters much.  I think the last time we had one was Jan. 
Dinner was fun tonight.  We went to a Brazilian Churrasco.  The husbands had been to one before in the states but the girls hadn't.  The food was pretty good, and everyone enjoyed it!  This place then even had a show that a couple girls and some guys did some Brazilian dancing in the restaurant.  They came out a couple different times.  It was fun to see.  So nice night out!

Week of May 12th, 2013 and Heidelberg

Sunday morning we got up earlier and got ready, had breakfast, packed lunches and left for the concentration camp.  It was about a 40 min. drive the wrong direction from home.  The camp is very spread out. 

This is the main gate where all the prisoners entered the camp.

This is a picture of the grounds what is left.  There used to be a ton of little barracks on the property but most of them have been destroyed.  They have stones around where they used to be.  There also is a track here that they used to have the prisoners try out different soles of boots and march all day to test them out.
We spent about an 1:30 there and by then both Sean and Amber were extremely whiny so we started to head back home.  The drive home was horrible.  It took us 10 hours to get home!  The traffic was horrible.  It should have been 7:45. 
Jacob and Amber sleeping on the food bag!

Then Jason's car started acting up.  It could go fast ok, but when we had to stop at almost every big city for the merging and leaving traffic it was about a 20 min. delay each time and Jason's car didn't like it.  It was making a funny noise and then the RPMs would shoot way up and then sometimes it would just die.  So we got over to the far right lane amongst all the traffic and were able to pull off and it died again.  Here if you get out of the car on the road/highway you need to be wearing a yellow vest.  So we opened his vest and he put it on to go see if he could see anything under the hood.  The dashboard is all electronic and it didn't say anything was wrong.  So he went to check the oil.  When he gets back in the car I asked so what did he see.  He said that he couldn't find the oil!  Ha, too funny, these cars are so electronically built we can't even figure them out!  So we sat for a bit and waited to see if that would help the car.  It started back up but still kept doing it.  But as we got further down south in Germany the traffic lightened up and we didn't need to slow down as much so the car was able to make it home!  We got home around 9:30pm.  Everyone was pretty tired.  Good news was the tick leg fell out of Jacob's skin around his ear!  It is probably in my food bag now!

Monday morning the cab picked Jason up at 4:45am for him to head to Brazil and then he didn't get there until 9:30 pm our time!  The kids all slept in until I had to wake them up.  Amber had show and tell, and x and y day and then I was reading this morning.  So a lot of do since we got in later last night!
Jason's car didn't get picked up by the garage until around 11:45 but I don't think it had any tickets on it.  I was on the phone with a friend when the guy came.  He first drove it around.  I look out the window and he goes cruising backwards up the street in reverse!  He is lucky he didn't hit anyone!  After he drove it around for about 5 min. he put it on the tow truck and away they went.  We will see if they find anything wrong.
I did the usually Monday stuff, grocery store, exercise, laundry, kitchen cleanup. After school Amber and Sean had friends come over.  The weather here has regressed and today was raining on and off and in the 50's. 

Tuesday I moved my French to Thursday and went to the Dr. this morning.  I did tell my French teacher I don't know if I will continue.  It always seems like something else comes up for the day and time I normally have the class.  With summer coming soon I wasn't going to do it over summer anyway.
So I went to the Dr. b/c I seemed to have developed a rash and I am really itching just on my head and face.  He didn't see anything.  He said he thinks it was allergy related or something I ate or touched in Berlin.  So I got some corticosteroid to see if that helps.   
I met 2 friends for lunch at the healthy little lunch restaurant.  Today the special was a chicken spinach salad.  It had a good mango type dressing on it.  Then back to some things at home and off to school.  Sean had math and Jacob played in the library with a friend on the computer.  Amber and I had her friend with us and they watched a movie.  When that ended we raced home and ate dinner and then back to school for Jacob's band concert tonight.  It was the band and choir.  They did a good job!

 

 

Things moving along with the basement at home.  They have the walls painted and the trim back on.

Wednesday Amber went to the theatre for a little production.  They didn't need volunteers so I didn't go but they took a bus over the the theatre by school and saw a show where they didn't talk it was just motions.  She seemed to enjoy it.
Then she went home with her friend for lunch and back for ballet.  The boys had RE and then after that we waited about 20 min. for one of Jacob's friends to finish his German class.  On Wednesdays kids that can speak another language, "the home language", can take it after school if it is offered.  So he is half German so he takes German.  So once he finished he came over for a playdate. 

Thursday I had finally rescheduled my French for today.  I don't think I have had it in like 5-6 weeks, the last 3 weeks something had come up and I had to cancel.  She was 15 min. late and didn't even call.  When she got here I told her I could only do 45 min. b/c I had plans, but since she was 15 min. late that gave us 30 min!  At the end of class I told her I was done for this school year with it.  I have other things that I want to do with my time and the kids have field trips and things coming up, we have family coming and then summer.  So we will see if I go back to it in the fall. 
So once she left I quickly ate my sandwich and met my friend at school so we could drive to France to go to the big sporting good store there and we needed all the time we could get.  It is a lot cheaper there. 
I went with her and her GPS avoided toll roads b/c that is what we had set it on last week to get home and avoid all the traffic, well now it was taking us through all these small towns, so it was about 45 min. to get out there!  Of course we didn't realize what it was doing until we were already headed into the first little town.
I wanted to pick up Amber a scooter, and get Jacob some more things for his Swiss trip.  So we got what we needed and then went back to school. 
Sean had bball and then the neighbor girl brought him home and Jacob had track, so Amber wanted a friend over.  She asked one of her boy friends from class.  She talks about him all the time.  They were so cute.  They were holding hands walking out of school.  I tried to take a picture but of course I was carrying too many things and by the time I got the camera ready they ran apart.  They were kind of funny playing.  He has never been over before and they sounded like an old married couple arguing about which way to play with what they had chosen to do, so funny!!
Later went back to school for Jacob and to drop off Amber's friend.  For dinner I decided to do pancakes and fruit slushes.  The kids weren't thrilled with breakfast for dinner, but since Jason was gone it sometimes is just easier to cook easier things.  They all ended up enjoying it.  We ran back to school for guitar, only for the guy not to show up.  I emailed him but never heard back tonight so not sure what happened? 

Friday, I believe it has now been raining, cold and cloudy since Sunday!  And it is suppose to stay like this until Wed.!  Crazy weather here! 
I had coffee at school with friends this morning.  Then ran to the Woman's club for groceries with friends.  Did tennis.  Then right before I was leaving for school pickup Jason arrived back from Brazil.  His car still isn't ready, and the secretary can't seem to get an answer from the garage as what is wrong with the car.  They did the yearly or whatever checkup but that is all we know- ugh!  So Jason took a cab from the airport. 
After school Sean went home with a friend, and I drove Jacob and a friend to a party at Lazer tag.  Went home for a bit and then Amber stayed with Jason while I went back to the party to pick up Jacob and Sean's friend brother was at the party too so the dad just brought back Sean to the party and I picked him up there too.  Perfect!  There was a dry patch of no rain before dinner so Jason quickly mowed the lawn.  He couldn't believe how tall everything was and how wet everything was.
After dinner we had to drive to Jason's office to pick up a car for him until his is done.  They didn't have any 7 seaters available so he had to just take a 4 door sedan, but still BMW.  But it won't be very fun to travel with this weekend. 

Saturday we left for Heidelberg for the weekend since Monday was a holiday here. We left around 9am and it took about 2 1/2 hours to get there.  We took the company car so the kids weren't happy about all being stuck in the one backseat together but at least it wasn't 10 hours like last weekend!  So this is a cute little town that wasn't destroyed by any of the World Wars.  When we got to the hotel we parked in their lot, which here in Europe you always have to pay for but it is always worth it!  I tried to check in but it was of course to early.  I got a map and the guy at the front desk pointed me in the right direction.  The hotel is in a great location since we can walk to everything.  It is also along the river so has great views.  We walked over to the street he recommended.

 

 

This street is considered the "old town" and it was packed with people.  Today here it was a beautiful day and sunny, so loving it!  So many stores, cafes and restaurants here.  Even Build A Bear!  At 1.6 kilometers it is Europe's largest pedestrian only street, at a little over a mile.  So we walked it all and then back at the end of the day!  We stopped and ate at Subway- not very European I know!  Along the way we stopped in 2 churches. The 2nd church we saw we climbed tons of small stairs and went to the top of the tower and saw over the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the street we turned and went towards the cable car building.  Here we took a cable car up the mountain.  The 1st stop was the castle, we skipped this for now. So the second stop you have to get off and change cable cars to get to the top of the mountain.  The 1st cable car was going up a 30% incline- pretty steep.  The next cable car we got on was an old wooden one that creaked as it went up and it was one of the oldest cable railways.  It was a longer ride and it went up a 40% incline at the end.  This cable car just kind of inched up the railway. 

 

 

 The 1st cable car was newer and speedy.  Once at the top we had a great view over the city.

 

 

 

It was a lot cooler at the top with nice fresh air.  It was very peaceful.  We all split this cookie ball thing we had bought on that street.  We came across this store that had these big balls- softball size.  I should have taken a picture of them.  We choose the cinnamon sugar one for purposes of being less messy then the chocolate ones.  They also had some where they had a filling in the middle.  These cookies are like pieces of pastry dough cut into pieces and then all stuck together in a ball.  They were ok.  Kind of dry.  From here we took all the cable cars back down to the castle stop.

 The castle is still up in the mountains.  About 1/2 of it is in ruins now.  It is a big castle, but you can only get inside when you book a tour and we didn't do that, so we just walked all around the outside and inside the courtyard area.

 

 

Part of the castle was open to see the Pharmacy Museum which is in there.  That was interesting to see how they did medicine back then. 

Another part of the castle we could visit was the wine cellar and bar/snack area.  Here is also where the largest wine barrel in the world is!  This first picture isn't it.

Here you climb up the stairs to walk on top of it and around it!

Next to the castle is its garden. 

 

 

We sat here for awhile in the sun resting.  The boys climbing the trees.  Then we took the cable car back down and walked over to their famous bridge, Alte Brucke. 

It was built in the late 1700's and the towers even have dungeons in them.  It has been rebuilt 9 times!  We walked across it.  It is not for cars.  This is a picture of the castle that we had just seen.

 Now we had pretty much seen everything in town so on that main street we had walked earlier we saw Hard Rock Cafe.  So we walked there for dinner. 

When we walked in it looked more like a sports bar.  And once the big soccer game ended most people left and the place was pretty dead.  The menu was not the normal "Hard Rock" menu and everything was much cheaper.  We couldn't believe this was a Hard Rock.  Not sure what happened here.  So I ordered the chicken cesar wrap.  The menu had foods written in English and then translated the descriptions into German and English.  Sean and Amber had chicken nuggets, Jason and Jacob had chicken wings.  Their food was all ok.  When my food came I called the waitress back over and told her this isn't a chicken cesar wrap and this is not what it said on the menu.  She tells me, "Oh yeah the menu isn't translated right"  Ok, maybe that would have been helpful to know when I ordered it b/c I was clearly only reading the English one and we were speaking English with her.  Ugh!  It was 3 flour tortillas rolled up with a chicken stew inside them.  It was gross.  And then there was a regular salad on the side of the plate.  So I ate the salad and then some of Amber's dinner.  We were all disappointed with the food.  After dinner, we just walked back towards the hotel, back down the pedestrian street.  We picked up some ice cream, of course.  I found this Christmas store that I like that I have seen in other cities.  It has all sorts of nutcrackers and Christmas decorations.  So I went shopping!
Further down the street there was a band playing English songs so Jason got a drink and we listened to them for a little bit.  By the time we got back to the hotel it was after 7pm and we had walked up and back down that mile street so everyone was pretty tired.  Amber and Sean had whinnied on and off all day.  I told them this was our last trip this school year so just enjoy it! 
Views from our hotel.