Big News!!!

V is pregnant. We're expecting around early June. We had a visit from a midwife last week and got to hear the heartbeat! T is happy about the idea of a baby but M is very excited--fit to be tied.

To catch up on other news a bit.
It appears that we have finally received our kindergeld...(more later)

Also, November is a cold, rainy, dark month in N. Germany. I think this is as bad, weather wise, as it can possibly get. I have now been in Germany every month out of the year except for January, and if Jan is between Dec and Feb then it is an improvement over November.

T "likes" school

T told me this morning that he likes this school, which is very good to hear and I didn't expect so soon. It is such a difference from the public school that I know we did the right thing. They have assigned two kids to both M and T, one of each of which speaks English to help guide them around at the new school. The teachers are also speaking English to help explain how everything works. V pointed out that at first M and T didn't realize the teachers were speaking English, they are so used to not understanding what is going on at school they weren't even trying to listen--which illustrates how neglected they had been at the public school. Now we just have to work out a more permanent transportation solution.

PS - I am wearing my Hawaiian shirt to work today to celebrate our new Hawaiian president! (And we had "Hawaiian" ham and pineapple for supper last night.) I've been joking with my German colleagues that now with Obama elected I can return to the US.

Obama Wins!!!

I wrote a Luo acquaintance of mine in Kenya earlier in the day asking if he was ready for his "cousin" to be president of the US. I came back in to work at 1 am (local, Germany) and have been watching the results come in all night on the computer. Some other people were here earlier but it seems like I'm the last one left still awake now. About 10 minutes ago (5 am) all the major news networks projected Obama winning!!!

(7 am) I haven't been able to go home to sleep yet. I saw the concession speech from McCain which was really nice and the victory speech from Obama, with Rev. Jesse Jackson in tears in the audience. Some Germans are coming into work now and we were all cheering that Obama has won. I have waited 8 years for this, since the severely disappointing 2000 election, where the supreme court acted unconstitutionally, overruling the state of Florida's recount and, voting along party lines, appointed that dangerous arrogant clown as president, severing the link to the people (since the president appoints the court and they in turn appointed him)...but enough about that.

The face of America is finally changing at the highest levels. President Obama's first state of the union address will really drive that home with Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the house and Obama as president. This is a great victory for the people of America. I have always been against racial and gender discrimination of any kind, especially when institutionalized like "affirmative action;" maybe now we, the US, can finally get past this and continue to take steps ahead to get rid of as many forms of discrimination as possible!

Great Days at School

The kids had a great first two days at their new school. M learned finger knitting and was showing it off to me last night, and T worked on a boat that they are building to sail next spring and put together and electric circuit he was very proud of. They played in a gym, and I don't know what all, and came home exhausted both days (V too).

Off to the new school

Today is the first day at the new school. I saw V and the kids off this morning. They are taking a bus route to school. I have to be at work because I have a new person working for me that is starting today, otherwise I would probably have gone with them. I'll let y'all know how it turns out. Fingers crossed.