Such a difference....

Tuesday was Camden and Bailey's last official day of school for the summer. It is especially nice because last year they only had a 3 week vacation (their German school didn't finish until Aug. 1st, and the American school began the 3rd week in August) It is only the 2nd official day of vacation, but for now, they are relishing their new found pause from life :-). Mia on the other hand is still in the thick of it, with over a month and a half to go  - so different....I've been meaning to write about another "huge difference" that I get such a kick out of... that of field trips. When my 14 year old went on field trips this year - we had to sign our life away. They needed contact numbers, emergency numbers, signatures, chaperones etc..My 8 year old, on the other hand, doesn't even get a note coming home saying that she is going on a field trip. She comes home and tells me they are going to the theater or something and then tells me how much money (if any) they need-  and then that is it - off they go. One day on her field trip, they came back a little late, and as they walked back from the center of the city, students could leave to walk home on their way (instead of walking back to school first). No chaperones, no signatures, no notice. The old me would have had a problem with this, but now I LOVE it! She has such capability to be responsible and all of the kids always rise to the occasion. There are never problems at all. The kids know how to act, and they don't need chaperones - very refreshing. So, another funny thing... I was talking to my friend who has a child the same age as Mia, but in a different German school. Her child went on a field trip to a fish farm (of course - no chaperones). The funny thing is, they let all of the kids take off their pants (boys and girls) and walk through where the fish swam. I laughed so hard at this, when she reminded me that this would probably have made the headline news in US. The teacher would have been arrested and maybe even lost her certification to teach.  It is such a different world - here it is no big deal - so funny!

I love this photo - Bryan took it in the car the other day...It reminds me a little of what I wrote about above - 2 roads that look exactly the same, but yet are so different!