Spring Break Week 2

 We took the train to Frankfurt on Monday since everything else was closed being it was a holiday. We walked the shopping strip and then made our way through the historic area to the waterfront. After an ice cream break, we strolled over to the European Central bank and then caught the Ebbelwei-Express. This is a touring street train that serves traditional Hessen apple wine and juice as it takes you around the city. We were able to find seats together and enjoy the sights. Along the route, we discovered an area for dinner, so after our tour, we boarded the normal street trains and went back to Sachsenhausen for a traditional German meal in a biergarten. 

Tuesday was a transition day as Eric returned to work in Sweden and we caught our breath from the holiday weekend. 

On Wednesday morning, we toured Mainz. The weather was a little cool, but perfect for sight-seeing in the city. Unfortunately, our lunch experience in the main town square was rotten as our food was never delivered and our waitress wanted us to wait another 10 minutes after we already waited over 45 minutes. Then when we tried another restaurant, they were closing for the afternoon break as we just missed the lunch hours. We decided to return home as the girls were tired, but then we picked up Doners on the way home and this made up for our lunch disaster. In the end, this was good timing as an afternoon thunderstorm began as we were sitting down for our late lunch.

 

We spent Thursday morning cruising the Rhine River. The temperatures were cool, but it was good weather for a boat ride. We snacked on our bakery treats  along with some warm beverages to take the morning chill away. Our boat also had a small slide and few ride on toys on the top deck, so the girls played while we enjoyed the scenery. We departed at St. Goarhausen and strolled through the little town. We then caught the train back to Rüdesheim for a late lunch. We enjoyed our traditional German meals of sausage with sauerkraut, pork knuckle, schnitzel, and asparagus as it is in season.

Happy Easter

Our morning started early with the Easter egg hunt that began in the house and then continued outside. The girls had a fun time hunting for their eggs and discovering their baskets in the morning sunshine. They each selected a Peep for their first treat from their baskets. 

We were able to get ourselves ready and out the door in time for church with all of the morning excitement. The family church service was very enjoyable and it good to see the church filled with many families and visitors.  

When we returned home, we snacked on some hors devours while my Mom and I prepared the meal. and managed only to bump into each other a few times.  We noticed Emmie also kept munching on goodies from her basket throughout the afternoon. She would occasionally  pass by the basket, put her hand in  it, and then continue on what she was doing while munching on a sweet treat. We kept dinner simple so we could enjoy the afternoon. The ham, along with the side dishes, turned out delicious. It was wonderful having loved ones around our large table for Easter. For dessert, we enjoyed an apple Torte specific to the Taunus area and a chocolate mousse torte which were both from the local cafe, while Emmie picked out another Peep to have. 

The girls also wanted to have an egg fight, so we all picked out our eggs. Unfortunately, the girls' eggs did not last long as they cracked on the first strike, but I  chose a strong egg and was declared the winner after breaking a few egg tips. Afterwards, washers was played late into the evening. Eric and Adeline were on a winning streak against Ray and Jorge. When the candles burned low, it was determined the night was over, even though the competition was still strong.

We wish everyone a Happy Easter!

Bus Trip

Saturday morning began with a trip to the market and bakeries as we had to stock up on food for Easter dinner and the following day since the stores would be all be closed by mid afternoon today. By the time we left the downtown area, all of us were carrying a filled bag and the girls had already consumed their lunch as every place we visited, they received a special treat. 

In the afternoon, we took a bus trip to Königstein. The ride is double the time it takes for us to drive it, but the view up the hill and through the towns is nice. We strolled through the pedestrian zone with its timber frame houses before walking up to the castle ruins. 

We headed up the hill to the ruins from the 12th century castle to begin our exploration. Once again, we had a nice view overlooking the Taunus hills. The girls liked peeking in the dark and damp rooms. Ray, Eric, and the girls climbed up the tower for an even better look over the area.  When we returned down the hill to my Mom sitting on the park bench, she told us she listened to the church organist practice for Easter Sunday service as the church was directly across from her.

After a few minutes on the playground and a short stroll through the park, we ended the afternoon with an ice cream cone before boarding the bus to return to Hofheim.

Good Friday

"It is a good day for us, but a bad day for Jesus," said Adeline and Emmie throughout the day. They have been very interested in the days leading up to Easter from the resurrection eggs I created. The daily egg hunt with a surprise object hidden inside each egg was a great way to help them learn about the various events leading up to Easter Sunday as they were anxious to discover the object and then hear the bible passages that went along with it.

The weather was great as well, so we took full advantage of the sunshine and warm temperatures. We barbecued some small white fish we did not know what they were, but there was a huge assortment at the store, so we figured they had to be good. Eric found many recipes for them when we informed him the lady could not translate what they were. The Schollenfish were very tasty and we then learned they are a common fish in the European waters during the late spring which is why we had not heard of them before.

In the afternoon, we went on a walk. Our first stop was to visit the wild pigs in the forest and feed them. We then continued up the hill to the church where Mom and Ray could look out over the surrounding area. We finished our walk at the Meisterturm. The girls played,  while we enjoyed some refreshing beverages in the Biergarten.

In the evening, we decorated our Easter eggs outside. The air was warm and it was still light out for us to be doing this project on the picnic table. It worked out well, as Ray warned us about my Mom dropping at least one of the eggs.  Sure enough, the second to last egg, she dropped and caused dye to splatter on a few of the other eggs. The girls liked the new polka dots on their eggs.

Spring Break Week 1

We arrived back in Germany early on Monday afternoon to begin our first week of Spring Break. The taxi's thermometer indicated it was already 70 degrees outside and it was only lunchtime. We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and warm air.

Unfortunately, Emmie came down with a fever overnight, but she still wanted to play quietly outside on the picnic blanket with her dolls while I cleaned on Tuesday. It worked out as it was very enjoyable to be outside again since it was another warm and sunny day.

Wednesday morning we first did our shopping in preparing for the holiday weekend. The stores were going to be closed for Friday, Easter Sunday, and Monday.  I gathered as much as I could so I would not need to be in the store on Saturday as I was informed the stores are hectic then. Adeline thought it was funny that I needed two shopping carts for the food. We managed to find room in our basement storage for the food, which was good, since the weather was going to be warm all weekend.

Later in the morning, we met up with Uschi for morning drinks. It was a pleasant visit sitting outside the cafe. She then accompanied us around the market as I picked up my specialty raviolis I ordered from the Noodle lady and a few other items we needed for the holiday weekend.

Thursday morning we ventured to the airport to pick up our first visitors from across the pond, my Mom and Ray. We managed to find our way through the huge parking structure and then waited for them in the arrival area. While we were waiting, we conversed with a man from India while he was also waiting for someone. He offered the girls some excellent lemonade he brought with him. It was made by Coca-Cola in India and was very tasty. The girls gulped it down quickly. Soon we spotted our travelers in their heavy clothes and ran to greet them. We found a simpler way back to our car and piled in for the ride home. We made a few stops around town in the car to pick up the reserved baked goods and fresh fish as I did not want to walk with them home in the warm sunshine.

Thursday afternoon it reached 80 degrees and we were happily swimming at the Rhine Main Therme while Mom and Ray were taking a break at the hotel.  It was a perfect pool day as the water is heated so we enjoyed being outside in the sunshine in the warm water.

Kronborg Castle

Our morning started off being treated like royalty at the Hilton. We were seated at a table over looking the atrium and then Eric ordered us pancakes and waffles even though they were not listed anywhere on the buffet. He remembered they offered this earlier in the year, so when he asked, they were happy to make them for us. When we were served them, the other guests just looked on in awe. 

We stopped in Boulangerie, a local bakery, before our trip to the Kronberg  Castle began. The small bakery was filled with wonderful small treats. We ended up with a more baked goods then intially planned, but I do not think we will be disappointed.

 We then boarded our train to Helsingborg. The hour train ride north was nice as we got to see different architecture and the coast along the way. We then departed the train and boarded a ferry to Helsingor, which is where the castle is. The girls had fun on our 20 minute ferry ride over to the Danish city even though it was windy. It was really neat to see the castle as we were approaching the dock.

We walked along the town's edge and out to Kronborg Castle. The girls skipped through the courtyard which is famous for the setting of Shakespeare's famous tragedy Hamlet. We enjoyed our bakery treats before the castle tours in English began. Our first tour was in the  dark Casemates. This was under the castle where the soldiers lived during the time of war. It was very interesting to learn about their lifestyle and the legend behind their large hero solider and national symbol," Holger the Dane".

Our next tour took us through the castle apartments. The girls enjoyed seeing all of the furniture and accessories within the rooms. While we were in the Knight's Hall, which is the longest hall in Europe, the girls were dancing to some music going on and managed to find the one loose Swedish marble tile in the floor that rattled every time they floated across it.

The day at the castle was very interesting and a good history lesson on the Danish and the importance of the waterways to their wealth.

We boarded another ferry back to Sweden. This time the girls choose to sit inside along the windows for the four kilometer trip. We then stopped in the little town of Lund for dinner and some more sightseeing. We returned back to the hotel with sleepy girls and packed up as we were leaving first thing in the morning.

Copenhagen Denmark

Even though it was cool and cloudy when we were in Copenhagen, we still made the most of our city visit. We strolled along Stroget, the world's longest pedestrian street with a wealth of shops from budget friendly chains to some of the world's most expensive brands.  I did fall in love with a sundress from a Swedish retailer I saw while window shopping in Malmö, so that was our first stop of the morning when I saw the same company store in Copenhagen. After my purchase, we then discovered the Lego store which was a good break from the light drizzle coming down. 

Our tour continued out to Nyhan Harbour. This area is quaint with the sailboats lining the boardwalk and the colorful small buildings. Since it started to sprinkle, we opted to sit inside one of the tiny restaurants and enjoy some warm beverages and a Danish pancake. 

After warming up, we were ready to venture around town and do a little more sightseeing. I cashed in my NCAA winning prize at the Hard Rock Cafe. My cheeseburger and french fry meal satisfied my cravings. 

Around the corner from the resturant, was the Tivoli Gardens. When we first entered the gardens and amusement park, there was a marching band coming right in our direction. After they passed, we were able to stroll through the gardens and around the amusement  park area. The girls picked a carousel ride and bounce ride for them to have some fun on. We had fun time watching a group of young guys compete in various old fair games. Our favorite one was watching them try to break the dishes on the various shelves to earn points.

Our day concluded with a train ride back to Malmö and some treats in the hotel room.

Malmö Sweden

The afternoon started out good as the Frankfurt airport security agents allowed us girls to use the first class/business line instead of the waiting in the long econonmy line to be screened.  We passed with a breeze, but Emmie's Goo-goo Baby received another check-up. The agent was very kind and informed Emmie her baby doll was in good health after running the test in the little room off to the side.

A little later, we first boarded the packed bus which then took us to the airplane. We found our seats quickly amongst the businessmen. Since the flight was a short, we enjoyed a drink and snacked on a little piece of cake before landing. Upon arriving in Copenhagen, we walked through a long corridor of stores before arriving to the baggage claim area. We passed more stores in this airport than in our local mall. Eric quickly spotted us and we were on the train to Sweden.  The train traveled on the Öresund bridge and it had a great view. As soon as the train is back on land in Sweden, a large blue Ikea could be seen within the distance. 

When we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, the girls discovered the treats the hotel had put together for them waiting in their room. Emmie went for the traditional Swedish candy, while Adeline immediately opened up the coloring book.  Eric and I enjoyed some sweets from the fruit and candy platter they had prepared for us. The view from our room out over the city was gorgeous. We could see the Turning Torso, water, and unique architecture.

While it was still light out, we followed Eric through the pedestrian area and nearby city streets. He showed us the various venues he has enjoyed eating at or the interesting Swedish architecture he discovered along his runs. At the main train station, there was an entire barge in the small canal dedicated for just bikes to be parked at. I could estimate that over 500 bikes could be parked here on a given work day and Eric commented that during the work day it is packed, along with the numerous other bike racks lining the station and nearby areas. It is very interesting to see the nice bike paths along the streets and sidewalks for one to get around by and how many people do utilize them. 

We stopped for dinner at Anytime, where Eric frequents weekly. They reserved a table for us in the window. The girls watched the pizzas being made and put in the brick oven as the kitchen could be seen from the bar area. We enjoyed our meal and the cozy atmosphere and then strolled back to the hotel. We topped the evening off with some delicious pear cider and a few more sweets.

Circus Fischer

The weather brought much needed rain early in the week. I think we have been battling with allergies these past few days due to the high pollen count. A heavy wind came through on Monday evening and Tuesday morning, our white car was completely covered in yellow petals and the sidewalk to school was showered with small pink flowers. With the cooler temperatures and rain on Tuesday, we were feeling better and could breath without the medicine by the evening.

Our neighbor, Karolin, and Adeline surprised us with lunch on Wednesday. Adeline was with Karoline after her school let out since I was still in school. Karolin and Adeline finished Adeline's homework and then they cooked spaghetti and set the table while they waited for me and the two little ones. When I arrived at their house to drop off Henrick as I had picked him up along with Emmie from school, Adeline was so excited to surprise me with what her and Karolin had been up to. It was a very nice lunch for all of us to have together and converse about what happened in school that morning.

Wednesday afternoon, I took the girls to a circus performance here in Hofheim. The small tent was sent up in a little field just on the outskirts of town. When we sat down in the cheap seats, we were only tour rows away from the ring, but Adeline was quite nervous about not being able to see the show. It was not a problem as there were only about 75 people in the entire audience and no one sat in front of us. After every few acts, the girls moved up a row, to get a better view. At intermission, I initially paid for what I thought was the miniature pony ride, but was the circus animal viewing area. I could not see the pony rides anywhere, but I spotted the wrestling tigers in a cage. We quickly went back into the tent and here the girls rode the ponies around the ring numerous times since there was no waiting line. 

At the start of the 2nd half, the girls were sitting ring side. I was a little hesitant with them sitting ring side since they also had the "gentle" Bengal tigers and there was no cage to be seen around the ring area, plus we had not seen them perform yet and then they brought out the lit torches for the acrobat to swing around with her feet. I will just say I said a few quick prayers as there was no room for error in this tent.  Emmie loved watching the performing horses. Adeline's favorite parts were the acrobatic girls with their hula hoops and the little comedy acts. With only the horses performing in between the comedy acts and acrobatic stunts, it was still a fun small circus. Overall, it was a good afternoon outing with the live entertainment which brought much excitement and many smiles.

Friday morning, Adeline had two and half hours of school before her two week Easter vacation begins. This works out great as we are leaving in the afternoon to fly to Copenhagen and then take a train to Malmo, Sweden and see exactly where Eric has been hanging out on his current project this past year.

2 Weekends in a Row

This weekend was another unusually warm and sunny weekend. We again made the most of it. Since Eric would not be joining us till later Friday evening, we met up with Sarah in downtown Wiesbaden. We had a fun girls afternoon strolling through the Easter market and enjoying our torte selections from the historical cafe. 

 On Saturday, we drove to Kriftel Park. We were probably the only ones driving with bikes in the trunk as we passed many families riding their bikes. This gave the girls an opportunity to ride their bikes and get more comfortable with operating them compared to trying to learn on our hilly streets. It was interesting watching Adeline explain to Emmie how to ride her old bike. Emmie is still getting used to balancing with the bigger bike, but by the end, she was slowly coasting down small inclines.

Sunday after church, we picnicked with the Paix family at Viktoriapark in Kronberg. We met Kendall, Rachel, Lucia, and Charlotte through church. Charlotte and Adeline are the same age, so they are  in the same Sunday school class. The picnic was great with food and conversation. It made us laugh to hear the girls discuss what animals they have seen in their backyards since they are from Australia. This was a first for us hearing someone speak of kangaroos, wallabies, and kookaburras outside their house windows. Emmie thought it was neat when Lucia and I sang the kookaburra song together. We tried to explain to Adeline what bush was, but I am not so confident she completely understood. Charlotte also encouraged Adeline to climb a few of the magnolia trees we were sitting near. She was a little hesitant, but then had fun doing this. On our way home, we drove through the grounds of the Schlosshotel Kronberg to catch a glimpse of the beautiful castle. 

Always something to do

With the weather changing to warmer temperatures, I spent Monday evening swapping out the girls winter clothes for their spring and summer clothes. The girls had fun trying on their summer dresses and twirling around the room during this hour. Fortunately, majority of them can be worn above the knees this summer, so I just need to go shopping for some shorts to go with them.  

Adeline's school is participating in a sugar free morning snack program till Easter. They started it about five weeks ago. At the beginning, it was fairly easy to give her sugar free or natural sugar snacks like in fruit, cheese, etc. When the children eat a healthy snack they get rewarded with a sticker to add to the huge campaign board. However, since then, I have given her a German fruit filled granola like  bar and a waffle with jam on it for her longer mornings at school. Her teacher has informed her that these contain sugars which are not good for her, so if she eats it, she does not get rewarded. I questioned then what else do the kids bring in besides fruit, vegetables, and cheese. Her response is pretzels, the American white bread, and pizza with cheese for birthday celebrations! I just shook my head. This is one battle I am not going to win and I will have to cut fruit or vegetables every morning till it is over with.

 Wednesday morning, Adeline was geeked as she only had two hours of school. The children that will be attending school next year visited the school, so the current students had a short day. Unfortunately for her, she had to come to class with me. My teacher was happy to have her participate in class. It worked out too, as my teacher was able to help Adeline with some of her pronunciation homework since I cannot do this.

Thursday morning, Emmie's class took a trip to visit a house designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a famous Austrian architect, in Bad Soden. The class is learning about architecture and this is a popular house for one to visit. Click for Hundertwasserhaus picture I was waiting for them to return to the school, when the city bus came around the corner and all of the children were smiling and waving to us moms as it drove pass. It was a priceless moment. Emmie informed me she had breakfast at the park and they had to take three different buses to get there. I am not sure she understood exactly what they were supposed to see, but it was still an adventurous morning for her.

In the afternoon, Adeline attended Lily's Easter party. Lily's mother also invited Emmie since one of Emmie's classmates would be attending. The girls had fun decorating the real eggs her mom had dried out and making easter cookies amongst the other activities she had planned. In between my afternoon agenda, I was able to enjoy a few moments of the warm sunshine with a magazine while the girls were away.

Highs in the low 70s

We are not complaining about the spring weather and we are very happy the weather has been so  nice.  It is amazing the amount of wild apple and cherry trees in the area as we can note where they are  since they are blooming. It is simply beautiful with so many trees blossoming and the girls find it delightful when it "snows" pink petals. We are enjoying the weather with barbecued meals and outdoor activities.

After basketball on Saturday morning, we packed a picnic lunch and visited the Opel Zoo. It was a great visit as the warm weather had the animals out frolicking around or sunbathing in it. Emmie was excited to visit the hippo and Adeline liked the ponies. My favorite was the giraffe exhibit and the bonus part was they had three giraffes which were born earlier this year. The girls also had fun feeding a few of the animals. We completed our afternoon with a stop at the ice cream parlor.

After church on Sunday, we picnicked in Bad Homburg. The city has a large Kurpark, a landscaped park with garden designs, paths for walking along, and a spa and other fitness within it to allow one to get a refreshing experience while being in a natural setting. After lunch, the girls had fun dancing in the fresh spring air and picking the wild flowers. Unfortunately, the miniature golf was still closed, but we did find a playground for them to monkey around on.

In the evening, we caught up with our March Madness brackets. Eric tried to get the games so we could watch them both and not know the game outcome, but when it came on, they were interviewing Butler, so that spoiled the first Final Four game. However, we did have fun cheering on Kentucky verses UConn. Both girls picked Kentucky and I had UConn, so it was a fun and loud time to the buzzer cheering for our teams. Eric said I should have entered a real bracket contest since I picked UConn winning it all during the Sweet Sixteen round. I guess he was right this year. The girls are looking forward to my selection of a restaurant  for my prize as I am picking one that serves a nice Sunday brunch, plus American style pancakes from what we have been told.

Just Testing

On Monday afternoon, Adeline really tested out her new bike and the workmanship of her dad. She coasted to downtown Hofheim and put the brakes to their ultimate test on a few hills. After a few trips around the block while Emmie was in dance class, she was comfortably riding her bike home and is looking forward to our next bike adventure.

On Tuesday, Adeline was given a math worksheet to be done at home within a time constraint. She was a little nervous with an entire page full of equations, but was ready for the challenge. I set the kitchen timer for ten minutes as we were instructed to do and she worked away. After six minutes and 58 seconds, she exclaimed she was done. Adeline had answered all 80 addition and subtraction equations correctly. She told me what to write at the top of her paper to let her teacher know how she did. 

Another trip out with the Nature class in the sunny warm Wednesday afternoon was good, but also brought on another injury for Adeline. This time the children where walking on a big stone path and Adeline tripped and fell. Her right hand on the interior side had two gashes on it. Her teacher used a bay leaf  to clean it a little bit while they were out walking. Adeline's describes her injuries as a big eye and little eye. I managed to clean them up when she got home and then my neighbor, Karoline, who is also a nurse, let me use some cleansing solution for a hand bath since we did not know if any little dirt pieces were still present in the wounds.  Fortunately, she only had a little bit of coloring homework left, so Emmie finished this part for her in the early evening.

Thursday morning, I bandaged up both of Adeline's hands before she left for school. When she came home from school, she said her hand was okay to write with and this was good, as they had just been given a cursive tablet to keep at school for their writings.

Since we are now officially in Spring season, Eric took the car in to get the winter tires removed. on Friday morning. This is a good sign to accompany the warm temperatures we have been having all week and I can switch out the cold weather clothes with the warm weather clothes very soon. The downside is our farmer neighbor is back to starting his old tractor at 7am to go to the fields.