The Weekend

So Saturday I didn't do much really... I did laundry and worked on some things around here. I was disappointed with myself for not being adventurous as my goal for the weekend was.

Today I made it to church on time and without any trouble. Relief Society and Elders Quorum were combined today since it is the 5th Sunday. I sat next to Dana who translated the first half and then gave up in the middle. It was fine though. The rest of church was good. I met more people... I don't remember any of their names. After church I got on the bus to come home and realized that it was going the wrong way but we only went a little ways before it looped around and headed home. Nico had a friend over from church this afternoon... his mom came over and helped us make dinner and we all had a lot of fun cooking and talking while the boys played. After dinner Koko, Patrick and I were talking about this week and I found out that I have Friday off so I have my first long weekend. I originally thought that I would go over to Switzerland to see Jon and Mr. Hercules but after talking about it for a bit it didn't make sense to do this weekend. But then Patrick told me about this cool thing that German Wings does... it is called blind booking where you pick the dates you want to travel and the region you want to go to but you don't end up knowing for sure where you are going until you actually book the flight. So I was looking into it and Skyped my family about it. My parents encouraged me to do it... so this weekend I am going to STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN! I will be there Friday through Sunday!!! I am so excited. It is really nerve wracking but so exciting at the same time. So I don't think my life gets more exciting than that for the time being. I have class in the morning and really have to go to sleep... pictures will be posted tomorrow for the triobike and my church building.

Beautiful Day

Today was absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies and warmer weather. Other than that nothing is really new. I picked Nico up from school, did homework, got Finni, and went to violin group. After we got home from violin we finished up Nico's homework then went out in the backyard to play soccer. It was really cute because Finni doesn't really know how to play so he thought that if you were the goalie it meant that once you had the ball you could pick it up and run with it to the other side and throw the ball into the goal. It was really cute trying to explain it to him. Also I would have to hold Nico back to give Finni a fighting chance to get across the yard. Once we had been playing for about an hour and a half we were cold so we came inside and had some hot chocolate. Then we made puzzles and played with other toys until Patrick got home. We kept playing a little longer then I came upstairs to check facebook. Dinner was a curry stir-fry that Patrick made and it was really good. After dinner I did the dishes and Koko put the boys to bed. I had my weekly Skype date with Amanda... it was really good to talk with her. I had updated my skype today so it was nice to try it out. I am not sure what I am doing tomorrow but I know I have to do some laundry... I might try and go into Koln tomorrow just to explore a little bit. I am also going to try and catch up on some photos. Now I am going to sleep.

Almost Legal

So I forgot to publish this last night but here is what happened yesterday.

This morning I had an appointment at the visa office that Koko went with me to. Apparently it was the smoothest visa application Koko has ever been through. The lady was very nice and we had all of our paperwork. Near the end of the meeting the woman turned to me and started asking me questions in German. I looked over at Koko who had a slightly panicked look. Apparently I am supposed to already know some German in order to be an Au Pair. Koko and the woman discussed thoroughly that I am currently enrolled in classes. The woman thought that it was something they would consider. But Koko doesn't seem to worried so I am not going to stress about it.

Finni was sick again today so when I got home from my visa appointment Patrick left for work and I got to hang with Finni. We listened to a lot of audiobooks and watched the birds in the bird feeder. We went to get Nico from school in the TrioBike and Finni fell asleep. Nico remembered his homework today which was a very good thing. We worked on the homework when we got home and Finni layed on the couch... he ended up falling asleep again. I thought that a nap would be good for him. Nico and I finished homework and played for a bit before Finni woke up and wanted to draw. We drew and played with Playmobil and listened to music until Patrick got home.

I came upstairs to continue some research I have been working on all week. Finni yelled up to me to let me know that dinner was ready. When I got downstairs there were McDonalds bags on the table. Koko and Patrick had used the coupons they were saving. After dinner it was time for bed. I came up and got to talk with mom and wish her a Happy belated Birthday. I also told her about my last few days. I love that even though I am on the other side of the world I still get to talk with my family every night! I don't think I could have come all the way to Germany without Skype!!!

Sick Day

This morning I was woken up by Patrick at about 7 to let me know that Finni was sick today and could I watch him while Koko did the morning run... starting at 7:40. I said that it was fine and went back to sleep after setting an alarm for 7:30. At 7:20 Koko came upstairs to let me know that Finni was going with her to drop off Nico but that she would be taking him to work with her afterwards and bring him home later in the day. So I turned off my alarm for 7:30 and reset my usual 9:00 alarm.

I ended up getting up at my usual time and having a usual morning. The phone rang and it was Koko. She had talked to her boss and would not be able to get away after 10:30 so I needed to pick up Finni and the TrioBike from the UN University. I finished getting ready and headed out to the train. I made it to Koko's building without a problem. I checked in with the security office who called Koko and said that I could wait inside. I got a visitors badge and went through the metal detectors to the lobby. I ended up waiting in the lobby for a half an hour. Koko had gotten stopped by a coworker and had been trying to bring Finni to me the whole time. She explained where to find the bike and that it would be easiest just to head straight to Nico's school from the office.

Finni fell asleep on the ride over to the school. I waited in the school yard for Nico to come out. When he did we checked his backpack for homework and again he "forgot" it. I asked him to run upstairs and get it from the classroom. (I needed to stay with a sleeping Finni and the bike.) Nico ran off to the back door of the school... but was back unusually fast. He explained that he couldn't find it. After asking a few more questions I found out that he hadn't even gone in the building. We will have extra homework tomorrow because I knew that by this time the teacher is gone and the whole floor is locked.

We headed home and once we got there Finni had woken up. He wanted some noodles for lunch, to listen to the CD his grandma had made of her reading stories and then to draw. I happily accomadated his requests because Nico was determined that Finni have a "fun" sick day. After drawing Finni just wanted to cuddle on the couch and look at the birds in the bird feeder. We all went upstairs to play with the electric car track and then it was time to go to soccer.

We were on time for soccer practice... in fact we were early! It made me very happy to know that I am getting used to the timing of how long it takes to get places and how long it takes the boys to get ready to go anywhere. Finni had brought a book to play with before the practice but then wanted to watch Nico's soccer practice. Patrick called to let us know that he would be home when we got there after practice.

When we got home I emptied the dishwasher then got ready to go out. My plans with Dana got changed from Thursday to tonight. So I hurried and got ready because I also stopped and got my visa photos taken at the Haupbahnhof. I told Koko and Patrick where I was off to and they told me to have a good time. When I got on the train I let Dana know that I was on my way.

When I got to the station I got my photo taken care of before anything else. Then I met up with Dana and we started through Bonn. We went to this Mexican restaurant that is Dana's favorite. We started off with her favorite Moctails and then got to talking while we waited for our food. We are going to be really good friends! We have a lot in common and even the things that are not shared interests are still fascinating to talk about. The food was good... I had ordered a Chicken Burrito.... which was more like a barbecue chicken wrap but it was very tasty. After we finished eating and talking we headed back to the train station. She asked if I was planning on taking the bus again on Sunday which I am... she said that we could ride the same bus and that she would let me know what time it was leaving ;) I am not going to get lost this week! I caught the train back home and talked to Koko for a few minutes before coming up to get ready for bed.

Tomorrow is my Visa appointment that Koko is going with me for. Then I have to rush back to make it to my German class but I know I can do it! I will have the report tomorrow night.

TrioBike!

So today I got to ride the TrioBike with the bucket on it. When I headed downstairs to go get Nico from school I noticed that his bike was still in the garage but that Koko had left the TrioBike for me. So I decided that I would try it. It is quite the contraption. I will take a picture of it and post it here so that you can understand what it is. But it is a bike that doesn't have a front tire... instead it has this bucket with 2 tires on it so it is kind of like a backward tricycle. Anyways... it is weird to ride because the handlebars of the bike are attached to the bucket and so the bucket is directing. Also there is no suspension on this thing so bumps are really tough. The last thing I noticed about it was that if there is any slant at all you feel like you are going to fall over because you are biking sideways. It was really easy to ride over all though.

When I got Nico at school everyone was fascinated by the TrioBike. Parents and kids were asking me all sorts of questions about it. When we got home I made some lunch and we worked on homework. After homework we went to get Finni a little early because he had asked me yesterday that I try getting him around 2 instead of 3. It went well... he didn't give me any trouble but he didn't get his afternoon nap on the way home from school. I guess the TrioBike isn't the same as the buggy for sleeping? We played for a little when we got home then got ready to go to Finni's gym class. Nico brought a deck of Dinosaur information cards with him so that he could play with them while we waited for Finn to be done.

After class Martina came by to finish cleaning the house but started with the kitchen so I wasn't able to start working on dinner for a while. Finni had curled up on the couch and asked me to read him a story. We ended up reading 4 Curious George books, Peter Rabbit, One Fine Day, and Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?. It was a lot of reading but the boys enjoyed it. After I finished the Dr. Seuss book I went to start working on dinner. (Spaghetti, Marinara Sauce, and Sausages) I asked the boys to help clear off the table and set it. Nico jumped right up to come help. After a few minutes I went looking for Finni to see why he wasn't helping when I saw that he was asleep on the couch that we had been reading on. Nico helped me finish making dinner. Koko got home and set the table and put Finni to bed. Patrick was at Bishopric meetings so it ended up just being the 3 of us for a candlelit spaghetti dinner.

After dinner I cleaned up while Koko and Nico practiced the violin. I came upstairs and started watching Monsters Inc. (I have been watching all the Pixar movies with Commentary because all the Pixar movies at home are on VHS and now that I have them on DVD I get to see them with Commentary!!! I am such a geek but I am loving it... next are all the classic Disney movies with Commentary) I also got to talk with my mom and dad tonight! It was good to see them both.

I am now going to finish watching Monsters Inc. and head to bed. I am hopefully back on track with my blogging.

Catching Up

So there is something about 11 posts... I can never seem to get past it. In all the blogs I have ever had 11 is the death of them. So sorry about the delay on my last week's report.

So Wednesday and Thursday were nothing special. Except that on Tuesday night Nico's bike got a flat tire on the way home from Finni's gym class. I didn't realize what was wrong with the bike until we got home because we both had to walk our bikes the rest of the way. So on Wednesday and Thursday we were on foot. Patrick wasn't able to fix the tire until Thursday night so for the 2 days the I had to pick up the boys from school and take them to their activities via the train and walking. Finni was not happy with the situation because he is never a fan of walking. Thursday evening Nico had a playdate at a friend's house and Patrick was home on Thursday because he had night duty on Wednesday so he had the next day off. He ended up going to pick up Finni from music on Thursday and also getting the Trio bike from the shop. Thursday night Koko had meetings and so she wasn't home until late and Patrick worked on the bike tire.

Friday Koko went to London for the day for some meetings. I was in charge of the morning routine. Patrick had said that Nico's bike tire was fixed so we didn't have to take the train and walk to school. So in the morning Nico got on his bike and I was pulling the buggy. We got across the second set of tracks and Nico started saying that he couldn't ride his bike anymore. He hadn't wanted to ride in the first place that day so we had a talk about how it was a good thing to ride to school in the mornings and such... well then he showed me the front tire of his bike and explained to me that it was flat again. So we rushed home and I put the boys in the Trio bike... the bike was locked and I couldn't figure out how to release the brake so we had to rush to the train and take the train to Nico's stop and walk the rest of the way and then Finni and I had to hurry back to the train to go to his school. Finni was such a trooper... he walked the entire way! I was so proud of him for not being upset about it. As soon as I dropped of Finni at school it was time for me to get Nico and drop off his backpack at home and pick up the violins. We took the violins on the train to get Finni. Luckily Linze had e-mailed me the instructions on how to get to the boys' violin group via the train and bus. We went straight from picking up Finni to violin group and made it on time in fact we were a little early. (While we waited I got my toes smashed by a big wooden bench that fell over and my big toe now has a major bruise but that is beside the point.) We came back home after violin and Patrick got home soon after.

Saturday was a wonderful day. I got to sleep in and work on my stocking and watch a movie. I came downstairs and hung out with the family for a while and Koko asked if I had any plans for the day. I told her that I was going to go into Bonn and pick up a few things and explore a little on my own. She said that was great and was glad that I was not afraid to get out on my own. She said that the family was actually heading that way soon and I could ride my bike with them so we could all ride and chat together. Bonn is not really so far but it took about 20 minutes biking. They dropped me off right next to the Haupbahnhof and pointed me in the right direction of the pedestrian area. I spent about 3.5 hours just wandering around in stores and got a Rindwurst at a stand. It was so much fun. I headed back to where I had locked up my bike and decided to take the train back home... I had no problem navigating the station even with my bike. I was very happy with my first adventure into Bonn. I skyped with Natalie Saturday night for about 2 hours... I hadn't talked to her all week and had so much fun catching up!

Sunday was interesting. My alarm failed to go off again... I am still figuring out my phone alarm. The boys were being loud downstairs which woke me up thankfully. So I hurried and got ready and came downstairs. Patrick and Koko were getting the boys ready and explained that it was ward conference this week so church wasn't going to be until 10 instead of 9:30. But Koko was going to take the Trio bike if I wanted to take the train I should start heading out. So I went over to the stop but I had missed the early train which was going to be fine. I caught the next one to the Haupbahnhof and found my bus. When I was on the bus I knew that it was supposed to take about 20 mins and I knew the name of the stop I was supposed to get off at. Well there are sometimes when I really hate the German language because I heard the system announce my stop... I got off and by the time I looked around and realized it wasn't my stop the bus was already gone. And since it was a Sunday the bus only came every hour. So I looked at the route and saw that I was 12 stops early... so I started walking. It took about an hour but I finally made it to church and was only a half an hour late. I couldn't see Koko or the boys in the congregation so I sat in the back while listening to the translation headset. After the service was over I found Patrick who asked me where his family was... I had no idea and hoped they were at home. I also got to talk with Dana and we made plans for later in the week. I met Jackie who is in charge of YSA and she said we will have activities in a few months once she gets back from her internship. I headed to the train and got to talk with Yves who was on the same train with me. When I got home Koko and the boys were eating lunch... Koko hadn't felt so good and had decided to stay home. The rest of the evening was really relaxed. Koko, Patrick and I had our parents meeting to plan the week. I talked to Natalie for a few minutes and called Mom and Dad to wish them a Happy Anniversary.

Yesterday I had German class and it is going really well. The teacher is nice and the other ladies in the class have taken me under their wing. I get to sit next to Coreen who is from my ward and there is another lady named Mary Ann who is really nice as well. The teacher understands more now why I give her a look of confusion and fear whenever she talks to me in German... she hadn't realized that I have only been in Germany for 2 weeks. The teacher says everything in German then explains in English and repeats it in German again for us. After class I stopped at the post office and headed into Bad Godesberg since Monday is the day that Nico gets out of school late I had some time to kill. I stopped at a convenience store to get some survival snacks for the week. I got the boys from school as usual and then we played together before heading to Nico's gym class. When we got home the cleaning lady was here and I was about to start cooking when Patrick got home with tons of groceries and took over. I skyped with my mom in the evening for the first time in days because the computer at home has been on the fritz. I filled her in on my week and she told me about how the kitchen remodel is going. We also discussed what I can do in my freetime because I don't want to get my counter cross stitch dirty but can't buy any books since they wouldn't be able to make it home. Our solution is looking into a Kindle... so I have been doing some research on that last night and this morning.

I will hopefully be better about writing... Things just got a little busy last week and I was exhausted in the evening when I usually update my blog. So hopefully a report on today will be coming tonight!

Getting the Routine

Yesterday I got to sleep in! Koko did the morning routine with the boys so I got to sleep until around 9. I woke up and worked on some homework. I went and got Nico and we played and listened to music, had pancakes for lunch and did homework. When I went to get Finni he was not pleased that I was there to pick him up but we had to get home. He threw a fit and cried 90% the way home. He ended up falling asleep as we got to our street. I did not wake him when we got home... he got a nap yesterday. Nico and I skyped with Linze for a bit. Then it was time to take Finni to psyomotorik so i had to wake him, he is such a sound sleeper that it was nearly impossible to wake him. We went to the class then came home and I made dinner, chicken nuggets with rice and sweet and sour sauce for Koko and I. I thought it was a creative way of making kids food more grown-up. Then I got to talk with mom on skype and hear about the kitchen construction. Then I went to bed. My days are finally settling into a routine which is really nice.

Things are Looking Up!

Yesterday was soooooo relaxing! My phone alarm didn't go off in the morning so Patrick came up to make sure I was breathing. There wasn't enough time to get ready before heading to church so I got to sleep in. Yesterday was all about me relaxing and feeling better. I worked on coloring my counter cross stitch pattern all day. I also talked to Natalie most the day which was awesome. When the family got home we all just did our own thing and then the home teachers came over. They were really awesome... it is a father and son who are from Colorado. After they left we had dinner together and had more birthday cake with ice cream. We had our family meeting in the evening and we talked about this week and I also asked about the possibilities of me going home for Natalie's wedding. They looked at their own calendars and started looking at flight options! I called my family to let them know and we booked a flight! I am going to be in Utah for 4 days in May!!!! I get to see my baby sister get MARRIED!!! I am so excited!

Today was amazing. I wasn't kidding when I said that things were easier with Koko here. Everything in the house just runs so much more smoothly. Koko was doing the morning run but when we figured out that I needed to sign up for my german class today around the same time we decided that I would go with Koko and the boys to school then Koko would get me settled in my own class. The morning bike ride is so much easier when I don't have to pull the buggy. We decorated some cupcakes really quickly at Finni's school for his class to have for his birthday then headed to my lesson. I got all registered and went up to my class and found out that my hometeacher's wife is in the same class. I am so glad that I have someone that I know in a way. The class was really good we learned the german alphabet. I actually participated in class and was not afraid to make mistakes which is a first for me! (I think that going back to school next year is going to work out well as a side note, I have been worried about it but after today's class I had the realization that I have changed in the last year.) After class I came back home and worked on my counter cross stitch. Then I went to pick up Nico from school and we talked and played games the whole way home. Once we got home I turned on my iTunes while I made grilled cheese sandwiches. We had so much fun! We worked on homework then went to drop off a library book before picking up Finni. I had let Finni stay a little long today at Kindergarden because he always hates leaving and with his birthday being this past weekend I thought why not an extra half an hour to play. When we got to the Kinderhaus he still didn't want to leave so I gave he and Nico a few more minutes to play. I picked up the buggy and we rode back home. Finni fell asleep as usual and Nico and I continued to play games till we got home. My favorite game that we came up with today was that everytime we saw a train we had to decide where it was going and what the people in the train were going to do once they got to the location. Nico's best today was that there was a train going to Guam and the people were going to eat pancakes. Nico had psyomotorik class today so Finni and I dropped him off and Patrick picked him up. I made dinner that was sausages with some noodles and carrot sticks. Koko got home just after we had sat down to eat and Patrick had gone to a work dinner. After dinner the boys practiced violin and we had day 3 of birthday celebrations with cake and ice cream!

Birthday Party!

So today was Finni's Birthday! I got to sleep in until about 11 then I went downstairs to help get ready for Finni's party. The cake was in the oven and so I helped Koko put together the party favors. In the favors we were putting some stickers and tattoos that I was cutting into smaller groups. Finni saw the tattoos and wanted one for himself. I guess he has never had one of the temporary tattoos so we did his on his arm and it was Pirates of the Caribbean. I also helped Finni put together the boat for a playmobil set we got for the cake decorations. Koko and I talked and worked in the kitchen while the boys had their violin lesson in the other room. While the cake was cooling and the boys were getting dressed I was in charge of decorating the house with balloons. The cake had cooled down enough for me to start decorating right as the guest were arriving. I got to meet all of Finni's friends and their parents. Koko and Finni had already made the frosting for the cake earlier in the morning and had everything they wanted on the cake so all I had to do was put it together which was very easy!

Once the cake was ready to go we all packed up and headed for the train. All together there were 9 kids and 3 adults. We took 2 different trains and a bus to get to the swimming pool. There was about a 20 minute wait between the trains and the kids were so energetic that I tried to think of the games my dad played with us in those situations but the kids were not interested in the "Elephant Game" so they played tag on the platform and the adults were the linesmen. When we got to the pool the kids all changed into their swim gear and I walked with them into the pool area while Koko and Patrick changed. I was not going to get in the pool because I am getting over being sick. I was designated as the photographer/wrangler. I got to sit on the side and take photos while counting the children... it was actually a lot of fun to watch them. There was a party helper who played games with them in the pool. They played for an hour and a half then we all went and got the kids back into street clothes so that we could do the cake. I went out a head and put the finishing touches on the cake as parents arrived to pick up the kids. We all sang happy birthday and the kids devoured the cake. Koko and I didn't get any pieces because the kids literally ate all of it. After the cake was gone and we had cleaned up the parents offered to take us home so we split up into different cars and got rides home.

After we got home Patrick ran to the store to get some things for dinner and started cooking. We had breaded chicken, spicy pasta noodles with pesto sauce, and salad. Finni's friend from next door had come home with us after the party and stayed for dinner. We skyped the grandparents in Utah while we finished up dinner and Finni finished opening his gifts. Then it was time for bed so I helped clear the table and talked with Koko for a bit before coming upstairs. I skyped Natalie for a bit, then talked to my parents and then got to talk to Amanda! I have missed Amanda so much. It kinda felt like our before bed chats because it is so late here... I don't know what I would do without skype in my life.

Here are some photos of the swimming party and the cake...

The Flu?

So I am a day behind... but yesterday I had the flu! Seriously? I woke up feeling lousy with a cough, stuffy nose, and my head felt like it was the size of a watermelon. Because I didn't have a fever I took the boys to school. When I got back I took a nap until it was time to pick them up. I went to get Nico and once I got there felt incredibly dizzy and nauseous. We made it back home and then picked up Finni. We headed to violin group lesson and we found it without much trouble which made me happy since I had only been there once a week ago. I had to bribe Finni to play with the group. When the lesson was over we headed home... we got lost 2x on the way home, go figure. Once we were home the boys were playing with magnets and then the door bell rang. It was the little girl from next door who had come over to play. So I just had to keep an eye on the 3 of them. They were all speaking german while they played so I had no idea what was going on really... I asked Nico a few times what they were playing and apparently they were hiding from ghosts. Then we went out in the back yard to play and Patrick got home. He asked how I was feeling and told me I was officially off duty. I came up to my room and watched a movie and just relaxed talking to Natalie off and on. Patrick came up to let me know that there was food if I wanted to try it. I went downstairs and found out that Koko was home. She gave me a hug and thanked me for making it through the week. I nibbled on some food and then came upstairs for my skype date with my mom. I got to talk with my mom for an hour... We weren't able to really talk since Tuesday. We finished talking so that I could go to bed but as I went to close out my computer Andres got online. I haven't talked to Andres since I left Florida! We talked and caught up for an hour. I have missed him very much! I now have a sticky on my computer screen with all my skype dates for the next week! I love my friends so much for taking the time to talk to me and keeping in contact since I don't have a U.S. phone with me here.

Victorious!

Yesterday I was able to bike the entire route in good time. After dropping off Nico, Finni and I continued on to Kindergarden. For the uphill parts I was literally saying "I think I can!" After Finni got dropped off I went into Bad Godesberg to get the buggy repaired. I was an hour early so I went and had breakfast at the bakery and then sat in front of the bike shop until it opened. I came home and made an omelet for lunch then went to get Nico. I made lunch for Nico and worked on homework. We went and picked up the buggy and then Finni. The boys played and then I made dinner which the boys refused to eat. I talked to Katie and my sister last night!

Starting to be Adventurous

So this morning we made it to Nico's school on time! Then we took the train to Finni's school. After I dropped him off I decided to be big brave and strong and head into Bad Godesberg on my own. It is just a short walk from Finni's Kindergarden. I needed to get a pillow and a birthday present for Finn. After that I stopped at a bakery for the first time because I needed to eat some breakfast... I got a croissant and some orange juice and it was delicious. I got back to the train and headed home before picking up Nico. I picked up Nico and we did homework, I gave him his surprise that he has been working for a few days, and then made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. After lunch we skyped my mom and dad in Utah for a few minutes while it was working so that Nico could finally meet them. We took the train to pick up Finni because it was raining. When we got back home we skyped Koko in Japan for a while while I made the boys a snack. We played for a while with their new transformers. The cleaning lady came over and started working on the house. Patrick called and said that he was not going to make it home in time to take Nico to soccer... so we all got on our bikes and headed out. We got to the practice and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to stay or not so I decided to stay and watch. After soccer it was pouring rain so we all got drenched riding our bikes home. The cleaning lady was still working and was in the kitchen so we had to wait before I could start making dinner. We played a little and once the lady said she was done in there I started on food. I made milk soup (that Monika showed me at Disney) for dinner because it was something simple and easy that I thought the boys would like it. Finni refused to try it so I just gave him the macaroni part with some butter and salt but Nico said he would give it a shot. After 2 bites he declared that it was too sweet and that he wanted what Finni had. Patrick however finished his bowl before me and then ate the rest of Nico's. So there were no left overs of the milk soup. After dinner I started on the dishes but Patrick quickly took over. I came up and got on my pajamas and now am talking with my sister on skype!

First Day Alone

So I didn't blog last night... yesterday wasn't really my day. It was my first day on my own taking the boys to school and their activities. We got going in pretty good time in the morning but were still about 5 minutes late to NIco's school. Patrick said that it wouldn't be a big deal because it was our first day. Then on the way to Finni's school my legs hurt so bad that I had to walk the bike with the buggy for the last stretch and then most the way home. I came home and took a nap for a bit after talking to Kiran on google talk! Then I went and picked up Nico and made him lunch. Nico and I worked on homework and played with magnets. It was raining when it was time to pick up Finni so Nico and I decided to try the train. We figured out that Finn's school is at the 3rd stop. We got home had a snack and did the other side of Nico's worksheet. We took Finni to his Psychomotik class and Nico played with his Bionicles. After the class we came home and started to work on making dinner when Patrick got home. He suggested that we make fish sticks, salad and fries. Patrick had to go to Bishopric meetings last night so I was in charge of getting the boys ready for bed. It went well and Patrick was running late so I just told the boys to try and sleep. When Patrick got home he woke the boys and read them a story. I talked to mom last night. It was hard because Patrick was in the rumpus room next door and you can hear everything in this house. So I tried wearing headphones and talking softly but who know what he heard? Anyways. Today is going well and will give the report tonight.

First Day of School

We woke up this morning pretty early because it was my first day taking the boys to school. Patrick stayed home from work today to make sure that I remembered my way and that all went smoothly. We dropped Nico off at school first and then raced over to the Kinder Haus to drop off Finni. Nico rode his bike along side us but on the sidewalk and I rode the bike pulling Finni in a buggy. Talk about feeling the burn, by the time we got to Nico's school my legs were sore. Patrick introduced me to each of the teachers at both schools so that they know who I am and that I only speak English.

After we dropped off Finni we went over to Bad Gosdesburg to get me registered at the police. We waited a while and we just talked about movies... Koko and Patrick are always asking me about Pixar and movies (it makes me happy that they take an interest in something they don't avidly support and I try to ask about their interests too but I will need to practice). The actual registration didn't take long at all and a got some welcome to the area coupons that are good for 6 months. As we were walking back to our bikes I stopped to take a picture of the castle ruins at the top of the hill. Patrick noticed and said that we had time to walk up to them if I wanted to. So as to not let an opportunity pass me by I said that I wanted to see them. We hiked up the hill and Patrick told me that the castle just celebrated it's 800 anniversary and showed me all the different views from the top... we could see our house 4 miles away even through the fog.







After we got back into town Patrick took his bike on the U-Bahn because his back tire was flat so I was on my own to get the bike with the buggy home. It went well. I realized that going my own pace is a lot easier than how Patrick pushes the speed. I am sure that in a few weeks I will be able to keep up with the buggy. I got home and laid down for a little because my legs felt like they were alternating between jello and lead. Then it was time for Patrick and I to go pick up Nico at school. He thought that Nico got out at 12:30 but we figured out quickly that it wasn't until 12:45. So Patrick showed me where the bakery next to Nico's school was because we needed more bread. I was a very good girl and did not get any pastries though Patrick said that it was a habit I should start early in my time here. I figured that if I start going to the bakery this lovely work out program they have me on here will have no affect. Nico was very excited to see that his dad had the whole day off and proceeded to tell us about his day at school.

When we got home Nico played while I made pancakes for lunch (he asked so nicely and sweet talked me into it by saying the waffles I made the other day were his favorite). Koko called on Skype to finalize Finni's birthday party plans for Saturday with Patrick. I got to act as a tie breaker about where we will be going. Picking up Finni was un-eventful the boys were tired so Nico gave a little fuss about going with us but didn't want to stay home then Finni fell asleep in the buggy on the way home. The way home was a lot easier on the bike... I guess I had just been able to warm up by that point. At home Nico showed me his homework which I am completely lost on as it is all German. He thought he was pretty cool for knowing more about his homework than me.

As soon as homework was done we got the boys ready to go to Nico's psycho motor skills class which is essentially "Little Gyms" which was fun to watch Nico run around with the instructor. Patrick and I left to go find where soccer practice is going to be on Wednesday so Finni stayed at the gym to watch. After the class Nico and I went home and Patrick took Finni with him to get alphabet noodles for dinner. I played with the boys while Patrick cooked, he made soup for the boys and an awesome salad for us. I did dishes while the boys practiced violin then it was time for them to go to bed so we said our family prayer they gave me good night hugs and went upstairs.

Tomorrow I am going to be on my own for real this time and I am so nervous. I am sure we are going to be great... the boys are amazingly helpful.

A funny moment of today was that as we were getting done with violin practice I was telling Nico about how my dad used to practice with me just like his does. Nico asked if we could all skype my parents sometime because they are "nice boys now" I assured him that they were always nice boys but he corrected me and said that they get crabby sometimes but they are mostly good boys. It made me smile.

Wish me luck for tomorrow and keep me in mind as you drive 10+ miles and know that I am going to be biking that.

Making friends from Scratch!

This morning we got up and all got ready for church. We made the train my seconds, the boys' stuff was in a wagon and Finni was sitting on top of it all. From the train we got on a bus which took us almost to the church. From there we walked the rest of the way to the church building. As soon as I walked in the building Nico ran off to Primary and I was caught by a sister in the ward named Steffy. She immediately asked if I was the new Au Pair for the Merls. I thought it was funny that everyone in the ward saw me coming from a mile away. Steffy showed me how to get to Relief Society and had me sit between her and Dana. Dana came over and gave me a big hug and proceeded to translate relief society for me. The relief society lesson was supposed to be welcoming a girl into relief society because she just turned 18 but the girl was sick today and the relief society president was left to wing the lesson. Koko teaches a Sunday school class that is in English so Dana went with me. I was the only one who had scriptures in English so I did a lot of reading. Sacrament meeting was last and Koko took the boys with her to run to the office before she left for her trip today. I had to wait for a bit after sacrament meeting for Patrick to be done with Bishopric stuff then our home teacher drove us home. When I got home I had a text from Dana that made my day! I am excited to have a new friend here. Patrick and I started working on dinner. We made Lasagna from scratch and no recipe!!! It was incredible and so much fun. I had a lot of fun learning more about Patrick, his cooking experience and his mission. Once the lasagna was in the oven I worked on dishes a little and then Patrick told me to take some time to chill out before Koko and the boys got home. So I folded some laundry and then proceeded to take a two hour nap that ended with Finni waking me up for dinner. Dinner was great and then I did dishes while Koko finished packing and the boys played. Once the dishes were done Nico, Finni and I played with Legos! Koko left for Japan and we kept playing. Patrick helped the boys with their violin practicing then it was time for them to go to bed. I got to skype with my dad and my mom tonight. I am so glad that I have been able to talk to them every night. It makes the perfect end to everyday. I miss my family and friends so much and love talking to people back home!

Biking Biking and More Biking!

So today started off that I got up and got ready around 8. The boys were in the rumpus room next door watching Saturday morning cartoons. We all ate breakfast together, we had toast, chocolate chip bread, and blue berries. After breakfast the boys got ready and my orientation started. Koko, Nico and I all got on bikes, Finni was in the buggy and Patrick ran. We went through the park over to where Nico and Finni's group lesson is on Friday then back through the park and stopped at "The Pirate Park" which is a playground that has a ship theme. After we played for a bit we went over to Koko's work. When we got back home Max the violin teacher came over to give the boys each a lesson. After the lessons Koko and the boys headed to Bad Godesberg to get Koko's hair done before her trip. So Patrick showed me how I will be taking the boys to school on the bikes. I got to ride the bike that will be primarily mine when not pulling the buggy... it is called a trio bike. It has 7 gears and back peddling brakes. It was weird to be on that kind of bike again. We ended up in Bad Godesberg where the grocery store is and H&M. (After all that biking today Koko said that I probably did about 25 Kilometers which is approximately 16-18 miles.) We got back to the house before Koko and the boys so Patrick took a nap and I got to do a little facebooking and relax. When the boys got home Patrick and I started working on dinner... the boys had requested waffles so I was in charge of making those while Patrick made pasta and fresh sauce. It was a good way for me to get oriented with the kitchen and german ingredients. I helped the boys put away their drawing stuff and set the table. We all ate dinner together and talked. Koko offered to clean up because I had helped cook. Then I had an hour to hang out while Koko and Patrick put the boys to bed. Once the boys were down I met up with Koko and Patrick downstairs for our first meeting. We went over some basics and reviewed what we have done over the last two days. Tomorrow is church and planning meeting.

German Arrival

So yesterday I left Salt Lake on a flight for 7:10 am. This was the first leg of my adventure to Germany. However it was foggy so after de-icing the plane we sat on the tarmac for an hour. This exceeded the allotted time for the plane's de-icing and we had to get more fuel so we proceeded back to our gate to start all over. In the end we got off the ground... 2 hours late so it was a very good thing that I had been scheduled for a 5 hour layover in Chicago. Upon arrival in Chicago I found my gate, called my mom, and found lunch. The flight from Chicago to London was 7.5 hours. I sat next to some pre-med students who were going to study abroad for their last semester. I really liked the boeing 777... they gave us dinner, there was in-flight entertainment for free including new release movies. I tried my best to sleep on the flight to fight jet lag but only managed to get about 2.5 hours. The London Heathrow Airport is quite the adventure because you have to take a bus anywhere... a different terminal and even to your plane because there are not many "real" gates. I was one of the first onto my plane bound for Dusseldorf. It was a really comfortable flight with hardly any passengers. When I got into Dusseldorf I was able to find my luggage perfectly. Patrick, Nico and Finni picked me up from the airport. They had rented a car so all my luggage fit and we were able to talk the entire ride back to Bonn. Germany is a beautiful place with a lot of country, the city isn't nearly as large as I thought it would be. When we got to the house Patrick gave me a tour and put my bags in my room which is on the top floor which I will have pretty much to myself. The goal was to keep me awake to fend off jet lag until it was late enough to go to bed. We took the car into town and went to dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Then Patrick and Finni took the car back while Koko, Nico and I walked around the city center. We went in a few shops, a department store (which is a lot like department stores at home except for the basement which is more of a market) The main city center had a farmers market in it which was way cool... I guess that if you go late enough in the day you can get really good deals. I will have to go explore more again. Then we came home had the last night of Christmas I read a story and then Patrick put the boys to bed. I unpacked all my luggage and skyped my mom and sister! I am loving Germany so much and can't wait for my bike tour tomorrow.

Here are pictures of my room and the boys...