In Germany

Hallo,

I realize I have been very mean to my very kind friends who have been waiting for a post. I'm sorry, Entschuldigen Sie! (excuse me). I will post more later with pictures but I just wanted to get something on the blog. As you can see the language is hard and I am not on vacation here. I am working long days. Everything is overwhelming. The two year old has just now gotten around to liking me so my days have gotten better. 

It is quite beautiful here. We eat outside a lot. Lunch is the big meal and dinner is light, just bread and cheese etc. We pretty much only drink water and apple juice, which is fine by me. The soda freaks would die (cough, Jessie). I've only been out of the house once to the grocery store. Very different, very much the same. I have never seen so many types of meat or cheese before, but they do have Uncle Ben's rice. When "Papa" showed me the milk, I was like "where?" no white gallon jugs here, just small blue rectangles. 

I have learned many random kid-friendly words such as: Easter Bunny, Easter Egg, Dog, hair clip, play, trousers, socks, hand washing, shoes off, No!, Stop!, Come here! etc.

My favorite part of the day is playing on the trampoline with the 5 year old. Eins, Zwei, Drei! Wheeee! (To be honest, I have not actually seen any of these words written down before, so they are coming as a surprise to me too. I am looking them up as I write, I've picked up everything from listening.) Hannah (5) and I had a great time today looking at a book. We found several words that are pretty much pronounced the same in German and English: fish, bear, shoes, mama, baby, papa. (and now I'm drawing a blank, sorry that list is not more impressive.) I can't really read their books unless they are in English, so with a German book I just pick it up and point to the pictures, if I know the German word I will say it or I'll just say the English word and act like I am "teaching" them, but really it is just me not knowing German. Hannah teaches me probably more than I teach her. 

I have enjoyed skyping with a few of you. Please more of you get skype, you simply Google the word "Skype" click it, it will ask if you want to download, say yes, and done. Assuming you have a mic. You can talk to me for free over the internet like on the phone, but if you have a computer video camera even better, but you don't need one. 

FYI the time difference is 6 hours, I'm ahead, I'll let you know if anything bad is going to happen that day. 

Tomorrow is Easter, we will be visiting "Papa's" family, Oma & Opa, aunts, uncles, cousins etc. They don't speak English. Lots of smiling and head nodding for me. And for whoever wrote "motormouth" at my party, you know this will be hard for me.