dramatis personae
Well, there’s me, of course. US-born, foreign-married expat suburban mom, or mama as we say over here in Forn Parts. I read, very pickily. I knit. I love movies, very unpickily - I like lots of stuff you couldn’t sit through if you were nailed to your chair. And I have strong political opinions that I can’t articulate very well, so I don’t usually put them here. I have some minor marketable skills, but mostly I’ve spent the last thirteen years raising sons. That would be more impressive if I had more than two sons…
DrBob is the Foreign Husband, and quite a nice one, as husbands go. Mr Multilingual Academic is lovely, but hard to hold a conversation with - I think too much philosophy is unhealthy. He, obviously, disagrees. He’s just finishing a job in London and about to start a new job in Utrecht. We the family are still in near-Munich suburbia. We are trying not to let the separation stress us out.
Ignatz. Firstborn, age 13, and full of contradictions: seethingly brilliant at some things, yet not smart enough to come in out of the rain. Trying to get through school on sheer talent and skip the whole work part. His teachers aren’t buying it.
The Sniglet. Secondborn, age 7. Characterized by boundless energy, a potty-mouth that would make a sailor cringe, and a desperate desire to be like his older brother. Just started first grade. We’re holding our breath.
Liluminai Lekatariba Lamina-Tchai Eckbat DeFuzzy-Butt, aka Lilu. The cat of two personalities: inert mass and furry psychotic. Very entertaining.
Fufnir Berzelius, aka Fufu, the other cat. Appeared on a dark and stormy night, has a tragic history and really, really foul breath.
The Artist Formerly Known as Mrs Next Door (TAFKAMND). English, also married to a Bavarian, also has two sons and a cat. We were next-door neighbors for about six years, but then DrBob and I bought a house in late 2006. TAFKAMND and I are barely managing to keep in touch, now that I’ve moved across the street.
Christine. The new Mrs Next Door, and an invaluable resource. Former teacher, mother of grown children, tutor of Ignatz. One of the few original owners still here (these houses were built in 1982), so she knows all about the neighborhood and the buildings’ little foibles and such. She owns a very large, friendly dog who scares the pellets out of my sons. A jewel of a neighbor, because she is very knowledgeable, but also exceedingly sensible. And really, really nice.
Georg. My husband’s best friend, my firstborn’s godfather. We don’t get along. Let’s just leave it at that.
Oma + Opa = The Oompas, my in-laws. They worked so much they kind of missed out on their own sons’ childhoods, so the’re (massively over-)compensating with mine. I have mixed feelings about this.
