Last week I had gotten a note in my mailbox about a cleaning lady looking for a job and since other friend's maids didn't have any openings right now I decided to text the number and see. The person called me and spoke English so I was happy with that and she said she could come over to take a look at the house today. So when I open the door there are 2 girls. And the one says that she speaks English and just came along b/c her friend doesn't. I asked if they speak French and I guess they are going to start taking it next month. So there are from Eastern Europe. She is young but seemed nice and very eager for work. The other lady just kept thanking me for giving her the opportunity to work. I asked for a reference and she gave me a name of someone who she is currently working for. So after she left I was able to get a hold of them and asked about her and they gave her a good recommendation so she will start later this week.
Not sure how this will go with the language if there is a problem with something.
Monday morning at sometime after 4am I hear Amber making funny noises. I get up and she is throwing up all over her bed! I pick her up and carry her to the toilet which she still seemed to miss. She is a complete disaster It is in her hair to her feet! It is all over her bed and on the wall and has run down behind the bed. Jason gets up and gives her a bath for me while I start the huge cleanup process. Another early morning wash cycle! After that is all cleaned up and she is bathed, she is wide awake and seems fine. So we just go down stairs for mom to lay on the couch and fall back asleep and Amber to watch TV. Jason took the boys to school for me and then I made Amber some toast and she gobbled it right up. Then I told her we need to take a nap. She started out playing but in about 10 min. got in bed and slept for 3 hours. After that we had lunch and she was just fine! No fever and wanted to play. Throughout the day she kept asking me, "So what do you think my class is doing now?"
We decided to start making her cupcakes for her school b'day celebration on Wed. So I had just bought a cake ball machine so we made pink cake balls. They turned out good but got a little brown on the outside due to the cooking spray. Then once they cooled we made the cupcakes and put the balls inside and baked them. Of course I need all the cupcakes so we couldn't try one. But the idea is that the cupcakes are white and then when you bite into it you will see the pink cake ball. The boys waited for each other inside the school and then came out together and just waited in the bus shelter in the parking lot and so then we just pulled up and they were there already. So much easier then spending an hour almost for the whole pickup routine!
After we got home a friend stopped by with some muffins she had made. The kids enjoyed them. I gave Amber another bath before bed as she still didn't smell quite right! Hopefully we can have a peaceful night, but I have the bucket out just in case!
Tuesday I had to go to the store since we were looking pretty scarce on food. I had wanted to go to Germany yesterday and load up but other things came up -literally! So I was at the store here for awhile and of course forgot my coupons. They don't have many coupons here but this one store will sometimes send some out in the mail and then sometimes at the end of the bill they will give you 10 euros off another purchase. Of course I never remember them!
Then home for French. Next year Jacob will be in middle school, crazy to think! Anyway I had to fill out the language form and he will be taking French and German starting next year! He is actually really excited b/c he has some friends that speak German due to their family so he wants to learn it.
Then one of my friends and I took our Norwegian friend out to lunch for her b'day. We went to a Thai place. It was good!
After school Amber went to a friend's house and the boys had tennis. Jason was able to pick them up and was impressed with how they were playing. I have tried to reserve a court for a weekend but they have tournaments there until sometime in March. So when we can get in it would be nice for us to all play together. Amber can be the ball girl!
I went to pick up Amber from her friend's house. This is my good friend too and they had just moved into a new place so it was nice to see it. When we were driving home Amber tells me that she thinks her and this boy friend need to live together! Ok. I ask her why does she think this and she said, "So we can color together all the time!" Ok too funny! I will ask her that in 20 years when she wants to move in with a boy and see if her answer is the same!
Tonight we frosted Amber's cupcakes for the school celebration and then made brownies for her b'day dinner tomorrow. After she went to bed I decorated the house and got her presents out and ready for tomorrow. She has been counting down now for awhile as she can't wait!
Wednesday was the big b'day day! I got her breakfast ready to bring to her in bed, our tradition This year was the first year Amber was allowed to get breakfast in bed, but since she wanted pancakes with syrup I did make her eat on the floor since I had just cleaned one bed the other day and I hadn't even got that one put back together so I didn't feel like cleaning the trundle next so she was ok with that. The candle is in a pink cake ball.
After breakfast it she got dressed
and then on to presents! She was so excited!
Having a b'day on a school day is difficult, because they can get all their presents open but then they can't play with any of them. So she wanted to take the unicorn to school today so we took it in and then once school started I just took it.
I chatted a bit with a friend after drop off, got gas and then on to the American club house for food. My friend had told me that they had gotten a bunch of food, and their shelves were stocked! So I got some Easter jelly beans, they don't sell those here. And an egg dying kit, and then other American foods!
Jason and I went back to school a bit before the noon pickup to celebrate her b'day with her class. We brought in our cupcakes.
They thought the pink ball in the center was cool and they tasted good!
After this we took her ballet friend and Jason and I and we went out to an Italian restaurant for some good pizza. Here the pizzas are these big flat kind of pita bread pizzas. But each plate serves like 2-3 people. So the girls enjoyed that and then we had saved a cupcake for her friend since she isn't in Amber's class and then they also got strawberry ice cream!
Then back for ballet.
She was excited to get home and finally play with her new things. So she was busy, coloring, stamping, playing legos and with her new meowing kitty and then the unicorn.
For dinner Amber wanted tacos so we had that and then we were waiting for Jason to get home to do cake. He asked how late could he be and I told him when Amber would be going upstairs for a bath and bed, but I told him people are hovering over the cake, so the sooner he gets home the better! So we had cake and ice cream and she had a wonderful birthday!
Last night before bed Jacob lost another tooth! That is 5 for this school year!
Thursday morning I went in and read to a group of preschoolers. Since it was Amber's b'day yesterday I read the Happy Birthday to You book by Dr. Seuss. They thought it was funny! Today the new maid came. I liked the fact that as soon as she came in she asked if she could change into her cleaning clothes and her shoes as well. At home the ladies have always had cleaning shoes on, but my last maid always wanted to wear her street shoes in the house. So the new lady did a good job. It was a long day since it was the first time here and such. So I paid her before I left in the afternoon to a certain time and tried to ask her if that was an ok time or did she need more. But she just said ok. She does know a few words in English. So when I came home I saw that she didn't do the ironing so I figured she ran out of time no big deal. And she didn't empty any of the garbage bins, but I can just ask her next time she comes. Later in the evening I get a call from her English speaking friend saying that she forgot to do the ironing and was so sorry that she would come back tomorrow for free and do it. I told her that it was ok I had just figured she had run out of time no worries and next time we will just schedule accordingly. I thought that was very nice of her.
After school the boys had haircuts and one of Sean's friends came with us again and then I dropped off Sean and his friend at his house. At home Jacob finished his homework project which was applying to college for his class! He had to do a enrollment form, resume, essay and get 2 letters of recommendation. So I thought this was very interesting!
Amber and I started getting things organized for her big b'day party!
After dinner we drop Jacob off at guitar and I am on my way to get Sean when the mom calls and said he just threw up! Oh no! I apologize b/c he didn't seem sick earlier or say he wasn't feeling well. I was almost there and picked him up and got him home. He took a shower and felt much better but wouldn't eat anything. I put him to bed early and hopefully he will feel better in the morning! I hope the other family doesn't get sick either!
Friday morning Sean had slept through the night and had eaten 2 pieces of toast and half of banana so I told him he seems to be doing ok to go and get ready for school. He says, "But I threw up!" I told him yes but that was yesterday. Then he starts to tell me his belly hurts and that the other 2 got to stay home when they threw up. So we decided to give him a sympathy day but he was coming with me to do my stuff! So Jason took the other 2 to school and Sean and I stayed home. So the first thing was coffee with the my 4 other preschool friends from last year at the good cafe in the mall. So he came with me. We stayed for an hour. Then back home. Then tennis. So I asked Sean if Mom was a good tennis player, and he said "Um so so Mom." Ok Thanks Sean!
Then we had lunch at home. And I told him when someone stays home they have to take a nap. So I put him down for a nap. He was back down stairs about 10 min later. " I am not really tired" Probably b/c you aren't really sick is what I was thinking! Then we had one errand to run before pick up and we picked up Amber and Jacob stayed for movie night. He loves working the snack bar for student council. So my friend came over while her daughter was at movie night too and the other kids played. Then she went back and picked up Jacob and her daughter and dropped him off on her way home. After everyone left Sean said, "Well I think I am feeling better" he says and then we had dinner.
Sat morning Amber didn't want me to sleep in. She woke up at 7:30 and I said I wanted to sleep in and I think she gave me 20 min and then begged me to get up b/c she wanted breakfast!
After lunch Amber had a party to go to at the indoor climby place for little ones for maybe the 5th time this year! She had fun. This morning I gave Jason the cardboard castle to put together for Amber's b'day party. First he had to bring it back in his suitcase for me, 2 of them from the states. They are these big cardboard castles you put together and the kids can color them and crawl in there too. So I asked him to put one together today and we would see if it could fit in my car! So he starts mumbling things under his breathe b/c he is not happy about putting this together and then he calls Jacob down to help him who seems to have his own idea about how to put it together while Jason is trying to read these big cardboard instruction and Amber is behind Jason, "Daddy what step are you on, Daddy where are you on the instructions?" Me laughing, from the kitchen!
In the afternoon I tried to get the castle in the car. I had to take the top pillars of the towers off but it fit! So perfect!
For dinner we were trying to go to this Brazilian restaurant down in the Grund area. Jason had tried calling a couple times throughout the day but never got a hold of anyone. So we get there and it is closed for something. There was a note on the door but we couldn't understand it. So we walked around the area, but nothing was going to open until 7pm and it was 6:15. So we went to this burger place we ate at once before. I ordered the vegetarian chili. I didn't like it b/c it was too spicy. We had ordered the mozzarella sticks and the cheese was already hardened. I hate when I try and do something vegetarian and they add more spice b/c they took out the meat- ugh!
Then since we didn't have reservations she told us we had to be out of the table by 8pm so we really didn't have enough time for dessert and they had a good desert menu.
We did find a neat looking brewery that we made reservations at for next week with my parents. We came home and watched Arthur's Christmas. It is a cute Christmas movie!
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