Radio Silence

Sorry for the long stint with no real posts.  I have had a bunch going on but I really don't know how to talk about the most important thing that has been going on.

Just before Christmas my mom had a bit of a health scare, the result of the health scare was a full hysterectomy.  Standard procedure for this type of thing is to check for cancer.  During that check they did find cancer and not just any run of the mill cancer but a really weird, rare, aggressive form.  My mom is currently starting round two of her four rounds of chemo treatment.  More than anything I want to go home and be with her, take care of her, do her grocery shopping and clean her toilet.  But that's not what she wants.  So for now I am here, praying, hoping, wishing that everything will turn out all right. That she will come out of this even healthier than she went in.  That I will have my mom for years and years to come.

But for now I just have to wait.

What I can say is my mom is amazing, brave, strong, and optimistic.  If anyone is going to make it through it will be her.

I love you Mom!

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

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

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

I Believe!

Alessandra has been sick and I've been dealing with her and the rest of the household responsibilities solo.  Last night was just like all the others.  I finally got her settled into bed, and I took Dotty out for one last bathroom trip before I tidied up the house and turned in myself.  

This morning I opened up the front door to get Alessandra's boots - I left them out because they were all muddy.  And that's when I saw this.  Sitting quite perfectly on the top of our doggy potty shoes and muddy rain boots.

I wish someone was recording my reaction because if it was half as good as what it felt like, it was pretty darn amazing.  I felt like I was 6 again.  Like I just walked out and saw the one thing I asked Santa, and only Santa for.  

There Is A Santa!

But then I got really confused.  It's the beginning of December.  I asked one of my neighbors who said "Oh yes, Sankt Nikolaus comes last night.  I hope you were good all year!"

My response was, "I must have been, our shoes were filled." 

I came inside, got online with the intention of looking up this holiday and it's traditions when of course I got a bit distracted by facebook, and that's when I saw all of the posts between my expat-parent-friends from the night before.  Warning each other not to forget about this German holiday.

I guess I didn't need to worry about forgetting because the Eich's were just that good that the 

REAL SANKT NIKOLAUS

came and filled our shoes.

And just like that...

I'm still a

  BELIEVER!   

Happy Horsey Halloween

Halloween isn't as big of a deal here in Germany as it is in The States but we still wanted Alessandra to have a good experience.  

So we bought some candy, took it to Jon's work, handed it out, and sent Alessandra from desk to desk to go trick or treating. 

We taught her how to say "trick or treat" and "candy please" and sent her on her way

.

We reminded her to say "thank you" and Alessandra added kisses and waves to her repertoire.

Fears

It's amazing how things change.  

When I was a tween/teen you couldn't get me off the phone.  My daily routine was get off the bus, hustle home, and call my best friend Reagan.  And then proceed to talk to her while watching 90210, or cartoons, or while doing homework, or... well you get the idea.  If I wasn't on the phone with Reagan it was with one of my other friends but the long of the short of it is, you couldn't get me off the phone.

Fast forward 20 years.  Become an Expat.  And BOOM! - I have a new fear.

I am scared of having to make a call.  Ordering a pizza gives me the sweats and I can actually feel my heart rate rising just thinking about it.  This leads me to my confession.  I've been a really bad wife and mama.  Alessandra needs to get in for her 21-24 month check up and Jon has had a toothache for about 3 months now.  I have the phone numbers so I can't use that as an excuse, it's just that I'm afraid to call.  The first thing I say when I call is "Hallo, Sprechen Sie Englisch?"  And usually they respond "Nein"  That's when the sweats and shakes start.  How the heck am I going to do this.  I usually do my research before hand so I know the words I need to say but the problem isn't me saying the words it's me understanding their responses.  

{UPDATE - We have our dental appointment set for October 10th at 11.}  
{UPDATE - Alessandra has her appointment set for her check up.}

My biggest phone related fear is that one day I may have to call 112 (Germany's 911).  Okay, I have to stop thinking about this my hands are shaking, my palms are sweaty, my heart is pounding.  UUUGGGHHH!

The funny thing about this new fear is that it has started to melt into my everyday life.  I now prefer texting to calling even to my English speaking friends.  Talking on the phone isn't the pleasure it used to be.  I wonder what else has/will change as I settle even further into my Expat life.  

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  

Tschüs,

Charmian

Photo Source:  http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/victoria-derbyshire-on-the-art-of-conversation-as-texting-1148929