10 days here

The first week and a bit has gone quite well all tolled. Simon and Peter have both found friends at school. The school, Harztorwall Grundschule, is pleasant and the staff have been kind to both the children and me. It is an "all day" school which means that instead of being finished at 12:30 some of the children stay until 3:30 and do various special classes. The boys are doing Basketball, Arts and Crafts, Light Athletics, Gymnastics and Chess. On Fridays, everyone is done at 1:00pm.

Here is Peter's class:

and here is Simon's class:

Both Friday afternoons, we have gone to free swim in the indoor town swimming pool. It gets a bit crazy with big kids, but it still fun and there is a GREAT water slide which neither child is supposed to be on, but no one has said anything, yet. As of May, the indoor pool will close and the outdoor pools will open. I hope that the weather is warm enough to make that a good option.

Wolfenbuttel is very small and the center is completely walkable. Right out our window is the Zeughaus/Armory which faces the Schloss/Castle. To do the laundry, I go to the basement of Lessing's house. There is a lot of water around the city. Streams, rivers, canals and even a bit of a place called "Little Venice." I was told that the Dutch channeled the swampy parts to make the city possible. There are parks and paths around much of the town. Annoushka and I have been taking long walks after dropping the boys to school.

We now all have library cards and can take out as many books as we want from the City Library. The boys and I think it is great. Michael has another library that is more relevant to him.

The fathers of two of Peter's friends at school own the local music shop. We went in to ask after choirs and cello lesson and one of them asks Michael, "Are you Peter's father?" Perhaps a cello and teacher may happen, we will see.

A salesman in the bookshop told Michael that to be here in Wolfenbuttel for nine months will be boring. We will see if he is correct, but I think for the children and me it may be fine.

Finally Internet! The journey

We have arrived!

The trip was very long, but OK in retrospect. The first flight from Chicago to Copenhagen was not too full, so we each got two seats by the windows. The boys watched movies and played DS games. Peter slept for the last two hours of the flight, but Simon and I didn't sleep. When we arrived in Copenhagen, we went out of through customs to walk Annoushka, the extremely well-behaved dog who didn't make a peep the whole time (and crossed her legs.)Our four hour lay-over was boring. We were to tired to really do anything more than wait.

The second flight was only 40 minutes in the air. It looked like most of the other passengers to Hannover were business men.Simon fell fast asleep even before we took off. Peter and I chatted. They handed out sealed cups of water. When we had to get off the plane, Simon was sleep walking with a frustration tolerance level of zero. So, with a backpack, bag and dog-carrier in hand, I followed Peter and Simon to get our baggage. Thankfully, the big bags all had wheels, so Peter could push one along and I could pull two.

I was so glad to see the sign "ALLEN" in the van driver's hand. He kindly helped manage the bags and we all got clicked in for the hour ride to Wolfenbuttel. Both boys fell asleep It was a nice ride with pretty landscape and at the end was Michael's friend, L, with euro to pay the shuttle and arms willing to carry up some bags.

That was our trip. Before we left Chicago, B. mentioned that her mother thought it was cruel not to drug children on long flights. I can see how it might have been easier for them if a little benadryl had let them sleep on the long leg. Not because they weren't well behaved, but so that they didn't crash on the short hops.