Oh Germany! Genius!

When we go to soccer tournaments or other street fair type functions, you have to buy a card. You pay a flat fee and you use this paper at the concession stand. We bought 2 drinks that we had to buy the 5€ card to purchase! Sneaky Germany.

1 Year Ago

It's been one year. One year of "new" teeth! I'm still not use to them, but I couldn't be happier with the long awaited results. Thank you to my parents for keeping what I had for so long, thank you to Keith for saving and spending with me, and thank you to Dr. Jackson and staff! What a long process...... It appears we will do it all over again with the boys. Yea genetics!

I don't give a shit

Pardon my language. Kinda. Living abroad and facing the challenges we have will bring out the potty mouth. There isn't censorship over here, so the boys are getting their ears full daily anyway!

I went to a "coffee" and met a fellow FedEx spouse. She was telling me how she approaches some of her difficulty over here. She cusses. She cusses at people who honk at her, correct her, correct her children, or rush her. So she opens her mouth to good ole American foul language and everyone leaves her alone. I found her story funny and told Keith about it when we got home.

The very next day we were waiting in a parking spot so we can follow another car to a new place..... Anyway, this German pulls up and begins honking and hand gesturing for use to move. We didn't. So he parks somewhere else and proceeds to walk up to our car (side note : Germans are quick to correct you in every matter) This guy walks up to our car and Keith rolls down the window. He's screaming in German and Keith pipes up..... "I don't give a shit!" The German was shocked and piped up in English "you do not care?" Keith said "Nope, I don't give a shit" Then he walked away! It worked! We couldn't believe it and just laughed. It's kinda become our catch phrase here. I'm pretty sure I'm not up for the mother of the year award, so I let this slide.

Wouldn't you know while I was searching Amazon, I came across this bag! Apparently there is a need for this over here!!! I bought 3.

Better Be Good.

The vets here in Germany crack me up. The exam rooms are open and shared. German dogs are so well behaved it's amazing. I haven't put my finger on it yet, but our goal is for Maverick and Goose to be Germanized before we leave. Look atGoose's sexy leg! 

Funny story..... Keith was gone and I had to take Goose to the vet. I also had the boys with me. We walk into the waiting room and there was this older couple with their cat, out of the travel crate. As I walked towards them andthe only empty seat, they start screaming "nein!" It didn't stop me. I sat their anyway and Goose sat down calmly and didn't want anything to do with their ugly cat. They were so upset, they got up and moved as soon as a seat came available. Rude. Well, we are called back to a room and the vet starts her exam. The door opens and guess who is ushered into our room....... Grumpy couple and ugly cat. I turned to the boys and said "that is what you call karma". Cole said "you do not care?" Nope! Sure don't son. I don't give a shit. (the story to follow) 

Sportsmanship

Cole has been practicing with the U-11 Taxofit camp. I'm not entirely convinced he has made the team, time will tell. In the meantime he is showing up with a positive attitude and desire to improve.

This past weekend there was a tournament south of town. Cole didn't have his player card so he couldn't compete in any of the games. It was an all day tournament and he had to watch all his new buddies play without him. I told him he needed to pay attention and support his team. I fully expected him to have about 10 minutes of interest and then want to go kick the ball off to the side while waiting another 7 hours to go home. Instead he sat with the coach and team, unsuited, and watched others play the sport he loves so much . All. Day. Long. 

I was impressed by his actions! I guess I wasn't the only one. The following Monday at practice his coach gave him the team medal.

I'm so proud of you Cole!! Some lessons are learned on the field and others learned off the field. 

--- blank - - -

I usually start with a title but today nothing seems right. I was going to talk about "bumps in the road" or feeling "crushed". But those hardly seem appropriate for even my dry sense of humor.

Sunday evening we went for a walk with the boys and the dogs. We went all through this park and arrived home around 8:10pm. The boys went to shower and the dogs slipped out the door. Unnoticed. Around 8:15 a neighbor ran over to tell me the dogs were hit by a car. My heart dropped.

In all the chaos and details that I prefer to erase from my mind... Both dogs were outside our door.
Physically they appeared to be fine, I imagined much much worse. I was able to remain calm enough to get to the vet with Keith. This was an emergency vet who was already alerted by kind Germans that we were on our way.

The dogs spent the night there. I'm going to assume the got more sleep then we did. The boys didn't hear or see anything. They were told the dogs would be ok and I was banking on every prayer that I was right.

The next morning we transferred them to a specialist about an hour north of here. Today Maverick's lungs are being drained of fluid. Once they do that he will be able to have his front paw addressed and stitched up. Goose will have surgery today on his back tibia. They also found a foreign body in his stomach. I can only assume it's a rock. Silly dog.

I miss them like crazy. I told the boys they would be home by the weekend. They are begging to go see them. Me too. Those big, expensive, smelly, hairy, loveable, loyal, trusting, humorous puppies are a part of our hearts.

Please pray for them, and for the boys. It's been a hard transition here and they can't experience more crushing news. As tragic as it was, I know with all my heart that those dogs have been loved like no other. I feel the same in return. Get well soon Maverick and Goose. We have many more years of hair and poop to clean up!! We're waiting for your return home.

Panicked

Today is the last day of soccer camp. He has adjusted well. Yesterday he made the winning goal and his teammates were picking him up and chanting. It did my heart good to see the smile and fun across Cole's face.
They are so competitve here. They have a 1st place for everything.  Everyday they mark in each player's report card. Cole geys a daily grade and breakdown of areas to improve. The equipment and fields are amazing as well. This is such an excellent opportunity for him!

This morning I sent my baby off to ride his bike to camp by himself. Gulp! I feel a strong urge to  follow him every step of the way. Cutting strings is terrible. Oh, how I wish he was a tiny baby just wanting to be held all over again.  I'm heading up to watch their scrimmages in a bit.

(Camp is about a mile down the same side of the road with no possible way to get lost - but I still worry!)