A Georgia Girl in Germany

Benjamin’s thought for the day:

Benjamin: “Mommy, can Pluto stand on two feet?”

Me: “I suppose he can.”

Benjamin: “I know he can when he begs, but when else can he? He wasn’t begging when we saw him at Disney World. I don’t get it. I think there was a man inside him. That’s just freaky!”

At first I thought he was going to compare Pluto (a dog who acts like a dog) with Goofy (a dog who acts like a person), but it seems he was thinking along a different vein. We were at Disney World almost two months ago, so I wonder how long he’s been contemplating this dilemma. Sometimes he’s too smart for his own good!

More DW photos to come later ... when I find time to load them and the accompanying stories.

Labels: Benjamin, Disney World, Kid Quotes, Stateside visits

It’s been just over two weeks since Zachary participated in his first triathlon. The competition consisted of swimming 50 meters, biking 2 kilometers and running 800 meters against students in his German I class as well as students from two local gymnasiums (German college-prep schools). When I dropped him off in the morning, I think he was excited but not quite sure what to expect.

His heat (8th grade boys) was the last one of the morning. I had hoped to get there in time to watch his heat, but wasn’t able to escape from a meeting in time, and (unfortunately) showed up about 5 minutes after he finished. Fortunately, my friend Grace took a few photos of him since her son (and Zachary’s best friend) was also participating.

Zachary started toward the back of the pack in the 50-meter swim. There were 42 boys competing in his heat, so the pool was rather crowded.

He managed to pass a few boys during the 2-kilometer cycling portion, which boosted his confidence.

His weakest event was the 800-meter run. He said he thought about walking at one point, but then two German students began to run alongside him and he decided to push himself with their encouragement. He ran the entire distance! I’m so proud of him!! His final time for the three events: 13:30,70. I’d say that’s pretty respectable for someone who isn’t involved in sports and didn’t train beforehand.

He looked so exhausted by the time I met up with him, but glad that he participated. I think the fact that he was allowed to miss school for the day played a small role as well. He claims he’s not up to competing again, but hopefully he’ll reconsider.

Labels: Zachary

One thing I enjoy about living in Germany is the relaxing pace of the weekends. One way to get out and enjoy the countryside is through Volksmarching. MacKenzie’s Girl Scout leader enjoys Volksmarches, so last year took the girls on several wanderings. One of the last ones was open for families as well (as opposed to limiting it to just the girls so they could get to know each other more). We actually have booklets to keep track of how many Volksmarches we go on and how long they are.

This march started in the village of Reisbach, went past the local church and took us through the nearby countryside.



One area of this hike took us through a pretty narrow, muddy path. Some sections were even more narrow than in this photo -- we had to walk single-file and push aside overhanging branches.



Benjamin enjoyed walking on the edge of the wheat field. Fortunately, this hike was a few weeks after we discovered his seasonal allergies and had him on medicine. He didn’t have any problems being outside surrounded by all the beautiful nature.



After every Volksmarch, you can enjoy a traditional German meal -- usually the options include wurst, schnitzel and a local traditional favorite (typically pork of some kind). My kids always opt for the wurst and fries.

After they ate, they decided to pretend to be monkeys before we headed home. Overall, a very relaxing, enjoyable afternoon. I’m looking forward to the next Volksmarch -- tentatively planned for next weekend.

Labels: Benjamin, Germany, Girl Scouts, MacKenzie, Zachary

The kids started back to school on Monday (Aug 31), and I’m still in awe at how much they’ve grown and matured over the years. Benjamin is now in first grade -- he’s no longer a Kindergartener. He’s also reading up a storm! He’ll sit and read chapter books all on his own! His favorite right now is the Magic Tree House series with Jack and Annie. Fortunately, Zachary also enjoyed the series, so he has a ready-made collection.

MacKenzie started sixth grade this year -- Middle School. She was nervous about changing teachers for each subject and worried that she’d get lost going from class to class. After the first day, however, all her fears were gone. Her electives this year include Study Skills, Research Project, Computers and Intercultural Education (I think that’s similar to what she’s had previously in her Host Nation classes).

Zachary is in eighth grade -- his last year before starting High School. Even though he’s still in Middle School, he’s taking two classes that will count toward high school credit: Algebra and German I. He was also pleased that he got his first two choices of electives: German I and Applied Technology. He’s looking forward to building a robot next week in that class.

Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Zachary