Catching up

So the Thursday before last Cecilia had her Kindergeburtstag which is the kids birthday party. This couldn't have come on a better day for me personally. I had the worst head ache I have ever had in my life and being there to clean up after little kids while they literally pounded wooden sticks on pots made this one of the best days ever. I can't really tell you much about the party because I was cleaning up after everyone the entire time. I'm not even exaggerating. The kids ate their cup cakes and then went to play games, then I had to clean up after them and wash the floors and dishes by hand. After that I had to start their dinner which was french fries, chips, and little mini hot dogs that came in a jar. Once they came into eat I went into the living room and cleaned up the mess in there and then it was back to clearing the table, doing the dishes, and washing the floor again. All I know about German birthdays is that it involves alot of cleaning.
On Friday we had a good bye party for Eugenia. She left for Italy on Monday. We had the party at Jess' house because her host parents were gone for the weekend and they took the baby. We made actual food, listened to Christmas music, drank wine, and watched movies in English. It was alot of fun.
Saturday morning Katie, Jess, Eugenia and I had to wake up early. We had an Au Pair trip to Wuppertal through our agency. We got to the train station a little after 9 and we got to Wuppertal at about 10:30. Inge, the woman in charge of us told us to be back at our meeting spot at 2:30. By about 11 everyone was ready to go home. It was a nice little area but there was not that much to see, we went around the Christmas market there in about 20 minutes. It was also very very cold there. Inge found everyone and told us all that we would be leaving Wuppertal at 12:30, apparently everyone was miserable.
After we walked back up the hill and through a scary tunnel we waited for about 45 minutes for a bus to come to take us to a train. It was so cold out that I couldn't feel my feet. No one was happy at this point.
The train that the bus took us to was actually really neat, it is called the Zwebebahn. Its tracks are up above it instead of underneath so it hangs in the air. I got yelled at a few times by the conductor for taking pictures...none really turned out anyway.
We got back into Düsseldorf at about 2:30 and Katie, Eugenia and I went and got something to eat. I went back home at 5 to put on warmer clothes before going back out. When I got back to the house the kids were all there but their parents were gone. Maximilian said that their parents had gone golfing. I felt bad just leaving the kids there alone so I stayed with them until Dirk and Susanne came home which was only about an hour.
I met Jess at Mississippi (which is an "American" style bar) once I got back into town. She was with her friend Sebastion whom she had spent the day with. We were there for happy hour so we ordered drinks. None of us thought that there was any alcohol in our drinks so Sebastion went and complained to the waiter (he's German so he can do that apparently). The waiter said that we should bring our drinks back and he would put some more alcohol in them. Sebastion brought our drinks back to the waiter and he filled them with rum, we all had different drinks, but he filled them all with rum anyway. Then the waiter told Sebastion that this was happy hour, drinks were half price because there was supposed to be half the alcohol ( a concept Jess and I had never heard before) and if we wanted to have drinks that strong again we should find another place to go. Needless to say I'm glad I only had a little drink because it was really strong.
On Sunday we met in town at about noon because we had gotten a gift for Eugenia seeing as Sunday was the last day that we could spend with her. She suprised us by telling us that she would be coming back in February to work for her host family again. I am really happy that she is coming back.
The rest of my week was very very uneventful. I drank tea at Macloughlin's and watched some soccer games. On Thursday everyone came out because it was the night before everybody leaves. Katie is going to Switzerland for a while to stay with friends, a bunch of the Irish are going back home for the holiday.
Today is Sunday. I am sick. I have been sick all week but today it somehow seems the worst. The kids were sick earlier and now I am sick and I think Dirk and Susanne are coming down with something too....children. The family went skiing in an indoor ski park today. I was supposed to go but I woke up this morning ( 10 am) feeling awful. I thought it would be best not to go skiing considering I don't have a hat, or neck warmer, or a healthy immune system at the moment.
This week should be pretty easier I am hoping. German's celebrate Christmas on the 24th and not at all on the 25th. This actually works well for me because I am going to a Christmas dinner on the 25th so I wont have to skip anything with my host family and feel guilty. Katie and I are trying to think of something to take to the Christmas dinner/party. We are thinking egg nog and maybe cookies. I have to figure out a time to make the cookies though. Katie doesn't get back until late on the 24th.