Back in Business & Race Car

It has been a while since I posted. Max and I both came down with Strep Throat 2 weeks ago. He never seemed to feel bad but I have been pretty under the weather for 2 weeks. Yesterday was the first day I started to feel a bit better. Hoping to shake this thing soon because I need my energy back!

Max's week at school went really well. He is now going full time until 2pm. One of his classmates had a birthday and Max was so excited about having cake and singing. When we talk about birthdays back home he get really sad because he wants to go to the parties. His class took a field trip to a natural history museum last week and he loved it. They had a frog exhibit which was a big hit. This Tues his class is going to a wildpark (natural setting zoo). Max is super excited especially since we need to get him a back pack to carry his lunch in.

We met 2 families at school who speak English and ran into one of them on a playground after school one day. We ended up playing with them, going for ice cream and then they came over for some late afternoon play. Max was trilled to have kids in the house. We are trying to set up a weekly playtime just like in ATL with the kids. Our first one is this wed!

We had a major success this week. Max is finally sleeping on his own again! Ever since we had to sleep together during the packing up of the house he has wanted one of us to sleep with him. We told him if he slept for a week by himself then he would get a special game he has wanted. We went and got it yesterday. Needless to say we have been playing it non stop.

I did go and take my German placement test and got placed in the 3rd class - scares me a bit but hopefully it isn't too advanced. They said I spoke pretty well but my grammar was terrible and I have a limited vocabulary. I start morning classes 3 times a week in mid May.

Max has been testing me like crazy - laying down in stores and refusing to move. I had to drag him home kicking and screaming (a 10 min walk). I am sure we are now famous in Mainz. We had several incidents like that last week so I was pretty burnt out by Thurs last week. We took the bus to the pool Thur afternoon and yet again i got yelled at. This time by the driver who screamed something at me when I tried to pay while he was driving (interesting since every other time I have paid while the bus was moving and the last time I waited a sec I got a talking to by a secret bus controller man who wanted to fine me for not paying). It was the straw that broke the sick and tired momma's back. SO momma had a breakdown on the bus (even more famous now in Mainz). It was very cathartic and I felt much batter afterward!

Our car is still being modified to fit German regulations. We hope to get it this week and then start exploring more on the weekends.

Stephan heard he was going to be assigned as a project manager on a project in Macedonia which would mean 2 weeks away at a time. This made my heart stop but it looks like they have found someone else for the position. So Stephan should just be doing his regular weekly travel to various places in Eastern Europe.

Max got a little book about soapbox race cars from his Oma Stella. We got it out yesterday and made his own version of a race car. Check out the video. He looked in the book and gave me directions on what to draw. Then he went and got his bike helmet and scarf so he would look like the drivers in the book. Too cute.