We finally have internet access (via a wireless card - home to be up on Feb 20)so I am finally getting to start the year in Mainz blog I talked about. I have attached 2 email messages that we sent out in case you didn't see them on the first go around. Excuse all the mistakes they were done on the phone and texting isn't my forte just yet.

We had a good day today. Found a great playground that we had heard about but couldn't find. I convinced the DHL guy who delivered an awesome care package from Stephan's mom to go to the automatic pick up machine and get our package out and bring it to me. The package had the wireless card that I am now using to get internet access! Max and I tried a Mexican place (the second one we have found) since he was begging for cheese dip and chips - which they had! He ate a whole bowl of cheese dip, a serving of black beans and 1 1/2 baskets of chips. He was missing his Mexican food!
He has also been very attached to riding in the stroller. A few Germans have commented that he should be walking now not in a stroller. Anyway, he decided he wanted to walk home tonight and made it about half way. It is a good 15 min walk in the cold so I was impressed. So in general a great day! I am going to work on posting some video this evening and will write more later.

Previous emails...
2/11/09
I went to 2 places to try to get Internet service for less than 2 yrs and finally signed a contract. Supposedly we will have it in about a week. Max is feeling much better. We took his bike out on sun for a ride along the river andduck and swan feeding. Yesterday was really rainy and cold so we figures out how to take the bus to a jumping place. He had a blast but getting on and off the bus with a stroller in the rain and walking several blocks on both ends of the trip in the rain wore me out! Have to find so closer indoor options. We ordered a wireless data card so we could have Internet anywhere but they tried to deliver it while we were not home so it is now locked in a DHL automatic machine that requires a European debit card to get it out. We have been waiting on our card since before we left the states. This is a major prob since almost no one takes credit cars. This we are having to use cash everywhere. We have our first play date tomorrow at the swimming pool tomorrow with a lady and her daughter who we met at ikea this weekend. She us german but grew up in the UK and her daughter is about macs age. We will have brave the bus system again to go there. Hopefully I can figure out what line and stop we need. Stephan isin Vienna fir two days so this will be our first days totally alone. We will see how max reacts to Papa not coming home tonight! I got an email from Gigi (mom from macs Atlanta school who just moved to Frankfurt with her kids too). They aregavung the same internet issuesbut hopefully we will take the train to visit the inthe next week. Carnival starts here soon. They had a pick off gala last night in the plaza by our house. It was too cold and wet to go out but we watched it on tv. Lots of Funny costumes, dancing and singing. Max was very interested in the show. Stephan said mainz has about 200,000 people and it goes up to 500,000 during carnival. May get really crazy soon. I think the parades start in 2 weeks. Stepans sister and boyfriend (maxs favorrite person) are coming for the weekend in 2 weeks. They were going to drive stephans car down from the harbor but we got a message saying the boat it was supposed to go on got dry docked so it won't ship until deb 20 to arrive some time early march.

2/3/09
Max is doing really well – a little more sensitive than usual and he wants to stay in most of the time but no major breakdowns yet. We did go see a possible new school yesterday. He seemed really worried we were going to leave him there but he really warmed up when he saw that they have a little gym in the basement with mats and a big box of balls they can play in. It is 22 kids in a class which I think is really big for him so I am going to keep looking but at least we have an option. Max has made Amy several pictures already. We have to find a post office and we will send them soon. Max wants me to say he got a new bike today and rode down the cobblestone streets next to me as we went looking for an internet café and he is drinking his juice and water. Not sure what this is about. He has asked about you both tons and wanted to buy Isie some food yesterday. Luckily no breakdowns! We’ll try to write once a week until we get internet at home. Max has been really good while we sit in the café to catch up on some emails.