Hopeful

Expats (expatriates) can be from Australia, England, America, China - anywhere really - as long as they are living outside of their native country.  There is this crazy thing that happens with Expats - our relationships run on overdrive.  We tend to connect more quickly and oftentimes more deeply than you would when making relationships back at home.  You may think this is wonderful, and frankly that part of the expat life is wonderful, but more often than not there is an expiration date on these relationships.  So here you are making these really good friends and then they turn around and go back home.  Obviously you try to keep in touch but the relationship inevitably changes.  It's heart breaking and it's happening again.

Our good friends; Chris, Rachel, and Iris are headed back home.  I am so upset, and come tomorrow when Alessandra asks to play with "My Isis" both she and I are going to be upset.  UUUGGGHHH!  I am not looking forward to tomorrow.  Hopefully today's going away party at Bobolinos sticks with Alessandra for a long time.  Hopefully Chris, Rachel, and Iris come back for a visit soon.  And hopefully we can make it to England for a visit.

You will be missed my friend!  Safe travels and see you soon!

Hopeful,

Charmian

Kinder Karneval Parade

On Saturday we braved the crowds to go check out the Kinder Karneval Parade with some of our friends.  All of the schools "compete" to out do the other schools with costumes and themes and do a parade down the Kö.  This parade is way more mellow than some of the others so we figured it would be a little more our speed.  When in Germany at the Karneval parades if you yell "HELAU!!!" you are showered with sweets, treats,and other goodies.  And just like at Halloween, Alessandra figured that out pretty darn quickly.  

Just about everyone dresses up for Karneval, so we put Alessandra in her horse costume again.  This time however we layered her snow suit underneath - true Colorado-Halloween-Trick or Treating-Style.  The added padding definitely pushed her costume out of the cuteness spectrum and into down-right ADORABLE! 

 

The finishing touch I added, which looking back was quite silly because nobody saw it, was a cute little horsey mane up-do for Miss Alessandra Mae.

 

Charmian

A big thank  you to Bethany Handel for all of the great parade pictures.

Karneval Fiesta

We had a little fiesta to celebrate Karneval (for all of my American buddies think Mardi Gras).

The girls wore costumes, made/decorated paper plate party masks, 

ate some yummy pizza and cake, and did a little dancing.  

The mamas stole a few bites of pizza, pieces of cake, and enjoyed a bottle of chilled sparkling wine.  

We had so much fun.  

I was amazed how well Alessandra did during the mask making with all of the big girls.  She actually focused in on her mask with only a few distractions the whole time the big girls worked on theirs.  

As our little party was coming to an end the sillies were definitely coming out hence all the giant grins.

To finish off the evening the girls took turns pushing each other in the play stroller.  You would have thought they had just been given the hottest new toy/game the way they were running and squealing.

 Charmian

Sunshine & Puddles

Worst Haircut Ever!!!

I really wanted to get a haircut so I'd look nice for our anniversary but unfortunately my hairdresser was out.  So instead of waiting until she was in I opted to get my haircut with someone else so I'd have  it done for my big day.  BAD IDEA!!!  I have the worst haircut I have ever had.  Now, I may be exaggerating a bit but it is the worst haircut I can remember having in a REALLY REALLY long time.

I never understood what people meant when they said a good haircut could take ten pounds off your face until I got a bad haircut.  The new girl spoke English but not very well.  So I told her what I wanted, I showed her with my hands what I wanted and I even showed her a picture.   Everything was going fine and then, just like that everything changed.

I have a very wide jaw and a big face.  I'm not complaining but I can't have my hair end at the widest point in my face or it makes it look even wider.  Well, that's exactly what she did.  She cut it about two inches shorter than I asked/showed her.  UUUGGGHHH - just like that, in one moment, I put on 10 pounds.  The bad haircut didn't end there she cut my bangs really short and choppy which may be in style - I don't know because I don't keep up with that kind of thing - but it looks like Alessandra cut them.  So, it not only is not what I asked for but what she did doesn't even look nice.

Oh Well - hair grows.  But I have to say after this haircut I am seriously thinking about growing my hair out a bit.

Charmian

Christmas Tree Ladybugs

This year when we brought in our Christmas tree we had a few ladybug, tag-alongs.  Alessandra found them and has quickly become obsessed with finding more Christmas Tree Ladybugs.  It has been about a week since we took out the Christmas Tree but it hasn't stopped Alessandra's hunt.  We were just wrapping up a skype call with my mom when Alessandra grabbed the computer, unplugged it, and carried it over to the patio door.  I asked her what she was doing and her response. "Lookin' for my Christmas Tree Ladybugs with Gommy"  So sweet.

Charmian

10 Days

Jon and I are just finishing up 10 days apart.  

It all started with what was supposed to be a family trip, but turned into a Girls only trip back to Leipzig to visit some friends and see the Christmas Markets.  

Alessandra and Sophia Enjoying the "Classic Car Carousel" in the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof

Jon had to cancel due to some last minute business trip changes.  But the good news from Jon not being with us was that he was able to add a quick trip to Colorado where he was able to see his family and drop Ripley off with Stan and Mary Kay.  

If you have been keeping up with my blog at all, or have talked to me in the last two years you probably heard me mention that Ripley hasn't been doing well.  She wasn't able to settle into city life.  She was always stressed, at first her stress was coming across as barking, panting, and pacing but in the past six months that stress was starting to turn a bit more aggressive.  We needed to get her out of the city, so that all of us could be a little less stressed.  Well, it happened.  Jon stopped by Colorado for a quick visit with his family and to get Ripley to her new/old home back on the Ranch with Grandpa, Oma, and the horses.  I am happy to report that Ripley seems to be settling in quite nicely and Dotty has only had one setback in the form of an "accident" on Alessandra's pillows.  Dotty has been quite clingy but I have to say the stress level in the house has gone down considerably.  

Okay, back to our Leipzig trip.  

It started out and ended a bit bumpy but all in all it was so relaxing.  We had some plans fall through with one of our friends but it ended up working out perfectly because it gave us an entire day to sleep in, enjoy an awesome breakfast, get into town, wander around the city center which is essentially one big Christmas Market.  Then we went to check out the new mall, and then one more quick trip through the train station and then back home.  Saturday we spent the entire day with The GKS's.  And Sunday we traveled back home.  

The beginning of the week was slow enough, I purposely cancelled our usual routine so we could be home with Dot.  So that translated to all of us going over to My-tilda's house on Monday afternoon, and My-tilda and her mum Alice coming over to our house on Tuesday afternoon.  But then it all turned - and quite suddenly too.  Alessandra got really sick, and really quickly.  In the matter of a few hours she went from this...

 to this... 

it was horrible.  And it has only been in the last half of today that I would say she's back to normal.  And when I say that please read, asking for ice cream for every meal.  :o)  

Well, luckily for us, or maybe just me, Jon will be back home tomorrow.  And I will have another person to take care of.  No just kidding.  I will have another person to help take care of everything.

Charmian