I can’t believe I’m late again.  I completely blame Cole.  After three years in Germany, with trains as his main means of transportation, he really shouldn’t be getting on the wrong train.  It never crossed my mind that this would ever happen with him.  Christian, sure.  Tess, of course.  Even Soren.  But Cole?

Cole rides trains more than any of us.  He speaks the best German.  And still he got on the wrong train after guitar today.  Dave noticed he was missing first, granted he was only five minutes late, but by the time I had socks & shoes & jacket on he was over 15 minutes late.  Unheard of when we practically live next door to the train station.  We were worried.

I drove to our stop, and Cole’s bike was out front.  I drove two towns over, and no Cole waiting there.  I called home.  No Cole.  I started to drive to his guitar class, thinking maybe it went really, really late, and because I was worrying about Cole I took a wrong turn.  I wound up on the wrong road, and there, walking back from the next town south, was Cole.  My beautiful, beautiful Cole.

He’d gotten on the earlier train, heading the wrong direction, and instead of waiting on hour for the next one heading our way, started the long walk home. I’ve never been happier to see him.  A half hour without your baby, even a 14-year-old baby, is a very long half hour.

Now what was really on my mind today… We’ve got Euro fever over here!  We are in full swing of soccer madness, almost as bad as World Cup three years ago!  Tonight, very, very soon it’s the big Holland vs. Germany match.  My neighbors, my town, everyone is in an uproar ready to beat the Dutch (soooooooo not happening).  Tess’ teacher even sent her home with the German flag painted proudly on every cheek!

We may be working hard at acclimating to our new home, our new culture, but I made her scrub that off!  Today our house is 100% Dutch and proud of it!  Go ORANGE!

I exchanged a couple of good-natured barbs with Min (Carin Grobe Design) all day.  Last world cup we were up in Berlin visiting her and her family and had a super time.  One of my favorite pictures from that visit is this one of Christian (Captain England) and his Wingman (Dane) in front of what is left of the Berlin wall”