Maxer

Max was star of the week last week and this is his poster all about him:

Green is his favorite color.  He loves the various foods on their, especially mashed potatoes!  His favorite book is Asterix and Obelix.   I love that they love something I loved as a child!  He likes outdoors, winter and Christmas and his family.  He is a sweet boy who will give back rubs and comb mom's hair and give hugs and kisses whenever anyone needs it.  Of course he will also slam his brother to the ground so hard I have to watch for concussions.  He is great at math, but needs a little extra help in reading.   Mostly I think that is because he likes to just guess at words instead of doing all that work to sound them out.  His teacher said that she has never had to move his clip to a different color (other than green- I wonder if that is why green is his favorite color!?)  I told her that she would see some crying if she ever did have to move it.  Max does not like to be wrong!!
Max has lots of friends.  He got extra treats one day from the bus monitor and when I asked him why, he said he helped out by volunteering to sit next to someone that nobody else would sit by.  He talked with the boy too instead of just playing his gameboy or whatever on the way home.  (They have a 45 minute bus ride.)
The other day was the children's program at church and he sang his little heart out.  He sat right next to the teacher and kept tabs on the whole program so he wouldn't miss his part and when it was his part, he got up and said it all without reading, because I told him that I expected him to do that.  Love that kid!

1 in 5 ain't bad, right?

When we got here, I got a calling into the RS Presidency.  I haven't been in RS much, ever, so it's a new experience for me.  Top that off with learning about the Stuttgart area and trying to remember any German in my brain and not knowing anyone in the ward.  Then put the cherrie on top that we had to go back on emergency leave soon after the call.  It's been kind of a tough road.

 I am in charge of the monthly activities.  For my very first activity I left early, so I could set up and ended up arriving 1/2 hour late to the activity.  I hadn't factored in the stupid Stuttgart traffic- it's as bad as D.C. traffic!  I was seriously bummed, because it was the getting to know you activity and I missed over half the people's presentations.  A person that is in charge of getting people to teach stuff to others, really should know what people like and are good at.  It's always helpful!

My first time teaching- we were out of town.  Yep, so far the President is really excited that she has called me to be her counselor.  I'm either not there or not helpful!

Finally, I made it to Super Saturday and this time with decorations and fun stuff.  Yeah me!

We did a class on Thai cooking,

 Mexican cooking,

 photography, living in Germany (taught by a lady who had lived her over 11 years and a German sister who had married an American service member), pendant making

Super cute advent calendar pendant or

celebratory triangle pendant

 and crocheted headbands.

Emma went in not really knowing how to crochet and came out in two hours with a finished head band!

  We also had travel tip ideas to England and Amsterdam and a table were they could chalk board paint something.  The crochet class was full of people who didn't know the first thing about crochet. 

These ladies were some of the few that actually knew how to crochet to begin with.

 I came in 1/2 hour into it and there were a few that still didn't have the concept of a slip knot. 

See our cute instructor helping the teenagers out!

 The teacher was wonderful and stayed all three hours for anyone that wanted her to.  Most of the class stayed for 2 hours and then about 1/2 of them stayed for the last hour as well. 

 Afterwards we had mexican food, salads and desserts for lunch.  It turned out fabulous.  My enrichment leader that was just called did a great job.  I am seriously lucky to have her.  I could give it all to her and she would do amazing stuff, but then I feel guilty, so I have to do something.  This time I came up with the decorations.  I decided on a superhero theme for super saturday. 

 I spray painted a bunch of boxes black and put squares of yellow on them to look like buildings and then I used my boys superhero toys to help decorate.  

We put superhero symbols on cups (just google superhero decorations and you come up with all kinds of fun stuff you can download!)  This was the food table, so it looks a little bare without all the food.

Homemade marshmallows, pumpkin bread, hot chocolate and OJ, since we started at 9 am.  My enrichment leader thought it would be a good idea and I agreed!  Smart lady!

and I made signs for all the classes  that turned out super cute!

  I don't know if anyone noticed or got it, but I think it was still worth it!

Sunday I had to teach, since I switched (see above paragraph.)  We have been fighting the stomach bug in our house (actually the whole Stuttgart area is fighting it!)  I decided to try and fast anyway. It actually felt really good not to have any food in my system.  Unfortunately, at the very end of Sunday School I started to get all shaky and light headed.  I quickly broke my fast and ate a hand full of nuts.  Those didn't quite take effect by the time I had to start teaching.  I could barely stand, let alone try to put pictures up.  I was shaking like a leaf and on top of that I was crying at everything.  Rob asked me what kind of things made me cry.  I told him- everything- the word "the" made me cry!  Seriously, it was embarrassing.  No one likes to listen to a blubbering idiot!  About half way through the lesson, the nuts kicked in and I was fine.  The ladies are wonderful here and really tried to help out by thinking of anything and everything they could to share and in the end we went over time.  I don't think it came out very coherent, but we did have at least one a-ha moment, thanks to our wonderful President.  (Our lesson was on Peter's sermon on making our calling and election sure 2 Peter 1:3-8)

So far my score is 1 good thing in 5 months.  That's not too bad for a newbie, right? Not if you factor in the living in a new country and a new culture and all.  (Too bad most of them know that it's not really new to me!  Darn those getting to know you activities!)

How I made $4 buying pants

I love how my brother never lets his wife get away with saying that she saved him money by buying something.  He always says, "Cool, let me check the bank account and see how much it went up!"  Obviously, you don't save or earn money while you spend it- except for me!  Yep, that's right, I have a gift!  If only I used it more often, we would be rich!

While we were in Garmisch- oh so long ago- we went to the PX there and they were having a sale on their Jack Wolfskin and Columbia summer things.  It was the end of the season, after all.  I found some Jack Wolfskin capri's that were originally $58 for 30% off- not bad.  We also bought Emma this Jack Wolfskin hat (I think it was also 30% off and originally around $30).

We got a whole bag of other things like shampoo and candy.  Our total was right around $50.  Hmm, I thought.  I looked at the receipt and there were no pants on there.  I took it back and the lady thought I was changing my mind about the pants.  "No," I informed her, "I didn't pay for them.  I need to pay for them."  She was duly impressed that I took the time to bring them back and pay.  She looked over the receipt and said, "No, you did pay for them.  They are right here, see?"  Sure enough, there was the number code from the pants on the receipt next to some thing that said $8.  Now I am no mathematician, but I can tell you off the top of my head that 30% of $58 is not $8!  I tried to argue with her, but then she explained with some complicated assumptions that if I wanted to return the pants, I would get $4 back.  I can't even imagine how she came up with that number!  So, in the end, I walked away with a pair of very nice pants and at least $4 more in my bank account.  I'm telling you, if it happens again, I am dubbing it my super power!

It was a Niece Visit

How do you fit Rothenburg, Ramstein, Hohenzollern, Triberg, Stuttgart and Munich all in a nice long weekend?  You have a niece visit.  Cramping their style is a bonus!

Curtis and Jordan visited and we visited with them.  We ran to Rothenburg with Max and Joseph

while Emma stayed home and made tons of money bagging at the commissary and Sam had football practice.    We started by coming in the wrong entrance- at least according to Curtis and Jordan. 

It looked like the main entrance to us.  Their entrance looked like the main one to them.  Hmm... I wonder if anyone knows which one is the main entrance?

  We walked the wall and noted all the names on it. 

They were people that had donated money to rebuild parts of Rothenburg after World War 2 ended.   We went to the crime and punishment museum

Joseph throwing vegetables at Max 

Max getting him back 

Now it's time for Jordan and Curtis

and got tired of seeing instruments of torture- which was perfectly acceptable to help the guilty admit their wrong doing.  After the witch trials, it went out of favor, because people were...wait for it... confessing to stuff they didn't do, just to get the torture to stop.  Shocking, I know!  My favorite, though were the shame masks!

  I really think we need a few more shame masks! 

 We also visited the church,

 tower, 

gardens

Joseph and Max showing you on of the hobbit doors that were all over the town

 and Christmas house. 

We tried the Schneeballen that Rick Steve's described perfectly as bland bits of pie crust dusted with sugar. 

 It tasted more like "Taco Bell cinnamon twists that have stayed in your closet for 2 weeks" as Jordan put it!

Saturday while Curtis and Jordan toured Nurenberg we had Football at Volgeswey 

 Sam on the tackle in the backfield!

Rob got roped into helping!  Sam lining up to receive kick-off.

which was beyond heartbreaking as they lost in the last minute of the game!  We went to Ramstein afterwards and indulged in Chili's chips and salsa, buffalo wings, entrees and Molton Lava cake.  All the things we don't usually get and hate Ramstein for having- while I couldn't even get hamburger or 1% milk at my commissary! 

That's right, we hate you Ramstein!!  But man do we love you when we get to come over for a visit!

Sunday we watched some conference and then headed to Hohenzollern castle.

It was shrouded in fog.

You couldn't even see it when you were in the top parking lot.  The climb up is steep, but it was well worth it.

Hohenzollern is an amazing castle!  It is quite medieval and has wonderful military advantages!

It did get successfully sieged once- after 10 long months of starvation.  Only 32 people survived in the castles.  They let us take a "royal stroll" inside with red capes on and very large shoes to help with preserving the floors.  They let the boys try on the chain mail shirt and try to fight with wooden swords.  Very cool day! 

 We give it two heel clicks- way up!

The kids had to go back to school Monday, so Rob and I took the visitors down to the Ritter sport museum and watched the truck bring us chocolates

Come on little truck, bring papa some chocolate!

Oh man!  Marzipan?  I don't like Marzipan!

Luckily, Jordan and Curtis do!  Don't worry, it brought us some other kinds as well!

and fed them cocoa beans (yuck!) and then loaded them up with chocolate to eat the rest of the time or take home (None of it would make it home, if we had bought it!) We then went and saw the pumpkin festival and gardens at Ludwigsberg palace.

This year's theme was sports

 Look at that alien pod and those snakes!

 So cool!

Translation of sign:  Germany's largest Pumpkins

The marchengarten (fairy tale garden) is an amazing place.  It's meant for children, but we are children at heart.  We rode the swings and the boats

and played in the maze and crossed over ponds with spitting frogs.

We also wandered in beautiful gardens and into fake deteriorating castles to yell at Rupenzel to let her hair down.

Rob was going to climb up and get her

Tuesday we ran down to Triberg in the black forest. 

It has the largest waterfall in Germany which was beautiful!

It has the largest cuckoo clock in the world, which we never found.  And it has lots of cuckoo clock sellers! 

Jordan and Curtis bought one from Oli who is the best.  Us- no way.  I am not a big cuckoo clock fan.  I like the non-traditional and non-traditional runs a pretty penny!  Of course, because of Oli, I can now tell you what is a good cuckoo clock and what isn't!  They also have red squirrels everywhere, but we never saw any of them.  Curtis even bought them some nuts, but they still wouldn't come out and see us.  But we did get to see an actual nutcracker!

We found out his limits of how close he was willing to come to us and get a nut!

Finally we took them to Munich and bid them adeiu after totally cramping their style there.  The parking situation was horrible!!!  Never, ever drive and expect to park in Munich- take the train!!  We followed one sign that said there was over a 1000 parking spaces free.  We expected it to be a parking garage.  After following the signs around and around we finally decided it was all a big joke on tourists! There were no parking spaces and no parking garages. It took us an hour and a quick turn around over 3 lanes of traffic to secure a spot after we saw someone leave one.  Then it cost us 50 cents every 12 minutes.  Not much time.  We wandered around the Marianplatz, saw the outside of the Residenz and saw the Glockenspeil- do absolutely nothing!  Don't know if it only goes off at noon or what, but it sure didn't go off on the hour or the half hour!

We also saw a beautiful church all done in white and gold with amazing 3d details!  What we saw, definitely didn't make up for the drive and the stress of trying to park, however.  I think we will avoid Munich in the future!

These are a few places I have been meaning to see, some of which I would have had a hard time convincing my family to go to (Triberg for one!) so in the end, it was definitely a Niece visit!