Dienstag?

Just like that, my year as an au pair has come to an end. As I write my final blog post four days later, I can hardly believe how quickly the year went by. It certainly had its ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade it for anything (cliché, I know, yet still true).

My last few working days were fairly relaxed. HP were still on vacation from work and the boys school was still closed. Because of this, my working hours shifted from mostly in the evening to mostly throughout the day. HP had a lot of errands to run and household chores to do since they'd recently gotten back from their two week vacation. I would take the boys on little trips into town or to the park to get us out of the house. I'd even argue that I had more fun with the boys in these few days than I did in the whole last month. I suppose knowing that I'd be leaving soon meant I made a conscious effort to focus on all of the good and ignore the bad. As many of you know, life with kids is a rollercoaster of beautiful moments surrounded by twice as many difficult ones.

On August 31, my very last day, the five of us all went to the pool together. We swam, ate lunch, and enjoyed one of the last warm days of summer.  In the evening we went home and had a little barbecue. HD and I stopped at the butcher on the way and picked up an astonishing 63€ in fresh cuts of high-quality meat. We bought sausages, ox meat, and steak. We grilled and ate outside on the patio. HP presented me with a few gifts to celebrate the year, including two books, a coffee mug, some of the boys artwork, a framed photo of me and the kids, and a thank you card. It was all very sweet and thoughtful. HP and I sat down afterwards to have a conversation about how we were going to proceed from here. They asked me if I'd be interested in continuing to work for them on a regular basis. They will not be getting another au pair, as they said they don't need someone on an every day kind of basis. Instead, I'll go over to babysit once a week. I'm happy with this arrangement because it means I get to continue to watch the kids grow up and be a part of their lives.

On Thursday, September 1, I moved out of the house. Saying goodbye to the kids was the hardest part. I doubt Two really understood the situation, but One certainly did. He grabbed on to me and wouldn't let go. I explained to him that I'd still see him all the time, I just wouldn't live in the room next to him anymore. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes, frowned, and then squeezed me even harder. HD helped me pack up his car and he drove me to my new place. I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up as we were leaving the house. In the 20 minute car ride to my new home, HD told me about how they would always be there for me. He told me that I should never shy away from asking them for help, no matter the problem. This small act of kindness made my heart smile. It's nice to know that I will always have them as a support system here. I was certainly ready to make the transition to this next phase of my life, but leaving my host family was not exactly easy. They became my home here. Their house became the one I looked forward to walk into at the end of a bad day. I cared for their kids as if they were my own. I'm lucky to have spent this year with a family who made leaving a somber occasion. I'm excited for this next chapter of my life, but I'm so grateful for this last one as well.

Despite my best efforts to find an apartment, I came up empty handed. I moved into a friends' house while I continue looking for an apartment of my own to live in. I do have my own room. It's nice to be somewhat settled before I begin classes on September 13. Oh yeah, I'm starting classes on September 13! I will be doing an Ausbildung, which is similar to an apprenticeship. I'll be studying translation and interpreting for German/French/English. The program lasts three years. I've always wanted to be an interpreter/translator. I'm certainly not getting any younger, so why not start now? I'll also be working part time in a pub to support myself. Life is absolutely going to get a lot busier now, but I'm up to the challenge. I've been settling into my new room, running the errands associated with moving, and hanging out with my friends. I'll also be flying to Ireland on September 7 to do some touristing with my mom. It'll be a whole nine months since I've seen my mom, the longest amount of time I've ever not seen her in my entire life. To say I'm excited to see her would be an understatement.

Anyways, I'd say I learned a lot this year. Some things are more obvious but less concrete. My German vastly improved. I'd argue that I'm fluent now. I realized that I am a much stronger person than I thought I was. I'm more patient and understanding. There are a thousand smaller things I learned too. I'm an expert at navigating public transportation. I can sing countless German children's songs, most of which I don't even know in English. I can drive a manual like a pro. The list goes on. This year has forever shaped me, changing me in more ways than I thought possible. Now I turn to the future, excited to see what exactly it holds.

Kissenschlag!

As you have noticed, it's been awhile since I posted. The past two weeks have been more or less a vacation for me. I decided to take the time to have a little break from blogging, as I wasn't working and therefore couldn't report on my daily life with the kids.

My host family left the morning of Saturday, August 13 for their summer vacation. They got a camper and went north somewhere. I had a couple days to myself before a friend came to visit. One of my best friends from university, Emily, got here on Sunday, August 14. She flew into Munich and then took a bus up to Nürnberg. We spent a few days in town. I showed her to the sights and introduced her to all my friends. We had fun and it was cool to show her where I live, what I do, and who I spend time with. On Wednesday, August 17, we caught a bus down to Salzburg, Austria. We were there until Friday. It was absolutely gorgeous. This was my second time in Austria and I was still in awe at the beauty. On Friday afternoon we caught a bus up to Munich. Emily flew out of Munich and wanted to see the city before she left. We were only there about a day and a half. She left early Sunday morning. I caught a bus back to Nürnberg Sunday morning as well.

I still had another week off after Emily left. I hung around Nürnberg, hung out with my friends, took care of some errands, did some chores around the house, and just generally relaxed. It was nice to have time at home without the family to recharge my batteries. This was my first extended period of time off since I arrived. I've had a few days off in a row throughout this past year, but never more than 4-5 days at a time. This two weeks was much needed.

HP and the kids got back late the evening of Friday, August 26. I didn't see the kids until the next morning. Both seemed happy to see me, especially One. He would get excited whenever I walked into the room, wanted me to sit by him at mealtimes, and would make a point to find me to play with him. It was all very adorable. It was cool to see that he actually missed me. Two was also excited to see me, but not nearly as much as One.

I worked a few hours yesterday, August 27. I watched the kids and helped HP get everything unpacked. It was all a fairly chill day, and I even finished up with work early. Tomorrow begins my last few days of work with the family. The kids school is still closed and HP aren't back at work yet, so I'm not sure what's in store.

Na das ist doch schon mal was.

August 8/Monday was a very long day of work. Two was sick, so he had to stay home with me. HD also left the day before for a work trip, so it was just HM and I. Two and I hung out and watched the Olympics in the morning. Lately he's been really wanting to watch tv when he's left at home, whereas before he'd rather have played in his room. I think it has to do with his age. His concentration is improving the older he gets. I put him down for a nap shortly before 1pm, and HM got home about 15 minutes later. She wanted to give me a break since she needed me to work until 8pm and she didn't want me working from 7am to 8pm. I took the opportunity to relax and take a nap. HM's mom, Oma, arrived that evening as well. Originally, HM and HD were both supposed to be out of town Monday through Thursday and Oma and I would stay with the kids. For whatever reason, HM's trip was cancelled, but Oma came anyways. HM dropped One off with me and left with Oma and Two for swim class. One and I went an hour later. I dropped One off with HM and picked up Oma and Two. I brought them both home, got Two ready for bed, and then I was finished working. I got ready and headed into town. I had an appointment to meet someone about an apartment. The apartment viewing went well, though I ended up not getting it. I went to see Fiona when I was finished, but I just stayed long enough to chat for a few minutes. I was home by 11pm.

Tuesday was busy. I worked an hour in the morning to get everyone out the door. Oma went with HM and the kids to Erlangen. She spend the day hanging out and shopping in Erlangen. I got showered and went to the Ausländerwesen (foreigners office) to ask some questions. Back in July I applied online for an extension on my visa. Last Friday I got a letter in the mail with a list of things I needed to bring to the foreigners office for the extension. I had a couple of questions about what I needed, so I went to ask. On my way there, a girl stopped me in the subway to ask me about her subway ticket. I didn't end up waiting too long at the office, thankfully. I was interested to see that they had added a new level of security. Everyone going into the foriegners office had their bag checked. It's not surprising given what has been happening in Germany lately, but it was still interesting. There wasn't that level of security when I first got to Germany. I had to race home to get my hair cut. When that was finished, I made my way back into and went to AOK, the public health insurance company. I have to have proof of health insurance before I can apply for the visa extension. I came home, yet again, and took a nap. I lazed around the house for a bit before I got ready in the evening. I went for dinner and drinks with Johnny and Fiona. We tried a new German restaurant up near the castle. We were all pleased with our meals. I didn't stay out long and was home by 11pm

Wednesday was less action packed. I worked an hour in the morning, got ready, and then went into town. I needed to get some stuff done at the bank. I came home afterwards and lazed around the house until it was time to work. HM got back with the kids about her usual time. I watched the kids while HM packed for their vacation. HP and the kids leave Saturday morning for their summer vacation. We all ate dinner and watched the Olympics together. When it was time for the boys to go to sleep, I was done working. I spent the evening at home.

Thursday morning I got to sleep in! It was Oma's last day here. I still had to get up early to go to the Ausländerwesen. I had yet more questions to ask before I could turn in all my paperwork. As I was waiting for the subway, a guy asked me when the next subway car was coming. Yet again, I was surprised by how quickly I was able to get my questions answered. I went to AOK yet again and turned in my application for health care. It was nice to finally get one thing taken care of. I again went to the bank. I was finally able to head home around noon. As I was waiting on the platform, a guy came up to me and asked if the train was stopping at a certain stop. I ate lunch at home and relaxed for a little before I had to drive Oma to the bus stop. I said goodbye to her, as it's the last time I'd see her as the au pair. She was sweet and wished me all the best, and said hopefully she'd see me again. I went for a run when I got home. It was beautiful weather outside, perfect running weather actually. I hung around the house in the afternoon, taking care of some chores while I waited for everyone to get home.  HM dropped the kids off with me and then left immediately for Munich. HD got home from his business trip soon afterwards. The boys were really excited to see him. I hung out with the kids while HD got settled in. We all ate dinner together and HD asked about my visa extension drama. I got the kids ready for bed and then was finished working for the night. I was sitting in my room, typing away on my computer. I opened some gummy bears to eat. One heard the wrapper and marched into my room. He demanded to know what I was eating and wanted some. I refused, of course, but he lingered anyways. He ended up hanging out in my room with me for awhile and we had a little pillow fight. Two joined in on the fun as well. It was an adorable moment. I stayed at home for the night, getting into bed early.

Schwerelosigkeit für das Herz.

August 5/Friday was not a great day. I worked an hour in the morning. I thought I'd have to drive the kids to school and also bring them home, but HM's work engagements for the day were cancelled and she went about her day as usual. I pretty much laid around home all day and didn't do anything. I wanted a day of almost complete laziness, and that's what I got! I did manage to force myself to spend a couple of hours searching for apartments. I even got so far as to set up an appointment to meet with potential roommates on Monday! I am excited and nervous about it. Wish me luck! I worked a couple hours in the evening when everyone got home, but was free around 7pm to do as I wished. I got ready and headed into town. I met up with John and Fiona, and then we went and met up with a number of our other friends. We were celebrating Danielle's birthday, so naturally we spent the evening drinking and laughing. I finally made my home around 5am (and I was the first one to go home!).

Saturday was the first Saturday in awhile that I didn't have to work. HP took the kids out to town somewhere. I'm not exactly sure where they went or what they did, but it gave me a quiet house and I was able to sleep in undisturbed. I more or less lazed around the house all day. In the late afternoon I managed to peel myself out of bed, shower, and make my way into town. I caught the train out to Vilseck, which is where an American military base is. Two of my friends, John and Leo, are stationed out there. They were putting on an American-German Volksfest in between the two bases (Vilseck is one, Graf is the second). A couple of my friends were going and I wanted to go as well. I spent the evening hanging out with Kayleigh, Larissa, and Kyle. I also ran into an old friend of mine, Michael. Michael is over here with the Army for six months of training. He came to Nürnberg just over a month ago. We met up then and I showed him around. It didn't even occur to me that he might be at the festival (despite the fact that he is training less than two miles from it). I was dancing with Kayleigh and Larissa when I happened to glance around and I spotted Michael dancing in the corner with his friends. We were both beyond excited to have run into each other and our two little groups joined forces. We all hung out together the rest of the evening. We met a bunch of people throughout the evening and made some friends. Leo came around when he was finished working at his unit's group. All in all, it was a fun night. It was nice to get away from Nürnberg and to do something a little different for a change.

Sunday I went for lunch with Leo. We went to a cute little asian restaurant and we both enjoyed our meals. I went for a run in the evening just as the sun was settling and the cool air was coming in, which is certainly the best time for a run during the summer. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing at home in anticipation of my long day on Monday.

Das Zimmer ist schon vergeben.

August 1 was a fairly typical Monday. I worked an hour in the morning. One was in an absolutely horrible mood and basically cried the entire morning. Two tends to do everything One does, so I had to work hard to keep him from copying his brother's mood. I went back to sleep when everyone was gone, getting up in the late morning to go for a run. I cooked myself a nice lunch, showered, and ran a few errands. HM dropped One off with me and left with Two for swim class. One and I spent an hour hanging out while we waited for HD to get home. HD picked up One for swim class and I had the house to myself. I had to vacuum and iron, so I wasn't finished working until 8pm. I ate dinner and then got changed. I went into town to meet up with Johnny, John, and Kat. It was Johnny's birthday and I wanted to hang out with him for a bit. I only stayed out for a couple of hours, opting to get into bed earlier rather than later.

Tuesday was a gross day. It rained all day and was a bit chilly for summertime (only 65F).  I worked in the morning and then went back to sleep. The cleaning lady finally came after being on vacation for a couple of weeks. I always like to be out of the house when she's here, otherwise I just feel like I'm in her way. I ran a number of errands while she was cleaning. They weren't anything particularly important, just a few little things I'd been meaning to do. By the time I got home, the cleaning lady was gone. I spent an hour relaxing while I waited for everyone to get home. HP and the kids all showed up about the same time. I watched the kids while HP both did some things around the house. HM worked on their taxed and HD built Two's new bed (he's graduated from a crib to a child's bed. The five of us ate dinner together for the first time in awhile. HP and I chatted about some of the finer aspects of my life after I finish with them, like my residence permit and insurance. There's a lot I still have to do. When we had finished cleaning up after dinner, I was done working. I spent the evening hanging out and relaxing.

Wednesday turned out to be very productive for me. I worked in the morning to get everyone out the door. I went back to sleep when they were all gone, but set an alarm so I wouldn't get up too late. I spent the late morning and early afternoon taking care of some rather unpleasant tasks. First, I applied for health insurance as a student. This ended up being a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. I'm not sure why I thought it wouldn't be complicated. Everything in Germany is difficult, especially for a foreigner. Hopefully I get it taken care of soon, but judging by what transpired already, it might take awhile. I also began looking for apartments. Apartment hunting is rather tedious and completely infuriating. I'm hoping to live in an apartment with other people to keep my costs down. At the end of the day, it's my future roommates who decide who they take on as their roommate, which means I have to do my best to impress them. I feel like the fact that I am American is doing more to hurt me than help me in this situation. I've decided to send three messages to potential apartments each day looking for a place. That way I'll still be getting something accomplished each day but I won't get overwhelmed and discouraged by the search. I'd like to have this taken care of soon as possible. I'll be homeless come September 1 otherwise. Anyways, I ran some errands and did some chores in the afternoon and then went for a run. HM and the kids got home around their usual time, with HD arriving an hour or so after them. I spent a couple of hours hanging out with the kids while HP did stuff around the house. We all had dinner together. I was finished working after dinner. I did have to help HD clean out the drain in my shower. It was clogged with my hair and absolutely stunk. I spent the rest of the evening hanging around the house.

Thursday was entirely too busy. HM left in the morning for a business trip, so I had to drive the kids to school. I came home, did some chores around the house, and then went for a run. I made myself lunch, showered, and then headed into town. HD was working from home because he was waiting on someone to come by and fix the shades in the living room. Since he had to wait around the house all day, he had his colleague come over for their business meeting. I wanted to make myself scarce while they were working, so I went into town to buy a few things I needed. I came home and left almost immediately to pick up the kids from school. We came home and all hung out for a bit. HD ordered pizza for us for dinner, though he had to leave shortly thereafter for a business dinner. I was alone with the kids for the rest of the night. We ate dinner and then I got them bathed and ready for bed. HD promised them they could watch the soccer game that was on tv, so the three of us watched the game for a bit. I put Two to bed while One continued watching the game. One ended up falling asleep on the couch, and I had to carry him upstairs and put him to sleep. I went to bed almost immediately after. I was exhausted. From when I started working at 7am until when I got into my own bed at 10pm, I'd only had about 30 minutes to relax.

Alles im Griff?

July 29/Friday was a nice start to the weekend. I worked an hour in the morning to get everyone out the door. Per usual, I went back to sleep once they were gone. I went for a run in the afternoon. It's been nice getting back into the habit of running. It's one of those things that you might dread while you think about doing it, but as soon as it's over, you're glad you forced yourself to do. Ideally, I'd like to get back to the gym as well, but I don't have the money to pay for a membership. HM brought the kids home at their usual time. She needed to mail something, so she sent me to the post office before they closed so she could continue doing some things around the house. She left later to go to dance class, leaving me alone with the kids while we waited for HD to show up. He got home shortly after HM left. I got dinner ready and the four of us all ate together. I helped HD get the kids ready for bed and then I was finished working. I got ready myself and went into town. Adam, Eddie, Basti, Patricia, and some others came into town from Ansbach. It was Eddie's birthday and he wanted to get out of Ansbach for a little while. This weekend was Bardentreffen in Nürnberg. Bardentreffen is, of course, a festival. It dates back to musical street performers from the middle ages and has continued into present day.  Street performers were scattered all throughout the city. It was really cool. The atmosphere was electric. We wandered around for a couple of hours and then went to one of Eddie's favorite bars. They all decided to head back to Ansbach on the last train. I had a hour to wait until my next train came, so I went for a drink with Conor. It was nice to catch up with him, and I was glad I was still able to make it in bed at a reasonable time.

Saturday was a pretty relaxing day. I worked four hours in the morning and early afternoon. I took the boy to the park while HP did various things inside and outside of the house. It was, again, a nice day outside. It was sunny, yet not too warm, aka perfect park weather. We stayed for about an hour and a half. We all ate lunch together when the boys and I got back. Since it was so nice out, we ate lunch in the yard. I decided to take a nap while the kids napped. I got up in the late afternoon and went for a run. I was proud of myself for running four times throughout the week. I've been a lot slower than I'd like, but it's been a couple of months since I was running with any consistency, so I shouldn't have expected anything else. I just have to make sure I don't let myself get lazy and stop anytime soon. I skyped with a friend after my run and hung out around the house for the rest of the evening.

Sunday was spent hanging out with Leo. We were pretty lazy, so we just watched movies and hung out. It was cold and rainy, making it the perfect day to lounge around.

It was a relatively relaxed weekend, though I can't say I minded terribly much. It was nice to not do much for a change (and to not spend much money either). I'm always quite broke at the end of the month.

Du hast Augen wie ein Regenbogen.

July 25/Monday was a long day at home with a sick Two. When I woke up in the morning, HM informed me that Two had thrown up during the night and had a fever. Him and I spent the early morning watching cartoons. We went for a 1.5 hour walk around the neighborhood, stopping at the bakery for a little treat. We came home and made some lunch before our nap. I was pretty tired and opted to nap as well. After our nap, we played upstairs and read some books while we waited for everyone else to get home. HM and One got home earlier than usual and I was finished working at 4:15pm. I spent some time relaxing in my room before I went for a run. It was a warm and humid 77F outside, but it was nice to stretch my legs. The rest of the evening was devoted to relaxing at home.

Tuesday was another day at home with Two. He was mostly better, but we kept him at home to be safe. In the morning we went for a two hour walk to and from the grocery store. It was a fairly nice day outside and I thought it'd be nice to stretch our legs a bit. We came home and ate lunch, and then I put Two down for his nap. I took advantage of my time alone, relaxing and getting some things done. We hung out around the house for the rest of the day until HM and One got home. I was finished working upon their arrival. I spent some time relaxing and decompressing before I showered and got ready. I went into town and met Meg, Fiona, and Johnny for a drink. We were all off work, a rare occurrence, so it only made sense for us to spend time together. I didn't stay out late. I was tired from a long day of work and didn't want to spend much money, so I went home around midnight.

Wednesday was my first day of "rest." I suppose that's not true, but I was able to take a nice long nap in the morning. I helped get the kids ready and then drove them to school. As I was in the bathroom getting ready, One came in to pee. He started talking to me about his summer vacation and he said, "And then after our vacation, you're going to be leaving, right?" I suppose HP have been telling him these things to prepare him for the time when I am gone, but it did make me a little sad to hear him talk about it. This lifestyle is stressful, but I have come to love these kids and I will miss them when I'm gone.  Anyways, I came home and went back to sleep. I got up around lunchtime and went for a run. It started raining nearly as soon as I left the house, but I went ahead with my run anyways. I did a series of errands in the afternoon as I waited for HM and the kids to get home. HD ended up calling me around 6:30pm (they are usually home around 4:45-5:30) to tell me that they'd be home within the next 30 minutes, but that they didn't need me to work. I was slightly annoyed that I'd waited for so long for them to get home just to be told that I didn't have to work after all. It was Adam's birthday and I would have liked to go celebrate with him. Alas, such is life. I spent the evening hanging around the house, eating dinner with the family, and playing with the kids.

Thursday was a good day. An old friend of mine from university, Mallory, came to visit me. Mallory was a TA in the German department while I was in undergrad and we had a shared group of friends. She is currently working on her PhD and was in Europe for a few conferences. She made a point to stop over in Nürnberg to see me on her way up to Frankfurt from Vienna. She arrived at 8am. I wasn't able to meet with her until 9:30am due to work. We met at the train station and then went out into the city. I first took her to the Nürnberger Prozesse, the location of Courtroom 600 and the Nürnberg Trials. We walked around the city, stopping to see all the sights and to eat lunch. When she was able to check into her hostel, I left for home so she could have an hour to relax and shower. We met up again and went for a drink before dinner. I took her to a cute little Italian place for dinner and then we went for another drink. She didn't want to stay out long, as she had to catch her train to Frankfurt at 7am the next day. Around 11pm she headed back to her hostel, and I went home myself. It was awesome to see her and catch up. It'd been nearly two years since I last saw her and we had a lot to talk about!

Das Fachgebiet wird noch festgelegt.

July 22/Friday I finally stopped being lazy. I only had to work an hour in the morning and then I was done for the day. HD got home from his business trip in the afternoon. I jumped in the shower as soon as HM and the kids left for work/school. I went to the hair salon to get my bangs trimmed quickly. I need my bangs trimmed about three to four times more often than I get my actual hair cut. Luckily my hair dresser does it free of charge, though I do leave her a small tip. I caught the train out to Erlangen to go to my (future) school. I had to give them the results of my Goethe Institut test and also ask them to give me a letter proving my enrollment for me to bring to the Ausländeramt (foreigners' office) to get my visa extended. It only took me five minutes to get everything taken care of once I was at the office. I was pleased with how easy and quick it was. I caught the train back to Nürnberg and ran some errands downtown. It had been awhile since I'd walked around downtown and it was nice to breathe in the familiar scents and see my favorite sights. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I spent a few hours at home relaxing before heading out again for the evening. As I was getting ready to go, HM asked me if I could watch the kids for a little bit. She wanted to leave for her dance class and HD was on a conference call. I sat with the kids for 15 minutes. Luckily HD finished up in time for me to catch my train. I met up with Leo and we went to dinner at an adorable Italian restaurant. I'd never been there before, and it was delicious. We met up with other friends after dinner and we all stayed up until the wee hours of the morning laughing and making memories.

Saturday for lunch I met up with Leo. We enjoyed a German breakfast buffet and a walk around the city before parting ways in the afternoon. I went home and napped before my evening of work. HP went to the neighbor's for T's 50th birthday party and I stayed home with the kids. It was a fairly normal evening for us. Since it was Saturday, the kids were able to stay up a little later. I put the boys to sleep and then went to sleep right away myself. I was still exhausted from Friday. HP didn't get home until between 1:30 and 2, so I wasn't able to go out anyways.

Sunday I spent the day with friends watching movies and laying around. It was a wonderful end to the weekend.

Wie hast du mich gefunden?

July 18/Monday was technically my last day at the music festival, though only to pack up and leave. We woke up at 10am and immediately began packing up. I took the time to shower so that I wouldn't stink when I got home. Packing up took considerably less time than setting up. We were on the road around noon and only made a couple of stops on the way back. Adam and Eddie chatted in the front seats, so I decided to nap away the time. We pulled up to my house at 4:15pm. HM and the kids had just gotten back from Berlin and HM was unpacking the car. I took some time to unpack my stuff and relax before I started working at 5pm. HD was still away on business, so it was up to me to help HM with the kids swim classes. As usual, I stayed with One at home while HM took Two to swim class. One I and drove to class later and HM and I switched kids. I brought Two home with me and she stayed with One for his swim class. I fed Two and got him ready for bed while we waited for HM and One to get home. I was finished working when they got back. I spent the rest of the evening organizing the rest of my things. I climbed in bed nice and early. A long weekend of minimal sleep on the lumpy ground left me beyond exhausted.

Tuesday was back to reality. I worked an hour in the morning, slept another few hours, and then got up to begin my day. I went to the grocery store to buy a cake mix. One had a party to go to that evening and HM asked me to bake a cake for it. I baked the cake and then got ready to head into town. I had lunch with Johnny at a Thai restaurant and then we walked over to the KulturGarten, where we met with Anna, Katja, and Bjorn. I hung out there for an hour. I then made my way home, jumped in the car, and drove to pick up One from school. HM had texted me in the morning saying that Two was sick at school and that she had to take him to the doctor. She came home with him in the afternoon and asked me to pick up One while she waited at home with Two. One and I got stuck in traffic for an hour on the highway on the way home. HM took the kids to One's party while I hung out at home. When the party was over, we all went over to M and T's. It was T's 50th birthday and we all had dinner together. It had been awhile since I'd seen them and it was nice to catch up. I was finished working when we all came home, and I went to bed nearly immediately after our arrival.

Wednesday was a long day at home with Two. He wasn't allowed to be at school for 24 hours after he started taking his medicine, which meant that he couldn't go back to school until Thursday. In the early morning I did some chores while Two watched tv. We went for a walk and stopped at the playground before lunch. We ate lunch together and then Two went down for his nap. During his nap, I did some random things around the house while I waited for Two to wake up. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging around the house while we waited for HM and One to get home. I was finished working as soon as they got home. I took advantage of my evening off and went out for dinner with Leo.

Thursday was a lazy day at home. I mostly just sat around at home, read, watched tv, and enjoyed a day of doing nothing. I'm going to be busy this weekend so it was nice to have a little calm before the storm. We don't have much food in the house, as HP haven't been grocery shopping in nearly two weeks. I went to the grocery store in the afternoon to buy myself some lunch, and that was the extent of my adventures outside the house for the day. HM and the kids got home later than anticipated. HM and I spent an hour cleaning the house while the kids watched tv. The cleaning lady is on vacation and so the house wasn't cleaned this week. We'll also be having some overnight guests over the weekend, so HM wanted to take the opportunity to clean before the busy weekend began. When we finished, we sat down with the kids while the floor dried. All of a sudden, a bird flew into the room. It flew from window to window, trying to get out. HM and I worked together to get it out. Two started crying and was entirely inconsolable until the bird was gone. I suppose he was just scared. HM left in the evening for her dance class. As I was getting the kids ready for bed, One said something funny to me. He said, "You're my Spiderman Mama." I asked him what he meant, and he explained that I'm always there in times of need. I suppose I'll take it as a compliment. This also wasn't the first time he referred to me as his mother. One fell asleep easily but it took awhile with Two. He's in a phase where he cries 10x more than usual when HP leave. I figure it's because he's getting older and is remembering more and more. He finally did fall asleep after much negotiation. I spent the evening doing a couple of extra chores and relaxing.

Wir meckern nicht bei kleinen Macken.

July 15/Friday was the beginning of a long, fun-filled, action-packed weekend. I was up at 4am to be out the door by 5:15. Adam and Eddie picked me up from my house. We loaded up the car and were off! The drive was just under four hours. Once we arrived, the madness began!  After we got our camp site set up, we took a much-needed nap. In the evening the fun really began. Our tent was set up on the farther corner of the farthest camping ground, which meant it was a 30 minute walk from our tent to the festival grounds/stages. I was absolutely amazed by the festival grounds. It was immediately obvious how much effort went into every single detail. The festival, called Melt!, was located in Ferropolis. According to the internet, Ferropolis is "the city of iron, which is an open museum of old huge industrial machines in Gräfenhainichen, a city between Wittenberg and Dessau, Germany. It contains machines from the mid-twentieth century." It's on a peninsula in Lake Gremmin, which is located north of Leipzig. It's hard to describe how amazing everything was staged, but there was nothing left to be desired. There was everything from lights, to well-placed disco balls, to incredibly comfortable hammocks. Anyways, I'd never seen anything quite like it. Throughout the evening, we saw performances from M83, Tame Impala, Boyz Noise, and Ben Klock. My favorite was M83. I'd never heard them before and loved their entire set. We watched the sun set over the lake, and then rise again in the morning on our walk back to the tent.

Saturday was a gorgeous, warm, sunny day. We spent four hours on the beach. The water was quite cold, but that didn't stop me from swimming. I was one of a handful of people who actually went swimming and didn't just wade around. It was an excellent decision (and actually counted as my shower for the day). As I was walking back to the tent, I stopped at the water filling station. A few people walked up at the same time as me. One of those girls dropped her glass cup in the sink, making a loud noise and causing everyone to turn to look at her. As I looked at her, her friend looked at me. We locked eyes and he said to me, "You don't look like you've showered yet!"(in German) and then whipped out his water gun and soaked me. It was the epitome of a perfect festival moment. That evening we saw Two Door Cinema Club, Peaches, Jamie xx, Maceo Plex, Andy C, Solomun, and Kollektiv Turmstrasse. Jamie xx was probably my favorite from the night, though not by much. I enjoyed them all equally. Again, we got back to the tent as the sun was rising.

Sunday was the last day of music, but perhaps the best. It rained in the morning and we spent most of the day laying around the tent, chatting, relaxing, and napping. We went for a short walk in the afternoon. On our walk we saw a couple of cool things. Some people a few rows down from us had built a volleyball court with a few things that had been laying around. They were in the middle of a rather intense game when we walked by. Someone else had constructed a little dog out of beer cans, complete with a leash, and was towing it around. There was a third set of people who had laid banana peels in the middle of the sidewalk. Anytime someone would get close to walking on them, they'd hoot and holler and heckle. People at festivals never disappoint. It was a much-needed "lazy" day after two long days of going going going. I also finally took a shower! Showers cost 2€ a pop and were communal. It was nice to wash off the grim and regain some of my dignity. That evening was by far the best. We saw Chvrches, Disclosure, Bob Moses, and Digitalism. Digitalism was my favorite from the night, possibly even from the entire weekend. Just like that, the music festival was over. We made it back to our tent around 2am and fell asleep immediately.

Eddie, myself, and Adam on Sunday

The weekend was more or less a blur of fantastic music, hanging out with two of my best friends, and wandering around the camping and festival grounds. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.