Another generation of readers

Learning to read -- in a second language in the midst of a global pandemic during which your parents have to teach you from home instead of the native speakers -- is not the best way to gain a love for reading.  Nevertheless, this girl has kept trying and trying and trying, and it finally clicked after the first couple weeks of consistent in-person-school this year.  She often does not want to put the books down at night!  What a wonderful change from the first entire year of school!

School days, glorious school days

I have never been so grateful for school, and every day and week which we complete without having to stay at home is another reason to celebrate.  I know that many kids and parents and families are not so privileged to be able to continue school in person right now.  I also don't know how much longer we will have this option.

School began as it normally does here in Austria, during the first full week in September.

First day photos:

Nathanael - 1st class in Gymnasium (equivalent to 5th grade in the States), Eva - 2nd grade

(Waiting to get on the bus to be at school by 9am...building together in Minecraft)

Grade school kids had 50 minutes on Monday, just under two hours on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, and all the way to four on Thursday and Friday.  That is a typical grade school day here, 8-12, with one or two days extending until 1pm sometimes.

Nathanael began Gymnasium this year, and it has been quite an adjustment.  They began similarly with shorter days but have now worked up to longer days.  One day he is out at noon but has two after-school activities concluding at 4:30pm.  Three days he is out at 2pm, one of those with an additional religion class until 3:30, and one day he has gym concluding at 3:30pm.  The strange thing to me is how the day has some gaps in it.  The kids are allowed to have lunchtime supervision two days during the week, but if your child (like Nathanael) happens to have three days with gaps, you have to come up with another option or pay for a daycare-type program for the day to cover the one hour gap.  It is definitely different from what I expected!  Anyway, Eva and I will be meeting Nathanael at school on Fridays and either taking him lunch for 45 minutes or grabbing something quickly nearby.  Hopefully that will be a fun break before religion class.

Homework distractions

Taking a break

Working on his introductory speech

Instead of the kids constantly ''helping'' me with my work, Tiger Lily is now my work companion.  Somehow I am getting a ton more accomplished now.

Almost Back to School

We have enjoyed some sporadic and spontaneous family time during the last couple of weeks.

We try to do an evening walk or ride.  Sometimes it's a bit of both.

Eva and I spontaneously went to see a film together one afternoon when Gregory and Nathanael were gone for an appointment.  It was a film about one of her favorite book characters - a girl named Conni, and how her cat sneaks onto the school bus when Conni goes on a project week with her daycare.  It was adorable!  We both loved it.  I love how Conni episodes and movies are not all about noise and fast-paced action but rather real life experiences and simple fun.

Eva and I felt like queens because no one else was in the theater with us!!!

Gregory and Nathanael went hiking in Mödling one Saturday morning.

During one of our family painting times, Nathanael painted the death star.  He has not yet seen any films, but he knows all about it from posters and Lego figures one of his friends has.

We almost always begin our mornings cuddling with Tiger Lily.

On Sunday after church and lunch and a bit of down town, we spontaneously decided to hop on the train to Baden.  Gregory and Nathanael have taken an overnight trip there during Christmas break the last two years, so the boys showed us around the town and took us to their favorite Greek restaurant for dinner.  What fun!  We may have gotten caught in a thunderstorm on the way home.

I finally made the Austrian version of crepes (Palatschinken).  I had been nervous about trying to make them with gluten-free flour, but they turned out great!  I had a turkey and cheese.  Gregory tried apricot jam with rum and vanilla.  The kids had one with Nutella, of course.  And Nathanael had a second with strawberry marmelade.  Yummmm....

I decided it was time to get a haircut.  I almost made it seven months!  My last cut was in early February in Spain.  Yikes!