Unpacking Entertainment

I grew up moving, so I have some first hand knowledge of the packing/unpacking process from a child's perspective.  Though I've done several moves with kids, this was our first move where I didn't have extra family on hand during the unpacking process and I also have two more kids hanging around while unpacking!  So, here are some of my favorite ways to entertain tots while you unpack the house.

1. Sticker Hunt:  I can't take credit for this one. My parents did this with my brother and I when we were little.  It's a great activity for delivery day.  We were each given a hunk of cardboard ripped off of whatever box was handy and sent on a hunt to collect furniture tags.  It was a big competition to see who could collect more and to sweet the deal a bit, my parents use to pay us for each tag we pulled.  I think it was like a penny or nickel per tag or something.  But, when you're little the value doesn't matter much, does it?  The rules were that we had to wait until the furniture had been placed inside the house, so we weren't underfoot while they were bringing it inside and the tags could come from furniture pieces ONLY, not boxes.  (Now that I'm older, I understand why...my parents needed the box tags until the unpacked and made sure the inventory/damages were accurate, haha)

2.  Ration the Toys!   My little friends like to help, but I don't want them unpacking my wedding china.  So, I dig around and find those treasured boxes that say "Toys - Girl's Room" or the like. It's tempting to open all the toys at once to find their favorites, but you must resist!  Any toy will be their favorite when they have none!!!  Try to keep them to opening one box of toys in the morning and one in the afternoon.  You can drag out the "new toy" effect for at least two days that way. It's like Christmas when they start pulling toys out of that box.  You'll be able to power through 4 to 6 boxes in the time it takes them to unpack and play with all the "new again" toys.

3.  Hide and Seek: This classic game is great for packing and delivery days because there are piles of things clumped together all over the house creating all kinds of new nooks and crannies for hiding places. 

4.  Mural Art:  Packing paper is great for making GIANT artwork.  This is a better activity for unpacking days rather than delivery day since there may not be a ton of space to lay out paper and crayons unless you can use the back patio.  Sometimes, the moving crews won't care if you "borrow" a little packing paper to draw on during the packing days, but it really varies with the crews and how carefully they track their supplies. Anyway, if you can, it's a great time to create some Welcome Home signs. 

5.  Fun with Boxes:  You know the drill...kids usually have more fun with the boxes than with what's inside.  And during a move we have soooo many different sizes of boxes!  Great for all kinds of fun.  It's also one of the few times that I have a utility knife handy so I don't mind quickly cutting a door or window or wings into the cardboard for the kids.  Tape is also usually plentiful so you can piece together boxes for tunnels, spaceships, trains, doll beds, etc.

6. Paper Patrol:  When I unpack, I make a mess, particularly in the kitchen and dining room.  I like to get the items out, see what I have and cram it into a cabinet as fast as possible.  The paper ends up getting tossed on the floor wherever.  When the first box is empty, I start cramming the discarded paper in there for easy stacking as it awaits recycle pick-up.  My kids love jumping in my paper piles (think piles of leaves in the fall!).  They have also learned how much fun grape stomping is, so when they are done jumping in the paper, they enjoy stuffing it the box if they get turns stomping.

What are your favorite ways to keep kids occupied while you unpack?

Trash!

I never thought that I would be preparing to write an entire post about trash, but here I am. And when I say “trash,”  I mean the refuse, stinky, garbage kind not the fun, guilty pleasure television programming or smutty novel kind. 

Trash is a big deal in Germany and it’s taken me every bit of the last month or so to really absorb this new attitude.  Germany takes recycling and their refuse very seriously.  In fact, as I was learning about all of this, I was really taken with the thought that I was a lazy American.  I’ve “recycled” before.  I like the environment and I want to do good things for the Earth, right?  Of course, I do.  But, to be perfectly honest, my willingness to do good was inversely proportionate to how much work I had to do to accomplish that.  So, I did good things for the world if it was easy.  If not, my reluctance to inconvenience myself overruled my desire to be Earth-Friendly. 

First and foremost,  the availability of recycling is drastically different here.  In the US, I’ve lived in some areas that don’t recycle recently.  These areas does not provide door-to-door recycle service. There was probably a recycling center somewhere within a 30 minute drive, but that was too much effort.  Some areas recycled only paper, some paper and plastics 1/2, aluminum and glass was hit or miss.  Some areas required that you separate everything, some areas provided bit bins for single-stream recycling.  I preferred the big single stream bins where drop my recycling in the bin and forget about it.  No work, fuss or though required beyond remembering to put it out to the curb. 

That does not cut it here in Germany.  Recycling is compulsory according to national law.  Really, you are REQUIRED to recycle and yes, there will be people checking.  (It’s a little creepy, right?  Someone inspecting your trash?)  If the inspector finds that more than 10 percent of your trash is recyclables, you will face some hefty fines. Further, if more than 10 percent of your recyclables are sorted incorrectly, you will be fined. Americans living on the economy are subject to these laws. (Though, not on post apparently. More on that later!) 

I now have five trashcans in my kitchen.  It’s really been an adjustment since even my recent American kitchens wouldn’t have been large enough for five trashcans, much less our tiny [efficient] German kitchen!  I mentioned that I’ve been struck many times by how lazy I am and this was the first demonstration. My trash bins are literally six feet outside my front door, but that was too far to walk whenever I had a piece of paper of plastic to sort. We decided to relocate our cleaning supplies and cleared out under our sink for trash bins.  After lots of measuring, shuffling and shoving, we fit all the bins underneath.  Here’s the break down:

1. Paper:  Pretty straight forward. If it’s clean, plain paper or cardboard…this is where it belongs. Anything soiled or contaminated (like a pizza box or a used napkin) can’t go here. We have a big wheeled bin outside to for paper and it is picked up once a month.

2. Plastics:  All plastics go in here. Really, ALL plastics.  Plastic bottles, plastic food packages, plastic baggies, grocery sacks, bubble wrap, plastic packaging from kids toys, plastic plates, cups, and the like.  Also included in this category are the “mixed” materials – aluminum cans, metal lids, foil, chip bags, etc.  Basically, if it feels plastic-y or metallic, it goes here. Some towns will separate this even further, but we're lucky that our town will take it all and do the pick-ups. We are issued giant yellow bags to bundle the plastics up and they are picked up once a month.  I did not realize how much plastic I threw away.  Those yellow bags really pile up in our garage during the month since we amass two or three each week.  Plastic pick-up day is very obvious around town, because residents, businesses and restaurants all create HUGE heaps of yellow bags at the curb that morning.  I suspect that in the US, this wouldn’t work because we wouldn’t want to stockpile a dozen yellow bags in our garages for a month and would demand more frequent pick-ups.  In Germany, however, they have simply reduced the amount of plastic they use. (Imagine that!)  They are very particular about how their items are packaged.  Fruits and meats are packaged cleanly but with much less plastic and Styrofoam that we’re used to.  Stores do not offer bags for purchases; you must bring your own.  Plastic bottles are not common in German stores and individual serving beverages and snacks are not common.  Glass is used instead.

3. Glass:  All glass, colored or clear, is recycled.  In fact, you pay a hefty pfand (a deposit) on glass bottles when you purchase bottled beverages like beer, wine or soda.  Glass is the only thing not picked up at home, but I suspect it’s a matter of practicality – since most glass has the pfand, it generally gets returned to the store it was purchased at for a refund.  What little bit is left over is just easier to collect it in one location in each town.

4. Compost:   Yes, food scraps are considered recyclable.  We were issued a little, green covered bin and special biodegradable bags to collect all food scraps. Every Friday, the bins and bags go out to the curb for pick up. Generally, we only use one bag per week, unless I have some seriously stinky fish or something in there and tie it up early.  I don’t know the details of where the composting is done and what they do with it, but I’m sure they make good use of it. (Side Note: Since food scraps are collected, guess what is NOT in my kitchen sink?  A garbage disposal! That’s taken some getting used to since we scrape the plates in the sink out of habit.)

5. Refuse:  This is anything that isn’t covered in the above category…soiled paper, used napkins, used paper plates, paper food containers that aren’t “clean”, used tissues, broken toys that aren’t recyclable, and diapers.  When we finally got the hang of the sorting process, we were really shocked how little refuse we generated.  I use one 13 gallon trash bag per week and even then it’s only about half full.  I was also struck by the realization that our reused consisted primarily of  used paper towels and diapers.  I never realized how much waste I generated by using paper towels, but it really adds up when you consider all the quick hand drying, counter wipes, sticky hands and messy faces I deal with each day.  We are working on reducing this and switching to using washcloths, hand towels and cleaning rags.  Diapers are the other biggest “offender” in my refuse bag. I’d love to say that I was motivated to switch to cloth diapers, but I’m not.  I’m on my last baby and we’re only got a year of diapering left.  I’m not switching.  

I hope that these habits stick with me when we head back to the states...I love how much we can reduce the refuse we produce.  However, I can't wait to have a garbage disposal again.  That compost bin is yucky and emptying it and sanitizing the darn thing has become my LEAST favorite chore.  

The MommyVan in Germany

I've had my license and been cruising around Germany for almost month now.  We brought the Mommy Van with us to Germany and while I'm happy we did, I do have some regrets about it.  It's great for road trips and cruising, but not so great for zipping around town and parking.  Really, it's about double the size of the smallest German cars and it oozes out of the German parking spaces.  If I had this to do over again, I still would have brought my MommyVan but I would have asked Soldier to make it is commuting vehicle, since it'd be easy to park at his office.  For me, we could have purchased an inexpensive, smaller vehicle to drive around town in.  It might be tricky to find something that could fit three car seats, but I think something along the lines of the Mazda 5 would have worked well for me. 

So, if you are heading our way and in a similar position, I really encourage you to consider this.  As Americans, we are very attached to our big vehicles, our personal space and our concept of "my time."  I'm finding that these are very false attachments and things I am adapting to here.

Driving in Germany

After much worry and fretting, I took my driving test and passed with flying colors!   I got my hands on the driver's manual ahead of time and spent the four weeks prior to arrival reading it and highlighting passages that were different than US driving rules.  For me, this was the best method since US driving rules are so deeply entrenched in my brain from my accident investigation days.  Also, I'm a very visual learner, so if I read it and take notes, I'm likely to remember.

Here are my observations on driving in Germany so far:

1. There are a ton of signs.  This is bad and good. It's bad because there are lots of new signs to recognize, understand and react to.  The good news is that the Germans appear to put signs on EVERYTHING!  So, if you do EXACTLY what they signs say without over-thinking it, you probably won't die or kill anyone.  It's good stuff.

2.  Germans Drive Crazy, myth or fiction?   Personally, I think this is mostly myth.  I've yet to be truely shocked by anything. BUT...to be fair, I learned to drive along I-95 and the I-495 Beltway in the DC Metro Area.  Next to Los Angeles, it's consistently rated as the worst traffic in the US.  We joke that the speed limit is 65 on I-96 but that's really a suggested minimum and that it's called 95 because that's how fast the flow of traffic is.  Also, DC drivers are VERY aggressive.  The only difference I've seen between DC aggressive and Germany aggressive is that the biggest car usually wins in DC.  In Germany, it's the fastest car. 

I love the Autobahn!

3. Navigation:  It's very easy to get around because they put signs up for everything. So, all you need is a city or town name and you follow the signs at each major intersection.  Really.  It's not like in the US where the sign for Austin is 10 minutes outside of El Paso. The signs are very specific and very sensible.  Love it.      

Road signs with Town, distance and direction. And, unlike in the US, they really mean it.

                                     

4. Right of Way:  This is the trickiest part, in my opinion.  In the US we are accustomed to thinking of ROW scenarios as "Major Roadway" tests.  Which ever vehicle is on the larger road generally has the right of way.  We use a right-is-right rule only at four way stops when there are multiple vehicles arriving at the same time, otherwise it's first come, first served.  In Germany, Right is always RIGHT.   Regardless of how big/small a road is, you must yield the right of way to a vehicle approaching from your right.  The only exception to this involves signs. So, again...just do exactly what the signs say and no problem.   Personally, I love this.  It takes a little thinking but it's so straight-forward.

Love me some Priority Road signs.  As I zoom around the corner, I think to myself "Priority Road and it is MEEEEE!"

                                                                     


Lastly, a few of my favorite new Road signs, plus a few that I think should be redefined.:

Automobiles Prohibited.  Personally, I think it looks like an "Only Cars Allowed" sign.  I'm being very careful not to mix it up!

Caution: Frog Crossing.  Really, I'm not joking.  It's a sign.

End of Prohibitions.  In Germany, this means drive fast!  But, I think it should be a "Don't forget your PT Belt" sign.

No Autobahns allowed.  (Or, as it's really called, End of the Autobahn.)

Boobs Ahead.

Wilkommen!

We've been in Germany about five days and we're coping.  

Our house is fine. I'm not in love with it yet, but I rarely love a house when we first move in.  Love takes time!  It's townhouse style living which is a tad more communal and close than I am comfortable with.  I've had curious little faces peering into my back door every day since we arrived.  They mean well...they want the kiddos to come out and play, but during naptime...I want silence and no kids!   I'm also ashamed to admit that I'm a tad worried about what my neighbors will hear.  I'm always wonderfully patient and even-tempered and my words and tone of voice are always soft and gentle on the ears, but what if I wasn't....?  [Did you catch my sarcasm there? Right-o.]  

The kids are doing as well as can be expected.  There's some extra tears and tempers, mostly just due to being out of their routine and comfort zones.  We also spend all night playing whack-a-mole since we are still adjusting to local time.  They all go to bed at 8pm but each one has a wakeful period sometime between 11pm and 2 or 3 am.  Naturally, their wakeful periods are sequential and not concurrent, so I'm in and out of bed constantly during that time. Needless to say, I'm probably going to be the last to fully adapt to Germany time.  I'm not doing anything special to help the kids adjust to the time, aside from making their bedrooms extra, extra dark at bedtime and a little brighter during naptime.  I read a recommendation from another blog that you should keep your regular timezone and strive for a "normal" routine until you arrive.  Then, once you are on the ground, you enforce the local time right away.  It sounds a little mean but it's working for us. I also like that we're not dragging this process out at all. So far, the only "forcing" I've had to do is to wake the kids up from their naps at a "normal" time, then we go for a walk to refresh ourselves and wake up a little more for the evening stretch. During the wakeful periods at night, I sit with SBG until she goes back to sleep. (Soldier has had to take a few shifts, too).  We tell the big ones that they can play with a toy but they must be quiet and keep their lights off.  Conveniently, Monster Boy has some sniffles that I think are probably allergy related and Bunny Girl got some monster mosquito bits the day we arrived. (She swells up like you wouldn't believe!)   Why is this convenient? Well...it means I can give them a little Benadryl at night guilt-free.  I've only done it twice, since I really want them to adapt and they only need so much medicine but golly....it sure was wonderful to have a little "help" in the sleep department at 2am our first two nights here!!! 

We've ventured out a little.  Mostly, trying to get the basics for our house and baby-gates.  (These stairs are CRAZY!)  I remember being told not to worry about learning German before coming since the Germans all speak English.  Well, I don't know what part of Germany that is but it's NOT here.  It's very frustrating and intimidating to not speak the language.  When shopping, it takes much longer because I can't read a sign to see where the "Baby" section is or whatever else I'm looking for.  I see the temptation for hiding in my house and only shopping at the teeny-tiny PX but I'm trying to keep pushing through that.  It's just very frustrating and embarrassing to not speak the language.  (I can't help but think of the families from Juarez that venture to El Paso every day for work or shopping.  It's a big lesson for me on compassion and empathy.)

So that's it....I feel a bit sad that I don't have some amazing stories about how in love with Germany I am. Perhaps, I built it up so much in my mind and from friends' stories that it just can't live up to the magical place I had been prepared for.  Either way, I really feel like there is a lot to love...once we get our bearings a little more.   I've always said that each move comes with a 90 day "adjustment period" before you feel like you're home, settled and find your "people"  but I think this time around may take closer to six months because there's just so much more to learn!

AAR: Flight to Germany

 What Worked:

• The Clothes: I really spent a LOT of time considering our travel attire.   Jammies for the kids to induce bedtime-sleepy thoughts, socks and undies that were kid-tried and tested to ensure I didn’t grab the “wedgie pair” or the “annoying toe seam” pair.  We opted for easy-on shoes, not for security, but for easy on/offs in our seat for sleeping and potty breaks.  I wore a nursing cami and a loose top over it for maximum nursing coverage and yoga pants. (Yes…yoga pants in public. Some of my friends are shuddering in horror. Sorry)   I didn’t want to use the nursing cover on the flight but I wanted my tummy covered while I nursed.  I love layering this way for nursing. I can nurse with only about two square inches of boob showing and that’s pretty much hidden by her head and my shirt.  Also, I had packed another set of clothes plus light weight jackets in the outer pocket of a suitcase so we had clean clothes when we landed. It was really nice to change and spruce up a little after landing! 

• iPods:  I know, electronic entertainment is not great but seriously, desperate times call for desperate measures. I’m sure people probably thought my kids were “spoiled” with their hand-me-down 1^st Gen iPod Touches but let me tell you this: I was a HAPPY and RELAXED Momma as my kids quietly waited for the flight to board and quietly waited out the last three hours on the plan. 

What I Wish I Knew:

• BWI AMC Family Check-In:  If you are flying with a family, there is a MUCH SHORTER line for family check-in but you can’t see it around the main check in line.  So, walk around the main-check in line and look along the AMC counter. The Family Check-in is to the right of the Main Check in line in front of the AMC counter.  I got in the main line and waited about 10 minutes until I was rescued by a very kind USO volunteer. He helped with our luggage carts and walked us up to the super short family line. 

• Bulk Head Seating:  It’s a mixed blessing. Yes, you have way more leg room, wiggle room, play-room than in other row. I also don’t think it’s a huge burden to stash my bags in the overhead for take-off because I pulled it out right afterward and just left it on the floor.  Here’s my reservation about the bulkhead seating:  the pull-down screen for the in-flight movie was located on the wall in front of us.  This made it very bright in our seats and I think this contributed to their inability to fall back asleep.   Also, the inflight movie was The Hunger Games.  I loved the book and enjoyed the movie, but just not 24 inches in front of my children’s eyes.  I really objected to this movie choice but there wasn’t much I could do about it.  I wasn’t the only one on the flight and the other parents weren’t too bothered by it since the seatbacks blocked the screen from their little people’s eyes.  If I had the option, I probably would have moved seats. Luckily, my kids slept through the Hunger Games. They were awake, however for the Five Year Engagement (rated R and no, they didn’t edit out any of the nudity) and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (PG-13 but I think it was mostly for language. The violent scenes were brief.)    I did my best to keep their attention away from the screen but I know they got some eyefuls. 

• Stroller: I wish I knew that I wouldn’t get my stroller until much later at baggage claim. I also wish I knew about the GIANT staircase and lack of elevator.  If I had known all of this, I would not have brought the stroller and would have reconsidered my carry-ons.

What Didn’t Work:

• Travel Pillows & Blanket – The kids really liked the pillows and blankets provided by the airline so I was left holding a pile of discarded neck pillows and travel blankets that I had packed, plus my travel pillow and fluffy throw for take-off.  I’m really mixed on whether or not I over-packed.  We really didn’t use the neck pillows and blankets I brought because the airline ones were so comfy. But, if I had been on a different flight, I might have been grateful for them. 

• Clothes:  As luck would have it, no one spilled anything or puked on me or themselves.  I never saw that one coming!  So, the spare outfits weren’t really needed, though I’m not sure I would fly without them.  Again, maybe I over-packed, but maybe not.

• Food:  This is pretty much the same as the previous two items. I only used about half the food I carried on board.  I probably could have done with out it, but then again…it’s nice to have in case of emergency!