Mein erste Blog auf Deutsch January 26, 2009

Das ist mein erste Blog auf Deutsh. Ich vorsetelle meine familie und mir. Ich heiße Becky Walker. Mein Mann ist Israel und meine Tochter heißt Jael. Wir wohnen in Deutschland. Ich komme aus Iowa, USA. Israel kommt auch aus Iowa, USA. Jael kommt aus Missouri. Mein älterer Bruder ist auch aus Missouri. Mein jünger Bruder, Mutter, und ältere Schwester kommen aus Iowa. Mein Vater kommt aus Kansas.

Ich arbeite zu Hause. Ich bin eine Hausfrau von Beruf. Mein Mann arbeite auf dem Flugplatz Spangdahlem. Er ist Mechaniker von Beruf. Meine Tochter ist Studierin zu Hause. Sie ist fünf Jahre alt. Sie ist im Kindergarten.

Ich lerne Deutsch im Klassenzimmer und kunst zu Hause. Israel lernt Wirtshaftswissenschaften an die Universität. Wir sind Studentin.

Meine Mutter arbeitet im Büro. Mein Vater arbeitet Außenseite, washt Fenster. Mein Schwager auch washt Fenster. Mein Schwester arbeitet im Krankenhaus. Mein älterer Bruder arbeitet im Fabrik und mein jünger Bruder arbeitet im Rock and Roll Band.

Deutsch ist Spaß.

This is my first blog in German. I am introducing my family and myself. I am Becky Walker. My husband is Israel and my daughter is named Jael. We live in Germany. I am from Iowa, USA. Israel is also from Iowa, USA. Jael is from Missouri. My older brother is also from Missouri. My younger brother, mother, and older sister are from Iowa. My father is from Kansas.

I work at home. I am a housewife. My husband works at the Spangdahlem Air Base. He is a mechanic. My daughter is a student at home. She is five years old. She is in kindergarten.

I am learning German in a classroom and art at home. Israel is learning economics at the University. We are students.

My mother works in an office. My father works outside, washing windows. My brother-in-law also washes windows. My sister works in a hospital. My older brother works in a factory and my younger brother works in a Rock-and-Roll band.

German is fun.

The solution to my library problems January 26, 2009

An Independence, Iowa woman was arrested after failing to return a library book, valued at a paltry $14. She checked the book out last April and despite repeated phone calls from the library staff and a visit from a policman in September, the woman failed to return the book. She was arrested and released after posted $250 in bail.

I think some arrests by Security Forces and some time spent in the tank would improve the library’s “lost” list. Of course, I would be on that list as the book I’ve ordered to replace the one I lost hasn’t gotten here yet. But I’ve shown the library my reciept from Amazon so they are understanding. Anyway, I’m sure she’s really pissed about her arrest. In Harrison County, Mississippi, if a book you checked out is lost or stolen, you are charged $500. I think she got off pretty easy. Unless of course there is a huge fine on top of her bail and, I assume, the cost of replacing the book she obviously lost or stole.

Random thoughts after a month of not posting January 23, 2009

Well, a lot has been happening here since I posted last. My husband “came out of the closet” and told his family and friends he was an athiest. Kind of rocked the boat a bit with that one. Growing up as a Fundamentalist Christian he knew it was going to cause waves but he, and I to a lesser degree, have been surprised at the size of the waves. Almost a perfect storm situation.

I started college. Eke! I’m in school 1/2 time, taking one class a term, five terms a year. If I continue to take one class a term for the rest of our time here in Germany, I will have half a bachelor’s degree. If I can handle the course work and we can find an “extra” $3000 a year, I could take two but for right now, one is just fine.

I’m taking German 1. I’ve been studying German since we found out we were coming here, a little over a year ago, so as of now, most of the class is review for me. But alas, that does not mean it’s not FREAKING hard. My brain hurts at the end of class. But I’m very excited and am looking forward to taking more classes.

Jael turned five (and I turned 28 but that’s not that exciting). She is reading (have I mentioned that here?) and adding and subtracting, though the math skills are not as honed as the reading skills. She has expressed some interest in drumming but I’ve not had time to begin the search for a drumming instructor.

I’ve started looking for curriculum for her schooling. Holy cow. I have so much respect for every homeschooling mom who’s had to go through this. Talk about overwhelming. And we’ve even weeded it down a lot because of how picky we are about certain things. And it’s till overwhelming. And inconsistent. In one program Jael should be in Preschool, in another she’s more at a kindergarten level and in another she’s ready for first grade. ARGH!

Israel is also taking classes: Macro and Micro Economics. He’s also working nights. 12 hour nights. 5 days a week. And the day shift randomly doesn’t show up until an hour after he’s supposed to be off so sometimes he works 13-14 hour nights. Yeah, so we pretty much don’t see him. We are living a lot more like roommates than family right now and it totally sucks. I have some parenting issues I need to work on. Mostly, I am waaaaaay to lax with Jael and it shows. Israel ends up being the disciplinarian and then, surprise, surprise, Jael likes me more and doesn’t want to hang out with dad. So yesterday and today I stepped up my game and immediately there has been improvement. Yay for that.

I have started knitting. And I love it. I made myself a pair of mittens (thank you, Lisa, for the beautiful yarn I used) for myself and am so proud every time I put them on. I’m working on a bright and colorful scarf for Israel and a pair of mittens for a girl with smaller hands than me. Any takers? They are light pink (new born baby girl pink) and have small cables up the back of the hand. They are going to be really beautiful but the pattern is for an early teen (11-12) but I used the next size bigger needle than it called for (needles currently in use on Israel’s scarf but I couldn’t pass up the beautiful mittens) so they are still a little small for me. Boo hoo.

I’ve also started drawing a bit. I’m not too bad though I’d need to devote a lot more time to it if I wanted to get good. I do want to improve but I have so many other things on my plate, becoming a reknowned artist is going to have to go to the back burner.

Jael had her first “babysitter” the other night. Oh, she’s had babysitters before, you know, family and close friends. She’s even stayed with strangers before, you know, at day care and with Family Child Care providers on base. But this was the first time I’ve called a complete stranger on the phone and said, “Will you take care of the most precious thing in my life for an evening?” But I actually found a really nice girl…and her mom. The girl was busy for the first part of the evening so her mom took Jael with her to church, where Jael got to play in the nursery. Then the mom picked her daughter up and they both came back to my house and watched Jael here. It was kind of a weird situation but it turned out well. They homeschool and might be people we can be friends with.

Um…I can’t think of anything else. My brain is mush and I probably have to pick Israel up from work tomorrow at 6am. Which means I get up at 5am. (I have to be awake long enough to be awake, you know what I mean?)

Tchüss!!

The most literate city in the US is… January 18, 2009

Seattle and Minneapolis! Yup. They are tied for first place. And since I’m not a huge fan of the clouds and rain of Seattle, Minneapolis is looking better and better. There are a number of other things that make Minneapolis look good. “The Minneapolis park system has been called the best-designed, best-financed, and best-maintained in America.” And we really like parks. And we’re pretty liberal. And we’ve friends and family there. Maybe. Maybe.

Evil Twin or Crappy Library? You Decide! January 4, 2009

My evil twin has invaded Spangdahlem Air Force Base and has checked out the books and movies I want. I know this is my evil twin because she did not return the items but has stolen them and they are now “lost.” I provide this evidence:

• Beauty and the Beast (a movie with a strong female character I think my daughter would enjoy): Lost

• The Chicks with Sticks guide to knitting : learn to knit with more than thirty cool, easy patterns: Item missing

• The Crochet Stitch Bible: Item missing

• Elf (my favorite Christmas movie): checked out since the 18th of December, making it 2 weeks late

• Vanessa-Ann’s My grandmother taught me to crochet: Missing Inventory

There are five other requests I’ve placed with the library but those five are all at different libraries and not missing. There are other copies of the above books, at other bases and not missing but because our library “has” them, they can not or will not have them sent to Spangdahlem. ALL five things our library “has” are missing, lost, or so overdue that they will, no doubt, soon be classified as lost.

WTF? Who is going to the library and STEALING the books I want to borrow and return responsibly? Why the HELL are people not being held responsible for the books and movies they steal? This is why we show ID to check things out and are not allowed to just walk out the door with them. I AM SO INCREDIBLY ANGRY!!! ANGRY!!!!