my first days

I have had a wonderful first five days and I expect that the rest of them will be just as spectacular. I'll give a brief rundown, starting at my arrival.

Saturday: I safely arrived in Frankfurt mid morning where Sabine and Max were waiting at the baggage. We drove an hour south to my new home in Heidelberg where Nils and Tom were waiting (Sabine and Nils are the parents of Max and Tom). I was given a tour of their fabulous home which has windows from floor to ceiling in nearly every room. The view is breathtaking; a vast green mountain stands on the other side of the valley and I cannot wait for the leaves to begin to change colors next month. Max and Tom had a birthday party to attend so I had plenty of time to unpack my overweight baggage but I found a place for everything. I have my own little apartment fit with a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a living room that converts into a bedroom at night. It is nicer than any studio I will ever find myself living in NYC. In the evening we attended a party at Heidelberg Suites, an newly remodeled hotel which awaits its unveiling next month. From the penthouse balcony, we watch the fireworks explode above the bridge and the castle. I have never been one to get excited over fireworks but it was fantastic; the entire show seemed like it was a finale with several fireworks exploding at every moment.

Sunday: I enjoyed some much needed sleep late into the morning. As soon as I got out of bed, I hopped in the car to go to the zoo. We caught the latter half of the seal show and then played at a ginormous playground structure. It really cannot be described; I will just have to take a picture the next time we are there which I suspect will not be too long from now. The boys enjoyed their wurst while I savored my "Bretzel", meine Lieblingsessen. After lunch we walked in the "Altstadt" where I got to know all the shops along the mile long pedestrian street. And of course we stopped for some ice cream before returning home. I should explain that ice cream is not just bought in a little shop; you actually sit down at an "Eiscafe" and order from a menu of crazy creations.

Monday: I ran lots of errands with Sabine while the boys were in Kindergarten. I learned the ways of the shopping markets, as there are many different ones that fulfill different needs. After their daily nap, Sabine and I took the boys to a playground on the Neckar and watched them run around. They invited me to join them in a giant swing which meant they were warming up to me. They dropped my off at my language course in the evening and I met some potential friends. I am looking forward to my next class.

Tuesday: I went on my first walk. It was supposed to be a run but it was entirely uphill and on a path in the forest above the house. After nearly two miles and five forks, I decided to turnaround in fear that if I continued farther I would not be able to find my way back home. It was a good workout none the less. In the afternoon, the boys had a new gymnastics class to attend without mom which of course did not go so well. There was lots of crying and mommy couldn't leave the class. But a promise was made that next week they will both be big boys and let mommy and me wait outside the gym and there will be no crying. I'm crossing my fingers for Sabine's sake. Sabine and Nils went to a Madonna concert and were kind enough to invite Brigitte, Sabine's sister, to come and help me with the boys for the night. We had a night filled with bubbles; a quote from Knocked Up truely sums it up, "Kids go apeshit over bubbles". Tom had a little trouble with bedtime and while his aunt tried to soothe him, he eventually called for "meine Rachel" which means my Rachel :)

Wednesday: I went on my first official run after the rain stopped. This time I ventured along the Neckar which is a straight, flat path. Perfekt! A boy from Max's class came over for a playday and we ate the entire play grocery. Cleanup involved five of us. Sabine and Nils had a meeting in the evening so I took the boys into my room for a party. We ate "Gummibaerchin" and did puzzles and pretended to be crocodiles. We also played with the webcam which is where the photo comes from. The meeting was quite long so I attempted to bring the boys upstairs for bed. With a little whining, but no tears, both went to bed. I did it without Brigitte, without Sabine, and without Nils. I'm good to go!

I don't plan to outline everyday of my stay but the first are always some of the most exciting so I thought it would be of interest.