After reading Tami's post of a school day at her home, I just had to post snippets of a day at the Testosterone Academy for pre-pubescent boys. Yes, I homeschool. All my German neighbors think I am NUTS! Who would want to be with their kids ALL DAY! Even the German doctors at the base clinic think anyone with more than a couple of kids who homeschools is nuts. Oh well, count me in!

In addition to the regular grind, we had a few gems pop up during the day. Of course, we had to see what the hurricane had destroyed last night. What boy does not want to see twisted homes and downed trees?! Language is always the best part for us. Daniel was sooooo confused. "Mom, what do dishes and s-h-a-t-t-e-r-e-d have to do with each other?" I replied, "Do you remember when Matt dropped the bowl of cereal on the tile floor? That is an example of what shattered means!" "Oh", he utters as he proceeds to write his sentence. Art collage is always fun until you realize that your first grader has found the NG story on heart transplants and is carefully studying the photos. Not exactly the collage I had in mind!

Princess is not an official member of the Testosterone Academy. The name will have to change next year! She does, however, love all of the craft stuff that I wanted the boys to do but never got enough interest generated. In the time it takes to do the Languish Arts part of the day, she has successfully pulled out every manipulative possible.

This was just a glimpse at my day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.......

Well, here I go.....

This is a feeble attempt to join the 21st century and actually blog my life. I thought I would try this just to document my day to day life here in Germany. I do not like to write. I am not one to get side tracked on beautiful prose. I am more of a black and white writer. I would love to be one of those who can just make the descriptions of the simplicity of life flow in beautiful prose. However, God did not make me that way, so here I am.

I live in Stuttgart, Germany where my husband is currently stationed. We have four kids: three boybarians and one little PRINCESS. We love to travel as much as the kids can stand. We also love to hike, bike, swim, and generally be outdoors. Germany in the summer is wonderful for those activities. Lots of rain means lots of green when the sun does emerge from the rainy clouds. Germany also has lots of trails and parks to explore. The kids usually complain when we leave for a hike and complain that the hike is too short when we get home. Ethan really loves to look for bugs while Victoria looks for birds and tadpoles. Matt and Daniel are usually piking up sticks for a bit of sword play or to build this latest fort. I love the fresh air!

Germany is not without challenges. Our home is a small townhouse with a backyard that faces everyone. The kitchen is the smallest space I have ever had. Fortunately, the dining room is in the kitchen so I have more prep space as long as the table is clear. Parking is a challenge also. The parking lots are several blocks from the stores. The town centers are usually almost impossible to park in either due to the amount of spaces available or the amount of money it takes to park in the parking garage. Language is a huge barrier. People here do not speak regular German but something called Swabisch. It is kind of like speaking Texan in the states. It is close but not understandable if you are new to the language. Overall though, I am glad we are here and love the exposure to world cultures that our family is getting.

Well, that is my world. I look forward to jotting down other tidbits as I go along. More later......