Merry Christmas!

love, Myles, Christie, Robyn, Carly, and Macy :)

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

 My mom's favorite Christmas song is Silent Night because it was her mom's favorite Christmas song.  We always sang it every Christmas Eve, sometimes accompanied by a music box.  Her grandpa who was from Germany might've been smiling down on his great-grandkids when he heard this one:



Merry Christmas!

May you have a wonderful Christmas weekend and enjoy the peace of our Savior.

The Gift of Glitter

When I took Carly shopping for arts and crafts supplies for her B-day, even she would not allow me to buy the glitter she wanted.  It came in a little container and cost about $11!

She wanted it to make some of her Christmas presents.  Myles looked at some stores, but couldn't find any.  He asked about it at work, and they didn't even know the name for it, so it seemed like a specialty item.

I had just about given up (and run out of time) when I went into our little local store that sells newspapers and school supplies.  I couldn't find any glitter, but spotted a card decorated with some, so I took it up to the cashier and asked if they had any for my daughter who wanted to make some Christmas crafts.

No, None.

But, then, she disappeared into the back room and came back with a tub full of what appeared to be her own personal supplies--glue, scissors, and one jar of red glitter.  This quantity was much greater than the amount we'd seen at the other store, so I was worried about how much she'd want to charge me.

To my amazement, she placed it on the counter and said, "For you, a Christmas gift."

even the garbage cans are cute in Germany...

at least at the Christmas Markets!
Here, they have outside Christmas markets with food, rides and crafts that run for the whole month before Christmas.  It's not as cold as what we're used to, which is nice, but it has been rainy.

my first gift of Christmas

You know how in the Polar Express the boy gets the first gift of Christmas, and he asks for a bell from Santa's sleigh that turns out to be something magical for those who still believe?

This is the story of my first gift of Christmas, which I didn't even have to ask for.

A little over a year ago, my mom bought 3 matching dresses for our girls to wear for my cousin's wedding. It was so fun for the wedding, and extra nice that they could wear them throughout the Christmas season, too.

My mom was surprised at being able to even find 3 matching dresses from Macy's size all the way up through Robyn's. I was surprised she found ones that were in the same "family" of material and make of a dress that Robyn had previously worn and loved.

When it came time to pack for Germany, I realized that all 3 girls had outgrown their dresses. This meant, Macy's had to be given away, and she could wear Carly's.  Carly now had 2 dresses her size--Robyn's from the wedding and Robyn's previous dress with the fur collar.  We could only take one, and she chose the little bit different one.

I can't even count how many stores we went to trying to find a dress for Robyn.  Nothing was in her size or remotely modest.

It turns out that one of my best friends from our previous neighborhood has a sister who lives here (and is just as wonderful). She had a friend who gave her a bag of girls' clothes, which she passed on to us.

In the bag, we found lots of clothes just right for our girls, including the exact same dress that my mom bought for Robyn for my cousin's wedding last year. The only difference? It was one size bigger.

The brand?  Rare Edition.

Here, Advents is really big.  We had it in time to wear to church on the first Advents Sunday, and all through the holiday season.

Although this matching dress was nothing of a necessity, it sure was magical!

Carly's B-day

Carly's B-day menu:
Breakfast:  French toast with applesauce and speise quark (kind of between sour cream and yogurt) with pears
Lunch:  fresh, hot pretzels and yogurt
Dinner:  baked potatoes with ham and cheese

She and her friends busy at work on their stomp rockets.

They were right at the right age to work together and have fun!

The wind was so strong that two of the rockets flew onto the roof!

Carly was excited to have "American" brownies instead of cake.

Macy made a nice homemade card.  Robyn was cute about "sneaking" a little giraffe Carly wanted from a store when she wasn't looking.  She also got a watch, something she's been wanting for a long time.

Gram was nice and shipped her a game she had at home, but we didn't bring with us.

Our Eight-Year-Old Christmas Gift that keeps on Giving

 

We knew we were having a girl. We knew she'd be Carly. Noel ended up being the surprise. She continues to surprise us with her thoughtfulness and creativeness every day.

A couple weeks ago, she woke up, exclaiming, "Mom! I dreamt all night about Christmas gifts!"
"Really?" I asked. "What are you excited about this year?"
"Oh, not for me, Mom. I dreamt all about what I could make for everyone."

For her B-day, I took her to a fun crafts store downtown to buy her supplies.

She put a note on her door, "Knock first," so no one would see their surprises, and has been busy ever since.

 

At school, she was given a part of a poem to memorize for her class Christmas Program/Party. She worked really hard and memorized it. I was impressed!

Then, we found out that our Visa renewal appointment downtown was an hour before her program time. Myles called to try to change it, and the lady pretty much laughed at him.  I really didn't want her to miss it, but there wasn't much I could do.

So, I prayed.

I expected my prayer to be answered with an extra speedy Visa renewal for 5 people.  When we had to wait, and then the fingerprinting machine was broken, and then we missed train after train, my stomachache worsened.

We still raced from the train in the rain to the school.  Carly's teacher met us at the door and told me something I couldn't understand.  I figured she was telling us it was all over.

What I didn't realize was that Carly's teacher had reversed the order of everything to give us the greatest possible chance of making it in time for Carly to do her part.  They also saved us seats right in the front.  This seemed to surpass all cultural norms.  And, so, Carly's teacher, along with all of her friends and their parents, gave us a gift we couldn't hold, but could always take with us.

I guess I have heard that time is only something that ties down man, not God.

in tune

May 1998:

While studying abroad in Spain, a 21-year-old girl from Chicago exchanges love letters (real letters) with the man of her dreams in Oregon who even sends her a cassette tape of himself playing his guitar and singing for her.

A German couple sings in choirs together. The husband gives his last choir/guitar concert before being diagnosed with a tumor.

Dec. 18, 1999:

The young couple marries. The groom sweeps his bride off her feet, playing his guitar and singing for her. Everyone thinks they're perfect for each other...and crazy for getting married one week before Christmas. They do not care. Finals are over. Their pictures are beautiful with snow on the ground.


Dec. 2011

The not-so-young-anymore couple with 3 children is now living in Germany and thinks maybe they really were crazy for getting married at such a busy time of year. They miss the guitar they left in The States and plan on looking for one as soon as they get a chance, maybe for Christmas.

Then, they meet a German couple. The woman pushes her husband in a wheelchair. He can understand everything people say, but cannot speak. The wife discovers that the younger man with the funny accent can play the guitar (probably better than he can speak German), but has left his in a faraway land.

Dec. 18, 2011

After a busy day, the couple laughs about not buying each other gifts. But then, he pulls out his "new" guitar. This time, it is raining outside, and no one else is watching, but the picture is so beautiful.

 

bikes

One of the things the girls were most excited about when we moved was getting bikes.

They had to be patient since our first apartment, downtown, was not bike friendly, at least for kids.

Friends helped us find/fix the perfect bike for each of us.

Now, we live where there are lots of great paths, and our landlord even put in a rack for 5 bikes for us!

from a friend's nice camera

a smile across the miles

I thought this pic. was really sweet of Myles' Grandma talking on the phone to us. Thanks, Aunt Elona, for sharing. It's so weird to think that even when I started college, calling home long distance was a special treat!

a bit of Brazil in Germany

One day while waiting at the bus stop on our way to church, a man asked us, "Do you speak English?" It turns out that not only was he from Brazil, but had even lived in one of the same neighborhoods where Myles served his mission.

They didn't know each other then. But, since then, he has joined the same church as us and came to Germany for a training for work. The funny thing is Myles couldn't speak Portuguese with him. They both decided maybe it was because we were supposed to help him learn German. (His company would like to move him and his family here in a couple years). He has gone back to Brazil, and we have since met another man from Brazil who has been living in Spain. We can talk to him in Spanish or Portuguese, and are trying to help him learn German, too. It has been so fun to feel at home with these Brazilians while living in Deutschland!

In the pic. is some of Myles' favorite Brazilian candy.

Die Schule

In General, the school system is very different here. Kindergarten is not part of the public school system, and is non-academic. What they call kindergarten, we'd think of as day care, and then preschool. It starts in some places with babies as young as 6 wks. old and goes until the parents decide their children are ready for first grade, which they can begin at age 5, 6, or 7. (This makes for a wide range developmentally in one grade, especially around jr. high age). The youngest kids at Macy's kindergarten are 2. She enjoys playing with them and helping them.

This has been a perfect set-up for Macy who can still learn the language through dramatic play, etc, giving her one more year to read/write at home in English before learning it in German. (She'll start first grade next fall at age 6). She also gets to be in a German class for non-native German speakers during the first hour of kindergarten. Her vocabulary is already surpassing ours! Her teachers can't believe how much she can speak and understand already.

Then, the kids go to Grundschule (Elementary school) from 1st-4th grade. They keep the same kids together in the same class each year, so they really get to know each other well. Some people say that when 1st grade begins, childhood ends. It really is a drastic contrast from all play to all school.

The kids have a different schedule everyday. It kind of drives me nuts, but gives me a bit of one-on-one time with each one. The school day is a few hours shorter for a first grader here compared to The States. They are expected to do more work at home. Every year a child goes to school, their school day gets longer.

By the end of 4th grade, the academic path of a child is pretty much determined. Starting in 5th grade, based on test scores, they will enter gymnasium, a pre-req. for college, or a haupschule or realschule, which are more hands-on vocational tracks. I think beginning next year, parents will be able to choose if they want their kids to try the gymnasium track. (Previously, it was more limited because college was paid for by the gov.).

In some ways, school is a lot stricter here. In other ways, it's much more relaxed.

For example, children may not ride bicycles to school without passing a test and earning a bike license in third grade, but they are allowed to run around on stilts during recess, and one teacher brings her dog to school with her every day. They must be on time (five minutes early), but are allowed into their classrooms before their teachers show up. When the teacher arrives, she always greets the children with, "guten Morgen liebe Kinder," and they stand and answer with, "guten Morgen Frau..."

When the weather's nice, the teacher may choose to walk her class to a local park at anytime to play or to read. Carly said you don't have to be quiet in the hallways.

One day, Robyn came home early. She said one of her teachers didn't show up, so class was cancelled. Once in awhile teachers will cover for each other if they can, but there are no outside substitutes. When Carly's teacher was sick, the PE teacher covered for her the first day, and a fellow student's mother (with her 2 year-old brother) covered for her the next few days.

There are no desks, only tables. Children carry and take care of all their own books, folders, and supplies (markers, glue, scissors, etc.) This requires a special backpack all the kids have (another post for that).

Kids bring "Frustuck," which means breakfast, but is also like a snack. They usually eat this during recess. School gets out in time for kids to eat a late, warm lunch at home. This is the biggest meal of the day. I still haven't quite figured this out yet, because I'd like to cook this when Myles is home, not at work. Not having to take time out for a lunch hour at school means kids get to be home earlier.

Sport (PE) is important here. It's held at least 3 times a week, and the kids get to try all sorts of things like swinging on ropes, gymnastics, field hockey, etc. This is Carly's favorite so far. All the kids must change into their Sport clothes/shoes, even in kindergarten. Up to age 6, they all change in one room together. After that, all the girls change together in one room and boys in another. (This public changing was something new for the girls to get used to). Especially in kindergarten, the kids may just wear their undershirts/underwear for Sport. In Carly's class, one girl just wears her tights and undershirt.

Starting in elementary school, classes get to take turns going to a swimming pool for Sport, then later also ice skating, rock climbing, etc.

The Flute (recorder) is big here. Carly has started playing. They also have orchestra. It's funny to watch such little kids carrying such big instruments, along with their crazy-big backpacks.

Macy brings a snack to kindergarten, which she eats on real dishes. They guys at Myles' work who bring their lunch do this, as well as the teachers, etc. Even at community, church, or school-wide events, everyone eats on real dishes.

For roll call, one of the kindergarten groups stands on their chairs in a circle. When the teacher calls their name, they hop down and sit down.

In the States, my kids got in trouble if they did their work in pen. Here, they must use a fountain pen. They learn cursive with a fountain pen in first grade. So Carly is catching up on her own time with cursive and learning German at the same time.

Although homework is tiring at times, overall, school has been a positive experience. The kids have met nice friends with nice parents. They are keeping up so far, which really is amazing. Now that it's Christmas time, they're having fun crafts, field trips, and singing. They also have friendly, patient teachers.