Give me the Sun!

It snowed here. Again. Now, don't get me wrong - I love the snow. BUT I do not enjoy the cold that comes with it and the slipping and sliding that is then inevitable when walking around or biking around. Both activities are very dangerous currently. Which means I took the S-bahn and U-bahn for the first time since moving here. It really amazes me how complex a system is underground with all these giant buildings on top! Or the underground garages?! I mean, this city is pretty old aka the underground is pretty old aka how do they do it?! It's crazy.

 So I had a low the other day while I was trying to figure out what I want to do in my life. Or just in the next year. I know I want to stay in Frankfurt and thankfully I live with a great family that would love me to stay another year and is therefore helping me out on making that happen! I'm torn between studying and getting a job/internship although I believe the latter is more important really in the whole big picture scheme. I have quite a nice excel sheet listing jobs that interest me. Now the only problem is that this list ranges from bartending (in Ireland preferably!) to being a teacher to getting a masters in international cultures/finance to being an accountant. Kind of a range. So then I have the "established" and "successful" peoples telling me to take the more "accredited" path aka getting into the financial world. I think I want to intern in the financial world but then again I think I would also be happy doing something completely different. Hence my problem: deciding what to do. SO STRESSFUL. Of course, as Kayleen says, there is always my baking school. :) So I might run around the corner to the guy who owns many bakeries around town and chat him up! Bah. In the mean time I'm going to become more fluent in German. I'm still in the 5 days a week class but next term I'm jumping back into 3 days a week AND I get to skip the next class which means that I will be in the 9th class and then after that the 10th class and then I take the test that, if I pass, means I can take classes at the University. Woot!

I want to go to Australia. Or back to Florida?! I'm having beach withdrawals. Italy in May. Or Amsterdam. . .

4 1/2 months already gone. AH!

Amy and I ate only fruits and vegetables all day long today. Aren't you impressed?!?! Well if not, I am. We just had some really yummy parsnip - you cut it into little cubes and then drizzle it with oil and sprinkle with salt and then cook for like 20min in 400 degrees f and it is so delicious. yumm yumm yummm. I'm so over having class everyday and am excited for next term - back to three times a week! Amy is getting better, I'm feeling a little sick, but tomorrow is going to be great bc amy is going to meet me in the city and we will wander around and she might babysit depending on how she is feeling. She leaves on Friday to go to Regensburg to play with Johanna and then she will be in Eichstätt for two weeks before coming back to me and then we go to London for 4 days! Yipeeeee!!!

Ok I am sleepy and ready for bed. Night night!

Getting older. Ah!

AMY is in Frankfurt playing with me for the next few days. Woot woot!! And we are covered in snow. It is snowing right now. It's so beautiful. Today was my first day back at school. I don't think my teacher is very friendly. She is 63 years old and not very patient. She needs to work on that. lol.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEEN!!!!! Ok the birthday was yesterday but still. .
Kayleen is like my sister. Literally. Did you know Kayleen that you had a part in our family xmas letter this year? I kid you not.
I love you with my whole heart and miss you terribly.
Save money and come visit me. ;)
With nipplebutton naturally.
LOVE YOU AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I am alive I promise.

Berlin Highlights:

We were in Berlin for a week. The kids and I left on the Sunday before xmas and the parents got there on Wednesday. Berlin was covered in snow when we first got into town but that turned into dangerous ice two days later. I thankfully did not fall on my butt once. I wandered the city on Monday and saw all the main sites - last time I was in Berlin was 5 years ago with friends Regina and Julia before heading to Sweden! Not much has changed since last time but it was fun wandering the city and enjoying the xmas festivities. The kids and I and Anki (the grandma) went to a museum on Tuesday and then the kids and I walked over to the main train station and had fun getting lost around it. For xmas Phillip's brother Moritz, his wife Judith, and their daughter Lilly came over. I got some pretty neat gifts including a few bath items in my favorite smell from The Body Shop, a cute sweater from Anki, the book The Tender Bar, two shirts (one featuring a giant heart saying something about being a great aupair:) ), and chocolate! Side note on The Tender Bar - Granny and Poppop's Rabi mentioned this book in a lecture he gave and I've had it on my list of books to read. Well. A friend of Anki's was at her house the first two days the kids and I were there and I had talked to her about the book (as well as about the amazingness of Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle!) and on Christmas Day I open a present from her and it is the book The Tender Bar! Can you believe that?! How thoughtful of her! I was and am so touched. I finished the book five days ago and I must say it is hilarious and ya'll should read it. It's about a boy pretty much growing up in a bar. Not the type of book you would expect a Rabi to recommend but nevertheless. . . It inspired me to listen to Sinatra and read The Catcher in the Rye since these were two favorite things of the author. Let the musical education begin!


Amy got in at 10AM on the 27th and after about an hour of searching for one of her bags she found it on another luggage rack. So dumb. But we got out of there, back to the house, unpacked and repacked her bags and then headed to Katie's to drop off our bags, dropped the car back off at the house and then walked to Katie's before walking to the train station to catch our train at 2PM. Sheesh! It was only a little stressful. But in the middle of that I got a super SWEET and AMAZING jacket from some of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. Kayleen, Jennifer, Mallory, Hilary, and Landers got me this awesome winter jacket that I so needed for the following two weeks. It is so sweet. And Mal made me a scarf and Landers made me a hat, and Kayleen got me earrings, and Jenn got me a scarf and chocolate. I might have mixed up some of the gifts but basically I got a super duper amazing fabulous xmas package from my loves. I love you guys!!!!!!! Amy brought me some essentials too, especially herself. :)

Prague Highlights:

Prague was so much fun. Our group included me (dropbear), amy (drama), Katie (Charlie), johanna (mom), Alex (kaiser), Stefan (rock), Susi (roll), Maria (5%), Ben (), Anthony (Bummel), Louis (Von Schnodel), and Bini (Knife and fork). We were quite a rambunctious crew with the boys being loud and drunk for most of the trip (amy did not appreciate this). They bought fireworks (or what they like to call bombs) and Bini burnt his hands because he held the fireworks in his hands as they went off. Ben through them out our hostel window where they landed a little too close to cars.

Day One (night one)

Katie, Amy, and I made it into Prague safe and sound but then had a bit of trouble finding our hostel. We had to take three trains to our hostel and we didn't realize that the currency was different in Prague. So after changing in some Euros (1Euro = 25 Cronons???) we just bought a random ticket which we didn't know what it actually was for and then jumped on what we hoped to be the correct train. Thankfully it was. After speaking to a nice guy on the phone with a french accent (turned out to be Anthony, silly anthony) we got off on the right stop and now just had to find our way "across the train tracks." We crossed the train tracks and wandered back and forth on this one street and at one point I could have sworn I heard Anthony yelling my name (and he was). Some police were coming down the street so we asked them if they could help us find our hostel - they were not helpful AT all. In fact they were kind of mean. We were "stupid Americans" after all. Well we finally figured out that there was a bridge crossing over a bunch more train tracks and that was actually the one that we needed. Anthony met us on the bridge (big hugs!!!!) and led us to the hostel which was like 3 minutes away. Oh how I missed my Anfernizzle from Brizzle. For those who don't know I met Anthony in Australia when I studied there - he might have been in a class with Kristin and he might have dated one of the loves of my life Megan for just a wee bit. (Steph - "uhh I think you left something behind" MWAHAHAHAHA)  ;) ANYWHO. After unloading at the hostel we all went out and wandered the streets but lets just stay no one really wanted to let in a rambunctious crowd of 12 so we ended up just walking around the city and seeing the beautiful buildings and catching up with each other.

Day Two
Wander the city, taking pictures of everything, seeing the sights. Eating yummy food.
(night two)
Somehow Anthony, Louis, Katie and I got separated from the group while taking pictures up at the giant Castle (largest in Europe or the world). We had a lot of fun though - went to two different dance clubs. Creep hits on me - I run away, he moves on to Katie and she dances a bit with him and then he tried to grab her hands and she keeps dancing while shaking her hands and saying "no touching!" so so so funny. Then the other club was so smokey I could hardly breathe but Anthony helped me work on my thecno dancing techniques. Needless to say I fail. Katie and I left after enjoying the four guys wandering around with no shirts on that were slightly sketchy. We walk around for 40min in the freezing cold before deciding to get a cab. We got back at 4AM and I jumped in the disgusting dirty shower (forgot the rule about bringing flip flops - sick.)  to warm up. So cold.
Day Three
Katie and I head into the city, see the sights. I send her off to try and catch the others who are meeting at the astronomical clock at 3PM and somehow she miraculously makes it back to the restaurant we were out with the whole gang. Thank goodness since who knows what would have happened if she didn't since she had no phone and no map. Gracious me Katie.
(night three)

It SNOWED!!!! Wild snow fight between everyone but somehow Amy, Susi, and Stefan snuck off in the middle of it to head back to the hostel. I get snow all over my face (thanks Louis and Bini) but I get my revenge. So much fun. When we got back to the hostel my plan was to crash but then I ended up crying laughing in my bed until about 3AM as Ben serenaded us with "Wictim of Love" and other sayings. Too much fun. Ben is so funny. He just makes you laugh constantly. He enjoys throwing firework bombs out of the hostel window. At least he didn't get burns on his hands from fireworks like Bini did! Painful. And then Bini decided to jump on Maria and he fell funny and had a horrible limp the rest of the trip. Bad job.

Day Four
- Packed up and left the hostel at 8AM to catch our train back to Eichstaaaaatt. We couldn't find our train and for a minute I saw Johanna running in front of me and I thought everyone else was behind me but in the next moment I'm alone at the train station in Prague with no clue where anyone is. I try and ask the Police people there how I get to the train to Munich. They were not very helpful. Strike two on the Prague police.

Sick in Eichstätt for a couple days completely exhausted from lack of sleep in Prague but SO happy to be back in my German family's house. I love my  Schödels. And it was a lot of fun having Anthony and Louis there too. They are pretty awesome. We had fun shaving all three of the boys hairs. I don't even know why this was decided but next thing you know we are all in the basement taking turns shaving the guys heads. Hilarious. Even Esther got in there and shaved the boys! Now if only they would shave their beards - Anthony just shouldn't have a beard. lol. Love you!

The travelling aussies headed out New Years morning for a wild party in Dusseldorf and Maria and I stayed in as we were sick babes. Amy went out with some of Maria's friends and didn't get home till noon till the next day - I was shocked! Maria, Esther and I went outside at midnight with Momma and Pappa to watch the fireworks, light our new years hot air balloon (a tradition for them, I guess it is actually something they do in China??) and do a few of our own fireworks. This pic is of Hanni and Momma Schödel. Love them.

Thankfully I got better in time for the Skiing trip in the Alps. Maria didn't come because she was still sick and she had a lot of homework to catch up on. Sad day. Amy and I had fun doing some down-hill skiing with Momma Schödel with Papa Schödel as our teacher. On the second day I braved the red slopes and Esther, Alex (johanna's boyfriend), and Johanna were excellent patient teachers. My hips were very bruised from falling a lot. Oops! But it was a lot of fun. Next time I will take a real course though. I'll be skiing in the Alps again in March with the Frankfurt fam! In the evenings we enjoyed yummy food and then had fun playing games including one card game called Rage that is a lot of fun. Amy is in the right hand side of this pic right before she fell and busted her knee. Oops. The one time she falls she kills her knee. Very frustrating for her. But she was an excellent skier for her two days of experience! I was very proud. The third day we wandered around Langgries at a very slow pace. She'll be going to the doctor on Monday. Uh oh.

Back in Eichstätt Amy, Maria, and I went to the Streller's. I hadn't been to their house since I went home from school with Sabine five years ago. Maria left us after enjoying some amazing cappuccino's and plum cake. Then Amy, Anna, her boyfriend Patrick, and I went and visited Sabine's grave. She has such a beautiful grave stone with sunflowers on it. Tears. Then back at the house we played some monopoly (Amy won of course) before heading back to Walting to the Schödel's.

Now I am back in Frankfurt. Missing my wonderful German family - Momma and Pappa Schödel, Johanna, Benjamin, Maria, and Esther. I can't believe I was away from them for 5 years! Well not all of them, but still. The kids get back tomorrow morning with their parents from Thailand and then school on Monday! I woke up this morning to two inches of snow at least and it was so beautiful. I watched some movies, did some grocery shopping (it is VERY difficult to bike in the snow) and did some laundry and got settled in. Many details are missing but as they come back to my memory I shall update ya'll. Miss and love.

10 days til Christmas! 12 days till Amy gets here/Prague! 16 days til New Years!

I'm drinking a tea right now that has a main ingredient called Fennel. That is right. I'm drinking a vegetable. Very strange. It tastes good though! Just thought I should share. This is a picture of Katie and I on the bear statue in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. We thought it would be great fun to get a picture on it. It took a couple tries to get up and it was freezing. And I'm bearfoot. Ha!

We - Claire, Lucy, Katie, and I - went out Friday night but started the night out at Katie's. It was a late night at Waxy's and O'Reilys!

Sunday I woke up feeling a bit sick but got it together and biked as fast as I could to the train station to meet up with Katie and Becca to go to Heidelberg for the day! It is a really cute town about an hour away that is known for it's cuteness, the University there, and there is an American army base there too. On the train we saw that it had snowed outside of the city - so pretty! And then it was lightly snowing while we were wandering around the cute town! Loved it. It was freezing though. The high temperature for this week is 0 degrees celcius and the high on Thursday is -7. So basically it's really cold, but there is now precipitation aka no snow. LAME. Anyways. . that was a total side note. So our friend Claire comes and meets us in

Heidelberg and we grab a beer/tea/bloody marry/hot chocolate and sit and chat about how much her au pair family here stinks and how she needs to run away to one of us. She is leaving next Sunday though so that is good news for her! But now we just have to convince her to not work all day Saturday and instead go play with us! I mean - c'mon it's her last day in the country! Sheesh! So we walk through the xmas markets some more, I got a delicious spinach cheese crepe and hot apple cider wine. Yummmmmm. Claire got soup in a bread bowl because she had never even heard of it before.
Our train is at 5:24. We leave the markets at 5 thinking we can grab a taxi easy peasy. Not so much. We can't find one anywhere! So we start running. One passes but it is full of people. Another passes but doesn't see us. Finally we catch one jump in likitysplit we are off. The driver thinks we are from Sweden. Umm no.  As we are driving I'm trying to get the money ready to pay and just keep adding coins to my hand and I can barely carry everything, we keep hitting red lights, and then I see that it is already 5:24. Bad news Bears. We pull up to the station I through the money at him and we run inside at 30 after. Running through throngs of people down the stairs and there we see our train - JUST PULLING OUT aka if one of those damn lights had been green we would have made it! I ended up just buying another ticket - only cost 9.50 and got a quicker train back so that I would be back in time to take the car to pick up the fam (who had been in Dresden for the weekend) from the other train station. So since I was already feeling kind of ill I think after all this crazyness I can't be surprised that I got sick. My German teachers Mom died last Monday- Sad day! And she had to teach classes all last week. SO strange. How could they not just find a substitute for her?! Anyways, yesterday was the funeral so I didn't have class which ended up being very very nice since I spent almost the whole day in bed with a slight fever!


Baking Party!!! Since I can't bake a bazillion mas cookies at home I'm just going to have to try and bake a few here! Katie and her friend visiting her, Becca, came over and made/decorated sugar cookies with me on Saturday after we wandered the city and Christmas markets. It was a nice way to end the day! Katie made some potato wedges and I made guac and we feasted! lol.

Why do I like Vegemite now?

For some reason it has grown on me. And if Vegemite can grow on me you'd think that beer could. But alas, nope nope nope!

Santa came to Andrea's work on Friday and he brought all the kids there gifts - including me! That was a surprise. It was cute and we all ate a lot of chocolate. Surprised?

I babysat for a baby this morning and I've decided I do not want a baby. Not that any of you were worrying right? Ha! No thank you, not for a long time!

I went and saw New Moon on Sunday and that Jakob Black is one hotty with a body. Damn. Jail bait. I loved the movie (Kayleen you're expectations are just too high!). Going to see it again next week. Woot!

I've been off milk products for a month now. Sure I've had a little bit of butter here and there and of course a lot of chocolate but I stopped having yogurt and cheese everyday and I think that is a huge change. But I do not feel any different. We'll see what happens after I bake Barbara Maloney's delicious banana bread that has yogurt in it. Eeeck!

Missing the family. My momma just sent me the recipe for Hot buttered rum (thanks mom!!) so I'm excited to make that and the kids and I made sugar cookies and had fun decorating them.


The kids are away tonight at their school's country house doing something with baking and a lot of playing. So the parents and I are having a nice evening - big kid dinner and then watching Mama Mia! Maybe some wine? Oooh or popcorn! I ate a whole bag of chocolate covered popcorn that I got at the Christmas markets on Sunday. It just smells so good. Mmmmmm.

Dinner time! Lovelovelove C

WEINACHTMARKETS!!!!!!!

 The Christmas markets started last Wednesday aka I've been a few times! :) I love them!!! I have missed the Glühwein. Katie is getting right into loving it as well! They also have a eggnog liquor drink that looks amazing. I will have to try it soon. Maybe today. lol.

It's raining! Ah! I went for a run and it felt great having the rain on my face. I made a pumpkin soup this morning before 9AM. I'm turning into my mother. I'm going on a hunt for almond extract today so I can make the yummy sugar cookies we always make at x-mas time. Then I will make the dough and eat half of it.

The last au pair for the fam go in on Friday and she will be leaving to go back home on the 7th. She seems nice but as one of the cleaning ladies put it - "you are like day and night." The kids have been good and healthy and very happy the past few days since the 24 days of x-mas have begun and that means every morning they get a gift in their stocking-ish from der Nikolas! I got Advents Kalander Tee which means everyday I get a new tea! It's super cool. We have continued working on our snowflake collection which just keeps growing! We have almost covered 6 windows now. And we finished all of our styrofoam ball ornaments.

I made a pumpkin cheesecake pie on Sunday! It was delicious. But seeing as I haven't eaten milk products (besides chocolate) in the past two weeks I got a little sick that night and in the morning still felt a little bit like crap. But Katie felt sick the next day too so maybe it was something else. .  No turkey was made for our faux Thanksgiving- me being a vegetarian and all. But my friend Katie made some yummy potato wedges and I did a roasted onion dish thingy. The pie was the yummiest part naturally.

Mr. Pakistan got a little too interested for my liking. Kept on crossing over onto my desk and popping my bubble. Sent me a poem in English (we normally talk in German) about people being beautiful or something. Creeped me out. I blocked his number but then I answered the phone when I didn't know the number and it ended up being him and he was like I called you yesterday a couple times when I got off work to see if you wanted to hang out and I then told him I have a boyfriend and he is just okay with that idea. He was nice in class on Monday, still sat next to me but I think he got the hint. He is a bit too old for me and just so not my type!


Tickets for Prague have been bought! Yipee!!!!!! We are going the 27th through the 30th and it seems that our group is continuing to grow and we are up to maybe 13 people? It's going to be crazy!

Going out tomorrow night to the Irish pub! I'll be looking for the guys in suits. lol. Or just having a lot of un people watching. Karaoke. OH DEAR. Shall be a lot of fun I'm sure. :)

24 DAYS TILL AMY GETS HERE!! Gotta love her. So excited!