Isla Fam Bam

We've Moved!

2011-02-23T12:38:00.003+01:00

To all my loyal readers,

My Fam Bam Blog has moved....to WordPress!

I really want you all to move with me as I have revamped and reorganized the plans I have for my blog...Check it out!

Click here:

ISLA FAM BAM

or here:

http://islafamilia.wordpress.com/

See you on the other side :o)

Love ya,

Lucky Eleven

2011-01-03T12:14:00.003+01:00

The New Year has officially turned over and 2011 is looking promising!! 2010 was a little rough around the edges. Changes galore...in things and people, new found friends and enhanced relationships with old ones, travel, reality checks...in things and in people, the list goes on. As most know, I always try to remain optimistic. What I do know about 2010 is that just as every other year....I continue to learn something new about myself. My life is spectacular as it is...I cannot complain! My kids are healthy, my marriage is strong, I am self satisfied, I save money, I am surrounded by a family of friends that I adore, the relationship with my FL family is stronger than ever, and I am nice. What I have learned is what makes that better. Experiences in life allow us to grow and change, and again...learn.

Like for example, in 2010

I learned that staples in your head are not easily removed by a suture removal kit.

I learned that German landlords will shower you with wine and baked goods until their old house becomes a hazardous cesspool of mildew, and then they just want to sue us all.

I learned that Italy has the biggest mosquitoes on Earth.

I learned that a real friend can appreciate (without getting butt hurt) my honesty and opinions as I do theirs.

I learned that chorizo can also be tasty with my tomato/onion/bell pepper saute (thanks Ma).

I learned that being nice doesn't mean I should be used.

I learned that softball really is my fourth child.

I learned that my career goals are starting to steer me down another path that I wasn't expecting.

I learned that friends can sometimes really treat you better than Family...because the ones I bring into my life are Family, too.

I learned that Plantar's Faschitis is some low rent, old age creeper symptom.

I learned that sibling rivalry is normal....even for my crazy kids, no matter the age gap.

I learned that a vasectomy requires a lot more post op work than I had imagined ;o)

I also learned that Ipads ROCK!

Of course there are other things I learned...some more important than others. So as everyone is making their resolutions and tapping into the changes they want to make for 2011...remember that changes like this happen everyday, not just in January. I resolve to keep the flow! To be open to life's experiences and to learn from them. This is what continues to make me a better person.

With that said...I still need to lay off the fried hot wings and boiled peanuts in 2011.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Christmas Fun!!!

2010-12-29T13:32:00.012+01:00

The Holidays are a time where people feel a lot of emotions and those emotions stem from a lot of different reasons....there's anything from joy, love, faith, warmth, remembrance, generosity, enlightenment, to ...worry, anxiety, sorrow, anger, desperation, misery, and even crazed. I've never met a person who hasn't experienced those feelings during the Holidays at some point. My Family alone has covered most of these in just one season, I think. The question is...when do we move past all that and simply ENJOY the Holiday?? Does it just continue in normal/abnormal cycles throughout generations? This post is dedicated to that of which we strive for...being happy during the Holidays. I have a lot to be thankful for...most of which is a direct result from be being old on it now and realizing that if I were to leave Earth tomorrow...all the petty stuff would be insignificant. To all my loved ones who know how dysfunctional their Families can be (Holidays or not)...can I get an AMEN??!! Here is my gift to all my readers...a little Christmas Fun!!

I hope this makes you smile...and paints the picture of what joy should look like!

Christmas Eve...and cookies

Reindeer Food time

Christmas morning...

Stockings...

While we were loading up for the in-laws' house, a bird tried to move into our garage...what's a Holiday without an Animal Kingdom takeover?

Gifts & Cheers!!

Even these two get it right during the Holidays :o)

You should always do a finishing dance move if you are wearing a tutu...

He melts my heart...

Lookout Project Runway...

Go G-Pa!

Cubano Mafia...ahem

Every mom needs to be organized...

WOOT! Momma's got a brand new bag :o)

P.S. My kids ROCK...if this doesn't make you fall out, you have issues!

Hope everyone had a most fabulous Holiday...and remember, keep smiling through the New Year!!

Love ya,

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-19T13:06:00.005+01:00

It's Sunday and I am in one of the best moods I have been in in a long time. I'm usually pretty happy go lucky anyway, but today I am just oozing with Holiday spirit and excitement.

Reason #1: I'm sure it has a lot to do with Big George coming to visit and Alex making his way back to D-land this coming week. Oh, and my birthday on Wednesday...I keep forgetting, a usual occurrence every year. It's gonna be bittersweet for all of us to be back together again...and I am going to try my best to make it a "fun" time for everyone :o)

Reason #2: Last night was JD's #1 fan night at Beauty and the Beast. He had so many people there to cheer him on, thanks to all that came out! I have a separate post with video that I am gonna write after I splice the movie. He did FANTASTIC!! And I cried like a baby...his entrance and the first song always gets me.

Reason #3: I am thisclose to being done with my shopping...which is always a nice feeling. I have a few loose ends to tie up, but overall...I am done!

Soooo, the point of this post is to say HAPPY HOLIDAYS! If you're not in the mood, or feeling mad about the long lines and crazy traffic, or if you are buried under 8 feet of snow...remember, it's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

Now, tell me that doesn't make you smile :o)

and well, if that doesn't maybe this will....

Be Merry!!!

Two Teenagers and a Microphone

2010-12-07T19:41:00.016+01:00

Well, as Run DMC and JMJ put it...

My kids are creeping up the growth chart quick-like! I am now in between two teenagers and a preschooler (ya'll got to pray for me).

JD is 13!!!

Our first December birthday has come and gone and my J-dle Deedle has officially crossed into teen mode. I was super excited to see him embrace this age and he has done so without a hitch. I can't kiss on him anymore, or talk to him about when he used to watch teletubbies, or even ask him if he's growing hair in certain places...hmmm, I guess being a teenager is super standard across the board. We celebrated on Friday (his actual day) by making his favorite food next to cheeseburgers...pizza. Then we followed him to Beauty and the Beast rehearsals (I was kinda bummed he had to "work" on his b-day, but he didn't seem to mind and besides, opening night was a week away, YIKES). The whole cast and crew sang to him at the end though, so it was nice for him :o) He also opened up his presents from us and from G-Pa. You can never go wrong with a DVD, books, and Legos...G-Pa amped it up with a nice young man's watch.

I also did my new ritual of birthday wishes in lights by posting a shout-out on the base marquee! He was shocked and it stayed up all weekend long!! (and NO, I did not purposely make my name all caps...just sayin')

The next day, George took him and a couple friends to go see the new Harry Potter movie as his birthday outing. I don't really DO Harry Potter, so I stayed back and got everything ready for the cake and Singstar after party.

There were two cakes and one said Happy Birthday and the other said 13 JD, hee hee! A party just isn't a party unless JD whoops some a$$ in Singstar...which his father graciously accepted in defeat.

Once that was out of the way, the presents and cake made their way into the party and things started to get interesting :o)

He got money and a gift card from our friends Amee & Theresa and their fams which was awesome because he loves to buy his own stuff. Thanks so much guys...

And then Aunt Rhea gave him something I'm sure he had been wanting for a long time...

OH WAIT...YOU JUST RICK ROLL'D ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!

OMG....so if you had any idea how hilarious this was, you would be totally crying. A few weeks ago, Rhea and I had been at the thrift store and stumbled upon some classic pop cassette tapes that I swear I owned all of at one point in my life...to include Rick Astley. Little did I know that she was planning on rick-rolling JD on his birthday!! The look on his face was priceless...the look on everyone else's face was exactly the same!! Rhea and I were cracking up...practically on the floor...and meanwhile, JD says "Why do I need this tape recorder?" (insert the tears) It was like me 25 years ago with 8-track tapes...TOO MUCH!

But, he sat there and semi-smiled with his Rick Astley cassette and said thank you for his gift...(insert proud mommy). Right after the pic, Rhea handed him his real gift (Megamind on Wii) and he just giggled. What a trooper!

Thanks so much to everyone that helped make JD's birthday a success and sent their wishes across the miles...we love ya!!

I think he had a great time this year and it blows my mind that I now have TWO teenagers...where do all those years go?? Before I know it, Teage will be in kindergarten next year and Saige will be visiting college campuses. Gosh, I feel so old! Speaking of...I better go and rest my ailing foot and joints.

Thanks for looking...

Closing out November...with the Quickness!

2010-11-28T18:37:00.012+01:00

Is it me or did November just slip me a roofie?

The last thing I remember is buying a bunch of candy and then ripping down my Halloween decor. Next thing I know it's three days ago and I'm waking up to a pile of recipes and turkey feathers flying out of my mouth...AND that frickin' holiday music blaring on every store speaker ever made. Nobody appreciates being date raped by November...just sayin'.

Needless to say, Thanksgiving came and shook me up by reminding me that I have pretty much ZERO time until Christmas! Insert snow!!! Our first snow came on Thanksgiving day....and I am pretty sure we are going to have a crazy winter. Pretty early to be snowing here...but the first snow is absolutely beautiful in its own right. Check out my snowy commentating...

The holiday was nice this year...all the fixins, Family, guests, shopping, and a game night. As everyone knows, I had the major feat of cooking a full on meal. George doesn't cook anything except fried eggs and spaghetti (both of which I commend and eagerly pass on to him any chance I get)...Saige will help with some cooking, if it fits in to her social schedule....so that pretty much leaves it up to me, which I have gotten used to after 15 years I guess :o) Geo invited some single Soldiers over, but only one ended up showing up. The only thing is he showed up 15 minutes early. Normally I would be ok with that...had I not had 15 large rollers in my hair and no make-up on...sigh. Not to mention George left him downstairs for me and the boys to entertain while he showered...double sigh. Real is what you get with this familia...love it or leave it, LOL. Teage, however, was dressed to the nines and really got into it this year. What a STUD!!!

The food was phenomenal....the best being the homemade rolls and homemade gravy, of course. Check out the spread...

The next day (Black Friday), I had to work my subcontracting job while G took the kids "shopping". All I know is I got a call about 2pm FYI-ing me that he was doing some serious spending...hmmmm. All of which I wasn't allowed any intel on. *GRIN*

We spent the rest of the weekend with the Jefferson's, who came up for some nestor time. We always have so much fun and this weekend was no exception. It was TJ's birthday so we did some wine/Park bonding before heading out to the club on base for a bit. The next day we headed out to the Exchange and then the Frohes Fest (Christmas market) downtown for the first time this season. Besides the frost bitten toes and ears, it was just what I needed to cap off the Holiday. The hot chocolate and gluhwein (warm spiced wine) flowed and the smell of roasted candied nuts filled the air. I am now fully armed to tackle December and all its wrath. Can't wait to venture to the neighboring markets during the next month...

Mini Chocolate Cameras?? Oprah needs to put this on her favorite things...

We hope everyone had a great Holiday weekend like we did! Missing all my Family and peeps across the miles...but I am THANKFUL our love extends all around the globe to so many people.

Thank you for being a part of our lives...and as always, thanks for looking :o)

Love ya,

Wednesday Without Words

2010-11-17T21:06:00.001+01:00

Dear Santa...

2010-11-16T17:01:00.003+01:00

So, I was reminded today that there are only 39 days until Christmas Day!! Santa, this is entirely too short of a time for me to finish my online shopping!! You KNOW I have limited resources locally, so here's what I propose...As soon as you are done harassing the elves and reindeer into doing all your tasks, can you stop by my casa and light a fire under my hubby's a$$ and remind him that he is just as capable in shopping for gifts, mailing out gifts, and wrapping up gifts!!

Either that or you can just send some of your unappreciated elves my way...just sayin'!!

Doing your job without the elves,

Top Ten

2010-11-10T17:39:00.003+01:00

Top Ten things I have said/want to say to my son's Child Development Center:

10. Why did that kid just lob a red marker at my head and nobody react?

9. Talk about throwing kids under the bus! If two kids get into an altercation, this Center has no discretion when it comes to disclosing the other child's name who is involved.

8. Being that you have no discretion during an incident...does that mean you talk about all the kids to whomever you choose?

7. When a child needs to be involved in an activity or lesson in order to NOT feel bored....making him do tasks like filling up your water table or holding your sign-in board does not suffice as such.

6. I definitely do not need an attitude from the b!#ch at the front desk...just sayin'.

5. Courtesy calls are your way of trying to tell on my kid. Who is in control there??...STOP BEING A TATTLETALE!!

4. When you roll your eyes because the kids are already getting on your nerves at 8:30am...you showed me (and your students) yet again that they are working YOU and not the other way around.

3. Four different teachers in four months is UNFAIR to not only my child, but my whole parenting routine.

2. How come nobody saw my kid get punched in the face which caused his nose to bleed heavily and ultimately begin this regressing behavior in this now unsafe preschool setting?

1. Word of the day: Accountability...who has it and does it exist in your administration??

Having Teage in the CDC here has been a roller coaster of peaks and valleys!! No child is perfect, but things have been really hard for us as he has transitioned multiple times in such a short time there....all of which the snobby women who run that joint don't have any regard for. Time to dust off my big girl panties and take this shiz on...again!

Thanks for listening,

First Step...Admit the Problem!

2010-11-02T12:54:00.004+01:00

I don't know if I am PMS-ing or pre-menopausal at 35, but today people are irking me.

Back in my early to mid twenties I had a real problem with getting snappy with people the minute they did something that pissed me off. I mean I would cuss someone out or bow up to someone in a heartbeat and wouldn't care where I was or who was watching. It is a quality others admired and I even enjoyed about myself for a while. FYI, I still believe that standing up for yourself and voicing your opinion are characteristics we should all possess. I did realize over time that my delivery was just a little abrasive :o) I had kids that were watching me nut-up in the grocery store or in the car, my emotions were creeping into my personal relationships and causing me to engage in mini tantrums with the people I loved, and most of all it was aging me...I actually think my health was suffering. So, I made the choice to change. I tried really hard to implement a calming way to go about things. I read some books (small ones, because you know I can't make it through extensive books, especially books filled with facts about feelings), watched some relate-able TV, incorporated some breathing exercises into my daily routine, and pretty much made a conscious decision to grow up!! This is where my "nice" mantra stems from and why it is so important to me.

Sooo, what do you do when things get sketchy (like for me today) and your old spaz impulses start to rear their ugly head onto your new peaceful zen attitude?? I find that FB (and my blog) work on occasion for me. I get to vent about what has ticked me off, hit "Share", and go on my way. The only problem with that is...sometimes people (usually the ones who are pissing your off) start calling and emailing, "Why did you write that?" or "Who peed in your Wheaties this morning?" All of which I don't have the energy to explain nor the patience it would take to tell you without verbally abusing you.

Another alternative...SHOP. I find that solo shopping (not to be confused with holding a grocery list) can be extremely therapeutic when you need an escape. My favorite is to hop in my car....head downtown or to some random shop off base and assume the solitude and anonymity. I can take as long as I want, scout items I would never look at with others, eat a pretzel in between, and think about how lucky I am rather than how annoyed I am...all in one afternoon.

These and other positive outlets help me to appreciate and THINK through some of the little pet peeves I hold dear to me. And that is the point I am trying to make...it is ok to get annoyed!! I will still continue to live by the nice rule, but I am who I am. There is a line with me and if you find that I am looking beyond you, well then you probably crossed it. Once that happens, I don't waste my time on the delivery. You are just cut out...

What sparked this whole blog topic you say? I was about to write this on my FB status today...YES I have been feeling this way and NO I don't want to talk about it, like I said it could just be my pre-menopause LOL:

"I have no time for people who are users. I am not here for YOUR benefit people...sometimes you've got to give to receive!!"

Just sayin'...

Have a Boo-tiful Weekend!

2010-10-31T15:18:00.002+01:00

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween this year...Love ya!!

AFAP...It's a Wrap!!

2010-10-29T18:27:00.002+02:00

Well, this week we have successfully conquered yet another AFAP conference in another region. When I say we...I mean this year it was an Isla Trifecta!! Both Saige and George were delegates this year and I filled in a staff position as a recorder/transcriber. For those that don't know what AFAP is, here's a little history...

Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) is the Army's grassroots process to identify and elevate the most significant quality of life issues impacting Soldiers (all components), Retirees, Department of Army (DA) Civilians, and Families to senior leaders for action.

Information provided through the AFAP process gives commanders and leaders insight into current satisfaction detractors, quality of life needs, and expectations of Army constituents. Leadership uses the information to effect changes that improve standards of living and support programs. These changes foster a satisfied, informed, and resilient Army Community.

The Army Family Action Plan is a year-round process that begins at the installation or unit level. It is the preeminent means for commanders at all levels to learn of and seek solutions to the concerns of their communities. The Army is the only Service with a program like AFAP.

It is a great program and I am always impressed at how much of an impact it has on the community...but man it there some long hours, and hard work involved. I threatened to bring a flask in on day two. And almost bi^ch slapped somebody that same afternoon...just sayin'.

Anyway, the conference went well overall and the last day is always my favorite because that is the day we get to show off everyone's hard work with a report out to the General and the delegates get to have a little fun and perform a skit based on their issues of that week. I am so excited to show you what George and Saige contributed...please welcome Captain AFAP and little lunch girl:

Monday Mortal

2010-10-25T18:55:00.004+02:00

This week I have a mortal I want to highlight. I got my new US magazine the other day and there she was sitting on the cover. She is one of my all time favorite 80's teen flick actresses, and she's making a comeback!

All Hail Shawna, Frances, BABY!! With or without your old nose...you still got it girlfriend.

Jennifer Grey, 50...really??

Play Nice

2010-10-24T17:32:00.002+02:00

Here it is Sunday and I have been literally downloading my weekend all day! Mentally, physically, emotionally...busy days entitle us to some download time. It keeps the sanity. So today as I was washing up some dishes, I began to reflect upon certain instances that occurred this weekend. In particular, some chick on the scene yesterday at my SIL's party seemed to have had a bad day and thought she was in the capacity to ridicule me, berate me and act like she was even on my radar. I could go on and on about the details and some "she said" BS, but ultimately all have to say is that she is simply NOT NICE!

When someone is genuinely a nice person...which I actively maintain as a personal characteristic of mine...these are some things I consider being part of that quality. A checklist if you will...

1. Be cordial to even the nastiest people...maybe they are having a bad day/moment.

2. Treat people with respect...there is always a line that somebody is thisclose to crossing, but until then be respectful.

3. Offer your help to someone who might need it...that does not mean lose sight of your goals in the process. We can't save everybody, right?

4. Be accountable and follow through when you do offer to do something.

5. Find the good in people.

6. Don't let people take advantage of you...in that, being nice does not translate into "doormat".

7. Be real...part of being nice is being quite honest to the people we come into contact with.

8. Be complimentary...without being a kiss a$$.

9. Even though I know someone is fake, smile at them anyway...because they are in need of some serious security and warmth. And a smile oozes warmth!

10. Lastly, be nice to yourself...we all need to pat ourselves on the back, too.

This is obviously the way I believe...not to be confused with what is necessarily "right". But, I make pretty good sense sometimes.

Just sayin'...

Wednesday Without Words

2010-10-20T12:01:00.003+02:00

Missing my Monday Mortal

2010-10-18T16:35:00.006+02:00

The days have all seemed to run together lately...for years actually. I love my blog, because even when times get hectic...the blog is always there to open up and give me space to think, write, share, overshare, show-off, and ramble. I wonder if the blog cares that I have missed several Mortal Mondays...or traded my mad writing skills for term papers. To honor my lil bloggie, I want to give a Mortal Monday shout-out. Bringing it back to familiarity for my Fam Bam Fans!

This week's Mortal Monday is dedicated to my JD!! Most of the people know the recent news concerning JD. He has been chosen to be a part of the Kaiserslautern Community Theater production of Beauty and the Beast (he plays a handful of smaller parts, but will be showcased more for his singing). Not only is that thrilling enough...he is also doing double duty in the school's production of Scared Silly. He plays Mr. Monroe (the father) in the Bunnicula Series. We are so proud of him...

For many years we have plugged JD into several different ventures, basketball, baseball, art classes, piano lessons, culture activities...the list goes on. He is not the type to reach out for a hobby. He is very content with some solo time on the computer or in his room with his legos. I love that imaginative, creative aspect about him, too...don't get me wrong. But the fascinating thing about my son is that he will put every bit of himself in everything he does or tries to do. That, alone, thrills me as his mom. Never mind all the issues he has overcome, all the obstacles he has been given...that boy is a gift to not only this Family, but the world. This is why I am so excited for others to have a chance to see a glimpse of what we see at home all the days. I am over the moon that JD can bring the joy to people that he gives everyone he comes into contact with...or shall I say, that he lets in. Super proud mommy for him...for once again proving that he is limitless.

I uploaded the singing portion and emailed to several of you...but here is the link in case you missed it (it makes me cry like a sappy girl every time)

JD Singing

and I added the dance audition for you here. He is in the front of the group (they are facing away from us...so I send a disclaimer for the abundance of tooshie). It was a very quick lesson...they wanted to see if they could just move on their feet pretty much. Enjoy it...I can't wait until I can actually upload his full dress performance. Look for updates throughout.

Thanks for looking...LOVE YA,

Adorable Autumn

2010-09-26T18:57:00.012+02:00

The season is definitely here in our little German countryside.

Saturday we, along with the Jefferson's, ventured out to yet another fest...the Farm Festival in Hitscherhof. The fest season is upon us here in Germany and is one of the main reasons why I love living here and so eagerly invested in finding ways to come back. There is nothing better than sipping on something warm, walking the streets of a village or downtown strasse, and enjoying the simpler things in life...food, blumen (aka flowers), street vendors, and landscapes. Most of the fests here have carnival rides and the occasional dart game all backed by a live band and makeshift biergartens throughout. Those are superb in their own right...however, this fest was different. It was a farm fest...their focus was on handmade items, home-cooked foods & wines, and good old country homage. There was a cornfield labyrinth (JD was M.I.A. in that thing for about 30 minutes), a hay pit (Saige became the hay throwing diva), and pumpkins galore (Teagie was all over those, literally...he would not stop climbing on them). It was a welcome change to the fests we had already been to here. The only downfall, the pumpkin soup felt like it was manufactured instead of being made with love (as we know all soups can only succeed if they are made with love) and the fact that we were racially profiled in the park platz area. LOL. Seriously, why is it I cannot park in the closer parking lot that has 50 empty spots? Why do I have to drive another kilometer uphill and park in no man's land? Hmmmm....just sayin'!!

Anyway, the fest was a good time and I'm super glad the kids enjoyed themselves (even if it was a "mommy fest" as they called it). Check out the fabulous photo ops I stumbled upon:

Thanks for looking...and Happy Autumn!!

Summer Re-Cap

2010-09-20T20:15:00.022+02:00

All I can say is buckle up and prepare to scroll!!

The photo sorting/editing has come to a close. And NOW I can finally fill everyone in on the whirlwind of a summer we had....now that it's damn near Autumn. :o)

As you all know, Popo was here for a month this summer and we visited several places...but nobody cares about anything except Paris, and Amsterdam, right?....just sayin'!

Our trip to Paris was exciting, the weather was absolutely perfect, and everybody had a great vibe going! We started off by checking into a flat in the city of Val d' Europe. It is located right next to where EuroDisney sits. It is a beautiful little town laced with fabulous restaurants, a walkstrasse, and one of the biggest shopping centers I have ever seen. We dove right in the first night and walked into the city center to have dinner at the L'Agape Cafe. All I could think about was ordering something light in order to save room for some authentic creme brulee. It was exactly what you could imagine, melt in your mouth, custardy, sugared, goodness. We then strolled by the metro station to pick up day passes for our Paris excursion the following day. The passes were a great deal...18 euro for any mode of transportation in Paris (tram, bus, metro) with discount tickets to some of the larger attractions included. So we got up early, had breakfast, and hopped on the train. My mom was so cute...taking pictures of every stop we made along the way...to include the occasional graffiti landscape.

Our first stop was the Eiffel Tower...we figured, lets' get the big one out of the way. Off the train, we walked around the street corner and there she was...

It was breathtaking...and beyond HUGE! Of course we all took the touristy pose in front of it and moved in closer.

So, Mr. Gustave Eiffel was a scientist that built this tower in with the hopes to observe meteorological and astronomical happenings (along with other scientific experiments) for a period of 20 years...with the notion he would destroy it after such time. However, the success of his findings solidified it's permanent status as a landmark instead. He even built an office and small apartment at the top where he lived and worked for quite some time. Did I mention it was gargantuan? The base alone is roughly 2.5 acres.

History lesson aside, the main floor (or observer's deck) on the second level is painstakingly high. High enough for all of us, except George! He insisted we pay the extra 5 euro and shimmy our way up another 160 meters to a whopping 986 feet!!! When you are in an open winded structure with only a fence holding you from falling out, 986 feet is a scary place to be. But the view was as gorgeous as anything I had ever seen.

Once we oohed and awed for most of the morning, we hopped back on the train and headed to the Arc de Triomphe. I had seen this Arc in many movies so it was neat to see it in person.

The fascinating part about it was the massive "roundabout" that circled the Arc. We had been warned early NOT to drive into Paris. It is congested as you can imagine...but I soon realized they were simply avoiding it due to THIS roundabout. Several people have told me that they got stuck in this circle for 10 minutes, 20 minutes...even up to an hour of circling the doughnut that no one can escape. Number one, there are no lanes...it is a free for all up in there. Second, it is inundated with buses, which are of course big and scary. Third, not too many cars use the center of the this huge roundabout! So there is everyone trying to keep to the edge, with a bus creeping on you and no damn LANES!! Never mind the fact that everyone is pointing and laughing in between staring at this beautiful Arc, since it is in the middle of all this chaos. Don't worry, they're just saying, "Glad we didn't drive here like that idiot!"

Next up was Notre Dame. After walking about 8 miles...ok maybe it was like 2 km, we caught a glimpse of the cathedral's backside from the bridge. SO COOL!

I immediately thought of the animated Disney movie and wanted to see Quasimoto stat! Since that wasn't an option I opted for Charlemagne...

I was in awe of the statues that lined the church and the details were unimaginable.

The kids even found time to get in a little play and sightseeing...my kiddies make Paris look GOOD!

The final stop in our Paris City excursion was the Louvre...

The resting place for Mona Lisa, which was almost impossible to get a good picture of because of the lights/flashes and the distance you have to stand away. But there she is, with the other most beautiful lady in the room.

The other area we wanted to visit was the Roman mythology room. It was full of statues of Greek Gods and Goddesses.

Since the Louvre was the last on our list, we got there about an hour and a half before closing. So we didn't see it all, but the aura was exactly what I needed. Outside in the center square, everyone was relaxing and eating and just enjoying the surroundings. There were fountains and small pools that everyone had their feet in. I thought it pretty much summed up the vibe....

Good times...

The following day, we headed to everyone's favorite place...Disney!! We had already ventured there this Spring, but hadn't visited the Disney Studios portion of the park yet. So, we plowed through with a stop off to Disneyland to show Popo the differences between FL's park and here. I tell ya, this place never gets old...

The night ended with a late dinner at Planet Hollywood where the big kids were totally digging on all the movie memorabilia. Teage couldn't hang...he was tired go nite nite!

Our last day we decided to spend a little more time in our home away from home spot...Val d' Europe. I already mentioned the mall...but did I tell you about the aquarium under the mall? Sea Life is hidden in the basement of the mall and has all the makings of a big time Aquarium. The boys loved it and even George got down with the sting ray petting pool.

Afterward, we ventured outside to the outlet village area. It was a like a mini Worth Ave. D&G, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy, Pepe...etc. It was super chic and clarified to me why so many people love shopping in Paris. However, I wonder if the shoppers were fully prepared on having the Isla's there that day. While George, Saige, and I were in one of the stores, we peeked outside the window only to see Popo people watching and the boys holding these....

...which we got for them in the aquarium. But, what we didn't foresee was when they decided to use these grabby shark teeth to torture the lady sitting on the bench next to them. Teage had that thing almost up the lady's nose...she eventually got up, laughed, and walked away. Never a dull moment!

Paris was so exciting and relaxing. I definitely recommend it as a getaway spot. Most of what we saw was just indescribable...and will forever be ingrained in my mind. Am I a lucky girl, or what??!!

P.S. Europe never disappoints in the souvenir department...

Thanks for looking...next up, Amsterdam, WOOT!

Love ya,

Patriot's Blog

2010-09-11T09:16:00.004+02:00

The blog...it has been lurking around my conscience for quite some time and the time is soon coming when the Summer adventure posts will finally start to present themselves, in fact...this is my motivator post.

I find it only fitting to get my blogging juices flowing by starting with this subject...

Today we are having a yard sale (I am probably gonna get barked at in a few minutes, since I left Geo outside with all my shiz unpriced LOL). It was pretty much a last minute decision and so yesterday I frantically whipped out some poster board and spouted off some light instruction to Saige about what info I needed on those suckas. As I scribbled up my sample, I wrote "Yard Sale, 8-2pm, 2748 C Saturday, 9/11".....and then I stopped. I mean everyone in the entire world, let alone our nation, knows what day is looming well before it gets here. But there I was writing the 9/11 like I had seen all over the news 9 years ago and every year after. It was gut wrenching and like a shell-shocked flashback, made me want to go stab a terrorist. After the initial raw emotion subsided, I just felt sad. Sad for our country, sad for those wives, husbands, friends, Family members, unborn children who would never meet their parent, sad for what it has done to our sense of security, sad for all those servicemen and women who are still fighting the fight because of it, sad for all the true/good Muslims that are now racially profiled because of where they come from, sad for the angry Americans that want to execute a man just because he looks like Bin Laden...JUST SAD!

As a patriot, I am constantly trying to pass on the message that we should all stand up for our great country...even when the angry ones feel fed up. There is no such thing as a perfect nation...but we are one that tries to do it right for all. Words like Imperialism, Complacency, and Corporate America are just a taste of what people spew negatively in regard to the US. It makes me sad that one would assume that being a patriot means you are Complacent, that assisting other countries ventures into Imperialism, that the government only feeds into Corporate America. These are things I have heard and seen...again, SAD. While no country is perfect, I hardly see how someone can justify turning their back on the one country that would go to the ends of the earth to fight for our freedom.

To all the victims, and survivors, and firefighters, and police officers and medical personnel, and selfless people who were there at the WTC, the Pentagon, Flights 93, 11, 77,& 175 that day we now call simply 9/11, I pray for you. You are a part of history that will forever be remembered. Nothing will change that. I just hope those people know just how brave they are...and that will NEVER be forgotten.

So, I say it loud...I am PROUD to be an American!! I am PROUD to be a Military Wife! I am PROUD I get to help my fellow patriots! I am PROUD I get to live a life that allows me to write this all in my blog when I want and how I want! Now take a moment out of your busy day (Lord knows we are all stretched thin these days) and pray for those affected...all of us. Then, take the time to channel your own inner patriotism....

Thanks for looking,

Popo's Adieu

2010-08-18T18:49:00.006+02:00

Obviously, I haven't blogged since my mom has been here. We have been jam packed, fun-filled, and worn out since she arrived. I have several blog posts...one from each adventure and a "laugh out loud" funny story to back it up. But for now, I just want to say that I officially MISS MY MA! We had a great time and I think we may have shown her some things she never expected to see in her lifetime...and that makes me feel good inside. I am so thankful she was able to come out and that she could be here to spend the quality time with my Family that I so desired.

Thank You Popo, for just being here!! We miss you so much already (Teage has asked for you every morning since you have left). I miss having an instant road buddy and shopping partner. I miss how you had nothing but good things to say me on a daily basis. I miss making fun of your snorts. I miss you slapping me on the arm when I did...hee hee. I miss the over-indulgent air mattress in the middle of my office floor. I miss you shucking the corn. I miss your random kisses and hugs to me and my kids for no reason...and so on.

We had some good times and definitely some memories I will never forget....(pink blow-up hair)!!

Popo's Welcome

2010-07-17T07:51:00.004+02:00

Well, she is here!!!

Popo arrived safely to Frankfurt yesterday morning. Her plane was delayed by about an hour and a half, but when she came off the plane....I could not stop smiling! We took her to the German lunch spot on Ramstein and she had her first Jager Schnitzel...and she likeys!

And the look on Teage's face when she walked in with me to pick him up was PRICELESS. I am so happy she is here and can have this time with the kids. It was SO due for our Family and I know we are all going to benefit from a little Popo presence :o) Today, we are off to the indoor flea market, Heidelberg, and topped off with a margarita/party lite party...let the fun continue!

I'm Published...Well, Kinda!

2010-07-15T19:42:00.004+02:00

I was sitting on my computer finishing up my softball blog post...when George walked in and said..."You got a package from Blurb!"

I sprung form my chair and quickly ran to the kitchen yielding a razor sharp...key, and tore open the box. My first ever written...book. Ok, so it's not a novel, or a self-help book, or a even a cookbook....but it is my writing.

Behold, my first Book of Blog!!

I finally started my annual blog book collection and seeing the finished product almost brought me to tears. I started blogging on a friend's suggestion. I've never considered myself a writer...after all, I was never a fan of the subject English in school nor any of its counterparts. But, I do have a wit about me and have a pretty sharp tongue. I love to say what I think and tell a story...or ten :o) So as soon as I started to blog, I knew it was going to be something I would do forever.

I think these yearbooks will be a great way for my family to stay connected to the people we love not only now, but for many years to come...even centuries. I want my great, great, grandchildren to be able to connect no matter what year it is. Call it a paper built time capsule, if you will. I am already working on 2009....and will continue to do so as the years go on.

So if ever you make your way to visit our home or that of my kids or their kids, feel free to peruse the blog book...there's some funny shit in there :o)

As always...thanks for looking!!

All Star Softball...Ends With a Bang!

2010-07-13T09:31:00.013+02:00

Most of you know that softball has consumed most of our summer in one way or another. While I love watching the people I love play...this last expedition proved to be the "icing" that capped off this softball cake. The regional tournament was held in Cairo Montenotte, Italy this year. It was about a nine hour drive (a hot, yet beautiful drive). We ventured south through Germany, into Switzerland (my fave new place) and across the north side of Italy to reach the west coast district of Savona. We stayed at Villa Eugenia (a B&B) tucked away in a mountain and was hellatious to drive to, but it couldn't have been more perfect. Simona (the house mother), welcomed us right away with hugs, food (gotta love an Italian woman that wants to feed you), and a tour all while holding Teage's hand. She was one of the nicest people we had encountered in a long time and will definitely be staying there if we go back next year.

The softball. Saige was so excited to be on this adventure and we were equally happy for her. She has only been playing softball competitively since we moved here (sorry, but the youth sports teams in Okinawa, was NOT real softball). We were expecting a lot out of this league and tournament for her as an experience. I think the excitement was so overwhelming for all the girls that it rattled the team a bit...and we lost our first game. The nervousness had to have been strong...I was nervous for them! But, the main objective was to have fun and play ball. Those two things should have been all that mattered...and Saige ran with it.

Speaking of Saige...we have gone through a lot with her with this whole "growing up/becoming a teenager" thing. There have been personal tests, bad decisions, good choices, hard work, wavering independence, and strong personality lessons that have been learned/taught in the past couple years. No child is going to go through life knowing all the right moves...but, I am a firm believer that if you raise your kids to have manners, a level head, a fun & loving spirit, and responsibility than you have tackled half the battles. Saige has made a few mistakes in her journey to become a young lady, but more than those mistakes she always manages to show me what she has carried with her all along...humility and a truly, caring heart. This week was no exception. The girls were compacted into 2-man rooms on a baseball camp compound over the course of six days while we were in Italy. Can you imagine 13 teenage girls hugged up in one small space with 100 degree weather? This was a recipe for bad mojo. By day three, there were girls calling each other out on their mistakes in the game, name calling, whining, meltdowns, cliques, and even cursing. I don't know exactly all that went down (since the girls were not staying with their parents), but, what I do know is that I was not worried about Saige. My baby is a leader...thick-skinned and is also genuinely NICE! I was proud she didn't get involved into being catty and instead tried to dodge the drama and make people feel better. She is not perfect, but she is who she is....and I have always known how incredible she is in her heart. (sniff sniff, LOL)

Besides all the drama that I wished had never happened with the girls....they played as best they could and I couldn't have asked for more than that. They did not advance to the World Series, but they are champs in my book. They went there with only one game played under their belt and about three weeks of practice. They did their best and that is what mattered.

I want to say a big thank you to the coaches that stepped up and VOLUNTEERED their time and their wallets to make this happen for Saige & the rest of he girls. Without them they would have never made it to Italy in the first place. Coaching is a tough job all around...dealing with young girls' hearts and attitude, in-the-mix parents, out-of-the-mix parents, dealing with other coaches, gathering information, fronting the costs when others can't...the list goes on. While everyone has their way of coaching (aka-"I would have done this..."), it's always easier to holla from the sidelines. I appreciate them for giving the kids the time and for caring.

I think that pretty much sums up my take on the past week's events. The moral of this story is..."With great commitment comes great achievement!" I think Saige achieved a lot over this past year in softball and I look forward to seeing her grow in play for years to come....

Some pics of our time there...

Thanks for joining us in the journey...

Fam Bam 4th Festivities

2010-07-04T09:15:00.016+02:00

I say 4th, but it was really a celebration on the 3rd for us. Our first 4th of July in Germany can be summed up in two words....heated and LONG! We started out with sprucing things up around the house for the BBQ, took a few 4th Family photos,

then we headed out to the Freedom Fest (which is only a couple blocks from my house...SCORE on that). Saige and her softball team were in charge of working the Dunk Tank for a Little League Fundraiser. It was frickin' HOT!! Hot not only for Germany's standards, but it was flirting with Okinawa/FL hot! But seriously, I think when people sweat like this they ARE actually melting!

The Dunk Tank was fun and I even tried to pay somebody to get me in that thing ...but only the coaches were getting dunked.

testing out the ammunition

Coach Kent in the tank...

Surrounding the area was the children's section...bounce houses, duck pond games, face painting, over-sized sumo wrestling, and an inflatable boxing ring. There was even the occasional superhero roaming around. The boys went to town...

Shrek looks like Zombie Shrek...but Teage didn't seem to mind.

Punch-Out Time!

NANANANANANANA...BATMAN!

After we left the fest, we went back home and I started grilling (again, how hard is it for a certain cubexican to grill up some burgers and chicken? ...all the days perpetrating). Rhea and the kids were in tow along with a friend of hers, my new friend, Brooke and her hubby came and then some other people I didn't really know too well. Needless to say, it is challenging to keep everyone in sync and happy when there are blind dates (guests) in the mix...especially when kids are involved. But, I was on a mission to have a good time, and I did.

Singstar is always doing everybody right...they were totally singing Britney Spears' "Toxic"

After the YUMMY eats and pool time (both water and table), we ventured back to the fest to check out the kid's rides and watch the fireworks. It turned into a gorgeous night and finally things started to cool down.

Next week we are headed to Italy for Saige's Regional tournament (they play Italy and Poland) and if they win, they represent Europe and move to the World Series in August held in Kirkland, Washington. They are a really great team and have the potential to go super far...can't wait to see my girlie kick some Italian and Polish booty!

Until next time....HAPPY 4TH PEEPS!!!

Taunus for US!

2010-06-30T20:04:00.020+02:00

My life is a cesspool of kid activities these days. Softball field clay has become part of my plasma, sweat is my new salt substitute, and organizing fun times for the kids has taken over my calendar. I love summer and all the happenings that go with it...but DANG...it is really tasking this year. The softball has played a huge part on that change. Having both Saige and George playing on multiple teams this year has been quite the challenge. But as good mommies do, I try to shake things up a bit and throw in the random, mindless, theme park thrill.

This week we headed to Taunus Wunderland in Weisbaden. I had to go there to order some savings bonds that George won in a golf tournament last month and so I decided to make a day trip out of it. Rhea joined the kids and I as we ventured off, express-like. We only had like 2 hours there since softball practice was at 2pm, but we zipped through and even had time to stop and savor a crepe. The park reminds me exactly of Holiday Park ,very Mom and Pop. I could tell the running theme was the Brothers Grimm, but I was thinking more Ghetto Grimm, at best. However, they did have a nice Wasser ride (aka Splash Mountain ride), a slide Teage couldn't get enough of and a decent Pirate Ship. Pirate Ship rides have taken over the world, I tell ya.

I would have liked to have had George there and spend the full day. They have a zillion little tucked away playgrounds for all ages. I was imagining a picnic and a Grapefruit German Hefeweizen in my future (they sold them there...I must find those...they are re-fresh-ing)!! Anyway, the kids had fun and there were tons of photo ops. Rhea and I even got to ride on some of the rides for a change...check out our time-constrained, fun-filled day.

Thanks for looking...LOVE YA!

Saige's Week!

2010-06-21T14:25:00.011+02:00

My little girl is upping the ante...she's officially 15 and "permit" legal. Too bad living in Germany hinders the immediate driving capabilities. I don't think I could handle that bug in my ear these days. She is still that baby to me that used to bat her eyelashes to get attention at RJ Gators, giggle frantically when I'd snatch her paci out of her mouth or pretty much at any given time, wear a zwieback on her face like no other, call the kitchen the 'chicken', and be my all time cuddle buddy when daddy was away. She has grown up WAY too fast and each day I try desperately to grasp onto all the moments I have left with her at home. From the jump, I always knew she was the kid that would leave right away after high school. She has so many dreams and so much to offer...so full of life. I am in awe of her spirit. But until that day comes...I am holding on for dear life!

This past week was a doozy...the last day of school happened, I was away for a w'EEK for the first time attending a conference, we left for Stuttgart to watch Saige's team play for the German Little League title, add in a little Father's Day...and of course we celebrated her fabulous quinceanera!! Since I was gone, I had arranged some fun surprises for her on Monday. She received an fun balloon bouquet during exams :o) and then when she got home, her dad and brothers drove her by the marquis on base to see a flashy message that read, "HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY SAIGE ISLA...LOVE YOUR FAMILIA!" She was super excited about that. Then I drove back home to top it off with a personalized t-shirt (enter new obsession), dinner at Chili's with cake, and presents. Rhea and the kids met up with us and we had a great time. Thanks to everyone that sent her something in the mail and through email.

The best present she got was the new softball bat from her dad. They have really bonded with this softball thing (I just want to reiterate that softball is taking over my life...please pray for me). Anyway, this was no accident...he was prepping her for the tournament this weekend which would secure the Junior All Stars the privilege of representing Germany at Regionals next month. Not only did they win, but they pummeled 'em. It was good, fun, clean, softball and our girls showed class and poise and most of all...teamwork! So proud of Saige...she is the oldest on her team along with one other girl and is really the shining star of the group. She is always making people laugh, pumping the girls up, calling out plays, rooting the others on, just an overall force! (Of course she is also the loudest girl on the team...LOL) Congrats to her and her team...next up, Regionals in Cairo Montenotte, Italy from July 6-11. Another family trip ahead...sprinkled with softball (sigh) LOL!

As always...thanks for looking and wish us luck in Italy :o)

Being Professional...

2010-06-16T10:46:00.003+02:00

...is not,

flailing your arms to get a chance to speak.

yelling, "I see your hand and we know you're next, but you need to wait".

trying to be louder instead of talking one at a time, as the group norm states.

giving your complete personal background, so that you beat the dead horse more than it already has been.

answering questions FOR the subject matter expert...assuming you know more than he does.

AND

doing your make-up at the round-table...just sayin'!

This week's conference is TASKING, to say the least. To be fair...while the room and the power hungry, rude people in it are sometimes unprofessional, I guess opening this blog up and a sudden blast of Poison's "I Won't Forget You" filling the room wasn't too savvy either :o) In my defense, it did cause them to simmer down and jam out for 1/2 a second. How's that for professionalism? 2 more days......

Four Years With a Stud!

2010-06-12T08:30:00.010+02:00

The birthday season has truly commenced! June brings all kinds of birthday happenings, starting with our Teagie and following with our Saigie Baby. I cannot even fathom the speed in which these kids are growing up. I feel like I was JUST planning their birthdays last year in Oki...seriously, this whole time warp thing needs to calm down.

But I guess it is safe to say that the lil stud has officially moved away from all things "free for 3 and under" and ventured into the "overpriced 4 and up" group. Truth be told, Teage could totally pass for 7 or 8 based on his wit and charm (I just beam about the awesome traits I pass onto my kids, lol). We decided to keep this year's affair a family only event (besides, this isn't my first rodeo and I just wasn't mentally sound to gather up a bunch of wild ass toddlers and unleash them into cake and pinata candy). So being that the other Isla Fam is here and they come equipped with two toddlers :o) , why not keep it that simple? So we did. Teage chose the bowling center as his venue and I used the extra $$ not going to strangers in his class to splurge on a giant Batman cake! It was fun and low-key and HOT (ummm, did I ever mention how ' hot it is here in the summer...and there isn't an AC unit within 600 kilometers of the KMC...it's just not right)!

Another added detail was I decided to make all my kids matching t-shirts to wear in honor of the birthday boy. They came out so great, but also led me to another side addiction. Iron-ons do everybody right! Once we got past the toddler out of turn-taking, a few tumbles on the lanes, random balloon poppings, a little fist pumping, and the 50 lb cake....we headed back to the casa to continue the party. Waiting there was Teagie's indoor/outdoor 2-sided kitchen. The chil'ren proceeded to have loads of fun and and proceeded to pour the wine. All in all it was a fabulous day and I thank everyone who wished him a Happy Birthday and sent cards/gifts. He loved every minute of it.

It's amazing how much can squeeze into a year. Teagie has gone through loss, confronting challenges, milestones, personal growth, and adventure. We are so lucky to have this little guy in our lives. Here's a montage to showcase his fabulous 4th year...ENJOY!!

Dear Blog...

2010-06-06T10:22:00.003+02:00

Dear Bloggy Blog---

I love you...I really do. You make me happy, you're always there when I scroll through my bookmarks, you capture my stories well, and you know how to make my pictures shine. But my dear bloggy, I am able to admit that I haven't given you the time you deserve lately. I am busy and I literally don't have the time to sit and "hang" with you for our usual hour sessions. I am on a mission to scale back my long drawn out posts and just write only the essentials. Hopefully, this can keep our relationship going and you won't delete me from you memory. Until next time...keep the dashboard warm....

Today I feel...

2010-05-18T16:31:00.003+02:00

Today I feel like nothing can take away my serenity. I feel at peace. My Family is healthy, happy...my schedule is falling back into balance...the weather is fantastic...all the makings of a thumbs up day :o)

Teage the Gymnast

2010-05-11T17:09:00.014+02:00

This past Friday, Teage had his Gymnastics Exhibition and WOW, what a showstopper!!

While I nervously sat amongst the other gymnast parents (nervous because I know how "curious" my son can be and in a room full of toddler girls...just sayin'), I noticed that my son really likes to put on a show. Like a full on "These people must all be here for me" show.

The famous 'Stick It and Stretch' pose...

At one point in the show he decided he wanted to strip down and wear the patterned leotard shorts given to him that he refused to showcase earlier that morning. Imagine glitter, velvety, and almost bikini like....CRUEL. (Don't you just love the shirt though?)

That didn't last very long (again all of this occurred during the exhibition...SHOW.STOPPER, I tell ya)

After floor, his class moved on to the bars...where monkeys like him are experts.

Next up Balance Beam...

WOOOOAAAAHHHH!!!

Marching to every apparatus, they have to have their hands on their hips...I giggle every time I see him do hand to hip...he's such a lil guy.

After they were done, he decided to relax and gather up the honeys.

So proud...{tear}.

His first of many trophies to come...GO TEAGIE, GO TEAGIE!!

He really enjoyed going each week and this summer he will move up a class level...Woot Woot.

P.S. My wide angle lens is totally doing me right :o)

P.S.S. Beware of static cling on trampolines :o)

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T08:24:00.006+02:00

So... We spent the day pretty low-key and my fam made it fabulous for me. I woke up to a collage of me and the three kids with a homemade card that read like butter. After that, we headed to brunch with Rhea and all the kids...and had a nice meal. We had hoped to take the kids to the park, but to our disappointment the rain took over. So, George decided to snatch up my grocery list and drop me off at home while he and the kids battled the C word (it's called the C word because nobody likes to go to the Commissary...so we mask its name). After that, he ventured off the BX with the kids while I watched Marley & Me (why I decided to watch a tear-jerker alone is beyond me...actually, I got stuck as I flipped through the AFN channels). The kids walked in and what a surprise! Teage had a shirt I had been eying hanging around his neck, Saige had a cute, brown summer purse in her hands and JD entered the threshold with a box of Russel Stover's (mmmm). As if that weren't enough...my honey got me a gift that far surpassed any previous gifts in the past. A new wide angle lens for my Canon....CHYA!! He really knows the way to my heart :o) I have the best Family.EVER!

As you can imagine, Mother's Day for us this year was quite different than year's past. I was thinking about how George would feel on this day and hoped I could make it as "normal" as possible for him. I had decided early on that I would send Maria some flowers for Mother's Day and I didn't tell him til the day before...with the hopes to not make him think too much about it. They arrived and we asked G-Pa to swing by and take a picture of her with the flowers. They were beautiful and they kind of encompassed the niche. But I know she would have loved them.

We also sat down to dinner (thanks to my awesome Saigie...she makes the best pasta) and went around the table as everyone said a few words to express their Happy Mother's Day to Grandma and Popo. Their words meant a lot to George, I could tell...we are starting a tradition where we will get Maria a card each Mother's Day and have the kids write what they want to say to her. I think it will be a great memory to look back on in years to come. In the meantime...we will continue to keep her in our hearts and remember her always!!

Día Siempre una madre para todos nosotros ... Feliz de la Madre!

To all the Madres...

2010-05-09T20:23:00.004+02:00

The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. ~Carrie Latet

Soapy Saturday

2010-05-08T07:35:00.003+02:00

The days have been long lately and I just have a few things I wouldn't mind slipping by you on my soapbox...it's therapy for me.

Don't eat Turkish tacos and then pound 8 beers...somehow it doesn't work out.

Be a good listener, not just a talker...it's one of the best traits a person can possess. I love to listen...but, I certainly don't have time to repeat myself or school you on manners.

2 year olds in gymnastics have far different methods than 3 year olds in gymnastics.

Taking a photography class online is like reading the Pioneer Woman's website (photog section)...I wonder if she could start passing out grades in the Home and Garden dept.

Don't terrorists know by now that trying to blow up the American people has long passed. We aren't taking your shit anymore...and P.S. New York again, really? Fugheddaboutit...somebody take care of that a$$hole already!

Teenage boys can be needy and co-dependent...and come out a stud.

Teenage girls can be independent...and get a bad rep, instantly.

There's more to life than labels and keeping up with the Jones'.

If I could have a raspberry cobbler IV drip, I would.

If anyone wants to visit Legoland, JD charges either 5 cents or a Pokemon card to check out his bedroom.

Liars need to check themselves at my door...all the days.

Nothing says I love you like, "You might get cut".

Chicken wire and cats have an established bond that goes way back.

Wall decals and crack....sisters!

Staples in your head are not easily detached when you are given a "suture removal" kit by a Doc.

Wubzy has a hypnotic way about him that entrances toddlers...I think it's the pipeline effect in his shows.

Brett Michaels needs to marry his baby momma already. The days of passing women and tequila shots around need to come to an end.

I think it's funny when people say I have an attitude. DUH!! Sorry I don't have a dry, sneaky way about me. I say it proud...I HAVE AN ATTITUDE....both good and bad, you decide which one you wanna see today :o)

I find cotton plants to be beautiful.

Lastly, my littlest informed me the other day when he was investigating the inside of my nose that I had spiderwebs in there and to be careful. I guess it could have been worse...spiderwebs with 'food' in them sounds much more insulting :o)

Here's to another Fall day in Spring...Bavarian style.

Spring Break Part 2 (Catching Up)

2010-04-29T22:43:00.022+02:00

I know, I am a slacker. I have been extremely overwhelmed and busy the past couple weeks and so my little bloggy blog has suffered. One more day and I would have been interrogated on the terms of neglect. So here I am finally adding one of the many posts I have jumbled in my head for my faithful readers (p.s. i love you guys).

So the last few days of Spring Break were spent trying to fast forward the days. I mean I love my kids, but momma needs a vacation, that's all I'm saying. Moms like me, who stay at home and whose sole job consists of being a balanced partner, raising children, actively participating in that parenting role (because just "being" a parent is not where the work is), and maintaining all its scheduling and spontaneity deserves paid leave on a biannual basis...for reals! Lately, I have felt like packing a bag and heading to a bed and breakfast somewhere in Amsterdam. But, enough about my woes...when I have to really vent, you'll know!

Thursday of the "Break" the kids and I headed to the zoo and the German Mall. I am officially courting the mall like it's my new boyfriend. The shiny floors, the stair-less escalators, the Present Store, H&M, the jumping water fountain....it's enough to make you wanna be thankful for Icelandic ash and the fact that we were trapped here.

Back to the zoo. The kids had a blast.

I think we stared at the baboons for about 30 min even though the smell was worse than George's socks post an all night softball tourney. They were fascinating. The booty picking, the baby carrying, the multiple humping incidents, the brawls between siblings, the old ass elder who just pushed everyone out of his stoney circle...the list goes on. Saige had to drag me and the boys away.

(you have no idea what was going on there...naughty business)

The only thing that was weird was that they had wild animals roaming around while we were walking. Like the deer...or pigs...or ponies...or weird looking birds (I am not a fan of random birds, they are way too unpredictable for me...and their beaks are straight-up weapons...I can't). Teage and JD had fun racing to cage after cage all day,

while Saige and her friend acted like they were on a photo shoot for a magazine that could be titled "Girl Meets Dirty Farm Animals"...wait, that just sounds all wrong. Maybe "National Saige-o-graphic". That's better. But seriously, how many pictures of the side of your face can one person take?? I have enough uploaded on my computer to make one of those mosaic portraits Ive always wanted (hmmmm......note to self).

After the zoo, we went to the mall. The one place I was trying to zone in on was the TK Maxx. Let me break it down....T -(abcdefghij) K -Maxx.

HA....you Americans can apparently only handle up to J. You gotta roll to Europe to gain that extra letter...it's a privilege, I know it. Seriously, what gives on the weird name change, TJ Maxx? Do the Ks outrank the Js in the German alpha? All I know is it looked just like a TJ Maxx inside (the wannabe label-whore loving clothes section, the random chaotic toy area, mismatched home decor, and useless electronics)...so what comes first?...the J or the K? I must inquire about this later in the future. I am losing sleep over it.

To wrap up the weekend, we went to Gartenshau Park for their 10th Anniversary celebration to see the tulips and the dino statues.

We encountered some German ladies dressed up in modern ball gowns and others in old century wear. I had no idea why this was occurring, but it was fun to watch them prance around with their digital cameras and beer steins :o)

The park is a boy's slice of heaven...mini-golf, dinosaur creatures, creeks, waterfall, playgrounds, and a labyrinth. Saige was unamused, until we hit the bratwurst stand. She was a trooper though and really made the most out of it with her brothers.

Gotta love a well manicured park.

Once Spring Break finally came to a close I found myself thinking, I didn't want them to go back to school. We had a blast...as always!!

Spring Break...Part 1 (Holiday Park)

2010-04-18T09:34:00.014+02:00

The week has seriously dragged on. Spring Break that is...

I don't know if it was because George didn't take leave (hmmmm, how'd he finagle that anyhow?)

Or maybe that our Disney trip thwarted high expectations for us meaning anything after paled in comparison?

Ooooh, maybe it was that fact that every night I didn't go to bed until at least 2am catching up those "snarky" housewives of NY?

Long winded or not, I am a Spring Break planning junkie and I love planning activities to keep these chil'ren of mine busy. Otherwise, they would be happy with just sitting around...bothering me.

So we used one of the days this week to head to Holiday Park and meet up with my geographical counterpart...Farrah and her lil chil'ren, Lennon :o)

Holiday Park was completely desolate. Which I liked. We practically had the whole park to ourselves....which also meant I didn't really have to have my Teage goggles on as I do in any normal crowd. Plus, it made for some quality girl talk in between rides.

Holiday Park can only be described as a broke man's Disneyworld. It's very mom and pop....which again, I like. The mascot was Holly the parrot along with his sidekick Dolly the ..."Squirrel". (I am using the Dug voice from UP when I say squirrel, I don't think I will ever be able to say the word normal again)

There were several rides, some intense...like the Lighthouse Tower that no one dared step up to, except JD. He wanted to go on (he had never done the one at Disney and rightfully so)...who wants to drop from the sky like that surrounded by a casing of steel, really? He went up alone...well, he sat with three other girls and I'm sure flashed them his million dollar smile :o) As soon as he went in, I started to panic. I thought this could go really good, or this could end in disaster. He doesn't do anxiety well, so until he came off, I could only picture him making it all the way to the top and then saying "Nevermind, I wanna get down".

JD is on the far left

But he didn't...he just screamed his head off as they dropped (all...the...way...down). What a trooper. He walked towards me at the exit screaming..."I SURVIVED!!"

Teage decided early on that he would be Lennon's personal caregiver. He was really sweet with him...it almost made me want another...PSYCHE, I'm crazy but not insane. However, he really took to Lennon...and it was adorable.

(I didn't mention it then, but I LOVE the cherry blossom diaper bag, don't you?)

I could tell Saige was starting to wonder when we were leaving this joint...so I threw her in some photo ops (which always grabs her attention).

She did have fun on a few rides with JD...

OK, so this next part of the story is something I was debating putting out there...but, I gotta keep it real.

Almost as soon as we arrived to the park...I was clicking away on my camera when suddenly I heard my son utter these words...

"Mom look, it's an angry dwarf (insert tween chuckle)"

I snapped my head over to him so fast...I knew I had given myself whiplash. Then, I spot-checked the surroundings and saw a little person whizzing away on a razor scooter. You know...a little person. Farrah and I cut our eyes to one another and I almost fell out. WTH? So I calmly called JD over and asked "Why did you say that?", he replied, "WHAT?" My parenting skills instantly became put on front street. It went something like this...

"You know he's not angry right?"

"I'm sorry"

"And do you know he is not to be called a dwarf, he is a little person?"

"Sorry MOM, but he's just like from Bedtime Stories"

(sigh)

"Would you yell out, WOW that guy has brown skin?"

"Well, No"

"So you shouldn't say things about how a person looks...it's mean. AND, it might hurt someone's feelings. I don't think you would like it if someone said something about how you looked, would you?"

"No, I said I'm sorry"

"Oh and again...Bedtime Stories is a MOVIE...not real life"

"I know Mom"

Now, I must say to you that Mr. Scooter worked at the park. He was most likely a guide or assistant to the mascots, because he followed them throughout the park all day. Later on, we ran into him again and my son walked right up to him and said "Hi", with a warm smile ear to ear, ended with a glance my way for approval. Good start I guess. Mr Scooter ended up being in the parade later and he totally posed for my camera...there is nothing angry about this guy...just sayin'.

What a fun day...and I enjoyed spending it with Farrah and Lennon, too. Here are some other pics.

Next up, the Zoo and Gartenshau Park...stay tuned.

Thanks for looking,

Around the World..Disney

2010-04-12T08:32:00.018+02:00

*click to enlarge pics*

We successfully managed to visit the last stop on our Worldwide Disney adventure this past weekend (ok so we haven't been to Hong Kong Disney yet, but I'm gonna guess the one in Tokyo is just as comparable). Disneyland Paris was fabulous. We did, however, take the Express tour...so that means we will be back with an extended visit later. This time it was a one day, one park, feet wet kinda deal.

They have two parks, Disneyland (aka Magic Kingdom) and Walt Disney Studios (aka DisneyMGM). They also have Disney Village (like Downtown Disney). We chose the classic of the two and pushed forward. Of course everything was written and spoken in French (Thyme would have enjoyed that), but since we were in Europe...it was also subtitled in English for all those Londoners :o) BONUS! So that was a nice change. I think I said Danke (thanks in German) like 15 times to the French and they would stare me down and reply Merci...MY BAD. Anyway, some of the staple rides were there...Space Mountain 2, Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Le Carousel, Buzz Lightyear, It's a Small World, etc. There were some odd interpretations here and there though...

Haunted Mansion was referred to as Phantom Manor

and Cinderella's Castle was replaced with Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

But what I was really excited about was the Mad Hatter Teacup ride. The excitement quickly turned into despair...Mad Hatter was on hiatus. That effer didn't even leave a note. So there I was, reminiscing my days as a young child growing up in Disney"World" territory, never once spinning myself in a cup o'blivion. My chance was once again thwarted by that schizo Hatter...one day I'll make it down that rabbit hole.

The new additions...they had the Indiana Jones Temple of Peril roller coaster. JD thought he should be able to climb the temple...we almost let him, but the line was moving too fast. He settled for an Indy hat that his big sis bought him instead...he rocks it pretty well.

Teage had a BLAST to say the least. I caught many moments of him just staring in awe at the Happiest Place on Earth.

We spotted a few characters as well...even though Teage wanted NOTHING to do with Capt Hook. "I don't like him...he's too mad", he said.

Oh, and Ratatouille is HUGE there...being French and all. They have rat hats, statues, shirts...all about it.

The weather was perfect, the park was hoppin', and the food was great. What a great beginning to our jam packed Spring Break. Check out the rest of our pics...

P.S. You simply cannot leave France without a croissant or some creme brulee...so I had both, and I wanted to slap my mama...it was SO GOOD!

P.S.S. I'm gonna say it, the French ARE rude. They lived up to the hype on several occasions. One in particular in trying to push my Teagie out of the way to let their kid jump ahead on the slide line....I think I saw Saige's head spin and she almost took some lady out :o) (What they didn't realize was that the Isla's don't back down!)

P.S.S.S. Nothing says Europe like being able to buy Pez AND a lighter at the same Disney stand LOL

Bon Voyage and Merci,

I-Pad Hits Isla Territory

2010-04-09T21:06:00.004+02:00

Somebody's been a good girl :o)

Gotta love a husband that wants to sucker his wife into electronic bliss.

P.S. and yes, it IS as awesome as you think...

Today I feel...

2010-04-08T15:13:00.004+02:00

Keep calm and carry on they say, right?

(but, mostly I just want to say carry yo ass on!!)

Easter Joy

2010-04-05T07:35:00.019+02:00

Being able to spend a Holiday in our home was the real joy about this Easter. While the timing itself was a little cramped up and I had several tings going on at the same time, it was fabulous to spend the day as a Family. I even christened Saige with her first Pretty in Pink viewing...joy.

Thankfully the Easter Bunny realized we had moved and dropped off some baskets for the kids. He even manged to recruit George into scoping out some good hiding spots in our backyard for candy-filled eggs. The best was that apparently the Easter Bunny is part German because he managed to squeeze tons of Haribo and Kinder eggs into their baskets. YUM!

Happy Happy Joy Joy was experienced by all Fam Bam members :o)

All the days trying to be in charge...

...but what can I say, he listens to her :o)

Happy Easter All!!

After we concluded our morning events, Geo and the boys headed outside to sort through some outdoor boxes...and they found the best present of all. The trampoline is BAAAACK! I didn't even realize we had one still. It came via our Georgia shipment and talk about excitement. Teage hopped up on there like nobody's business. Of course Daddy & Saige wanted in on the action, too.

In the meantime, I finalized my Humanities project and sent that off which ended this term. I have never been so happy to finish a class. I think with everything that was happening while I was in school, I lost sight of being motivated early on with these two. Oh well...it's over and I did well, so that's what matters. Plus, my next term (which starts today) I am only taking one class and it is Photography...so that should be actually a fun class (my syllabus has me only taking photos and submitting them as assignments all term, I am ALL over that).

Next weekend we hit Euro Disney Paris and I cannot wait. I love all things Disney (who doesn't) and I feel like this will be the first of many trips there (it's like we live in FL again with it being so close by...only a 4 hour drive). It makes me smile just thinking about it. I can tell there will be a major post in my future...

In other news, last week I started writing for another blog (www.DebtHelper.com). Some friends of mine are contributors and employees and asked if I would write about being a Military Family and the ways we save money and such. While I am NO financial guru, I do have some thrift sense and have definitely stretched a dollar before. I am just glad that I am able to share my blogging with different people...how exciting. I will probably make it a weekly thing...so if you are ever in the neighborhood...check it out.

In Sports, Saige played her first softball games this past weekend as a Varsity Lady Raider. She did really good. Geo is so proud of her...it's obvious how excited he is to see her follow in his footsteps. And she is thrilled to have her dad come see her and they share that in common. She even asked the coach on new uniform day if she could have 6...her dad's number all the days. So now they are both 6's. How cute!! There's already a net and batting tee set up in the backyard for some quality father/daughter bonding time :o)

She has the cutest running stance...and she's the only one who does it, so it looks really unique

Playing second base

Where's Waldo??....err, Saige!!

The Lady Raiders did us proud...they came out victorious in all four games this weekend. They played the two high schools from England in double headers. 4-0 so far...

I hope everyone had just as fab a weekend as we did. 2010 is shaping up to be a spectacular year...thank goodness :o)

Talk soon and as always, thanks for looking!!

Kumon is Kickin'

2010-03-29T13:49:00.004+02:00

Have you heard of this? Kumon originally started in Japan. I can remember all the Kumon centers located all throughout Okinawa. I had never heard of it until we moved there. The program is an after school program that focuses primarily on Math and Reading. They also have a Junior program for preschoolers. I am kicking myself for not enrolling my kids in it while we were in Oki, but you can imagine my surprise when I saw these workbooks in the Bookmark recently.

It has been just what I've needed on the off days that Teage doesn't go to school. He loves the bright pictures and small workbook pages, I love the inventive way they teach basic skills like fine motor. These workbooks focus on coloring and folding with a little social exercise to use with each one.

The wipe off math flashcards are perfect for getting him involved in the process of learning to write the numbers. He can already write his name (and of course type it) and most of the numbers 0-9. Once we count the dots, I flip it over to reveal the total and he writes the number...he loves the anticipation of it all.

I am on the hunt for more...to get info on finding a center in the states (LUCKY) you can check out their site HERE!! Gotta love the Asians for kickin' Kumon our way!!

Holland + Softball

2010-03-26T09:55:00.014+01:00

Been working my heiny off (well not exactly, my heiny is in fact still there...in full force) on getting the house to look like home for weeks now. SO OVERWHELMING to go through boxes and boxes of "stuff". With the exception of our photos...I just wanna trash it all and start over sometimes. But, since I married a full blown hoarder I guess we'll hold on to that early 90's first year promotion Caller ID box we got from Bellsouth (back when we actually "lived" in FL)...seriously?? NOT!! I finally got through to George, I think, and convinced him that these artifacts WILL NOT be worth money on Ebay someday. Right after I researched how much my old beanie babies would be worth today...hee hee. Purging these things has been extremely cleansing for me. I feel so much lighter and more organized than I already am. It IS taking a year and a day though...will it ever be over??

Moving forward...we spent our first weekend in our new home, away from our new home. Saige had her first competitive softball tournament held in the Netherlands and the whole Fam Bam was in tow to cheer her on.

(Note to self...while it was great being together, next time we are doing a one parent swap out. Teage had his fill of sissy playing ball about 3 hours into day one and all JD kept saying was "Is it over yet?")

Let me first start by saying that we were shacking up old country style. Our accommodations were in the middle of two dairy farms (which was pretty, but smelly) and so our rooms were like little farmer rooms. No sheets, no pillows, no towels, nada...you had to bring all that stuff with you. You were guaranteed only a bed for each person who paid. Something I didn't really understand until we arrived (there were communication breakdowns all leading up to this trip). I imagined it being quaint, but not bare. What did they have there you ask?? Self serve kegs and wine...go figure. Europeans are all about prioritizing.

Once we got settled and rested, we were off to the field...I mean gym! This was going to be an indoor softball tourney for our girls. Can you imagine playing softball in a gym?? There was no right field in existence. If the ball bounced off the ceiling and you caught it, it was an out..if it bounced off the wall it was foul, that kinda $hit. BIZARRE! But the girls were excited to play no matter what...

She was totally nervous, but confident she would kick butt (her words). She played left field two games and third base another game. She normally plays shortstop or second (like someone else we know). So it was new for her, but she did awesome. The girl has an arm I tell ya. Here are some shots of her playing from the weekend (as a spectator of an indoor softball game, you are separated from the gym by a curtain of nets, so forgive the blurry ones here and there).

The scenery was incredible there. We were all so surprised how much the homes there looked just like any old neighborhood in the US. It was refreshing to see that. No wonder so many people retire there...and I thought it was just because of the good coffee ;o)

George just wanted to find a McD's like he does in every country we visit

This is a running joke I have with him...every time we see a windmill he says "Look everyone, that windmill is so HUGE".

Eerily calming

It was good to get back home...and open more boxes, woo hoo. I think the kids felt the same way we did about going home...

Overall it was a great experience and I'm glad we could go and support her...little did we realize that four days later she would come home from school tryouts and tell us she made the Varsity Softball Team!! We are so proud of her...and will be making permanent appearances at all the upcoming games. I have a feeling my camera will transformed into a sports only camera before too long.

New House

2010-03-20T07:16:00.008+01:00

The official move (the last of several in this country) has finally occurred. We are now residents of Vogelweh/Kapaun. The townhouses are nice...and new. The best on base housing we have ever lived in and did I mention new?? So no decrepit pipes, 13 sheets of wallpaper, or creaky floors :o) Of course it is smaller...as they always are, but we will manage as soon as we downsize the 18,000 lbs of stuff we had delivered here (WTF?). Seriously, we need to have a yard sale.

I took some pics.

The kitchen...
The living room...

Leading to the 2nd level...

Who doesn't want a closet door like this?...

and...his & hers sinks?

There is some serious family fun and porch time to be had here...

First attic (will hold a craft area for me)...

Second attic, a place for Saige and her friends to hang out...

Isla Casa in Deutschland...

What you didn;t see was the laundry room, the kids' bedrooms, the office or the garage (or what George likes to call "man land"). Those will come later once set up...

We already have the office/guest room done and the kitchen is complete. The livnig room is almost there, too. Sooo, we will be up for visitors in NO TIME. Book it :o) Popo will be here this summer (so excited). So jump on the bandwagon.

Next up I got a post featuring our Netherlands trip!!! {minus a coffee shop visit :o( ...this time!}

P.S. Breaking news.... Saige made the VARSITY softball team. 9th grade and on Varsity...we are so proud of her!!!

Until next time,

Hiatus...Finito!!

2010-03-17T21:08:00.004+01:00

The hiatus is over...for reals!!

I can now get back to being my old blog lovin', facebook wanderin', web tycho schoolin', gradespeed stalkin', and reality tv streamin' self...to name a few. It makes me giddy...

Look for for more posts to follow!

Wednesday without Words (on Thurs.)

2010-03-04T13:19:00.002+01:00

Monday Mortals

2010-03-01T21:31:00.004+01:00

We had the pleasure of catching up with an Oki friend recently. She happened to be JD's 3rd grade teacher when we moved to the rock, and soon became a friend of the family's. Ms SeeTai (her for real person name is Tara), and her son came to Wiesbaden from Italy for the European HS Wrestling Championships. Tai did good for his first year considering I would have pulled my kid out of there screaming "Don't hurt my BABY!" Have you ever seen young kids get wrestled to the ground with their neck bended back and their eyes rolling back into their head? It was disturbing for me to watch. This is another reason why I can't stomach the idea of watching a UFC fight. Scare Me!!

Anyway, luckily it was close to lunchtime when we got there so we headed out to a Greek place and did some catching up. They are really nice people and it was awesome to have a former Oki peep to reminisce with. Saige and Tai are in the same grade and I fondly remember him hanging at our house a few summers ago. While it was short and sweet, I appreciate the time we had and the laughter. Hope to see them on a future trip to Italy soon...

Mother Earth-er

2010-03-01T07:04:00.005+01:00

Oh my gosh...the earthquake in Okinawa, the horrible devastation in Chile and Haiti, and now...the wind has taken over K-town! Yesterday started out to be a fabulous sunny day, and then on a dime it turned into South FL's hurricane season. There were trees broken everywhere and some landed on the fence line around the post. HUGE military security issue as you can imagine. What gives? Somebody has really pissed off Mother Nature...please take care of our Earth!

Do your part:

Concern Worldwide US
concernusa.org
concernusa.org/haitiappeal
212-557-8000
800-59-CONCERN

World Vision
worldvision.org
888-56-CHILD

American Red Cross
redcross.org
800-HELP-NOW

101 Ways to Help Planet Earth

Wednesday without Words

2010-02-24T22:09:00.004+01:00

Saige has Soul

2010-02-21T18:12:00.007+01:00

Well, my daughter has officially become a paid worker (and it doesn't involve running after kids and wiping noses). Saige is literally at her new place of "employment" as I write this. It's so weird to say that out loud. We were not looking for it, we weren't talking about it, nada. It came upon us like most things do...as God's intention. Being in the hotel, we have been going to dinner most nights and Friday was no exception. I Googled some restaurant reviews in the KMC (since I was in desperate need of something different than rustic German dishes) and Touch of Soul was on the list. "Family atmosphere, Southern American food, English speaking".

Sounds perfect! So we ventured off and the minute we walked in, I felt the South all around me. The rooms were sectioned off like a house, the American Flag was hanging all over the place, portraits of Soldiers old and new were framed throughout, and there she was...Mama West.

She immediately walked up to us and said "Well hey there honey. First time?" we said yes and she said "Well welcome...and sit where you like" Two seconds later she was introducing herself and telling us we may want to sit away from the mirror cause she knows "that baby's gonna wanna touch it and it's wobbly...not his fault, he's just a child and children like to touch." I was instantly drawn. She was no nonsense.

I could tell I was gonna be making many trips in my future. The menu was simple...fried chicken, ribs, fried pork chops and all the fixins...plus real.sweet.tea WITH ICE! On the front page of the menu, Mama's bio was there for all to see. Child to a family that cooks, and a culinary graduate in French cuisine.

Her passion was to show her love through feeding people. And she was the only cook for the whole place. One waitress and her. Talk about a personal touch.

I thoroughly enjoyed my pork chop, smothered cabbage, green beans and mashed taters. It reminded me of the many southern places we visited while living in GA. So good! Once we were finished, we said our goodbyes and went to pay...I should have known that Mama wasn't about having a credit card machine up in there. She didn't even sell liquor. So, George took the boys and hunted for a Geldautomat (ATM) while Saige and I sat at the front table and chatted up Mama. She told us her story about how she moved here in '95 to help her single father son raise his girls. 15 years later, her grandkids are graduated from college and Mama runs Touch of Soul in Ramstein. She explained that she loves it here. "It's like the old fashioned way of living, that's not all fast." Boy am I glad she stayed. The three of us girls were there a good 15 minutes laughing and talking about anything that came to mind. As George pulled up, we said thank you again. Out of nowhere, Saige blurted out something that shocked me instantly..."You know if you ever need any help here, I would love to work here." She continued to say, "It's so fun here". Mama's response, "Can you come by Sunday?" I felt like I was in a tennis match watching this go down. After the awkward smile I had on my face, I said "Well, what would she do?" She just wanted her to help make drinks and help Michelle (the sole waitress) out since she had to come in late. Saige was grinning ear to ear. Mama had told us in our chat earlier how impressed she was with our kids and she could see the love within our Family. I think she saw what I already knew...Saige is a gift to have in your life. So, they went over some details and times. She will come in on Friday and Saturday evenings for a few hours (She can't work on Sundays typically because of softball). And get 5 euro an hour (about $7.50). A little padding in her pocket and some good Mama wisdom every week. How could I say no to that? I didn't. I know she will enjoy it and do a great job. I can't wait to hear about her day when I pick her up. In the meantime, here's some research on Mama and her Touch of Soul. I know my peeps (Saige's other moms) want to get the 411 on this action, too. It takes a village you know. And Mama just moved in!!

I'm peeved I didn't have my camera at dinner...but it looks like I'll have more chances to snap these two hard at work soon!

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=140&article=49069

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=23108901

Proud Momma,

Foodie Friday

2010-02-19T17:23:00.004+01:00

I recently stated on my Facebook page that Burger King was in the market of selling Funnel Cake Sticks now. This is not only WRONG on so many levels, but it is dangerous to my well-being. I love a funnel cake from the "once a year fair/carnival" like the next girl...but to have it taunt me everytime I drive to the BX is just plain rude. I had a few comments about how oily and evil they were...so I decided to make myself feel better about the 9 piece I had the other day and find something that could top it.

Enter today's Foodie Friday:

If you thought funnel cakes were bad for you...get a load of this!!

Deep Fried Coca-Cola

I am not kidding!

A guy named Abel Gonzales Jr. came up with this concoction for the State Fair of Texas this past year. No $hit!! First, he deep-fries Coca-Cola-flavored batter. He then drizzles Coke fountain syrup on it. The fried Coke is topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry.

I don't know what I'd do without that cherry.

So if you're feeling froggy....DO IT!! (please with a cherry on top, of course)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Coca Cola
Oil for deep frying

Topping:
1 cup Coca Cola syrup
whipped cream
maraschino cherries

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
2. Mix in eggs and Coca Cola and stir until a smooth batter forms.
3. Preheat oil in a skillet or deep fryer.
4. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into a funnel or turkey baster and in a circular motion pour batter into the hot oil.
5. Fry up for about a minute on each side and drain on paper towels.
6. Serve while still warm and top with Coca Cola syrup, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

I love me some Coke and even some fried batter on a few things...but I must draw the line somewhere.

If anyone tries this...I desperately need a review.

"How do you like me now?"...said the funnel cake stick.

courtesy of http://www.recipesroom.com

Wish List

2010-02-18T16:40:00.005+01:00

We love books. We have books all over the house, and before our tsunami at the old house, we even had a reading room set up with the fireplace. BUT...since that didn't go over too well (the bottom two rows of one of our bookcases was completely ruined) I though this was a good idea to have in each of the kids rooms and maybe the office for easy reading.

Classy and functional. This would fit in well in any room I think...don't you?

Wednesday Without Words

2010-02-18T11:35:00.002+01:00

Love is in the Air

2010-02-15T11:53:00.005+01:00

Happy St. Valentine's day!

I must say, Valentine's Day has always been a Holiday we celebrated, but in a low-key kind of way. I am a believer that picking one specific day to show some lovin' is pretty disconnecting. We, at the Isla Casa, try our best to make it Valentine's everyday. So normally on THIS day, we incorporate creating some gifts for teachers and friends and then maybe out to dinner. Simple enough.

Oh, I do enjoy enjoy seeing the crafts that other moms/parents come up with for their kid's exchange. Aren't these so cute? Toddler parents always hook it up...

I should know ;o)

It's no secret that being at the hotel has really put a damper on a lot of our normal routines, especially if you slap in a Holiday. But I did my best and managed to score some "in demand" Spongebob and Transformers V-Day cards as well as a couple of gifts in my running around. Teage had a good time stuffing his candy/gift bags. And YES, the ladies do love you...

The movers were also slated to come the day after V-Day (today) so we had much organizing to do on the actual Holiday. Soooo you can only imagine the look on my face when George whisked me away to the jewelry store and laid this one on me...

"Pick out your ring babe..."

(Choke)

"Huh?"

I about fainted right there. He had been mentioning it to me the last 2-3 years that I was in need of an upgrade to my original bridal set. As most my peeps know...I am not the girl that likes to be dripping in bling (too much can be tacky, ya know?). I am also not a fan of gold. And besides, I am that stubborn wife who says, "There's so much I could do with that kind of moolah...it's not necessary" (insert the 2-3 years). But...WTF?! I mean ok...who cares if it was our tax refund dollars hard at work. He gave me open reign and there I was...in bauble heaven!! Happy V-DAY to MAMA!!!

Doesn't just make you s-iiiii-ng? I am still in shock...

The icing was when he told me, "You're my wife and I love you. It's been 16 years of you and me. You deserve something beautiful." *tear, sniff* Eff Cupid...Love me some hubby action :o)

I don't think my gift of a spa massage with some truck accessories really measured up. It seemed so lame and definitely paled in comparison...even though he assured me he loved it. The kids received some chocolate, a couple games, some spy gear, and beauty supplies for the girlie. What a fabulous "pick me up" after all that has happened recently.

Moral of this story is...even though love shouldn't be pigeonholed to one day, it's ok to up the ante every now and then. THIS is one Holiday I will never forget!

P.S. Hey, snow fairy. Can you take a chill pill and stop denying kids of their education. They REALLY want to get back to school...

Lovestruck,

Mortals are Vastly Approaching...

2010-02-11T18:16:00.005+01:00

I am finally getting back on my blog schedule starting next week. Mortals, Without Words, and Foodies...Oh My!! As a warm-up, I wanted to reintegrate a mortal post this week (it has been on my mind to share this anyway).

When we were back in AZ, our first walk into Maria's house was one I will never forget. She had this display of photos spanned all across the opposite side of her kitchen cabinets. It featured photos of both Isla Families with our kids. It was breathtaking and definitely a conversation piece throughout our many visits to her house. I took several shots and then stitched them together to make a life-like panoramic view so you could get the full effect. THIS is just a sample of what I have been talking about when I tell everyone how proud she was of her children and grandchildren...

(click to see it closer)

Wish List

2010-02-07T14:43:00.009+01:00

I decided in AZ that when I came home there would be some changes to take place within my Family and with our home. Today, I am talking about our house and the amount of STUFF we have. Most of our things we have had for ages. Some have deep meanings, but most don't. I refuse to forge ahead through life with pointless "crap". With three kids and a move every 3-4 years, the "crap" load seems to get larger by the minute. So with this last move, I am ridding ourselves of the "comfort" objects in our home and filling them with simpler, more meaningful pieces to carry into our Family's future...

With that said, I am compiling a wish list of things that catch my eye that I want to include in my inventory of change. This way I can keep track of what I have seen and what I want. I always enjoy feedback...but only if you say you like what I picked. LOL! (don't tell me you think that's ugly and wouldn't DARE hang that on your wall...because I'll just delete it - HA). Seriously, I do want to know what you think or if you have seen something similar somewhere...it helps in my search. Thanks and here's the first item on my list...

Favorite Places Board

Who doesn't want a board to highlight the favorite, memorable places you have visited in your life? LOVES IT!!!

Diane

Looking Up

2010-02-06T08:21:00.009+01:00

I was getting sick to my stomach everytime I went to my blog and saw "that pipe". That pipe has caused so much strife in my life the past three weeks. Can you actually strangle a pipe? Anyway, I had to post something real quick in order to move that pipe picture down a few notches.

I present to you, our new home for the next 31 days...Hotel Garni. It is Family Friendly and above all, doesn't reek of water damage....WOOT WOOT!

We'll be moving into our house on March 9th...and it's only four years old. Things are starting to look up!

Casa Catastrophe

2010-01-30T10:15:00.010+01:00

Well, I have been avoiding the house blog, since it immediately depresses me. I get worked up all over again when I talk about it. But, I want you guys to see what reality we have been living in.

So while in AZ, the cherry on top of that whole traumatic trip was coming back to our home.

The story is...

a small flexible hose that comes from behind the upstairs toilet, busted and sprayed thousands of liters of water all over the bathroom.

This water then leaked into Teage's bedroom (soaking the entire carpet, stuffed animal basket, and warping the feet to his a bed a little). It also spread into the den area where it soaked that carpet as well and anything sitting on the floor. With that, it leaked into the upstairs landing, where apparently the water started to collect and gain weight. Once the makeshift pool had finished, it then started leaking through the floor and the surrounding walls. (Isn't this fun?). Once that happened, the water let gravity take over. It proceeded to rain about 8-10,000 liters of water on our downstairs fireplace room, laundry room, middle foyer area, and main bathroom. The fireplace room has a hole and a huge crack in the ceiling where we think either the water created itself or the firefighters poked through to allow the water to escape (again, that is the story...oh, and the joys of hearing firefighters busted in your house is always comforting).

(Why did I find out that between the floors, there is straw insulating our house?...is this the three little pigs house? WTF?)

That gave the water the opportunity to thrust a major portion of that water onto our beautiful, cozy, sage green, love seat. This, in turn, ruined the framed photos I had laying on the sill next to it (not yet hung up) and of course flooded the wood floors below it. This caused the floor to warp big time and decorate most of the seams of the wood with a nice black/brown seepage stain. The laundry room flooded and besides some molded blankets I had in my hamper and the leaking stains by the ceiling, the dryer (government dryer to boot) won't work anymore. The foyer is the worst (cosmetic wise). All the walls in these rooms downstairs got wet inside, so the wall covering (wall paper, stucco, whatever) started peeling from the walls.

The foyer peeled off completely. So all the painting we did downstairs is ruined as well.

My walls are exposed and still smell a little funky.

The main bathroom had a few of the recessed lights come down out of their sockets and the molding on the ceiling had to be removed.

Thankfully, the TV room, the kitchen and the office did not flood. That would have been an added terror to this already jacked up situation. The water did leak a bit into the wall of the office causing it to stain through the paint. But that was it.

I guess they are right...when it rains, it pours. The big kicker and punch in stomach came when our landlord tried to sell us out and blame us for the pipe busting before we even got back home. This coming from a govt housing agency as well. It is unclear why the pipe busted...but it is speculated that the winter weather along with the heat being off while we were gone played a part. The landlord told George to shut off the heat/oil before we left, but is now denying it. Tit for tat at this point (even though he is straight up lying through his teeth), but it is dishonest on his part. He lied to us over the phone while we were gone and when we got back, refused to talk to us in English about his backstabbing conversations he had with housing (and he understands/speaks English just fine). The point is, he's shady. So now we must split the repair costs for all the damage, UGH. Meanwhile, we are looking for a new house and moving out of here as soon as we have the estimate (which was supposed to be yesterday...but alas, no estimate nor has anyone come to asses the damage yet). We refuse to live in a house for the next 3 years with a landlord who has no moral compass, nor are we willing to spot renovate his house for the next three years as things fall apart in his 70 year old house because he says "You did it".

Anyway, we will have to move ourselves if we want to stay on the economy. If we want to move into the base housing, the government will pay for it. Not sure which one it will be. I really want to stay off base, since the experience is so refreshing and the kids like it....but I'm kinda scared after this nightmare. Next week we are going to look at a few houses off base on the referral list and see how it pans out. Meanwhile we are on the list for a Senior 4 BR home on base. Nothing hurt in seeing what they have to offer, too. Hopefully by Monday we can have some kind of estimate on the damage so we can pay this guy and terminate our contract with him.

That's the lowdown. Sucky, but we will survive and as always...pull through life's obstacles.

OK, no more $hitty, sad posts...just sayin'!!!

Can I Have Your Autograph?

2010-01-27T06:57:00.007+01:00

I have this upcoming post about our "drama" with the house (with pics), but I decided to save that for later. My life seems to be full of just sadness lately that I need a little quirky...a little smile...a little Di moment (don't you?). So here is my pointless, unthoughtful, silly banter, post.

Ever been told you look like someone famous? Or do you think you look like a celebrity? I love it when people say they look like someone and you just sit there and think "Uh, nice try...but you look nothing like Johnny Depp." Sometimes I can totally see a celebrity in someone's face right off the bat. A second cousin version perhaps.

Either way, I have always been told over the years that I have looked like two particular actresses. One is from my younger years and one as an adult. Now, don't assume I believe it. I'm one of those that has been told. I didn't look in the mirror one day and say..."I am so moonlighting as a celebrity drag queen with this face."

The first is Meredith Salenger. Never heard of her, have you? Alright, maybe she's not that famous! But she has a pretty decent resume in Hollywood. In fact, she starred in one of my favorite teen movies from back in the day. Ever see The Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon? Well, she was one of the young girls vying for Jimmy's attention. This was obviously from my younger years...so here's the comparison.

Me (and yep, that's my Saigie Baby)

and Meredith Salenger

It's a close call...she has much better lips than I do. But we both rocked the same hair and smile I guess. Ahh, the innocence. Moving on...

The next one is someone that when I was told...I said "Oh hell no!" People insisted that we have the same smile and...you guessed it, hair. I don't really see it. I think they have me confused with having the same comedic wit (which I'll take in a heartbeat). But when I stumbled on this pic...I thought, "Ok, it's possible". This is my daily look after all...

I'm no Sandra Bullock, but I play her in real life :o)

Which celebrity do people say you look like? Or, which one do you think you look like? I promise I will give you my honest assessment. It's all in good fun!

P.S. A friend of mine just recently emailed me and told me that Saige looks like Pauly D from Jersey Shore in the face....hmmmmm! I told her and she said "Yeah I could be his sister", like she had heard it before. Strange. She is much more ladylike and glamorous than Pauly D...even with the diva hair he tries to rock. LOL!

Until we meet again....

Saying Goodbye

2010-01-21T10:16:00.048+01:00

Maria Luisa Isla

1956-2009

Losing a Family member will never seem right...it's hard to imagine a future without that person being there. It's hard to close your eyes, seeing the life of someone so easily, only to open them and realize you really won't see them again in this lifetime. It's hard to say goodbye to a loved one when all you want to do is bring them back.

Most of you know that George's mom, Maria, passed away during our visit to AZ. It has been gut-wrenching, sickening, completely heartbreaking, and disconcerting.

For those that didn't know her...Maria was a force, honey. She lit up a room when she walked into it. Everyone was attracted to her wit, her charm, her infectious laugh, and her "real"ness.

I always said that she was young at heart (she loved hearing that) and she never failed at proving me right. She was a loving mother and a doting grandmother all the days of her adult life. She never forgot a birthday nor did she let her grandkids lose sight of her relationship with them.

Her and I had developed a bond throughout the years that only we understood and I will cherish that forever. To share a recent part with you, she told me in one of our last conversations that she was proud to have me as her daughter. She said she loved me and that she knew I was taking care of her son and family where she had left off. These were the most loving words she had ever spoken to me. How do you say goodbye to someone that loves you like that?

My aching heart goes out to George for all this has done and will do to him. I weep inside knowing how much this is hurting him. I am constantly thinking of a way to take his pain away...even when I know there is no such magic potion. But I want one. I pray that the days get easier for him...that he can be at peace with his goodbye. It is so hard right now though. I pray for Alex and his family as they go through the motions ahead. Acceptance is nothing like letting go. Accepting means you understand, letting go is so much more involved than that. I crave for the boys to dig deep and find peace with it, however that is done for them. These two men have been such an inspiration during this whole tragedy. They have really come together as brothers in ways we have ALL wished for...especially Maria. She wanted nothing more than to have her boys close and their families closer. That is my goal for the reformed Isla Family. To make us closer. To be a Family despite the distance or the obstacles. She would want that.

I, for one, have wrestled with saying goodbye since the day we found out she was gone. I think we all have told her goodbye, but how do you truly let her go with peace of mind? I am still trying to figure that out. We all are. How do you show/help your kids to do the same? Praying has been helping me a lot. Throughout this ordeal, talking has been essential for us. Celebrating her life through stories and fond memories has been a key factor in the kids' grieving. I know in my mind that saying goodbye is part of this process called healing, but that is not a place I have truly visited yet. Being positive is few and far between with something this wrong and unreal...but my mind tells me we must try to see the light, as dim as it may be. This is the job I gladly accept for my Family, to help the light grow brighter.

What I do know is...I am thankful for the trip to AZ and the time we had with her while we were there this Christmas. I am thankful George took a picture with her on Christmas day (one of the few together in his adult life).

I am thankful she spent time with my kids individually her last two weeks here on Earth. I am thankful we shared a beer on the back porch, just her and I, the night before she was taken from us. I am thankful I got to spend more time with Alex, Rhea, Joaquin, and Camille as a result of this. I am thankful for not only seeing them, but the rally of support the extended family members had to share.

Lastly, I am so very thankful for every minute I have left with the people I love.

Like George said in his eulogy, don't take for granted the next time you talk to or see the people you care about. Call them. Tell them you love them. Kiss them. Smile at them. Check up on them. Be nice to them. It is important. At the end of the day...it's all we have left to give.

Thank you to all the ones who have reached out to us. Thank you for lighting up the room with your beautiful flowers and baskets. Thank you for making a donation in honor of Maria. Thank you for the emails and words of encouragement. Thank you for offering your ears and your help.

I wanna share everything I can about her life, who she was, and what she meant to people. Here are a few links in case you want to see what the boys put together and what our lovely Mom/G-Ma was all about :o)

Funeral Chapel Obituary
http://www.heritagefuneralchapels.com/content/obituaries/view.jsp?OID=54491

AZ Republic Obituary
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/azcentral/obituary.aspx?n=maria-luisa-isla&pid=138118540

Photo Slideshow

A Celebration of Life

Funeral Service
Event Webcast Information:
Maria Isla
HERITAGE FUNERAL CHAPELS
Please click on the link below to view the broadcast.
http://www.eventbywire.com/viewevent/?id=808-264
Event ID: 808-264
Password: azheritage1
If you are new to viewing our live and archived broadcasts please ensure your system has the latest version of Windows Media Player.

A good friend recently told us..."time is definitely your friend now". He couldn't be more right. I will miss Maria in every day that goes forward. I know she is going to look after us and watch her grandchildren grow as time goes on. An angel always does. And she wouldn't have it any other way...

Love ya and thanks again for keeping us in your prayers,

Holding Out

2010-01-12T19:31:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post....

I have a plethora of stories, photos, thoughts...all of which I will get to share with my blog family real soon. A lot has transpired in our lives the past couple weeks and I am so appreciative how everyone has reached out to me and my Family. I can't wait to share with you what has been on my mind. We will be back home on Sunday and are looking forward to something familiar (to include my blog command center). Thanks for holding out...and as always, Love Ya!!

Mini-PHX Update

2009-12-19T15:19:00.004+01:00

I have so much to write about...

"Dad" doesn't have wireless in his house (something we will have to fix before we leave here), so my laptop has been collecting dust in the carry-on for days. So I am using G-Pa's Ultra Command Center 'Puter. Anyway, the visit is going awesome! The kids are having a blast be-bopping between the G-Parent's houses since that means Teage can play with "Lady" and the "small dogs" no matter where we are. Saige is enchanted with all the shoping at her fingertips...JD would rather just sit and play the Wii or have me hang out in Fry's Electronics with him all day, but he's still having a good time.

The visit with Jenny is going FANTABULOUS! All the days she has been my road dawg, and this visit couldn't have come at a better time in our lives or location. She has been my sanity this past week (more on that later). So far we have hit up the Arrowhead Mall, Target, Wal-Mart, the Dollar Tree, Arby's, Village Inn, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Ross, and the salon. So Far, So good...with much more to follow!

It's so refreshing to visit with the in-laws (mainly, because you realize that your extended family is not the only one that's crazy LOL). G-Pa has been GREAT! He's braved all the "on the go" moments and keeps throwing in his one-liners, which personally I can't get enough of. G-Ma has spent some good quality time with Saigie and had big girl bonding time...the boy bonding will soon follow. Plus, I finally got to meet the other Isla chil'ren. Granted it was 11pm and they were sprung from the car following their road trip. Which means they weren't exactly feeling Aunt Diane's desire to roll around on the ground and play kissies. All good things come to those who wait, I guess.

I have pics to post from the trip, but I must wait till the laptop is on full swing to upload. So get prepared for "photo phun" coming soon. I hope everyone is doing great and getting all the last minute shopping completed. Will blog soon....right now, it is EARLY and there's a party in my mouth that I need to take care of :o)

Love ya....

The Snow is HERE!

2009-12-13T09:20:00.008+01:00

I am so excited that I trumped the blog post I WAS working on to interrupt you with this special bulletin:

The snow has finally arrived in the KMC!

George came bursting into our room (he and Teage fell asleep on the couch last night) and yanked the rolladens up to show me the magnificent white outdoors. If you had been paying attention to my Facebook comments, I had given up all hope that we would see snow before we left for our trip tomorrow. And the Gods made sure not to disappoint me. Thank you...

This was Teage's first snow and I could tell he didn't know what to make of it all. We quickly hammered the big kids to "wake up" (they appreciated that) and slapped on the rain boots and gloves. George was a party pooper and watched from inside because he was "COLDY" (what a wuss)...I just called my husband a wuss on the blog...oh well, anyway immediately the snowball fight began between the big two.

Teage had other plans...first thing's first, gotta see what it's made of:

Planning strategic stealth moves...

He's planning his attack!

Retaliation...

Teage getting in on the action...

Two against one!

Trying to recruit a little girl for his snowball team...

Can you see it?

Our lamppost near the rock fountain...

Catching flakes...and flies?

Busting out the sled...

She makes winter look GOOD!!

Snow makes everything so pretty, doesn't it?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

I'm so happy they got to enjoy it before we left for 'not so snowy' AZ. God really does love me...

If we get more inches later today (after I finish packing ALL the dang bags), I am SO throwing them back out there to make snow angels!

Love ya and Happy Snow Day!!!

A Dozen for JD!

2009-12-09T07:57:00.009+01:00

Well, the middle one has officially entered "pre-teen" status. My not so little JD is 12 and on his way...

I love celebrating his birthday because he always gets super excited and he's so genuine with his reactions (that's all the days actually). Anyway, this year (as most) it was pretty low-key. While the big kids were at school, Teage and I quickly got working on his cake. What a big helper...

After they got home, we enhanced the celebrating by going to the FRG Christmas Party. It was nice and they all had a great time decorating cookies and such.

They even had a Holiday photo spot...which I couldn't resist.

After we snuck out of the party early, we headed to Chili's for dinner (his choice)...but by then all he wanted to do was get home and open presents. Of course, we had to do the cake first.

I love how in this picture he is basically telling Teage to back off the cake.

But, as all good parents know and do...we relit the fire and let Teage get a turn. I'm screaming "Back up, you're going to burn your face off!"

First gift...open it up brother!

It's a...pair of shoes?! Ahh...the fake smile, which let's me know my plan worked!

He said, "OH...shoes, thank you". Open the shoes, JD. "What? Another present?" (Teage could hardly contain himself)

And the struggle begins...

He wanted the Lego Indy Jones Games 2 on the Wii, BAAAD! He was so happy...

OK, on to the next one. Now, let me just give you the comparison. Here he is getting his Visa Gift Card...

What is up with that? His reaction is like he almost is disgusted with it. He could care less about this cold hard cash right in front of him (ahh, the innocence). Hilarious.

Finally, the next gift...from Teage and Saige! (Again, Teage was about to burst!!)

I guess Shorts is a boy type movie. All I hear is about the Booger Monster...mmmmm!

I think he enjoyed his day. I can't wait to celebrate again when we get to PHX...Dave and Buster's is gonna rock.

Birthdays make me so nostalgic. I think about how fast time zinged by and how much growing up has taken place. How did it go from here to now, SO FAST?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my J-dle Deedle...

Santa!!

2009-12-05T17:17:00.006+01:00

My kids finally got to see the one and only true Kris Kringle (alright, maybe he was just a guy "helping" Santa...and not the real one).

The only issue I had with the whole first time Holiday meeting was that I think Santa was hitting the bottle before chair call time (allegedly). OK, just take a look for yourself (these dramatizations have been created for this blog, and YES...it went down exactly like this):

*please click on the pics to see them larger*

I could not stop laughing the whole entire time. It was like they just picked this guy up off the street and threw him in a red suit. His beard gave me problems from the get-go. What is that? It totally makes me think of Bad Santa. And the look on my kids' faces...they're not dumb...they could probably smell the Jim Beam on his breath. I should have taken a hint when I saw that NO ONE was in line to see him when we walked up. I thought we scored...but apparently Santa was the only one scoring that night...with a flask and some Visine. So what do you do in a situation like this, you ask? You tell your kids Santa's being goofy and to join in...they gladly obliged!

I was in such a delirious state, that I said we ALL have to get in on this one...and I'm glad we did. Who knew inebriated Santas could be fun for everyone! HA!

Check back for JD's Birthday post later today...LOVE YA!