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9/30/2007 12:00:00 PM
Austria
Report July-September 2007

Summer in Vienna 07

It was a wonderful summer with lots of visitors and little trips within Austria.

Let's continue with my report about our visitors and trips...

July 2007

Definitely on of our highlights this year was the reunion after 4 years with our good Australian friends Fiona, Graham, ella and Oscar (short "The Tooms")! Some of you might remember that we lived with them for 4 months in-between house and boat move. They themselves went back to Australia that year, so it's been a while. Sebastian and Oscar were tight buddies and have hold on to their friendship for all this time, looking forward to this special get together for ages. Graham is from England (his parents live only 20 min. from Roberts apartment) and their trip this summer to see family has been planned long before we made arrangements to come back to Europe. Well those were perfect arrangements I'd say!

We even missed out on the last school day (it was only an hour anyways!) and flew to London. The reunion at the airport was unreal and the years in-between did not mean anything, a great feeling to be somebody so close and start off right were we had left...! We explored London together and went to Camden Market (a crazy English flea market), took a day to visit Legoland and had A LOT to catch up on! One day just the four Schmids went to London again, Roberts lives in Windsor about 1 hour by train, to take a ride on the Themes and a walk around the area of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The Horse Guards,... One day the boys and I took a tour of Windsor Castle (the royal summer residence) and a traditional fish and chips lunch.

We were only home a day to prepare everything before the Tooms came from England. We were excited to show them around and enjoyed a week of sightseeing in Vienna/Austria - 6 hour walk through the inner city, Schoenbrunn castle (only outside), the Naschmarket - Viennas biggest open air food market - a hike along the Rax (2000m), a day with the train to Salzburg (only Fiona, Ella and I - Graham went on to another hike with an overnight by himself),... It was wonderful to be together, live and laugh together - memories that will be with us!

Sebastian had soccer camp of his team at the end of the week in another part of Austria, and since Oscar is a big soccer player as well he and Benjamin went along for half of the week. That gave us adults a few days without kids, Ella is almost 14 and an really easy teenager to be with. It was sad to say good bye not knowing when it will be again, but like my grandma said "Be happy you had it and not said that it's over".

We only had a weekend before the next visitors came, so we took the opportunity and went off to Upper Austria to do some hiking in the beautiful mountains. Right in the beginning of the week Melissa, Maura's daughter from Boulder Creek and our first babysitter there. They both watched the boys a few times here in Vienna as well, nice visitors! We also did some sightseeing together but they also were quite independent and happy to just hang out and "chill" - which wasn't easy since we had a heat wave but tried to cool off at different public pools.

At the same time Hemma, Lucas and Mia were here on their annual summer visit home and we tried to get together at least once a week as well. We even managed to stay at each others places a night, something we miss from living in the States when they came to visit us in Boulder Creek on weekends.

August 2007

We didn't have any visitors in August but instead we went out to visit some. First the boys and I went to Carinthya and spent 4 days with Werner and Elli. Elli's family has a lake house and all these years we have never managed to go there. Therefore we were happy that it worked out this year and even though the weather could have been better we thoroughly enjoyed it. At least the day when Nina, Ritchie and their boys came a day from Villach (only 20 min) was hot and beautiful - we swam, took the little motorboat out, sailed,... Robert came one day from London and went back with us to Vienna the next day, so he could see it to at least.

Since soccer was not paid enough attention in the summer...and both boys like to be goalie once in a while, they attended a goalie camp for 3 days. It was at one of the hottest days in Vienna but they still had their fun and now get to practice in the park what they have been taught there.

The week after we went to see my mom in her little summer vacation home in the Danube Valley and right after we stayed with my mother in law's only 20 minutes away from there - quite practical! Late August Benjamin went on soccer camp with his team and even though the days before he was rather uneasy about it and didn't want to go, he had a great time and wasn't homesick once. Sebastian and I had fun a week alone as well and we invited some of his friends for sleep overs, while they cooked for me (pictures on the website).

The weekend were it was just the three of us (strange to have only one child) we went off to Tyrol and since Robert flew into Munich (closer than Vienna) we also got to see our friends Ralfi, Kristin (with 2 boys) and Bine. My sister and two grown boys came one evening and even though we don't' get to see much of one another it is always great to reconnect again. On my drive back to Vienna Sebastian and I visited my older sister for a few hours, she lives closer to the Austrian border, and I could not go by without at least saying hello.

The 9 weeks of vacation went by like crazy and we hadn't even gone anywhere for a longer time! Robert even had to stay in London the last holiday weekend since his project at Activision went live. Much to Robert's delight it all went smoothly and was a big professional and personal success.

September/October 2007

Well with the beginning of September the daily routine has us back. Sebastian is now in 4th grade and Benjamin in second. Both have found back into the grove quickly and we are very happy with their development, specially in German. Sebastian has gotten A's both on his first German and math exam, which we are very proud of! It is great to see how much German they have learned this last year! They are both fully bilingual in speech and writing - keeping English practiced once a week in lessons and speaking it at home as much as we think of it, so that they won't lose it.

The soccer season started already in August and both boys have practice 3x a week and one game at least on the weekends. The "working" week only has 5 days... But we also manage to go to theater and Sebastian has started to play piano. He has shown such a strong interest in a musical instrument that we want to give it a try. So far he had 5 lessons and had great fun, likes to practice and I think it is a good balance to all the sports activities.

Today was our last school day before fall break - jipee sleeping in again! Although we have to get up early on Sunday for our flight to Egypt - a week of sun, beach and sea, it's cold and rainy here for the last few weeks,... Needless to say we are looking forward to it and some relaxing family time. More about that in our next report, which you will hopefully receive still in 2007....?!?!?  ;o)

For now all the best to you all near and far, hugs grom TheSchmids Niki, Robert, Sebastian, Benjamin and Matey

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