Happy Birthday, Bear

12 years ago, when the doctors cautioned me that the little baby soon to be born might have breathing difficulties, and be born without that newborn cry.... when the pediatrician (who was my boss at the time....ug) was present in the delivery room, ready to intubate the little bear...

12 years ago, a little bear was born kicking and screaming! And, my world hasn't been quiet since.

12 years ago, he's the reason I answer to "mom"!

HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY

LITTLE MAN!

Reading through our local paper

... put me to the next step, finding their website, and then writing an email for some more info. And, now... look what I've found!

"Dear Carolyn,

Thank you for your interest in our German classes for your children. We are currently half way through our German program, but we will be offering another 10-week session starting April 21. This class is held on Fridays from 3:40 - 4:30.
All of your children can attend this class. If Fridays don't work for you, please let me know which day you would prefer and I will put you on our waiting list for new classes........"

She went on to tell me about the private lessons for up to 4 people... that would mean, I could train too!!! Those you can schedule for whatever day/time is convenient for you. Hmmm, now with middle K's school getting out at 3:30.... I don't know if he could race to my car and if we could make it to German school on time..... The price difference is not bad. $390 for the 3 kids, 10 weeks of a 50 min class. Or, $500, for 10 weeks, 1 hour lesson for 4 people. Hmmmm. Something to think about! And here, I thought there were no foreign language classes outside the local highschools!! I think our middle schools should be offering foreign language classes, Kurt and I both started French in 7th grade. That was probably too late to make learning easy for us.... heh, not much has stuck with us.... oui, oui! .... especially, not for me now that I've stuffed my head with Deutsch!! A much easier language to learn and remember, I think!! Sexier sounding too! heh heh!

the stranger from Las Vegas is back home

All of us were delighted to see him again.

Things at work are still busy... in a different sort of way. I need to sign up 4 new people so we can afford this new drinking fountain.... sigh... after Kurt hooked up the old one, he discovered it doesn't even work..... ancient beast that it is.... I had no idea fountains were so pricey... but it beats having just a water cooler... having to fill it nearly every day, and then not to mention the huge amount of tiny paper cups that fill up our garbage bins each day too.....

The kids are all sick. They've been crabby and underfoot since lunchtime Friday.... we have strep in the house, again.... middle K's come down with it again.... little cee and I just have the crud of the month, and little k has bronchitis and an ear infection and absolutely screams and carries on when it's time to take his vile-tasting medicine.... YUK! Oh the joys.....

Then on top of it all... my surprise was a spiral, floppy curl perm.... except that it's so floppy as to have non existant curl anywhere on my head... oh, except for my bangs which now stand straight up from my head. Lovely. I really ought to stop mucking with my hair. I'm so pissed. $90 spent for shit and the hairstylist can't even call me back to tell me how she's going to fix it. Frankly, though, I don't have another 2 hours to waste in the chair... so I'm all about just leaving her and finding a new one when I decide to muck with my hair again....

Then I get the news that my local yarn store is closing it's doors the end of this month..... I'm so sad. They had the best stash of soft wool yarns and supplies.... I mean, you never know when you'll need a pair of size 12, circular, bamboo knitting needles.... sigh... how sad.

Good thing for strong gin & tonics at dinner time! That was the highlight of my day yesterday....

An evening of german wein and my first opera

ja, it's nipply out there

Ah, well, I was wrong... it wouldn't be -5 F as a low.... I woke up this morning to -11. That's -11F.... -24C. Certainly that's a record somewhere..... I don't remember it ever being this cold... damn. My poor birdies flying around out there....

Alrighty.. off to work this morning. I have the delightful task of collecting money today. Oh joy. Puts me in a good mood. A most distasteful subject. But, it pays the bills, and I just have to tell my self, these people have received their goods... a months worth of lessons in a lit and warm room.... so they must pay.

Uh huh. "come into my office. There's this little matter of your bill we must settle up." They should be the ones uncomfortable, not me.

The Germans are coming.... again!

Well, ya know, I'm on this list with our local band... (the same one Kurt used to conduct and play in.... ) as a host to any visiting Germans. Genau. The other day I received an email telling me that a local band from the city Holzgerlingen was coming to town and host homes/families were needed, was I still interested?! Of course I am! Kurt said it was ok, as I do most of the hosting anyways.

After speaking with the woman in charge, I picked a lovely couple by the name of Roland und Heidrun. Hey, what do you know? We've stayed at their home twice before on our trips to Holzgerlingen!!!! Wheeeee! I told the lady, we must have this couple, and they are good friends of ours. We always send emails back and forth.... postcards when either of us takes a holiday... er, makes a holiday!

I'm so excited! They'll be staying with us for 10 days in May and June!!! This is going to rock!!!

differences

My weather page has called for "Ice Pellets" today... and they're right. I hear them on the windows of my house this morning. It's thundering as well. Weird weather. Maybe I won't go driving today.... hmmm. Next up is -5 F temps through the weekend....

Las Vegas is calling for sunny and high 50's for his trip. Nice!

His plane lands in less than 20 mins! Hooray, I'll be getting a call soon!

2 hours in...

... and he's over Wyoming already!

Ok.. time to get some errands finished. Tomorrow, I have an appointment.... a surprise for Kurt when he arrives home.... no details here.... otherwise, it won't be a surprise! ;)

Found this morning!

Awwwwww! What a lovely surprise! And, since Kurt has my camera, I'll be using a lot of my camera phone this weekend! I expect loads of pics when you return, Kurt!!! heh heh

Crash

found him

.... flying over Iowa.....

Vegas, baby!

Well, Kurt left early this morning.... 3:13am, early. While driving home from our staff meeting last night.... at the local public house over Franziskaner Weiß biers all around (good taste the staff has!), we discussed whether he should head to Milwaukee that night... or early this am.... Afterall, WGN republican radio had their panties all in a twist over THE BIG STORM THAT'S COMING..... Wow, we got all of an inch.... and it's melting quickly.... The drive up to Milwaukee was just as uneventful, no cars, no snow!

So, anyways... he's airborn. Some wife I am... I don't even know his flight number, what time he lands in Vegas ... or where he's even staying... good grief. Had I thought about this a little harder, I would have surprised him with flowers waiting in his hotel room.... rats. That would have been a fun touch.... sigh. Oh well. I'll see if I can plug in some other variables on flight tracker and catch his plane in the air!

It's all in the presentation

I'm on the "lose weight path" again. Time to slim down again, be serious about it! And, look at this tasty way to do it! Lunch of boneless, skinless, chicken breast, sauteed up in olive oil and garlic, served under a bed of fresh spinach, with some fresh-baked french bread and brie cheese .... mmmmmm, quite yummy! Oh, and, a glass of bubbly water to compliment it. Ah, it's nice to have a stocked kitchen again!

shopping sans kids, no less!!

Shopping!

Hmm, can't quite see it perhaps.... but it's IKEA!!! Woooot! The only time I get excited about shopping!

He has all the fun toys for a boring Friday

As seen over at KD's corner...

what were you doing 20 years ago?
Feb, 1986. I was in my first year of college, here. I hated it. So much, that I scheduled my last quarter classes according to when the finals would be.... so I could leave at the earliest possible date. It was time to move on to the 2nd of the 5 colleges I would attend.

what were you doing 10 years ago?
Feb, 1996. I had a high maintenance, almost 2 year old and a 4 month old. Probably 5 or 6 cats at the time as well. Wow, that was a lifetime ago.... seems I didn't know if I was coming or going.
Moments later, the red dog went swimming in the pristine Poi fish ponds that graced the fancy Mai-Kai restuarant we were at..... sigh...

what were you doing 1 year ago? Feb, 2005. Working as a substitute school nurse......

five snacks you enjoy:
1. cookies 2. Brie cheese 3. any sweet finger food 4. apples with peanut butter 5. crackers

five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1. Phantom of the Opera, the entire opera... 2. Any Barney song... ya, sad, that era was 10 years ago, but that's what happens when the kids watch it over and over and over... ad nauseum! 3. "Cecelia" by Simon & Garfunkel 4. most of Die Prinzen's songs (afterall, I listen to them over and over and over... hmm, wonder where the kids get their habits?) 5. "Take Me Out To the Ballgame" heh

five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. retire
2. buy some more homes in different parts of the world
3. travel more
4. sleep more
5. invest more to make more!

five bad habits:

1. drink coffee
2. have a Weiss or glass of red wine every night with dinner
3. swear at the slow pokes in front of me
4. i'm lazy
5. can't fall asleep with anyone touching me, or tv/radio on, or the wrong pillow.... the list continues.... heh

five things you like doing:
1. talking to Kurt on the phone, in person... either way!
2. Playing Sims 2
3. surfing the net and my friends' sites
4. knitting
5. playing with my digital photos

five things you would never wear again:
1. leggings with a long shirt... aaack!
2. anything but clogs
3. pastel pinks and blues
4. high heels (1" heels aren't high in my book)
5. bras. God, are they uncomfortable... noone makes a size 40A. I'll wear camisoles if I need the girls to be upstanding.

five things that scare you:
1. being without insulin
2. something happening to the kids
3. something happening to Kurt
4. germ warfare
5. car accidents, especially if my kids are with me

five favorite toys:
1. Kurt
2. my computer
3. my digital camera
4. my knitting needles
5. our trampoline

question,

What do you get when I'm awakened, oh, every 15-30 mins from 5:08am on?

Ya.

Although, my lovely Kurt rubbed my sore, sore back and feet for a few moments this morning before venturing out into the snow.... oh, that was great. thank you!

I'm still so hazy, tired. And stressed. I'm not settling in to the new office/routine very well. Entirely my own fault.... sigh. Oh well. I keep pluggin' along.

Besides, my DSL will be turned on today at work! Heh! Internet, the way everyone else gets to experience it. So, just roll your eyes and laugh along with me as I go ..... "ooooh, ahhhh, wow, oh so very speedy...." Sure, I'm 5 years behind the curve...... but I still want to be in awe for a bit! hee hee...

opening day

openingday
Originally uploaded by frau cowtown.

The ribbon 'chopping' as KD so aptly put it! Still plenty to do... and I'm antsy to have it all perfect, NOW! You know, I'm a child of the 70's, and the 30 minute attention span for Sesame Street... heh. There's plenty left to do and many exciting changes.... I just wish they'd all be here and in place now!

Well, we're moved....

...And exhausted. ...and the work's not finished yet. We keep pushing. Kurt's been nonstop working. He left the house yesterday morning, Sunday at 6:30am. Once I shook off the sleepies, sorted the kids, I joined him at the old school at 9:30am. Taking down the sign at the old place, the last thing to move....

Then, we kept on, working straight through at the new place, finally locking the door at 11pm last night....

A few final things to get, a few final places to vacuum and dust and we're open for business today at 3:45.

I think we'll do a ribbon cutting ceremony out front of our place.... ya know, get the "head instructor" to karate chop it! Fitting.

Ok, keep going.....

need.more.coffee.