School Field Trips

Wednesday Rick and Sandy returned home and we spent the rest of the week and following weekend taking it easy around Graf.  School was already starting to wind down (a little early to our liking) and the kids had a couple field trips that next week. 

Elise's class went to the local recycling plant to see what happens to the contents of of the Gelbesacke (Yellow bags) that are used for recycling.  When we moved in to our house the garbage can provided was probably half the size or less of our garbage can at home and they collect garbage once every two weeks.  I was a little concerned that we would have bags or garbage piled up because they wouldn't fit in the small can.  Germans, however, are very good about recycling anything that isn't food waste or extremely soiled.  Each neighborhood has it's own recycling area for glass and metal, and then anything that's plastic, styrofoam, or tin foil goes in the gelbesacken.  These are picked up about once every 6 weeks and do tend to pile up in the garage, but since you wash off everything they don't smell.  What we ended up finding is that we rarely came close to filling the small garbage can in two weeks.

At any rate, Germans are pretty serious and proud of their recycling and everyone does it. I was able to go on the field trip and it was a pretty cool learning experience. The kids got a lot out of it and had a good time.

Elise and her friends

Sorted Metal

Loading the Plastic Shredder

Sorting garbage (AKA one of the world's worst jobs)

Shredded plastic - They sell this to cement factories to fuel their fires

Class picture in the front end loader bucket

Lydia's class went to the Nurnburg Zoo and I got to go along on that trip too.  It's a great zoo with all the standard animals, lions, tigers, monkeys, etc.  We went to the dolphin show, which was all in German of course, but the kids got to ask some questions afterward and all the trainers were bilingual which was great.

That week was also the end of soccer 4 nights a week which Carissa and I welcomed.  Tball started up for Haaken, but that's the only activity so it feels like a break.  Unfortunately we have to start getting ready to leave, which will probably fill in the newly acquired free time

Haaken and his friend Evan

The Power Rangers!