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.

Was ist passiert?!

July 11/Monday was a fun day. HD had left Sunday afternoon for a long business trip, so it's just HM and I for nearly two weeks. The usual morning shuffle took place. They were out the door a little later than usual. I spent some time picking up the house in anticipation of the cleaning lady coming later. I then rode my bike to the grocery store to pick up the makings for a picnic. I came home, showered, ate breakfast, and then caught the train into town. I met Leo at the train station and we went for a little picnic on the river. I came home in the afternoon and put the house back together. Everything is always out of whack after the cleaning lady comes and it's my job to put everything back in its place. HM and the kids got home just before 5pm. She dropped One off with me and then left with Two for their swim class. One and I hung out for an hour, and then we also left for swim class. Like last time, HM and I traded kids. I left One at the pool with her for his class and then took Two back home with me. Two and I hung out and got ready for bed while we waited for HM and One to get home. HM relieved me of my duties when they got home. I spent the evening at home, falling asleep much earlier than usual after my long day.

Tuesday morning was much shorter than usual. HM and the kids got out the door much earlier than usual, which I guess was because the kids woke up much earlier than usual. I was delighted by their early departure because it meant I could get back in bed that much quicker. I'd been sick since Friday and I've been trying to get better in anticipation of my weekend (I'm going to a music festival!). I slept another few hours. I went into town in the afternoon to run some errands. While waiting at the train station, a young man approached me. He first asked if I spoke English. When I said yes, he asked me if he was on the correct track for the train to the Hauptbahnhof. After running my errands, I went to visit Johnny at work. We chatted on the patio for awhile. I came home, relaxed a bit, and then everyone got home. HM left in the evening for her dance class, so I put the kids to bed by myself. The boys have been sleeping in One's room together. One has a bunk bed, and he sleeps on the top while Two sleeps on the bottom. It makes bedtime a lot easier. I did some chores once they were asleep, and then went to bed as soon as HM got home.

Wednesday was a rainy and cold day. It didn't start as such, which is why I left the house without an umbrella or rain jacket. I worked in the morning to get everyone out the door. They left earlier than usual. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't sleep any more. I spent the morning wandering around the house taking care of random things. At lunchtime, I met with Meg and Johnny in town. As soon as we sat down outside at the restaurant, it started pouring. We ate our lunch and tried to wait out the storm, but it didn't appear that the rain was letting up anytime soon. We didn't want to get soaked but I had to leave soon, so I asked the waitress for three garbage bags that we could use as ponchos. We then ran across town in our impromptu rain coats, gathering snickers and smiles as we ran. We may have looked like idiots, but we surely made a lot of people laugh. We were giggling the entire time. In the train station on my way back, a man stopped me to ask me to help him buy his ticket. He spoke very broken German, but eventually I figured it out for him. He was grateful. I got on the train for home and stopped to buy some fresh bread. I rode my bike back to the house. Even though I've ridden the bikes a thousand times before, Wednesday was my first crash. I scraped up and bruised my arm pretty bad, as well as bruised my leg in a few places, but I was otherwise fine. I was surprised to see HM and the kids were already home when I walked in the door. HM explained that she came home early because she felt sick. An hour after she got home, she got a call from the school that Two had thrown up three times. She picked up both kids and brought them home. I asked her if we had any disinfectant and bandaids. She made a comment about how we were all broken that day. As I was cleaning my wound, Two kept coming into the bathroom. He would walk up to me, point at my arm, look very concerned, say "ow," and then walk away. He repeated this a few times. I couldn't help but chuckle at him. I worked for a couple of hours in the evening and then had the rest of the night off.

Thursday was my last day in town before the music festival. HM stayed home with Two, so I drove One to school. I took advantage of having the car and run a few errands. I needed to pick up a few things, including food, for the weekend. I got home around 10am and immediately started packing. I've never been to an overnight/camping music festival, so the process was pretty tedious. The weather was also supposed to be finicky, which made it even more difficult to decide what to bring. There's so many little things to think of. I laid everything on the floor of my room and added to the pile as I remembered something. I was sure I'd bring too much yet still have forgotten something. First world problems! Since it was forecasted to rain at the festival, I decided to look for some rain boots. I went to a shoe store in town and didn't find anything. I came home and cooked myself lunch. I showered and then spent a couple of hours relaxing after lunch. I had to pick One up from school. We came home and hung out with Two while HM did a bunch of chores. We all had dinner together and then HM left for her dance class. I cleaned up after dinner and then got the kids ready for bed. Two was much harder to get to sleep than normal. He kept waking up and crying. Eventually I laid down on the couch with him on my chest until he fell asleep. I spent the rest of the evening packing for my trip. It was quite the process.

Befriedigend.

July 8/Friday was a long, but good day. The kids' school was closed for whatever reason, so they spent the day at home with me. We ate breakfast together and then walked to the train station. We took the train into town so we could buy their little kiddie magazines and some soft pretzels for lunch. We caught the next train home and then went over to the playground. It was another gorgeous day outside. Nearly too warm for my taste, but the right combination of sunny, cloudy, and windy to not be too warm. We didn't stay at the playground long. We went home and ate lunch, and then I put Two down for a nap. One and I hung out while we waited for HM to get home. HM arrived just on time to take One to Ballschule. I stayed home and waited for Two to wake up. I checked the mail and got some very exciting news. I took the Goethe Institut C1 German Exam back in June, as you may remember. I got the certificate in the mail stating that I passed the test!! I was overjoyed. I finished working when HM got back with One. I showered, ate, and then headed into town. I met with Simon, Mike, and Sasha. We had a few drinks before we all headed to O'Shea's. Fiona's mom and sister were in town and I had the pleasure of meeting them. One by one our friends started showing up at Finnegan's for drinks. Eventually the whole gang was there. For the rest of the night it was mostly Fiona, John, Meg, Danielle, John, Leo, and Johnny. It was Fiona's birthday celebration (her birthday was the day before) and we had a blast. We all hung around Finnegan's, the Shamrock, and then the Dubliner to celebrate. I finished my night with a walk up to the castle and then made my way home.

Saturday morning I began working at 10. The boys and I played out in the yard while HP went into town to do some shopping. It was a nice day out. It wasn't too hot or too cool, nor was it too sunny or too cloudy. When HP got home, we all ate lunch together outside. The kids went down for a nap, as did HP and I. I only slept about an hour, and then I got up and showered. I got ready and went to meet up with some friends for a relaxing night of watching movies. It was a nice change from our usual Saturday night shenanigans.

Sunday afternoon I met with Fiona, John, and Graves for lunch. It was another nice day out, though a little too warm for me. We all hung out for a little while after lunch before we parted ways. John and Graves headed back to base and Fiona and I both went home. At home, I skyped with my mom and some friends. In the evening I went to watch the Euro 2016 final with some friends. I watched the game with Fiona, Connor, and Paddy. Portugal beat France in overtime. Fiona and I then went over to Molly's to see Meg at work. We didn't stay long, just long enough to say hello and catch up.

Ich habe gar nicht gewusst, ob du wieder kommst.

July 4/Monday concluded our long weekend of celebrations. We all woke up at Fiona's, hung around for a couple of hours, and then went into town for some food. It was a late lunch. Kyle and I finally went back to my house so I could work in the evening. HM dropped One off with me and left with with Two for swim class. We watched tv while we waited for HD to get home from work and take One to swim class. One and I were sitting on the couch and he was being grumpy with me. I asked him why he was so mad at me. He mumbled back, "You were gone for so long this weekend and I didn't know if you were coming back." I felt absolutely horrible when he said that. I guess since the kids are often rather rude to me, I didn't figure they would be so upset by my unexplained absence for a few days. I tried to reassure him by saying that I would never leave for good without saying goodbye. He seemed less than amused. HD arrived home on time and the two of them left for swim class. I was finished working for the day. Kyle and I went back into town to do some more sight seeing. There's plenty of stuff to do in Nürnberg as a local, but I'd say that as a tourist, the options are rather limited, especially after business hours. We walked by the churches and up to the top of the castle. We were running out of daylight, so we made our way back into the center of town. We had done a bit of sight seeing on Saturday with Michael, and I felt confident that Kyle had seen enough of town. We met up with some of my friends and enjoyed a quiet evening of dinner and a couple of drinks. We made our way home around 11pm.

Tuesday morning I worked for a bit. HD had to leave early for a business trip, so it was just HM and I. We got the kids dressed and out the door. I also had to take Kyle to the bus station. We had to catch a train to town and then walk over to the bus station. We were a little bit early and the bus was a little late, so we had to wait awhile. The bus arrived about 15 minutes after it was meant to depart, which I should have known was a bad omen. The bus ended up getting stuck in traffic and Kyle missed his flight. He did eventually make it back to the States. Anyways, after he got on the bus, I went into town to run some errands. It was a lovely day outside and I was happy to take care of a few things that I'd been putting off. I got home around noon, collapsed into my bed, and took a much-needed nap. HM and the kids got home at their usual time and I began working. HD surprised us by coming home early from his work trip just in time for HM to leave for her dance class. I helped HD get the kids ready for bed and then was released of my duties. I enjoyed a quiet night at home.

Wednesday I had to work an hour in the morning. Everyone was (thankfully) out the door on time, so I went back to sleep for another few hours. When I finally got out of bed, I showered, ate, and went into town. I met up with Fiona and Meg and we got some lunch and hung out around town. I went home in the late afternoon to work. HM came home with the kids and I hung out with the kids while she relaxed. We all ate dinner together and then I helped her get the kids ready for bed. Once they were bathed and in pajamas, I was done for the night. I got ready and made my way into town. Portugal was playing Wales in the Euro 2016, and some of my friends were watching. I went into town and met up with John, Johnny, and Fitzy to watch the game. I didn't stay out long after the game was over, opting for an early return home instead.

Thursday was a busy working day. I worked in the morning to get everyone out the door on time. Unfortunately, as is often the case, they were a bit behind schedule. I struggled to remain upbeat. For whatever reason, the hour in the morning always drags. I suppose it's because I want to go back to sleep, and instead I am dealing with grumpy children and rushed adults. Such is life. They finally left and I took the opportunity to get another hour of sleep. I only allowed myself another hour, as I knew I had a lot to get done. I had to iron and vacuum, as well as do some laundry and yard work. The chores weren't particularly bad, just time consuming. When I finished, I went for a run and lazed around the house until everyone got home. HM and the kids got home late, just shortly before HM left for her dance class. As a matter of fact, HD beat them home. That never happens. HM left for her dance class and HD, the kids, and I had dinner together. I helped HD get the kids ready for bed and then was released of my duties. I stayed at home to watch the Germany versus France Euro 2016 game. Unfortunately, Germany lost.

Warum reden wir nicht Deutsch?

July 1/Friday was stuffed to the brim. I woke up wondering how in the world it was already July. It feels like yesterday it was June, and then suddenly July was upon us! I guess I've been having such a good time lately that time is speeding by. Anyways, I started working at 7am and wasn't finished until 2:30pm. During breakfast, One had to fill out a sheet of paper for school. One of the questions asked who was in his family, and he included me in the list. It was a perfect moment. Oma woke up experiencing some kind of allergic reaction on her face. She had large, red blots on her cheeks, around her eyes, and even going down her neck. HM took One to school, HD worked from the office upstairs, and Two and I walked Oma to the doctors office to make sure she got there without getting lost. Two and I continued on to the grocery store and then walked back home. We watched tv for a little before I started cooking lunch. Oma got home while I was cooking, and HD came downstairs when the food was done. The four of us ate lunch together. HD said he would put Two down for his nap and Oma went to sleep as well. I took the time to shower and do some chores. I had to leave at 1:45pm to pick up One from school. One and HD rode their bicycles to Ballschule. Oma waited for Two to wake up from his nap and then they walked over to meet HD and One for ice cream. I was finished working for the day. I only had about an hour until I had to leave again to pick up Kyle from the airport. Kyle is an old friend from university. He was in Europe for a month with a study abroad trip, and I told him he had to stop in Germany. He arrived at the Nürnberg airport at 5pm. I brought him home and we got him settled in. We stuck around in the early evening and had dinner with the family. HP decided to grill since it was such a nice day outside. We sat outside for nearly three hours, eating and chatting. Around 10pm, Kyle and I finally left the house. We went to Finnegan's and later the Dubliner, where we hung out with my friends. We made it home in the early hours of the morning.

Saturday is where everything began to go a bit sideways (I mean that in the best way possible). In the afternoon we hung around the house for a few hours, eating and hanging out with the family. We both showered and then headed into town. As we were walking into town, it began to downpour. We were both absolutely drenched from head to toe. I felt like I was walking around in puddles instead of shoes. Alas, the show had to go on, so we continued to the train station. I had an old friend from Alabama message me earlier in the week. He's been in Germany for training with the Army in a town about an hour outside of Nürnberg. His name is Michael. He was in my 5th grade class, which was the first year I lived in the States. We went to the same schools for 5th through 12th grade, and we were fairly good friends throughout high school. It definitely feels like a small world when something like this happens. Anyways, Michael was in town for the day and wanted to meet up. Kyle and I met up with him and Michael's friends and the six of us wandered around town for a few hours. As I was the only one who lived there and knew my way around, I was the official tour guide. It was really good to see Michael after all these years. They had to catch their train back, so we parted ways around 7pm. Kyle and I went to meet up with John (Irish/American John), John (English John), and Leo. They were also with two of John and Leo's friends, a married couple, but I don't remember their names. The seven of us went to a little beach bar along the river to watch the Germany versus Italy game of the Euro Cup. The game went all the way to a shootout, but Germany was victorious! Fiona joined us when she was off work. We all went to die rote Bar, one of our favorite bars in town. We stayed there for a bit. Johnny and Lucas both joined in the fun. We eventually left without any real idea of what was on the agenda next. We walked by Nano, an underground club, and decided to go inside. We ended up having an absolute blast. We danced for a couple of hours, only leaving once we were all completely drenched in sweat. We made our way to the Shamrock, and then to the Wacht. We all eventually ended up at Fiona's, where we crashed scattered across her couches and floor.

Sunday morning we all woke up at Fiona's. We lazed around until we decided we were hungry enough to do something about it. We went into town and had some lunch and then went over to Finnegan's to watch the France versus Iceland match (Euro 2016 still). I texted my host parents to see what my working hours would be like the next day. They said I wouldn't be working until the evening, so Kyle and I opted to stay out. The next day also happened to be the 4th of July. We decided we needed to celebrate our very American holiday in style at an Irish pub in Germany. Again, we all crashed at Fiona's that evening.

Du hast's bestanden.

June 27/Monday was a half day at Kindergarten for the boys. HP let me sleep in, as I'd have the kids most of the day anyways. HD also left for a business trip that morning. I picked up the kids from school at 12:15, and our day began. We came home and I put Two down for his nap. He slept three long hours, during which One and I watched a movie and played in his room. We had to keep the noise to a minimum so as to not wake Two. I woke up Two at 4pm, as I figured much longer and he'd not be able to get to sleep at a reasonable time that night. HM does this from time to time as well so I knew it was ok and that he wouldn't be grumpy. The three of us played together and had a snack while we waited for HM to get home. HM left immediately for swim class with Two, and I waited around with One. When it was time, Two and I also left for swim class. HM and I did a switch, I got One ready for swim class and handed him off to her, and she gave me Two, who I took home. The boys both have their swim class on the same day now, just an hour apart. It actually is a little easier than them having class on different days. When HD is here, HP go together with the kids and I don't have to work at all. Anyways, I brought Two home and we had dinner together. I got him ready for bed as well. HM and One arrived just as Two was ready for bed. HM took over and I was finished working. I left to meet up with Eddie, who was just getting back into town and came through Nürnberg. We had a quick, late dinner together before he set off for home. It was nice to see him. I opted to head home when he did.

Tuesday was a relaxing day. I worked an hour in the morning, went back to sleep for a little bit, and then got up and did some chores. I had to iron the boys clothes. This unfortunately ended up taking a staggering hour and a half! I cooked myself lunch, showered, and then went for a bike ride. Now that the weather is warm again, I really need to make time to go for bike rides along the river and for runs around the neighborhood. I guess I've just been lazy. Now that I have friends, I spend more time with them than wandering around aimlessly like I used to. At one point, I stopped along the river to read my book. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when a guy got off his bike and joined me. He started talking to me, asking where I was from and what I was doing here. I was not interested in any sense, and I just wanted to read my book. I told him at least twice that I just wanted to read my book in peace, but he kept talking to me. He eventually tried to give me his number, to which I told him that my phone was broken. I thought that would be the end of it, but no. He then proceeded to give me his address and directions to his house and told me that he'd love to get to know me better. He finally left and I took the opportunity to leave as well. I rode down to the beach and sat there reading for awhile. I went home in the early evening. Oma, HM's mom, had arrived late that afternoon and she was taking care of the boys. I spent the rest of my evening lounging around the house. Around 10pm, Two started having a coughing fit. It's not regular coughing, but this really horrible, squeaky kind that sounds like he's not getting enough air. This has happened a couple of times since I've been here, and each time he's ended up in the hospital. HP have a few things they are supposed to do to help with the coughing, and when those don't work, they have to take him to the hospital. Tuesday night was a hospital kind of night.

Wednesday was another enjoyable for me. Oma stayed home with Two all day, and I helped her as she needed it. I worked an hour in the morning, went back to sleep for a couple of hours, and then went into town to pick up my phone. It turned out that my phone was beyond repair. There was something electronically wrong with it and all I could do was exchange it for a new one. With the exchange, I got a new phone for 320€. Though it still is expensive, it's cheaper than if I bought a new one on my own. I also had no intention of buying a used phone off someone, as you never know what problems you'll be inheriting. Anyways, I picked up my new phone and ran some errands in town. I came home, got to work on getting my phone set up, and did some chores around the house. I also did some gardening outside. I showered when I was finished, and by that time HM and One got home. I talked with HM, the kids, and Oma for a bit as we all ate dinner. I got ready and headed into town. I went to Finnegan's, where I spent the rest of the evening chatting with my various friends who showed up.

Thursday was very low action. When I got up in the morning, HM told me that I could go back to sleep. She was taking One to school and Oma was staying with Two. I enjoyed being able to sleep in. I didn't do much the rest of the day. I cooked myself lunch, did a few chores, and hung around the whole day. HD got back from his business trip in the evening, and the six of us hung around the house the rest of the night.

I forgot to mention something in my last post. On Friday, Two and I were sitting in the bakery while we waited for One to be finished with his Ballschule. An old man came over to us and started talking to Two. He was asking for Two's name, and referred to me as "Mama." I didn't correct him, as it wasn't worth the trouble. This was the first time that anyone had said that to me when I was with the kids. Though I'm old enough to be their mother, it was still a little startling.

Es ist aber 320€.

June 24/Friday was an incredibly long and a somewhat stressful day. HM let me sleep in, as I had to go to Erlangen to take a test in the morning. I have been considering doing school here when I'm finished as an Au Pair. The school is three years and it's to learn to be an interpreter/translator. I applied to the school, but my admittance is dependent upon passing a German language test to see if my German is fluent enough. I had to go take the test on Friday, and it was horrible. I'll find out Wednesday if I passed, but I will be highly surprised if I did. The test was incredibly difficult. It tested on very specific grammar points, and I did not know much of the vocabulary. I'll find out Wednesday either way. After the test, I walked to HM's office to get the car keys from her. I walked to the car, drove over to the Kindergarten, and picked up the boys. As I was walking to HM's office, my phone screen went black and my phone got really hot. I figured it just needed to cool down and then it would be ok. Long story short, the phone never came back on. But more on that later. The boys and I came home and went to One's Ballschule in the neighborhood. Two and I dropped One off and then sat in a bakery while we waited for his class to be done. We all stopped for some ice cream on the way home. It was brutally hot, in the lower 90s and sunny. Germany doesn't really have air conditioning. Our house gets really, really hot as well. It's fairly miserable. Anyways, I brought the boys home and we spent an hour or so outside in the kiddie pool. We eventually came inside and played upstairs. HD called me to explain that he had been stuck in traffic and though he was originally supposed to be home around 4pm, he didn't end up getting home until about 8:30pm. HM also didn't get home until 8pm either. I got the kids ready for bed and then we waited for HP to arrive. They got home and I was finally done working. I ate dinner, showered, and then went into town. I first went over to Tony's to see Meg. When she got off work, we went to Finnegan's. It was Bob's going away party, so we all joined in on the fun. I would be lying if I didn't say that we all got absolutely plastered. I made my way home around 5am and fell into bed.

Saturday was mostly spent in bed recovering. I did make a trip to the phone store to see about getting my phone fixed. I went to a certified Apple retailer, as I have an iPhone and wanted to make sure I went somewhere where they knew what they were doing. In instances like this, as with my computer, I'd rather pay more money and know that I am getting good service, than pay less money and be worried about the quality. In the end, I was told that there was something electrically wrong with it and that it was beyond repair. My only option was to exchange it for a new one. I opted for this, though now I'm out 320€. When it rains, it pours, eh? I won't have a smart phone for the next 10-14 days. I have an old flip phone in the meantime that can only call and text. It's not the end of the world, in fact, it's kind of nice to not have a smart phone. Sometimes I do feel naked without it, but when I'm in public it just means I have more meaningful interactions with my friends. Anyways, I spent two hours on skype with my family. I skyped with my mom, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My mom and one of my brothers are up in Connecticut visiting my mom's family. If I was in the States, I'd be doing the same thing. This is certainly the time of year when I get most home sick. Fiona called me in the evening and said she was getting sent home from work because she didn't feel well and asked if I wanted to go watch a movie with her. I went over to check on her and make sure she had everything she needed, then went back home myself.

Sunday was a day of catch up. As you may have noticed, I was slacking on my blog posts. I had to catch up for the past week and a half, which is no easy task. I had lunch with the family, showered, and then skyped with a friend of mine, Emily, who is coming to visit in August. We wanted to talk about the details of our trip. I then made my way into town. I met Fiona and John at Finnegan's and we all watched the Ireland vs France game together. Ireland lost, unfortunately, but we had fun together. We then went out for a bite to eat. After dinner I made my way home and watched the Germany vs Slovakia game with the family. Germany won, so that was cool. I spent the rest of the evening lounging around at home.

Aber warum redet ihr Englisch?

June 20/Monday was a relaxed day. I worked in the morning, went back to sleep, and then lounged around the house. I only had to work about an hour in the evening. HP were both home for the first half of the week, which meant that I didn't have to work much in the evenings. I finished work around 6pm and then went into town to meet up with Simon. We got dinner and drinks, though we didn't stay out late. The place we went for dinner was called Vapiano's. It's an Italian chain restaurant in Germany. They are set up a little differently. You go to the counter, order your food, and then watch them cook it fresh on the stove in front of you. You then go and pay at the register on your way out. It's kind of like a cafeteria, but the food is more fresh. Anyways, Simon is German, though we mostly speak English (I have found that I typically speak whichever language I am introduced to someone in. Simon and I were introduced in English, so we speak English mostly). We were speaking English to each other but German to the cook. He ended up asking us why we spoke English to one another when we could both speak German fluently. When I explained that I was American, he just kind of laughed. We both went home around 10pm.

Tuesday was another day of little work. I worked an hour in the morning and then I was done for the day. I lounged around the house all day. In the evening I went to meet up with Johnny. We went to see Fiona at work and then met up with John later. I didn't stay out too late and was in bed by 11:30.

Wednesday was the third and last day of the week with little work, though it was far from boring. I worked in the morning, went back to sleep for a little, and then got ready for the evening. I worked about an hour so HM could go run an errand, but then I was done. I headed into town around 7pm and met up with Fiona, Meg, Johnny, John, and John (yes two John's and a Johnny). We went for our "family" dinner at a traditional German restaurant. We all then went to Finnegan's to watch the Ireland vs Italy game. In a turn of events, Ireland won the game, meaning they are advancing in the tournament. The atmosphere in the bar was electric. The rest of them went out celebrating but I had to head home, as I had a long day of work on Thursday.

Fiona, me, John, Meg, Johnny, and John.

Thursday morning I drove with HM and the kids to school and work. HD had left for a business trip early that morning, and wouldn't arrive home until Friday night. Two had a doctors appointment at 8, so we were out of the house at 7:30 (a record for us). I stayed with One in the waiting room while HM went back with Two. We dropped the kids off at school, I dropped HM off at work, and then I drove the car home. I slept a little more (I sleep quite a lot, as you may have noticed), and then lounged around the house. I didn't have quite enough time to go into town, nor did I have any money to spend. I drove back to the Kindergarten in the afternoon to pick up the kids, and then we went over and got HM. We all came home and hung around the house together. HM eventually left for dance class, so it was the kids and I for the rest of the evening. I put them down to sleep and spent some time doing chores. I went to bed nearly as soon as HM got home, as I had a big test the next morning and wanted to be sure I was fully rested.

Drei Farben! Die sind drei Farben!

June 17/Friday was another long day of work. I was up and working at 7:45. I got HP and One out the door, and Two stayed with me all day. He's back to his usual self, but he's not allowed back at school until Monday. The day was usual for us. I wanted to go out and walk around, but is basically rained all morning and into the afternoon. The weather here has been crap recently, it's been in the upper 60s and rainy for the entire week. There have been brief breaks in the cloud, but they have been few and far between. Two has taken to screaming "Rah rah!" at me when I'm in another room. He's known my name for awhile, or at least he says it when we prompt him, but it wasn't until this week that he would go looking for me around the house while saying my name. It's adorable. I opted to stay awake while he napped. I ate my lunch, watched Netflix, and did some chores. HM and One got home at 4pm. I was officially relieved of my duties. The nine hours I worked put me at a total of 35 working hours for the week (over three days), which is five hours over what I am permitted to work each week. Considering that I basically had Wednesday and Thursday off work, I can't complain too much. I drove to the grocery store to buy myself some food for Saturday morning and pick up a few things for HM. I then went into town and met Johnny for dinner. We got some pizza at a tasty little place downtown. He had to work at 7, so I headed home shortly after dinner. I spent the evening watching the Turkey vs Spain match with the family before I turned in early. I had to be up at 6am to get to my German test, so I wanted to be well rested.

Saturday was action packed. I drove to Erlangen in the morning for my big German test. It lasted from about 8:30am to 3pm with some breaks thrown in. I have to wait four weeks to see if I passed, but I have a general good feeling (keep your fingers crossed for me!!).  I was mentally exhausted by the time I left. I drove home, took a short nap, and then got ready for the music festival. I went to a techno music festival by the name of Burning Beach with Fiona, Johnny, and John. It was near a town called Pleinfeld on a lake called Brombachsee, about 40 minute away from Nürnberg. It was a relatively small festival, only about 5,000 people. The headliner for the night was Dominik Eulberg. We had an absolute blast. The music was fantastic and we couldn't have had more fun. As usual, we made friends with people around us on the dance floor and enjoyed the fact that we were on the lake. As the name implied, there were a lot of fire shows. There were ignited hula hoops, a machine that spit fire to the beat of the music, and a few other cool things. It was awesome. We stayed until just about the end, which happened to be about 5am.

Sunday was fun. I met up with Fiona, Johnny, and Anna in town and we bummed all day together. It was a fairly relaxed day with friends, which is exactly what I needed after my long day Saturday.

Aber dein Deutsch ist verdammt gut.

June 13/Monday was a long long long day. I knew it was going to be, but that didn't make it feel any shorter. I got to sleep in an hour later than usual, but that was only because HM didn't want me to be working ALL day (even tough I did). I started working at 7:45. I helped get HM and One out the door, but Two stayed home with me. He was sick on Sunday and HM told me that evening that I'd be staying home with him on Monday. It was raining most of the day, so Two and I lounged around the house for the better part of the day. I put him down for his nap earlier than usual, as he hadn't slept well the night before and was visibly very tired. I decided to nap while he napped. He still sleeps in a crib, but there's a day bed in his room for when guests come to town. I napped on the bed while he napped in his crib. He hasn't been sleeping well because he's in pain. He woke up a few times during his nap. I had to bring him over to the bed and he slept on my chest. I rolled over and tried to have him lay next to me instead of on me, but he climbed back up on me. At one point, his head was on my shoulder and his body was wrapped across my neck. I'm not sure how he found that comfortable. I woke up before he did, put him back in his crib, and then used the alone time to shower. He woke up shortly after I finished showering and we hung out until HM and One got home. I had an hour and a half break while HM watched the kids. I took the time to be alone in my room and recharge. Being alone with a sick kid all day is stressful. I left with One at 5:45 for swim class. HM wanted to stay home with Two and I went to swim class. It was the first time I'd gone to class and participated. I'd been twice before, but just watched so I knew how everything worked in the case that I'd have to go with the kids myself one day. The class had about 10 kids. All the other kids were with their parents. I was the only one who wasn't a parent. One did a really good time at telling me how everything worked, from where I put the towel to how much support I was supposed to give him in the water. He did get a bit rude with me at some points and my patience wore thin. I had to threaten him with leaving for him to be polite and nice to me. A dad heard me speaking English with him (and heard me telling him we would leave) and came over to me and started talking to me in English. It was cute. I could tell he was trying to make me more comfortable in the whole situation. He even said that he sometimes has to tell his kid they'll leave for her to start behaving well. I appreciated his gesture. When class was over, we went into the shower room to shower off from class. All of the kids were nude (obviously), and the moms all de-robed as well. Being American and consequently body-shy, I felt a little uncomfortable. I wasn't uncomfortable seeing their naked body, I was uncomfortable with them seeing mine. It's just a silly American thing I suppose. One and I showered, got dressed, and then headed home. It was a successful swim class. I was done working as soon as I got home. My 10 hour work day had finally come to an end! I was tired, but I decided to go into town and see my friends, as it was only 8pm. I met Fiona and Fitzy at Finnegan's as Johnny was working. We stayed there for a drink and then continued on to O'Shea's. I made my way home around midnight. Everyone else stayed out much later, but I knew I needed to get my sleep for the next day.

Tuesday was another long day. I was up and started working at 7:45. HM left with One for work/school and I was left to take care of Two again. We spent the morning reading books and playing. HM called and made a doctors appointment for Two late Tuesday morning. Two and I drove to his doctors office, where we met HM. The doctor confirmed that Two has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. This is the second or third time he's had it since I've been here, and One has had it as well. Two and I drove back home and HM went back to work. We had lunch and then I put Two down for a nap. I napped again while he did. He didn't sleep on me like he did the day before. He did wake up a few times and I had to get him back to sleep. I woke up before Two did and had enough time to shower before he woke up. When he finally woke up, the two of us went on a walk to the bakery down the road. HM and One got home shortly after we did and I had a short break from my duties. I stayed downstairs and hung out with them anyways. HM had to leave again at 7 for a goodbye party for her colleague. I suppose the big bosses were also going to be at the party, so she really needed/wanted to attend. The boys and I played a little longer before it was time for bed. Putting them to sleep was easier than I expected. Well, that's partly true. As I have previously mentioned, One no longer naps during the day. This is good because he falls asleep at night much faster. This is bad because he is very irritable by the end of the day. One was incredibly short tempered with me while he was getting ready for bed, but he fell asleep quickly and without protest. I was also surprised how quickly Two fell asleep. When he takes longer naps during the day, he tends to take longer to fall asleep at night. HP also often have issues getting him to fall asleep. I hardly ever have issues getting him to fall asleep at night. I'm not sure why this is. Anyways, they both fell asleep quickly and I had the night to myself. I did a variety of chores and activities while I waited for HM to get home. I ended up going to sleep before she got home, bringing my 14 hour work day to a close.

Wednesday was mostly a free day. HM felt bad that I had worked nearly 25 of my 30 weekly hours in two days, so she stayed home with Two all day. I did have to be up early to drive One to school, but that was the extent of my work for the day. I spent the morning studying for my exam on Saturday. I showered and headed into the city, where I met with Fiona and Meg. We ran some errands together and then went to see Johnny who was working at Finnegan's. Fiona eventually left for work and Meg went home to sleep. I ended up staying out with Johnny. When he was off work, him and I went to see Fiona at work and have some dinner. Liverpool John joined us later on, as did Adam, though neither of them stayed out very long. We went around to a number of bars and saw a number of other friends, like Fitzy, Paddy, and Frank. I arrived home around 1:30am.

Thursday was also mostly free. I worked half an hour in the morning to get HM and the kids out the door. HM dropped One off at school, then picked up HD from the airport. HD came home with Two and stayed with him all day. I went back to sleep, as I was exhausted from the night before. At lunchtime I got up, showered, ate lunch, and then went into town. I met Fiona and a few other friends and we watched the England vs Wales game together. The UEFA European Championship is currently taking place and there are games every day at this stage in the competition. I went home for dinner and to study for a couple of hours. HP, the kids, and I ate dinner together for the first time in at least a week. It was nice. I definitely feel like we are some kind of family (I mean they definitely are a family, but I do feel like I fit into it somehow, someway). I spent some time studying after dinner before I headed back into town. I met with some friends (Fitzy, Conor, Kat, Paul, Frank, etc) to watch the German vs Poland game. After the game, I met Johnny at Finnegan's and we went to the Shamrock for a drink. I only stayed for one drink and then I went home.

Wir beißen nicht!

June 10/Friday was a fairly standard Friday. I worked an hour in the morning, got back in bed, and watched a movie. I raced into town to buy a new pair of tights, then raced back home to make myself some lunch, shower, and head out to pick up One from school. We came home, grabbed his bag, and the rode our bikes over to his class. It was a nice day outside, sunny though a little chilly. While One was in class, I went to a little bakery across the street to read and enjoy a treat. I lost track of time and was the last one to pick up their kid. I was probably five minutes late, though it was enough for One to be the last one in the changing room. When I walked in, One looked at me and said, "You're not the first one, Farrah, you're the last one." He wasn't mad at me, just was pointing out my lateness. I apologized to his teacher and got us out of there as soon as possible. We went to the ice cream shop on the way home, and then rode our bikes back to the house. We stayed outside in the yard playing soccer for about an hour. HM called me to let me know that her, HD, and Two were stuck in traffic and would be a little while. They finally got home at 6:30pm and I was immediately done working. I basically ran out the door to catch my train. John was leaving that evening for vacation for a few weeks and I wanted to see him before he left. I met him and a few others at Finnegan's and we sat together outside for a few drinks. The time came for him to leave, so I went down to O'Shea's to chat with Fiona. I then went over to Molly's to see Meg and pick up something from her. I hadn't intended on staying out late, as I had to work the next morning, but that didn't happen. Tony's (Meg's boss and owner of Molly's) daughter was in town. She's been around a few times before and therefore is friends with Meg. She was sitting at Molly's, so I joined her for a drink and we both chatted with Meg as she worked. We decided to go out for a couple drinks when Meg was finished. Two other acquaintances, Sean and Liam, also joined the three of us. We all went to the Dubliner, where Johnny, Fiona, and a number of other friends eventually joined us.

Saturday morning I was alone with the kids for a few hours. HM drove down to Munich and HD went out on a bike ride, so it was just the kids and I. We played in the house for a little bit before One decided he wanted to go to the park. The three of us walked over to the little park just around the corner. I was surprised to see that we were the only ones there, but we stayed for about an hour. I brought the kids home and started making lunch. HM had cooked the main part of our lunch, I just had to cook the side dish and then we could eat. HD came home as I was starting on lunch. We all ate together after he was showered. HD put Two to sleep and I was done working. I took a quick nap, showered, and made my way out to Ansbach. The German public transportation system is an interesting one. It differs slightly from city to city, but on average, you don't have to prove you have a ticket before you get on the various methods of transportation. Therefore, people often "schwarzfahren," or ride without a valid ticket. They do randomly check for tickets. I've discovered that they more frequently check tickets in the warmer months than in the colder ones. People dressed in regular clothes will walk up to you on the tram/bus/underground/train and show you their badge. At this time, you must produce your valid ticket. The fine for not having a valid ticket is double the price of the regular ticket, but with a minimum of 60€. So even if your normal ticket is 4€, you're going to pay 60€. However, if your normal ticket is 60€, you'll pay 120€. If you're caught riding without a ticket three times, you get slapped with a hefty fine and must participate in community service. Anyways, I was on the train out to Ansbach. I was minding my own business when the train people walked down the aisle, checking everyone's tickets. I pulled out my ticket and showed it to them when it was my turn. The guy looked at my ticket, made a move to walk away to the next person, then came back to me. He told me that I had stamped my ticket improperly (some tickets have to be validated with date/time/station as to not use them multiple times), and that my two options were to get off the train at the next stop or to pay 60€. We were pulling up to the next station as he said this, so I jumped up, grabbed all my belongings, and ran off the train. We were in the middle of nowhere. The train stop didn't even have a train station. It was just two platforms along the tracks with two ticket machines. No parking lot either. I was livid. I had the correct ticket and had validated it. I just hadn't stamped it exactly as I was supposed to. That particular man had even checked my tickets before, and never said anything. I've actually been checked at least 20 times on that exact train before, and no one has ever said anything to me about not properly stamping my ticket. Luckily the next train came 25 minutes later and I didn't have to wait too long. Eddie and Basti met me at the train station and we went and met Patrizia at a little cafe down the road. We had a drink and then we all went to base. Adam was the lead in a play and he wanted us to come watch it. After the play, we all headed out to Eddie's for the night. We had a chill night in.

Sunday morning I went back on base with Adam. I bought myself some Honey Nut Cheerios and peanut butter and we went for lunch. Adam dropped me off at the train station and I headed back to Nürnberg. I ended up falling asleep on the train. A girl about my age woke me up when the train got to Nürnberg. It was the last stop and the train was turning back around to go to Ansbach. Had she not woken me up, I could have been riding the train to and from Ansbach for awhile. I thanked her and went on my merry way. I came home just as HP and the kids were getting home and everyone was going down for a nap. I followed suit and slept as well. In the evening I headed into town to meet Fiona, Johnny, and English John (there are lots of John's.. Irish/American John, English John, Scottish John, Johnny, etc), so we have to differentiate somehow. The four of us went back to Fiona's. We agreed to help her build her wardrobe in exchange for her cooking us dinner. A couple other friends showed up through the course of the evening and we all had fun. I didn't stay out late, as I knew I'd be working all day Monday and didn't want to be exhausted.

This weekend was good! It was a lot busier than I anticipated, but I had fun. I still can't believe it's the middle of June already. Where does the time go!?

Und du bist, so wie du bist.

June 5/Monday I woke up feeling mostly refreshed. I got some much-needed sleep, thank goodness. I worked an hour, showered, and then went to class. When I walking onto the train, a young man stopped me and asked me about my train ticket. He was wanting to ride along with me. This is not uncommon here, as there are several group tickets, which are naturally cheaper. A group of strangers will often purchase a group ticket together to save money. Anyways, I couldn't help him, and continued on my way. This week was my last week of German class, something I am fairly excited about. I'm excited to have a break from it. Even though the classes gave me a reason to leave the house, I don't really need that reason anymore. I have friends who I see in the city often. The weather is warm again, which means I can go for bike rides and do other outdoor activities. I've kind of lost my interest in the classes, so it's good timing. Anyways, class was the same as always. I came back to Nürnberg afterwards, ran some errands, and then went home and took a nap. HP and the kids got back about half an hour after I woke up from my nap. HD and One left for swim class. HM did some yard work outside while Two and I played. Two and I were walking down the street when someone stopped me and asked me for directions. I had no idea what they were looking for, but I laughed to myself that I'm even getting asked for directions on an empty suburban street. HM, Two and I had dinner together, and HD and One got home shortly thereafter. I got the kids ready for bed and then I was relieved of my duties. I spent the evening at home.

Tuesday I originally intended on going to Erlangen to care of some business, but I got lazy. I worked an hour in the morning, took a nap, and then finally got out of bed. I did some chores around the house, showered, and ate lunch. I watched some Netflix while I waited for my laundry to be done. I eventually left to run some errands in town. One of my errands included going to an internet cafe to print some things. I ran into an Irish acquaintance of mine, Charlie, at the cafe. We had a nice little chat while we both finished our printing. I got home in the late afternoon with enough time to finish my chores before everyone got home. We all had dinner together and then HM left for her dance class. HD and I put the kids to bed. I spent the rest of the evening at home. Since my German exam is quickly approaching, I'm spending more time at home studying for the exam (and ergo saving money..which was also intended).

Wednesday was my last day of German class!! I worked in the morning and then headed out to Erlangen for my last class. Class was about the same as usual: mostly boring and mildly interesting. I ran some errands in Erlangen and then went back to Nürnberg. I picked up some lunch, walked over to Finnegan's, and ate lunch with Johnny (who was working). I couldn't stay out long, as I had to head home and get started on the endless pile of children's clothing to iron. Ironing is one of my duties, but I usually only iron the kids' clothing. A piece of my soul dies every time I have to iron Two's onesies. I just can't understand ironing children's' undergarments, but I don't protest. HM dropped One off with me and then left with Two for swim class. HD got home shortly thereafter. One and I played soccer outside for awhile. HM and Two got home and the five of us had dinner together. I was finished working after dinner. Yet again, I spent the evening at home. I went downstairs to watch tv with HP. The news was on. I tried my hardest to concentrate and be informed, yet I fell asleep 15 minutes into the program. Whoops. 

Thursday turned out to be a good day. I worked in the morning, showered, and headed to Erlangen to run some errands. I spent some time at the shopping mall there as well. I desperately needed new jeans, as all of mine now have holes in them. Luckily I found a pair I deemed suitable. I went back to Nürnberg and met with Johnny and Fiona for lunch. It was a sunny (though a little chilly) day and we enjoyed lunch outside in the sunshine. I went home a little early so I could do some chores before everyone got home. HM and the kids didn't show up until nearly an hour after their normal time. I took the extra time to relax before I had to work. HM left after dinner for her dance class, and HD was away for the day on business, so I put the kids to bed by myself. I watched tv with HM for a bit before I went to bed myself. 

Oh man, bist du dick geworden!

June 3/Friday turned out to be a longer work day than I anticipated. In the morning I had to go with HM and the kids to drop them off at school/work. I came home, watched Netflix, took a nap, and then got ready for the day. I picked One up from school to take him to his Ballschule. While he was in class, I went to a cafe down the street to have a snack and read. We stopped for some ice cream on the way home. One knows my favorite (one scoop of chocolate in a cone), and now orders for me without me having to say anything. Kids really are sponges. We went home and waited for everyone else to show up. HP and Two got back around 5. HD had to take a conference call and HM left for her dance class, so it was me and the kids for awhile. HD eventually finished his call and then went outside to do some yard work. I got dinner ready and the four of us ate together. I helped HD get the kids ready for bed and then put One to sleep while HD put Two down. I finally finished working at 8:30 (I was originally supposed to be done at 6), showered, and then went in town to see my friends. I went to Molly's to see Meg, and I ran into Paul and Frank sitting at the bar. I joined them while I waited for John to get to town. John arrived at Molly's, with Lucas following shortly thereafter. We had a couple of drinks there while we waited for Meg to get off work. We all headed into town (Molly's isn't in downtown Nürnberg, but rather in the Südstadt (south part of the city), or a 10 minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof). Anyways, we all headed into town. I collected Johnny from Finnegan's and we all spent the rest of the night at the Shamrock, where a number of our other friends already were.

Saturday morning I started working at 10am. HP went to the grocery store and I took the kids to the park. It was a gorgeous day outside, in the upper 60s and sunny. We stayed at the park for a good hour and a half. One made friends with some other boys his age and Two and I walked around and played together. By the time we got back to the house, HM was cooking lunch and HD was mowing the grass. Now that the pollen is in full swing here, my allergies have started acting up. The hour and a half outside was enough to make me look like death. My eyes were red and itchy, I couldn't stop sneezing, and there was no hope to breathe out of my nose. HD looked alarmed when he saw the state of me. I'm sure I was frightening to look at. After lunch, I was relieved of my duties. I took the opportunity to take a nap, and I accidentally slept longer than planned. I got ready and headed to Johnny's with John. We hung out there for awhile before we headed into town. John and Johnny went to a bar and I went to collect Meg from work. Meg and I met the boys at the bar, and then Fiona joined us later. It was nice to have "the family" together. All of us are essentially here alone, or without blood family, so we've become a family ourselves. They're my home away from home. It's so hard to get us all in the same place at the same time because of our crazy working hours. We were all very happy to be there with each other.  We bar hopped the rest of the night and had an absolute blast.

Sunday was the laziest day I've had in a long time. I essentially did nothing all day, just laid in bed and relaxed. It was much needed.

Unter jedem Stein eine Geschichte.

May 31/Tuesday was back to business as usual. I was up early to work. I got everyone out the door on time and went back to sleep for an hour. I got up at 9, showered, and went into town to meet Meg. I had to help her run some errands (she doesn't speak German). Whenever she has something she needs to do, she asks me to come along with her. We met up with Fiona, and the three of us wandered around town getting things done. I went home in the late afternoon to do a few things around the house. HM and the kids arrived at home at their usual time. I watched the kids and got dinner ready while HM did some yard work (HD left the previous day for a business trip). HM left shortly after dinner for her dance class and I was left with the kids. They were both in good moods and putting them to sleep was easier than usual. One doesn't take naps at school anymore, which is both good and bad. Bad, because by the end of the day he is often over-tired and very difficult. Good, because he falls asleep at night much quicker. The kids were asleep by their usual time. HM didn't get home until about an hour later, and I took the time to do a couple of chores around the house and to organize my room some more. I still had a few odds and ends that hadn't been unpacked yet. I went to bed as soon as HM was back. I was still exhausted from my trip and knew Wednesday would be another long day.

Wednesday was my first German class in two and a half weeks. Class was back in session on Monday, but I wasn't back from Budapest yet. I worked in the morning to get HD and One out the door earlier than usual. One had his yearly check up with the doctor because he turned five in April. HM and Two took their time, but eventually left. I jumped in the shower, ate, and then left for my German class. It was fairly boring and I nearly fell asleep a couple of times. After class I went back to town. I needed to buy a few necessities and I just walked around town for awhile. Whenever I go out of town, I like to spend a day in the city when I get back. I met up with Johnny for a bit and we did some shopping together. I worked as usual in the evening. HM and Two went to swim class and it was just One and I for awhile until HD got home from work. I was off work around my normal time and went into town for a girls night with Meg, Fiona, and Ina. We watched cheesy movies and ate junk food. It was nice to have a quiet night in with my friends. On my way home, three different people in a span of 10 minutes approached me to ask me questions about the train (it was delayed and changed to a different track). It appears that I'll forever be approached by strangers at a higher than normal rate.

Thursday was a busy work day for me. It was HP's 10th wedding anniversary. I worked an hour in the morning, showered, and left for Erlangen. I had to take care of some business there, but was back in Nürnberg by the late morning. I had yet more errands to run in town, and I was able to get them all done. I went home and had a short nap. HP and the kids all got home around the usual time. HP changed clothes and left shortly thereafter to celebrate their anniversary. I was alone with the kids all night. We ate dinner, played, and I put them to sleep. Two was rather difficult to get down. He cried a lot, and I ended up having to hold him until he fell asleep in my arms. I spent the next two hours doing chores around the house. HP got home earlier than I expected, though I still didn't finish working until 11pm. A number of my friends were going out that night and wanted me to join, but I couldn't be bothered to leave the house so late. I went to bed early in preparation for my long day Friday.