38 Stairs

June 27, 2014

I have been in Germany for a month now.  I’m here to see the kids, and help my daughter Kacie with my grandchildren – Clara/3-yrs and Chloe/6-mo – because of her job (while her husband, Pedro, is away for a couple of months because of his) for two months.
Kacie’s apartment is spacious, charmingly decorated and comfortable.  

But it is on the third floor.  That is 38 steps up or down – I’ve counted - from the front entrance of building.  I probably walk these stairs at least 20 times a day (usually lugging something heavy up them). This doesn’t count the seven other steps to basement when I need to retrieve or put away the stroller.

Kacie leaves for work around 6AM (taking the baby with her, to drop off at child care). My day starts at 7AM, when Clara awakes.  She has breakfast, and then Clara and I usually go to the apartment complex playground for about an hour around 10AM to work off some of her energy. At that time of day, there are generally no other kids (or adults – most are at work), so it’s a time of inner reflection for me while I watch her.  Clara is potty training now, so we kind of need to stay close to her “big girl” potty seat.  She goes to nursery school three mornings a week for a few hours, so I do get a break to take a leisurely shower, catch up on emails, screw around on Facebook, etc. in the meantime.

We go through a lot of these

Because of the time difference between friends in both Ecuador and in the States, it is not generally a good time to Skype any of them for a chat.

Our afternoons, after lunch, are generally a repeat of eat/play on playground/play with neighbor kids in community yard, or in apartment to watch more “Little Einstein”, “Barney”, “Mickey Mouse Club” and I believe I have reached my maximum level of forbearance listening to those theme songs.
I currently would prefer shooting a staple gun into my forehead at this point rather than hear them. I now lean towards (and tune to) “potty training for toddler” videos for Clara to watch.

If I sometimes think that my days are “boring”, Kacie’s schedule is even more grueling. She gets home around six in the evening, is still nursing Chloe, and we feed the kids, bath them, each gulp down something fast to eat, and both collapse into bed by around 10PM.

Chloe - who is such an easy going child, and
grown up so quickly, even within the time I've been here.'
We are now sitting up.

Kacie has the car all day, and there is not much nearby for Clara and I to do. However, downtown Wiesbaden market place is a 40 minute walk away (downhill going/uphill coming back – pushing a stroller), and now that I’ve acclimated and become more familiar with my surroundings…Clara and I head there several afternoons a week.  We sometimes go to the lake where we can feed the ducks, but “Gammy Leigh” has definitely wised up…as soon as Clara gets dozy and starts nodding off in her stroller, I make a beeline to the nearest outdoor café for a quiet snack and sample a German beer before making that uphill walk back home.

Whew!  I’m definitely getting a work-out here between those damn stairs and our afternoon walks to town.

My legs, butt, and calves are getting buff…..Haven’t seen this kind of work out since I last went to a gym – which was at least 20 years ago.  I can’t say the same about my upper arms (even pushing the stroller isn’t making an impact)….I’m afraid they fell a long time ago, and aren’t ever getting back up.

Thankfully, on a couple of weekends, when Kacie is off and in a “homebody” mood (and I’m itching to get out for “no kid time”) I’ve been able to spend a couple of enjoyable late afternoons exploring Wiesbaden, and early evening meals in town.

A huge multi-story department store I discovered during
one of my lone afternoon ventures out.
The grocery store was on bottom level, and I will say
This is my kind of wine department section!

A menu in German.
I  rest my case regarding
long words in that language.

I really need to learn a few more basic words in German. Thankfully, many folks in Europe speak English. 

Because if I think my español still sucks (after four years of living in Ecuador), my German language skills are truly spastic.

German is close enough to ingles that I can sort of get it when I see it written.

It doesn't help that most German words typically contain at least 27 letters, on average.

My other challenge is trying to get back up to speed with “child gear” stuff.  They are either “new-fangled” or I’ve forgotten some it.  Mostly though, they are all physically tough, confusing, or too heavy for me now.  Especially things that require “unlatching” with thumb and hand muscles that are now feeling every bit of my age.

Hell, those adjustable latches and belts on strollers, car seats, are impossible; unscrewing baby food jar lids requires some tricks and every ounce of my hand strength, and then there is that look of bemusement in my daughter’s eyes when she spies me wrestling the high chair to the floor, trying to unlock the damn tray off of it to clean (okay…that one is a bit of exaggeration).

Hauling morning fish nets off the shore of Olon would be easier for me to perform.

My ultimate nemesis are these damn buckles.

SIPPY CUP
One innovation I love.
  An engineering marvel.
  And I am bringing a few of these back home,
which will be much appreciated by my friends
who know I am a klutz with major tendency to spill or break anything
 glass while talking with my hands.

But you know what?  Though my knees and thumbs are begging for relief, and it would be heavenly to sleep in, I wouldn't trade one minute of this time with my kids here, and it is flying by all too quickly.
I'm sure that when I get back home to Olón, I will yearn for and treasure these moments always.
I am also trying to get to England to see my middle daughter, Katherine, her hubby Clive, and 8 month old twins, Isobel and Levi, but that is becoming more complicated and expensive than I anticipated (I can only do this on a weekend, when Kacie is off work), so that is still up in the air.

To all my Olón friends!

I miss you guys and looking forward to seeing you all again!

A few of my friends who came over for
tacos and dominoes at my place
 the night before I left
for Germany.