Thursday, October 2, 2014

School started... American Style

Living in Germany you notice the differences between Americans and Europeans quickly when school starts.  So here are some signs that Americans have started school.
1)  Mom's converge on the bus stop dressed in pajamas and sweats with their hair tied up in a knot on  top of their heads to wave to their kids at the bus stop.
2) Friday's become dress up days.

3) Those Saturday's you used to love walking on the paths in the woods are now crammed with cheering mothers and fathers and racers of all sorts.


4) More traffic on the roads in the afternoons as mom cart kids to soccer this and soccer that.

5) The craft store starts running low on craft supplies.  I hate projects!

Joseph's idea of a sock puppet.  I made him redo it on a paper bag and we actually added hair with yarn and a copy of one of Duke Ellington's famous songs.  

6) Field trips!  We use public transportations and they just love it when we shove 2 classes full of kids on the public buses!
 Pumpkin festival at Ludwigsburg palace

 Fairytale Garden's boat ride
The up-side down house.  The inside swings and then the outside goes around you.  It looks like you are going upside down!  Scary the first couple of swings, but then I was just ready to get out!
 The trick fountains inside of the maze.
Loved these fun use of gourds.

7) More cars on the roads at all hours of the day on Saturday.  We can travel as far as Venice, Italy or Lakenheath, England for some of our matches.  They keep coming to us instead, though, darn it.  I really want to give them a break and travel up to England!  Come on, let us be nice like that!  One of these matches was only 3 hours away by bus, but the team didn't get home until 3 am, because the German's have to get a break after so many hours.

8) The American next door is actually home.  Studiously planning their next vacation, but at least home for the moment.

I would add #9 dances, but ours still haven't happened.  We have the latest Homecoming ever!  It is the second to the last game of the season.  Seriously, do they even know what "Homecoming" means?  We have our first home football game next week.  You would think that would be Homecoming, right?  Um, nope.  Guess we don't believe in the traditional use of the word!

10) Fundraisers!  Love them!  *sarcastic voice*,  PTO, Potlucks, Parents running everywhere doing a million things!

We had the Stake Relief Society President write us and ask if they needed to have an interpreter in the class on helping your kids with school since they weren't sure how involved parents were with their kids in American schools.  If they only knew...!

1 comments:

Searls Stuff said...

Oh my; I remember meeting the football or wrestling teams in the middle of the night. It was crazy! I'm glad your family continues to have a busy and exciting time there. How much longer? Will Emma come back for college on her own?