Monday/February 15 was my day of recovery. I worked an hour in the morning and then went back to sleep for another four hours. I am not one of those people who can function well on little sleep for days on end. I need roughly 7-9 hours per night to be at optimal level. This is why I often go back to sleep in the mornings for another 2-4 hours, depending on how late I got in bed. It does tend to eat up my free daytime hours, but sometimes the sleep is worth more. I stayed home all day and had a relaxing day of watching Netflix and laying in bed. I eventually showered. HM and the kids got home at their normal time. HD left Sunday night for a week-long business trip so this week was a little more work for me than normal. HM's mom is still in town, though she does not participate much in the childcare. HM left with One for his swim class and I took care of Two. We hung out and colored until it was time to get him ready for bed. HM got home with One and my duties came to an end. Ina had texted me inviting me to come out for drinks with everyone. I left almost immediately and met up with Ina, Fiona, John, Johnny, and Polski. We had a few drinks at a bar and then went to Molly Malone's to see Meg at work. I didn't want to stay out too late since I had to work early the next morning. It was nice to see everyone again and continue to bond. I made it home just after midnight.
Last week there was a rape in our neighborhood. A woman got off the train around 1:30am and was followed by two men. At some point on her walk home, they attacked her. We live on the outskirts of Nürnberg. Our neighborhood does not have a big city feel, it is definitely more of a suburb type of place. I would not expect such violence to happen around our house. The fact that someone was raped so close to my home is equally terrifying and concerning. I often walk to and from the train station when it's dark, especially now that it's winter and it gets dark so early. The woman who was raped could easily have been me. When I got home Sunday night, HM told me about this and told me that I need to be very careful when I come home so late. She said that when it's very late, it might be better if I stayed over at a friends and came home in the morning. I've already adopted this practice on weekends, but on weekdays I try to make my way home and sleep in my own bed since I have to work so early in the mornings. I suggested that I ride my bike to and from the train station when I know I'll be out late or when it's already dark when I leave. It's a seven minute walk, or about a one and a half minute bike ride. I figure the quickness of a bike is safer than walking alone. I also have a tendency to listen to music on my walk. I will no longer be doing that when it's dark. From now on, I intend to be more aware of my surroundings and be more careful when I'm alone.
Tuesday was a longer day of work for me. In the morning I had to drive to school/work with HM and the kids. HM had an appointment early that morning and needed to be at work earlier than normal. I dropped her off at work and then went to drop off the kids. On the way home, I stopped at DM to pick up a few toiletries for myself and then went to get some bread from Ebl. I came home and napped, of course. In the evening, all five of us ate dinner together. HM then left for her dance class and I was in charge of the kids for the rest of the night. The three of us played together until it was time to get them ready for bed. I brought Two into the bathroom first, as it's much easier to get each child ready for bed separately. As I was getting him undressed for his little bath, One came into the room and told me he needed to go poo. When One goes poo, someone has to read to him and then wipe his bum. I had Two down to his diaper at this point, and I had planned on leaving him in it until I finished with One on the toilet. As I began to read the book, Two started taking his diaper off. I didn't think much of it and let him do so. Two then climbed up onto the step stool in front of the sink and I continued to read. A few moments later, Two started to climb down off the stool. I looked over and noticed that Two had peed while standing on the stool. He was naked, which meant that he peed all over the stool and the floor. Life with kids, eh? Two's crib has been in One's room while Oma is here. This makes it incredibly easy to put the kids to sleep because I don't have to do everything twice. We did our nightly ritual and I put both of the kids in bed. Two fell asleep incredibly quick, though it took a little longer with One. As far as bedtimes go, this one was a walk in the park. I spent some time hanging out with Oma while I waited for HM to get home. I hung out with the two of them for a little and then retired to my bedroom for the evening.
Wednesday was busy. I worked in the morning and then went back to sleep. I had to set an alarm because I had to be up and ready by a specific time. I had a haircut at 12:30, making it my second haircut of my time here. I went back to the same place, but a different hair dresser cut my hair. She's apparently the same one who cuts HD, One, and Two's hair. I found it easier to talk to her about what I wanted than the last time I got a cut. She also complimented me on my German. I've always found small talk with a hair dresser to be a bit awkward, and it was even more awkward in German. I'm not so great at small talk in German. I just always find myself to be at a loss for words when there isn't a specific topic to talk about. The haircut lasted about 20 minutes and I was pleased with the result. I then ran some errands before I went home. At home I did some chores and relaxed. I didn't have much time, as I had to go pick up the kids from school. Neither of the cars had been left at home. I had to catch the train to Erlangen and then the bus from the train station to the kids school. The train and bus together took just under an hour. Just for reference, I can drive from my house to the kids school in about 20 minutes. Driving the car is way faster. Anyways, I had some time to waste once I was in Erlangen. I went to the bakery around the corner from the kids school and had a little snack. Technically I could have gotten the kids as soon as I got to the area. However, One gets upset when he has to leave his friends. The later I pick him up, the less friends there are left for him to play with. I took the boys to a playground in the area. HM had to get her car inspected and she wasn't able to pick it up until between 4pm and 5pm, hence why I had to get the kids. There wouldn't have been enough time for her to get the car and the kids before 4:15pm (the latest the kids can be picked up). The three of us went to the playground and waited for HM to be done. HM called just as we got to the playground and said she was on her way to get us. We played while we waited for her. Two's swim class started at 5:35pm. We didn't have enough time to get back to Nürnberg, drop One and I at home, and then HM and Two make it in time for his class. The simple solution was for One and I to come to swim class and watch. The class itself lasted about 45 minutes. It was very similar to the one I went to with HD and One back in September. The building was incredibly warm and I was sweating the whole time we were there. One's cheeks were also very red. We got home at 6:45pm and I was off for the evening. I spent 20 minutes changing clothes and grabbing some things before I headed out the door. I went into town to see Deadpool with Adam. I picked up some sandwiches on the way from the train station to the theater, as neither Adam nor I had eaten dinner. The movie itself was good and I was able to satisfy my craving for movie theater popcorn. I'm glad we went. Adam was kind enough to drive me home once it was over. I was in bed soon after getting home.
Thursday marked one week until my 24th birthday! It was yet another busy day. I worked in the morning, napped, and then finally got up around 11am. I spent 30 minutes doing chores, namely washing the windows downstairs. I finally worked up the motivation and went for a run. I've been wanting to get back into the habit of running, but something always gets in my way. Recently it's been the cold and rainy weather. Thursday I had no excuses. It was sunny and warm, and so I forced myself out the door. My run was as difficult as I'd expected, but it felt good to be back out there. Unfortunately it's supposed to rain every day for the next week, so we'll see if I'll be able to run much in the near future. I ate, showered, and finished my laundry from the day before. HM got home with the kids at her normal time. I then had the kids for the rest of the night. HM left shortly thereafter. She had to run some errands, go back to work, and then got to her dance class. Oma was home with me. I tried to let her enjoy some quality time with the kids but I also wanted to keep to our normal dinner and bedtime routines. Oma and One baked a cake together while Two and I watched. Both kids were in bed and asleep a little earlier than usual. That's what I'd call a successful night!
I don't have anything planned for the weekend yet. Hopefully something fun comes along!
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