Sunset

While we were in Australia over the holidays we had some amazing sunsets from the back of my parent's house in Castlemaine.

Obviously, heading off to the antipodes during the middle of the Northern winter is quite a contrast in weather. Fortunately, though it wasn't nearly as bad as being in Wisconsin.

Ireland's Financial Crisis

This is, by far, the best explanation I've read of Ireland's financial crisis. The Irish government and regulators were completely asleep, with the result that they've utterly bankrupted their nation. I almost wish I believed in God, so that there would be hell waiting for those responsible.

Home

When I was little we would often make trips up to Sydney to see our extended family. It was almost always fun, from being spoiled by the grandparents to playing with our cousins, who conveniently owned a swimming pool. I am very grateful that my parents took us there so regularly, as it meant that both my brother and I built a good, enduring connection with our cousins.

But, being a homebody by nature, there was nothing like seeing the telecom tower on top of Black Mountain as you started to drive back down into the Canberra valley. It meant we were home.

Faces

Caeden really likes to make funny faces. It is something he picked up at Waldermarhof as he definitely didn't get it at home. It is sometimes annoying, but also sometimes downright hilarious, and although we don't want him doing it all the time, it is very hard to not smile at some of his antics.

I took these photos at Dickson Swimming Pool in Canberra over the summer. My brother and I went there with dad during our summer holidays so it was just great to do the same thing with Aralyn and Caeden.

Right now Caeden is going through a hyper-verbal phase and just does not stop talking. He's a kind of fun mix of solo, hands-on, engineering curiosity with extreme, left-handed and left-brained loquaciousness during dinner time.

Countdown

We are now in the last few weeks of living in Rostock before we head off to Winchester. As normal, after living here for two or so years this place feels like home, despite the fact that I still cannot speak German. Aralyn and Caeden definitely feel that Rostock is home and I am wondering how they will feel once they realize that we are not coming back, at least not permanently.

I am really going to miss this little town by the Baltic. I've made some very close friends here and its been a really interesting and beautiful place to spend some time. There's something wild, unspoilt and wonderful about the stormy Baltic coast, even if it often feels as though you are living in the middle of cloud.

Aralyn had her last day of school last Friday and it was so poignant to watch all the goodbyes with her friends. We gave Frau P a gorgeous big hydrangea and little potted flowers to Frau S, Frau R and Frau ? as well as to Aralyn's friends I and F. F gave Aralyn two beautiful stuffed elephants that she and her mother had made as gifts for Aralyn and Caeden. The entire class made a goodbye poster, with each child contributing a paper hand and photo covered in good wishes that was then stuck to the poster. I think this was all orchestrated while we were on holiday in Australia over the Christmas break.

I brought my camera and, in an expected turn of good luck, managed to take photos of nearly all of Aralyn's friends. Here she is with I, her best friend:

Here is Frau P and Frau S with Aralyn. Both were lovely teachers and we are all going to miss them. I really liked their little classroom: it was well organized and structured, but full of love, fun and laughter.

Here F and L are lifting Aralyn up. Being one of the smallest kids, her friends were often giving her friendly lifts along with hugs.

And here's Aralyn with a group of friends, including E, who really took Aralyn under her wing when she started school. It was a really great way for her to start school and I think it helped make her feel very welcome.

And here's Aralyn and M.

Brienna and I are thinking of coming back to Rostock in August and I hope we do. It would be great for Aralyn and Caeden to practice their German, and really wonderful to see our friends again.