Auspacken...Auspacken...Auspacken

We hope to be able to move into our house tomorrow.  We have spent the majority of the last two days unpacking.  Kids have been so patient and self entertained.  I at least got the Bunk beds made for kids.  Karina and I took a nap in the bottom and Cooper on top.  Well Cooper didn't sleep-he kept saying, Momma-I'm scared up here"  Not a good sign for the nights to come.  I thought we would have our telephone and cable all set by this evening since I am having some withdrawals (not from Television since the only show I watched in States was Grey's)  It took our installer the majority of the day to re-wire our house, only to learn the cable company forgot to send us our pin code.  Not a biggie.  But boy did I get a "biggie" today.  Jason came home from meetings at Daimler where he learned it is forecast to be one of the hardest winters they have had in decades.  Lows are estimated to run down to NEGATIVE 25 Farenheit.  Funny huh.  Did I mention we (probably me since i will be home in the mornings) have a part of the public sidewalk we are responsible to keep de-iced and shollved everyday. HA!  I can mow a lawn in a heartbeat-but shovel snow??  I guess I will eventually add this to my "conquered" list.  I hope pretty soon I can add to that list-opening German doors.  I just can't seem to grasp how to turn the handle to open a door and not crack the window.  I actually broke a handle off the door today.(ok-I'll admit this once again brought tears and I acted like a 3 yr old when Jason asked me what was wrong.  My answer, "I can't even open the doors in Germany"  UGH-And don't want to even go into how many times I had to ring the doorbell to get back in the house because the doors lock behind you.  (ask how long the kids and Jason left me standing in the 20 degree weather before they heard the bell!! humor everywhere)

Conquered today:

• Driving-I am finally not so scared to drive in the snow.  
• Figuring out how to use a sled in our backyard-Rocky thought this was hilarious when I tested it out-he jumped all around me going crazy. Kids still don't have snow clothes (everywhere is sold out due to unusual cold) so they could test ride. 
• How to ask for coffee "to go" in German
•  How to speak enough German to shop for Karina's snow pants.  This wasn't easy bacause I had to figure out how to explain she is so small but so cold.(It is just not true that everyone here speaks English-I have had to use my 1st grade German everywhere-thank Goodness lessons start back in a month)
• Cooper eating eggs-He has refused because he saw that they had a brown shell here.  Well, I told him he couldn't have his advent calendar if he didn't try scrambled eggs this am.  His answer, " Yummy....they are better than at our old house"
• Not feeling like EVERYTHING had to be unpacked and in order at the house.  I gladly shut the door behind me on the way to the hotel.  This is huge for me.

Funnys today:

• I was so excited.  I thought to myself,"see people are so friendly here in Germany"  They would smile so Big back to me when I said hello.  I finally realized I was telling everyone "Good morning" ...I am sure they had all finished supper at this point.  No wonder they were smiling so big. 
• when I tried to run into H&M the lady stopped me and told me in German that they were closed.  Then a lady asked me in fast German what the sales lady had said and was the store open.  I got so nervous that I told here in German that they were open until 9:00.  The lady rushed in the store only to be told to leave-ooops.  (I couldn't think of my 24 hour clock time)
• The cable guy having a long conversation with me about Rocky.  I just kept smiling because he was talking too fast.  He never knew I didn't understand.  "Just smile and Wave"
• Changing jeans faster than you can blink an eye after Cooper said, "mommy, those jeans make your tummy look like Santa Claus" 
• I finally figured out how to walk on the ice/snow covered walks-You make sure you don't go outside.  
• Watching Rocky do his "big business" in the yard.  By the time I got the shovel, put on my boots and coat....I couldn't find it because I guess it had dropped so deep in the snow.  

Haven't Conquered:

• The deafness in my ear.  Yep, after Cipro, Steroids and Z-pac in the States, I am still deaf in one ear.  (it is a great benefit when the whining begins)
• Also still having the bloody noses....which disgust me.
• How to get over being so tired and jet lagged.  It is driving me crazy to feel so tired all of the time.  Karina is the same as me.  Cooper and Jason are both VERY energetic.