A little less scruffy

Tuesday afternoon, we took Bandit in for his summer haircut. When we arrived, the groomer had her shaver ready, but she quickly put it away and pulled out her scissors. She explained that if she used the razor it would cause his hair to frizz. 

I also learned that the hair around his eyes should not be trimmed as it acts as his sunglasses since his eyes are a light green/ blue color. I am definitely learning about this poodle part in him. We left him with her for about an hour and a half. 

When we picked him up, he looked more like a little lab again. We can see better now how his 30 pounds pans out. Unfortunately, he had another tick, but she removed it. The groomer said he was a really good dog for it being his first time. She offered some tick repellent, but I have some at home because he is due for another dosage tomorrow. 

He seems to have stopped growing, so we think this is about his height and weight. I am enjoying having a smaller dog, but at times I think he is only four months and not the eight months he will be in a week.

Off she goes

The day has finally arrived for Adeline's class trip to Gülle-Mühle. She was nervous and excited about everything. They spent last week in class making up the chore list, who would bunk with who and so forth. On Sunday, we managed to get all of her clothes into one suitcase and the towels and bedding in a bag.

We arrived 10 minutes early to the train station and made our way to the parking deck where everyone was meeting. Her friend, Clara, was also early and excited when she saw Adeline approaching. As more children arrived, the suitcases were gathered in the vehicles that would transport them to the camp. The sweet box quickly filled up with gummi bears, marshmallow shaped sweets, and cookies for the week. 

Once all of the children were accounted for, they buddied up and left the parking garage. Her teacher led them up to the main train station area to wait for the older class who would be going with them. They all waved their final goodbyes to the parents. The teacher covered the rules again before going to the track where they would board the train at 8:49 am. Adeline spotted us as we were watching them go, so she waved one last good bye. 

We told the teacher, no news is good news, so we are praying we do not get a phone call. We wish Adeline and her class safe travels, good weather, and a great time over the next four days. 

Hof Gimbach

We decided to set out a different way on our afternoon bike tour. Our goal was Hof Gimbach, which has two paths to get there as it is on the outskirts of the next town. The first is over the Taunus hills in the forest or along the streets. This time we also tested how Bandit would ride in the bike trailer. After looking at the map, we decided to go part way up the hill and then go around by the street. 

As we started to head out, Bandit found his way out of the trailer through the broken flap. After some engineering on the flaps, we managed to get them to stay put and Bandit could not push his nose through. Even though he whined, he stayed in the trailer. We did have to stop a few times, as he kept tangling himself up with the straps. Finally, we just let him be free and he gave up trying to get out. 

As we started to go an alternative way through the forest, we ended up on a mud path. Somehow, Eric managed to bike the entire route with Bandit in tow. Adeline and I walked our bikes as Emmie just stayed put on the Wee ride which was now attached to my bike. We made our way through the thick mud and then biked on the streets the rest of the way. 

Along the way, everyone would smile as they saw the girls biking with us, but when they saw Bandit in the trailer, it brought about laughter and many comments how great it was the whole family was together. 

We finally made it to Hof Gimbach over an hour later and were greatly rewarded. It was nice to sit down and enjoy the outdoors. The girls played on the playground before we headed back home.

For our ride home, Eric pulled Emmie and Bandit in the trailer. We took the route through the forest. There were a few hills Adeline and I walked up because they were very steep, but most of the ride was downhill. We made it back to our house in under 40 minutes. 

When we arrived home and were putting the bikes away, we could not keep Bandit out of the trailer. Every time we took him out, he would walk around the trailer, jump back in and lay down.

It was a fun afternoon outing. We are looking forward to biking to Hof Gimbach again, but this time through the forest in both directions.

Hessenpark

On Friday, we visited Hessenpark. This is where Emmie came with the kindergarten on their outing. When we first arrived, we chuckled as the marketplace is laid out just like the little towns we visit when we are on vacation and enjoy very much.

Our first stop was at the woodworking area. Eric and the girls watched the man make them a little sailboat on an antique bandsaw.  I stayed outside as it was too loud for Bandit with the numerous tools operating. We then continued our walk along the path and learned about the different regions throughout the country and saw the different types of houses in each area. It was interesting because they have numerous old houses they have taken down and are currently storing the wood where the house will eventually be rebuilt at.

Even though the demonstrations were not happening, we had fun walking through the park and seeing the one room school house and other buildings from earlier times. We completed our outing with a refreshing drink in the marketplace.

Frankfurt Zoo

We started our four day holiday weekend by visiting the Frankfurt Zoo. Adeline and Emmie were our leaders for touring the zoo. The zoo has numerous animals from Africa and Australia we had never seen before. Our favorite animals we saw today were: Adeline- bats,  Emmie- Australian hopping mouse, Eric- Wandering Violin Mantis nymph from India, Adrienne- an African Lilac Roller bird. Simply amazing and grateful we had the chance to see of all these creatures with their unique colors and characteristics along with the familiar animals. We finished the zoo tour with ice cream.

Happy Mother's Day!

The girls had numerous surprises awaiting for me when I awoke. They decorated with balloons and their hand- made gifts. Plus, Adeline made a fresh fruit salad to accompany the breakfast. 

In the afternoon, we co-hosted a BBQ with the Lotz family. The day was perfect in every way: weather, food, conversation, etc. We found it to be a blessing and amazing that our families from four different countries (England, Australia, USA, Germany) were together. The sad part was we were together because two of the families we have gotten to know are returning to their home country when school is over with. The two Lotz boys were outnumbered by the six girls, but there were no complaints as they played together. Even the dogs had a fun afternoon chasing each other. 

I had a nice day with my family and our friends. I wish every mother a fabulous day filled with memories to treasure.

Sleepover

A kindergarten tradition before you start elementary school is spending the night at the school. Friday night it was Emmie's class along with the class they have been paired up with since January. Emmie was super excited about this event and had been counting down all week long. 

We packed her overnight bag along with her sleeping gear and headed off to the school. It started to drizzle, but it was nothing major. We arrived to kindergarten chaos and commotion as the kids were being dropped off for the evening. We fixed up her bed next to her close friend, Lena, in the row of five girls as the nine boys were lined up across from them. She was smiling from ear to ear with excitement. We said our goodbyes and wished the teachers lots of fun.

Within two hours, the weather changed from a drizzle to a massive thunderstorm. Fortunately for us, Adeline choose to stay home and play a game instead of walking downtown. We wondered if we would be getting any calls from the kindergarten, but the phones stayed silent. The storm quickly passed and the temperature dropped 20 degrees. We went to bed with the phones by our side just in case. 

In the morning, Emmie was happy and refreshed, plus wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt the teachers made just for them. She was excited to tell us that after the storm they went for a walk in the dark, her teachers read two bedtime stories to them, and she ate Nutella on bread for breakfast. We learned Emmie was the first one to go to sleep around 10pm, but she was not the first riser. Overall, she had a fun experience.