Week of December 11th

Sunday Jason took all the kids to a big indoor play, climby area here.  Then they went out to lunch at a place like McDonalds, a burger place.
I had nice peaceful morning trying to get things done around here.

Monday morning I helped stuff 830 invitations into enevelopes for the PTO wine tasting we are doing!  Only came away with one bad papercut.
Jacob only has 1/2 of the normal homework load this week.  Sean didn't have any besides reading.  He has his big concert this week at school.  I think a lot of kids are leaving for the holidays so their classes are going to be smaller this week.
The kids got their haircuts this evening after we picked Sean up from ball skills.  Amber did such a good job sitting on the booster seat and so still for her hair cut.   On the way home we saw this van that someone had painted to look just like the Scooby Doo Van- so funny!

Tuesday it poured, poured and poured.  It started raining in the middle of the night and then just never stopped until around 4pm today for a bit and then started up again.  It makes it very difficult to get the kids to school, one it is still dark out and then pouring and walking them all into school. 
I got quite a few inches cut off my hair today and then highlights as well so I look nice and young again- ha!
We did a make up gymnastics class for Amber today since I took her there last week and I couldn't get her to participate.  Then to pick up the boys from school was awful.  Did I mention it was pouring today?  When I went to park in the parking garage, I got there right before the last spots were taken and then people were just parking behind people's parked cars and sitting there.  It was crazy.  It was so windy and my hood wouldn't stay on, our umbrellas were turning inside out, and we got soaked.  I actually had to change Amber's pants when we got home b/c she was so wet.  I had those high rain boots on, my winter coat that comes to my thighs, and between those my jeans were soaked.  Nothing better then wet heavy winter coats, and mittens- ugh!
Rain, rain, go away!


Wednesday was raining again in the morning and I had to get the 3 preschool teacher's big gift baskets into school.  That was difficult since they were so heavy too.  What we did was each child brough in an item from their home country and I put them in a basket and wrapped it.  So it turned out very nice.  But 18 items in each basket made them quite heavy and in the rain to carry in!  Then I went to a travel agent to help me find some place to go for spring break.  Already thinking warmer weather (:
Then before Amber's day ended they had a little Christmas show with about 5 songs they sung and then we had some gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate with the parents.  So that was nice, and then I presented the teachers with their gift baskets as well.  Amber loved the singing and the dancing!
Then after school her one boy friend came over and they were busy playing, then cutting, coloring, glueing, and painting their projects.  They play so well together!
The boys had RE class today and the teacher gave them some yummy clemintine oranges wrapped up and an ornament.  The oranges are very good here this time of year!
Jacob's guitar teacher had canceled class for tonight and I was glad not to have to go back out in the rain.

Thursday Amber had a meltdown at school when I went to leave the teachers had to peel her off my leg.  That is not like her.
The electrician that came by a few weeks ago, just showed up today.  Luckily Jason was still here and hadn't left to come to Sean's program.
Sean had his Christmas concert during the morning, so both Jason and I went in for it.  They did a great job. Some kids had speaking parts and it was neat to hear everyone's different accents when speaking English.

 It was 1st and 2nd grade combined.  They sung some songs together and some separate.  1st grade did a dance to the Katie Perry song "Fireworks"  It was so cute.  There was this one boy that had his little suit on and he was getting his groove on.  He had all the beats and moves down and was totally into it. He was so cute!
Amber had gymnastics and this week they must have been able to wear costumes to class, but since I couldn't get Amber to go last week we missed the announcement.  So a few of the kids were dressed up in costumes.  But I get the feeling that since Amber doesn't have any good friends in the class she is not enjoying it as much.  She always seems to like a buddy to do things with and while she runs and plays with all of the children I don't think any of the other kids speak English.
Sean looked very cute in his nice clothes today, but then when he gets in the car after school he tells me that he didn't go to the bathroom all day b/c he couldn't get his pants unbuttoned- poor thing.  I said please ask your teacher to help you if that ever happens again. She is so sweet and would understand.
Here is Pinkilicious Minnie mouse

Friday morning Jason tells me he is going to take my car to get it registered in town.  He had all the paperwork ready, but also needed the car in case it needed an inspection.  So I go and get all my stuff out of my car that I need and he leaves with my car.  It is again pouring out.  His car is parked outside and we are getting soaked getting everyone in the car.  Once in the car Jason calls and says he forget to take his work badge out so if I could leave that at home for him.  So I go get soaked again. 

So his car is too technologically advanced for me.  I can't even get the car started.   It doesn't have a key just this box thing you put in and then you have to press the start button.  So I am doing this and still can't get it to start, so I call Jason back and I guess you also have to have your foot on the brake- ha.  I can't figure this car out.  Then I realize that he doesn't have the school sticker on the window, so I have to call him back and ask where it is.  He tells me it is in the glove box.  Ok how do I get in there.  I can't find the stupid button to open it.  It is still black outside and I am trying to open the door a bit to light the car up b/c of course I can't find the light button either and it is getting wet inside the car and I can't find the button at all. It isn't actually on the glove box.  If you don't have the sticker there is a chance you can't get in the parking lot at school and then if you park without your sticker you will get a ticket.  So now I am getting very mad at Jason.  So we get to school and I am able to get in the parking lot and once parked there is some light there and I finally find the black button just on the dashboard and put the sticker on- ugh so much for this car!

Jason waited about an hour at the car place only to find out that he is missing a document from the previous owner.  Luckily he didn't waste any more time there.  So now we need to find the previous owners through friends to get this done, and of course 2 of the documents we had were time sensitive so now we will need to go get these done again when he is ready to go again.  The good thing is that next time he won't need to bring the car b/c the guy said he doesn't need an inspection yet. 

So when Jason came home to get his work badge we just switched back cars, only to find when I leave a bit later that Jason has now left his phone in my car!

This morning I decided to drive to Belgium and go to Ikea.  It is only about 20 min. away, but it was raining so hard and so foggy I couldn't even see Ikea and it is of course right along the highway. 

I got some lamps, a rug and a table for behind the couch.  The table box was a bit heavy but I got it in the cart.  So when I got to the car if I knew that if I could get the seats down in the back it would fit in fine, well no surprise I couldn't get the seats down.  So I am standing there in the pouring rain trying to shove this box inbetween the back seats but it is too heavy for me to get up to the height of the seats.  So I see this younger guy walking in and I of course can't actually form a sentence but ask if he can please help me, and thankfully he is able to get it in the car for me- thank you!

Today the kids had Christmas parties and were very excited to be done with school for awhile!

Week of December 4th, 2011

Sunday after church we took the kids out to lunch at a kind of American BBQ restaurant.  Then we walked around the mall a bit before our movie was to start.

After this we went to see Happy Feet 2.  It was the only kids movie in English.  The other ones were in French and German.  If you want to buy anything for your movie you walk into this self service area.  They have all different sizes of popcorn lining the wall in the back so you grab what you want, they have ice cream bars, drinks, candy bins to pick out pieces of candy that you put in a bag, and slushies- the boys were so excited!  And of course Amber wanted one too!  Then you just take all your stuff to the check out line.  It is faster then waiting in line at home.  So we bought the ticket and told her we wanted the English version.  When we are in the theatre the kids that are coming in are not speaking English.  I start thinking I don't think we are in the right theatre b/c if the kids aren't speaking in English more then likely they wouldn't be coming to see a movie in English.  So I look at the tickets and it has a D after the movie, which means German.  So we go back and ask the ticket checker guy which theatre is the English version in and he tells us we need to go back down to the ticket booth and get a new ticket- ugh!  So a bit later Jason comes back with the right one.  This theatre wasn't too crowded.  But it is huge.  Bigger then the ones at home and the screen is like the full length of the wall in front.
I had gotten sausages for Jason to grill out for dinner, and it was so dark outside at 5pm and there is only one light outside but on the other side of the patio that he had to use a flashlight to grill!
Later in the evening I went out to dinner with 2 good friends, one of who is moving this week to Norway.  So sad.  So we had a nice evening out at a Thai restuarant.

Monday I had the PTO meeting and then after school Amber had a friend over for lunch and a playdate.  They had a fun time giggling and playing!  Then we dropped her friend off and headed back to school a bit earlier to help make the St. Nickolas goodie bags the preschoolers will get tomorrow for St. Nicholas Day! 
Ball skills has ended for now so home to do homework and work with Sean on his diaorama.  He is doing the desert.
Jacob came home from school today and told us the Black Santa story that his French teacher had told him.  Not a pleasant story or appropriate to tell children!
There was a butcher that lived in the forest.  One day 3 children stopped by his house and asked if they could come in and get something to eat.  He said sure and ended up chopping them up, putting them in a box with salt on it and storing them in the basement for 7 years.  Then one day St. Nicholas comes by the butcher's shop and ask for some meat.  The first plate he brings him, St. Nicholas says this is not good enough, the 2nd plate he brings to St. Nicholas he says isn't good enough.  Then the butcher says he has some good meat in the basement. St. Nicholas says stop, where are those 3 children?  The butcher takes him downstairs and St. Nicholas puts his hands on the boxes and brings the children back to life.   The butcher becomes the black santa and goes around with St. Nicholas all dressed in black and with tree sticks that if a child is bad he hits them with the sticks?  Ok nice story for a teacher to be telling.
My kids put their shoes out tonight in hopes of St. Nicholas bringing them a little gift!  Of course Amber had to put her pink sparkly shoes out for him.

Tuesday the kids were excited to wake up and see that St. Nicholas had left gifts.  They got a cholocate St. Nicholas, the boys each got a lego gift, and Amber got a princess ornament and a baby bottle for her babies! 

This morning at preschool when Amber went to put on her indoor shoes there was only one there!  St. Nicholas had come to the preschool and taken one of all the kids shoes and put it in the classroom with a goodie bag inside it.

Here St. Nicholas is very much celebrated.  So in the goodie bag was a St. Nicholas chocolate a yummy gingerbread type biscuit, and a clementine.
Jacob got a goodie bag too at school with a clementine and a chocolate St. Nicholas as well.
Since last month the stores have been selling certain sweet breads in the shape of a gingerbread man.  Some are plain, some have choc. chips in them, some all choc. on top, some like a fruit cake, and today was the Gingerbread Man Giant!

I bought 2.  One for one of Amber's friend who has been really sick, and one for us.  Sean saw it and went running out of the kitchen screaming the gingerbread man was going to get him! Ha
Tonight we baked our yummy Christmas tree cookies.  We got as far as making the dough, refrigerating it, rolling them out and baking them.  The frosting will have to be done another day.
Here is a picture of the view outside of Jason's office.

Wednesday we cut into the giant gingerbread man and he is delicious!  It is a very sweet bread with a little frosting on top.
The fog here has lifted and now the rain has settled in.  It has been raining on and off for a few days now.  We are using our rain boots here more then our winter boots!  And of course today I had to carry in Sean's diaoroma in the rain.  Not a good day for that., 
Today was suppose to be our going away party for Amber's good friend that is moving, but she has been really sick this week at home and another good friend of Amber's just came back to school today after being out really sick!  It is so sad that she is moving this week and hasn't been able to spend any time with her friends ):  So we are moving the party to Friday afternoon in hopes that everyone is healthy!
At guitar lesson tonight it just poured buckets, and I was worried how we would all make it to the car which is not close and no umbrellas.  But luckily it had calmed down quite a bit by the time we had to leave.
Tonight we were able to frost the christmas tree cookies we had made last night and then everyone got a nice cookie treat!

Thursday we had our last morning coffee at the mall with my good friend from Norway who is moving back home this weekend ):
Amber had her gymnastics class today and we went and I got her b'day party all set to be there, but she was so tired from not going to bed last night until way past her bedtime that she was so tired and crabby she wouldn't stay there, so we left.
Jacob had bball practice and I found out that I am housing 2 boys from Belgium who are coming down to play games this weekend,  Should be interesting.  They have 2 games on Friday night and 2 on Sat. morning/afternoon.  Alot of bball for one weekend!

Friday early morning it was so windy that the medal shutters that cover the windows on the outside were making a lot of noise and it woke Amber up who ended up in bed with us scared.
In the morning I had a few errands to do and then got the food ready for our going away party for my friend and her daughter- Elise.  Elise and Amber have had a wonderful time playing together and have really made a connenction.  She talks about her on the weekends and is always trying to invite her to come over.  Her mom and I got together a lot for coffee's.  They have been here for 3 1/2 years, so now they are headed back to Norway.
After school I picked up Amber and a one of her boy friends from school and we went over to my friend's house for the going away party.  It was very nice.  It was just a handful of close friends.  We had a lovely time, but a sad day.  We will hopefully we able to go and visit them one day.   So safe travels and we will miss you!

Amber has her arm around her friend!

Jacob had 2 bball games tonight and Sean had a party to attend on the other side of town so Jason went to the games.  We were suppose to house 2 of the opposing team boys, and Jason calls a bit after 7pm when the games were over to let me know they were on their way home so I could start dishing up their dinners and says we didn't have to take any boys.  I kept asking him are you sure.  I could just see 2 boys just standing out there b/c Jason left them behind.  But not all the players must have come or last minute older boys may have housed them.  So Jacob got to play one quarter of each game.  The size difference b/t the boys is pretty big.  The older boys are a good whole head taller then the 4th graders and Jacob is a good size for 4th grade! 

Sat. Jacob had to go back in the morning to school for 2 more games, but they were spaced out a bit one at 10 and one at 1pm.  So I had a handyman come over in the morning to take care of a few things here and then we joined Jason and went to the 1pm game.  Jacob played part of each game again.  Long day at school for him with basketball.  But he enjoyed it and has about 5 friends on the team so it was good.
In the evening we had Jason's Christmas work party.  My sitter canceled on me at the last minute but thankfully she found one of her friends to babysit for us.  So that was good.  The party was at Jason's bosses house.  They live outside of town so have a house, and not just a house I would say a US mansion.  It was amazing, and especially for a place like here you don't see anything like this.  It was a huge Italian Villa.  So beautiful.  I would have taken pictures if Jason would have let me (:  The woodwork in the house and built in's were amazing.  In the dining room all the furniture was built in except the table, but even had couches built in along the curved wall that jutted out with windows.  Over the buffet built in in the dining room, which was the length of the wall, was a glass scene from  St. Mark's Square in Venice.  I recognized it right away since we were just there.  Beautiful!

Week of November 27th 2011

Sunday we went over to the International Bazzar that was going on in town.  It was in a convention hall.  They had around 50 some countries represented there.  It was neat to see, but boy was it smoky in there from everyone cooking their different foods.  We left there smelling like a cross between Indian and Chinese food.  But we sampled some different foods.  Our favorite booth was the American one, of course.  We loaded up on our food supplies.  The American Woman's club was the one running the 2 booths so they were selling all their food we like to buy!  They also were selling chili, and nachos, so we had some of that too! 
This afternoon I attempted to put together the gingerbread house pieces I had bought.  I put together the house a bit wrong and of course the instructions were all in German so that didn't help.  After the kids saw what the house looked like only Amber wanted to decorate it.  Oh well, I tried!

Monday I had a meeting in the morning at a woman's house for organizing the Wine Tasting we are doing in Jan, with the PTO. 
At school this morning it was icy and wet outside and once we got inside the school, Sean slipped down the same stairs twice, poor thing.
I like our Monday afternoons since Amber and I have a longer time to do things together, before all the after school commotion begins.  So today we baked some Christmas cookies.  These are the ones we call Santa cookies (since we normally leave these for him) and they are peanut butter cookies with the hersey kisses on top.  Good thing the American Woman's club was selling the hersey kisses at the Bazzar this weekend, b/c they don't have them here otherwise.
Today at ball skills the boys played cricket.  That is something they wouldn't have played at home!

Tuesday Amber was going to do a makeup at her gymnastics class today, but she wasn't feeling too good after school, bad cough.  And she actually asked to take a nap.  I know my kids are sick when they ask to take a nap!  So I called them to tell them she wouldn't be there.  I spoke in French to the lady to tell her, and she answers me in English "I don't speak English.  I give you to my collegue"  Ok I was speaking in French.  So much for that!
Little Christmas tree stands have started popping up around town.  Mostly small and medium sized trees here. 
This week is the big 4th and 5th grade musical on 2 evenings so the 4th graders don't have any homework this week.  That made Jacob's week!
Jacob had his first basketball practice tonight.  Here the sport is not that popular and so the team is 4-6th grade.  The have practice 2 times a week and games on the weekend.  I am not sure that the 4th graders always get to play in all the games and no away games as they are in different countries so the kids have to take a bus and get housed with familes from the other school- kind of cool!  Here it isn't quite as organized as at home.  When they have a home game with a team from a different country we have to house 2 of the boys.
So practice is right after school.  They go and change into their practice clothes and have practice for an hour.

Wednesday Amber was still coughing so I kept her home from school.  Jason was able to drive the boys to school and they are old enough to just be dropped off in the parking lot on the side where they have people helping the kids out of the car.
Amber and I had a nice peaceful day at home and got a lot of things done here, ran one errand to go get a special ingred. for something I am making for a party next week but was at the import store.  We made brownies for the reception after Jacob's musical tomorrow.  And Amber got a nice 2 hour nap in! 
Today at school Jacob's grade performed the musical for the rest of the lower school.  And I guess during this the fire alarm went off.  So all the kids had to go outside with no coats on and then the kids in the musical either had bare feet or socks on so all of them were freezing outside on the wet ground.  There was no fire thank goodness but bad timing for all the kids.  I guess it was the Kindergarden class that burnt something and then the fire alarm went off.  Jacob's socks were soaked after that so he took them off and just wore his tennis shoes the whole day.
Tonight they performed the musical for the families so we all went to that.  It was very nice.  It was 4th and 5th grade together so about 160 kids.  It was 1 1/2 hours long with no breaks.  They did a great job.  Sean had seen it earlier in the day and still really liked watching it again and Amber did pretty good during it as well.  It was called Pirates of the Curry Bean.

Since today was Dec. 1st, the children got to start their advent calendars.  We bought them in Switzerland on our way back from Italy.  So every morning when they open a little door they get a piece of chocolate.  Not a bad way to start each day (:  I need to find one of these in a 12 month calendar for myself!
Later I met some friends out at the mall for coffee.  It was nice, but I left early and rushed home for French only for the teacher to call me and tell me she was going to be 1/2 hr. late.
At coffee the girls were telling me all these things I am suppose to be doing, like putting some stuff in my washing machine and my dishwasher b/c of the water here to help prevent mineral buildup.  Great my machines will probably explod!  I need an instruction manual to live here.
Amber didn't want to stay the whole time at gymnastics today so we left early.  Jacob had bball practice and then we rushed home for him to eat dinner and get ready for round 2 of his musical.  Jason got home early enough to stay with the other 2 so I could just go with Jacob.  After the musical they had a little reception for the kids in the cafeteria.  We brought in brownies.  They did a great job!

Friday was coffee with preschool parents and off to the crazy store.  Friday it is so crowded mostly elderly people.  Now that the holidays are here the stores are all open on Sundays too.
So the kids love having the elf here but it is actually quite a task for me.  I have to remember each night for the elf to get into something.  So the story goes that once the children fall asleep the elf flies back to Santa and reports to him how the children behaved that day and when he comes back to your house he gets into something.  When the children wake up the next morning they have to find the elf.  I am already running out of ideas and I have a whole month to go!  Sean just loves the elf and writes him notes every night.  So far I haven't forgotten this year yet, but last year I remember waking up in the middle of the night and realizing I hadn't moved him yet and running downstairs to take care of an elf!   So if anyone has any good ideas please let me know!

Saturday we drove about 2 hours away to visit the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, France.  This is one of the oldest known markets in France, dating back to 1570!  They have a huge cathedral in town and it reminded me a lot of the one in Colgone, Germany/

Amber and Sean on the merry go round in the helicopter.

 Strasbourg has some rivers running through it.

 There are about 10 or so different Christmas markets around town, mainly close to the Cathedral.  Here is one walkway that has beautiful chandeliers hanging up enclosed in screens.  My picture doesn't do it justice.

 Here is a double decker horse carriage ride.  So cool.  It looks like something out of Harry Potter!

The town has these beautiful stores/houses all decorated for Christmas.

Today it was packed with people as you can see. 

We had a fun time.  We got there around 10:15 or so and the markets opened at 10 and most of the garages were already full.  We ended up finding a spot on the street and just paid the meter for a ticket to put in our car.  Amber was mad this is what we were doing today so after about 10 min. she laid down in the stroller, put her hat over her face and fell asleep for about an hour.  It was great!  We walked around and saw a lot of the markets and sampled different foods/sweets/hot chocolate.  We picked up a few ornaments and Christmas items so it was nice.  It was a cold day today and when we were walking back to the car it started to rain.  On the way home Sean fell asleep. 

This morning when I went downstairs in the basement to get something out of the fridge there was this awful smell.  It was this cheese I had bought.  The cheese aisle at the store almost makes me gag.  It smells like moldy cheese/milk- yuck. So here of course they have their own cheese deli like counter for all the cheese people buy here, and then also a refrigerated section of cheeses where I bought this one from.  Then the milk is one the other side and the eggs are in a small aisle in the middle of those 2 aisles.

So for dinner I thought we would try this cheese.  It is kind of like a fondue.  You put this round cheese in a wood dish into the oven and warm it up, then cut it open and put it back in the oven until it is bubbling.  Then you can dip bread, potatoes, veg. or whatever you like in the cheese.  It was quite good.  Had some wine with it and the kids had some other things with it and it was a nice warm meal after being outside all day!

Here is a picture of the boys in the tree lot at one of the markets.  You can see they are not very big here, since most people have smaller places.