So I have been checking out teacher blogs and thought I should maybe get back to our own family blog. It's only been about 2 years since my last blog entry:) Since then we have had an addition to our family. Since Facebook arrived, it seems that all anyone does. I will still keep FBing but I wanted to keep families up to date on the goings on with us and the kiddos.
Speaking of which....
Ryan and Jakob are now both attending the same school as myself. This has actually been very nice. I love that I am more involved with the boys schooling and can talk with their teachers at virtually any time. I think the boys have enjoyed it as well. I'm sure there will be times when it isn't so cool for them (Ryan told me I was embarrassing him when I delivered his water bottle he left in my classroom:) ) but for the most part the pros outweigh the cons.
In December when I came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized, my colleagues and friends rallied around and took care of all my boys. They even took up a collection since I was on leave without pay - extreme generosity and another example of how the Lord takes care of his children.
Eli is the newest addition I haven't blogged about yet. He is quickly coming up on his first birthday!!! He just fell asleep next to me so now I can write. I'll write more about him soon. I love him to death and the bigger boys are so good with him. It's so sweet to see them together. Soon I'll have some fun photos to add.
I'm thinking of redesigning this blog and make it a bit more interesting. I am also considering beginning a teacher blog. I am new to teacher blogs but am so IN LOVE with them! There are so many fabulous teachers out there and it is inspiring to share ideas and keeps the fun in teaching! I see many are making money on the side by selling their lessons. I'm thinking this is a great idea to offset some of what I spend on buying things for my classroom:)
That's all for now....hopefully my next blog won't be too far in the future:)
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Garden Update
We have been trying to get our garden done but it is difficult while working. Since I had Spring Break this past week the goal was to get as much as I could complete in the garden and then this weekend we would tear up the yard to plant grass seed. Our yard was really looking awful. Working alone has been difficult as I just don't have the muscle Jeff does and time seems to slip away with the kids around. Friday was a holiday and in Germany that means you cannot be loud. Jeff and worked at pulling out bushes we no longer want which of course exposed more work to be done. The crossbeams on the fence are rotted :( Well we did finally get the bushes pulled and even moved a lilac bush to a more convenient location. Next job would have to wait until today as it is nosy work. 
This morning we got up early and rented a rotatiller. Jeff was unhappy since it seems smaller than he expected and he wasn't sure it would do the work and definately in the short amount of time we had to work. BBQ plans at 2pm. In actuality we were able to get the largest part of the yard complete. Later we will have to do the raised area but I don't think we will need the rotatiller for that. With no grass the yard looked better than it had in since we have been here.
We were able to pull out a lot of the roots that seem to be growing like mad and vines as well. Then together we leveled it all out. Jeff returned the rotatiller and we had to get ready for the BBQ. I ran to our local garden center and bought grass seed which turned out to be VERY EXPENSIVE GRASS SEED!!!! This stuff must be gold and it had better grow into a lush green yard. Supposedly good for sport and animals so it should hold up against the boys and dogs. After the BBQ it was still light out so I threw seed and Jeff watered everything. We have it all blocked off from kids and dogs and it will need to remain as such until the yard is complete. Hopefully in a month we will have a yard. Now we have to keep it watered so the seeds don't dry out - RAIN???? I wouldn't normally ask for rain but it needs it. I snapped a couple of pictures of Jeff working. Should have taken a before shot of the yard but maybe I can find one somewhere to post. I'll keep you updated. :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Lazy Weekend
Hello everyone!! So now I have added Facebook to my blog in an attempt to keep you a bit more up to date.
Things are well with us. Ryan is working hard in 3rd grade and it is paying off - no more worries. Parent/Teacher conferences just around the corner.
Jakob is getting ready for first grade - where does the time go?
Today we went to a building expo. It was pretty interesting although I so many people that I began to have a sense of claustapohio (sp?)
One good thing was that I ran into a parent I had several years ago. I knew that she worked with horses but never really pursued the opportunity. Well today she was showing off their Arabians at the expo. The school she works at is locatd in Pressath which isn't far from here. I have been wanting to get Ryan and Jakob into horseback riding much to Jeff's displeasure. There is a lot of information out there that talks of the theraputic benefits horseback riding has or just being around horses. After the deaths of Andrea and Alex, Ryan was a pretty angry little boy. He is doing better but still doesn't open up and talk much. On the other hand, Jakob is a pretty emotional bundle with an explosive package. I can see this being calming for him. Maybe it is all wishful thinking...who knows until we try it.
In addition softball season is beginning! Jeff has already begun spring tryouts though he says he doesn't really have to tryout. In fact he says that the "old team" are working to find rookies that will fill the places of those players they have lost since last season. A bit comical to hear but it is good to see him excited about something and softball always has that affect on him.
He has always been concerned that the boys wouldn't like the game and he has tried not to push them into it for fear they will hate it. Now the boys are ready to begin Little League. They need coaches too so Jeff has to find out if he can do that as well as play on his own team. I think it will be a good experience for them. Personally I think I plan to sit this season out. Once again there is not a coach and the girl who plans to step up is also a player. Past experience shows this has been a poor practice and much animosity among team players. My goal for playing is to have fun while working out. That hasn't happened the last two seasons so I will sit the sidelines once again.
Well I hope everyone out there is doing well - I won't say I will try to keep this updated - those of you who know me know this doesn't always happen. :)
Things are well with us. Ryan is working hard in 3rd grade and it is paying off - no more worries. Parent/Teacher conferences just around the corner.
Jakob is getting ready for first grade - where does the time go?
Today we went to a building expo. It was pretty interesting although I so many people that I began to have a sense of claustapohio (sp?)
One good thing was that I ran into a parent I had several years ago. I knew that she worked with horses but never really pursued the opportunity. Well today she was showing off their Arabians at the expo. The school she works at is locatd in Pressath which isn't far from here. I have been wanting to get Ryan and Jakob into horseback riding much to Jeff's displeasure. There is a lot of information out there that talks of the theraputic benefits horseback riding has or just being around horses. After the deaths of Andrea and Alex, Ryan was a pretty angry little boy. He is doing better but still doesn't open up and talk much. On the other hand, Jakob is a pretty emotional bundle with an explosive package. I can see this being calming for him. Maybe it is all wishful thinking...who knows until we try it.
In addition softball season is beginning! Jeff has already begun spring tryouts though he says he doesn't really have to tryout. In fact he says that the "old team" are working to find rookies that will fill the places of those players they have lost since last season. A bit comical to hear but it is good to see him excited about something and softball always has that affect on him.
He has always been concerned that the boys wouldn't like the game and he has tried not to push them into it for fear they will hate it. Now the boys are ready to begin Little League. They need coaches too so Jeff has to find out if he can do that as well as play on his own team. I think it will be a good experience for them. Personally I think I plan to sit this season out. Once again there is not a coach and the girl who plans to step up is also a player. Past experience shows this has been a poor practice and much animosity among team players. My goal for playing is to have fun while working out. That hasn't happened the last two seasons so I will sit the sidelines once again.
Well I hope everyone out there is doing well - I won't say I will try to keep this updated - those of you who know me know this doesn't always happen. :)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
December
Well I forgot to submit my last post but I was trying. Now it is December...
Ryan is doing well, enjoying the amazing snow we have right now. Let it snow more! Ryan and Jakob had recent hair cuts due to the neighbors investation of head lice. We had warned the children to stay away until they had were clear of all lice. Of course they didn't listen and as a result we had to deal with the nasty critters. We shaved heads and washed, combed, pulled, etc. Being a mom is so much fun:P
Right now we are wondering if keeping Ryan in the German system is the best for him at this point. We want him to feel great about school and to have success in school--that is a struggle right now. Communication is key and it is very difficult with the German school. Report cards come out in January and we will need to make a decision then.
Jakob has his glasses now and he is going a great job with them. Occasionally he "forgets" to wear them but for the most part does pretty well. We have to get used to seeing him with them and our friends are really helping making him feel better about wearing them.
I will update some more photos soon. The Christmas market is going on right now so we want to update some photos from that as well. I am trying to find a better site that it a bit more user friendly with more options as well. Hopefully one that friends and family can join in as well. I'll keep you updated...
In the meantime....MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! We think of you often and try to keep tabs through your sites. If you ever happen to be in this area again, stop by! We would love to have you as guests. Take care!
Ryan is doing well, enjoying the amazing snow we have right now. Let it snow more! Ryan and Jakob had recent hair cuts due to the neighbors investation of head lice. We had warned the children to stay away until they had were clear of all lice. Of course they didn't listen and as a result we had to deal with the nasty critters. We shaved heads and washed, combed, pulled, etc. Being a mom is so much fun:P
Right now we are wondering if keeping Ryan in the German system is the best for him at this point. We want him to feel great about school and to have success in school--that is a struggle right now. Communication is key and it is very difficult with the German school. Report cards come out in January and we will need to make a decision then.
Jakob has his glasses now and he is going a great job with them. Occasionally he "forgets" to wear them but for the most part does pretty well. We have to get used to seeing him with them and our friends are really helping making him feel better about wearing them.
I will update some more photos soon. The Christmas market is going on right now so we want to update some photos from that as well. I am trying to find a better site that it a bit more user friendly with more options as well. Hopefully one that friends and family can join in as well. I'll keep you updated...
In the meantime....MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! We think of you often and try to keep tabs through your sites. If you ever happen to be in this area again, stop by! We would love to have you as guests. Take care!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
I'm back!
Well a week later isn't bad for me to update again:) A couple of months ago we went to get new glasses for Jeff. While there I decided to go ahead and have Ryan's eyes checked. Of course with two kids, what one does the other must also. I had wanted to ensure that Ryan wasn't having any problems that hinder him in school. Turns out, he is fine but Jakob wasn't. We went to a specialist last week, what fun. When I took him, they explained that in his right eye he is far-sighted. They use percentages to explain the level of sight loss. They said he only has 50% vision in his right eye. We had to come back two days later for more tests. Unfortunately Jeff had to do it this time and from what I hear it was less fun than the first visit. Jakob later beseeched me to never take him to a doctor again, especially if they had to put eye drops in his eyes. Jeff walked out with a prescription for Jakob to get glasses.
As anyone can imagine, this was the least expected and least desired. I can't begin to imagine how difficult this will be to keep Jakob in glasses. Just the mention of it created quite a disturbance. He cried about how unfair life is that he must wear them but not Ryan. We bribed him with chocolate today to get him to just try some different frames on. First he was dead set on blue, then when the desicion time came, he changed to red, then back to blue. We finally decided on two different pairs that they will order for him to try next week. Then we have to get the prescription and get him to wear them ALWAYS!! Of course insurance only covers the cost of the lens, not the frames. Given his age and general boyness, we decided it was safer to go with a more flexible, can handle jumping off tall mountains and stay on his face, frames. More money but hopefully a wiser choice.
Ryan was a bit freaked that he too was getting glasses and didn't want to go with us. Now he has calmed down but if my own brother was any indication of teasing, I fortell arguments over the glasses in the future.
As anyone can imagine, this was the least expected and least desired. I can't begin to imagine how difficult this will be to keep Jakob in glasses. Just the mention of it created quite a disturbance. He cried about how unfair life is that he must wear them but not Ryan. We bribed him with chocolate today to get him to just try some different frames on. First he was dead set on blue, then when the desicion time came, he changed to red, then back to blue. We finally decided on two different pairs that they will order for him to try next week. Then we have to get the prescription and get him to wear them ALWAYS!! Of course insurance only covers the cost of the lens, not the frames. Given his age and general boyness, we decided it was safer to go with a more flexible, can handle jumping off tall mountains and stay on his face, frames. More money but hopefully a wiser choice.
Ryan was a bit freaked that he too was getting glasses and didn't want to go with us. Now he has calmed down but if my own brother was any indication of teasing, I fortell arguments over the glasses in the future.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Starting Over
Okay so I have gotten really bad at keeping my blog updated and several people tell me this or send me messages to update....I am going to start over in an attempt to catch up.
To begin with the boys are growing like weeds! This picture was taken this summer.
To begin with the boys are growing like weeds! This picture was taken this summer.
Jakob is as hilarious as always thinking the world was creates for his pleasure and manipulations. Doesn't go well when it isn't his plan:) He is now a Vorschulekind which translates to the American Kindergarten. However he is also taking a language immersion class that is in Ryan's school for two days a week and in his Kindergarten two days a week. This is a great transition for him as he still has much to learn about following the rules even when he doesn't want to. He is interested in soccer (see the shoes) but when I went to go ask about it, he decided he wasn't ready to do this alone. Maybe a bit longer.
For those of you who didn't know...we bought a house in January and moved in the following month. Lots of demolition for rennovations but we are now done with that horror and trying to get things organized. This summer we had lots of visitors. First was my brother, then Jeff's dad and Marilyn, and last my parents. We had a wonderful time with everyone.
Next time I will try to upload a short video of our house to show all that was done.
I am teaching first grade again this year but moved to the new school built in the new housing area called Netzaberg. This was created to support the large groups of soldiers now stationed here at the US Army Garrison Grafenwoehr and the Joint Multinational Training Command. Translates to LOTS of people here with MANY more kids! Huge school but good light so it feels open and spacious. Check out our new school site for pictures. www.netz-es.eu.dodea.edu
Well I do hope that all is well with everyone else. I need to do a few things before we take off for bowling. Keep in touch!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Updating my Blog
Hello! I am finally getting a chance to update my blog. Several people have commented on how lax I have been so here goes. I am actually at home ill with little voice which is why I have this opportunity. :)
So much has happened since my last post that I will try to give a summary.
In June my dear grandmother, Marie Jeffers, passed away. My whole family flew to the states to be there for her funeral. It was so good to see everyone and sad that it takes something such as someone dying to bring people together again. But that is life.
We spent two weeks in the midwest and then flew to the west coast for my RAT travel (to non military that means my return travel to the states that I recieve every two years at the governments expense). We went to Disneyland which was a first for me and the boys. We had a great time there, also Hollywood.
Then we flew to San Fransisco to visit Grandpa "Bear" (Jeff's dad) and Grandma Marilyn. They had a birthday party for Ryan which was really nice and we were able to meet up with many of Jeff's old friends.
Next we flew to Seattle to visit with Great-Aunt Sis. We only had four days there and it was a whirlwind of a time trying to find a dog for Jeff, family photos, and finally a chance to shop for things we cannot easily find here.
Before we had left Jeff and I had joined the community softball league. Upon our return we had lots of practice to get ourselves ready for the upcoming games. At the end of the season the Men's league didn't do to bad but the Women had struggled the entire season just finding enough people to play and no coach. Oh well....maybe we will have better luck next year.
Jeff found a dog in the Netherlands and flew there to pick him up. He is a red tri Australian Shepard named Mackenzie River - "Mac".
Ryan finished first grade with quite a bit of drama due to the fact that we had pulled him out for three weeks. We had to go to truancy court and deal with that. It finally worked out but we learned that the German system is much less lenient than the American system.
School began for me in August where I was told I would get to teach Kindergarten again. I was very excited but have since questioned the greatness of this descision. It took 10 weeks for them to hire an aide and it has been quite a rocky ride. Things are settling down now but because of my switch and the downsizing of our school next year as the new school opens, I have now been informed that I will most likely be excessed. This means I will have a job but we are not sure where or what I will teach.
Ryan began second grade in September. He has been doing awesome this year and we are so proud of him. He is a happier child who now participates in Karate twice a week and guitar lessons once a week. He just finished a four month program through his school where he learned to ice skate. He has several classmates living very close to us so he has playmates close by.
Jakob is still going to Kindergarten and has found a talent in his art work. He loves to draw pictures and they are quite impressive if I may say so. For a four year to include such detail in his work would impress anyone I would think. Of course I compare him to what I have at school where so many 5 year olds are still drawing tadpole people. Maybe I will scan in some of his work to share:)
Jakob has not yet begun sports full time as he doesn't have much of an attention span for such things yet. If we can work it out in our schedule we would like for him to begin indoor soccer here in our town.
Jeff is still working at POV shipping. Right now he is trying to find a newer older car to replace the hooptie he currently drives. It never bothered him until he got to drive our NEW car. We just bought an Opel Zafira. It is so nice that now Jeff dreads driving the older car. He was somewhat excited that I have been absent for two days allowing him to drive the NEW car to work.
Well I think that pretty much updates you to today. For Thanksgiving we went to Garmisch with friends and had a very enjoyable time. My parents are flying in next Monday to spend Christmas with us. It has been about 6 years since we have spent Christmas together so this will be nice. The boys are very excited! Jeff and I went to the ball on Friday night. Jeff says he hates those things but you should hear him when the time comes and he is getting ready. You might think he is more excited for a grand night out than I!
So much has happened since my last post that I will try to give a summary.
In June my dear grandmother, Marie Jeffers, passed away. My whole family flew to the states to be there for her funeral. It was so good to see everyone and sad that it takes something such as someone dying to bring people together again. But that is life.
We spent two weeks in the midwest and then flew to the west coast for my RAT travel (to non military that means my return travel to the states that I recieve every two years at the governments expense). We went to Disneyland which was a first for me and the boys. We had a great time there, also Hollywood.
Then we flew to San Fransisco to visit Grandpa "Bear" (Jeff's dad) and Grandma Marilyn. They had a birthday party for Ryan which was really nice and we were able to meet up with many of Jeff's old friends.
Next we flew to Seattle to visit with Great-Aunt Sis. We only had four days there and it was a whirlwind of a time trying to find a dog for Jeff, family photos, and finally a chance to shop for things we cannot easily find here.
Before we had left Jeff and I had joined the community softball league. Upon our return we had lots of practice to get ourselves ready for the upcoming games. At the end of the season the Men's league didn't do to bad but the Women had struggled the entire season just finding enough people to play and no coach. Oh well....maybe we will have better luck next year.
Jeff found a dog in the Netherlands and flew there to pick him up. He is a red tri Australian Shepard named Mackenzie River - "Mac".
Ryan finished first grade with quite a bit of drama due to the fact that we had pulled him out for three weeks. We had to go to truancy court and deal with that. It finally worked out but we learned that the German system is much less lenient than the American system.
School began for me in August where I was told I would get to teach Kindergarten again. I was very excited but have since questioned the greatness of this descision. It took 10 weeks for them to hire an aide and it has been quite a rocky ride. Things are settling down now but because of my switch and the downsizing of our school next year as the new school opens, I have now been informed that I will most likely be excessed. This means I will have a job but we are not sure where or what I will teach.
Ryan began second grade in September. He has been doing awesome this year and we are so proud of him. He is a happier child who now participates in Karate twice a week and guitar lessons once a week. He just finished a four month program through his school where he learned to ice skate. He has several classmates living very close to us so he has playmates close by.
Jakob is still going to Kindergarten and has found a talent in his art work. He loves to draw pictures and they are quite impressive if I may say so. For a four year to include such detail in his work would impress anyone I would think. Of course I compare him to what I have at school where so many 5 year olds are still drawing tadpole people. Maybe I will scan in some of his work to share:)
Jakob has not yet begun sports full time as he doesn't have much of an attention span for such things yet. If we can work it out in our schedule we would like for him to begin indoor soccer here in our town.
Jeff is still working at POV shipping. Right now he is trying to find a newer older car to replace the hooptie he currently drives. It never bothered him until he got to drive our NEW car. We just bought an Opel Zafira. It is so nice that now Jeff dreads driving the older car. He was somewhat excited that I have been absent for two days allowing him to drive the NEW car to work.
Well I think that pretty much updates you to today. For Thanksgiving we went to Garmisch with friends and had a very enjoyable time. My parents are flying in next Monday to spend Christmas with us. It has been about 6 years since we have spent Christmas together so this will be nice. The boys are very excited! Jeff and I went to the ball on Friday night. Jeff says he hates those things but you should hear him when the time comes and he is getting ready. You might think he is more excited for a grand night out than I!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Easter
Easter was more wonderful this year as some friends tried to make it extra special for the boys. A boy at Roll's school informed him that there is no such thing as the Easter bunny, tooth fairy, or Santa Claus. It is instead just the parents. Roll was a bit bummed to hear this but at the same time feeling very grown up in sharing his revelation. Of course we want the boys to know the true meaning behind celebrations such as Easter and Christmas but we also enjoy sharing in their joy as they envision a visit from mystical characters such as leprechans and Easter bunnies. I know many have differing views about this and I have no problem with parents teaching their children the facts of life but I really wish they would also teach thier child that all families are different and it isn't their job to inform the world of the facts they have learned. So a friends daughter who just loves our little boys decided she wanted to help put the magic back into the Easter bunny. We took the boys for a long walk with our friends family and ended up back at their house which has been visited by the easter bunny with all the wonderful eggs, candy, and chocolate bunnies to boot! I could see the wheels turning behind Roll's eyes as he tried to figure out how all that stuff got their to include their baskets when mom and dad never left his sight:)
Thanks Dunn Family!!
To our suprise there was another visit to our house when the boys got home. We have an idea where they came from but it was nice to hear the boys exclaim with merriment that the Easter bunny had visited their house as well!
Thanks Dunn Family!!
To our suprise there was another visit to our house when the boys got home. We have an idea where they came from but it was nice to hear the boys exclaim with merriment that the Easter bunny had visited their house as well!
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