a visit on a whim....

June 9, 2009

Today was my first day off this week and I really needed it. I just slept a little(until about 9) and then took my time really getting ready for the day. I decided I'd head in to Frieburg, because I really did not want to stay at home all day...
I was pretty depressed today, and that's really not so great. :( All I could thing was, "I really want to go home!!" I walked around Freiburg for a total of about 10 minutes before I decided that is NOT what I wanted to do today, or needed to do. I needed SOMETHING to make me happy today, and buying something is not what I needed(I mean, especially ok if I come home I don't need to buy a ton of things and not have room for it! but of course, I don't know yet if i"m coming home) that, and every time I walk around freiburg alone I buy food-a bretzel here, a ice cream there-k not good!

So, I pulled out my cell phone, sent a few texts, waited for a reply and climbed on the train(of course I bought a super great ticket for 19 euro first!)
After about 3.5 hours of riding the train I ended in Neckarsulm to a super happy sight of Heike, Julia, and Lisi all waiting for me! :) I climbed on the back of Lisi's scooter, and we took off(heike was on Julia's scooter!) one turn down a certain road and I knew exactly where we were going---to Bob's!!!
I just hung out in Neckarsulm with my girls for about 3 hours and then Lisi and Lonne took Heike and I back to the train station on their scooters(Julia had to go home lol so Lonne did the honors on her brand new scooter!)

After a REALLY long train ride and the super awkwardness of this creepy old guy sitting across from me(like, there's two benches facing each other and he sat facing me) even though there were about 4 benches free in my part of the train--so I got up and moved at one stop, I finally made it back to Heitersheim at MIDNIGHT! I grabbed my bike and headed home and realized, I really can not ride my bike well when I'm tired my muscles get so tired really fast!!

So, about 8 hours train ride thinking a lot, and 3 hours visiting with my girls in Neckarsulm it was a pretty good day!! I was pretty hyper on the trip home, and I am very glad to report that Lonne had the great Idea of coming to Frieburg and going partying with me to help me make friends(I mean, can you really make friends alone and not able to speak german that great?!?!)
now..... if only I had a book to read or something.....

Pictures: Either Julia or Lisi(whoever had my camera at this point) got a super great picture of Heike and I talking... LOL
****Subway tastes pretty good at 10:00 at night when you realize you haven't eaten anything all day and you're waiting for 30 minutes in the train station....
******Julia, Bob, and Lisi with the waterpipe--and if you look carefully Lonne is reflected in the mirror!! :) I love these girls, with or without the water pipe!!!

Lotti Karotti....

June 8, 2009

I don't know what it is about Stefan being home and Ulli being gone, but the boys seem to sleep later!! They slept until 7:30 this morning and then we had to hurry and get them ready so that Stefan could get Finn to his Aergo Therapy on time!!! I once again had the morning off, and found myself enjoying a few extra minutes of sleep after Stefan left with the boys for the morning.
I updated my blog and then just played around on the computer a little bit till Stefan got home and told me I could just enjoy some more time because he didn't need my help with lunch.... I watched The Secret Life of the American Teenager and then he came up and told me he was going to get Finn and Ole.
During Mittagspause I decided I would try to play a game with Finn or something(and I really didn't want to be alone) So I went to ask him if I could play with and he told me no. :( I went back to my room and about ten minutes later he came and knocked on my door and said... "ok, maybe you can play" so I went in and we did a puzzle and then he pulled out this came called Lotti Karotti.... basically you have 4 rabbits, and you have to try and not fall in a hole and make it to the carrot before you win---the only thing is the hole moves places and you draw a card to tell you how many times you can move, and if you fall in a hole , or the other player lands on the same place you are you die and if you die 4 times you loose. haha. It was quite intense(not really) but at least i got to play with him! He can be super cute when he wants to be!!!
After mittagspause Finn went to go play with Moritz and Stefan went to go do his taxes. Ole and I hung out in his room for a while and soon Stefan came to tell us he was going shopping for dinner and would pick up Finn.... ok no problem! Ole and i kept playing and reading books and the next thing I knew Ulli was walking into his room! She had just got home from Frankfurt.
We got dinner ready(aside from the bread because stefan was buying that) and then when Stefan got home with Finn we ate and I had the rest of the day off so Ulli and Stefan could spend some time together with the boys.
That was nice....
I rode my bike down to REWE and bought an apple and a drinkable yogurt(oh, this was about an hour after dinner, and I didn't eat much at dinner.) I don't know why but I have REALLY loved eating apples the last month and a half!! I rode my bike around for about an hour just exploring Heitersheim(and avoiding riding past the Döner shop which is pretty hard because it's in downtown Heitersheim) and then I went home for a little bit. I got home, and realized I forgot my key--and this is a major problem with German house doors because they do not open without a key!! SOoooo... I had to feel stupid and ring the bell and Stefan let me in and laughed at me for forgetting my key. I came in and checked my mail a little and then I went out to meet with another Au Pair in Heitersheim.
I talked to my mom last night about the possibility of coming home and she told me to talk to as many people as I could about it before I decided-of course I was going to do this anyway but still.... So Ashley said we could hang out a little and we met down at the river by REWE.

We just sat and talked for a little and she told me how she will only be in Heitersheim a few more weeks and then won't be working as an Au Pair anymore and is moving back to canada... ok cool.....I hope the au pair from London coming to another family in the area is cool because I really need friends!! haha....

So it was nice to talk to her and then I headed home(walking of course) and was super board so I took some really random and great pictures and then attempted to sleep... I don't know what my problem is why i'm not sleeping!!!!!!!

Picture: Finn and I before playing Lotti Karotti....

Elaine the Momma hen....

July 7, 2009

STUPID TRASH COLLECTION!!! The stupid truck came to pick things up at 6am!!! I mean, couldn't they have waited till at least 7? My window was open cuz my room was really hot last night and so I could hear them really well right outside my window!! However, can I just say I quite enjoy mornings off with no kids?! I mean, at least right now. It's pretty hard because I kinda just don't want to be here.... uhh... yeah.
So this morning Finn was in Kindergarten and Ole was at his playgroup. Ulli was still at training in Frankfurt, and Stefan was getting some work down out in the basement. I slept in a little(of course I woke up and helped get the boys ready cuz yesterday I felt guilty not helping-Stefan told me I really didn't have to cuz I was off but I felt like I did) and then I got ready for the day. Yeah, I actually took time to do my makeup and my hair and everything! it's great!!
As Soon as I was ready I dashed out of the house! It's really no fun to be here with Mandush here! she's so awkward!!
I just kinda rode my bike around a little bit for about 2 hours and then I headed back home to help with lunch.
Stefan said there wasn't a whole lot to help with because we at "hotdogs" and they just needed to boil a little. Yes, by the way I did say HOT DOGS, as In "american" haha. It was American weekend at ALDI(supermarket) and so he bought some hotdogs and some buns and pickles and roasted onions and that's what we ate. They really did not taste very good at all and made me just a little more homesick--I mean, fourth of july I should at least get GOOD american hotdogs right? but it's the thought that counted! Oh, and the pickles were sweet and not dill so that wasn't so great either. But i do appreciate him attempting to make me feel a little more like home.

I was really hoping I could talk to my mom, but she had to go to work and I had to work so that didn't work. haha. I hate the stupid 8 hour time difference!!!!
After Mittagspause Finn wanted to know if Moritz could come over. So stefan called but Moritz was with his grandpa so instead Elaine came over.
She's such a cute girl! and she really looks out for Ole(finn too, but mostly Ole) We all call her the "momma hen" and I had to sit down and have a little talk with her about Ole being able to do things for himself. She was really making him mad trying to carry him everywhere and only let him go down the slide with her and stuff. he really likes doing things alone so he wasn't too happy with her. haha. She said ok and was alright the rest of the time, but still not great.

Stefan mowed the lawn and trimmed the bushes while I played with the kids and right as he finished and we got elaine home it started to down pour!! so we hung out in the house with the kids for about an hour and a half and then went to the store for bread. Can I just say, it's pretty annoying always having to buy bread every day!!!
We ate dinner and then put the boys to sleep--of course, Finn still doesn't want me to help him get ready for bed!

Pictures: The trash collection outside my window....
Elaine in part of her "ole can't do anything" including, he had to sit on her lap so he could play with the Car on the table....
me, Finn, and Ole right before dinner. haha awkward picture but we were laying on the floor.... haha.

Photogenic boy....

July 6, 2009
Ok, so Things are going pretty tough right now. I am extremely homesick, and am not gonna lie I REALLY want to come home!!
Ulli left for Frankfurt this morning and will be gone until Wednesday. I had the morning off today, and I slept. It was so great!! I don't know why but I have been sooo tired lately--ok, I do know why. I haven't been sleeping so good at night and so in the morning i'm exhausted!! After I woke up(about 8:30) I just kinda hung out in my room a little until I went down to go shopping for lunch. I got down stairs and Stefan had just got home with stuff to make lunch--ok, I didn't have to think what to make! lol! I asked where Ole was(i didn't think anyone had been home all day because I hadn't heard anything and Ole wasn't suppose to be anywhere cuz his playgroup is tues-thurs) Apparently, Stefan's parents wanted to take him so Stefan enjoyed the morning off too!! We made lunch together and then he went to pick up Ole and Finn.

During Mittagspause Stefan took Finn to go see Ice Age 3(in 3-D) So it was just Ole and me for a few hours. Can I just say I absolutly love when he first wakes up from his nap?! He's always so cuddly it's so cute! :) Anyways, I got him ready and decided we'd go for a bike ride. We rode to REWE and bought some Streuselkuchen and then sat by the river for a little bit. Then I realized that he had a dirty dipper so we headed back home. Ok, I really hate being stuck in the house so then we went for a walk and ended at the train station. Ulli said he loved to ride the train so I decided we'd see... yup! :) We just rode it to a random station and got off. Then we walked around a bit and waited for the train back to Heitersheim.

Ole is so funny! I pulled out my camera and he just started making faces at me! He is such a teas but I love it!! however, it really didn't help with my homesickness!!!
We finally got back to Heitersheim and Stefan was back with Finn. We all loaded in the car and headed to the store for a few minutes to buy bread and apples and then we went home and ate. I layed Ole down for bed, and Stefan put Finn to bed. He's so cute with his son!!! I mean, he climbed up on Finns bed next to him and read him a story. then just cuddled with him for a while before leaving the room(I wasn't watching that would be awkward---but I could hear him)

The boys are so cute! and Stefan and Ulli are great, but I really really want to go home. :(

Pictures: Ole and Me right after he woke up from his nap.
Ole being a goof ball while waiting for the train.
Just had to throw the random picture of the pretty sky out there---It's from while we were waiting for the train and it was actually Sunny today!

The Church is True....

June 5, 2009

well, as you know it's been pretty hard here lately.... I am not sure if I can do this(and i'm not saying that for everyone to day "you can you can!" I really feel that way...)
I've been a lot better at reading my scriptures and saying my prayers though, which I think is one of the reasons I had a good day with Finn the other day--I spent about an hour reading conference talks and then just some time reading scriptures and prayers and stuff.

But I'm still really struggling. I went to church today though! Which was nice!! I got lost on the way there(I asked like 4 different people how to get to the street and they all told me something different) finally I was walking, not knowing really where to go and I saw 4 people walking down the street---the girls/woman were all in skirts and shirts, and the dad was in a suit. I thought to myself--ok I bet they are going to church! If not, then I'll be stupid asking them but it's always worth a try!
So I went and asked if they were going to church-they said yes and I asked if they were going to the mormon church-again yes! So i asked if I could walk with them cuz I was lost. The two girls were 11 and 13 and they are from the D.R.(the dad is too-the woman is old and german but the guy is her home teacher so he takes her to church)

I got there and met the missionaries! All 4 of them!(2 sisters and 2 elders) 3 of the 4 are from Utah-Funny huh?! It was great to speak to someone from Utah again. Sadly the elders left before church was over, because I was going to ask them for a blessing. :(

Well I went to relief society(it isn't a singles ward like I thought-they just have singles ward activites and class and stuff) but it was combined young women/relief society this week. it was a good lesson about god always being with us.
I went with one of the older girls to the young adults sunday school class, and then we went to sacrament meeting(that was weird for me it's backwards from in my ward in utah) and I got a cool headset in sacrament meeting and listened to one of the sister missionaries translate the meeting into english(there's an american family living here and only the dad speaks german so they translate for the rest of the family. and there were visitors here from switzerland that are really american just there for military)
After Sacrament meeting I met the mom of the American Family living here. They're from california. We exchanged numbers and she invited me to a bbq they are having on the 26th--they are having the missionaries over and she asked me to come too! It will be one big American-english speaking pioneer day celebration. haha. I am pretty excited.

I headed home, and changed my clothes then headed back to Freiburg. I didn't really want to sit home all day on my day off. I just walked around because nothing was open(really, you think nothing's open on sundays in utah come here! it's worse!) and I rode the s-bahn around a bit and bought some ice cream and a pretzel and then decided to head home(Ulli and Stefan invited me to a bbq they were having with some friends) I got on the train home and about 20 minutes later it left the station(sometimes they get there early so they wait...) I was pretty tired, but I stayed awake the whole time at the station--it wasn't until 2 stops away from Heitersheim I fell asleep--only to wake up as the train was LEAVING the Heitersheim station... great!! I got off at the next stop, which i probably shouldn't have done because it was just random in the middle of no where(i'm sure there's a town somewhere but the station wasn't really close to it) and I looked for the next train. Ok 30 minutes. I sat there for a little while until I looked at the clock and it had been about 40 minutes. I looked at the schedule again only to realize that the train wasn't coming on sundays. I sat at the train station for over an hour and a half till the next train came(I called Ulli and told her I'd be late) and then I finally made it back to Heitersheim!!

I rode my bike home, which was pretty exciting that I didn't have to walk it at all because it means my legs are more conditioned now, and when I got home there were a bunch of people there(ok only 3 other families but still...) and ANGELA!! that made me happy! Angela is the au pair from another family that's also friends with my family. I've met the mom, and boys 2 times already and we even did something together but Angela hadn't been with either time(her day off, and the other time she was at home cooking.)

Angela and I just sat and talked forever(she's from Canada) and then it started raining so everyone left--except angela because she's just this amazing au pair and she had rode the bike to our house with the boys, so she was going to ride her bike home-even though it was raining. She decided she would help with the dishes so she was standing there putting everything in the dishwasher and throwing things away as I tried to help(it's not a very big kitchen) and i listened to Ulli talk to one of their friends(miriam) about how great of an au pair angela is.... I've heard Ulli say this to ME before(angela was practically fluent in german before she came! we're sad angela's leaving she's so great with mick and Finn(the kids in her family) and so on and so forth...) I didn't feel compared to her at ALL! not! I felt like totally inadequate at my job....
she was cute though! I'm sad she's leaving on the 18th. but they'll get a new au pair from London then so we'll see how that goes....

For the most part I really enjoyed my day off-but church also made me pretty homesick(don't get me wrong it helped a lot but it made me homesick because I miss my ward and everything being in english and actually UNDERSTANDING the lesson and such...)
We'll see how things go the next few weeks.....

pictures: me on the way to church~it was a pretty cold morning
This is the sign for the station I was stranded at....
me zoning out at the station waiting forever for my train home....

July 1-July 4

Ok, I have to appologize for this post before hand.... my Journal writing this week got a little behind so I don't remember everything, and some things are mixed up in my mind. So.... This is just things that have happened since the beginning of July! Sorry!!

Things have not been going so well this week.... I am really homesick! and Finn really wants nothing to do with me. He told me the other day, that he wanted me to go back to America. He has not been cooperating at all, and he threw a really big fit the other day because I was the one going to help him get ready for the day. Stefan told him he had to listen to me and I was the one that would help him and he just cried and cried the whole time he got ready.
Then one day, he refused to eat lunch after he learned I made it....that's happened twice now! I don't know what to do! It's not helping my homesickness any at all!!
He cried for 20 minutes while his dad was gone to pick up his mom, and I couldn't get him to stop. He would not come out of the bathroom, and I am really not sure what to do.

I know this isn't really a very interesting post, but now some exciting info....
I had the night off the other day. that was fun! I decided I would just go for a walk through Heitersheim, and maybe try out the Döner shop here!! So I walked to Rewe, and was really happy to see they had some Streuselkuchen, because I've really been wanting some!! :) I bought a piece and then walked to the Döner shop! I order my Döner, and when the guy asked me if I wanted it to go I said yes, but obviously He didn't hear me right because he handed it to me on a plate so I sat there and ate it. He was on "break" so he sat and just talked to me for a while, he was nice but it was a bit weird. He asked questions like "where are you from" cuz he could tell I had a major accent and I told him america and stuff and he asked why I was there and it was just kinda a small talk conversation... Until i was done with my food and he asked me if he could have my cell number. Not wanting to give it to him and not knowing what to say really I just said, "i don't have a german cell phone" and he said oh.... well come back tomorrow! and I told him i couldn't cuz I'd work. so he just said, ok well whenever you come back I'll be here!(he's 25, turkish, and part-owner of the Döner place)
So I left and walked a few blocks and then sat and ate my Streuselkuchen. :) it was really yummy!!! I walked around a bit more and took some pictures of the area, and then headed home. I sent a few emails, and then went to bed(I was really tired!!)

It's been interesting. I've had some more free time(i'm only working 6 hours a day now that I have the hang of things because that's what they hired me to work!) and it's been nice. I went to Freiburg for a few hours the other day and bought a really cute bag at H&M(I did not just buy it for fun! I really did need it! I don't have a bag with me that zips!!) and then rode the train home. :) The neighbors have had lots of bbq's lately, and my German is getting a bit better...
I don't really know what to do about Finn. He's been really good once in the last like 2 weeks. And that was a great day!!! We played with play dough, and then his parents went on a date(he cried and didn't want to stay with me but then stefan promised to take him to a movie later so he was OK with staying but still not happy about it) and we went to the park and he rode his "walking bike" and actually listened when I said stop and things. then we read books(i read a ton in german!) and he said my german's getting better. At bed time I put him to sleep and sang some "goodnight songs" to him and he told me my songs are better than his moms(they were in english) because I can sing better. but the next day he woke up and was a total monster again and really doesn't want me here.
I don't really know what I'm going to do.....

oh and HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! I'm sad I missed everything. :(


pictures: me eating my Streuselkuchen
just a random picture of me on my walk
my bank!!
:)

I wanna be Mary Poppins....

June 30, 2009
So I felt really bad this morning.... I slept in, and Ulli and Stefan got the boys ready without me. I made it down before they ate breakfast and I appologized, but Ulli told me not to worry about it because she knows I didn't feel good at all. I ate schokomussli with them and it hurt so bad i had to choke it down because my throat hurts really bad!!!
Ole went to play group and Finn went to Kindergarten so I did some laundry(for the boys) and it was really awkward with mandush there. She kicked me out of the laundry room, and so I folded the clothes in my room. I went shopping for Ulli and Stefan(for lunch) and then when I got home we ate lunch. I put Ole down for a nap, and tried to play with Finn during mittags pause. He refused to play with me so I went in my room and watched the secret life of the american teenager. As I was watching the show, Annika and Julia(neighbor girls) came and picked up Finn, and he went to Annika's birthday party.

I woke Ole up and headed with the stroller down to the little river here in town. :) We bought cookies and creme ice cream which tasted super yummy and then we just played for a while in the river. He's so cute!! there were tons of old ladies that would just stop and watch us, but I can't blame them cuz he's adorable!!!

We got back and headed to Annika's birthday party for a little while (Ole was invited too but Ulli didn't want him there the whole time because he's still kinda small.) Finn was not happy we were there at all!! He didn't mind Ole being there, but he did not want me there!!! He hid inside until finally we left(we didn't leave because of him though, we left because Annika was being a brat and was trying to beat up Ole)
We hung out for a bit at home and I read Ole some stories and then we ate abendsbrot(me and Ole--Ulli and stefan were out and Finn at the birthday) and then Ole went to sleep.
I hung out in my room for a bit, and then after Ulli and Stefan got home I went next door for a barbecue for Annika's birthday. I met one of Annika and Julia's aunts--she's 17(their step-aunt) and we went for a walk through Heitersheim after eating. It was kinda awkward cuz she knows literally no english aside from how to count, how to say hello, how are you, and what's your name. So I talked just german to her which was pretty good for my german, but it was awkward she had me call like 4 of her friends and just speak english to them and then hang up.... uh ok?

We got back from the walk and kerstin(the gaunt) left and I went inside and watched Marry Poppins(in german) with Julia, Annika, and Finn(for a bit till he got bored and went home to sleep) After a while Annika started to whine a lot and so they turned the movie off and she went to sleep. I felt awkward just sitting outside with the adults(they were all drinking and just talking and it really wasn't that interesting) so I came home and chatted to Heike and some people for a little bit. It was a pretty fun day with Ole, but I'm not sure why Finn didn't want to play with me..... he didn't even want to SIT by me!

Pictures: Ole and Me at the river--he's so cute!!!
Ole playing at the river!!
just a look down the river....