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.