Finally Friday!

Wow! What a week! I'm sure it was super busy for everyone, considering most schools begin their summer recess around this time. We had field trips (in the last week, really?!), parties, award ceremonies, and various other celebrations. Basically, the last week ended up being the busiest week of nothingness all year. Rivaled only by the few days before winter break. I spent three consecutive days at the school which, I don't think has happened since I attended school myself. But what a fun time! One of those days I was at school was for a PTO meeting for the 2014-2015 year. I am so excited to take part in this, you have no idea. Guess what committee I get to head: SPIRIT WEAR! Heck yes. I get to volunteer at Little J's school, plus be (mostly) in charge of clothes and other spirit inspiring gear. Plus, if you want spirit, I'm your girl. In case you didn't know, in seventh grade I received the Esprit De Corps award. It means team spirit, but I'm pretty sure the literal translation was the "we don't have anything else to give you, so here's this" award. It'll be really nice to be apart of something again. I do tend to miss that aspect from working.

You guys, I'm going to have a mommy moment here. My oldest child is now a middle schooler. This freaks me out. I'm not ready for this yet! Hopefully I can take the summer vacation and regroup my thoughts and have some sort of mental preparation going into August! In all seriousness though, I think this will be a very good transition for both girls. Little J will get a year all to herself to rule the school. Maybe she'll be able to blossom into her own identity and not feel like she has to be just like her sister. At least that's my {really BIG} hope for next year. Also, K could probably use the time to not feel like she can be little miss bossy and hovering over her sister. It'll just be good for everyone.

The promotion ceremony they had for the fifth graders was kind of cute, but also kind of evil. What teacher decided the kids should sing "We Are The World"?! One with no heart, apparently. I'm fairly certain there wasn't a dry mom-eye in the house. There may have been a few really manly looking men choking up, as well. Well played, music teacher, well played.

Speaking of graduations...my youngest sister graduates high school this week! I'm so incredibly sad that I can't be there to watch it live, but I'm betting my mom won't let me down in terms of FaceTime. (RIGHT, MOM?!) And I will see her in two short weeks when they come to visit us here in Germany. If it's hard for me to believe that I have a middle schooler, it's downright impossible to believe that my little sister is all grown up! I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I'm 14 years older than her, so of course I've had an instinctive mama bear feeling with her since she was born. I'm incredibly proud of the amazing person she's become, and I look forward to see what her future holds!

As for our first official day of summer vacation..... I'm alive, they're alive, and the house hasn't burnt down. Parenting win in my book! We've also survived our first few summer weather days of 90+ degree heat and no AC. It wasn't too bad-but just in case I've seen how to make a cooler AC unit through Facebook. God bless the internet. We've ran to appointments and errands, we've had play dates and dinner dates, we've been hot and we've been cold (sorry, I ran with the Katy Perry song). It has flown by so quickly, but the thing I've been waiting weeks for happens this weekend. Today and tomorrow we get to enjoy the Wilhelmstrassefest, and I am beyond excited! It's a huge festival downtown that has big carnival rides, live music and entertainment, and most importantly fest food! Mmmm fest food! I can't wait to share this experience with you!

 

Five For Friday: May 23

It's a wonderfully rainy day here in Germany. The kind that makes you want to curl up under a blanket on the couch with your baby boy and watch a Thomas the Train marathon, while you listen to the patter of rain on the roof. I did have a downtown doughnut date planned for this morning, but alas, the rain has cancelled those plans. The downtown walking area is beautiful and I love it, but it's hard to get motivated to head that way when it's poor weather. Something about lugging myself and the stroller through the rain is very unappealing. I am getting adjusted to traveling in the rain (because it seems to rain EVERY trip we take), but I don't really want to spend the everyday moments covered in rain. So instead of downing some doughnuts, I'll be catching you up on my week.

This week has flown by it seems. Really, it feels like this whole year has flown by. At one point during the fall I remember thinking, "Wow-it's only been 6 months since we moved here." Now I feel like I'm quickly losing my time in Europe. Only two years left. I know it probably sounds silly, but once you have a definite expiration date, it makes every day feel like a countdown. We have a lot we want to see before we leave, and the to-do list is longer than the available time!

So, as I was saying, the week flew by quickly. Josh had been out of town for work since Mother's Day, so it was only the kids and I. It really amazes me how the mommy brain works. I swear when Josh is here, I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done that I need to get done. And Josh is not one of those husbands who doesn't help--he's incredibly hands on. I even get upset sometimes because I feel like he's helping too much! He'll walk in from work and start picking up or he'll start dinner, and it makes me feel bad. Well, with him gone I think my brain enters some sort of mom-matrix. Time slows down and all of a sudden it feels like there are 16 hours of daylight, and all my tasks get done. Of course that might have to do with the fact there actually is 16 hours of daylight--the sun has been coming up around 5:30am and setting well after 9pm! Usually when we have to leave for practice at 5, dinner hasn't been made and we end up cooking and eating after practice around 7-7:30. Last week we had eaten, cleaned up, and still made it to practice early. I'm telling you, my brain just clicked. I subconsciously knew that there wasn't anyone to help me out, so it just got done. I really wish it was like that all the time...minus the fact of Josh being gone. If that could go ahead and happen, it'd be great! We had a good week though, and it was made that much better when Josh said he'd be coming home two days early from his trip. I know it's hard for him to be away, and I might be a little bias, but I think it's harder to be the one to stay home. Especially seeing all the gorgeous photos he was sending me from Italy! I hope he won't mind a return trip, because Venice looked amazing!

This week I thought I'd focus on two people whom I don't think I give enough credit to. My daughters! They are really growing into awesome little people. They are smart, funny, caring and (for the most part) respectful. Everything a parent could hope for in their kids. This week was an especially proud moment when I learned that Little J-who struggles with school work, reading in particular-has raised her overall reading score from far below grade level into solid 'on grade' territory. Reading is probably her least favorite thing to do, I think because it's harder for her, but she really worked to get that score raised. Now if I could get her to apply herself just a smidge more overall, I'd be satisfied for a while! She's getting there, though. Still-any tips are welcomed! Her teacher suggested keeping her on a school schedule over the summer, but since I'm not a teacher, that sounds pretty tedious to me. I'm sure I could find her some handouts to work on, but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to keep a 10 year doing two hours of math while her siblings play. Again...suggestions more than welcomed!

K had an appointment this week for her 11 year old shots. You know, because she's going into middle school. MIDDLE SCHOOL. That would mean I'm actually old enough to have a middle schooler. I feel like I've just recently left middle school myself. But yes, she got her shots so I guess she can go now. While we were at the doctor, I mentioned how K was having knee pain during softball and gym class. The doctor took one look at her from across the room and said "Oh yes! She has seriously flat feet. Let me guess...it's this knee that hurts the most?" Sure enough, that was the knee giving K an issue, so we have a referral to see an orthopedist to hopefully get that remedied. Since the appointment took longer than I expected, K has a pretty easy going teacher, and she never misses school, I decided I'd let her 'skip' the rest of the day. I know--shame on mom! We had a blast. It was one of my new year goals to spend more one on one time with the kids, and I haven't really done it. Tuesday was a great time, though. We went to the one euro store, and she helped me run errands. They were so much easier with her around. Note to self...hire personal assistant! We also went to pick up the mail, and this has to be the highlight of my week: (I'm kidding, but it's exciting news) The mailroom guy DOESN'T hate me. We went at a time the mailroom window wasn't open-which means you can't get packages if you have them. Naturally, I had a slip to pick up a package, so I was going to have to come back. As I was rounding the corner to leave, the mailroom guy saw me and said to his coworker, "Doesn't she have a box?" They actually went back and got it for me! He also made chit chat about a package that had been sent to the wrong place that he "found for me". What a guy, huh? He did his job just for me. He's being nice, so I'm not complaining!

Also while K and I were out, we were able to go by the train station and pick up train tickets to Paris for when my family comes to visit in a few weeks. They were so much cheaper at the station than online, it completely took me by surprise. I know I gave the ticket agent a shock when I squealed with delight! So, with train tickets booked, we of course had to book our hotel room. It was such a relief to get that taken care of, and good thing we didn't wait any longer. We needed two rooms and the hotels were filling up quickly! We managed to snag one that provides breakfast included in the price-a must for so many people. Plus it's not far from the Eiffel Tower, unlike the last time we went to Paris and stayed outside the city. I can't wait to eat some macarons see the beautiful sights again!

This Wednesday, like most Wednesdays with nice weather, PJ and I went to the farmers market downtown. We did our usual people watching and wandering around, but we also had a specific task in mind this time. I had to find a German post office so I could mail a package to the UK for a craft swap I did. The USPS wanted $64 to ship it. As I so pleasantly informed the clerk at the post office while kindly taking my box back, I could fly there and hand deliver it for less! Seriously, RyanAir flights are like $40! When I finally found the German post office, packed my DHL box, and said a silent prayer for a clerk who spoke English really well, I mailed my box for 9 Euro. Honestly, USPS... get with it. So after mailing our box, we decided to enjoy a currywurst lunch. Let me try and explain food carts here. They sell whatever food is their specialty, and usually have a few tables set up. More than likely those tables will be standing height, so you enjoy your food while standing. Since there are only about 6-8 tables, and loads more people, you end up sharing a table with a stranger. It's a perfect way to get to know new people-if you speak the same language as them. I shared with an older lady, we ate in silence, then she left. Then another lady came to ask if she could share. I said yes of course and continued to try and wrestle some food into my impatient two year old. He was way more interested in climbing in and out of his stroller and somehow cover himself in curry sauce. Good thing we both wore white...not! PJ was being his normal chatter bug self, and the lady sharing our table said, "He's so cute!" I wasn't expecting her to speak English, but it turned out she was from the base, too. We talked as we ate, then decided to grab a smoothie together. We ended up walking around the shops downtown for the rest of the afternoon. What a great happenstance that we would end up standing at the same table for lunch, bonding over bratwurst!

This week has been so eventful-my schedule looks like a rainbow of scribble with everything going on. But the one thing I did do for myself (sort of) was to join the PTO. I am now the head of the spirit wear committee. I am so excited to get to help out with Little J's school in a way that I really feel like I can make an impact. I may not be the most in-your-face person when it comes to sales, but I've got spirit, yes I do! I've already come up with some ideas, but I get to just spearhead the whole thing and have my own team, which is both exciting and really nerve-wracking at the same time!

All and all this has been a great week. I have so much to be thankful for in my life and I'm very lucky. By far one of the best decisions I've made recently is to count my blessings big and small, to let go of the negative and hold on to the positive. I'm in no way saying that I never have a day where I can't wait to break open the wine and I'd never try to say "this is how everyone should feel", but as for me and my crew, I highly encourage the power of positivity!

The Wiesbaden farmers market. They're held every Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

I can't get over how big they're getting!

Friends, I am soliciting your advice. In between travel adventures, what would you like to read about on this blog? Leave a comment below--your ideas are welcome! As always, I thank you for reading! 

Five For Friday: May 9

Hello friends! I think I'm finally back in the blogging saddle! I wanted to share my five good things but not necessarily just from this week, since I've missed a few weeks!

{{Since I've resolved to get back on track, that means keeping up with social media as well. If you aren't already, make sure you're following OurLife on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin. You can also follow my personal Pinterest page with the links above!}}

I know I've already expressed my excitement over the softball season starting, but it is now in full swing and I LOVE it. I love to watch and cheer for my children (just like every parent). I've told you how when I get in to something, I get all in. Well, at least one of my children is just like me in that respect. During cheer season K wanted cheer clothes and bows, she wanted to watch every cheer youtube video she could find, and she would not. stop. cheering. Now that softball has started, she's all in with that. She wants softball shirts to wear to school and wants to watch any videos/tutorials she can find. They both spend extra time on the field after practice is done for the evening. I had some softball ribbon in my stash and decided to make each girl on the team a ribbon for game days. When I first presented it to my two, they scoffed. They didn't want to be caught dead in a cheer ribbon. Excuse me, Dr. Jekyll! But, since the rest of the team loved them, they're all in. Tweens... I tell ya!
Their team has won every game so far-except for one random coach pitched game which they tied- and they are all seeming to enjoy it. I love watching a group of girls who don't know each other at the beginning of a season form bonds and friendships over time. They have all really improved as a team and individually, too.

I'm sorry if this qualifies for the TMI category, but this is life. We have semi-officially started potty training. I honestly do not remember doing this with the girls. Could this be a repressed memory. My brain is maybe trying to block out some traumatic experience I've had? What I do know is that training a boy is different from anything I may have done with the girls. The very first lesson was "tuck it down, dude!" Cleaning the floor every time seems to be fun for him to watch--not so much fun for mommy. The one part of this process that makes it easier is that he seems sort of motivated to not go in his diaper. Jelly beans are amazing motivators! "Mommy--go get my jelly beans ready." The confidence in this one is strong! Here's hoping this works out soon. Not having to buy diapers would be spectacular-especially since neither the commissary nor the PX has had his size in stock for about three weeks!

I have been getting back in to my crafting lately, and it feels darn good.  My little craft room is not in our main house, it's upstairs in our apartment, so sometimes it's hard to get up there and work. I did manage to get it reorganized and cleaned up in the past few weeks, so everything has a place and it doesn't make me feel like I need to clean every time I walk in now. I love that I'm able to go in, do whatever it is I've had the whim to work on, leave it if I need to and come back later. That's helpful since I'm pretty certain I have adult onset ADD. {Seriously, I burnt cookies and chicken in the past two weeks. I've also forgotten to go get the girls at school when I told them I would. Good thing we have an 'if you don't see me in this particular spot, get on the bus' rule.} Craft wise, I've been able to get a jump on my December Daily book-it's all decorated and ready to go, I've made things for my planner, I've made things for other people's planners that I plan to send as RAK's (random acts of kindness), I've made cards, a book for Little J's teacher, and random other things. I swear it helps center my soul when I can have a creative outlet like that. If that sounds weird or cheesy to you, I'll assume you don't craft. :)

I just received the email this morning containing the air tickets for my parents and youngest sister! They'll be here in mid June to visit us for about a month! I cannot express my excitement. I know the kids are just about to burst waiting for them. PJ has been a great little helper getting the apartment ready for them. We've gotten new bedding and towels and set up the kitchen. You know, things that keep us busy in the meantime while we countdown the weeks and days until they get here. We've also  tried to plan a trip and work out the logistics of how exactly we're going to transport 8 people around. Anyone in the Wiesbaden area want to lend us a mini van??

PJ and I went out one morning a few weeks ago and discovered a new to us walking path. It took us over some hills and through some beautiful fields. Plus I got to go past my very favorite tree. I don't know why, but it's so cute to me. It was an amazing walk-we ended up at the edge of the next town over before we turned around. I took my camera (with a constantly dead battery when I want it) and my phone and took pictures. Of course the pictures NEVER capture the beauty of real life. Here's a fun fact for you: the 3by5 part of our blog name comes from the John Mayer song 3x5. One of the lyrics being

"I didn't have a camera by my side this time. Hoping I would see the world through both my eyes." 

It also says no more 3x5's, but we'll just ignore that part. Anyhoo...nature is not really something I generally like to be a part of. Bugs and dirt are just not my thing. But I do appreciate its beauty, so going out to be a part of a new day beginning was pretty amazing. Also, since nature isn't my thing, I'm a little surprised that our attempt at backyard gardening seems to be working! We have some veggies sprouting in our little square foot garden. German vegetables seem to be the difference. They must all be used to little sunlight, I guess. We'll see where this goes, but so far so good! Just in time for my attempt at clean eating. I'm not saying it's going to work or I'll be able to stick to it. I love my carbs and especially love my sugar. But by golly, I'm going to try!

On the note of clean eating...Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Or any resources for keeping on track? Leave a link in the comments, if you would! 

Five For Friday: April 4

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have enjoyed your week so far. What great things have happened in your life this week? Monday I challenged fans of our Facebook page to take the time each day to jot down at least one good thing from everyday. Were you able to do it? If you didn't get to try it, I challenge you to start now! It will change the way you see the day and life in general.

• This is the very last you'll hear of cheer for the season, I promise. It's all over and we had our competition. The girls did so, so well! The organizers decided they weren't going to give out any medals (the morning of the competition), so we didn't 'win'. But if I had to guess, they would've gotten a first place medal. It was that good. They went out and funneled all their nerves and jitters into their moves, just like true performers. When they finished they said, "that's it? We're done?? Can we go again?!" They were so excited and it was really satisfying as a coach to see them so happy! We also had our banquet this week, and it was so much fun celebrating an amazing season with the girls and their families, and having them say that they had fun with us this year. Plus I got a really cool mug that says "KEEP CALM AND CHEER ON".  I think I will.

• There has been no shortage of great moments from my kids this week. Especially PJ, whose language skills are pretty killer at this point. It's not so much that he can speak so well, it's more the number of words he knows and can use in context. Plus, he has a certain comedic timing a two year shouldn't have.  If we're friends on Facebook, you've probably gotten annoyed at some point this week by my posts, because I just keep posting some of the funny things he says. He told me he was going to England to ride a train! Ah kids... The girls have also been spending a lot of time with a friend they've made through the cheer squad. I love seeing that they aren't as socially awkward as I imagine, and that they really are great kids. They're super polite in comparison to some of their peers, and that means we've done something right. Yay us! Moral of the story--give your kids more credit, they probably deserve it. And give yourself more credit--you deserve it too!

• Beautiful spring weather has meant time outside watching softball, playing in the yard, and gardening. Peyton and I ventured downtown this week to pick up some "necessities" for our trip. When we came up from the parking garage, I was reminded it was the day of the Farmer's Market-Wiesbaden does one every Wednesday and Saturday mornings. It was so nice outside and we just strolled through the market checking out all the local produce and flowers and goodies. We even sipped on my favorite smoothie from my favorite smoothie cart. I think I'm getting better at ordering things in German, too. Life is good! 

• I have newly discovered another craft store downtown. Much to the dissatisfaction of my husband and my wallet. It's pretty close to what I could get back in the States as far as what they stock. Nothing close to Michael's of Joann Fabric, but it will do. If you remember, I'm trying to do a lot more 'buy local' stuff, so this definitely helps. (Or hurts depending on your viewpoint) I've also joined a group of crafters that are obsessive planner users like me. It's nice to be 'around' like minded people. They get it, ya know? They even hooked me up with loads of places to find organizational goodies while we're in London. I was able to pack my bag a little lighter knowing it may be filled with goodness on the way back! 

• I've had a big task list this week, including prep for the girls' party on the 12th-the day after we get back from London. I've been making gift bags and banners and the party place is already decorated. It turned out really great that they chose a Frozen theme, because I was able to 'shop' our Christmas decorations for things to use. I picked up a few things from the store, but mostly just used what we had. I love those types of parties! I've also gotten fancy dresses for the girls to have tea at Kensington Palace when we're in London. One more thing to do: make a Harry Potter style acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and a royal invite to tea to give each of them on their birthdays. I love that they have no idea what we're doing! Surprises almost never happen in our house--some of us can't keep a secret! 

• BONUS goodness: Two beautiful baby girls celebrated their very first birthdays this week! We have a new baby cousin, and my dear, amazing friend (whom I miss so much!) welcomed her a new addition to her family!! Welcome to the world beauties! 

Randoms from the week. Can we talk about the ChocStars for a minute?! How funny are they!?

So now, we are headed to the Wiesbaden Easter Market to check out all the wonderful handcrafted Easter things they have. Then early Sunday morning which will still be late Saturday evening for those of you in the US), we'll be dashing off to LONDON! 

If you have a post similar to this, I'd love for you to link it in the comments! I like to read positive thoughts, especially by other mommy bloggers out there! 

Five For Friday: March 28

Wow! This week flew by, didn't it?! I swear today feels like it should be Tuesday, but I'm not complaining! Friday means it's time to stop and reflect and count up all the good: Five for Friday. Have you tried viewing your glass half full, always? How is it working for you? Other than a minor hiccup last week, it seems to be working out for me so far! 

• Remember in The Wizard of Oz (a favorite movie in this household) when Dorothy opened the door to the house and stepped out in to Oz and all that glorious Technicolor? That's basically what it feels like here. Winter has bid us (mostly-we did have three days of hail) adieu, and it's so GREEN! It's funny because other than the clouds, I don't really remember it being all that grey. But now seeing so much beautiful color, I guess it was! 

• With spring being here, I'm starting to see all sorts of sights that get me excited. Okay, so mostly those things involve food, but still. All the Eis cafes are reopening if they closed and opening their outdoor seating if they were brave and stayed open all winter. Fruit and vegetable stands are starting to pop on the side of the roads. Here comes the spargel craze! There's even a stand right across the street from our house. Which means I will be in very short walking distance to fresh strawberry goodies soon! Spring also means that festivals will be starting up again soon--the Easter Market in our town is this weekend. We missed them last year, since we arrived right after Easter, but I hear there are some beautiful Easter crafts to be found! 

• We are getting ready for London(!), which is a lot of planning, mapping,  and scheduling. (Sounds so relaxing, doesn't it?) Well, since the girls' birthdays are the week we will be there, I'm trying to plan something special for each of them to do. K is nerdy like her mom, and loves Harry Potter, so she was excited to learn there's a studio tour in London. What she doesn't know is that she is going to actually get to go on her 11th birthday. Josh didn't see the significance when I told him, but you get, right?! "You're a wizard, Kyla!" She is going to be so excited. Heck-I'm pretty stoked, myself! Little J really wants to see Buckingham Palace, so I'm thinking I'll arrange a tour. Or maybe a tea at Kensington Palace? Still undecided, but at least I have a good idea. 

• In addition to the London festivities, the girls are also having a party when we get home. Party planning is one of my most favorite things to do. I get some sort of thrill by letting them choose the theme and trying to pull it all together. Usually for them it isn't a current trend, so it's more of a challenge, which I love. One year they had an Indiana Jones birthday. They've done Spongebob (after Spongebob was really cool), Last year they had a Wicked party (as in the Broadway musical). This year they had chosen "Once Upon A Time" because they are big fans of the show on ABC. And then....they saw Frozen. Game over. They've decided they want to be like every other female under the age of 20, and pick a Frozen party. I'm all for it-I haven't seen the movie, but it looks pretty good from what I've seen. You'd think given its popularity, it would be easier to pull together than an off the wall choice of party themes. Wrong. Everything that could be remotely related to Frozen is sold out online and nowhere to be found here. Is it weird that that makes me happier? Having to work harder to make it fit the theme. Oh, and they've also invited the whole cheer squad to attend. Fun times!!

• We've transitioned PJ to his toddler bed with relatively little drama. The first day, he stayed in bed for nap and all night. It was too good to be true, though. The next night, in the midst of a pretty good sleep, I heard the pitter patter of little feet coming into my room. We had to lock all the doors from the inside, and I basically slept on the edge of the bed ready to intercept him at the door. The third night, I got hip and put a baby gate in his doorway. Luckily he's too, err..."bottom heavy"" to climb over. He went for his two year check up yesterday, and the doctor says he's in a good range for height and weight, but I have to cut back his milk so he'll eat more. She then proceeded to try and lift him, making a pretty offensive grunting noise in the process. He's only 28 pounds, but I'm almost certain that's more than half the weight of his sisters! She always said he has "advanced motor skills". Duh--he has two big sisters to dominate keep up with! 

Sorry they are through the fence--that was me being lazy :) 

So, as I sit here with Pharrell telling me to "clap along" on repeat at the demand of my dear boy, I want to know....What are your good things this week? If you haven't tried it yet, give 'the power of positive thinking' a go! It totally helps you focus on the best and forget the rest!