ShenanINGRAMS

I think the last time I wrote in this blog was some time back in March. Things have been hopping since then! The kids completed their academic testing, which is always a blast. They say things like, "Can we do this every day? This is so easy!" I hope that translates well on the tests. Otherwise, their teacher may get fired. :) In early May, I hosted my second piano recital at Burg Lichtenberg. It was fabulous, as usual, and a completely different feel from the last 'winter-wonderland' recital that we had. Everyone messed up, which is just how I like it. I played 3 songs this time, because I didn't play at the last recital and some parents heckled me for it. I just didn't want to seem to be showing off. This time, I chose songs that I love to play, even though I rarely sit and play for hours like I used to, and during one song, two of my precious little girls (7 years old) stood behind me and turned pages for me. We stayed for dinner and overfilled t...

We celebrated our spring break early, simply because it's not yet spring in Germany, but my parents came to visit. We took them to Luxembourg, Belgium, (where everything was closed and we had no waffles), rock climbing, race-car-driving (IF I HAVE TO HEAR 'MUSTANG' ONE MORE TIME....!!!!), and thrift-store shopping; not to mention the super lunch at Burg Lichtenberg. It was an amazing, quick, fun-filled, relaxing vacation. Caylea finally beat PaKenny at Chess, although there is some debate about the help she received. Joshua made it out of the PaKenny "Boring Family" attack with fewer bruises than I anticipated, and the massages we sent the grandparents to get had them completely melted. I know they had a good time and I hope we get to spoil them like that more often! I get to go find out if I need knee surgery today. It isn't one of those things you like to advertise, but there it is, and since I only managed to run 1/2 mile this morning before the give-...

I am trying to learn Italian. I have finished one lesson on Rosetta Stone and it made me laugh so hard, I can barely start lesson 2. It's not the language, it's my pronunciation of it. No, I'm not one of those genius people who likes to learn languages. I am trying to learn just enough so that when we go to Italy in a few months, I will be able to do three things: 1. Get where I need to go without entering a slum neighborhood. 2. Order food, and lots of it. 3. Find a working toilet. Joey says I need to learn how to say, "Back off, I'm married," but I doubt that. I have a skunk streak that rivals that of my brother and I have no doubt that my appeal is largely in my husband's eyes and no one else's. I'm perfectly content with that. If he thinks I'm the golden apple, then I can't ask for more. I don't know where 'golden apple' came from, but I'm not changing it. :) He's my golden apple too. I wouldn't hav...