Things I've Learned Since Last Posting

Last week I discovered many things:
1. Germans have alcoholic beverages available to the adults at children's school functions. Dorothee and I attended Carola's sport's Christmas program- where here was alcohol available for a price. Nice. Then the same night we attended Paula's Kindergarten's Christmas party- where gluhwein (hot spiced wein) was available to all adults for free. (even better). So I preferred Paula's even though they did send the kids to a play then made all the adults wait around in the kindergarten and wouldn't even let us eat any of the food that was sitting there tauntung us. (Nana nana boo boo)
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2. Weihnachtsmarkts Rule! A Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas Market winds it's way through the streets of the city. It is made up of stalls that are festively decorated with people selling everything. Scarves, ornaments, toys, jewelery, things that slice and dice food, minatures, and just about anything else that people could want. They also have stalls that sell food and of course, gluhwein. The best part of this is that you can keep the mug when buy the gluhwein. Here's the one I got:

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3. Where kids track- so do their school mates' germs. Yeah, I would like to send out a special thanks to Carola for giving me her stomach bug which had me calling Grandpa (Raaalllppphhh) and bowing down before the porcelin throne for many hours.
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4. Straight up electolytes from a packet are nasty. Stick to the gaterado. Personally, future consequences be damned, I don't care if the chemicals are slowly pickling me from the inside out. If I'm trying to keep a stomach settled, nasty things don't help. So if someone offers- just say no. Remember the techniques they taught you in D.A.R.E.:

Saying "No Thanks"

Giving a Reason of Excuse

Broken Record

Walking Away

Changing the Subject

Avoiding the Situation

Cold shoulder

Strength in Numbers

(Heart you Dorothee :D )

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5. I'm a terrible fan. I found out Friday that my favorite actor of all times: Will Smith, has a new movie coming out very soon and I didn't even know about it. UGH! How terrible am I? Yeah I know. Okay, so it's called "Seven Pounds" and it's by the same director as "Pursuit of Happyness" which we all know was a tear jerker- and it looks like this one's along the same path, but hey, it's Will Smith, so go see it- it will of course be great! Click here to see the trailer.

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6. Carola+Scraped Hand= Drama Queen. Last night Carola fell, scraped up her hand and became convinced that that was the end of her ablity to write and therefore can no longer do her homework. *rolls eyes*

Ah, the things you learn

Personally, I think it's interesting that no matter how long you have been working around kids, 10 years for me, there are always new lessons to learn.

1. If they tell you "I'm going to close the door, don't come check on me." Wait five minutes, then go catch them doing something they aren't supposed to do.

2. If they try really really hard to convince you of something that's normally really simple... there's something up.

3. Kids have no internal volume sensor that monitors their own volume.

4. More than one kid= more than one item. Sharing only works up until the point when it's time to decide where the thing will live at night.

5. It doesn't matter how often you have them go to the toilet before bed, if it means not having to go to sleep, they will sit on it and count their own toes if they have to.

Yesterday I stopped at the backery on my way to pick Paula up at kindergarten. I bought a couple pasteries while there, both very yummy. I went and picked up Paula and we walked back to the bus stop. We sat down on the bench and I asked her if she would like a piece of one of my pasteries. She nodded yes. So I tore of a piece of one that was crossaint breaded with raisins and thick vanilla pudding. She munched happily as did I. I looked down to see she had finished and was now playing with a paper coupon book she had found on the bench. I asked her to go throw it away, she went and threw it away, then picked a potato chip bag up off the ground and threw it in the basket for trash also. She then turns to me. There was something black and brown on her hand that had not been there before. Before I could say anything she raises her hand to her mouth and LICKS IT OFF!!! OMG!!! The lady next to me, I'm fairly sure could not speak English, but I think she understood my "Ew ew ewwwww"-ing. She handed me a tissue, but it was too late. Be it oil, chocolate, or doggy doo doo, the little girl had ingested it.


Today we returned to the same bus stop to wait for the bus. I look down at my phone to check the time to see how long til the bus came, looked up and Paula was hanging onto the trash basket, and peering in. Why? I don't know. I called her "Paula! Please get away from the trash can." She looks up at me, and guiltily backed away from the trash can. I sighed, "Paula, please come here." She slowly walked back to me, her head hung guiltily. She sat down next to me. "Paula," I asked, "do you know why I don't want you to hang around trash cans?" She doesn't respond. I pull out her collar so she can see it "Because of this."
Her collar is covered with the same mystery substance from the day before.

Me, I'm a wuss and don't really want to know what it was.