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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Our Travel Wish List

When we found out we were moving to Europe, my eyes got big and my dreams got bigger. Instead of my travel wish list being "gee I hope I get to leave the East Coast someday", it's turned into something I think even Rick Steves would be proud of!

Here is a (sure to be incomplete) list of the places Josh and I hope to visit during our stay in Europe-in no particular order.


Germany:
  •   Munich 
  •   Stuttgart-October 2014
  •   Nüremberg
  •   Berlin-August 2013 (but would like to go again)
  •   Any many other cities and towns in between
France:

  •   Paris-July 2013 and July 2014 {Must go again for Disneyland Paris}
  •   Normandy
  •   Strasbourg

The Netherlands

  •   Tulip Festival
  •   Amsterdam

Luxembourg

Austria:

  •    Salzburg
  •    Vienna-Josh has been, but the rest of us haven't

Italy:

  •   Lake Como
  •   Rome
  •   Piza
  •   Venice
  •   Florence
  •   Verona
Belgium:

Greece:
  •   Athens-Josh has been, but the rest of us haven't
  •   Santorini
Czech Republic:
  •   Prague
Turkey:
  •   Istanbul--Josh has been twice, but the rest of us haven't

Poland:
  •   Krakow

Switzerland:
  •   Zermatt
  •   Zürich
  •   Bern

Hungary:
  •   Budapest

Croatia:
  •   Dubrovnik
  •   Split
Spain:
  •   Barcelona
  •   Madrid
United Kingdom: 
Ireland:
  •   Dublin
Of course, we probably won't get to see ALL of this list, and this is by no means all inclusive. These were just the places we could think of off the tops of our heads and with my limited geographical knowledge. How does this list look? Pretty achievable, right? Any places we MUST see? Recommendations for booking travel like cruises, cheap lodging, or airfare sites?



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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Heather-3, Universe-0

Remember that movie Final Destination? You know, where Death comes 'round to get ya...when your number's up, your number's up and all that. Have you ever considered that Mondays work on the same principle? You can't escape them! 

My Monday was decent. It was almost, dare I say, nice. I did the things I normally do: laundry and what not. I played with my boy and his new birthday toys. The sun was actually shining, so we played outside. I enjoyed it right up until the very last minutes.

Right before bed, I received an email from K's friend's mother. It simply said to please contact her ASAP. So I did, this morning. But first I gave my dear child the opportunity to tell me what the heck was going on, so I wasn't blindsided. Of course this resulted in the standard defensive voice and tears and doe-eyed look of innocence. "Well, maybe I was a little mean to her, but only as a comeback to what she said {but golly, mom, I can't seem to recall anything that anyone said, ever}." As any mother with daughters will tell you, that's a less than ideal way to start your morning. But, alas, off to school they go. {Plus side: I get to flex my mama bear muscle--it's been a while}

As I continue to get ready for my day, I get a text from Josh saying our property manager will be out to check into why exactly our washer is no longer getting any water. [[In the meantime, we have moved the hose to another faucet that it still working, so I can wash clothes.]] Well now I know Sven's coming this afternoon, I have to change it back so he can figure things out. So, I turn the water 'righty, tighty' as far as it will go and proceed to remove the hose. As I do, water starts spewing out at me. So I twist tighter, but it's as far as it's going. I have to grab random clothing items to try and control the water explosion happening in my hands, but it's no use. Water is getting everywhere, so I say 'what the heck' and turn lefty loosey. BAD MOVE! When I say that it was comedic how much water was gushing out and up and onto the ground, bear in mind, I was not laughing at the time. What I was doing, was saying things the manliest of sailors would blush at (and for that, I apologize).  I finally had to get on TOP of the washer and use both hands to turn the nozzle back to the right to finally stop the madness. I slapped on my rain boots, grabbed some towels and mopped it up all to the tune of my heart pounding and Peyton bellowing my name from his high chair. Had I seen my favorite New Girl go through this very thing, I would be overcome by laughter, and so after the fact I can chuckle imagining I'm Jess.  {Plus side: I got to change my socks-I LOVE SOCKS! I also got to imagine what my theme song would be if I were Jess}

Watergate being over meant it was time for me to head to one of my least favorite places--the commissary. It was a very uneventful trip, but I still dread it every week. Who knew there'd come a day when I missed Walmart?! When I finally made it home from my errands (and Popeye's lunch), I put everything away. Since we have an unused, fully furnished apartment upstairs, I use that refrigerator/freezer for my overflow groceries. I was upstairs putting those things away and grabbing something from my craft room so...15 minutes, maybe. Peyton was asleep and I could hear if he woke up, so I wasn't too worried. What I couldn't hear was the sound of the universe trying to bring me down again. This time in the form of a black banana peel, dirty diapers, and Khloe. Curse that little bugg, she tipped the trashcan so our dirty trash was strewn everywhere!  {Plus side: our floors are now nice and clean!}

I have two points today. ONE) No, you cannot escape "monday". It could be Thursday, and you can still have a "monday". They stink. But, TWO) you can choose to let those little "monday" things define your attitude, or you can stay positive and refuse to let the universe bring you down! I whole heartedly believe in self-fulfilling prophecies and the power of positive thinking! I encourage you to give it a try, too! And if that doesn't work, at least have a laugh on me...

...who's that girl...who's that girl...it's

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***UPDATE***

It was brought to my attention that "you can't leave the stories unresolved like that". So, just to let you know, everything is fine with K and her friend. It was just a little preteen drama. On again-off again friendships, and she said this and she said that nonsense. After a chat with the teacher and a guidance counselor (and some outside influence from the moms involved), they're 'on again'. All is right with the world. Sheesh...hormones. 

As for our washer. A technician did come look at it, ran through all the same things Josh and the property manager had gone through, and determined it is broken. (So far, I'm not impressed with German handymen.) He ended up moving the hose BACK to the one I had it on, and left it like that so I could do laundry. Apparently someone else will come fix it. So, if you're keeping track, that's a property manager to determine it may be broken, a technician to confirm it is indeed broken, and a separate technician to actually fix it. Checks and balances, friends. 

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Chocolate, Beer, and Waffles

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day (or Singles Awareness Day, depending on your err...beliefs)! Ours was spent together in a country known for it's beer, waffles, and chocolate (in no particular order)--Belgium! Oh my heavens. Seriously, put Belgium on your travel list. It is one of the most beautiful places we've been. I know, I say that about every place we've been, but I haven't found an ugly place yet! Part of the appeal of Belgium was that I knew practically nothing about it. It's far more underexposed than some of the other major cities of Europe.  I will say though, part of my surprise when we travel is because I'm HORRIBLE at world geography. I find something new- and almost embarrassing to admit- every time I look at a map. I have no clue why--I feel like we didn't really learn a lot about the present day world in school. I could be wrong, though. My kids are so much better at it than I am,  but that's what we want as parents, right?!

Our trip started on Friday, Valentine's Day. We arrived in the city around 3pm, found our hotel with ease and unloaded. Our hotel was actually in the heart of the city this time, as opposed to the places we usually stay on the outskirts of whatever town. We were maybe a block away from the Grand Place, and it was phenomenal! I'm normally a big fan of staying outside the city because it's cheaper and you can always just take a train or bus or street car in. But I have to say, having the convenience of just popping back to the room for a bit was fantastic. I think this may be the way to go for future trips. So, we unpacked and headed immediately to the Grand Place (or Grote Markt). Karma and Murphy's Law doing what they do, I had just written a blog post about being prepared, and then I forgot our baby carrier AND umbrellas. Naturally, it rained a fierce little storm. So we schlepped through the side streets of downtown for a bit in the harsh, cold rain, before we broke down and bought the cheapest little umbrellas we could find. That made things a little bit better. Seeing the beautiful Grand Place (and my girls getting along in it) plus Les Galeries Saint Hubert just about negated the fact that we were dripping wet. What it didn't make up for was that fact that my camera decided to go all wonky. Hence, all my pictures were taken with my iPhone.

Les Galeries Saint Hubert and Grand Place in the rain

After we walked around for a bit, we had worked up an appetite. Our first choice restaurant was at full capacity, so we "settled" for a cafe outside our hotel. I say that we settled, but I'm utterly convinced there is no such thing as bad food in Brussels. The restaurant was called Gaufre de Bruxelles, but after seeing the beverage boy who was-I SWEAR-the younger spitting image of John Mayer, it became known as 'Johnny Waffles' for the remainder of the trip. This actually wasn't my nickname--the girls came up with that. We actually ate there twice that night. Once for our actual dinner, then we explored some more and went back for waffles and beer. This is where I fell in love. With a beer. If you know me, then you know I normally cannot stand the taste of alcohol. I enjoy wine, but it has to be a sweet wine, like Moscato. I decided to try a cherry flavored beer, thinking you either do cherry very, very wrong-like cough syrup, or you do cherry oh-so-right. This was the latter. It's called Kriek for any of you who might want to sample some when you're in Belgium. It was delicious enough that I'm pretty sure that was the ONLY beverage I consumed for the entire trip. Also, very unusual for me to have more than one of anything.

Pictures really do more justice than my words ever will! 


 "Johnny Waffles"....Are you drooling yet? I was! 

Saturday we spent the day exploring the city by foot. We headed to the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral first. It was so beautiful inside. I always feel a little strange to go into churches and cathedrals to take pictures and poke around, but we do it anyways. The stained glass windows in the places we visit never cease to amaze me, and this cathedral was no exception. We did see other places that day, but many of them were as we were walking by or just from the outside.


 Sunday we ventured out to the Atomium. Personally, I had never heard of it, but that shouldn't surprise you, since I didn't even know they spoke French in part of the country! Well, the Atomium is billed as "Belgium's Eiffel Tower", so of course we wanted to see it! When it came into view, I don't think any of us were quite prepared for just how imposing it is. Built for the 1958 World's Fair, it soars into the Brussels skyline at 335 feet, and you can't help but be blown away by its magnitude. Just imagining this giant monument being erected into the sky for the fair, sent my little brain into a whirlwind. Granted, updates and overhauls have been made to it in the last ten years or so, to add the museum and what not. Once we had explored all the different spheres of the museum, we decided to head to the very top sphere and have lunch. At first, we were turned away because we didn't have a reservation, but we managed to sweet talk our way in. (Really, I said "but the baby can sit on my lap." A four top was available!) I'm not sure I've ever had a fancier (or pricier) waffle in my life! They even served the kid's drinks as if they were spirits. Definitely an experience!




The very last thing on our 'to see' list was the Manneken Pis. It was one of the obligatory sights that everyone must see when in Belgium. Personally, I didn't see the appeal. I have a little boy--I'm no longer impressed with potty talk. 

Hopefully this post makes sense--it's taken a few days to write! Today we are off to celebrate our little man's birthday with friends--I can't believe it's been two years already!!

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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Super Quick and Easy Holiday Cards

I know Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I wanted to share with you a quick and easy alternative to those store bought goodies! The beauty of this super simple project is that, not only is it quick, but it's handmade. How thoughtful will your kid look when they bring in handmade cards for everyone in their class?!

Since we are currently living in Germany, we don't get quite the selection of store bought cards that we would in the states. Not ones in English, at least. I made the mistake of waiting until the last minute-and by that I mean TWO WEEKS before. By the time I went back for cards, they were completely wiped out, leaving no trace that they ever had existed. Part of me wanted to say, "oh well kids. Maybe next year", especially since we were leaving for a vacation on Valentine's Day. Luckily, for my monkeys, mommy likes a challenge. 60 cards by tomorrow morning? Consider it handled.


I had looked at Pinterest, of course, for ideas. And though they were adorable, I found that getting the supplies on such short notice was next to impossible. So, I headed out to the craft store on base, and bought four sheets of 'love' colored card stock. The rest of the supplies used, I had on hand and chances are you have something to use, as well.


Step 1: Gather your card stock. Plain or patterned work well, just make sure it's a heavier weight. You will need to calculate how many sheets you need based on the number of cards you hope to produce. One 12x12 sheet makes eight 3x3 cards.


Step 2: Score your card stock along the 3, 6, and 9 inch marks, both ways. this will help in the long run, trust me.

Step 3: Cut your paper at the 6 inch mark. You are now left with two 6x12 pieces

Step 4: Turn your paper so the long way is closest to you. Now cut along your 3,6, and 9 inch score marks. These will be your cards.
Step 5: Fold along the remaining score lines on each card.  Because we scored all in the beginning, there's no need to score each individual card! You now have your 3x3 card, ready to decorate! 

These are some that I made for my daughters' classes. They probably took 45 minutes to make all 60.



These cards could also easily be made for St. Patrick's Day or Easter, as well. The possibilities are endless, and now you can add a little handmade love to your holidays! 




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Friday, February 14, 2014

Family Travel Tips

As we are getting ready for our long weekend in Belgium, I thought I would share with you some of the little tips we've picked up for travel in the last (almost) year! 

Pack light. Ladies, I know this is easier said than done, so I'll say pack lightish. Don't under pack, but don't over pack. I always pack extra undergarments and an extra shirt (or two) for myself and the kids, but chances are you won't need two ball gowns for a three day weekend in Paris, so just pick your favorite! :) I also carefully choose the outfits I do bring so they will be versatile. The major challenge I always face is that I like to change clothes. Josh jokes that I'm not ready until I've worn three different outfits in the morning. One way to accommodate this habit, is to pack clothes that can be mixed and matched to make different outfits. Know what your plans are, and check the weather for those plans. I almost always only bring one pair of shoes with me as well. 

On that note...can we talk about shoes for a moment? Cute shoes are great, right?! Leave the cute shoes at home-trust me. Cute is almost always synonymous with painful. I know I know, it's like the cardinal rule of girldom to always sport the most fashionable footwear. But, especially if you aren't used to walking long distances, comfort trumps cute! When we first got here, my poor little tootsies hurt for weeks!  I quickly learned that being cute just wasn't worth it. Find a pair that will keep your feet warm and dry and fit nicely. 

In the same breath that I advise you not to overpack, I will say: be prepared. It may seem contradictory, but trust me they are completely different! For instance, being prepared means that you've scoped out your accommodations and you know there's no cribs available, therefore you bring the portable. Now your precious baby has somewhere to sleep! We also tend to bring our pillows and blankets with us, as well. It helps the kids feel more comfortable in a new bed. Heck, it makes me feel more comfortable! Totally different than too many ball gowns!

If you're staying at a hotel that doesn't offer free breakfast, eating out three meals a day can get quite pricey. Something that we've found helpful: BYO. I know it sounds cheap, and that's kind of the point. We have five people to feed. That is neither quick nor cheap, so we've started to bring our own. Things like Pop tarts, cereal, bread and peanut butter are great. But if your hotel provides a microwave or even a coffee maker, you can bring oatmeal along as well. Who said you can't have a hot breakfast?! If you're looking for in room food for other times of day, try Easy Mac or cup of noodle soup. You'd be surprised how excited my kids get over those things! Basically, if you have a microwave, the possibilities are pretty endless. In addition, good ole peanut butter and jelly don't need to be refrigerated, and they travel well. 

Do your research. Even if your trip is planned on a whim, do your research in the car/on the plane, etc. Nothing kills a good time like an 8 mile hike you aren't prepared for (even in comfy shoes). Look at area attractions, check out your hotel's surroundings, check show times. Try and make a list of "must see" attractions for your travel party. Sites like Trip Advisor offer user reviews of hotels, attractions and restaurants. This is what we use to plan our must see list. People are all too willing to share their experience with you-good or bad, so use it! Once you know where you want to go and what you want to do, map a route. How will you get from one place to another? Most major cities offer bus tours that run every few minutes. This is a good way to rest your feet, get from one place to another quickly, and learn a little more about the sites you're hitting up. If you don't take a bus tour, try and look at a metro or bus map. Find one that runs near your hotel that can get you around the city. It will save you time and hassle in the long run, especially if you're traveling in a place that speaks another language. Most people are happy to help if you ask, but sometimes it's easier to not have to overcome a language barrier. 

Traveling with kids? Something we learned very early on in our travels: feed the animals! Kids get bored, they get hungry, they get thirsty, and sometimes because of these things they get downright nasty while traveling. It's a good idea to bring along snacks and water. Even if you plan on stopping for lunch or dinner, sometimes they just need something to do while they walk. We like to carry a backpack that has all our necessities for the little ones. Portable snacks like pretzels, carrot sticks, crackers and fruit work very well. Stay away from things that will squish or spill in your bag. Also, I'm sure it goes without saying, but if you bring along perishables, make sure to keep them cool and eat those in a timely manner!
Enjoying a snack in front of Prague Castle

Travel Pharmacy: In addition to carrying snacks in our bag, we carry the camera, diapers, wipes, an extra change of baby clothes, an umbrella (for those pop up rain storms that frequent Europe), a English-German dictionary (since we live and travel a lot in Germany), gum, sun block, and a huge bag of medicine. Like, I jingle when I walk, huge! I keep basically every type of medicine my family might need when we are out in this bag. Upset tummy, headache, fever, motion sickness, allergy....you name it, I've probably got it! Have you ever been to a pharmacy in another country?! It's not a chance I'm willing to take--it's hard enough choosing in English! Plus, it is just so convenient to be able to take whatever we need without stopping. And no one has to suffer through whatever ails them for long! 

The stroller vs carrier: This is a tricky one. We personally do not take a stroller with us. Peyton is just about two, and pretty hefty at this point. But it's still so much easier to carry him on my back than it is for us to lug a stroller around cobblestone streets and up massive castle stairs. Plus some of the roads here are barely wide enough for a stroller, so you know that most shops and museums aren't having it! I don't see the point of pushing it around just to leave it outside when we go in somewhere. I'm happy it's one less thing to worry about, and he's happy because he can see the world (and pull my hair). Also, naptime is a breeze--I just rock him to sleep on my back. Now that he's a little older and a much better walker, he's able to get down and walk off some excess energy, as well. The only major downside to the carrier is that because of the way it sits on me, it digs into my hips and shoulders after a few hours. But, as I said...this is our personal preference. Do what's right for your family and your situation.
PJ looking thrilled in his carrier in Prague

Plan your gas stops. I cannot tell you how stress inducing it is to be on 1/8 of a tank of gas in a foreign country. We drive to most of our travel spots, and having a route to gas already planned out really saves us the frustration of trying to find one along the way.

The very last tip I can offer is go with the flow. Even the most carefully planned out trip can get off track. If you are willing to bend and wing it a little, you can still have a pretty darn good time. Make note of what could have improved the trip or what you would do differently next time. Every trip is a learning experience, so just have fun!

"It's Me...Mario"
It's all about having fun! 


Now, we are off to sample some of the world's finest chocolates, waffles, beer, and fries. My next post might have to be about establishing a good workout plan!! 

Adieu! Näkemiin! Auf Wiedersehen! Goodbye!





Saturday, February 8, 2014

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. I am the most under traveled military brat you've ever met. Both my parents were in the Air Force growing up, yet I've only lived in four places my whole life, including Germany.

 2. One of those four places was Baltimore, Maryland, where I was born and lived for a few years. I don't even think I really remember it. I only really remember visiting my grandmother for summers and watching Nick at Night. That's where I learned to appreciate I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched!

3. If I ever tell a story about when I was little, I guarantee it happened 'when I was six'. Apparently that was my most memorable year and very eventful.

4. My very first favorite color was "sea foam green". An odd choice for a little kid, but I had the mega pack of crayons, and that's the color I was drawn to. (pun intended) My dad made fun of me for it, if I recall.

5. My very favorite color now is teal-if you didn't know this one, I'm kind of shocked! Just about everything I own is in one shade of teal or another.

6. I am the oldest of four girls. If you ever see my dad, buy him a beer. Or ear plugs. The poor guy deserves it- even the dog is a girl.

 7. *mush alert* Speaking of dad.... My dad is one of the coolest guys I know. We weren't always close, but I'm really not sure what I'd do without him! So in short, MY DAD IS COOLER THAN YOUR DAD. "Don't be hatin'..."

8. If you know me personally, you probably know that I'm not really one for mush. I'm not a hugger/kisser/public hand-holder. It's not that I don't love you, I just don't want to touch you. Go take this quiz to find out your "love language". When I took it, it confirmed that I am indeed NOT a physical type person. I get my affection from words, so the 'sticks and stones' rule does not apply. Words CAN hurt me.

9. I have an extreme[ly close to dangerous] love of John Mayer. And I've tormented shared it with my family so much that one kid loves him, one kid hates him, and one kid plays "John Mayer" as a game.

10. I'm scared of the dark. Not that I think there are monsters or anything, I just get scared when I can't see. I feel like I'm blind. Therefore, I sleep with a light on in the hall. Ask Josh how much I freak out when he turns it off!

11. A few years ago (like 2006ish), I got Shingles. As in the elderly people's chicken pox type thing. It was hideous. But now that I've learned of other non-elderly people who've had it, I don't feel as bad.

12. A few years after that, I also had Bell's Palsy. The symptoms were all explainable at the time, so I had no clue when I went to work and kept getting strange looks. I thought I had severely pulled a muscle in my face. {{Can we all just take a moment to think about how dumb that sounds right now?}} I worked an entire day with one half of my face drooping down, looking like I'd had a stroke. It wasn't until I went to the restroom and saw in a mirror that I saw there was a problem. Also, since my boss waited until the END of my day to tell me she thought I'd had a stroke, I was blissfully unaware for hours. Please people, speak up if you see something wrong.

13. Because of #12,  I sometimes cannot close one eye all the way. I've only noticed in the shower when I get soap in it, but I've had multiple people confirm that I sometimes sleep with one eye open. No sneaking up on me!

14. On my second attempt at college, I received my certification in Legal Assisting. Number of times I've actually used that? 0.

15. I'm a work in progress. I haven't quite decided what I want to be when I grow up. Any ideas would be appreciated. Here's what I know: it can't be anything sales based. I'm horrible at trying to  sell things to people who don't want it. Also, I look like a kid. That doesn't help my credibility.

16. I read a lot, but the books I read are generally works of fiction. Distopia, Shopaholics, and teenage vampires. Yup, that about sums it up. I know I'm well into my 30's, but I swear I have Peter Pan Syndrome!

17. When I get into something, I get all the way into it. I learn as much about it as I can. I pretty much obsess over it. Especially if it's something I've tried and wasn't that good at. It's like I compete with myself. I hate to fail at something, and I will try, try, try until I can at least say it didn't beat me.

18. I am a super procrastinator. I know this and I cannot stop even when I try really, really hard. I personally work a little better when I have that extra pressure on me. I need to stop, though, because it's a trait I don't want to pass on to my kids. If they leave it to me, I wait until the night before to help with projects, which really isn't a good idea.

19. I have a horrible diet that consists of mostly sugar, fat, and any other super unhealthy food you can think of. I'm working on it.

20. I am neither a morning person nor night owl. Catch me midday, when I'm at my best!


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Friday, February 7, 2014

A Novel About Nothing

*warning: this will be the longest post about nothing truly interesting you've ever read*

This week has been incredibly unproductive. Actually, probably the last two. Peyton has been sick. He has croup, which basically makes him sound like a baby seal every time he tries to breathe "too hard". An adorable baby seal, though. He's also cutting two teeth (that I know of), and oh yeah...he's turning TWO this month. So yes, I've spent my days running around after him, resetting the things he touches, diffusing his tantrums and wiping snotty noses. I've managed to leave the house a handful of times (including once alone!) but for the most part, we've been holed up here. Therefore, friends, there isn't much to talk about except the mundane. And since you clicked and read this far, it's too late for you to turn back now!
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Breathing treatment...He actually kind of liked it. Weirdo.
                                               
A few weeks ago I had a situation with Peyton that made me question overall safety of our house. As a mom, that's not good. As a compulsive worrier, that's devastating. It was early in the week a few weeks ago, and I wasn't feeling well. I could also tell that Peyton was getting sick. I slept in, which was amazing, but he was sleeping in, which is very unusual for him since he likes to be up at the crack of dawn. At about 8:45, I poked my head in to check on him, only to find the room STUNK. Not in a funky way, in a chemical type way. It was horrible. But as I got my vision to focus, I noticed it was pretty foggy too. I quickly pulled him out of his bed and into fresh air, then proceeded to check the house for a fire. I seriously thought my house was going to burn down! Turns out it was the table fan in his room. It had stopped working at some point in the night, but the motor continued to burn. Luckily all was okay after a few days of airing the room out, but very scary. 

Do you ever think about the factors that led you to do something or make a decision? The reason I poked my head in instead of just using the baby monitor like usual is because the monitor all of a sudden didn't work. It is saying it's out of range when it's not. Who knows what would've happened if it was still working! Maybe I would have let him sleep a little longer. I shudder to think about it. Long story short(ish?): we clearly have an electrical issue in our house causing multiple things to burn up, blow fuses, stop working and flicker. Also, why the heck do we not have smoke detectors?! Two things that will be getting remedied in the very near future. 

On a brighter note, the girls have begun their basketball cheer season. We have four games under our belts, and the squad is looking pretty awesome. I decided I would help out this season as assistant coach. Even though my only cheer knowledge comes from one season of youth cheer and Bring It On. Would you believe they didn't know what spirit fingers were?!! I feel like I'm really learning a lot, and coaching may be something that I continue to do. I love kids, so it just kind of works.

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K&J teach Peyton the basics of stunting. Khloe spots.                                 
Yesterday was one of the few nice days we've had here in a while. Apparently there is no set rainy season--it's all rainy season. I tell people that we basically live in Washington State or Florida, where it rains at least some small portion of every day. Since it's winter, I'm guessing more like Washington than Florida right now. It's not so bad-most days we really don't even notice the rain. But the sky (which I'm obsessed with) isn't quite as pretty in the gloom. So, yesterday it did rain, but it cleared up quite nicely mid afternoon. Once I saw the sun pop out, I slapped some boots and a coat on the boy and dragged him out to 'our' fields. I realized that his attitude and behavior vastly improved once he was able to run out some of that energy. He's just a boy, and sometimes I forget how different he will be from the girls. Trucks, trains, destruction, dirt, and songs about bodily functions. Got it. (The song really is quite catchy)

"mommy-take a picture. I touch wadder"


In addition to the germs and wonky electrical, we managed to make some fun. We had a Super Bowl pre game party with the kids. They were really missing Virginia and the usual Super Bowl/birthday get together we usually have with our family. So, we tried to make it fun. We had some appetizers like faux-Moe's Queso Blanco and chips. We tried to make it like normal, but since Hooter's wings are in short supply here, we had to make due with some store bought stuff. Not the same, but still tastes like chicken! We also made some chocolate dipped pretzel sticks-yum! Too bad the kids couldn't actually stay up for ANY of the game since it started after midnight our time. I barely stayed awake myself! I did manage to catch Bruno's show, and football Peyton's (as we call him in this house) loss.



Like I said before, I was able to get out of the house all by myself recently. Josh's coworkers have a "guys' night" and "ladies' night" every few weeks, and they are nice enough to invite me along for ladies' night. I've spent more time with his coworkers here in 10 months than I did in the few years he worked at the old office! It really is like a big family when you move overseas. Well, for this ladies' night, they decided on Croatian food. My taste buds are sooo unsophisticated, so every time I go out with them, I look up the menu beforehand. Just to scope out something "safe" to eat. This time I did look at the menu ahead of time, but I decided I needed to branch out of my comfort zone. I ended up ordering a mixed grill platter which came with pretty much every meat you could think of, including lamb, which was new to me. I tried it. That's all I can really say. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad. It was just kind of blah. And of course I ate it at the end of my meal, so I had already consumed half my body weight in meat products! The restaurant we went to was fantastic--so hip and kind of modern, right in the square of Mainz. I could see the Cathedral right outside my floor length window I sat next to. It was too rainy (of course) to take a picture of my view, but I managed to snap one when we left. Just gorgeous.




And then I did cartwheels through the square. Steer clear of blue drinks, they sneak up on you!


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Monday, February 3, 2014

The mother of all posts

By nature, February begs a lot of questions: Will Phil see his shadow? Who's gonna win the Big Game? Does he love me, does he love me not? The one person in everyone's life that seems to has all the answers, is their mommy. And today is my mommy's birthday!

Since I can't be there to celebrate with her in person, I've done what every modern child would do. I've taken to the internet to show my love! And also I find it fitting, given a recent conversation she and I had, to take the time to say thank you.

Sooo, mom....first, Happy Birthday!!! I hope it's as special as you are. And second, thank you for everything you do for all of us, and everything you have done for us through the years. Being a mom myself now, I realize how lonely and thankless gig it can be. I know there have been sacrifices, and you're the one that's made them for the good of the team. You're awesome, and we DO really appreciate everything.