December wishes

Happy Holidays

Happy Everything

Hopeful Future

Waldweihnacht in Sorghof

We went to the Weihnacht (Christmas) festival in the woods last week. The boys had a great time.



It was wonderful to see the community gather for a magical evening. The bonfire kept us warm, though the Gluwine helped, and much laughter was involved.

Blogger Beta can Bite my......

I have a few photos to post, but have not been able to do so. I will try again tomorrow.

His first written sentence.

Please note the punctuation. 

A wide assortment of nuts

Edeka opened to rave reviews. The store was so busy that I even spotted men shopping! This is not something which happens often in Vilseck. A friend had a doctor's appointment and reported that he was surrounded by women in the waiting room, all talking about the new store. We have stopped in a few times, and have managed to find everything we could want.



Today they had face painting for the kids. We walked in and Wendall was so happy! He made the difficult choice between a tiger or Spiderman. I think he made a good decision.



After his face was done we headed on base to get a check up. He was a great hit in the waiting room! This photo shows his face and the knot he had just finished tying.

Small Town Life

Tomorrow morning will be amazing. The people of Vilseck are waiting patiently for the opening of our brand new market. An Edeka Markt is opening on Amberger Strasse. It is billed as a "Schlemmerparadies", and promises to have all of our shopping needs under one roof. It will even feature a bakery and a small cafe.

The opening tomorrow (at 8am) will be the end of a full year of construction. The store will be open for 12 hours every day, and has a large well lit parking lot. It is directly across the street from a bus stop, and is on the main street of town.


It is also at the bottom of my block. I pass it at least twice a day as the boy and I walk to and from the bus. The opening time means that I will be able to get the boy on the bus and then do my daily shopping on my way home. I may even sit and have a cup of coffee at times. The elder Wendall (the one who does not shop) has found my excitement over the store amusing.

Here's what he misses: Last week, the boy announced to all of the employees at the commisary that we would not have to shop there anymore. He told his friends that a new store is opening right near our house, and we could "go there whenever we want!" Then, on the way to the bus this morning he asked if the store was open today. I said no, and then looked over at the building. We watched two women rush over to the door and dance on the pressure sensitive entrance. When the doors did not open they stopped dancing and spent a few moments peering through the windows. Wendall asked if it would open tomorrow, and when I told him yes he asked if we could go see it after school tomorrow. I promised him that we could buy his after school snack, and he went to school a happy boy.

Just wait 'til he sees the face painting!

Joyce

And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
~Kahlil GibranThe Prophet 27 On Death

We lost a parent last week. Wendall's stepmother died after being diagnosed with cancer only a few weeks before. She was a young, vibrant woman, and her loss was a blow to all of us.

Honest Talk

Joyce's Obituary

Summer in Seoul

It looks like we will head to Korea sometime in late May or early June. We are slowly working out the details.

A childfree day

The boy is at Mega Play with Daniel. We went out for a quiet lunch and talked about grown up things. Now we are wandering around the house, not talking much. We need to do this more often!

Happy Feet and a sleepover

The boy is having a sleepover tonight. His friend Daniel is here, and they are finally asleep after a wild night of movies and playing.




We went to see Happy Feet. What a weird movie! It is billed as a comedic kids movie, but is instead an animated March of the Penguins combined with a bunch of other stuff. The two main themes are ecology and religion. It was a slow moving movie, and very heavy with morals. The strange thing about it is that nowhere in the research I did on the film did it say anything about the anti-religious tone in the movie, and the ecological themes were mentioned only briefly. They were major aspects of the film. It was not very funny, and unfortunately bored the boys (who are both five). Ah well. The good news is that we got in for free due to some coupons I found. Not that I would not have paid to see the movie, but I did leave feeling that I had been tricked, and I actually agreed with a good deal of the propaganda in the film! The animaton had a few spectaclar moments, though.

Anyway, I'm off to pet a kitty and read for a bit.

Leaving Vilseck

Many of you have started asking us about leaving Vilseck. We were sent here for a two-year assignment (which has gone very well!) and our time is almost at an end. We arrived in May of 2005, and we expect to leave here sometime in the spring of 2007. As the time gets closer we will have more information on an exact date.

We do know where we will be for the next two years. We are headed east again, back to Korea. The three of us have been lucky enough to grab one of the few accompanied spots to the Yongsan base in Seoul, South Korea.

Honestly we had hoped that we would head back to the East Coast for a year or two, but that was our long shot hope. We all realized that it was much more likely that we would be sent somewhere else for at least a year before Wendall could be sent to the school in Virginia. A few months ago Wendall informed his commanders that he was open to almost any position as long as we could stay together as a family. Our only desire in our Army adventure is that we be able to spend as much time together as possible. Above all, we were both willing to make sacrifices if it meant that he did not have to deploy.

So we got lucky. For a variety of reasons the military tries very hard to send soldiers to Korea for one year without their families. Korea was mentioned as a one-year assignment, which would have been without us. By requesting a two-year assignment we will all be able to head for the Republic of Korea.

We are very excited about this new mission. We have no details yet, and will fill everyone in when we can. All we know now is that you will need passports, but no visas for a visit less than 30 days. Because we will be living in the city we will almost definitely be in a two-bedroom apartment, so anyone who thinks they are staying longer than 30 days had better think again! We do want people to visit, though, and from what I’ve seen we might be lucky enough to find a three-bedroom apartment.

Other things we know for sure:

1. Wendall and I really enjoyed Korea in 2000. The only thing we did not like was that we were apart.
1a. We have always said that we would like to go back for an accompanied tour. I would like to be there for longer than two months!
2. The cats can come, we just have to figure out how.
3. We will get to ship one car. Odds are that it will be the Passat.
3a. The cars in Korea are almost as cute as the Smart Car. Not quite, but close.
3b. I’ve seen the drivers in Korea, and I’ve also seen the top rate public transportation. I plan on not driving while we are there unless there are no other options.
4. We will not be able to bring most of what we own. What we are not able to bring will be stored for us at the Army’s expense.
4a. Seoul has an amazing amount of shopping. We are bound to leave with some wonderful souvenirs.
4b. Nothing could be as wonderful as the souvenir I brought home the first time.
5. The thing we have missed most here in Germany is Asian food. Problem solved!

We are just at the beginning of the planning process. The next few months will be filled with sorting, packing, and gathering information. We will do our best to keep everyone involved and informed.

To summarize:
We leave in approximately 7 months. The entire family will move to Seoul, South Korea. We will live there for 1-2 years. We can bring one car, but only 3000 pounds of "stuff". We are very happy, excited, and anxious by this move. We hope you visit. If you want to see us in Germany, get going!

We are home

And Wendall has been cleared to drive and to do other things. Yay! He's walking around without sunglasses and having a great time looking at things.

How we "celebrated" Black Friday

We told the boy about Santa AND the Tooth Fairy.

I feel better. I have started to loathe the holiday season. As he gets older I like it less and less, based on his reaction to the events of the season. It isn't even a "bah humbug" reaction. I enjoy many aspects of the holidays, just not the gimmies that seem to go with them.

So why the Amazon button over there?---------->

So that no one uses it. Really. Wendall has everything he could want or need. I keep a wish list for him and for me so that I can keep track of things that I might someday want to purchace. I do not have the luxury of wandering aimlessly through bookstores with any sort of selection, and Amazon is kind enough to ship to an APO box (and many of their "marketplace" vendors do as well!), so a good deal of our money is spent at Amazon. The wish list is there for my own use, as a reminder of things that look interesting. That's all.

Beyond all else, he has tastes that are even more specific than mine. He is a collector, so he really likes to be able to pick things for himself. He will appreciate any toy that he is given and he will be thankful that the gift is from YOU, but he really only plays with toys he picks himself. This includes toys I buy for him. Unless he has a hand in picking it out, his interest level is not terribly high.

So ignore it. Please. If you want to send Wendall a gift that he will treasure, send him a picture of you, or even a postcard. We all miss the connections we have with friends and family. His walls are covered with artwork and mementos. He would love to be able to start his very own "family wall" of photos. A book pulled from your shelf, a photo of your dog, or a letter describing your day is a much better gift than any configuration of metal and plastic that you might buy.

In the next few days I will move the button down, probably making it just a link. I hoestly had no idea how big it would be until it was already there, but I have not had time to rearrange.

Thanks for reading my small rant. I don't want to upset anyone, and I don't want to stir things up. The boy was not upset when we discussed Santa and other "magical ideas". He has promised not to discuss it with other kids. Our beliefs are our own, and I would not want him to create a fuss in class by getting his classmates upset. I'm just very tired of not telling the truth about this and about other things. I think that he will have a better appreciation of the season, and of people's beliefs because he has this information.

Happy Thanksgiving

We wanted to wish everyone a happy day. We plan on a simple meal at the Dining Hall on base, followed by an even simpler supper at home.

Your card is HERE

Sunset in Vilseck

Catching some air

Megaplay, of course. Most of their time was spent on the trampolines. Can you blame them? 

PRK pt 2

Wendall is back from the hospital and is doing well. His eyes hurt a bit, but he was able to see and to read. He just needs to get through the next few days. Percocet and eyedrops will help.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Construction Area

I'm reworking the look of the blog. Small things, but since Blogger was kind enough to upgrade I figured I would do the same.

PRK

We are heading out today. Tomorrow Wendall will have surgery on his eyes which will make glasses a thing of the past.

PRK information is here: PRK

So we will be back in a few days. Have a great day!

Kindergarden Photo

 

Ed Bradley

Ed Bradley died on Thursday. He was a solid reporter and one of my favorite faces on tv. I won't repeat all of the wonderful things that are being said about him. I'll just say that his interviews on 60 Minutes were the ones I enjoyed most. There was something so simple, so easy about the way he moved a conversation along. He also had an amazing sense of style, and I truly apprieciated watching him.

Sad to see him go.

YAY

YAY

Halloween

I realized that I had not posted a photo for Halloween. This is Wendall and Daniel at the beginning of their evening.

I picked Daniel up at his house, and we spent two precious hours (on base) running from one door to the next. Halloween is just staring to be popular in Germany, so being on base was the best chance of candy instead of strange looks.

On the way to trick or treating, Daniel said "I am a Spinne (spider) and you are a Soldat (soldier)." Daniel lives in a bilingual home, so he often mixes English and German together. It makes it so much easier to talk to Wendall! This time Wendall had trouble with the translation. He replied "No, I am a soldier!" Daniel insisted that he was a Soldat. This went back and forth for a few minutes until I cold stop laughing long enough to tell Wendall that he was indeed a Soldat.

Wendall and Daniel are a strange pair. They get along very well, until they don't. They bicker constantly, and Daniel's mother has started comparing them to the old guys in the balcony on The Muppet Show. I can really only agree! 

MegaPlay Sunday

We spent Sunday at an indoor playground

We needed some crazy time away from the outside world.

We have this feeling that Winter is right around the corner!

(This was Friday evening....)

 

Wendall smiles

 

Family Trip - Barcelona

Photos are up, but not labeled or tagged. And a few are missing. I traded cameras with Wendall at some point, so some of my photos are on his computer until tomorrow night. We still have not recovered from the trip, and the house smells of unwashed clothing (I'm going as fast as I can, but the heaters are on and the windows are all closed, so it is taking longer to air everything out!), so I'm doing things slowly.

We spent one week in Barcelona and then 4 days in Paris. My parents and siblings flew in for the time in Spain, and then my older brother and his wife flew home, leaving my parents, my younger brother, my men, and my self to make our way to Paris.

Barcelona is big. There is a huge amount to see and to do, and there is something for everyone there. Unfortunately, all eight of us had picked one or two things that did not exist on anyone else's list. We spent a good deal of the trip trying to decide what to do. We did not make it out of the apartment before lunchtime. We generally managed to make it out the door before the yelling began, but before we had an actual plan.

Every single thing I read about Barcelona included a pickpocket warning. We had no need of this warning. Instead, Wendall lost his wallet on our first full day there. As of this moment he has a brand new wallet, but not much to put inside. The replacement cards should arrive soon. None of his cards were used, and we are guessing that the person who found it was far too happy with the cash inside to worry about the cards. My belief is that he dropped it while exiting a taxi directly across the street from our apartment and that his wallet was discovered and disposed of within 20 minutes. We lost some cash, and most of his ID other than his passport, but all was well. He tried to report the loss to the police, but was faced with a two-hour wait, and decided it was not worth the hassle. In the end, I quietly celebrated the loss. Just a few years ago it would have ended the trip for us. We would have had a very difficult time recovering financially, and we (I) would have spent a good deal of the next few days in tears. Instead it was a massive inconvenience. We had less money to spend and the hassle of a few phone calls, but really it was fine. And now we know. A money belt can also protect you from yourself.

We saw all of the major sights in Barcelona. Cathedrals, the beach, the park, and the Monastery on the hill. By the end of the week we had mastered the public transit system and had picked favourite restaurants. So it was obviously time to leave. We packed our bags, spent one last day walking long distances for no reason other than to walk them, and headed down to the train station.

We did have a good time in Barcelona. By the end of the week my father’s rusty Spanish had gathered some shine (even though they don’t really speak Spanish there), we had picked out a favorite café, and we had managed to spend a huge amount of time with one another. Barcelona is not a place I really need to visit again, but I’m glad that I’ve seen it and have good memories.

The best Barcelona story happened on the last day we were all together. We had gone to the beach and were walking back to the Ramblas when we spotted what looked like a man wearing a Spedo and boating shoes. He was carrying a small plastic bag and had stopped to talk to someone. He moved the bag slightly and we realized that he was naked and that the Spedo was a tattoo. I did not get a clear photo of him, but I could not resist a blurry stealth shot, simply to document the moment. He was completely at ease and we saw him again that evening. This time he was walking with the bag at his side. He was fit and trim and easily in his 60's. And yes we did see all.

Countries Visited Map

Eiffel Tower

 

Barcelona

 

Nulu says hello

Nulu says hello
Originally uploaded by allysther.

We are off on an adventure. The girls will entertain visitors while we are out and about.

Words and pictures to follow!

Pottenstein Rodelbahn

We took a trip to the Sommerrodelbahn in Pottenstein. We had great fun zipping down the side of the mountain.




 

In case you needed a reminder....

 

A gift to Deb

Tonight's sunset

Just for you

Wishing you happiness

Tonight and all nights.

Soccer Champ

  

Storming the Castle

The boy goes back to school tomorrow. YAY (That's from all of us!) Today he felt just fine, but was not allowed back in school. So we played hookie. He even managed to get me outside with swords and shields, which is when this conversation occurred.

"I am King Wendall, and I come to see your Prince!"
"He's not home--go away!"
"Let me in or I shall attack!"
"Oh yeah, well take that! And that! And now I'm going to attack your castle, just to be mean!"
"HA HA! I shall fight you!"

....Much fighting with swords....

me:"Hey! Did you just cut off my leg?"
boy:"Yes...but you are trying to attack my castle. I'm protecting my family."
"I don't care about your family! They are free to go. I just want the castle, you have a great view!"
"Stay away from my castle! It has my snowglobes!"
O.o "Ohhh, I like snowglobes. Hey! Did you just cut off my other leg?"
"YES! And now I am going to dance in YOUR castle!"
"Grrrr"