At this point, this is more for me than for anyone else, but for anyone who
wants to wade through my notes, here you go...
Monday, January 25th: We walked "downtown" for some grocery shopping and to
get information for sending packages to Germany, as we're almost definitely
going to have too much luggage for the airplane, at the very latest after I've
picked up my maternity clothes and the baby clothes that we stored in a friend's
attic when we moved to Cyprus. I'd just been discussing with Jörn the
possibility of squeezing the seven of us into the VW Polo (five
seats)--something we would definitely do in quite a few of the countries we've
visited (or rather, HAVE done...including in Cyprus)--but would generally never
dream of doing in law-abiding (and fast-driving) Germany. Jörn wasn't getting
convinced. As we kept walking, we saw a Mercedes pull very slowly out of a side
street and start to turn--and keep turning, sliding around almost a full 360
degrees in the middle of the snow-and-ice-covered intersection. I turned to Jörn
and said, "Never mind--everyone is riding in his or her own seatbelt." So much
for that discussion.
In the afternoon, we were supposed to be having coffee with a friend, but she
couldn't come, so a telephone call was arranged instead. While Jörn was still on
the phone, Katie, Helen and I took the train to Düsseldorf, where we got to
spend a little bit of time with my friend Margaret, then I left the girls at her
house and walked to the C family's house, where I picked up the car again, drove
it back to Margaret's, and loaded in carseats (which we had left at their house
the night before) and girls, and then drove to Mülheim, where Jörn and the other
three children were already at the G family's house. Their five-year-old
daughter, Hannah, and Katie are good friends and both had talked about the other
(and sent dictated e-mails via their mothers) all year long, and were very
excited to have an evening together. Jörn had the car of the director of Globe
Europe, who was in the U.S. at the time. Another good evening, and another one
where we got home and collapsed into bed.
Tuesday, January 26th: Only one visit today, from 10:00 a.m. to late evening!
We spent the day with the R family in Odenthal, near Leverkusen, and as we
always do when we visit this family, we went for a walk after lunch. They
managed to dig up a sled in the garage, although their daughters are grown up
(and we just got the news that Sophia is engaged--yay!--but we won't be able to
go to her wedding, which is three days before our baby is due...), which the
children had a wonderful time with. I even got on it, but only to be pushed (by
the three older children) on level ground. :-)
Wednesday, January 27th: We found out that using Brad's car was going to cost
us too much, so we all took the train to Viersen, where Jonathan of the T family
met us at the train station. They have 8 children (only five at home now), so
a van plenty big enough to pick us up, and plenty of people around to entertain
each other. :-) Lunch (during which I discovered that Helen LOVES spring onions!
Very strange child, but very convenient for me--she ate all of mine), lots of
talking, and the K family (another five children, youngest born after we left
Germany) came over for the afternoon, as well. After dinner Jonathan drove us
home--such a luxury to neither be on the train NOR driving. :-)
Thursday, January 28th: Eddi (director of Globe Europe Germany) and his wife
Angie made breakfast for us, here, and we spent the morning together, which was
very nice. They spent five years in Pakistan, going there when their children
were four and six years old, and it was really encouraging to be able to compare
stories and receive both understanding and helpful suggestions about dealing
with children and cultural differences with families, etc. Eddi also told us
that Brad had let him know that we could use his car for something we could
afford after all, so we got to head to Mülheim again with two cars, to "coffee
and cake" with the R family, Angelika and Erich and their son Philipp. So much
cake, so yummy! And the weather had finally warmed up a little so that snow
became the "right kind"--Marie, Jacob, and Lukas each built a snowman in the
back yard. Maybe when I'm back in Cyprus I'll figure out how to add photos.
(That is, my friend Sue will add them for me. :-) ) When we left, Jörn said that
this might be our only chance to go to Maredo, an Argentinian restaurant that he
loves. We used to eat there as a family once in awhile with his father (and Jörn
ate there probably a couple of times a month with his father), but it had been
quite a long time since we'd been there. Marie, Lukas, and Katie only ordered a
chicken wing appetizer and french fries, and although Jörn, Jacob, and I did get
regular meals, I could barely finish mine after all the cake from Angelika.
Jörn was also more than full, and Helen got plenty by getting french fries from
all of her siblings. Jacob, however, finished his adult meal, finished his
siblings leftover chicken wings and french fries (not one of the three managed
to eat all four chicken wings each), and then asked for more. We said no. If he
eats like this at age 10, I can only shudder to think what it's going to be
like. And yes, he'd eaten plenty of cake, too.
It was raining when we left and by the time we got back to Hamminkeln, there
was hardly any snow to be seen, so we thought that maybe the snow was over,
however...
Friday, January 29th: We woke up to a snow-covered world yet again! The
rabbit tracks all around the building were really cool. Jörn left early to run
errands (talk with the bank about the fact that he'll be taking parental leave
again before his parental leave for Helen has run out, pick up his glasses, and
I think a couple of other things), taking Marie with him, and the rest of us
left at about 11:45 for Mülheim. We first stopped at the doctor's office for me
to pick up the results of my blood tests (everything normal, as they always have
been, but I'm steadily adding "risk categories" with the years...), then bought
Labello (lip balm, I think would be the generic term, Americans would say
Chapstick, but anyway...) for all the children, then met Jörn and Marie at
Konstanze's house at 1:15 for lunch. Individually made pancakes--yummy. :-)
Konstanze runs Mutter-Kind-Kreis, and when we first started going, her youngest
daughter was still part of it, but is long since out. We did get to see all
three of her children, but unfortunately not her husband. Afterwards we left in
three cars (our two and Konstanze's) to go to Mutter-Kind-Kreis/Jungschar, and
after that we went to Peggy's house for dinner. Yes, we can get everywhere on
public transportation if we have to, but again, it was very nice having
vehicles!
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