I need a Doctor...

Last week I was finally motivated after an injury to a young lady in Abby's class to find a doctor. We needed pediatricians, GP's for us, dentist, and a vet! Wow! What this actually meant is 2 hours sitting on the phone saying "Sprechen Sie Englisch"...18 calls later we at least had a pediatrician, a Gp, and a dentist! Sorry Fern!

So Monday we made an appointment to visit the peditricain to have him look at Abby's knee. She had been having so pain from walking and I just wanted someone to look it over! We get to the office, off this little ally, 5 flights of stairs up; into this amazing space that screams kids (literally and figuratively). I get to the front desk and crap I get the one nurse/receptionist/office manager/lab tech (yes, one person does all of that) that doesn’t speak much English! We work it out, fill out the paper work and wait. After 10 minutes we are moved into a room unlike anything I have ever seen. The room is at least 16x16 with a desk and chairs, and exam table, toys and books, and the standard sink area!

The doctor joins us quickly and we begin to talk about Abby and her problem. He asks her to climb the table and than before you know it undresses her. She was in shock, she had never been undressed at the doctor...she was nervous! Well, after a minute of discussion we learn that this is the norm, at all doctors! Then there is the standard listen to the heart, take the pulse, and check her muscles. Good News, she is fine! Funny news (and this will only make since if you know a true German) he says "her knees need to be better conditioned for the German lifestyle." Official diagnoses!

Than on Friday I also made myself a doctor’s appointment! Really thought that I should get someone on monitoring my Thyroid and all its glory! So off to the doctors I went. After walking by the building 3 times, and down another ally behind the discount clothing store, up 3 flights of stairs...I walked into a traditional German building with the lovely 70's inspired design! Up to desk where the only receptionist/nurse/office manager/lab tech is and check-in! After filling out paper work I am shown into the waiting room. A small room with 8 chairs, a painting of a Bavarian Village, and a loud speaker that shouts out the name of the next patient!

After a 30 minute wait "Frau Howes" is called and I am moving, not really knowing where I am going but at least moving! The nurse (jack of all trades) shows me into another room where there is a doctor. She is an older woman, talking on a cell phone, sitting behind a desk. She greets me and I sit in a chair. I kinda have this feeling like I am in a interview more than at my doctor! Then she speaks, and she speaks lovely English! Relief! I explain to her why I am there the ins and outs of what I need! She asks for some time to read my charts, do some blood work and come back in a week! I agree! She also requests that I get a flu shot! She sends me back to the nurse with 2 slips of paper!

I have no clue what is on these papers other than I need blood work done, and a shot! The nurse reviews them and shows me to yet another room, mean while she answers the wailing telephone, escorts another patient to the doctor, and pulls out a stock of flu vaccines! She is back ready to draw blood; she was amazing after 5 years of this crap to have a nurse find my vein in the first try has never happen..Two tubes blood, one shot (the vaccine it's self was in a glass vial), out the door! Back next Thursday to go over things!

We have 3 weeks until we visit the dentist for the first time, so that could be a whole other blog in and of its self! However, I have to say that even though there are some obvious difference between the American approach to health care and the German approach, I am very pleased with the doctors we have found! I have to also say that when picking the doctors it was so important to me that the children’s doctor speak English and be close to home. Both criteria I was able to fill. For my doctor I have to travel for a bit, but she does speak lovely English! I am hopeful that these doctors will be good fits and monitor health nicely!

But I am still eating an apple a day just in case.....

Ahh the things I miss!

This amazing new lifestyle is full of so many perks...I mean really Paris is 4 hours away, Rome 10 hours! I have a house with the best view I have ever seen. And the school is super! But, I gotta vent on the things that I miss!
1) Target...pure and simple! Every bit of it! The shoes, the clothes, the toys, and the sales! I was just flipping through this weeks ad on the iPad thinking man what I wouldn't do to get my hands on $9 gloves instead I will pay €14! Or Clorox wipes, I would spend my day cleaning every light switch and remote in this house! Heaven!
2) Mexican Food...now some might say are you crazy, I say tacos and marjaritas! I miss Mexican food so much! We have made tacos since we moved here but it is just not the same! Really miss Mexican, I even miss Taco Bell!
3)Halloween! We don't have it, and I miss it! I don't see what is so bad about kids in costume asking for candy! But nothing :( I wish at least we had a party at school, but nothing! Blah a bunch of Halloween Grinches!
4) Chocolate Chips. Yes I actually miss the chips before they become anything! We use to make cookies all the time but they really don't here! I miss chocolate chips in pancakes, in muffins, and in cookies! I have become very skilled at chopping up a chocolate bar to make something's but cookies are just better when chips are inside!
5) Take Out...we have found some but miss Lucky's to go, and Applebee's car side, and a quick stop at Appolos! Yes I am kinda missing convience! Oh, and I so miss fountain Coke's with ice!

Yes, even with all the perks there are just things I miss!
Here are a couple things the kids miss:
1) Cheez-it's
2) Regular Fruit loops (my German Friends will say we have them but they aren't the same)!
3) go-gurt
4) DVD's on the day the come out, not when the next guy at Scott's work bring it!
5) Plain Old Cake :) We only have kuchen ( not like a cake)
That was cheap therapy! Feeling much better!

Ubahn

When we decided that we would take this assignment here in Germany, we all agreed that having the one (company) car would be enough for us and we would make a life on ubahn travel! When we looked for a house we fell in love with a house that was 54 minutes from the school. Not a huge problem just a life style change.

The Ubahn (electric train) is a great way to get around the city. Stops are usually only a 10 minute walk from just about anything, and well if it is further than you just take a bus or the sbahn (longer distance trains). We have learned how to get everywhere via the Ubahn...IKEA, the malls, playgrounds, and the library. We love the Ubahn, and the bonus of it all is that on Friday's we can just about beat any car because of the horrible stau's (traffic jams).

However, all that changed for us this week...there was a two day strike on our Ubahn and bus lines. No lines what so ever would be running all day Monday and all day Tuesday. What were we going to do! I was so worried..How would we get the kids to school, how would I get out in the world, could I find enough to keep me busy! Scary stuff when you stuck in a country with few friends, and no family!

Scott and I decided the easiest thing to do would be for him to take and pick up the kids and I stay closer to home! Yes, this put a lot on Scott to spend the whole day driving but he was ok with until...MONDAY MORNING! Ugh...when Stuttgart became "Stau"gart! The whole city was in grid lock!

Scott loaded up the kids an extra 20 minutes early Monday morning to head to school because Ethan had a special standardized test ACER. So at 7:15 am they are out the door, and they didn't arrive to school until one hour later, and 15 minutes late for Ethan! Scott was freaking out how could he drive all day getting the kids and work! Emergency phone call...Scott was taking 2 days off, to support me and the kids during the strike! Thank goodness!

So, for the last 2 days we have left early, cut shortcuts down farm roads, and learned a lot about each other while stuck in the family car! This morning was finally back to normal! The kids and husband our gone, my lovely Ubahn is back, and thank God I made lunch plans to get out and enjoy the city!

Vacation In Paris

This past weekend was a holiday weekend here in Germany. We took advantage of the extra time off and headed into Paris, France for 3 nights, 4days! This was our families first over night while living here! I had a ton of nerves, what to pack, will the kids last, the language! The kids had a ton of excitement eating ice cream, the Eiffel Tower, and shopping (I have raised them right, right!).

So Saturday morning we set the alarm clocks for 6am and packed up to go! We carried all of our stuff down to the Ubahn, and made our way to the Bahnhoff (train Station). Our train was due to depart at 8:54am, so we decided to get down there early for coffee, and English mags (only at the train station, and still from the UK).

Four hours later, we arrived in the city of lights! Amazing! I can't believe that we went to Paris in 4 hours! We found a hotel (Novotel) a little bit outside of the main drag, so we hopped on the Metro (the subway) and begin to find our way to the Hotel! Now introduce a bit of shock....we are in Paris in a stinky, hot subway with two kids! Yikes! However, within 10 minutes we are outside enjoying the fresh air and lovely views of the French City!

We decided to drop our bags and hit the city in search of food, and the sites! First stop LUNCH! We found this lovely little cafe and sat down to enjoy a quiche! So yummy! Ethan and Abigail even managed to find a hamburger and fries to share! Than off to explore! I looked at the map and we picked Hotel of the Invalids! Wow, who knew such a lovely museum with war memobbila, the armory and Napoleon’s tomb!

Than more walking! We wanted so badly to make it to the Arc! We walked forever...and ever...and ever! We saw so much of the city, great old churches....lovely markets....

Than we made it to the Arc! Wow 282 stairs later but the view is amazing! You really can see for miles! The kids loved it! They could see how far we just walked! They could see all the places we wanted to go! And the photos! Wow!

We made it! Paris! The heart of the city! The top of the world! Once up there Abigail was exhausted and we still had 9:30pm tickets for the Tower, and dinner to get through! Oh no! So 282 stairs down, with a quick stop at the shop..Time for metro planning. However, Scott had a better idea have a bike driver take us on a mini tour and recommend a place for dinner! Save the legs a bit of pain!

We ate dinner at this oh so very small Italian restraint about 4 city blocks away from the Tower. It was so small that they had to move tables in and out so you could sit down! We enjoyed cocktails (mojitos) and ate great pasta and pizza! Wrapping up the night with Tiramisu and Coffee! Than we headed up to see the lights! A friend had told us to buy our Eiffel tickets online so we were due to head up at 9:30pm! We waited in line and made it to the views on the 2nd floor only to learn that the top floor had huge lines due to some delays! So we decided to enjoy the views, and break dancing (Ahh French Teens) from there! The kids loved it! They especially loved the sparkling lights that go off on the hour! So cool!

especially loved the sparkling lights that go off on the hour! So cool!

Sunday was the day we devoted to the Louvre! It was a free day so we (and 5,000 other people) decided that it would be a good day to check it out! So after an hour wait in the screening line we were in! Ethan wanted to check out the Egyptian Art first.

The kids loved the Museum! They wanted to see everything! They wanted to understand why things were special (the Mona Lisa), they wanted to know why cats were art; they wanted to understand death scenes! It was great! Half way through our day there, the kids did get tired! What saved us from having to leave were the language headsets! The kids were able to listen to stories, and facts about the piece they choose on their individual computer! This gave us an extra 2 hours in the Louvre.

That night we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner! This was a belated birthday request from Abigail! We dined on American food, nachos and margiritas ( not the kids, they had milk shakes)! We listen to music videos and bought chessy t-shirts! Than full on sleepy kids took over and we headed back, had to get some sleep in before our last full day in Paris!

Monday greeted us with our 3rd straight day of good weather! We had highs in the low 80's and nothing but sun! Great weather for city walking, shopping, and Notre Dame! I really wanted to explore the area that my mom and I had explored some 13 years ago on my first visit! I wanted to show the children the simpleness of the Latin Quarter! It was just as I remembered it, with little roads, quite tiny shops, fresh markets, and tons of people!

Fist Stop Notre Dame:

Than shopping in the Latin Quarter and the Champs! Scott wanted me to have the chance to pick out some new things for my birthday! What a great place to do so! Shops filled with amazing clothes, and jewelry! He was such a sweetie and brought me a lovely silver braclet, and even talked me into a new purse ( not a hard task)! After a very busy day of shopping and site seeing we were hungry! We stumbled into this cafe on the corner of the seine river over looking the Eiffel Tower! We ate a great dinner, and enjoyed an even better desert before embarking on a river boat cuirse! So fun! We spent an hour aboard a boat peacefully enjoy the city lights and eachothers company! Abby even did an impromtu dance! It was so neat to see everything glowing !

For our first vacation in Germany I would have to say that we did pretty well! We really enjoyed the city! The kids survived the walking and late hours, and Scott and I survived the kids!

Paris is a great city with so much to explore! I can't wait to visit again! Now if only I could catch up on sleep :)