Maybe next time Amsterdam!

Today we were meant to go to Amsterdam for four days with our friends but Mother Nature had other plans. Yesterday we found out our plane was cancelled due to high winds. after many hours of train schedule reviewing we booked train tickets for today.

Waiting fot the train in Starnberg to get to Amsterdam!

We arrived at the station bright and early and the kids were thrilled to get Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and buy Subway for lunch. (these aren't on every corner in Munich) When we got to the platform we realized our train wasn't there and that there was a special information booth setup.

Cheryl and I waited in line and found out our train was late and we needed to take a different train because we would miss our connection.  That train left in 2 min.  I ran to our first platform, shouted for the kids and we all sprinted to the next train, where Cheryl was waiting so the train wouldn't leave,  there were TEN of us. We made it and then as we found seats realized it wasn't leaving.  Oh no. A few minutes later announcements were being made. Regional and long distance train travel had been halted. After waiting in line again we were told they had no idea when/if trains would run that day. We made some calls to our hotels and begged to be let out of our reservations which we were able to do and then headed home for the day.

A photo confirming that traveling by train would not have been a good choice.

Even heading home wasn't easy, we were only able to get halfway there by local train before local trains were stopped.  Luckily I had a taxi app and we ordered a taxi for six people because it was crazy to try to get a taxi with all the people who were stuck at the station.

We also found out that the main train station was later evacuated because the glass ceiling was breaking. The storm was apparently classified a hurricane, the damage and number of trees down everywhere was unbelievable.

Once home Cheryl and I got on our phones trying to cancel the rest of our plans in Amsterdam then we tried to decide what to do. After some hemming and hawing we decided to drive to Venice tomorrow.

AJ is EIGHTEEN!!!

AJ celebrated his 18th birthday multiple times. We of course showered him with BGSU gear, getting him ready for his next step. Legos were also on the birthday gift list! He also had a fun celebration one evening at the lake with friends, at one of their favorite hangout spots.

Too dar, but it gives you an idea

Steve and I also took him to Andechs for a little pre-birthday celebration. Always a good afternoon with bier, lunch and backgammon.

Brianna is here!

Stefanie's friend Brianna arrived today.  The girls are so excited to spend two weeks together here and Germany and exploring a bit of Europe!

Happy 19th Birthday Dominic!

Today is Dominic's 19th birthday! We couldn't be there to celebrate with him but he seemed to have a pretty good day with his friends at West Point. Steve and I also celebrated his birthday with him a few weeks ago while we were at Plebe Parent Weekend.

For his birthday we had cupcakes delivered from a local service. What I love best about "OhaoooSweet" is they post a picture on their facebook page of your cadet when they make the delivery. A nice way to "see" Dominic.

We also sent pizza to him and his roommates. The restaurant was kind enough to add some birthday decorations to the box.  I love this selfie!

AJ & Rachel's Winter Sports

Rachel and AJ have been busy again this sports season. Rachel played basketball and AJ gave rugby a try.

AJ had fun trying rugby with his buddies. It's still for me a tough sport to watch but AJ liked it. I only got to watch him play in the student-teacher rugby game and he didn't disappoint. He had several great runs and even scored a try. He also earned All Star Honors at the International Schools Sports Tournament in Paris.

Aj making his way past a teacher

Rachel had her first full season of basketball and played great and really improved. By the end of the season she was starting every game and had really developed. Not bad for someone who only began playing last year and broke her ankle early in that season.

We love the team spirit and camaraderie our kids gain from playing sports.

Stefanie's St. Patrick's Day Performance

Stefanie has been back at Irish dance for about a year now. That means this was her first year participating in St Patrick's Day events with her German dance school. It was unfortunate that it was the same weekend at Plebe Parent weekend because we hate missing her perform. Luckily our friend Susanne who Rachel was staying with went to the performance and recorded it for us. We think Stefanie was awesome and she had so much fun! And according to Susanne the crowd was huge. Over 4000 people!

Plebe Parent Weekend at West Point

Steve and I had great weekend at West Point with Dominic. It was Plebe Parent Weekend. The upperclassmen are dismissed for spring break and the Plebes (freshmen) stay for an additional two days. These days are filled with information sessions, tours, meeting teachers and a ball. We were thrilled we were able to make the trip to attend.

Steve and I arrived on a Thursday afternoon. Dominic had class and duties so we didn't get to see him. We attended the parent reception for a little while and met some lovely parents including another Delaware family, their daughter was actually at CSW with Dominic!

Friday was a busy day. We had a tour of the superintendent's house which is one of the oldest structures on campus. The superintendent is the general in charge of West Point. The ground floor of his home is mostly used for entertaining and he and his family mostly use the upper floors. Interesting stories, artwork and furniture throughout the house.

We attended a parent briefing and learned more about what Dominic's next three years will be like. The short answer is nothing like mine or Steve's college experience. The effort put into training cadets for service is extraordinary.

After lunch we met Dominic (finally) for another briefing. It was SO good to see him. This briefing was more about what was required of the cadets for the weekend. Pretty sure they had already heard it and it was just being repeated for our benefit.

Then Dominic got to take us on a tour of campus and to meet some of his teachers. Much of West Point's campus and buildings are off limits to civilians so this was a real treat. We were able to see the mess hall, the library, which is absolutely amazing, including the incredible view from the rooftop terrace. We saw some classrooms and met with three of his teachers. We were surprised how well they each knew Dominic, and then found out that is because most class sizes are about 18. Lots of individualized attention. We also went through the fitness complex. Dominic showed us where he works out, and it is quite impressive. We watched a demonstration of many of the physical activities they had to do in Military Movement class and saw two cadets complete the Indoor Obstacle Course Test. Cadets have to complete this within a certain time every year. It is not easy, at all.

Dominic was able to leave campus for dinner so we took him to a delicious Italian restaurant that we had discovered when we were there for A day. He enjoyed a good meal out and was happy to spend some time off campus.

Saturday morning we needed to be at his barracks at 830am. One way to push through jet lag is when you just have to get moving. The weather was terrible, it poured all day but we soldiered (ha) through. Our day started with Dominic's company being awarded the National Defense Service Medal. All the plebes received this award for joining the army in a time of war. It was an honor to have the opportunity to pin Dominic's first award on him.

Afterwards Dominic and his roommates showed us their room. It is not fancy. Not at all. But Dominic knew he wasn't signing up for fancy!

Roommates

After another briefing we had lunch and then it was time for the parade. Earlier I mentioned the weather and we really though they would cancel the parade but the leadership was determined to go through with it. So in the rain all the parents watched their plebes parade. They have come a long way since the summer, especially since July 1 when then reported.

Dominic is in the 3rd row

See him?

That evening was the dinner and "hop". Dinner was in the cadet mess hall.  At West Point all 4,000 cadets are served dinner at one time. It is an impressive feat to watch. Dinner is served family style and the cadets have several rules they normally have to follow, especially the plebes. We enjoyed dinner with Dominic, his roommate and his family and another cadet from his company and his family. There were of course speeches and the class crest was revealed.

Afterwards we headed over to the "hop".  For those of you who are fans of the tv show The Voice, the Staff Sergeant who is or was competing was singing, he is a member of the West Point Band. We met many of Dominic's friends both from his current company and from his summer company. That was a great treat for us!

Dominic's spring break started on Sunday. We took him back to Delaware since he will be spending the week with Steve while Steve works. We celebrated his birthday two weeks early and went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Iron Hill Brewery. Monday, Dominic and I did a little shopping and then it was time for me to head back to Germany. Super quick trip, but definitely worth it!

And for those of you wondering what our other children were up to while we were in Germany we had a crew of great helpers lending us a hand. Rachel and AJ both had sports tournaments. So AJ was in Paris and Rachel was in Basel until Saturday night. In fact at one point while we were traveling the six of us were in five different countries. Dominic was in the US, Steve and I were in England, AJ in France, Rachel in Switzerland and Stefanie in Germany. Sometimes, it is a strange life we lead. AJ then alternated between our house and a friend's house. Rachel spent the remaining time with a friend. Stefanie was the only one who stayed in Germany with a friend the whole time; but she spent much of her time in Munich at dance practice and then marching in the St Patrick's Day parade and performing at the show. We are grateful that we have such great friends that were willing to help us.

Happy Surprise Birthday Rachel!!

Today Rachel turned FOURTEEN!  In a few short months she will be in high school. Wow!

Rachel couldn't decide how she wanted to celebrate her birthday so Stefanie and I decided to have a surprise party for her. The funny part was after we had arranged everything Rachel decided she wanted to spend the afternoon after school with just one or two friends. She was very frustrated as she asked friend after friend after friend and no one was available. She was convinced it was going to be the worst birthday ever!

She even decorated her own cake. She found this fun cake online and while I baked it and did the base frosting, the fun design was all her.

In order to get her out of the house Stefanie and AJ took her to our local pottery painting place. When they got back Rachel was surprised to be greeted by 9 of her best girlfriends. Someone else who was surprised? AJ. Apparently he never heard us planning the party. We don't know how!

Rachel was thrilled and she had a great time with her friends. We did a movie theme since we knew they would be watching movies all night long. These cupcakes were my special treat. The popcorn is made from mini-marshmallows! I had to cut them in half and then press them back together. I was skeptical but it totally worked!

The girls all had a great time and amazingly enough didn't wake us up during the night! We pulled off a surprise and a full night's sleep!

Katy Perry - Live in Munich!

AJ, Stefanie, Rachel, Missy & Steve

Katy Perry performed in Munich last night. What fun for us. Steve's "not so secret" secret is that he loves Katy Perry, so when the kids and I realized she would be here we got tickets.

Katy Perry

We had such a great night and she didn't disappoint. Her concert was so much fun and she is such a dynamic, energetic and awesome performer. She sounded great and the energy throughout the concert was amazing.

Charlie XCX

Charlie XCX opened up for her and she too was incredible. She was in constant motion the entire time she performed. So fun!

At one point when Katy Perry was changing costumes they had a "dance cam" searching the audience and playing dancers on the big screen. AJ was up as soon as he saw that and his efforts were rewarded. He and the girls were on the big screen. They were psyched because all of our friends who were at the concert saw them, one even caught them on video for a few seconds!