Quick Update

Es ist einige Zeit vergangen, dass ich wieder dazugekommen bin Fotos und unsere kleinen Tagesbegebenheiten zu posten, aber wir sind halt sehr beschaeftigt mit Auspacken und Ordnung zu schaffen mehr oder weniger und mit den Sommeraktivitaeten der Maedels.

Aber es sind ein paar neue Bilder in der Kamera und vielleicht komme ich heute abend oder morgen dazu. Also kommt einfach wieder hier vorbei.

Some time passed that i had the chance to post new pics or just to tell you about oir days, but we are busy with upacking and trying to organize this place here and with the girl's summer activities. - You don't get to muchwith all the kids home.

But there are a few pics waiting in the camera to be downloaded and I might get a chance to poste them tnoght or tomorrow. So just come back to us.

By the way -

Sandra & Stevie

Welcome Back in TEXAS for a little while.

We missed you.

Addition to the June '07 Mamas

The newest member of our BC June '07 Blogging Mamas is the Love Family with adorable Andrew. He has two big sisters, just like SOren, too. If you would like to meet them, just follow the link.

We hit the 4000s - YEAH

Just wanted to mention that our stats counter hit the 4000 and +.

A little note.

Partytime in the Park for NEVA!

Happy Birthday, NEVA !

We can not just pack and unpack all day long so we enjoyed an afternoon in the park and celebrated Neva's 7th birthday. The kids had lots of fun.

Wir koennen ja nicht den ganzen Tag nur ein und auspacken, also haben wir auch ein Nachmittag im Park genossen und Nevas 7. Geburtstag gefeiert. Die Kinder hatten viel Spass.

Geschenke - Presents

Soren liebt seine Geburtstagsgeschenke und auch besonders das Auspacken. Er hat von uns einen Teppich mit einem suessen Drachen darauf bekommen und den gleichen Drachen zum Kuscheln. Dieser schlaeft schon jede Nacht mit im Bett. Gluecklicherweise, da ich bisher die Kiste mit seinen Kuscheltieren noch nicht gefunden habe. Natuerlich wirde auch gleich mit seinem Wasserspielzeug von Oma und Opa geplanscht. Bella und Chiara haben fleissig geholfen.

Soren loves hois birthday presents and especially the unwrapping part. He got a rug for his new room from us wit a cute dragon on and the same dragon for snuggling. Which is already sleeping every night with him in his bed. Luckily. Because I didn't find the box with his snuggle buddies yet. Of course he als splashe with the water table right away from Oma and Opa. Bella and Chiara couldn't wait to help out.

s einen suessen Teppich

June 12th, 2008 - Happy Birthday, Soren!!!

Happy Birthday to you,

you live in a zoo,

you look like a monkey,

and smell like one, too!

Every other year we are moving during one of the kid's birthday, nothing new, you have to improvise, preplan or postpone. We are getting better and worse everytime.

Immer wieder mal ziehen wir gerade dann um wenn eines unserer Kinder Geburtstag hat, dann muessen wir halt wie immer improvisieren, umplanen und das feiern ein bisschen hinausschieben.

Birthday Cake Dilemma - Geburtstagskuchen Dilemma

On Thursday was Soren's birthday and of course everything went different as expected. We were stuck at the new house till noon, did some work there, but mainly were busy keeping Soren of the walls which were patched up and painted at a few spots. No room was absolutely safe, because it were all the corners and doorways that needed work.

The cableguy was supposed to come by between 1 and 5 and for that we needed all the equipment here. After a long day of moving on Wednesday those didn't make it in the truck and we headed back to the old house to get them.

On the way back we wanted to pick up a small ice cream and dairy cream. Dairy cream was under repairs and doesn't sale ice cream cakes here. We were too tight on time to run to the supermarket on the other end of town so we headed home.

leland suggested to bring one home, but I don't know how well a cake survives a trip on th eback of a motorcycle in the heat. Perhabs we should have testes it.

Luckily we found a cakemix in stock that didn't require the not existing oil, so we actually baked a pound cake as first cooking experience in the new house. Bad luckonly that the electric oven bakes different as the gas one we used to have. So the cake didn't get as high after loosing some of its bottom LOL.

Soren was my little helper emptying the just filled cabinet right there.

We even had icing and candles on hand, but of course all cake decorations, food color, sprinkles, ... were not even packed up yet and so we were short handed and used Gerber Joghurt Drops for Soren's itty bitty cake. And those were picked off first. LOL

Let's hope that the cake for his party turns our better! LOL

He was not very excited about the cake and candle part until of course I turned around and he had icing smeared all over his faces.

Natuerlich geht nix wie geplant und wir standen am Donnerstag ohne Gebursttagskuchen da mitten im Umzug. Wir konnten nicht einmal einen fertig kaufen, da der eine Laden um die Ecke zu war und wir sonst keine Zeit hatten ans andere Ende des Ortes zu fahren. Somit haben wir in unserem Chaos schnell einen gebacken und mit Baby Snacks verziert, da alles andere noch im alten Haus war. Wenigstens hatten wir eine Kerze.

We are still moving in and out

Das alte Haus haben wir fast fertig zur Uebergabe, noch etwas mehr schrubben, Garage ausmisten und den Garten bearbeiten (Rasenmaehen, Unkraut jaeten und meine Pflanzen ausbuddeln) und dann geben wir am Montag den Schluessel zurueck.

The old house is almost done, a little bit mores scrubbing, cleaning up the garage and taking care of the yard (including cutting the gras, deweeding the flowerbeds and digging out my plants LOL) and on MOnday we should be able to give back the keys.

Eine Woche zuvor haben wir noch gepackt und die ersten Kisten ins neue Haus gebracht. Jetzt sind noch viele Kisten auszupacken, aber eins nach dem anderem.

A week agao we were still packing and started to move the first boxes over to the new house. Now we still have to unpack lots of boxes.

Hier ist ein Foto von den Maedels nach der ersten Nacht hier unter Beruecksichtigung der Tatsache, dass beide jetzt ihr eigenes Zimmer haben.

Here is a picture of the girls after the first night here, just remember they both have their own rooms now.

Telefon - Phone - INFO

Our house phone is currently offline, so if you want to get hold of us call Leland or me on the cell phone (but I can't check my voicemail yet) or just email - new house just got set up by the cable guy.

Unser Haustelefon ist zur Zeit offline, wenn ihr uns anrufen moechtet, dann bitte nur auf dem Handy - aber meine Voicemail kann ich noch nicht abhoeren. Doch per Email sind wir auch jetzt schon wieder zureichen, das wurde gerade alles angeschlossen.

I think by monday the house phone is back up.

Ich denke, dass spaetestens am Montag auch das Haustelefon wieder geht.

Just a Picture

That's a Texas Evening!

Who says we have to work day and night and not enjoy a beautiful texas summer night?

Even the sky looked for a while it would storm any minute, the clouds disappeared as quick as they came and we had a nice BBQ at our friend's little ranch. The kids always love being there with all the horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots, goat, cows, ................. chickens and fasans, ....

Wer sagt, dass wie Tag und Nacht arbeiten muessen udn nicht einen schoen texanischen Sommerabend haben koennen?

Es hat zwar so ausgesehen als wuerde ein Gewittersturm kommen, aber das hat sich so schnell verzogen wie es kam und wir haben bei Freunden auf einer Ranch gegrillt. Die Kinder sind immer gerne dort und schwer zum heimgehen zu bewegen, kein Wunder bei all den Viechern.

Do you want to see the new house?

Curious?



Sorry, most of the pictures from yesterday are from the little damages and everything I have to document for our house inspection.

But I made one with the dining room/kitchen view - LOL . Nothing special.

And I do have to show you the kitchen. I am laughing now, because do NOT expect to see a dream kitchen with all kinds of nicknacks and or extras. No, but this kitchen is TRIPLE size from what we have now and we all could be in it at the same time including the cats, Bella noticed today. That's an immense improvement.

But I do love the bathrooms. They are just NICE.

Anybody who has see this place here will totally understand what I mean.



Most of the house is still empty but we brought the first boxes over while the carpets got cleaned and I made my kids work - all off them, before they get crazy ideas. Kidding, I forgot the speakes to the computer and the sound is not very loud especially not while the carpet cleaner are at work and then we ran out of power because I didn't remember in which bag I pack the power cord.

Die meisten Fotos die ich gemacht habe vom Haus brauche ich zur Hausinspektion, aber ein paar andere habe ich mitgeknipst, so dass ihr ein bisschen was zum sehen habt.

Soren's First Haircut

This little bugger is such a pro in getting a haircut! LOL

Soren was and still is sick, and especially fussy and clingy when we are inside at any house. Outside everything that bugs him is forgotten.

So on Monday I got a last minute appointment for him at the ped and no he is not getting any meds, nothing to do to help a virus infection much, but on our way home I thought it might be agood timing for my little bit quieter as normal baby boy to get his hair trimmed which already hot in his eyes.

So we stopped at Leland's barber shop lady we already met before and waited for his turn while he was pretty happy, no sign of being sick, played with water fountain, tried to catch Bingo, the dog and we got to hold itty bitty five week old kittens. Cute little things.

Then it was his turn and we thought we giveit a try to just sit him in the chair by himself. If I would have used the video camera it would have been a pretty boring movie. He sat there, once a while leaned his head a little bit more left or right and just sat there without making a sound, not even wiggling!

I have no clue about boy's hair cuts, but being in this community, I specifially said, please trim it and no military haircut. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

So after getting his hair trimmed, cut with scissors and razor Soren does surely not look like a baby anymore, besides the pacifier - but excuse it, he is sick - .

I think we still ended up with a pretty much a military haircut, just not so short, but cute.

Es ist schon ein bisschen spaet um das ganze in deutsch zu schreiben, dafuer gibt es aber jetzt Fotos.

June, 4th 2008 - Last day of school - missing chaos

One of our friends who got a real Moving - New Address Card, already said, I check your blog there is no chaos to see.


Here, especially for Dagmar, CHAOS and no end in sight.



Es hat schon jemand das Umzugschaos bei uns vermisst und das kam prompt, hat vor ein paar Tagen angefangen und scheint kein Ende zu nehmen.



Wir bekommen am Sonntag den Hausschluessel fuer unser neues Mietshaus und am folgenden Wochenende ziehen wir offiziel um (mit vielen Helfern hoffentlich, denn die Kisten sind zwar klein aber schwer - es gibt viele Leseratten im Haus!)

School is over, so I need to keep my kids busy and they were cleaning out borrowed plastic containers with the water hose. Doesn't it look awesome in my frontyard.

Irgedwie muss man seine Kinder ja nach Schuleende beschaeftigen und sie haben unsere ausgeliehen Plastikcontainer mit dem Schlauch sauber machen koennen.

Der Schrank war fast ausgeraeumt und schon ist wieder was drinnen sogar ohne gemweckert nachdem Soren die Tuer zugemacht hat.

Quick occupation of the blue Schrank after I finally had it halfway packed up in boxes. Soren was very amused and closed the door on him.

I wished all our stuff would just crawl in and out of the boxes by itself. I can help taping up. And no I am not talking about any bugs or spiders, permission to move with us DENIED.

Ich wuenschte unsere ganzes Zeug wuerde sich so von alleine wie die zwei ind die Kisten packen.

Das ist meine Lieblingskategorie von Umzugskiste. Sie hat Fuesse und kommt alle aus dem Kinderzimmer hinaus, vielleicht auch noch alleine in den Truck? Davon lass ich noch mehr kommen.

This here is my favorite category of moving box: it has feet and walks by itself out fromn the room to the truck! I have to order some more of those. Lots of them!

June, 4th 2008 - Last day of school - Midday

Es war dieses Jahr schon ein wenig komisch der letzte Schultag, denn viele Kinder werden wir nicht wiedersehen. Ein Grossteil unserer Bekannte zieht komplett weg und andere sind auch den ganzen Sommer nicht da. Chiaras Freund ist gleich direkt auf den Weg zum Flughafen. Da alle Klassen danach wieder bunt zusammengewuerfelt werden, ist es nicht absehbar wer wo und mit wem landet.

Fast vergessen:

Beide Maedels haben super Zeugnisse, keine Klagen und alle Erwartungen entsprochen und mehr. Macht weiter so!

It was akward and a little bit emotional the last day. Lots of friends are moving away, going to a new duty station or spending all summer out of town. Next school year all kids of each grade are getting mixed up and placed in new classes, so we will have to see and wait who gets which teacher and if there is an old friend in class, too. Germany works different the class usually goes up to the next grade together and sometimes even the classroom teacher stays for two years in a row.

Here are a few pictures from all the kids. Chiaras friend is already gone, but he might be back for a day in summer.

How can I get forget:

Both girls have fantastic report cards, no complaints, accomplished everything they had to and more. Keep going like that!

June, 4th 2008 - Last day of school - Morning

It was the last day of school and of course exactly on that morning we need to run to the store because I forgot to get the little packages of seeds with "Forget me not" all the days before for the teachers presents.

The girls put a lot of work in their little gifts and colored beautiful pictures with fabric crayons. Then we took those pictures and the wording the made up for each teacher (this year each of them had two in class) and ironed it on a canvas bag. The other side of the bag had four slots with clear plastic for photos, we took a couple of days ago with teacher and kid or kids - everytime I show up with the camera in school I end up with all kinds of pictures from kids I might not even know, we also added a little note and the flower seed package in those slots. The bags turned out really cute and are big enough for folders to take or just for grocery shopping.

Because projects like take are always last minutes ones I didn't take any pics.

One of the bags Bella made is already on a trip in Washington D.C., both classroom teachers left last Friday for an national award ceremony - you see both my kids have the BEST teachers from the whole school. LOL

I found three pics from last week the rest didn't turn out.

Heute war der letzte Schultag hier - tja in Deutschland dauert es noch ein Weilchen damit - und es war ein bisschen hektisch am Morgen, da war das letzte Detail fuer die kleinen Geschenke der Lehrer vergessen haben zu besorgen. Selbst mit meinen Listen, vergess ich die Haelfte zur Zeit.

Die Maedels haben fleissig Bilder gemalt, die wir auf Taschen gebuegelt haben und auf der anderen Seite in den Leinentaschen waren vier Pockets fuer Bilder und sonstiges aus klarem Plastik eingenaeht.

Hier ist man endlich auf wiederverwendbare Tschen gekommen zum Einkaufen anstatt all der Plastiktueten. --- Hat lange gedauert.

Ein paar Schnappschuesse habe ich dazu gefunden. Die anderen wurden nichts. Das ist ein Teil von Chiaras Werken, Bella hat super schoene Bilder gemalt.

Yummy!

We are getting ready to move ...

Die ersten Kisten sind gepackt und so langsam wird es ein wenig chaotisch hier. Dazu kommt das Schulende und da geht es eh immer rund um alles unter einen Hut zu bringen. Aber sonst waer es ja langweilig.

Adresse: Nein wir ziehen nicht nach Village in die New Place Lane, aber ich werde ja net unsere richtige Adresse hier posten. Falls ich aus irgendwelchen Gruenden vergessen sollte innerhalb der naechsten zwei Wochen euch die "richtige" Umzugskarte per Email zu schicken, dann meldet euch bitte bei mir.

The first boxes are packed and it is getting a little bit chaotic here. Also with the last days of school approaching everybody is busy. But if it is any other way, life would be boring, wouldn't it?

Adress: No, wir are not moving into New Place Lane, in Village, also we didn't change our names, but of course I am NOT posting our real address here online. If I should forget to send you the real moving card with the real address due to unknown reasons within the next two, three weeks just email me if we are already back online. LOL