Experiencing a Little more of Germany

There were a couple things that we hadn't done in the area that we finally did this fall.

  The first was to take a walk up Rubble Hill.

 It is where they piled bunches of rubble from the bombings from WW2.

 They say the whole hill is made of rubble and it has just been overgrown with vegetation, but the trees look pretty old to us.

 Anyway, it is a nice little hike and there is a beautiful view of Stuttgart at the top.  Afterwards we went and ate Doners as big as our heads.

The other was to blow our own glass vases at the Huttenhaus.

 This would never go over in America.  You actually get up there with these guys and they are twirling this hot melted glass around with you right there and then you blow to make it into a vase.  It is really quite fantastic.

There is also a whole glass museum inside.  After we waited for the glass to cool down by going through the museum, we took it over to the grinder, who stops what he's doing to grind your vase down for you.

 Really just amazing.  The idea that people should know the consequences and be responsible for their own actions is quite refreshing!  We didn't even have to sign a waiver or anything.  It was even more fun because we had friends along with us and we stopped for a bite to eat on the way in and out of the Black Forest.   It was a grand day!

Our first two European Adventures

Note:  I finally got the computer to upload pictures although at a slow enough rate that I have to do something while I wait.  Love German internet!! *Sarcasm*

Both of our first two European Adventures were very kid friendly and not particularly European.  The first was to LEGOLAND

 (an amusement park owned by an English entertainment company)

 and the second was to the Zoo. 

 LEGOLAND was a lot of fun.  Like Disneyland every ride was made so that even Max could ride it. 

This was one only Max could ride!

 Max is our little wimp child, so making him ride some of them was challenging, but eventually he decided that he liked it all. 

That's the boys at the end of the roller coaster 

 Emma and Sam thought it was a little lame, but we made it fun.  The flying Ninjago were like mini airplane seats with wings that you could control.  They went up and down and around like swings, but if you flapped your wings just right you could turn a complete 360.  Rob got into a death spiral and lost loads of euros out of his pocket while doing it.  Sam also got a crazy spin on.  I refused to spin as going up and down and around were enough for this scaredy cat mom! I can't believe I didn't get a picture of it! 

This was a fun musical set that played music and shot water when you stepped onto the corresponding mats.  Very Cool!

We also found a pirate ship where you shot water at people with cannons

and they shot you back.  It was a huge pirate water fight.  One of the families in our ward went on the same day, so we met up with them to have it out!  We were completely soaked after that ride!  Overall, a great day, I think!

The zoo was nice. 

 Stuttgart, apparently is known for their zoo.

Having lived, recently, near the National Zoo in Washington DC, however, makes most other zoos look small.  I felt bad for the big animals that seemed to be in little enclosures!

We had a lot of fun watching the pelicans trying to pick up the fish.  

"Mine, Mine"

Who knew that they had no power in those huge beaks!  We also loved the giraffes and the eel.  They showed you the volts the eel was putting out and it was close to 200 over and over!

Part of the zoo are the gardens of King Wilhelm. 

We did the terrible American tourist thing and ignored our kids long enough for them to climb on the 135 year old trees. Of course we had a park ranger on us in no time, but surprisingly he was very friendly about the whole incident.  He sat down and told us how the whole park was protected by the state and how old the trees were and how it was like climbing on your great-great-grandmothers back.  When we tried to apologize, he waved us off and said, "I think as long as they understand why, then it will not be a problem anymore.  It is better that way."

  While at the zoo we learned about Pfand also!  Bring your cup back and get a whole euro back!  Yeah for Pfand!!

One of these days, these kids have got to go see a castle!

The Great Blog Catch-up: European Edition

We left on a Monday. 

 We had wonderful friends who took the day to help us make it to the airport in one piece!

We arrived on a Tuesday. 

I used to be able to sleep on planes.  Um, not so much anymore! 

We arrived around 8 am and got right to work.  We worked until 10:30 pm.  The next day we woke up at 6:30 am and went to the gym and then went right to work again.  It was a hard first day, but we didn't have any trouble with jet lag after that!

We have done so much since arriving in Germany 3 weeks ago.  We have signed everyone up for school next year, got shots and scheduled sports physicals, signed up for CYS and classes, toured the local hospitals,

got an apartment picked out, got German licenses and international ones, applied for jobs (Emma and I), and lots more.

We learned this word :Schnecken!  You have to watch out for them on the cobblestone road- they are every where!

We learned that they now have German malls!  Crazy!  They are still different than American Malls, though.  Right along side of the fine clothing is the butcher shop and the backeri and their is a fruit stand in the middle!   I loved it!

Not having a car has made it hard to enjoy much of Germany, so far.  We had 2 families in the ward that have lent us their cars at various times, so we have been able to go to church, visit the Ritter Sport factory,

 the Mercedes museum,

 the Strawberry festival

 There were all kinds of street performers including a couple of kids juggling the soccer ball.  They were amazing!  Max is coming back from putting coins in their hat!

 and downtown Stuttgart.

This is outside the New Palace which is now used as government buildings, so you can't tour it.

Maxwell turned 8 while we were here in the hotel.

Joe got a new bike the same time as Max.  They both needed a new one.

 It had been raining like crazy for days and his birthday was no exception, so we went to the bowling alley

Max got third!

 and then to go see Epic, the movie.  It was certainly Epic!

  The next day we went to an indoor pool. 

Swimming in the rain!

 Emma said her poor American mind had been blown, but I have to say that I was fairly impressed.  Over half of the German's had learned that speedios are not the bombdigity!  But seeing 1/2 of them in speedos and little kids running around butt nekked and having only one dressing room for both males and females was just too much for her!

  The pool had diving boards and a climbing wall that you jumped off of into the pool.  Neither Emma nor I were able to even pull ourselves out of the water to go up the wall!  Rob and Sam went all the way to the top more than a couple times. 

This last week we have settled down and have lots less to do.  It has been a challenge to keep the kids busy and happy and not have their brains running out of their ears while they stare mindlessly at video games and TV.  We love going to the USO-

 they have free soda and cookies and they let us borrow videos without even having to check them in or out.  We also play greed (dice game) and golf (card game) downstairs.  We still don't know when we will get into our apartment (they are patching and painting and cleaning.)  That will be our next big project- once we get in.

Today we got our van!  We are so excited to go see Europe now!