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....

Long trip back....

June 29, 2009

I felt super disgusting today!!! I woke up about 4 times in the night, not feeling good and one time almost fell asleep outside(i was really hot so I opened my door in my room and went outside for a few minutes) but lucky I didn't.
I went to school with Heike and saw tons of people! I love the kids at school!! I went to German class with her for 90 minutes and ended up falling asleep which after I felt really stupid because I woke up and a few of the kids were staring at me and then Heike told me that I had been breathing funny.... great huh?!
After German we went to the train station and bought my ticket for the day! I love it! It's this great ticket you can use the whole day in all of Baden-Würtemburg(her state) and you can ride all the transportation except the ICE(super fast train) and it's only 19 euro!!!! Great!!
After that we went to Plus and bought some gummy bears and then went to the music school for the rest of the day. The dance club is having a performance and they had rehearsal today, but Heike is on the light and sound crew so she had to go. It was kinda boring but ended up being pretty fun cuz heike and I were having a blast messing with the lights!! :) it looked pretty cool though!!!

We had some fun taking pictures(and lucky I was feeling a little bit better...) and then we went home(we left early cuz this boy was being super stupid and I mean, Heike did not HAVE to be there because she won't be at the actual performance because she has to work)

We caught the bus home, and got home before we would have if we would have stayed for all of school. We had some lunch and watched a bit of TV and then I went and got my stuff from my room and we headed to the bus stop.

Heike came with me to Heilbronn and made sure I got on my s-bahn safely and then I was on my own. I am very proud of myself, even though I did NOT feel good, I got home safely and without any problems. I didn't miss any trains(or catch the wrong one) and when I finally got to Heitersheim Stefan was waiting for me with the car. I still don't feel very good, and I basically lost my voice, and I REALLY miss Neckarsulm, but hopefully I'll be back there in a few weeks! Besides, I came to work, so I guess I better be in Heitersheim right....?

pictures: Heike being super cool with the light board.
Heike and I goofing off with the color things for the spotlight in the light room....
Heike and I waiting for the train to Heilbronn
Me goofing off on the s-bahn back to Heitersheim....

an Ice cream day?

June 28, 2009

Today was really fun!! I woke up at about 10:30(heike and I didn't go to church because we were so tired from last night) and I got ready for the day. I stunk sooo bad after last night(cigarettes and beer) so I REALLY needed a shower!!! We ate some lunch, and then Heike went to an extra Spanish lesson(some kids in her class were meeting up with one of the dads that's spanish) and I met up with Carolin. :) We went and got some Ice cream--I LOVE WUNDERTÜTE!! It was yummy! Chocolate Ice cream, white chocolate ice cream, raspberry ice cream, and chocolate sauce with whipped cream and a cherry!! haha! super great!!!
We walked around the town square a few minutes cuz there was this weird fest thing going on, but it was like a 'farmer fest' with weird things for kids to do, so then we just went to a park and talked and ate our ice cream and i loved it!! she's so cute!!

She showed me the stupid school construction they're doing(the just started it in the last 2 weeks since I was here last,) and then we met up again with Heike.

Caro took us home in her super great car(i miss mine!!!) and then Heike and I ate ice cream... lol. yeah I know... but you can never have too much ice cream!!!
Laura Brunner came over and we layed out on the grass in Heike's yard. We talked a lot, and I told some funny blond jokes, and then Heike jumped up because she had ants crawling all over(she layed her food in an aunt hill.. great!) so then we went inside. Laura left, and i checked my email.

GUESS WHAT?! I learned my cousin Jacob is living in Germany for a few months, really not that far away from me!! cool huh?! I hope we can meet up sometime before he leaves!! Lonne and her dog Tara came to visit us for a bit and we looked up my train for tomorrow on the computer.
Lonne left, and Heike and I made pizza and it tasted sooo good!! :) We watched a movie(i'm not sure the title in english but it's really good!)
I think I'll have to find that movie and buy it when I get home(it's an american film)

Pictures: Caro and her cute car!
Me and Caro
The stupid construction at the school....

Heit is so ein Schöne tag.....

June 27, 2009

Today I got to sleep! :) It was great. I was so tired. Waking up at 6:30 every morning really takes it out of you(well when the days are extremely long...)
Heike came and 'woke me up' but I was really already awake, and she told me she was going to work and mom and dad were gonna be gone for about another hour after they drop her off so I was just suppose to go down to the kitchen and find whatever to eat for breakfast.... ok?!
So I decided I would get ready for the day(it was nice to shower and not feel like I should be doing something else instead... awkward i know! sorry!) When I finished getting ready for the day Mommy Müller came up and asked if I'd ate. I hadn't so she made me eat and then I took a nap. I love sleep! haha! Then Lonne came and we took her dog Tara for a walk. :) Her dog's so cute! Makes me miss my dog Tasha....

Well I got back with Lonne and ate lunch with Mom and Dad Müller and then dad took me to the school and I met up with Nici Kopp from the exchange and two of her friends, Jakob and Lari.

We went in to Heilbronn to this festival for a kids tv channel, and i'm not gonna lie it was kinda boring(and it was raining.) so we left and went to subway and got food! :) yay for subway!! then we sat there and talked for like EVER until Jakob realized what time it was! he needed to get the car back to his brother so that he could go to work... so we raced out of heilbronn and headed back to Neckarsulm.... I decided to just have him drop me off at Kaufland(that's where heike works--in the bakery) and I met heike there and just rode home with her when mom came to pick her up. It was funny to see her mom's face when she saw me there. lol.

When we got home we got ready to head to Talmarkt(like a mini oktoberfest) and then mom took us to meet the other girls at the bus stop and we rode the bus to Bad Wimpfen. We walked around the markt a little bit, and then headed down and walked around the river until we found a cute little playground not too far away from the entrance(heike was waiting for a friend...) We sat and talked a little then went and met Shinix. Heike left with Shinix(she asked me if it was ok! of course it was!) and I walked around with the other girls. We rode a techno-disco ride thing and then Lonne, Tallone and I headed to the Hahnzelt while Bob and Lisi went to go meet Julia. about an hour later they FINALLY came to meet us at the Tent(they'd gone to buy some beer at the grocery store)

We listened to the band they had playing and danced like crazy! I drank more coke(ok i really do think it's an addiction now!!! it's like my beer) and we danced on the benches! :) it was so great!!! Then Felix an awkward ex-boyfriend of Lonne showed up and made the whole night awkward with his presence. Finally after a while we went to meet up with Heike and Shinix to head home. We had a few ride issues(one too many people for the car...) and so we called a Taxi... and Lonne called Felix... and Julia called her friend. Lucky, Felix messaged Lonne back saying he was coming(after on the phone he said he wasn't) and she messaged him saying she didn't need a ride anymore. We didn't want her riding with him. Julia's friend came before the Taxi, and she went with them and the rest of us went with Shinix.
We got home at about 3:00 am... and I was soo hyper I didn't want to sleep!!
It was such a fun and super crazy night, but I'm glad I can have fun with her friends!! and that they really did not get THAT drunk even though they really could have. :) :)

pictures: **Me with the big thing of beer all my friends were passing around--no I didn't drink any!! it was just a funny picture cuz Lisi kept passing it to me without thinking then realizing I wouldn't want it!!
**Lisi and bob being totally crazy! :) :) I love it!! I had a lot of fun taking pictures of Lisi cuz she was actually pretty drunk and is just crazy anyway!
**Lonne and Lisi pulling super great faces!!

I have an addiction....

June 26, 2009

It was an amazingly LOOOONNNNNGGGG night last night.... Ole woke up at about 12:30 and just cried and I went in to see what was wrong about the same time Ulli came down, so she told me to go back to sleep(but also said thanks for getting up with him) so i went back to lay down and he cried for about another hour and THEN went to sleep....

I woke up early and was all ready to go for the day by 7(literally for the day--hair done, clothes on and bags packed!) and then I got finn and Ole ready and took Finn to kindergarten-that was not so fun! Ulli decided I should take him on my bike. so ok I have that child seat on the back, so I put him in it and we headed off--- it didn't work out so well because he weighs to much for me to be able to ride my bike right. I almost tipped over at the light, but lucky for me I didn't.... I didn't tip over until we got to kindergarten and I was getting off the bike to take him out of the seat- yeah seriously I fell down-- I was getting off and the bike fell over on me. I hurt my knees. :( but lucky Finn didn't get hurt at all(he landed on me) I do NOT think I'll be riding with him again any time soon!

So I got home, and took Ole to the playground while Stefan went to the baumarkt(like home depot)and then built a cover for the sandbox(so the neighbor cat can't use it as a litter box) and Ulli went to the doctor. I rode my bike--and it kinda hurt a little cuz of my knees, but it really wasn't that bad. Ole was so cute and the playground was really great!! we played for a pretty long time, and then I realized his diaper was wet, AND he'd drank all his drink--which wasn't so great cuz it was pretty warm outside. So we rode the bike home, changed his diaper, got him something to drink and then got back on the bike. I think I have an addiction to riding my bike--it's kinda hard sometimes because my legs really aren't use to it, but I love it!!

We finally went home and played for a little but until Ulli got back and made lunch.--can I just say I'm really sick of Spinatch because the frozen kind they have is really not good at ALL and it kinda turns out like soup when you go to eat it! yucky! I fed Ole while Ulli went to get Finn from kindergarten, because Ole was heading to his grandma's in Staufen so we could go to Heilbronn after lunch. Stefan took Ole to Staufen, and then we ate when he got back.--ole had to go before he took his nap because he was napping there.
We finished eating, and then finished packing(they did--i was done!) and I did the dishes.... then we hit the pavement!!

NECKARSULM NECKARSULM! I REALLY LOVE NECKARSULM!!!

I am so excited to get to spend the whole weekend with HEIKE!!!!!!! We finally got to her house, and I feel so at home here! that sounds so terrible, I should feel at home at my "home" but I don't really.... not yet at least. The first thing I did at her house, besides giving her a hug of course, was eat. I love her mom! haha! and her mom's cooking! :) After food, Heike and I decided we wanted Ice Cream-but the stuff they had in their freezer was pretty old and not so good anymore so we walked to the store and bought some new ice cream(after standing there for like 15 minutes trying to decide what to get because I didn't want to decide and she didn't either--so we each chose one and bought two!) and then we went home and ate the ice cream. :) yummy!!

I actually took the time to do my makeup(first time in quite a while because I never have time) and then we went and met Lonne at the bus stop--my bad we missed the bus! I took just like 2 minutes too long.... sad! SORRY LONNE! haha... so we waited at the bus stop forever and I told Lonne a great romance story(or not so great....) and then the bus came. We finally made it to Heilbronn and went shopping! :) We bought Silke's birthday presents(wine, a super great card game, and a toy clarinet) As we walked through Heilbronn we had these kids walking behind us ask if we could speak english(cuz we were speaking english.... lol) and me being who I am looked at them and said "nein...."(for those of you who don't know, nein means no in german) lol and they just kept following us asking "you from england?" and all kinds of stuff.
HALT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> go back in time about 2 weeks ago>>>>>> I tough Heike and her friends "don't make me snap my fingers in the z-formation"
>>>>>>>>>>....ok back to the story....>>>>>>>
So Heike and Lonne were sitting there the whole time "cami do the z-formation thing!!!" so finally I did it, but it really wasn't that great because by the time I did it it really wasn't worth it anymore. it was pretty funny though. they quit following us!!

We headed to Silke's party, and ended up getting off at the wrong station(we got of at like east or west or whatever and we needed the opposite station) so we hopped the s-bahn back in the opposite direction and FINALLY found the party! It was TOTALLY AWKWARD!!! Kids smoking(and a water pipe too) and drinking. haha--I also decided not only am I addicted to Neckarsulm, and bike riding, but I'm now addicted to Coka-Cola. I drank so much!!! like maybe 5 liters or so.... because it was awkward and everyone was drinking or talking or something so I'd just sip my coke, and then it would be gone so i'd get more! by the end of the night I was sooo hyper!! :) it was great!!!
Heike knew I was bored, so finally we asked silke to open her presents, and then we asked if we could play her game! :) it's a really fun game I love it!! we need it in the USA! haha.

We finally left the party(after some great adventures of peeing in the out-house in the dark, talking to Heiko(not heike--this is some random guy at the party) in english cuz he was totally drunk, and some other fun adventures. and we tried to find the church(it wasn't actually in heilbronn it was outside of it and heike wasn't sure where the church was but that's where mom was picking us up) sow e finally find the chruch and met mom and she brought us home!!
It was a long night, and kinda awkward, but in the ended it ended up being TONS of fun!!!

pictures: Ole sitting in the children seat on my bike
Lonne, Heike, and me at Silke's party
Lonne, Heike, and some kid who's name I forgot all playing Kakerlake Salat(the awesome game!)

Muffins or Cupcakes.....?

June 25, 2009

well today was fun!! as usual, I woke up, got the boys ready, ate schokomussli, and took finn to kindergarten while Ulli took Ole to his playgroup. I did some laundry(for the kids), started watching a movie and then decided I didn't want to be inside(it wasn't raining!) so I went for a bike ride to REWE and bought some junk i didn't need...(what can I say, I was feeling homesick so I bought some "american" stuff) and when I got home no one but mandush was there.... she makes everything awkward!(FYI: mandush is the cleaning lady)
Ulli got home a little bit later and I(i ate fish... and it wasn't that bad actually) When stefan got home he had Ole, and a cell phone for me!! YAY!! it's great i love it! it's a slider and it's pretty cute!!!
Ulli went to get Finn, and then we ate and i put ole down for a nap. During the midday pause, finn and i made "muffins" which to us are really cupcakes. capt'n sharkey ones.... Capt'n sharkey is super popular for little boys here! So it was cute! however, I basically made the cupcakes alone because Finn didn't really want to help me.... even though Ulli bought them for me. Ok confusing kinda but here goes:
Finn doesn't really like me, so Ulli decided maybe if I "bought him muffins" and we made them together he might think that was cool. So she bought the mix, and gave it to me saying "give this to finn as if you bought it and ask him to help you make them!" so I did.... but it didn't really work that well.

after making "muffins" we played leggos for a bit, and then moritz came. We invited him over so that he could have cupcakes with us! they ate cupcakes and we played outside(me and the 3 boys) while stefan and ulli went for a walk to see how the boys were without them here(for an hour which was fine) they forgot to say bye, so the boys didn't even notice they were gone till about 20 min before they got back but even then, Finn didn't really care because he was busy playing with Moritz.

Stefan installed the child seat on my bike, while finn, moritz and i got in a water fight(after they were naked and wet from playing on the slip and slide) and i got soked... It was really fun though!!

i changed and then took ole for a test ride on my bike. we just rode around a little but it's pretty cool! I'm not so use to the weight difference on the back, but Ole doesn't weigh that much so it really wasn't too bad.
afterwords, I rode down to rewe on my bike for some meat and a few other things for dinner and when i got home all was quiet. it was kinda weird.... Finn and Ole were playing at the neighbors. So i helped set the table for dinner, and then went and got the boys. we ate and then i put ole to bed. He is such a cute little boy!! :)

ulli left for a birthday party, and stefan and i cleaned up and he put Finn to bed while i had the rest of the day off. i icqed heike a bit and then went for a bike ride. I rode down to REWE again and bought a card for my phone(pre payed money thing) with the money stefan and ulli gave me(so nice of them!!) and then came home! i really actually quite enjoy bike riding---but I wish I had practiced a bit more before I came!!

Right now I'm in the middle of packing for my weekend trip to Neckarsulm---I am really excited for the trip--but I HATE packing!!!

Pictures: The last two Capt'n Sharkey cupcakes!
Finn, Ole, and Moritz all on the swingset(finn and ole are the ones on the slide part.)
Ulli and me
me being wet... it's not that great of a picture since I took it myself in the mirror....

I'm Walking on Sunshine....

June 24, 2009

I was extremely happy when I woke up this morning!! The sun was shining in my eyes!!! :) :) I got the boys ready-and didn't really have any problems. It is also great, i decided last night I would take a shower and it helped!! before now, I never knew when to shower cuz I never had time!!!! We ate breakfast and then I went with Ulli to take Ole to the playgroup and take Finn to his argo therapy--to help him with is coordination and things since he has problems with his eye.
While we waited for Finn we walked around the town(I don't remember which town it is though....) and went to the Pharmicy(both the boys are getting a cold) and then to the bakery. :) I love German Bakeries!!!
When Finn finished with Argo therapy, we went to pick him up. Ulli had to get something out of the car, so i waited for him and he saw me sitting in the hall and refused to leave the room till his mom came. It was not so great-- we got him to the kindergarten and then I had some time off. I finished a movie I'd started watching the other night(bridget jones' diary) and then went and layed in the sun!! :) I'm so glad it's sunny! and Stefan and Ulli have the greatest sun-bathing bed!!!!

Stefan went to get the boys, and we had lunch. We ate white asparagus for the last time this year. :( The season for it is over which is sad because it really is super delicious!! during the mid-day pause, I tried to help finn with his "homework" for Argo Therapy. He was suppose to make a collage. It didn't work that well because he didn't want me to help him. Ulli finally came and sat with us and helped him to it, and he did it. I don't know why he hasn't been liking me the last few days...?

Ole woke up and Stefan took the boys and me to the Waldspielplatz(aka: forest playground) and they have this super great slide there!! :) We played some then went for a walk through a little bit of the forest(mind you-this is the BLACK FOREST we were walking and playing in!) then headed down the road a little and found some cute cherry trees- we picked and ate fresh cherries(they tasted great!) and then headed home for "dinner"
Finn and I watched Kleine einsteins(i think it's the first one they made!) and then we ate. I'm so proud of Stefan! He tried PB&J for the first time!! He said it wasn't bad, but it's something he'd eat for breakfast and not lunch or dinner! lol!

Photos: Me sitting at the top of the slide at the playground!
Stefan and Ole in the Forest(isn't that so cute?!?!)
Finn climbing the cherry tree
Ole, Stefan, and Finn walking through the forest(both boys had to have a walking stick! :) so cute!)

The wonderful world of IKEA!!!

June 23, 2009

Ok, so today surprisingly I woke up before Finn and Ole!!! My body clock is set to wake up at like 6:30 now, and they didn't wake up till 7! it was amazing!! So I got ready for the day and then layed back down for a little bit until the boys woke up! It was pretty nice actually. When the boys woke up, Ulli asked if I would get them ready for the day so I started at work. Ole was stinky so I got him ready first, then attempted to get Finn ready--boy did that NOT work!! He threw a fit the whole time saying that "mama said i don't have to do everything!!" He didn't want to brush his teeth, or put his clothes or socks on or his glasses or anything. It was a nightmare! But, Stefan told him he HAD to, and he had to listen to me so after about 20 minutes of fighting he was ready. We ate... schokomussli... then I headed out the door with Ole, Finn, and Stefan to take them to playgroup and kindergarten. I didn't get very far! Ole decided that he wanted to ride on the bobbycar, but he sat down on it and it was wet! So I took him in the house, changed his clothes and everything and Stefan took Finn to kindergarten and then came back and picked up Ole and me. Then we headed to whatever town Ole's playgroup is in, and dropped him off.

When I got home, Stefan told me I had free time to do whatever I liked for a few hours. I decided I would watch "the Secret Life of the American Teenager" because I kinda really like that show and the new season just started!! :) I went on ABCfamily.com only to find out that I wasn't allowed to watch it! Stupid rule that they have says that because of Legal issues shows on ABCfamily aren't allowed for viewing outside of the USA... SO I headed to youtube and found it! :) Then I finished the movie I began watching last night and decided I was too tired to finish(what women want--it was really good actually!) and then went with Stefan to get the kids!

Ole was extremely tired when we picked him up, so we got home and I got him ready for bed then helped Stefan make pancakes for lunch--they are definitely different than at home. Here the pancakes he made are more like our crepes--but of course they have crepes here too!!!

Ole woke up and ate his food, and then Ulli, Ole, Finn and I all headed to Ikea!! It's like AMAZING there! I love it!!! It's huge! They have like 3 different parking garages(like the multi-level ones we have!) with at least 3 levels each--and it was STILL hard to find a parking space, but the store is so HUGE that it really didn't seem that crowded. We bought me a new pillow(thank goodness--the old one has made my neck really really sore!) and a few other things and headed home. Ulli was kinda disappointed she really wanted to get me some pillows for my bed during the day, but didn't like any here so she said we'll go to france and find some(apparently she knows a really great store about an hour and a half away that has great pillows and such....)

When we got home Stefan asked me if I wanted to go to REWE with him(the grocery store) so Ole, Stefan and I went and got bread and meat for dinner while Ulli was doing who knows what and Finn was at the neighbors showing them the cool stuffed rat he got for his birthday from Ikea(they have a cute little thing where if you sign up for this certain membership the kids get a free present for their birthdays)
After dinner and getting the boys ready for bed, I gave Ulli and Stefan their gifts. My mom crocheted their name for them(and it's amazing!) and I brought them a Utah book(erik dowdel paintings) and a cookbook from my ward and some measuring cups! They loved them! I was so happy!!!

Photo: picture of Ikea, as we were driving away--this is only part of the amazingly hugeness of it!!!

rain rain go away....

June 22, 2009

Well for breakfast I'll give you one guess at what we ate for breakfast this morning... yup that's right! Schokomussli..... oh my goodness I'm so sick of it, but by the time i finish getting the boys ready and get down there they already have my schokomussli ready for me.... great! When I finished getting the boys ready, I took Finn to kindergarten with ole in the buggy, and then went home. It's always a nice walk home but today finn rode his "laufrad" aka:like a walking/running bike with no pedals, and he was NOT looking where he was going while he was riding. it was a pain to get him to stop too. but we got him to kindergarten in one peace then Ole and I went home. We left Ole with Stefan, and then Ulli and I headed in to Freiburg to try and figure out what we needed to do for my Visa and to make me officially their Au Pair.
We ended up walking all over Freiburg because everywhere we went sent us somewhere else. We had to go in to the stadtmitte(city center) to take a picture of me(had to be like a passport photo) We got that done, and then headed back to Heitersheim because apparently we needed to go to the Rathaus in Heitersheim first! We thought we'd get to the Rathaus in time to get the stuff done their today(it closes at noon) but we got stuck in traffic so we got there right after it closed.... suppose maybe tomorrow? the place in Freiburg is only open a few days a week so we'll see when we get things done.
Well since that didn't work, we headed to Sparkasse(my bank) to see what their friend could do about a phone for me. I suppose the other day he told Ulli that they still had a bunch of phones left over from a deal they had where if you open an account you get a free pre-paid phone. Well... apparently he was drunk when he told her that because they didn't have any left(ulli's the one that claims he was drunk not me!)
so.... the things we were going to do today ended up NOT working. We headed up the street and picked Finn up from kindergarten, which was kinda a mess because he wanted to ride his "bike" home from the kindergarten, but he didn't want to come with ME. which would mean Ulli would walk and I drive, which is not possible. so he threw a fit the whole time we were in the car on the way home(lucky it's only a few minutes!)
We got home and Stefan asked if I wanted to help him make Schnitzel! :) Of course I said yes!!!!!!! It's so easy to make! and it tasted so good!! I think it's like the best schnitzel I've had in germany so far(yes even better than at schnitzel charly last year!)
We did the whole nap/mid-day pause thing and then Ulli and I took the kids to play at Miriam's(the mom of Kiki and Marlena-they just live through the block) We talked and watched half the kids in the neighborhood(about 15 were there) just ride their bikes and play, until it started raining(I was surprised it wasn't raining for like 2 hours while the kids played!!)
We got home and I watched Kleine Einsteins with Finn--or rather, I sat on one couch and he sat on the other and we both watched it. Ulli got abendsbrot(evening bread) out, and then we ate. I tried got cheese tonight, and I'm not going to lie--IT'S GOOD!!! :) apparently the boys really like it because when they started drinking bottles they drank goats milk instead of formula. Ole drinks formula now, but only before bed! :)

Overall it was a pretty ok day! I love watching all the kids play together! however, it would be so much nicer if it would quit raining for at least one whole day!

--sorry--i didn't take any pictures today! :S

can't get it like that in the USA....

June 21, 2009
today was my second day off and oh buddy! i woke up at 6:30 feeling rather sick so i went back to bed planning to wake up at 7:30 to get ready for church... but that didn't happen. The church is about 30 minutes away from me when I take the train and I just didn't feel well enough to spend an hour getting to/from church. I slept till 8:30 and decided that I wouldn't go to church because I didn't have time(it starts at 9) so just slept until 9! It was so nice but I was still feeling sick. I took some meds and just layed in bed till 11 drifting in and out of sleep. While I was laying in bed Finn came up to my room, opened my door and told me to get up! haha.... I told him I didn't want to and I could hear Ulli yelling at him from down stairs to go back down. She came up to check on me a little bit later cuz she knew I wasn't feeling well and she asked if I wanted anything to eat. I told her no and she left me alone. I slept a little bit more and when I woke up no one was home. I don't know where they were but it was really weird. It was kinda nice to get ready for the day in a quiet house though. By this point I was feeling quite a bit better so I got dressed, did my hair and actually tried to look nice.

I updated my blog since I've been behind, and then spent some time talking to Heike. the family got home and I could hear steven down stairs making lunch. Ulli came up to see if i wanted to eat anything and knowing i needed SOMETHING I said sure! I'm glad I did cuz it was Maultaschen! :) yummy! i missed that stuff! Not gonna lie, Heike's mom makes it better, but Steven's was still good.

A little bit latter the neighbor girl Vivian came to pick me up and we went to catch the train. She said we were meeting 4 of her friends so I was really nervous. The first one to get on the train aside from us(at the next stop) was her secret boyfriend Dominik.... that was a bit awkward but not too bad. The next stop Chris and Sandra got on.... ok then it was really awkward cuz Chris and Sandra are going out..... I was hoping that their other friend was NOT a boy.... We got to Freiburg as Vivian's phone rang. It ended up being their other friend, who was calling to let us know they would not be able to come... great. it was me and two german couples! I didn't really understand what they were saying cuz they talk in a really funny dialect, but Vivian was nice at talking to me in english or simple german(i told her before that I really don't understand a lot of the german here.... stupid slang and such)

We climbed 209 stairs to the top of the Münster(really old church in Freiburg) and looked at the amazing view!! It's such a pretty town!!! after that we went to this really great Eis cafe(ice cream parlor) and got some ice cream. This cafe was huge though!! and really nice! but their prices weren't bad and their ice cream was amazing!!! You can't get it like that at home!!!

We got home and I put Ole in bed while Steven and Ulli finished getting ready for their night out(it was their anniversary so they were going to a really nice hotel for dinner) They left and I put Finn to bed... I was nervous that we'd have problems but we didn't have any at all!! :) It was so great!! he asked me to read him a book in english so I pulled out my hand dandy huge Dr. Suess book that I have with like 15 stories or so in it, and I read him the Sleep book. he really liked it and it was fun to read to him!! :)

I tucked him in and he went to sleep. I went down stairs and watched the Prince and me, in german and just kinda chilled with my laptop(yeah i am kinda addicted to it...) and I talked to Heike.
Ulli and Steven got home a lot sooner than I was expecting. I'm so glad they had a nice night!!!

We sat and talked for a bit while Steven goofed off on his computer, soon Ulli and I found out that he wasn't really just goofing off. :) He bought me insurance! haha! i'm covered now so if anything happens it will be fine! :)

Steven pulled out this huge stack of cd cases(3 of them) and told me to take them upstairs with me and look at them... i got up stairs and they were all movies! :) yay!! he told me most of them he bought in China, so they were in english. that made me really happy! He has some REALLY good ones! I think soon I'll have to watch a movie or too!! I talked to Heike a little bit more and kinda finished planning when I'd come to neckarsulm next(this weekend! because Steven is going to Heilbronn-right outside of neckarsulm so he'll take me with him then i'll go see heike and ride the train home! :) yay!!!)
I think I need a new pillow... my neck has been hurting really bad!! :) but it was a really great day!

I LOVE GERMAN EIS!!

pictures: a really pretty view of Frieburg from the top of the Münster, looking up at the Münster from under neat it, my delicious banana split(yes that is a banana split... jealous?!), the picture the nice waitress took of all of us. (chris and sandra are closest to the camera, and Vivian and Dominik are back by me)

a day in Staufen

June 20, 2009

Today I got to go to a really neat old town called Staufen. It's not too far away from Heitersheim, and it's where steven's mom lives. of course for breakfast we ate Schoko musli again and oh my goodness! i'm getting so sick of it! every day for almost a week now.... how can they stand that?!
Well Ulli and I took the kids to Stuafen and we walked around town square and the weekend market(like a fleamarket kinda) and got some eggs and cheese and then she showed me a bit more of the city! it's so pretty!!! Then we headed down this cute little side road and found a nice little hairdresser(ok she knew where we were going but it was cool!) and one of her friends works there and cut Oles bangs. :) he didn't like it very much but they were sooo long!!!
After walking around the town square we went a little outside of the main part of town and found the Gymnasium(high school) and this really neat old train they have there. It's only one part of the train but you can climb on it and stuff so we let the boys play a bit and then got ready to head home.
On the way home from Staufen we made two stops... one at a farm to buy some white asparagus! and the other at the bike shop so I could get my bike! :) Ulli dropped me off with the money and I went in and got my bike. I headed home and it only took me about 20 minutes(it was bout 3 miles or so) It was a nice ride actully, but I'm kinda out of shape! haha! my legs hurt a bit!!!
When I finally got home no one was here.... I thought that a bit odd because Ulli said she was going to head home as she dropped me off at the bike store so she could start lunch...? I waited for about half an hour until they finally got home.

Finn wasn't with them when they got home and when she said they had to drop something off at Moritz's i knew that's where he must be... Ole was so tired because he's not been feeling well and has woke up really early so I layed him down for his nap and went down to help Ulli with lunch. I was starting to help her Steven walked in the door. He'd been gone all week for work so it was nice to see him again. They told me to take a break and they'd make lunch(just to spend some time together) and so I just kinda relaxed and they got to spend some time together.

When lunch finished Finn was still with Moritz and Ole was taking a nap so we just ate in quiet with out the kids and just talked. Steven told us about his adventure in Italy, and it was really nice to not worry about the kids eating.....
Finn got home from Moritz's about the same time Ole woke up. they ate their lunch, and we headed back to Staufen. Steven had his "Abitreff" or as we call it in America, his class reunion. 20 years!! He went to the Gymnasium that the train is at. We took the kids back to the train, he played with them for a few minutes then went with some of his friends to where they were meeting everyone else.
after the train we went to a quaint little playground with a nice little pond and a cute little bush maze. haha like a corn maze only with bushes! :P it was so cute! The boys had so much fun playing!!
When we got home we ate some dinner-i ate pb&j again!! yay!!! it is so good! and it's actually peanut butter from the USA! It says right on it "product of the USA" so it's the actual stuff!!! I put the boys to bed while Ulli got ready to over to a friends house, and just enjoy the evening.
I had no problem getting Ole ready, but finn was a different story... he didn't want to listen to me! of course i know he doesn't know english and that's what i'm talking to him in(cuz i'm suppose to) but he threw the biggest fit. and so i told him in german and he just wouldn't listen to me. Finally Ulli came down, sat him down and told him he HAD to do what I said and that if he didn't he wouldn't get to play tomorrow and all these things. after that we had no problems.
they slept just great and Ulli went off to her friends. I just stayed home and listened for the boys and just relaxed in my room then went to bed early! :) yay for going to bed at 10:30!!!

pictures: Ole just sitting and watching his mom and dad talk to each other, Finn playing on the train, the amazing view of the black forest from the train.