Spring in Germany

It is officially spring here in Germany. To me, that means we haven't had any snow, sleet, or hail in at least two weeks! It rains every few days, but nothing torrential so far. Overall, spring is very much here and very much welcome.

The boys are enjoying their time outdoors, and I am LOVING letting them be outdoors! A huge windstorm (with winds over 90 mph) bent our trampoline in two, after less than 10 uses thanks to a crazy long winter. I was pretty devastated. It seemed a huge expense, but so worth it since the boys were having so much fun playing on it. To just see it destroyed so quickly was a bit disheartening, to say the least. Luckily, my resourceful hubby was able to track down replacement parts. This wasn't easy since the trampoline is now discontinued. The parts finally arrived about two weeks ago, and on Monday with the help of our landlord's sweet father ("Opa"), Brad was able to replace the bent pieces and the trampoline is as good as new.

Opa doesn't speak much English, and our German is pathetic, so we do a lot of pantomiming. He has been working in our yard to prepare it for Spring and Summer, and it is looking great. Now we need to get out there and mow! He must have felt a bit sorry for us and our sad trampoline because he came by the week before replacement parts made it and had a long pole he thought we could use to straighten out the bent pieces. I had a very difficult time communicating that we had parts coming. He was trying to explain to me what he was planning to do, and clearly just thought I didn't get it. He asked me, "Man home? Braut? Home?" And since Brad was on call, I tried very hard to explain he was at work. So, Opa tells me, "Hospital? Ok, Morgen, I back. Man, back." I know "Morgen" means morning, and I know "nacht" means night, so I am sadly trying to say, "Nein, morgen. Nacht." We didn't see him again for about a week!

Joshua has officially begun soccer and T-Ball. He is the youngest by a year on his T-Ball team, and that makes him the smallest, and the least coordinated, out there. I was fairly impressed watching him, though. He has a pretty good arm and can generally throw where he wants. Watching him run is a bit like watching a wet noodle run, but I have been reassured by the other mommies that one day he will just get it. I hope they are right. He followed instructions fairly well, and did what everyone else did. At this point, that is about as much as I am asking out of him. That, and I want him to have fun.

He has now been to two German soccer practices, consisting of 4 to 6 year olds. Now, granted the other kiddos have been playing together for months at least, if not the past few years, I still die a thousand little deaths watching my son out there. He is a hundred times improved from his first practice, but it is still painful to watch. They all speak German, but this doesn't seem to bother Joshua at all. The coaches will translate for him, a bit, but for the most part it really isn't a problem. The real problem is how distracted he gets. A car goes by, he runs to the fence to watch it. He will only kick HIS soccer ball. He wants to go sit on a cool little bench while everyone else is still kicking the ball. But, like I said, he is getting better and I am hoping that each practice sees a bit more participation in actual soccer. His American soccer begins in two weeks. I have no idea what to expect and am just hoping he has fun while at the same time PARTICIPATING!

The boys are really doing amazing things these days. Joshua is learning to read, and loves it. He has the "Bob" books and they are terrific for repetition and sounding out. He is also learning to count by 5's and 10's to 100, and is really good at it. We have been doing some simple addition and just working on him getting the concept. He has begun drawing and coloring more, which is pretty encouraging. For awhile there, he wouldn't draw at all because he couldn't make the pictures look the way he wanted. Frustrated perfectionist? Maybe. But give him some sidewalk chalk and he becomes a little artist. I love watching him just get out there and create. He has such a great time, and gets very very messy.

Both boys love to sing and enjoy singing TOGETHER. Listening to them sing "Amazing Grace" at the top of their little lungs is enough to make me feel like my heart is going to explode. Our going to bed ritual lately has been comprised of both boys sitting on my lap as we rock and sing our litany of songs. There really is no sweeter cap to my day than cuddling with both my boys and hearing them sing praise to our Lord, even if they aren't really aware that they are doing so.

Jacob is making amazing strides. The two year old year is such a year of wonderment, change and growth. It seems like 3 and 4 is more a refinement of what they learn at age 2, but 2 is that year where everything just sort of begins to happen. He is singing, knows his alphabet and the sounds of each letter, is attempting to learn all his colors, LOVES puppies (well, dogs - but they are all puppies to him), he loves to be rocked and held, has the cutest way of mimicking everything Joshua says ("5 more minutes" is my current favorite), and he is still very solidly earning the euphemistic description of "my passionate one." He pretty much does everything with passion. He laughs and sings and plays with passion, and he fights and screams and pitches fits with equal passion. He is also attempting to determine boundaries and limits, which makes me more than a little passionate at times!

I am now 25 weeks pregnant with baby #3. This little one is kicking and moving all the time, and makes for a very reassuring pregnancy. Being of "advanced maternal age" (choke, choke), we had to listen to the complete run down of potential problems and complications. Any reassurance I can get I am embracing wholeheartedly! I have cut back on the caffeine and while still eating in mass quantities, I am attempting to eat more nutritious options. Not much in the way of exercise, but I am trying to carve out time on a consistent basis. Jacob and I go for a walk three days a week for about half an hour, but given his dawdling and propensity for stopping to smell the roses and look at windmills, not sure how beneficial it is exercise wise. I have been tired, but with both boys still napping it has been wonderful being able to take naps while they do. Joshua is about out of the napping every day stage, though, so I am not sure how much longer that is going to last.

Overall, life is just beautiful. I love being a mommy to these wild little men, and I am so happy and in love with my husband of almost 9 years (hard to believe, but yeah, 9 years in June!) I have struggled a good deal this move with so many changes, not being able to talk to my good friends and family, and with just the adjustment to a different country. It has been much more difficult to integrate here than any other place I have lived as a military wife. But, praise God, I am finally finding my groove and friends and the house is coming together, and we have consistent internet! Brad is working on the phone issue, and the "touch of a finger" ability to contact family and friends will be very comforting. Both boys are now in preschool - Jacob 3 days a week from 9 to 11:30, Joshua 5 days a week from 9 to 12, so I have some time to myself. The thrills of grocery shopping without a toddler in tow cannot be overly stated. Brad was working a ton for awhile, but with the trauma inspection over he is much more available. I am super excited about the timing - no lawn mowing for me!! Time to get the boys outside on the trampoline. Woohoo!!