We're Gonna Make It After All

I've been teaching Maddie the Mary Tyler Moore Theme song and we've been singing it several times daily.

Our Internet connection was down yesterday which is probably a good thing since it wasn't the best of days. I had a minor meltdown in the grocery store when I couldn't figure out what baking powder looked like and Maddie was singing some Veggie Tales song at the top of her lungs from the cart.

But TODAY, we have a rental car until we can lease one which allows us to begin to stock our furniture-free home with food and other staples. We also toured Maddie's school, and it was pretty incredible. She couldn't be unhappy at this place if she worked at it! I also got the American Women's Club of Dusseldorf's handbook which gives you all sorts of good information--including how to find baking powder!

Just three days in Germany and my principles have all gone out the window. We've been having issues getting money transferred and very few places here take credit cards. That, coupled with the fact that stores are just stocked differently here and it's hard to figure out where to go to get what, made me beyond happy to find a Wal-Mart. I think it's the first time Maddie has ever been in one. But they took Visa and had everything from paper towels to school supplies to brown sugar (hard to find here).

Maddie starts school on Monday. Though she actually handled all of this extroidinarily well, she may drive us crazy before we can get here there! She met her teacher today and gave her a great big hug.

We will try to master the tram system tonight and make it to downtown Dusseldorf. The goal this weekend is to get a washer and dryer for the house. Skip's cousin is going to let us come to laundry at their house this weekend!