Kletterwald

This may be my first post ever without photos. Despite all my best intentions, even putting the camera by my car keys so I wouldn't forget it, I forgot it! I took the kids to the Kletterwald on Wednesday. It was a gorgeous warm sunny day (a true rarity) and we were itching for a bit of an adventure. Actually they were itching for an adventure, I was the chauffeur and as it turned out a necessary climber. The Kletterwald is a huge ropes course with obstacles and ziplines all 3 to 6 meters up in the trees. There are 9 different courses with a variety of difficulty. I had intially thought that I could help get the kids into their ropes and then sit down below and watch them climb. I am terrified of heights. Turns out you have to be 8 to climb without an adult on any of the courses and 12 to climb on most. So climb I did. (There was no way Sophie and Noah were going to sit and watch Thomas and his friends climb.)

We had a 30 minute session on how to safely hook yourself into the wires wrapped tightly around the trees and attach yourself to the ziplines to insure a smooth glide down not a rapid freefall. Did I mention that this was all done in German? I did have a brief thought about the guilt I would feel if anything happened but it appears our German is better than I gave ourselves credit for as I returned with the same number of children I left with, all whole with nothing broken. Not even a scratch on any of them!

Thomas and his buddies quickly took off to the course with the 185 meter zipline. Noah, Sophie and I started at course 1. They quickly got the hang (no pun intended) of hooking and unhooking themselves to the wires and soon left me in there dust. Course 1 is only about 1.5 meters up. I thought not so bad we can just stay here. Of course they were ready for more. We moved onto course 2. It began with a ladder straight up into the trees 6 meter up (for you non metric literate folk reading this that is apppr. 18-20 feet- high!) I wondered if perhaps we had missed the course that was somewhere between course 1 and course 2, course 1.5 perhaps? I had second thoughts by the time I got the top and wondered if I could just climb back down but unfortunately Noah was right behind me and Sophie was waiting patiently at the bottom to come up! So off we went.

I tried my hardest to focus on the very narrow, ever so wobbly boards/logs/ropes/wires in front of me that I was supposed to step on and not the height. It didn't help that Noah kept catching up to me and wanted pass me! "Come on Mom you are too slow!" As you make your way from tree to tree there are platforms at each tree where, if you are not being trailed by an ever so eager 7 year old, you could rest for a bit. We made it successfully through the course and I thought for sure our time was up- but no, it had only taken about 20 min of our 3 hours of climbing time! Oh joy! Time to do it again and again, and again....

We climbed though the course several more time (with Noah in the lead) and then found a platform where you could climb up and zipline down to the bottom so the kids were happy to do that for a while. Then Sophie said she was tired and wanted a drink. I could have kissed her. We sat for a bit and had a drink. Then they were ready for more! Today is Friday and I am still sore. More from having my muscles tensed in fear for three hours than from any physical exertion!

I know there will be requests to return and I am sure Jon would love to take them!

Saying goodbye

So, one the biggest downsides of expat life is that my kids say goodbye to a large number of their friends every year. Sophie seemed to lose the most this year and will miss her buddies in the fall as their return to their homes around the globe. She has friends from every continent except Antartica at this point! Gives a new meaning to pen pals!

Summer fun at Fenway

So lots to get caought up on- one of my many summer vacation goals...Figured I'd start with a highlight of the summer so far- FENWAY PARK! Thanks to Uncle Sam my kids are totally ruined for ever attending a baseball game like normal people (ei in seats where you have to buy overpriced hot dogs, warm beer and the field in a spot in the far distance!) We love going to Fenway! Helps that the Red Sox won both games we attended. Go Sox! (yes, we are all wearing jackets at a July game, love that New England weather!)