Ok, rain, enough now, the novelty has worn off! Texas weather is simply crazy. I read somewhere that May is the rainiest month of the year, but it’s getting ridiculous. Thunderstorms with incredible lightning day and night, horizontal trees, and rivers of rainwater running down the streets. The next day (or even same afternoon): bright sunshine, sweltering temperatures and not a breeze. It’s exhausting to keep up! This morning I really worried my little Fiat 500 would be swept away in floods of rain and E and F would have to swim to school. A few weeks ago, we got alerts on a Sunday night via SMS, Twitter and Email that school was to be delayed by two hours on Monday morning because of storm and risk of flash flooding. Yet Monday morning came (the kids of course were very happy to get a lie-in) and there was hardly any weather. This morning, on the other hand, the sky was black and we couldn’t hear each other talk the rain and wind were so loud. And? Nothing. Business as usual. I don’t get it. As summer approaches, temperatures rise, and with that, humidity levels. We’re slowly getting used to constantly feeling sticky (and pouffy hair), although I don’t think you ever fully get used to it. However, when we mention the humid weather, all we get is pitying glances from the locals. Apparently this is nothing yet…. I’m really glad we are spending a big chunk of the summer in Europe.
This last weekend was pretty busy, with F having various sporting events. While we’re still not proper American and rushing from kids’ competition to competition, we got pretty close. Dance and archery, both absolutely wonderful to watch, and keeping F busy and engaged. This tough little Cookie doesn’t know stage fright or nerves, and I wonder if it’s her American-influenced upbringing that’s shaped her in that. She also made me smile just earlier today when she came home from school with an application form to be traffic warden next school year. This is a big honour for the 5th graders, and they have to submit their forms with a short essay on why they want to be a warden, and why they’d be good for the job. I asked her and she said she wanted to help her school community. I was blown away! Definitely American, that one. E would never have considered anything like that.
The girls have another week of school, before kissing their math books good-bye for almost three months (yep, summer holidays are even longer here than in California). E’s graduation from middle school takes place next Tuesday, and soon she’ll be a freshman in high school! I realise that she has lived almost half her life in the States now. But this sensitive little soul would never describe herself as American. She is a true transcontinental, with roots in various places, and some very strong ones in Southern Germany, which pleases me no end!
Transcontinental Overload 