Fam Bam 4th Festivities

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!!!

Four Years With a Stud!

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!!

Mother's Day

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!

Spring Break Part 2 (Catching Up)

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!!