Walkie - Talkies

Bedtime is always fun around here...it usually takes a good hour. When N was little, it would take 2 hours, then A came along and we downsized to 1 hour, and now that Lil L is here, I think we do pretty good to still have it at 1 hour! You actually have to start the process by saying "It's time for bed!" Then they proceed to say how hungry they are, what books to read, what toys to pick up, clothes to pick out, lunches to pack, etc...the list goes on and on and on!

Anyways, last night as I'm getting Lil L ready for bed, A and N had found their walkie-talkies. They were chatting back and forth, except A was just yelling. N finally got fed up and said "A! Stop yelling into the walkie talkie! I want to hear you on the walkie talkie, not yelling from the other room!" She is so tolerant of her brother! And of Lil L, N has realized what an asset she can be. The other night N left her blanket in the living room and lil L proudly brought it to her. N pauses and says "I like her - she brings me my things!" The wheels were definitely spinning on that one :)

Moving!!

I am overwhelmed at the moment...well, at complete peace, but overwhelmed at the work that looms ahead - we are moving to San Antonio in March!! We knew this time frame was a possibility, but now it's a reality! So, off to pack out, ship our car/stuff, leave Europe behind, find a house, schools and settle back in the U.S! Which is so exciting, but alot of work! The good news is that we don't have to be separated as a family - did our fair share of that last year with the deployment! The time has gone by so fast....

MLK Day

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., N's class did a project. The title was "I have a dream..." These are the dreams and desires our 8 1/2 year old has:

I have a dream...

for the world! No more crime.

for my community! I wish all the kids in this school would stop doing bad stuff.

for my country! I wish most of the people here spoke English.

I am still laughing my head off!

Let's Go to the Movies....

Deployment is a common theme in the Air Force....much like moving every 2-3 years, living/seeing places you never imagined, and quirky base housing. I say that because I had great friends that kept me going while J was gone 182 days, and now it's my turn to help out! I have two friends with deployed spouses and last night one of them suggests the movies....ouch....the MOVIES! I love to see movies, just not necessarily with my children. Well, N and A do great - it's just Lil' L who doesn't quite appreciate the movie going experience. Last time I took her, I spent the evening out in the lobby....the ENTIRE evening. Which would not have been too bad, except for the fact we have one theater on base and basically in our area. Oh, you can drive the 1 1/2 hour to Luxembourg and have the ultimate movie experience - complete with gourmet snack food, massive screens, reclining chairs and the original English version movies - but that isn't always so convenient. AND if you speak other languages, you can go local, but again, not really what we are looking for in a movie experience :) Our theater is in an auditorium - think cafeteria/gym with stage on far wall...I liken it to having prom dinner in the cafeteria and then returning 2 hours later to said cafeteria and having the prom dance - YES AHS PEEPS!!! But, I'm not complaining - just painting a picture :) So, after much discussion by the man and I, we decide to suck it up, take the kids and be there for our friend. We do a quick stop at Taco Bell - yes, we actually have Taco Bell, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut AND a "we proudly brew Starbucks coffee" place! - and head over. Ahhhhh, the excitement is building....tickets....Popcorn....SOda....CANDY!!!!!! Where are we sitting!!!! Where's my popcorn!!! Oops I spilled!!!! Fun times :) So, after we stand for the National Anthem - yes, you have the anthem at base theaters - we settled in to watch "Bedtime Stories."

The verdict??

AWESOME!!! Now, the movie was great - we all laughed and even laughed harder when we heard the kids cracking up! But the best part is that for the first time in 2 1/2 years, we ALL sat through a movie without any interruptions! No more spills, no bathroom trips, no screams, no fights, no hitting, no running up the aisles, no standing in the lobby...it's like we were in our own bedtime story, as J pointed out. We had a great family evening out and our friend enjoyed some adult time - which you need when your other half is away! I'm just thankful God gives us those wonderful moments to offset the not so pleasant ones...like the day before where I was spent and had a rough go of it with the kids - but that's another story :)

Sour Cream and Peanut Butter

Always at a loss of getting my kids to eat, I'm more than willing to try new things! They eat what their body needs, so I've been told, and that can consist of nothing but peas for days on end followed by a declaration that they will never again eat peas - EVER! So my youngest, Lil L, has some odd tastes. I'm eating a homemade quesodilla one day and she sits down next to me and declares " I want some that!" She is pointing at the sour cream on my plate. I figure what the heck, and give her a spoonful. She proceeds to eat said spoonful and demands more. I had already given her a spoonful of peanut butter prior to this and now I look over and she has a spoon in each hand - sour cream and peanut butter. I gag....but think, well it IS dairy and protein...can't be that bad.

This odd combo of sour cream and peanut butter has been a surprisingly consistent staple in her diet, as some friends recently got to witness while over for dinner one night. L takes her spoonfuls, leaves the table, then returns about 5 mins later. She looks at us and says "Shtuck-a...in..muh..mouf!" We are laughing and say "what?" she repeats even louder "SHTUCK-A in muh MOUF!" "NEED JUICE!!" Ahhh....the joys of peanut butter!

Anger Management

So N brings home a worksheet on how to deal with anger. As follows:

Why did you get mad? Lil L broke my dog collar for a dog.
Where did it happen? In our house.
Who were you angry with? Lil L.
How mad did you get? I blew my head off.
How long did you stay mad? 1 minute.
How did you handle it? I thought of something else.
Who did you tell about how you felt? My dad.
What would youdo differently next time? I would keep it safe.

My favorite answer is "I blew my head off." I wonder where she gets that? I found her answers quite amusing and then stopped to think of my own coping mechanisms. I tend to be fine when I'm well-rested and healthy BUT that honestly doesn't happen very often!! Sometimes I don't want to be the mom who speaks kind words and love - rather, after an hour of cutting my insanely squirmy son's hair, I scream out "I HATE CUTTING YOUR HAIR!!!" Then the kids normally look at me and bust up laughing...and I always join in. Great reality check for mom :)

In addition to the worksheet there is a list of "Safe Ways to Handle Anger." I love the simplicity and real descriptions - see life through a child's eyes...it becomes more of an adventure.

*Take time out and relax.
Count to ten. Take three deep breaths. Feel rubbery.
*Take a warm bath.
Wash away the bad feelings.
*Walk away from the problem.
Go to a safe place where you can shout :)
*Run and play.
Have some fun.
*Put your feelings on paper. Draw and color.
Make some angry pictures showing how you feel.
*Hit something safe.
Hit your pillow or kick a cushion.
*Use humor. Make a joke out of it.
See something funny in what happened. Laugh at yourself.
*No big deal. Work with your mind.
Decide if this problem is worth getting upset over.
*Talk it out. Use "I" messages.
Tell how you feel. Make a deal. Share. Ask them to stop.
*Say you are sorry and make up.
Only do this if you really mean it.
*Get help from a grown-up.
Or ask another kid to mediate.

Good safety tips :)

Only 5 days in...

So, it's now January 5th. We took down Christmas decorations on Sunday - well, I should say J did because I have a chest cold. I was more in the management capacity, directing what goes where if you will. He's the best :) Anyways, 1230 rolled around and I realized with all my yacking I sounded like a chain smoking lounge singer. Which is fine, I like my raspy low voice, but not quite the sound I go for on Sunday worship sets. That coupled with the complete lack of ability to keep my eyes open or remove my body from the couch, I opted to stay in. It was a nice Sunday at home, regardless, and now our house is less cluttered...meaning you can actually walk without bumping into something. I am very thankful for our housing, but I can't wait to move to TX where apparently everything is big!
The kids went back to school today - YAY!! I could tell they must have spent the day learning and working so hard because they came home and vegitated on the couch for at least 2 hours before playing the wii. It snowed today and tomorrow the high will be 19....brrrrrrr! Did I mention Germany is dark and cold? Where our favorite saying is "well, it looks like a lighter shade of grey today?" Don't get me wrong, I love living here....but the sunshine sure will be nice :)
A (in his signature bass voice): Mama. Everytime I walk by Roman's cat.....he stares at me.

Me: ok

I mean - how do you follow that?? They DO stare at you!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!! We spent our last New Years' in Europe going out with friends and finally found a decent dessert! Let me back up: dinner started with brotchen and pumpkin soup - luscious! Then we enjoyed steak and rinderouladen - tender! And for dessert, a trio of chocolate consisting of mousse in an edible chocolate box, chocolate souffle, and chocolate sorbet - the BEST dessert yet! I say that because dessert isn't sweet over here - not like us Americans are used to. They use much less sugar - for example, a fruit tart would just be a shortbread like crust, non-sweetened cream, topped with unsweetened fruit - such as peaches or apples, coated with a semi-sweet glaze. Most cake is dry, only moistened with a type of liquor such as brandy or cognac, and frosted with a semi-sweet ganache. My traditional cake would put them in sugar overload!! It has taken some flavor adjustment and most of the time we avoid it all together - it can look awesome, but the taste never delivers! I say that, but France....mmmmmmm.....the French do know how to make a FABULOUS pastry :)