Summer of 2020

(I intended to finish this back in September, but, well, you know how that goes.)

Here are the highlights of what we've been doing since March 2020, during the lockdown and in the summer.

We started OPERATION YARD: EXPLODED in March right after the COVID lockdown started. We were so lucky to have weeks of sunny, warm weather and a yard that needed lots of work to keep us busy. The homeschooling part was not great. It was hard to stick to a schedule and get through each day without tons of fighting and boredom. While my local friends in American school had almost too much online structure, we had basically none. The German schools were definitely not prepared to go virtual. So Marc and I took to the outdoors to dig and left the boys inside to battle it out. 

Just making a small extension of the patio was a lot of work.

Marc did an awesome job making a retaining wall on the slope from upper yard to lower yard.

This was the situation. 
Dig out this dirt. Move it over there. Dig out that dirt and put it where the first dirt was. Dig rocks. Move rocks. Move dirt so you can dig out the dirt under the dirt. Etcetera.

There was a constant flow of deliveries of different sizes of rock and gravel. They couldn't access the backyard so every single pebble and paver had to be shovelled/carried out and wheelbarrowed to the back.

It's coming along.

We also dug out another space where we laid pavers and built a little garden shed since we don't have a garage. You would think that after weeks of shovelling, lifting dozens of pavers, mixing bag after bag of cement by hand with a shovel, and wheelbarrowing back and forth, that my arms would be really toned.

The masked men going to get a gift for their little bro.

Doren turned 6!

I can hardly believe it, but like so many other people right now, we got our COVID dog! It seemed like, if we were ever going to do it, this would be the best time. We settled on a greyhound since we already had experience with two males in California and we knew they were very sweet and very lazy. The last thing I need in my house is more wild energy! And it had to be a girl because we have a shortage of those, except for chickens, but they don't count. There are two greyhound rescue places about an hour away but both of them said that because of COVID they couldn't do the normal house visit or let us come there to meet some of the dogs. So it was the best time for us, but also the worst time for them. Fortunately, another place three hours away said 15 dogs were coming from Ireland, where racing is still legal, and that we could reserve one of them. All we had to go by was a photo and short description from the folks in Ireland who knew the dogs. It didn't really matter to us as long as it was a girl and ok around kids, so we picked Maisie, who is two years old.

Maisie was one of the last in the truck, poor thing. They had a very long, stressful drive from Ireland.

Greyhounds in Transit on the truck. A bunch of other people also came to pick up their dogs. 

Trying to make her feel loved and comfortable. She was so skittish.

"Get it off." -Maisie

 

We call her Miss Maisie May because we got in her in May and it sounds cute. Five plus months later she has improved a lot as far as not being scared of literally everything, including the floor. She even gets playful sometimes. Mostly she's lazy and sleeps all day like an enormous cat. Greyhounds are sometimes called "45mph couch potatoes".

The Jonah Pie turned 9!

Doing what he loves best - following  instructions to build something. He didn't even want a party (praise be). He invited one friend to see a movie and come back to play and have cake. 

One of his many looks. I don't know where he gets this from. (Me.)

Topless but with a hat and scarf seems a little backwards to me. He must have his reasons.

I gave blood for the first time ever. I should have been doing this all along since I have the universal O, but at least I'm starting now. I really, really hate needles, but it wasn't so bad and they gave me lots of snacks.

Tobin has gotten into riding his scooter and can do some cool tricks.

We found out about a great Biergarten. Its only ten minutes away in the forest and we had no clue for over five years. When this picture was taken, restaurants were just starting to re-open with safety standards like having the tables separated, giving our phone numbers, wearing masks while walking around, etc.

The poppies on my normal walk route increased in number each day.

Doren missed out on a few months of his last year of Kindergarten, but fortunately he was able to go back for about four weeks before the summer break. It was hard to say goodbye to this precious Kindergarten that both Doren and Jonah attended for a total of five years (but we also live right across the street so we see it every day.)

We celebrated with some ice cream.

Our neighbors have a huge cherry tree that hangs over into our yard so we get to pick dozens, nay, hundreds of cherries. We made cherry pastries, cherry jam, cherry smoothies, cherry shortcake, cherry cobbler, oyyy...

It's rare to have a photo opportunity with all three.

At a local trampoline place.

Tobin and Marc leaving on a father/son bike trip. They rode the train out and biked 96km/60miles back home over a few days.

Looking handsome and very much like a teenager, he got some only-child treatment with dad. 

Exhibit A

I hope they do this every year!

Now it's Jonah's turn! I wanted to take him on a special solo trip, but he preferred a ride with Dad, so...

Auf Wiedersehen!

He crashed twice on the first day so he definitely earned that ice cream.

They rode about 126km/78 miles!

The goal (my goal) is that someday all three of them will go on a week-long Lads and Dad bike ride and leave me all alone!

We spent many an hour at the local pool because it's literally

the only way to keep cool and the only thing to do.

He really got into more diving board flips and tricks this year.

We couldn't do any big trips this summer so we went down to Freiburg, a 2.5 hour drive, for two nights. What a gorgeous city! Its a very nice, manageable size, with enough to see and do to keep things interesting without being overwhelming. My words won't do it justice, so just believe me that it was lovely and magical and I would like to live there.

Gateway into the old town

Maisie sitting pretty on her fancy café mat.

It was perfect weather for a dip in the stream.

The town is surrounded by hills covered in vineyards. What could be better?

There are fountains of drinking water all over town.

Freiburg is known for its Bächle, or little streams/canals, on almost every street in the old town. You really have to watch where you're going. They were used way back when to bring mountain water into town for drinking, fighting fires, irrigation, etc. Now they add to the charming character of the city and for cooling hot feet in the summer.

I love these narrow alleys. See the little Bach on the left.

Much time was spent on playgrounds.

At the Brauerei Feierling in the heart of town.

Feeling happy with Apfelschorle.

Freibürger Münster

The sad news from this summer, besides all of 2020 being pretty crappy and sad, is that both of my closest friends who lived right here in my village, moved back to the US within a few weeks of each other. Their time with the US government here was over and they had to leave. It was pretty hard for me and still, months later, it's weird for me that they're not here. And also both sets of grandparents had plans to visit us but had to cancel their trips, so we haven't seen family in a long time.

I wasn't sure this would happen but school started - in person! Of course it wasn't like normal years with church bells, a celebration, and dressed up families ushering their first graders into the big school, but at least it was something. Here's the boy with a pretzel and his Schultüte filled with treats.

The brothers get mini cones.

First day back to school - 6th grade

4th grade

Miss Maisie sure likes her morning walks as long as no other dogs try to make friends. 

Tobin turned 12 a few weeks after school started.

Jonah with a chicken sister

That pretty much wraps it up. Now its December and snowing and these photos feel like a really long time ago. School is still happening but more and more kids are taken out for COVID testing and possible quarantine. I can't believe school has lasted this long. Hopefully it will continue with the new normal. We got three new chickens and then the one Jonah is holding died suddenly of unknown causes, so we're back to five gals. Have a happy and safe December! 2020 is almost over!