Living Museum - Alex's 4th Grade project

Houston we are a 'go' for presentation

Alex recently completed his class Social Studies project called a Living Museum.  I have to admit that I was a little perplexed, at first, about what exactly a Living Museum is & what the end result would be.  But what a fantastic idea for hands on learning.  It involved a lot of steps.  Starting with picking their person of interest & then developing a bibliography, research, notes, poster & ending with the presentation put on by the 4th grade for parents & other students which was the actual museum.  Alex chose Alan Bean, the astronaut.  They were encouraged to dress the part & be creative. He borrowed the helmet from someone in class & wore one of Kirk's flight suits. (I think Dad might have been a bit jealous about that).  When approached the kids would have to tell you who they were & speak in first person about their character relating details of their accomplishments & life.  All the kids did really great & there were some wonderful costumes. Choices ranged from Martin Luther King to Laura Ingles Wilder.   I love any idea or curriculum that provides hands on learning for children.  Even though the project felt never ending for us as parents helping Alex stay on task it is an incredible idea.  

Alex with his wonderful teacher Ms. Bohlman

Cupcakes & Fundraisers....oh my!!

It was a fun afternoon of  girl bonding with Brynn.  Both kids are in Drama club this year with their elementary school, Robinson Elementary.  They are called "The RB Players"...yes I giggled at that name too.  They are getting ready to put on a production of "Happy Feet" this month & have gotten so much out of the experience.  In an effort to raise money for their costumes drama club is having a bake sale at school during the lunch periods.  It was a really great opportunity to have some fun time with Brynn in the kitchen.  Alex had more pressing engagements.... a nerf gun war at various base parks this afternoon, you know duty calls for a nine year old.  He was available to come home & eat them, however.  I would love to tell you that you could tell our cupcakes apart yet I am not the baker in the family.  I will cook you a nice dinner but deserts I will buy no problem.  Martha Stewart needn't worry about competition from this house.   Brynn was so determined & adorable doing it.  Hopefully she'll have a better start than I did.  And thankfully the target market is elementary students!

Decorating

Our Thespians

Alex showing up just in time as the "best supporting role of a cupcake eater"

Viola!!

SENSAPOLIS

Now that is a word we use very carefully around our house......Sensapolis.  We only say that word if we have the intention of going there because it can create such an exciting stir in our house that it takes hours, if not days to recover from.  It is a huge indoor play....well mall.  I can't think of a better word for it.  It is truly GENIUS.  Here in Germany we have similar weather (winters especially) to Washington state.  Wet, rainy, cold, gloomy.  Which can lead to children literally pinging off the walls.  There are several indoor play places here but Sensapolis is the king of them all.  Very safe & clean with interactive devices in every part as well as science experiments on movement & sound.  We love taking the kids there for a special treat.  Last weekend we  had planned on a few day trips.  We got out to Rothenburg but the snow hit on the holiday.  So off to Sensapolis we went.  It was fantastic on an American holiday because it was not as busy as it would be on a normal winter weekend.  Now that the kids are older Kirk & I just sit in the food court area in the middle (equiped with everything from burgers, fries, pizza, made to order Wok, chocolate fountains, slushees & many other assorted beverages for children & adults).  We have the kids check in with us or sometimes order a bowl of pommes frittes (french fries) & some drinks set them in the middle of the table for that occasional refreshment fly by.  It's hours of fun for the kids & for Kirk & I too, especially at bedtime. I'd like to tell you that we have some pics of the kids but we mostly see the backsides of them if at all.......

Open eating area adjacent from the castle, pirate ship, rock wall & high ropes course on the ceiling

The multi story castle with pictures on the walls that talk to you & lots of interactive fun

Usually Alex lives in the spaceship.  

Cool tree house with another seating section

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

One of the entrances through the wall into the town

A long weekend in europe usually means you go out & travel.  Unfortunately, we couldn't get our dog Reggie a spot at the kennel in time so we elected to do some day trips this weekend.  With so many places to choose from within a two hour radius we still have some really exciting options.  One that has been high on our list is Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  A medieval walled city that is one of the best preserved in Germany.  Made popular by one of my favorites, Rick Steves, it's quickly gone from quiet & quaint to touristy.  But still very wonderful to see & experience.  This is one of those places that we will most likely visit at least one more time if not a few more.  The wall that surrounds the city is about a mile & a half long & you can still walk it & climb some of the towers.  Since we are so close we can view it "off season".   There were still tourists there but I can imagine them in mass during the summer time.  One of the top attractions is to take "The Night Watchman's Tour" where a guide,  dressed in period attire & playing the part,  takes you through the city at dusk explaining history, his duties & his part in social rank.  Today we just leisurely walked the town, ate lunch & went into beautiful St. Jakobs Lutheran Church.  I find the churches so fascinating.  They hold such amazing, well preserved displays of period architecture & design but yet so simplistic sometimes as well.  These are some pictures of our trip today.  The sun wasn't shining like it has been lately but you don't need sunshine to see a neat place like Rothenburg.

My old door fetish....& it's starting to be embraced by the kids

St. Jakobs Lutheran Church

The sanctuary & High altar.  Parts of this church date back to 1311

The high altar (1466) also called the Twelve Apostles is one of the finest in Germany.  The altar is the work of Swabian master Riemenschneider, the Michaelangelo of German wood carvings.

One of the beautiful stain glassed windows.  Each depict a story.  They all date back to 13th/14th century

Kirk & the kids on the exterior wall with some of the town in the background

Schneeballs! (snowballs)  Compare them to a very crispy large doughnut hole covered in any flavoring you can imagine.  

Another beautiful entrance into the city through the wall

LEGOLAND Duetschland

Does it get any better then Legoland?  Well if you asked Alex, our son, probably not.  Since the time we first talked about receiving overseas orders & researching where we would be Alex learned that that Denmark was the home & founder of all things Lego....the Lego utopia if you will, especially for a 9 year old who is completely & totally into Legos & has been for some time.  We will no doubt be traveling up north to see the birth place of all things Lego.  While we were stationed in California Kirk had always wanted to take the kids to Lego Land in San Diego but the kids were young & we never had the chance.  Arriving here in Europe was a complete whirlwind & we had a month in a hotel before we were finally moved into housing.  When we received housing we did not receive our things for another 4 weeks so all told we kept pretty busy sight seeing locally & on small day trips.  Fortunately it was the summer months & that made it very conducive to see things that were out door oriented.  I'm looking back at some of the things we did upon arriving.  So I feel like I've gone backwards in time but one day we decided to take the kids to Lego Land in Germany.  It's only a little over an hour away but we had fun! We will surely be visiting Lego Land again.   One of the reasons we chose this particular time was because they were having a Star Wars Lego Event, another passion of our 9 year old.  It was very cool & let's just say Alex was very happy!

Lego Neuschwantstein Castle

Legoland Star Wars Parade

I believe this was an Italian part of Legoland creations

Star Wars exhibit

Strasbourg, France

Cathederale Notre Dame de Strasbourg.  So huge/imposing that I could not get a shot of it all in one frame.  It's Gothic architecture dates back to the 13th Century.

Today we took a day trip to Strasbourg, France.  It's a little over an hour away and just  across Rhine River into France.   We've had gorgeous weather this weekend & today especially.  Thanks Paxsutawney Phil  - or at least that's what I'm telling myself since he predicted an early spring this year...either way we'll take it!  Strasbourg is in the Alsace Region of France where French & German cultures collide.  We had a delicious lunch of alsatian cuisine & Kirk & I sampled some alsatian beer.  Apparently the region is known for it's beer & sweet, dry  white wines like Riesling &  Gewurztraminer.   We  have yet to find and area in Europe that isn't 'known' for some kind of libabtion?? Ha,ha.... we  are always happy to sample.  We also explored the Cathederale, which is the biggest tourism draw for the city.  Then walked around "La Petit France" a neighborhood with old buildings & cobble stone streets that surrounds the cathedrale area  filled with homes, shops & restaurants.  We can't wait to go back.  Hopefully during the summer months where we can take a boat tour, The Batorama,  on the Rhine through the city.  Overall, not a bad way to spend a Sunday.  

La Petite France

Astronomical Clock in the Cathederale.  Not the greatest picture to represent the clock, which was really stunning.  The dark lighting & high ceilings made it hard to get a good one.

Dutch Ovens galore!! The Alsace in France is known for these with their country cuisine.  Made of heavy pottery  they cook the most amazing food! Like having a crock pot in the oven.  Next time we go back one of these will be coming home with us!

Kirk & kids at the back part of the Cathederale

Alex with a street performer

This plaque was inside the Cathederale.....a reminder that this war was no so long ago

Having some fun with a sign outside one of the restaurants

Some Bulldog pride & a few reflections.....

So after 'dropping the ball' in the beginning of the year with ordering school shirts for the kids I finally ordered them before the holiday break..they just arrived.  They are the Robinson Elementary Middle School Bulldogs (RBEMS) I felt horrible because when I go to pick the kids up at school in the afternoons on Fridays & other alloted spirit days a good majority of the kids had them on.  Somewhere I missed the initial email/memo.  But that brought me to some other reflections about living abroad in general & not being too hard on myself since when the kids started school we had only been in our base apartment two days.   Received our  express shipment with all their school clothes, supplies, coats etc. a week after we moved in & they started school. (Despite my best intentions & planning to have it early)  We had one computer, Kirk's laptop & a very empty apartment with army loaner furniture...which you can compare to any furniture in your dorm room commons area from college.  All of this after we packed out of our house mid July & spent a month plus in hotels.

I've always considered myself a 'glass half full' kinda gal.  And we couldn't contain our excitement about  snagging an overseas set of orders which we had dreamed of since we were first married.  I, literally, am still pinching myself 6 months later & say to myself "we are really in Germany".  So many experiences have been extremely positive & fantastic.  But there can be struggles & adjustments.   Arriving is very disorienting there is the check in process, having to take a new drivers test, figuring out where you will live (literally a ground hog day experience with housing), getting the kids enrolled in school & oh yeah that minor thing...you don't speak the language?!  But we embraced & dove in head first with mass transit & getting out into the culture/exploring.  Fortunately our positive attitude & desire to embrace a new culture rubbed off on the kids & made the transition much easier for us.  That coupled with lots of advice from good friends who have been here before & a wonderful sponsorship experience.  However, I won't lie to you & say it has been super intimidating at times getting out there.  It took me 3 months before I felt comfortable to drive?! And suffering from test anxiety all my life I had no idea if I'd even pass the drivers test.  The germans are a very reserved people.  They don't always say "hi" or talk/smile at you in public like we do so that takes some getting used to.  But I have effectively learned common phrases especially "excuse me" &  "I'm sorry" while traveling with the kids.

All this being said you can still find yourself with the "grass is greener" syndrome.  The  things we are all starting miss is our house & yard.  I think we all miss the square footage, our media room, the grill out back & man do I miss opening the back door so I can let  our dog, Reggie,  outside when needed.  I have to admit I miss running to Wal-mart just because or if I needed something.  The kids miss their friends on our old street.  Kirk misses flying.  And I miss the ocean.   I never took my walks on Rocky Point & Joseph Whidbey Park for granted staring at the snow capped Olympic Mountains & the San Juan Islands in the distance.   Even recently poor Brynn says she wished we never moved...that is not surprising & good that she is expressing herself.

 We chose to live on base instead of out on the economy so the kids would be surrounded by english speaking friends & have a comfort zone.  I love that they walk to school ever day & the both love their school & teachers.  They are thriving in their classrooms.  Again, back to the Bulldog pride:-)  On the bright side it's great when the sun is shining & you can send the kids out to play at the park next to our building for hours & listen to the laughter & voices of children through our windows.  Especially after a dark winter where people can stay pent up inside their apartments.  A kind of hibernation  if you will.  It's also fun that Kirk can go grill dinner & we run into our neighbors to stop & chat.  Or that we live in a stairwell building & always have the comfort of someone close if we should need or ask of anything.  Our neighbors downstairs (now moved as of a few days) greeted us so wonderfully & let us 'pirate' their internet, as it takes forever & a day to get set up here,  so we could use the computer & set it up so we could watch shows while awaiting our tv, computer & main shipment.  And lastly we are up on a hill north of the city surrounded by beautiful vineyards..how can you beat that?!

No matter what we are SO grateful for this experience.  It has pushed our comfort zones at times but mostly been so positive.  I think that if you focus on the positive & relay that sometimes people think it's an easy transition.   When in fact it is a lot of work.  Our hope is that the kids leave more open minded to change, new languages, culture & experiences.  I think we will too.  And a good friend told me this experience would make us closer as a family which is so true.   Not only is Kirk home but we spend a lot of time together without stateside conveniences  & distractions.  And of course you can't beat the travel...what an amazing opportunity!  Speaking of which, we've had wonderful weather & sunshine this weekend & how cool is it to say "Let's go to France" tomorrow??!  Tomorrow we head to France a little over an hour away for a day trip & to experience something new & make some wonderful memories....standby for the next post....