Drowning in Whine

Erste Klasse/First Grade

2011-11-19T19:06:00.001Z

First Grade Picture

Heading to her classroom

Since we're approaching mid-year break, I suppose it's time to introduce you to my first-grader!

Olivia started 1 Klasse at Merian Schule in mid-September. The first day of class was on a Saturday. There was a brief welcoming ceremony put on by the second graders and then 1 klasse went with their teachers and classmates to their respective classrooms for about 90-minutes. Upon arrival, Olivia was scared and shy. It took no time, however, for her to warm up (the welcoming songs and short play helped immensely) and by the time her classmates lined up together, she was ready. Siblings and parents enjoyed refreshments and snacks outside during this time.

She could be mistaken as a German

In the weeks since school has started, Olivia has become even more fiercely independent and strong-willed. She feels very much grown up now and tries to prove it everyday. She tries my patience constantly. She wants to walk to school by herself or with her older friends (it's too far) or take the bus by herself (we're moving soon - so not worth the trouble to start up) and tries to tell me how her homework should be done even when I know she's doing it wrong and must correct her. She's growing into a little girl with a preteen personality!

She has homework daily and we haven't had too much trouble with translation issues. She was forgetting things at home or at school for a time - but, I think I've finally gotten a handle on what is needed on what days and I make sure to check over the contents of her bag to make sure she has it all. I'm a little shocked that they have homework every day and even over the weekends. However, she gets most of it done in class lately and, therefore, it is usually less than a half-hour's worth of work.

She already gets in arguments with children at school. One boy in particular, Phillip, appears to be the center of her attention. She comes home almost daily telling of a fight she and Phillip got into that day (arguments). His mother thinks that maybe they are "sweet" on each other. Oh no!

I'm deeply saddened that Olivia will have to change schools mid-year. Many of her friends in her class are friends from her kindergarten last year. It's been really nice and an easy transition and I'm not looking forward to watching her heart break. She may be outspoken and strong-willed, but she's also very sensitive and my heart breaks for her. This is the first time we will move and she'll really feel the pain of losing friends and starting over and I'm sure I'll be feeling this pain right along with her. But, it is military life and as everyone familiar with military life knows, she will have to get used to it.

We have not, however, regretted our decision to put Olivia in German elementary school and will embrace the journey ahead no matter how difficult or not.

We're Moving!

2011-09-08T09:04:00.000+01:00

I haven't recently blogged about this or even posted about this on Facebook. However, we've been waiting for quite some time for news about a job change for Matt that would result in a move. No, not back to the US. It will be a move to another part of Germany. As Matt is an infantry officer, and there is no infantry unit here, his next job would see us moving.

We finally got the news. We will be moving in early January to Vilsek, Germany. It is in Bavaria and located about two and half hours away from where we are now. Matt's been dying to work with another Stryker unit - so he'll be happy to be back (He was in a Stryker brigade when we were stationed in Alaska) in a comfort zone. There is no deployment scheduled in the foreseeable future (for those of you wondering). This move will see us in Germany for a three year assignment, not including the 18-months we will have spent here.

I'm anxious because the girls will have to change schools in the middle of the school year and my heart breaks for them already. They have recently welcomed a new sibling, which is a big change and then we'll move to a different town, leaving behind friends in schools and dance classes. The dialect is different in Bavaria, so that will also be a change for them (You can kind of compare it to a New Yorker moving to Alabama).

I have to start investigating dance classes (on or off post), and German schools for both girls. Liv will be transferring from one German school to another. The housing situation (there is no housing available on or off post at this time) is tricky and since Olivia has to enter school upon arrival and we don't want her to miss even a day, we're in a bit of pickle. We're going to try to have a house lined up before we move - which will cost money. Lots of it. Military families know finding a house before you arrive at a duty station is near impossible unless it's a Stateside move. We are working on it, however. The school situation is a problem even if we were to put Olivia in American school as there are three elementary schools in the area. Your child attends the school closest to where you live.

Fortunately, Matt was able to get something called a COT (Consecutive Overseas Tour) and this allows us to fly home at no expense (No airline fees) to us in December. We are looking forward to introducing Colden to our friends and family. We are also looking forward to meeting Matt's sister's twin boys who are nearly one-year-old!

Lots of big changes coming for the McQuilton Family. I still have to update about Olivia starting school, Colden's birth and more. So stay tuned...

Can't Keep Up Cont'd

2011-08-24T20:48:00.001+01:00

Well, it's been hotter than heck here. High 80's, into the 90's. Humidity. Matt's been away for most of it. I'm 8.5 months pregnant and having a hard time keeping up with house work to begin with, let alone in the high heat and humidity. We have no AC. I don't even think the local grocery store has it. So, I've been tired, grumpy and in need of lots of rest - which for me includes reading, napping, catching up on American TV and more napping. The girls are back in school and I do what I can, as far as cleaning, when they are gone. But, after 10-minutes, I'm dripping sweat, breathing heavy and in need of a nap.

It cooled off a bit tonight. The windows are finally opened, a nice breeze blowing in. Liv read to us, I read to them. I threw in a load of laundry, folded and put away another. Did a load of dishes and general pick up. I decided to take a quick glance into the playroom - which I didn't think the girls had spent a lot of time in - and I lost it. Matt and I have spent hours organizing that room - but every time we get it up to par, they are so excited to have it organized again, they happily trash it in 15-minutes. I've been threatening to lock up the playroom if they couldn't leave it the way it was when they walked in (Read, PICK UP AFTER YOURSELVES).

Tonight, I noticed half the wall of their dollhouse has been taken off and is being used as a doll bed. They have about three other empty doll beds. Paper bits are thrown all over the place, doll clothes scattered. The toy box half full - dolls littered around the toy box instead of in it. An easel was moved out of the playroom and into the laundry room.

I fought back the tears, shut off the light, and locked it. It's over. This weekend, we'll attack that playroom one more time before the baby is born. They will pack up one large bag each of toys they want to donate (Or don't-I will gladly "help" them decide), the room will be rendered spotless, mopped and all. Then, it will be locked again for an indefinite amount of time. I'm thinking it'll be reopened around the time the baby is six-weeks-old. So, possibly, three months from now. I've had it. I don't mind helping them pick up a few toys. But, to completely trash their playroom, dumping bins, dress-up clothes in every corner, bookshelves emptied or books piled on top of each other, instead of next to each other, despicable!

I know for a fact, because I've seen it, these kids can clean. I've had to wait for them to pick up messes at school and they do a fine job. I guess I've allowed myself to be walked all over long enough here at home. I'll have a two-year-old in the house soon enough. He'll need help. My nearly five and six-year-old don't need as much guidance as they like to claim they do!

Their art supplies are in there, their dolls, their dress-up clothes. The only things that aren't in there right now are a few dolls, books and movies from the library and some doll blankets. What will they play with? I don't know. I don't care. In fact, I don't even know if it will teach them a lesson. All I know is that this pregnant woman won't be yelling at them to pick up their playroom or doing it herself. And, since there are very few things for them to play with outside the playroom, they are going to have to get creative playing outside with their friends and riding their bikes. Poor kids - I'm sure I'll be called a mean mother within seconds of their rising tomorrow morning. And, guess what? I.Don't.Care.

Can't Keep Up

2011-08-15T21:56:00.005+01:00

It's been a while since I've taken to this blog to moan and groan about life with children. Frankly, they haven't really been annoying me too much. Life has been pretty peachy. The girls were in school up until late July. They've been getting along well, sleeping well, and so on. Olivia's strong personality has shown through here and there. She was a complete brat when we had a friend come stay with us for a couple of weeks - but, when life returned to normal, she became a bit easier to handle. Though, she does think she's quite a princess now that she speaks fluent German. That gets tough. But, I've been managing.

That is until Matt left for Kosovo. Or, I guess it started shortly before he left. They've taken to destroying the house and getting into stuff that doesn't belong to them. Matt had a conversation with them recently after they got into some of that stuff that doesn't belong to them. He asked them if they had comprehension problems because they repeatedly get into things they know they aren't supposed to. They just gave him a blank stare.

I know everything is catching up with them. They miss their school friends, they weren't really prepared for a short-notice "trip" daddy had to take. They know there is a very good chance we'll move to another part of Germany this winter. Their brother will be here in less than two months and they see the preparation for that. But, really, do they have to trash every room, acting like they are three-year-olds?

I can't keep up. I'm eight-months-pregnant. I'm tired. I have insomnia. Today, I was so tired and frazzled, I side-swiped a beam in a parking garage backing out of space. Just after I had the car fixed for side-swiping another car. I mean, I don't even dare call up our insurance company to ask how much our insurance will go up if I claim it. And, let me tell you, my Prius now looks GHETTO. That door needs to be fixed. Yet, it opens and closes just fine and does not present a safety issue-purely cosmetic. So, what to do, what to do? I don't know. I just know I want my pre-pregnancy brain back - which was always a bit frazzled. But, not like this. I'm a danger to myself and others behind the wheel. And, everyone kept pressuring me to get a mini-van when they found I was expecting a third child. Yeah, can you see me driving that in Europe? No! Craziness!

Back to the kids:

I've been trying to sew. I have baby wipes and couch cushions covers to sew. This weekend, I made them matching skirts. While I made the skirts, they went from room to room and quietly destroyed every room except my room and the office. When I asked them to pick up said messes, they looked at me and said, "What mess? I don't see a mess?" Liv gets all serious-like and will say, "Mom, we are putting on a ballet recital. We need this stuff." Yeah, they don't need every single one of their dress-up clothes thrown all over the playroom and hanging off their bed and lying on the stairs. So, I'll tell them that they are grounded from their bikes and friends and this is the crap I get:

"Mom, we don't care. It's supposed to rain so I won't need my bike anyway. Lila won't either. Also, our friends are in Paris, so, I can't play with them until next week and you are grounding me for this week."

Or this:

"Mom, I don't care if you take away my bike. I don't even like it anymore. I want one of those balance skateboards and until I have one, I don't care if you take away everything I have to ride in the garage."

So, everyone tells me to stick it to Liv where it hurts (Lila's easy. You just tell her she's grounded and she'll cry for an hour-punishment enough). Well, that's the problem. What does Liv like the most in the "whole wide world?" Reading. Specifically, being read to and reading to us (as best she can). How the heck do I take that away from her? Especially since she's entering German school in a few weeks, not American? I need that kid to read in English as well as any American first grader. So, take away something that's not only educational but imperative. I don't know. But, I also have run out of discipline ideas. Send her to her room? She'll fall asleep or cry and pick at her head and make it bleed. Blood soaking through her blonde hair. Yup. That's my kid! So easy to discipline.

What to do, what to do. All I really want to do is sleep, read, sew, be left alone to grow a baby and get him out and into my arms and the arms of my family safely. How do I make disciplining my girls a main priority (mission) when I have another huge priority looming right ahead? Deep breaths, deep breaths...I think I'll stick them in the Ikea daycare center tomorrow and walk around the store or read a book in their cafeteria. Mommy needs a break!

Kindergarten Graduation-Germany

2011-08-07T20:51:00.008+01:00

A few weeks ago, Olivia graduated from German kindergarten. She's come a long way in the past year and we are so so proud of her. It wasn't easy for her to enter German kindergarten last October at age five and half. She and Lila were completely immersed and, for a few months, stuck as close together as they could. Eventually, however, they each had best friends and soon they spent their school days almost entirely apart, maybe passing each other on the playground (Or, "The Garden" as they call it) or during snack time. Olivia picked up German more quickly than Lila. Possibly because German is Olivia's third language (languages may come more easily to her now) and possibly because Olivia is really outgoing and has a lot to say - which pushed her to learn it more quickly (Whereas Lila is more laid back and quiet). She just has to be heard!!

Kindergarten in Germany is a lot different than in the United States. They learn by play. Their particular kindergarten is an open-concept kindergarten. Students rotate rooms throughout the day at their choosing (Limited time in each room, of course, and they have morning circle and mid-day circle in their respective homerooms). There is a room for playing with dolls, a room for doing puzzles and games, a room for drawing (I've seen the teacher of that room set up still lifes), a room for making things such as forts, and so on. The children who are going on to grade one next year have a half hour ABC class Monday-Thursday. It's a structured class and prepares them for next year's classroom setting. As a school-starter, Olivia also had swimming class twice a month and music class twice a month.

The one thing that is not taught, aside from learning how to write your name, is reading. I was very worried about this as many of Olivia's peers in the States will be entering first grade knowing how to read, some quite well. However, Germans are not behind the learning curve in the long-run. In fact, their top level of high school, Gymnasium, far exceeds most US public high schools academically (Children enter gymnasium between the ages of 10 and 13). Olivia will start Class One in September at a primary school in our town (She choose to go to German school over American - we let her make the decision).

That being said, Matt and I are diligently working on getting Olivia to read in English, as knowing how to read in German, and not English, will leave her behind when she reenters the US school system in a year or two. Earlier this year, we started out with the Bob Books and Explode the Code Workbooks. Recently, she started doing Explode the Code Online. Today, at the recommendation of some homeschooling parents, I ordered, "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." She does now read short sentences such as, "Matt reads a book. The dog ran up a hill." However, I believe it was by the middle of first grade that I was reading the "Little House on the Prairie" series on my own (I did not attend Kindergarten as, at the time, my parents would have had to pay for it. A year later, it became free and my sisters each went) and I want her to have the love of reading at a young age as Matt and I did. We have been reading chapter books, such as the Ramona Series by Beverly Clearly, every night. Olivia is obsessed with having us read to her every night. She will cry herself to sleep if we do not. We've recently begun having her read to us before we read to her (Lila sits in too, of course). Slowly, she is making progress and, again, I'm proud of her. She's quite diligent and even asks to read to us. So, she too is very eager to learn, which helps a lot.

Below are some pictures of her graduation. There was a slide show that brought tears to my eyes and then all the graduating students sang about seven songs. At the end of the evening, juice was served to the children and champagne to the adults (I had juice, of course).

Revealing their ABC class workbook and supplies

Their Schultüte's (school cones) to be used on first day of primary school

Champagne is served!

Sadly, I didn't get any good shots of Olivia on her big night. The few pictures I have didn't come out well enough to post. Fortunately, the video clip shows her singing part of a song - at least it's something.

In mid-September, she starts Class One and with the help of Google Translate, our German friends, and a Mommy Learning German class that Lila's kindergarten offers me (free) once a week, I'll be able to help Olivia through the school year. With a new baby on the way and a daughter in a foreign grade school, I'll have my work cut out for me. Fortunately (so far) there are no deployments scheduled for Matt. So, he'll be here to help out too!

Legoland, Germany

2011-07-23T22:58:00.002+01:00

We've been trying to fit so much in before the baby comes. Because, let's face it, traveling to Disney and Legoland would not be too much fun with an infant. So, we wanted the girls to get a chance to see these places now instead of having to wait a few years from now when their brother is old enough to enjoy these places. Even then, they'll be so much older, it could be a bit of a drag waiting for their brother to finish up on the "kiddie" rides they are enjoying now, but won't enjoy so much a few years from now.

One of the first things we did was take them to make a lego kit. There were different levels they could choose from. Liv choose an advanced-beginner level and Lila a beginner. You can see their finished projects in the pictures above and below.

With so many kids walking around with their faces painted, the girls begged us and we caved. At six euro's a pop, it was hard to give in - but, since it was so much cheaper than in Disneyland, we justified it. They looked adorable (I'm bias, of course).

I have to admit (sorry all you Disneyland Paris fans) that I enjoyed Legoland much more than Disneyland. The lines were kept much more orderly (It is Germany, after all), the bathrooms were always clean, the food options were so much healthier, and the park was kept up much better. I felt that Disneyland Paris was in need of repair and care, in general. I shouldn't walk into any Disney park bathroom and be completely grossed out each and every time (A pregnant woman uses the bathroom a lot - every single time, I found the bathrooms disgusting!). Disney World in Florida has a completely different feel. Cleaner and happier (No violent shoving and cutting in lines).

The lines in Legoland, the day we went, were almost non-existent. The rides were very age appropriate. I believe Liv could go on every ride and Lila all but two (I had to miss out on a few due to the pregnancy).

The Girls on their Very Own Safari Ride

We loved all the lego creatures "hanging" around the park

Canoeing Together

There were a lot of rides involving water - a bit too cool for the first day - much more fun the second day

The mini water park may have have been their favorite "ride."

Racing around the track

We had a great time at Legoland - we even camped over night in a tent at their campground. So much fun. We highly recommend Legoland and their campground!!

Normandy, France

2011-07-13T10:05:00.007+01:00


The Family On Omaha Beach

In June, we decided to take a trip to Normandy, France to go to the D-Day Beaches and Mont St. Michel. It was a really long drive - over eight hours. The girls actually fared very well, as did I. At first, Matt thought the girls were too young to understand what it meant to go there, what happened there so many decades ago. However, I was persistant. I view many of our trips as learning opportunities. What better way to learn about history then by seeing the places first hand. They may not remember it all and will have to look through pictures to realize they were even there, however, it's all part of the learning process. Children don't forget everything they learned in first grade. It's a building process.

So, Matt sat down with Axis and Allies, a World War II board game, and went over the invasions with the girls the best way he knew how. Olivia, especially, asked a lot of questions. When we arrived in Normandy and got to the beaches, she did remember a lot of what he told her and asked a lot more questions. Both girls remained quiet and respectful nearly the entire time. We went to one of the museums and saw a video. The museums had life-size figures acting out war scenes. Some of them in which soldiers were being carried onto an ambulance. Lila had nightmares one night due to this.

Omaha Beach Memorials

The Girls in a Bomb Crater From the War Decades Prior

Pointe du Hoc

Ranger Memorial on Pont du Hoc

Spot Where Ranger's Came Up During Battle on Pointe du Hoc

We had to pay a visit to Pointe du Hoc and the Ranger Museum. Pointe du Hoc is still quite beat up. It almost seems like battles could have been fought there last year.

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

Finally, we stopped by the Cemetery. Again, the girls were quiet and respectful and asked good questions.

If you're planning a trip to Normandy, there are plenty of campgrounds in the area. We stayed at Reine Mathilde. It was quite nice as we had planned to tent and found ourselves arriving to downpours and heavy winds. We stayed in one of their small trailers that had a bathroom. Very small - but, nice. Stove top and porch with picnic table. You can sign up for fresh bread and croissants every evening and pick them up in the morning. Very inexpensive. There is free wifi in store/bar/rec room. Very quiet place with a nice pool (which we did not have the pleasure of using due to the weather, much to the girls' dismay). You can find the website to the campground here: www.camping-normandie-rm.fr

Mont Saint-Michel

We ended our weekend with a trip to Mont Saint-Michel. Fabulous! So beautiful and they offer free tours. The surrounding country side is also beautiful. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast that was just ok. I'm not going to recommend it. It wasn't bad - but, wasn't knock-your-socks off either. Simple place, with decent breakfast and dinners. We spend a few hours at Mont Saint-Michel and while it's worth it because of it's beauty, I wouldn't go to find good food or good shopping. Also, it is NOT stroller-friendly. Don't bother. Stick your kids in backpacks or have them walk it. Parents using strollers were hot and flustered.

Overall, we had a great trip - much better than expected, despite the rainy weather. I highly recommend!! Normandy is beautiful and there is plenty to see.

Disneyland and Paris, France

2011-06-15T09:41:00.003+01:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, we drove approximately four hours to the outskirts of Paris, France. We surprised the girls with a trip to Disneyland, Paris and Paris. I was a bit worried they would be too young for both. I was pleasantly surprised. We had a fabulous time. The weather held up well, Davy Crockett Ranch, where we stayed, supplied us with a nice breakfast of croissants, French bread, butter, jam, coffee, milk, and orange juice. I had packed some organic cold cuts and cheese and made sandwiches with the leftover bread from breakfast to bring into the park. We packed our water bottles and sunscreen and spent two fun-filled days at the park.

Liv being camera shy, Matt's typical photo face and Lila ready to go!


Lila only had to wait a few short minutes to get her picture with Cinderella

I had heard ahead of time that Euro Disney is not quite as fabulous as Disney World. That turned out to be true. The bathrooms were filthy by late morning, walk-ways needed repair, paint touch-ups needed everywhere and many of the ride keepers didn't care about keeping the line orderly, allowed for cutting, pushing, shoving (I, pregnant as I am, was shoved out of the way so someone could get on a ride with her child) and general bad conduct. This park could use a lot of improvement. However, the girls didn't notice and that's all that mattered. We still had fun!

Meeting up with Pluto at Davy Crockett Ranch

We only spent one day in Paris and that was really all we needed. While I would have loved to explore shops and return to many of the museums I went to many many years ago, it would not have been very enjoyable with the girls. So, we took a bike tour around the city. Fat Tire Bike Tours did a pretty good job of guiding us around the city. We even stopped at a park cafe for lunch. If you're planning a walking tour around the city with children and are skipping going in most museums, this tour is for you. I think it would be exceptionally good for the first day Paris, to kind of get your bearings and decide which museums you want to visit during the rest of your stay. That way, you can just take the metro the places on your list and avoid walking too much in the heat of the summer (if that's when you go).

It was a bit hot during the bike ride - glad we brought our water bottles!

Seine River


The Family in Paris

The bike tour ended at the Eiffel Tower. After which, we walked around, had a bite to eat at a street-side cafe and then headed to the top of the Eiffel Tower (we had purchased tickets online a month ahead of time). Olivia was very excited as she's read so much about the Eiffel Tower (Fancy Nancy, Madeline, etc). However, it was hot and stuffy and not quite as fun as she had thought it was going to be. However, she says she likes the Eiffel Tower better than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Paris is one of those cities in which I actually feel very comfortable. It was my second time there and again I didn't feel overwhelmed or lost like I did in Prague or a few other cities we've been to (Dublin is another city in which I feel quite comfortable). I look forward to going back without the girls, however, it's unlikely that will happen as the baby is due in a few months.

For the first time in several years, I immediately made a photo-book of our trip. Matt was getting on my case about having all these pictures of our trips saved in various places online and on our computers, however, no photo-books for us to flip through. If any of our family members are interested in a copy, please let me know. Prices start at $25 and go up from there, depending on hard cover or soft, etc.

Buttermilk Rhubarb Bread

2011-05-14T20:34:00.002+01:00

It's rhubarb season! When I was a child, my aunt, who lived next door to us, grew rhubarb. My sisters and I would grab sticks of it and dip it in sugar and eat it raw. Sweet and sour. Yum. My mouth salivates just thinking about it. I've been seeing it everywhere around here. Stands on the side of the road, markets, grocery stores. I had to make something with it! Sorry I don't have any pictures; my entire family gobbled it right up. I'll be making more tomorrow.

So, I found a recipe online here and adapted it. My adapted recipe is as follows:

Buttermilk Rhubarb Bread

Ingredients:

3/4 cup rapadura or sucanat

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (any oil will do - I only bake with organic coconut oil or butter)

1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup whole spelt flour, or flour of your liking (I used whole spelt)

2/3 cup diced rhubarb
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Directions:

Mix all bread ingredients in a large mixing bowl
Generously grease a bread pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper for even easier removal once baked.
Pour the batter into the pan
Bake at 325F (160C) for 55-65 minutes or until it tests done.
Allow to cool before tipping out of pan.

Since I used whole spelt, it was a bit crumbly, however, not dry at all. Actually, pretty moist. You could use a portion of white spelt or all-purpose flour and that may help with the crumbles - but, my family didn't mind. Not even my picky Matt. The original recipe calls for a topping - I don't like adding any more sugar than necessary - so most often I leave toppings off.

Prague

2011-05-14T10:45:00.004+01:00


Mash Tuns Last month, we drove to Prague. I had this glorious idea of the city painted in my head, was slowly starting to feel better after a few months of pregnancy related illness and was, therefore, eager to site see. I have to say that I was a bit underwhelmed. Probably because by having the kids with us, always having to rush through things we (adults) wanted to see because of short-attention spans or fatigue, or just bad moods, this city never really came alive for me. I felt disoriented. I couldn't really sample the famous beers - no more than a few sips and so missed out on that. Olivia has been a terror on trips lately. Her bad behavior is a departure from her behavior at home. Twice in a row Matt and I have been so frustrated with her, we have nearly packed up, called it a loss and went back home. She will pretend she's blind and walk bumping in to things. She will throw herself on the ground when asked to move along, she will cry and cry for ice cream, and, in general, just not listen. She's a complete brat and disciplining her has become the center of everything we do. We ask her what's wrong, what she needs, why she's acting that way and she'll just talk baby-talk in response. Her behavior has been so obnoxious on trips, I just want to cry and jump off the nearest bridge in defeat and failure.


Pilsner Urquell Tour

The worst thing Lila did on the trip was cry a bit when she was tired and once kneel onto the ground, with a crowd around us, put her hands out, cupped, and her head down. When Matt asked her what she was doing, she replied, "I need money!!" She was emulating all the beggars we saw around the city. Kind of hilarious. I wish I had taken a picture.

Prague Astronomical Clock

Prague

Yummy Treats at the Market

It was on our last day that Olivia finally started behaving. She sat nicely at breakfast and was almost a pleasure to have on the brewery tour we went on in Pilsen. She even slept for quite some time on the ride home. Guess she was just worn out from putting on an act the entire weekend.

Our next trip is a surprise trip to Euro Disney and a one day trip to Paris. The only place Olivia has asked to go this summer is the Eiffel Tower (She just has to see what Fancy Nancy and Madeline are talking about). So, we booked tickets all the way to the top of the tower and may do a biking tour around the city. While I would love to go back to all the the museums, it's not worth risking either child (Olivia) putting us through what we went through in Prague. We are not, typically, ones to take a guided tour around a city, however, Fat Tire Bike Tours around Paris may be what it takes to keep her a bit more sane and occupied. We shall see...

You've Probably Heard By Now....

2011-03-26T16:37:00.000Z

...That we are expecting baby number three in late September/early October! You can follow my pregnancy journey at: www.pregnancymusings@blogspot.com

It is one reason I haven't blogged here very much lately. I've been feeling a bit tired (though, not too much - pregnancy has never made me overly-tired like it does many) and nauseous. Both those things sap me of any creative juices.

The nausea is slowly (very slowly) beginning to wain and I'll try to be back soon with more regular blog updates.

Strasbourg, France

2011-03-20T12:55:00.002Z


Babywearing in France A few weeks ago, we took a day trip to Strausbourg, France. Olivia was on her worst behavior and the trip was almost a bust. However, it's such a charming place, the sun was shining and, therefore, a six-year-old couldn't possibly ruin the trip altogether.

Riverfront

Playing in the Park

Riverfront Houses

Graffiti Art (The little girl is part of the art)

My Goofy Kids

Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg

There are lots of little parks and restaurants serving French-German cuisine. Oh, and lovely chocolate and pastry shops. I'd love to go back without the children to taste more of the local food and shop in the cute French clothing boutiques. Strasbourg is less than a two hour from our home - the perfect place to bring visitors!

"Wash Uffizi, drive me to Firenze"

2011-01-31T18:46:00.013Z

The triumphal arch

The lyrics to Phish's song, "You Enjoy Myself" are what sparked my husband's interest in visiting Florence (Firenze) and the Uffizi.

Sadly, Matt and I are not really "into" art. I know we should have much more of an appreciation for it than we do. But, honestly, we don't. It's never top on our list when we travel. However, we had to go to the Uffizi and then The Accademia to see The David.

The Uffizi was extremely tough to get through with children. They were impatient, cried (we received glaring looks more times than I want to admit) and only eventually started behaving with the promise of gelato (more gelato, mind you). What I love about my husband is that while he may not appreciate art, he has a plethora of knowledge in regards to world history and was able to keep the girls entertained by telling them historical facts and stories regarding the time periods during which some of the art was completed.

View of the Arno River from the Uffizi

Replica of "The David"

Michelangelo's David, however, did not disappoint. I was in awe. I think I could have stared at him all day. However, the girls were not impressed and our visit to the Accademia was fairly short (on the upside, there was no wait to get in).

This is where we hit the gelato jackpot!

Pereche No! is a fabulous little gelateria well worth any wait. The restaurant is part of Slow Food International and, so, had my heart instantly and won me over completely as soon as I took one bite of the delicious ice cream, made fresh, right there, daily. In fact, I think I could have camped out there all day just to try each and every one of their flavors.

Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace)

I don't think we saw enough of Florence. I'd like to go back - but, probably not with the children. It's another Italian city that just isn't very kid-friendly. I purchased a drawing from of a street vendor, however, I would have liked to explore the city further and do a bit of shopping.

Pisa - Check!

2011-01-23T15:53:00.010Z

Pisa from top of the Leaning Tower

Pisa's one of those places where you go, see the leaning tower, check it off your list, and move on. It's a bit underwhelming. We didn't even eat in town. However, I think it may have been the girls' favorite site of the trip. They are still talking about it weeks later.

If you're a government employee and interested in visiting Florence, Pisa and Verona, we saved big bucks staying at Casa Toscana on Camp Darby. The drive to Pisa is less than 20-minutes. The drive to Verona about 45-minutes and the drive to Florence less than two hours.

Matt's obligatory pose

Natalie's obligatory pose

The "couple" pose

Five-year-old, Olivia, gives it a "shot."

Verona

2011-01-23T15:09:00.018Z

Arena

Verona, home of Leonardo Da Vinci, was our third stop in Italy. It was a bit chilly. We toured a few popular sites, sampled some wine in an old wine shop, and dined on pizza.

Fast fact: William Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliette," was based in Verona.

Family in the Amphitheater built by the Romans

Obligatory pose with Juliette
Juliette's Balcony
Letters to Juliette

Porta Borsari-1st Century B.C. ruin once part of the roman city gate.

Ginormous tubs of Nutella at a crepe stand.

These highchairs are in many German and Italian restaurants. I would have appreciated them when our children were younger in Alaska and Portugal!

Verona

How to Take the Romance Out of Venice

2011-01-16T20:04:00.008Z

Q: How do you take the romance out of Venice?

A: Bring your young children.

I love my children. My husband and I have traveled all over Europe with them over the past few years. With a child on my back (i.e., Ergo Baby Carrier), we've climbed Moorish ruins in Portugal, hiked in the German Alps, wandered around Dublin, Lisbon, Sicily, Seville, Gibraltar and so on. Most places are fairly kid-friendly. Venice, however, may have been the least kid-friendly out of all our journeys.

Family Taking a Gondola Ride

There are a few reasons that Venice didn't meet our kid-friendly expectations.

It was cold and dreary. Venice is to be traveled on foot during warmer, sunnier days (I take most of the responsibility for choosing this destination during the winter months). Days full of color. Balmy evenings full of ancient history that adds to the romantic ambiance. Our day was mostly gray - dulling our surroundings. When I would learn of something historic, in my mind's eye I would see sickness and harsh living conditions, despite knowing that Venice was once rich, thriving and even more beautiful than it is today. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't place myself there during that time or "feel" it.
When in Venice, you want to pick up some Moreno glass and a Carnival mask. Not an easy task with grabby children. Sifting through the shops, trying to find a mask or piece of glass (Jewelry in my case - as I wouldn't dare buy a 500 Euro piece of glass art moving as we do - and with young children running through the house), is not an easy task. There were lots of junkie shops. I didn't want a spray painted mask. I wanted something hand-painted and original. I probably got something in between, as it was getting dark when I finally stumbled on some nice shops, the girls were hungry, tired and very much done.
Aside from restaurants, a few historic sites, souvenir shops and the obligatory gondola ride, there isn't much to do. I would have loved to wander around with Matt alone and gotten "lost." But, alas, you can't do that with children - especially ones cold and who desire to eat every two hours.

Looking for an inexpensive mask - possibly for five-year-olds? This stand had it!

Mask Painter

Lone Evening Produce Market

It's possible I would have enjoyed Venice more had I been able to have a couple glasses of wine during lunch and if it had been warmer. A Meniere's flare-up nipped alcohol drinking right in the bud, however. As far as warmer weather, if I happen to be close to Venice during warmer weather in the future, I may (i.e., I had an extra day to spare and no where else to go - so unlikely) venture back - without young children, mind you.

Nuremberg, Germany

2011-01-04T21:49:00.015Z

While Matt was in Iraq, he was browsing the net one evening and found a great weekend apartment rental in Nuremberg, Germany. Germany hosts a great many Christmas markets during December and Nuremberg hosts the largest (Christmas markets sell seasonal sweets, German food, crafts, etc). Not a couple to pass up drinking (Gluwein is served at these markets - even organic varieties - I prefer mine with a dash, or more, of amaretto) to make shopping with young children more pleasurable, he booked that apartment and we drove the two hours to check out that market in Bavaria's second-largest city.

Gluwein-How we make trips to markets more bearable with children

Despite the slush (Not Ugg-friendly, by the way) and cold, it was beautiful and we had a fantastic time. The apartment was fab and comfy. While Olivia came down with a stomach bug and got sick all over a lovely rug, she recovered quickly and we were able to carry on with the rest of our weekend without a glitch. We were even able to snag a baby-sitter one evening and, therefore, enjoyed our first date-night in six or more months. Divine!

Brewer's star near top of building

Before heading home, we toured a local brewery. There, we learned that the star on the building and in some medieval pictures we saw, was not the Star of David. It was the brewer's star (Same symbol, however, no relation to Star of David). During WWII, brewers stopped using it, for obvious reasons. Recently, some brewers have introduced it again. You can see it on the building above. Also of interest is the series of underground tunnels in Nuremberg (part of one in which we visited). When the city was bombed in WWII, casualties were low, compared to other cities, because residents were able to escape to the tunnels (previously used for beer brewing and then for pickling).

We had such a lovely time, we may go back again next year! Matt has decided that Nuremberg has the best brats and I've decided it has the best lebkuchen (gingerbread-type cookies). Those two food items, the gluwein, and beauty of the town may have us back again next year!

One Can Dream, Right?

2011-01-03T21:40:00.005Z

For 2011, all I want for myself and my family, is better health. The end of 2010 was unhealthy. The girls have had one cold after the other - different strains which they seem to pass right on to me (which flares up my Meniere's Disease). We even had a stomach bug a few weeks ago (Olivia) and a maybe-stomach bug (Lila) on the first day of this year.

I'm sitting at a desk, in a hotel room, in Italy. Not only have I caught a cold (Little Lila Kate may be to blame). Both of my ears are ringing at a pretty high pitch. There's pressure and an echo in one too (or both, I can't tell - I feel like I'm underwater). I could be seconds away from a full-blown attack. Yet, I push on. Menieres is one of those diseases that can be quite debilitating. So, I must make great memories with my children and spouse. I must put on a happy face and act like this isn't happening. It could be a lot worse. When you're in the mist or on the brink of a bad flare-up, it's hard to see through to the other side. So, that's what I'm trying to do here. It's not bad enough to slow me down right now. Besides, I'm on vacation. What can I do? Give up wine, sweets and salty foods while on vacation in Italy on the slight possiblity it will help? I'll try - but, I'm weak. Very much so.

Back to 2011 - I want to find a way not to catch Every.Darn. Virus my kids bring home. It's downright depressing. So, that's it. That's all I want. To figure out why I catch things I hardly ever used to, help prevent my children from getting so many colds, and have a year of better health!

As an aside, I'll try to step it up in the blogging department. Facebook replaces blogging to some degree. I used to love blogging and Facebook has taken away some of that joy. I mean, what do I have to talk to about that I haven't already said on Facebook? There must be something, folks. I will try. I promise!

Welcome Home

2010-12-29T12:12:00.003Z

The day after we moved into our home in Wiesloch, Germany, Matt deployed to Iraq. Surprisingly, everything went well while he was away. The girls started German Kindergarten, ballet/tap classes, gymnastics (Lila) and swimming lessons (Olivia). I took a day trip into France with friends and the girls and I embarked on a weekend trip to Belgium. I took three college classes (online) and somehow managed to keep it all together.

After four and a half months, we are so happy to have him back home! We hope to not see another deployment in our near future!

Language Explosion!

2010-12-08T22:36:00.002Z

I’ve been waiting for it. Listening for it. Hoping it wouldn’t take too long. It seems it is happing a bit sooner than I thought it would.

At swimming lessons on Monday, I walked out of the locker room and into the entrance and overhead Olivia asking one of her friends where his mom was. In German. He replied as his mother walked in, telling him something about his Oma (Grandma). To which Olivia asked, “What are you saying about his Oma?” His mother (who speaks fluent English) then asked him to speak slowly to Olivia and tell her. After he did, Olivia said, in English, “Oh, his grandma is coming to visit. Why?”

My jaw hit the floor. She began German kindergarten nine weeks ago.

Yesterday, after I picked her up from school, and on the way to ballet class, she exclaimed, “Mom, I understood so much of what they said at school today.” She was beaming with pride. Self-confidence is starting to replace apprehension.

Today, I asked her teacher how she was doing. She told me that she’s starting to speak a bit of German with her friends, small phrases and sentences here and there. While she’s not Lila’s teacher, she has observed her too, and told me that while Lila doesn’t speak as much, she seems to understand quite a bit.

And, so it begins. My little Olivia, curious and having a need to let everyone know what she is thinking (and also needing to boss children around) is picking up German. Lila is right behind her.

I was recently sent an article on Mulilingualism and its’ benefits. Click here for the link. Even if your children won’t have the opportunity to learn another language at a young age, it’s a great read and explains why we have immersed our children in German schools.

I guess it’s time for me pull out the video camera and have it ready for those precious moments when I catch my girls speaking German!

More Love Than Hate

2010-12-01T08:51:00.009Z

Snow has fallen here in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The girls are thrilled. Olivia thinks that life here is so much more pretty when we have snow on the trees. They play outside at school each day and when I find a good deal, I'll buy them each a sled - each of which will become doll carriers, I'm sure.

In other news, Matt will be home from Iraq in just under two weeks. I have so much to do! Cleaning, organizing, planning out our winter trip (Italy - Florence, Verona, and, possibly, Sienna). I'm also trying to finish up classes for school. I finished one class weeks ahead, however, I have a final paper to write for one, a quiz and a final exam for another. It's so hard to focus on school with all the excitement of Matt's impending return!

I was explaining to Matt, the other day, that I feel as if his homecoming is like being in a car, and nearly home after a long drive. The girls know we're almost there and so start acting up. Very frustrating! Though, it comes and goes and we have more good days than bad.

The girls, in fact, are getting along beautifully as of late. Last week, Lila got frustrated with something Olivia did and said, "Livy, I don't like you anymore. I'm going to run away and live somewhere else!."

To which Olivia replied, "Mom, Lila's going to live somewhere else and I will be so lonely without her!"

Such agruements are short-lived. I hope they'll always be this close. Though, having three sisters myself, I know not to hold my breath! The above picture is testiment to how they are now. Later, when they go through periods of hating each other, I can pull out pictures such as these and remind them how they used to be...

"I Feel Older Now"

2010-10-31T20:24:00.012Z

For about a month, Olivia had been asking if she could get her ears pierced. Matt and I had a prior agreement that she would not get them pierced until she asked. Soon after she started school, she started asking. Everyday. I was four when I got my ears pierced, 12 when I got a second hole and 32 when I got my navel pierced. I do not think piercing is a big deal. So, I was up for it.

Since I like to torture my mother - as in she must see someone in pain when she visits (she was there when I gave birth to Lila in the water), I decided that Liv could get her ears pierced the afternoon before my parents left Germany.

I wish I had great pictures of the event. However, I don't. The one good picture I have of her, shiny earrings and sleeping peacefully, is posted on Facebook. It's an Iphone photo and I don't know how to get it to upload here at full-size.

Anyway, here in Germany, they do not pierce both ears at the same time (We've since asked around and this appears to be true). So, as soon as Olivia got one ear pierced, she was done. She promptly started screaming, slid out of her chair, onto the floor and had a panic attack of sorts. I had to calm her down, and convince the man piercing her ears that she was okay enough to proceed (He was about ready to kick us out).

Now that all is said and done (it's been a little over a week now), I have to say that I am proud of her. The first night, one fell out (of course). She was brave while I put it back in the morning. She lets me clean them twice a day. She rotates them and checks to make sure the backs are secure before she goes to bed each night. She longs for dangly earrings.

What did she have to say after it was all over and she was in the saftey of her home, away from the horrible piercing man??

"Mom, I feel a little bit older now."

So do I, Olivia. So do I!

Catching Up...In Belgium

2010-10-24T17:26:00.008+01:00

Cow crossing - Belgium

Belgium beer - yum!
Brugge

Baby-wearing our toddlers in Brugge

Brugge

While military life is hard, what, with all the deployments and frequent moves, there are some perks. One of them being that you make friends in each place that you make home for a short time. Eventually, you have friends all over the country and world.

So, when my friend, Brenda, from Alaska, invited me to come visit her and her family in Belgium, I couldn't say no. It'd be great to catch up and get away. Her girls are about my girls' ages. So, we drove five hours from here in Germany to her home in Belgium.

Olivia complained, the entire drive, that I was being a mean mom, making her sit in a car all that way when she had new best friends in Germany she could be playing with.

Olivia loves to pose!

Waffles!

Within a half hour of arriving, Olivia and Brenda's oldest daughter were holding hands and declaring themselves best friends. Brenda's younger daughter, Ella, gave Olivia the inspiration to change her name. She now signs all her papers with the name: Olivia Ella. Currently, she even has the initials, OE scribbled on top of one her hand.

Brenda and her husband brought the girls and I into Brugge. We had a lovely time, despite the rain. I especially got a kick out of the racey chocolate displays in the windows! I have to say that the waffles didn't knock my socks off. I've had waffles just as good in the States. The chocolate I picked up at a local shop was delicious, however

It was wonderful catching up with Brenda and her family. They so graciously took us in for the weekend and our children got along fabulously! I would love to see more of Brenda and her family - here's hoping they end up stationed near us soon!

Below is a picture of one of the chocolate displays in the window. It's a bit racey, but I just had to post it!

Chocolate display: Brugge

Enjoying Crepes at De Halve Maan

Kindergarten

2010-10-06T19:43:00.005+01:00

Last week, the girls started kindergarten. Each morning, we walk to school. On rainy days, they walk in their rain boots and rain gear. On clear days, Olivia rides her bike. When they arrive, they have to take off their outside shoes and put on their house shoes (see Olivia's red ones above).

I spent the first day at school with them, as their teachers asked me to, to help them settle in. Lila was immediately impressed with their fish tank. Olivia now hopes that a fish will replace the dog we gave away this past summer.

At around 10:30 classrooms begin taking turns sitting down for a lunch - or more like a mid-morning snack. The school has a strict no sugar policy. The strawberry yogurt I brought in the first day was a no-no. Only plain yogurt with fruit, drizzled with a dab of honey is allowed. I love that rule, of course. I had just run out of homemade yogurt - so I bought some and, what do you know, I got in trouble!

At 12:30, they sit in a circle, in their respective classrooms, and eat what they didn't finish earlier, along with fruit and tea or water provided by the school. So, each morning, I make sure I pack a protein-rich lunch for them.

Olivia belongs to the yellow group. When she wants to go to another room, or outside, she must take her magnetic picture and put it under the picture that corresponds to where she is going. This helps the teachers keep track of where each child is and teaches them accountability. I was unsure of the open concept way of this school at first. However, I think it is going to work out well for them.

The girls play outside rain or shine. In rainy weather, they play in rain coats, pants and boots. They can ride bikes, swing, play in the sandbox and so on.

Olivia and Lila, despite the language barrier, love school. Lila cries when I come to pick them up each afternoon. Even though the school closes at 1400 and everyone is leaving, she can't understand why she can't stay.

Already, (Olivia especially) they are coming home with German words. So far, just a few each day. But, they'll catch on to sentances quickly.

They are delighted to be in school, making up to five friends a day (according to Olivia) and I am pleased to be able to watch embark on this journey!

Raw Milk Vending Machine

2010-09-11T21:45:00.003+01:00

My family and I drink raw milk. In Kansas, we purchased raw cow or goat's milk from the Bryant Family Farm weekly. Every morning, I would skim cream off the top and add it to our coffee or my Teeccino (Delicious coffee alternative).

When we first moved to Germany, I thought it would be near impossible to find it. What, with the language barrier and all. How would I find it? I had seen pictures of milk vending machines across Europe online. But, surely, it couldn't be that easy to purchase?

I've been pleasantly surprised. Since I love to talk, I easily chatted up locals who were able to tell me where to find it. The vending machine above is the third one I've seen just in the Heidelberg area alone. Raw milk is hard to come by in the States and it's controversial. It is not here. There doesn't appear to be nearly the fear of raw milk here as there is in the States. Which makes me wonder if it's truly a food safety issue or driven by something else. Ah, but, I digress.

Just five miles from my house in Wiesloch, Germany, there are two farms selling raw milk. One is a goat's milk farm and another an organic farm where organic food, raw milk and produce are sold. The above vending machine is open 24-7. Milk sells at 1E/liter. Consumers must supply their own jars.

It comes out of the vending machine ice cold and tastes creamy and delicous! At $4.45/gallon, it's more than worth it!

Ditching the Training Wheels

2010-09-09T21:25:00.008+01:00

I forgot to post that Olivia began riding her bike without training wheels just a few days after Matt deployed.

Olivia had been asking Matt to teach her before he left for Iraq. However, we were busy unpacking and getting settled. And, quite frankly, we didn't feel she was quite ready to be rid of the training wheels.

We were wrong! One day, a few weeks ago, she begged and begged me to teach her. So, I recalled how my father taught me, around age six, and decided to get it done. It took all of a half hour. I just kept telling her to keep her head up, to look straight ahead and peddle! That she did.

She's ready for a bigger bike. There are very nice bike shops in town selling bikes with the baskets on front. Soon, we'll hop on over to a shop and begin looking at all her options.

What an exciting accomplishment for Olivia!

And Now for a Little Whine

2010-09-03T20:45:00.003+01:00

As you all know, Matt's in Iraq. You'd think I'd be a wreck because we moved to Europe, live on the economy and he left just as we moved in. However, this deployment is different than the last in that I'm handling it well. Maybe it's because it's short (five-six months instead of 12-16), maybe it's because I've lived overseas before and love life in Europe.

Mostly, however, I think it's that I grew up. I don't have a voice in whether Matt deploys or not. So, instead of worrying and spending my days anxious, I've pushed through and I'm happy to say that I'm pretty unaffected by the deployment.

So, when do I wish Matt was here? Well, always of course - in the back of my mind - he is currently the missing link in our family. But, when do I really wish he was here?

When I need a break. Lately, I've needed a break. And, blogging about it helps me put it in perspective and get over it. But, here's a list of my current complaints (I would have these complaints even if Matt was here - but, they are magnified when he's gone):

Whining: For the love of God - what is up with the whining? Here's an example:

Olivia: "Mom, what does this page say?"

Me: "I don't know Olivia. What am I doing right now?"

Olivia: "You are driving the car."

Me: "So, when do you think I can read to you?"

Olivia: "But, Mommmmmmmm! I need to know what it says nooowwww! Pleassseeee! Try! I need you to read it! Can you pull over? Pleaaaasssee!"

Then there's the crying. When do kids stop crying when something trivial is wrong? My kids break down and cry over everything. I tell them that this is a "no cry zone" and they are free to cry in their room. Stomping up the stairs and slamming doors ensues (or I carry someone up). Bike privilages get taken away. I should just take away everything that is important to them the instant they cry over trivial crap. But, then they'd be in my hair whining for something to do since I took everything away. It's a lose-lose situation.
When will I stop having to run around everywhere? I'm so tired of it. I still have to get my international driver's license. I have to get school clothes. I have to find an internship, file damage claims, get back to the gym - because that hasn't happened yet and it shows. I don't know how many times I've thrown on a pair of sweatpants and a ratty shirt, hair all messed up, and run to the store for something and run into someone I know. Dressed looking like a dirty, smelly slob. Then, that one errand turns into a full day of errands because I can't find what I'm looking for as easily as I thought I would. At some point, the kids get hungry and I fill them with kabob - which is crap none of us should eat more than twice a year or less. I always refuse the fries, but still. It's crap.
Then, there's the random crap. Toys everywhere, food snuck into the living room, water sprayed all over the bathroom room floor, a doll gone missing, someone didn't eat enough breakfast and is hungry two seconds after we drive off our street, getting into things that don't belong to them (Why do I still have to hide things? Will I always be doing this?).

Phew. I'm done. Well, I could whine about a zillion other things - couldn't we all. But, you all are probably more interested in the fun stuff I've been up to and I'll get to that next time!

Internet - What's That?

2010-08-15T11:37:00.003+01:00

Just a quick not to apologize for not updating. We haven't had proper internet since we moved out of the guest house. We should be back up and running by Tuesday and I'll update more then. Here's a few quick tidbits of information:

I started German classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It's a simple class, taught mostly in German and I think I'll get enough out of it to get by at restaurants, stores and markets.
Matt deployed to Iraq. Projected to return in December. Will post address here when I get it.
I registered for two college classes and was sent information on contacts here for my internship. Lots of details to work out - but, getting it in order. Slowly.
We ordered a new Taggie for Olivia. Same exact one - just brand new. She asks for it daily and I'm not even sure it's shipped yet. Poor kid.
Completed the girls German school registration (minus their physicals) and entered them into Ballet and Tap class for the Fall.

Farewell, Taggie!

2010-08-03T20:10:00.003+01:00

Olivia in Ireland with Taggie

Yesterday, Olivia lost her beloved Taggie. Taggie has been with Olivia since she was 10-months-old (Actually, she lost her first one on a plane at 10-months and I quickly replaced it with the one shown above in her hand). It has traveled with her from Alaska, to New York, to Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Gibraltar, Vermont, Kansas, Colorado and back to Germany. She has slept with Taggie every single night for nearly five years.

We went back to each place it could have been lost yesterday to no avail. She drew a picture of Taggie, held it in front of her and asked people if they had seen it. She worries that Taggie is lonely without her. Her little heart is broken. Tonight, she told me she would die without Taggie and cried herself to sleep.

She has three other "sensitive" items she has had longer or nearly as long as Taggie (stuffed bear, large blanket and a pillow). She loves each of those items, doesn't sleep without them either, yet, explains that they don't smell like Taggie. Though, the large blanket feels like Taggie when she sleeps and that helped last night.

Matt and I, in the recent past, discussed that it was nearly time for her to give up Taggie. Almost daily she would exclaim, "I love my Taggie!!" Matt thought she was getting a bit too old to be that attached to a blanket. I kind of agreed with that thinking - but, it couldn't have happened at a worse time. Matt's deploying this week and we are moving into our new home tomorrow (the final move-in). This move has been difficult for her and I guess I can expect lots of acting out over the next few weeks.

Usually, we didn't let her take it out of the car and, often made her leave it at home. Yesterday, she was being especially bratty, having been "traumatized" when I washed Taggie without her permission, and I didn't even think to have her leave it behind.

I don't know how many nights she'll cry herself to sleep - but, I'll probably join her for a night or two. Who the heck knew losing a baby blanket would be so upsetting (Now I know how a parent must feel when she takes her toddler's pacifier away cold-turkey).

World Breastfeeding Week

2010-08-03T20:07:00.002+01:00

It's World Breastfeeding Week! As a CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor), I felt a responsibility to post something in honor of WBW. Here's a picture of Olivia, age 2.5, nursing her baby doll.

For more information about World Breastfeeding week and to read about this year's theme, "Breastfeeding: Just Ten Steps. The Baby-Friendly Way," see the link here.

Schloss Schwetzigen

2010-07-25T20:34:00.005+01:00

Matt will be deploying very soon. Which, couldn't come at a worse time because Olivia is having some pretty serious behavioral issues related to the move. So, we're trying to spend as much time as possible together as a family. It's not always easy to remember to remain in control of our emotions in front of the girls when the housing situation has been difficult (We do have a house - the one we wanted. That has been a great relief. We move in on Friday. However, I'll refrain from talking about it further until our lease is signed on Thursday).

I had wanted to drive into France this weekend. There is a pottery shop over the border, about an hour away. Not that I need any pottery - I really only wanted to take a quick peak at the pottery and then head to a grocery store to pick up some French wine. But, it was forecast to be rainy and we decided to head to furniture stores for playroom/family room furniture instead (Ikea had the only reasonably priced items).

Today, the weather was cool and pleasant and so we drove a few miles to Schwetzigen, Germany to tour the Schwetzigen castle (more like a palace). It reminded me a little bit (just a little) of Versailles in France. Our tour guide gave us the best tour of a castle I've been on in quite some time.

The tour was especially nice because Olivia and Lila were exceptionally well behaved. Hardly a peep out of them. Olivia, in fact, was quite interested in the tour. She wanted to know where the family slept and why the beds were so short (they slept sitting up during that time period due to superstitious reasons-laying down reminded them of the dead. Many also believed they could get sick if they didn't sleep sitting up).

We learned that Mozart and Casanova spent time at Schwetzigen. In fact there was a Mozart celebration at the castle this evening.

Obviously the guardian of Schwetzigen Castle

Checking out the animal display at the castle - there was a garden scene in his stomach

Liv checking out the wolf display

Daddy, Lila and Liv looking at the fish and swan

This coming week sees us wrapping up some lose ends (picking up my car, deployment paperwork, signing lease, setting up delivery of appliances that the Army lets us borrow, etc.) before we move into our new home. There isn't much to see of our home yet, as yard work is being done and, therefore, it's quite a mess. I do promise to take pictures as soon as it's looking better and post them here and on Facebook.

Wake Me Up When It's All Over

2010-07-21T10:06:00.008+01:00

Before I forget, here's a couple of pictures from the zoo. We went over the weekend. The girls really deserved some time doing something just for them. Staying in a hotel, looking at houses, and dealing with all the in-processing items we've had to take care of, has taken it's toll on them both. They especially loved grooming the pregnant goats and the park. Matt especially loved drinking beer (in a glass) while the girls were playing at the zoo park.

So, here's where it all starts to go wrong (Admittedly, I am being a bit dramatic. But, what's new). On Tuesday, we went into Weisloch (the town we'll be living in) and drove by our house. The front walkway still needs brick laid down. The backyard needs a fence and seed. Neither done. The kitchen, however, was put in over the weekend. Move in date is 1AUG. We shrugged our shoulders and decided to bring it up when we signed our lease - we were waiting for our housing rep to call us back with the time and date to do that.

In the mean time, we swung on over to the kindergarten across the street from our house. Surprisingly, they were still open (school holiday is coming right up) and even more surprising was that they had slots for our girls. We did the preliminary sign up; I walked out feeling relieved that that was over. We proceeded to celebrate by going into the town square (really cute) and having lunch.

Later, as we walked around looking for a park, housing called. The landlord wants 7,000 euro as a deposit. Up from 2,700 euro. This sounded suspicious. Our housing rep told us we should start looking for another place and that he would gray list the landlord so he could not rent to Americans.

Did I throw a fit? You betcha. A ginormous one. We were so done looking at houses. This house is cute, in a great location, kindergarten in walking distance to our home, the town is very very cute, and there is even an organic store where I can buy organic wine, beer, brats, etc. - things not often found at local markets (not that I've found yet anyway).

Today is a new day. Another American family (friends of ours) is interested in the other half of the duplex. His housing rep is not as concerned about the huge deposit (we will get the deposit plus interest back - and we will get that interest back as it is the legal obligation of the landlord to do so). Matt, the landlord and the other family interested in the house will meet today and try to negotiate a better deal and feel the landlord out. If all goes well, we'll sign on the house and move in in a week or so. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts.

If all does not go well, I will curl up into a ball, go to sleep and someone can wake me up when it's all over. I'm so tired of living in this guest house and so sick of looking at houses, the thought of doing it all over throws me into a depression. I know I'm supposed to be a strong military wife and embrace all that is thrown at me. But, one person can only take so much - especially with a deployment lurking right around the corner!

Tantrums, Heat, Repeat

2010-07-14T12:36:00.009+01:00

First off: We found a house. It's one of the first places we looked at (a brand-new duplex). We drove by and chose not to call on it because it was under construction and it didn't look like it could be done in time. Also, it looked as if it wouldn't have much of a backyard. There were stones thrown about the back and I assumed that was it.

I was wrong. On a whim and desperate, we made an appointment to look at it. We were pleasantly surprised. It's three stories with four bedrooms and a finished basement (playroom, storage, etc). It has two full bathrooms (with beautiful jacuzzi tubs) and a half bath. It has a small, private balcony off of one bedroom (it will probably be the office/extra guest room). The kitchen is a lot smaller than I would normally put up with - but, we've only come across a couple places with big kitchens and I had to give up on the "dream kitchen." The landlord agreed to work with me on the kitchen. I can probably get more shelving put in and maybe some sort of breakfast folding table/chairs. I'll also probably get a kitchen storage cart (with wooden chopping block) and use that as an island of sorts. There isn't a single strip of carpet! It's really modern and the style reminds me of something out of Ikea.

We will have a fenced-in, grass yard. We also have a small garage and plenty of parking for guests around the corner. There is a kindergarten across the street from our house (let's hope there is no wait list and the school suits the girls' needs). The town is quite cute and even has an organic grocery store. The S-Bahn (train) is a mile from our house with a huge parking lot and bike racks. This will come in handy for our visitors!

Speaking of schools, we have decided to enroll Olivia in German kindergarten even though we hear the standards are not as high as American kindergarten. We'll have to do some supplementation at home. Beginning in middle school, German schools exceed American standards. Before that time, however, they are either at or below the American standard. I'm a bit apprehensive about having Olivia skip regular American kindergarten. However, she's a bright child and will catch up just fine in American first grade next year. This year, she'll become fluent in German (please realize that it is a fabulous brain exercise-one which many Americans, sadly, don't put enough value in) and she can maintain it next year by remaining enrolled in most, if not all, of her sport activities on the German economy, local parks, etc. This year, we will make sure she does at least one sport (swimming, we think) on post so she can make some American friends.

Lila will go to German kindergarten for two full years and, depending on how Olivia does with her transition from German kindergarten to American first grade and where she's at at the time, will either continue with German kindergarten or proceed with American kindergarten.

As far as school for me, I plan to start my Infant Maternal Health-Lactation Consulting degree in late August and also start taking German lessons twice a week. I have to at least commit to six weeks of German classes. If I can manage school and German classes, I plan on committing to six months of language classes. I hate being in the "dark" here and German's do not appear as eager to use their English as most Portuguese are.

As for what else is going on: NOTHING. It's a series of hot days (90's) in a hot guest house, with hot and cranky kids prone to frequent tantrums in which all control is lost. Who wants to travel in this heat? Not me. Thank goodness for my Itouch. I've been able to download a few movies and hook the Touch up to the TV in the guest house. We've seen Toy Story, Alice in Wonderland, and a few Eloise episodes. I don't usually allow the girls to watch this much TV (or eat out this much) but, we'll detox from all that fairly soon. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts!

Wanted: German Home, Close to Post

2010-07-08T12:06:00.011+01:00

Matt and his girls take a rest at Heidelberg Castle

We have settled into our guesthouse, with internet only in a tiny corner of the house, right by the door - one reason why I haven't updated the blog very much. Here's an update, finally.

We spent one evening exploring downtown Heidelberg a bit. I will say that I like Cascais in Portugal a bit more - but, Heidelberg is certainly nice enough.

Downtown Heidelberg

The language barrier is much tougher than it was in Portugal. I've studied French and Portuguese. I "get" Latin languages. For the LIFE of me, I can't figure German out. I can't get my tongue around the words and I have a feeling sentence structure isn't going to make much sense to me. I have to sign up for a German class ASAP (must nail down a sitter first). Fortunately, enough Germans speak English - more so than Portuguese and that's helpful.

We met up with our great friends from Portugal, now stationed near Stuggart (just over an hour's drive from where we are). It was so nice to meet up with them again. We had a little BBQ made up of German food and fresh veggies and some great wine. Then, we walked down into their tiny town and walked around. The girls played at a park and then we went out to dinner.

Lila figuring out the pulley

The girls checking out the water system at the park. So cool!

Dinner with Anna and Chris! Reunited with them after 11-months

As far as the house situation goes - it's complicated. We are looking and it's a bit tougher than I thought it was going to be. The housing office on post has several listings in our housing allowance price range. However, the bigger houses, with storage and a room for Matt to brew, are a half hour away from post. The closer ones are more cramped. We found one town that we loved - but, the houses we looked at there didn't meet our needs. I absolutely don't mind a smaller place - but not if it doesn't have any storage. We left several of our things behind in the US (in storage). We do not have a lot. How the Germans get by with even less than we have now, is beyond me. They have big bike trailers to tow around their kids - where are they storing them

We have looked at listing on German websites and used a translation sheet to sift through houses (Matt is given all the credit here). Unfortunately, 99% of the houses listed require you to pay the realtor two or more month's rent!! We just don't have several grand to throw around on a house that we'll only be living in one-two years! So, we know we're going to have to settle. How much so, is the question...

"I Think I'm Going to Like it Here..."

2010-07-02T09:23:00.002+01:00

We arrived in Frankfurt yesterday morning. I didn't sleep on the plane. It just doesn't work for me. The Benadryl I gave the girls kept Olivia up and knocked Lila out. Matt fell asleep on the tarmac on take-off and, pretty much, remained that way the entire flight. I had an allergic reaction to something I ate on the plane (a piece of fruit, I think) and had to take Benadryl soon before we landed. I had meant to take it much sooner - but decided to watch a movie instead. Taking it during the last hour was bad, bad, bad. Olivia finally fell asleep during the last two hours of our flight and screamed bloody murder as soon as we landed until we picked up our luggage. We love drawing attention to ourselves!

Our sponsor quickly helped us get ID cards taken care of and hit up the housing office before the long weekend. We do not have to live on post (this is good news)! Matt is at a housing brief this morning and we are hoping that we can spend some time today looking at houses. Though, I'm so tired, I don't know if that's a good idea.

Our guest house has no air conditioning and it is hot. We are on the top floor and, since heat rises, you can imagine how uncomfortable we are. We closed all the windows this morning, after letting it cool down last night and it's not working well. I'm going to ask to have us moved to the ground floor, if possible, as soon as a room opens up.

The guest house manager has been very helpful. She tells me there is a farm nearby where I can get raw milk and fresh fish weekly. She has also told me of three or four local markets. I just need to get their times and locations. She did, however, suggest going to the farm directly, as she does, because food picked up directly at the farm is less expensive than the market or the grocery store.

We did hit up a grocery store yesterday and I'm a bit overwhelmed. I need German language lessons STAT! I'll have to bring my little dictionary next time and start reading over common food items in my book right away. I know I will figure it out, as I did in Portugal. Therefore, I'm not nearly as anxious as I was when I first arrived in Portugal. Aside from essential items, as soon as I start making my own yogurt and bread again, I don't plan on needing much out of the grocery store all Summer and Fall due to the farms and markets.

So, I'm pooped, Olivia is bored ("When is our stuff going to be here already...this is the most boring place I've ever been"), and Lila is just along for the ride. Matt's trying to delay his deployment until we find a house, all of our household goods (HHG) have arrived and we either buy a car or find a cheap rental until my car arrives. I'd like him to stick around long enough to have us fully moved in and have schools for the Fall taken care of for the girls. I'm so jet-lagged that I can't even wrap myself around all of it, but I know it'll all come together and I'm able to remain calm.

We plan to walk around Heidelberg later today. I'll bring my camera and try to post pictures later. I'm really excited and I know I'm really going to like it here!

North East Trip Highlights

2010-06-30T15:06:00.006+01:00

I don't have a lot of time to write an indepth post. We fly to Germany this evening. I am ecstatic! However, if I spend too much time updating the blog with all of our trip to the North East details, I'll get behind on the last minute packing and that would cause my dear husband great stress and anxiety (I'm the calm and relaxed one as of late when we travel. He's does all the stressing for me). So, here are a few pictures. I have no idea when I'll be able to update again, but check back often because the adventure begins today!

Matt and Olivia at City Museum in St. Louis

Laura and I posing in Times Square after seeing Promises, Promises on Broadway. Fantastic show! I love Kristen Chenoweth!

Lila holding her new cousin

Olivia's turn holding Nyahm

The cousins atop Mt. Philo in Vermont

On the Road Again and Again and Again...

2010-06-26T03:36:00.006+01:00

Well, we're smack in the middle of another overseas move. We're now in Vermont visiting my friends and family. We've stopped at random places with the girls and people will take note that we're on vacation. Almost always someone asks where we're from. Now that's a loaded question. The girls are quick though. Either Liv or Lila will explain that they were born in Alaska, then lived in Portugal, just moved from Kansas and are visiting grandparents before moving to Germany. They get this out in about five seconds. Vermonters seem much more impressed than New Yorkers.

I have several pictures - but no cord or card reader to load any. I'll try to get that worked out tomorrow or early next week - so check back.

Typical move stuff - Liv is acting out because it has "clicked" that she's moving. I've decided to cut some people out of the "must see" list in Vermont and just posted on Facebook where I'd be if they wanted to link up (If you aren't on FB, get with it. Seriously. If you're reading this and not on FB, you are one of the last hold outs. As someone who held out for a LONG time herself, I can tell you that you're missing out. I don't care if you're 70. Now's the time. Just do it). I just can't fit everyone in, driving around everywhere to do it. Family has become number one priority. Rushing around to see a dozen people in their homes wears on me.

So far (in no particular order), we've hit up a children's museum in St. Louis. Friends and family in NY and VT. A bit of mountain climbing as a family, a nasty BM accident in a car rental bathroom stall because someone let someone have too much juice on the plane from Chicago to NY, water-park fun, small grad-school party for Matt, a bee-sting in the eye, kids sleeping wonderfully (I mean it - even in the same bed), easy-peasy, long car rides (I will pay for saying that), an afternoon at Loon Lake, NY (tubing on the lake included), back yard fires, farm-to-table restaurants (VT), Broadway play in NYC (I highly recommend Promises, Promises!), and more. It's been wonderful and even, at times, very relaxing. I'm on my third book of the move.

This time next week we should be looking at houses. I can't even begin to tell you how stoked I am (I know. I'm a little old to be using the word stoked - but, I don't care - I'm STOKED) that we're moving to Germany. Ahhh. It's going to be so good to be back in the EU! Come visit us.

Of course, I already miss my dear friends in Kansas - you know who you are! Tears...

Welcome Nyahm

2010-06-13T03:55:00.002+01:00

Congratulations to my sister, Sarah, and her family on their new addition!

Nyahm Ezekiel
7 lbs
19 1/2 inches
6-8-10 @1:14 pm

Our family can't wait to meet him later this month!

Congrats again!

Let's Hear it for The Boy!

2010-06-13T03:12:00.009+01:00

Post Graduation Family Picture (It was humid and HOT - but, the girls and I stuck around for this guy!)

We left Portugal a year ago (you'll remember that I left kicking and screaming) and moved to Kansas so Matt could go to school. He attended a school for the Army (ILE) and also entered a master's degree program with Central Michigan University.

All year, Matt had incredible focus. He worked his butt off. Night after night, he would fall asleep at his computer in his office. I can't even tell you how many nights he crept into bed around four in the morning. You must understand that this could not have been easy for him. He worked well over 60-hours-a-week in Portugal and before that, he spent 16-months in Iraq. He's been GO GO GO for several years now and, with a deployment to Iraq coming up next month, it's not going to get any easier for him.

So, I have to give him an extra special shout-out and congrats because all his hard work and determination paid off. He graduated from ILE and his master's program this week with straight A's! This was a very big change from his days in college over a decade ago. He has every reason to be just as proud of himself as we are!

Congrats!!

Olivia's Opinion of Emily Elizabeth

2010-05-31T15:41:00.003+01:00

This weekend we went into Kansas City to see a Clifford exhibit. I didn't get the best pictures but I did get a really great opinion of Emily Elizabeth out of Olivia.

Olivia on Emily Elizabeth: "Emily Elizabeth is boring. I don't really like her. She isn't fancy enough. She wears the same clothes every day."

Bear-wearing at the exhibit

Olivia was also very disappointed that Clifford didn't make an actual appearance. She insists that he is very much real and was less than pleased that we left before he showed up to greet the children.

Class of 2023

2010-05-25T03:28:00.005+01:00

Olivia graduated from preschool last week. The school put on a very simple ceremony. Her preschool teacher cried as she announced the class of 2023. Of course, her tears were contagious and I lost it there for a second too.

Olivia will enter kindergarten next year. We hope to enroll her in a German school, instead of a school on the U.S. military installation. It may be a little bit more complicated to do that than we had anticipated. Therefore, school for Olivia in the Fall is still a bit a uncertain. We arrive in Germany on the first of July and will immediately investigate all her German options. We hope to send her on a wonderful journey!

Ballet Recital

2010-05-23T21:48:00.002+01:00

The girls have been taking ballet classes since September (This was Olivia's second year in ballet). Yesterday, they wrapped up the year with a recital. We weren't allowed to video tape it (we'll get a DVD of it in June from the dance studio) but I snapped a picture or two before the show started.

Leavenworth is a fairly small town. There are only two dance studios in town to choose from. My friend, Amy, and I call the studio we signed our children up at, "Ghetto Ballet." If my girls showed any talent in the future, we certainly would be looking for a studio that steps it up a notch or two. However, since we're moving, it doesn't matter. Besides, the girls are still way too young to be taking any form of dance or sport very seriously. So, it's been a fun year, despite the fact that the studio doesn't really meet my standard.

The recital was very cute! Though, at some point, either right before, during or right after, Lila peed her pants. We can't have an event not tainted with drama now can we!

Next year, I'll be sure to buy flowers! I thought they were way too young to notice that other girls would be getting flowers - they weren't. Lila was heartbroken that she didn't leave with flowers in hand. What was I thinking!!

Goodbye, Denali

2010-05-19T13:54:00.005+01:00

Over the past few months, we've been mulling over the idea of sending our dog to a better home. We hadn't been giving him the exercise that he needed. I'm allergic to him and he's crazy-food obsessed. For years we have had to keep all food out of his reach. He would go to great lengths to steal food. I can't even tell you how much food or even whole dishes that have been lost to that dog.

When we found out that we were moving back overseas and we'd have to drop at least $700 to get him back over (leaving in the summer, when the weather is very warm, makes it difficult to fly him because of airline weather/heat restrictions) and then found out that we'd be living in apartment-style housing with no yard, we decided it was best to find him a new home.

He is a very loving dog. He let the girls dress him up and drag him around the house. They pulled on his ears and smothered him with hugs. He's overly-friendly and eager to please. So, the decision was a bit heartbreaking, I must say.

I emailed the Humane Society, who emailed another local organization and we got a taker immediately. An elderly couple, who have had two Boykin spaniels in the past, had a long-standing message with a local organization to call them if they ever came across another Boykin. I received an immediate phone call from a lovely woman named Norma. I told her a little about him, asked if she wanted to meet him to which she replied, "No. I just want him. I love Boykin's and am about 100% certain I want him."

On Sunday, I dropped him off at his new home, after the girls had said their goodbyes (Lila cried hysterically - but, is absolutely fine now. Olivia did not care in the least). As soon as he stepped out of the truck, Norma started to cry. She fell in love instantly.

Denali now has lots of room to run, a creek to swim in and a loving family to spend each and every day with. He'll spend time walking with his owner at the park and riding in the car to visit family nearby.

It was very difficult to give Denali away. He's been a part of our family for seven years and several moves. However, I feel confident that he will enjoy his new home much more than he was enjoying life with us.

Certified Lactation Counselor

2010-05-10T15:20:00.004+01:00

Last month, my wonderful husband watched the girls for a week while I attended Healthy Children's Center for Breastfeeding's Certified Lactation Counselor course in Dixon, IL. I had been interested in taking the class for the past few years. My one goal, while living back in the States, was to take this class. It was a little bit of a challenge to attend because Matt is in school full-time for the Army and is getting his Master's degree on the side.

This Spring, I was accepted to Union Institute and University. They have a B.S. degree in Infant-Maternal Health - Lactation Consulting. I transferred as many college credits that I could and will begin the mostly online degree in the Fall. The CLC class was one of the classes I needed to complete my degree.

I didn't post about the class earlier because I did not know if I passed! It was a week-long class (8:15am-4:30pm daily). It was exhausting - but so much fun. I didn't know there was so much information about breastfeeding and formula use. At the end of the week, we had two tests. One was a competency in which you watch a video on a woman latching on her baby and fill out a form (the form helps the mother identify her problems and what to work on until you meet with her again for follow-up). The second test is a multiple choice test. Since that test is not on the computer, you must wait six-eight weeks to find out if you passed! Since I'm moving overseas soon, I had to find out sooner than that (If I didn't pass - I could retake the test within a year - but, couldn't do that while living abroad!) and was able to get my tests graded early.

I was very nervous as to whether I passed or not! I had so much help here at home with the girls for the week that I was away. How would I explain to everyone that I failed and had to go back to Illinois (to a different test site) to retake the test and, once again, ask for their help?

I had no need to worry though. I passed the tests and am now a Certified Lactation Counselor through 2013! Since we're moving to Germany and will, most likely, not be living in a place where I could get a job doing this, I will try to find a way to get some mentoring done once or twice a week at a nearby military hospital (the nearest military hospital is about an hour away, I believe, so, while that's too far for a daily job - mentoring a couple times a week may work out). I need mentoring hours as part of my degree. I'm determined to find a way to mentor on a regular basis.

I thought I'd highlight just a couple of things that were touched on in class that was new(er) information for me. Feel free to message me personally with any questions, requests for more information, etc.:

When teaching a breastfeeding class or counseling expectant parents, highlight the risks of formula before explaining the benefits of breastfeeding. Many people already know the great benefits of breastfeeding, however, most do not, due to the very effective formula marketing in this country, know the risks of formula feeding - some of which may not show up in a child for decades. Explaining risks of formula use is more effective than explaining benefits of breastfeeding.
Have a hands-off approach. When helping a mother latch on her baby properly, observe and offer suggestions rather than try to get the baby latched on properly by using your hands.

That's all I'm really going to share right now. The class was an evidence-based class. We went over meta-analysis study after study. I learned so much about formula and the long-term effects of it. I've been reading over articles on how to explain these things to parents without making them feel guilty. In many countries, breastfeeding is just something that you do. Most everyone does it, at least for a few months, and often into toddlerhood. Here, in the U.S., it's quite a different story and it's frustrating that we have to be so careful as to how we present information. The fear of offending or unintentionally guilt-tripping parents is great. This is where mentoring will come in handy. I'm not always the most tactful person and know that mentoring is something that is an absolute must if I'm going to be able to truly help parents.

I love a good journey so I am excited to have the certification finished and mentoring and online college classes to look forward to!

What Does Soccer Mean to Olivia?

2010-04-30T17:03:00.003+01:00

We have no idea what soccer means to Olivia. I wish I had video of her most recent soccer game. It was so uncomfortable to watch, I almost didn't want to admit that she was my child!

First of all, it's her first season and it's clear she hasn't grasped the game yet. As in, she doesn't even know what goal her team is supposed to be kicking towards.

Then, she's easily distracted. She's picking flowers, staring off into space, or practicing moves for her upcoming dance recital as the ball passes her by. It's embarrassingly hilarious to watch.

During the weekend, she'll complain that she is only interested in ballet and doesn't want to go to soccer during the upcoming week. She has told us that we're forcing her. Then, on the day of soccer, she'll be excited about it and get ready hours ahead of time.

I'm not so sure soccer is going to be a game she sticks with. But, exposure to various different sports can't hurt. So, we'll stick it out this season and reevaluate in the Fall!

Notes From a Recovering Junk Food Eater

2010-04-10T21:41:00.005+01:00

As my family and I ate our picnic lunch of a variety of homemade goodies (at the zoo today), it dawned on me that it wasn't too long ago that I would have purposely not packed a lunch. I would do this because, come hell or high water, I was going to get me some of that park food. I craved it. My mind would conjure up the smell of fries long before we arrived and I'd be salivating all the way to the nearest snack bar upon arrival. I would do the same thing on road trips. Pack a lunch? Heck no! Drive-thrus and diners, here we come!

Today, Olivia and Lila didn't even ask to get food at the Zoo, though we passed several food "joints." They munched on popcorn (sweetened with Vermont maple syrup - yum), banana bread and cucumbers I had brought and washed it down with water from their water bottles. I didn't crave any of the food I knew the Zoo snack bars were serving. I thought, "Wow, I've come a long way. I've completely changed my life and, in turn, the life my children would have had had I stuck with the S.A.D diet (Standard American Diet)."

It was a moment that found me choked up. I was a stubborn junk food eater with a family history of obestity-related disease. I know that my family is on the sure path to change that. I am proud!

Someone recently told me that I shouldn't deny myself junk food every now and then. For one, I can make junk food at home (but, without the trans fats and HFCS, of course). For two, I'm not denying myself a thing because I don't even crave it!

For all of you watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Food Inc., or reading Micheal Pollan's books and finding changing the way you feed your family daunting, I say this: You can do it. You will find your way. There will come a day when you won't even want to waste your money on a chain like Crapplebees. You'll either decide to bring your own, eat at home or seek out a farm-to-table restuarant (serving local produce and grass-fed meats, and usually coming up with creative, delicious meals very different than the generic meals served at most chain restuarants).

It's a great journey. Take it!

Sunny Morning at the Kansas City Zoo

2010-04-10T20:21:00.002+01:00

Here, I was just testing out updating my blog via my Blackberry. Which could come in handy every now and then. It was just a typical day at the zoo. However, today, we had an abundance of sun! It was lovely!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Teenage Mom

2010-04-04T03:17:00.006+01:00

Aside from Olivia's current sneaky behavior (ie., today she helped me make brownies. As they cooled on the counter and I took a shower, she grabbed a knife and cut a hole in the middle and served chunks to Lila and herself), she provides us with quite a few laughs. Here are two examples from today:

I caught her sneaking out the front door. When I asked her where she was going, she sighed and said, "I'm going for a run because I'm a teenager and I'm a mom!" She then ran out the door pushing a baby in a stroller.
We were watching a dance show on TV and I asked, "Do you think you want to be a dancer when you grow up?" to which she replied, "Mom. I already am a dancer!" and proceeded to point her toes and demonstrate her best arabesque.
Always a complimentary taste tester, Olivia recently taste tested pumpkin cheesecake and creme de menthe brownies: "I cannot believe my mind! Both are so good!"

Random Bits Regarding "The Move"

2010-04-03T15:37:00.005+01:00

I've become a real slacker here! So sorry. In the dead of winter, when the sun is hiding, I lose energy and inspiration. Over the past couple of years, I've discovered that I need sun. I'm a different person when the sun is shining. I feel vibrant with life. When the sun disappears for more than a couple of days, I become grumpy and slovenly. The sun is out today and I am motivated to update you all a bit.

The move overseas is coming right up. We pack out our household goods next month! We rented our house, and I've slowly started to purge broken or beaten up toys and discard stained clothing of the girls. Soon, we'll sell infant clothes and baby items that got little use (We'll have family members and friends with infants visiting - so we aren't selling all our baby stuff). Thankfully, we already have passports and several things that are helpful when living overseas as an American such as:

My Kindle - which will come in really handy when the post library doesn't have the book I want and the post store isn't selling it. In Portugal, I had a hard time getting my hands on books (without having to order online and wait for them to come in - I'm so impatient!) and while I know it won't be quite as hard in Germany, it's still nice to be able to have something at my fingertips that doesn't take up much space. Last year, when we traveled to Ireland, I was reading a book series and the books were huge. Matt nearly had a heart attack when I packed them. Enter Kindle. Space problem solved.

Then, we have our Skype phone. It hooks up to our modem and is used like a regular landline phone otherwise. Once a year, we re-up the US phone number we bought. Incoming calls are free and outgoing calls are 3cents/min. I think there may be even better plans now and I'll look into that.

Next, we have our SlingPlayer. Handy system to have for watching live or recorded TV from the US on your computer. I hate waiting for AFN to run the shows that have already been on in the States for a month or two. And, I can't watch them online (NBC.com, for example) with a German IP address.

We've started to think more about enrolling the girls in German schools and German sports and dance. I run into so many people who've been stationed overseas and they just don't get that. It's not something they thought of doing. Someone recently said to me, "Why would you do that to your children?"

Do what? Give them the gift of language and the gift of experiencing a completely different culture? Why not? I don't mean to offend anyone, but, why move to Europe and live in "America?" By that I mean, doing everything on post. Shopping, school, sports, etc. It's boring and you aren't getting much out of your European experience, in my opinion, if you only go out as a tourist. Sure, you get to see places, but, can you really say you truly lived there if you don't shop at local markets, get to know your farmers, growers and shop owners? Learn to make a few local dishes and eat locally made and produced food (yogurt, bread, wine, beer, etc). When I visited a Navy base in Spain last year, I had to run to the commissary for Tylenol. I was appalled to see people shopping for Egglands Best eggs and Yoplait yogurt. What? Germany and Belgium make yogurt 1000x's better than Yoplait. And, why contribute to a carbon footprint that big? I guess some people don't think about it.

Yesterday, I was elated to learn that a military family on our street lived in Germany for six years. They rarely shopped at the commissary. They bought their chickens from a local market. They drove into France once a week and picked up bread, eggs, wine and cheese. They had friends who enrolled their young teenagers in German soccer and they got really really good. Better than any of their American friends. They got FICA cards and just had a blast.

Some people worry that if we put our kids in classes in which they can't speak the language, they'll suffer emotionally and academically. Well, our children are not teenagers with college looming in front of them. Young children pick up languages very very easily and haven't yet started to get too sucked into peer pressure or group forming. A fairly bright child, with no underlying learning disabilities, will catch up just fine in a foreign school and, later, when immersed back in an American school. Some people worry too much. And, if something I'm doing isn't working out, I would never force it on my child.

So, as you can see, I'm excited. I'm very very sad to leave the new found friends I've become very very close to. Our time in Germany, because of unit movement to the US, may be less than three years - but, I'm ready to embrace every moment (obstacles and all) of each day, week, month and year there!

Spring Break in Rifle, CO

2010-03-16T16:57:00.004Z

Matt and Liv at Rifle Falls

Lila and Natalie at Rifle Falls

We're spending Spring Break visiting family in Colorado. We thought we'd start saying goodbye to family before we move to Germany in a few short months. I have a few cousins in Colorado and Matt's brother lives close by to them. After a fairly uneventful 12-hour drive, we arrived and started making plans for some fun in the Colorado sun.

Liv Learning How to Make "Pizza"

We decided to get the girls up on skis for the first time. After many potty breaks, a slammed finger in the door and a couple of meltdowns, it happened. I hadn't been on skis in years and didn't have much confidence to teach my own children (Matt doesn't downhill ski). So, my cousin, Lydia, a former ski instructor, set out to teach the girls.

Lila had a great time learning how to make "french fries" and "pizzas" and then set about eating snow.

Liv Mastering her "Pizza."

Liv begged to go up on the ski lift. Lydia and I brought her on a green slope and she did remarkably well. It always amazes me how quickly small children pick up on skiing or snowboarding. I was so proud of my feisty, independent five-year-old!

Lila Posing with her Skis

Yesterday, we spent the morning at Rifle Falls. We went on a small hike around the falls and then played a little Frisbee and later had a great fish dinner back at cousin Lydia's.

Today, we're heading towards Aspen to have dinner with Matt's brother, Mick. We'll walk around the town and enjoy some fresh air before meeting him. I just love Colorado. It's sunny so much of the time and each time I visit, I'm reminded how much the sun brings out the happiest side of me! The lack of sun (or so I'm told) in Germany is the only thing I'm dreading about being stationed there. Hopefully, all the other perks of living abroad will outweigh the lack of sunshine (compared to Colorado, Portugal, etc).

We'll head back home on Thursday and if I get any more cute pictures before then, I'll try to upload them to share.

Homemade Yogurt: Easy as 1-2-3!

2010-02-24T22:46:00.008Z

Does your family get a daily dose of healthy cultured food such as yogurt, kefir, fermented veggies or kombucha? Did you know that cultured foods are known to boost the immune system, aid in digestion and help ward off stomach bugs (or reduce severity, etc.) ? Have you thought about making your own yogurt?

I've been making my own yogurt for quite some time. The girls, Lila especially, love it. We go through a half-gallon of plain yogurt a week.

Some people think I must labor long and hard when making yogurt. Here's a secret: It's fairly quick, easy, it saves a lot of money and it's a lot healthier because we sweeten it with maple syrup or honey and I use a fantastic culture that makes a thick, creamy, very mild yogurt. I don't have to use thickeners. Have you noticed the high sugar content of flavored yogurt in the grocery stores? If it isn't organic yogurt, it's, most likely, sweetened with HFCS. In my opinion, 90% of all yogurt in the grocery store is junk food. With fillers and HFCS, the only benefit is the culture in it. Often, organic yogurt still has fillers, a high sugar content and/or it's quite expensive.

So, here's what I do and use:

Heat half gallon of local, organic whole milk to 180-degrees. Remove from heat and cool to 118-115 degrees (about 20-minutes in fridge or use an ice bath and monitor temperature carefully-I use an immersion digital thermometer and set timer to check frequently so I don't forget about it). Note: Please do not use ultra-pasteurized milk (UHT). It is heated at very high heat, therefore, killing almost all nutrients and good bacteria. This milk does not provide a good environment/host for culture and you will, often, get a very thin yogurt. I've tested this and found it to be true.

Pour cooled milk into Yogotherm jug. Sprinkle in 1/8th teaspoon of ABY-2C yogurt culture. Close lid and shake gently. Set jug in Yogotherm, cover, and let rest on counter for six-eight hours. Cool in fridge before serving. Drizzle local honey or maple syrup to sweeten. Add fruit, vanilla, etc. Lila likes her yogurt with honey and a dollop of peanut butter.

You'll also see a few recipes on my side-bar in which you can use your homemade yogurt: Waffle/pancake recipe (add honey or maple syrup to the batter in that recipe to taste as she doesn't add any and it needs a little bit, in my opinion), chocolate coffee cake and baked oatmeal (We call this breakfast cake = YUMMO!)

Tip: If you save one cup of yogurt, you can use that to stir in your half-gallon of cooled milk when making your next batch instead of using culture, thus saving money! You can do this once or twice before needing fresh culture.

I spend $3.75 on a half gallon of organic, local milk. A half gallon of delicious, organic yogurt for $3.75! A steal!

Resources:

You can find the Yogotherm and culture I use here: Dairy Connection

Cultures for Health also has great yogurt cultures (Belgium, Greek, etc) and also buttermilk, kefir and more. Also a great selection of supplies.

"The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow..."

2010-02-15T19:45:00.006Z

This week, I was THAT mom. You know. The one who brings her sick kids to play with other kids.

Monday night, Olivia woke up just before midnight screaming, "Mom! I don't feel very well." The week went downhill from there. Fevers, snot-nosed, cranky behavior, waking up five-times-a-night. No one slept. Well, except my husband (when he wasn't working until all hours of the night on a paper or Farmville or something Total Warfare). When Olivia woke up screaming that she couldn't breath, Lila would wake up and cry because she was scared for Olivia.

The only "good" thing (if you can call it that) is that Liv woke up two nights in a row SCREAMING of an earache. I don't give antibiotics for ear infections unless I have to. As in, rising fever, increased pain, Motrin not working. So, when I had an ENT appointment last week for myself (Because what's new? I spend a zillion hours a year at ENT/Allergy/Neurotologist's offices), I brought Olivia. The PA said that Olivia was so stuffy, it, most likely, was not the kind of infection that antibiotics would help. Sure enough, she was right. That night was her last complaint, she woke in the morning saying her ear was fine and hasn't complained since. Thank goodness. I did not want to hit a ped's office during flu season and I didn't want to destroy her gut flora by giving her antibiotics and, in return, making her more susceptible to a stomach bug!

Then, Lila came down with "it." And, "it" went immediately to her eyes. Slits for eyes. Eye boogers. I tried the homeopathic thing. Didn't do a thing. Fortunately, I had an unopened tube of antibiotic eye gel. That did the trick. 15-hours later, Olivia and Lila both looked good, I went to a play date with a half dozen friends. I kept Lila on my back, in the Ergo, for most of the time and locked in a booster seat for the rest of the time. The next morning, Olivia woke up with red, oozy eyes. I haven't heard anything from any mothers. But, I'm SO hoping we didn't spread, "The Love!"

Now I'm sick. Seriously, this has to stop! It's my third cold in five weeks. I think I've been healthy for five days during that time. I do everything to prevent colds. Nasal irrigation 2x's daily (all year), elderberry every day, vitamin D-3, zinc, exercise, sleep. Still get everything the girls bring home. This seriously cuts into my gym time. So much for getting in great shape for Spring/Summer. I want to get to Germany and be able to do some pretty intense hikes with Matt. Yeah. That's looking like it WON'T happen. I can't stay healthy long enough to get in any kind of good shape!

So, we've been watching a lot of Annie around here. It's Olivia's new favorite movie. At least Matt and I both like it. So, it hasn't gotten on our nerves yet. Actually, Olivia kind of reminds us of Annie. She's a fiesty little mother-hen.

Anyway, blah blah. I know many of you have been sick too. But, maybe the sun will come out tomorrow...in more ways than one!

Jamie Oliver's Plea to Fight Obesity

2010-02-13T16:01:00.003Z

Obesity is a subject that is near and dear to me. I come from a family that has always struggled with their weight. I've, personally, struggled with it and you all know that I've blogged about it. Immediate family members have obesity-related disease. I blog about it and spread the word about it because it is REAL to me and I am scared.

I urge all of you watch Jamie Oliver's plea, then blog this video, Facebook this video, email this video (even if you and your family doesn't struggle with weight). Plea to your schools, join Jamie Oliver in the fight. Until your school can feed your children proper meals, pack them a lunch filled with real, healthy, fresh food. Make a statement with your dollar! Don't support school lunches that only provide your children with food-like substances or meals over-loaded with salt and sugar, all of which contribute to weak immune systems, obesity, depression and more.

Our children are projected to have a shorter lifespan than us, their parents! Let's work to change this statistic! We need to act now. Teach our children about food, where it comes from. Teach them how to cook several meals from scratch. Get them to appreciate REAL food. We need to stop the child abuse that is going on in homes and in schools. We need to give our children a better quality of life. We need to be role models.

Please watch the video (grab some tissues!), share it and act!

Back to Reality

2010-02-05T04:12:00.004Z

Well, it's been just about a week since Matt was notified that his next duty station will be in Germany. I was jumping up and down and, to be honest, ecstatic!..

Now, I'm back in reality. There is a general hassle when moving overseas. We have to sell Matt's 4-Runner which has seriously low mileage and is in fairly excellent condition for it's age. Then, we have to figure out what to put in storage, stock up a few items that may not be easily found over there (my favorite dishwasher detergent and weird things one wouldn't think about).

Before all the planning, however, we need orders! The military is known to change direction quite frequently. Matt could get his request for orders (RFO) within the next couple of weeks and they could contain a different location. It's unlikely - but, it's been known to happen! So, we wait (being a military spouse requires a lot of patience because we do a LOT of waiting).

In the mean time:

Olivia is about to turn five. I can't believe it. I have horrible baby fever. My husband does not. End of story.
Both Olivia and Lila have been showering me with this: "Mom, I have something to tell you....I love you!" It must be a stage. But, I love it anyway!
The weather has been disappointing. Yup, I'm talking about the weather. Boring, I know. But, the lack of sun is getting to me a little bit. I've been taking lots of Vitamin D-3 and it has helped immensely. Generally, I really turn into a major depressed, nut-case. That stuff really does help. But, we're going on several weeks of only seeing the sun for short bursts here or there. Annoying. Spring can come now. Please. I'm begging. Thank goodness for my book club ladies and my wonderful neighbor, Amy, who I annoy daily with all kinds of random complaining.
So far, no H1N1 or stomach bugs (Actually, Lila puked one time a few months ago but it was so painless, it doesn't count). Just typical colds (which knock me to ground because my severe allergies interfering with normal immune system function). In the stomach bug department, it may help that my kids eat close to a gallon of yogurt a week and I sneak it into everything I can. I'm trying incorporate more cultured foods and sometimes I make them kefir smoothies on top of their yogurt consumption. I'm a firm believer that Americans don't eat nearly enough cultured foods daily and are, therefore, more prone to stomach bugs than some other countries. But, then again, maybe we've just been lucky and tomorrow we'll be throwing up everywhere.
We have a Prius. If you watch the news, no, we don't have break problems currently. Some of you have expressed concern. So, yes, we'll make sure to pay attention to the situation and get a good check-up before we head back overseas.

That's it. I have nothing else. Have a great weekend!

Army Love

2010-01-30T14:05:00.019Z

The family in Germany - 2008

When our family visited Germany in May of 2008, Matt and I joked around about how cool it would be to be stationed in Germany. We fell in love with the country. In fact, Germany was our, surprising, favorite vacation destination during our two years abroad.

Matt's an outdoorsman through and through. His dream vacation or long weekend consists of hiking and climbing high peaks in the middle of winter and camping out overnight on the summit. And, while he's in grad school getting an MSA, I think his dream job after retiring from the Army would be forest ranger or something of the sort. Germany offers much more outdoor, deep in the woods, high in the mountains adventures than Portugal or Kansas. And, let's not getting started on the beer. Germany can accommodate both the brewer and beer snob.

The Army rarely grants dreams two times in a row. When we moved to Kansas this summer, I began to prepare myself for a less than desirable duty station. That's only fair, right? We got "ours." Our time was up. It was time to get back to the reality of normal military life. I was okay with that.

I wasn't okay with the Army holding out on us for six extra weeks (we were supposed to find out in mid-December). I wanted to start looking at school districts for the girls. I wanted to get Lila on wait lists for preschools. I had plans, you know!

I've been on edge for days, knowing the announcement was eminent. Yesterday afternoon, while Matt and I were out, he received a text message from a friend telling him to check his email. We hopped in our Prius, raced home and eagerly waited for Matt's computer to boot up and his email to open. I stared at him but didn't read over his shoulder (he hates that). He clicked on the email, scanned it over quickly, slammed himself back into the couch cushions with a, "Hrmm. Hrmmm. Ok." Shug, shrug.

I thought, "Crap!" and yelled, "What? Where?" He didn't speak; only pointed to the screen, where my eyes jumped past the, "Congratulations" and planted themselves on the only word that was important: "Germany."

I know this isn't fair. I'm not a mean-hearted person. I know there will be families who hated their last duty station and who got more bad news yesterday. They'll read my blog or my Facebook updates and hate on me. There's even a small part of me that thinks, "Wow. We need to trade with a family less fortunate. This is totally unfair." Then, there's the part of me that's like, well I do have Meniere's disease. Someday, I may not be able to travel much or at all. This may be my time to see the world. Who knows. It is what it is. Fair or not. Right now, I'm feeling the Army Love.

Now, we wait a couple more weeks to find out where in Germany. Then, we make decisions.

Do we get rid of our dog? We spent $1,500 bringing him back from Portugal just a few months ago. Getting him back over will be close to another grand (or more). In three years time, we'll have spent over $4,000 in kenneling and shipping the dog overseas and back. He's turning into the most expensive, over-bred Spaniel ever. And, he's horribly behaved and terribly annoying.

School for the girls: This decision was made during the visit to Germany in 2008 and etched in stone when Olivia became fluent in Portuguese. Our children will go to German schools. Olivia will be a bit behind to start off as kindergarten starts earlier in Germany than in the US (I believe). But, she's bright enough to catch up quickly (we hope) and has enough language mapping ability to catch on quickly (again, we hope). Being immersed in a language is nothing new to Olivia. If Lila has similiar langauge ability as Olivia did at her age in Portugal, she'll be fluent in German 4-5 months into the school year.

I can't wait to begin researching the area in which we'll live. I'm excited and anxious and seriously feeling bad for the families who didn't get the duty station they wanted. Matt has warned me to, once again, keep my excitement contained as to be fair to those families and I'll do my best!

We've still got a few more months in Kansas and we're going to enjoy, embrace and not rush this time we have with the very dear friends we've made here and who we'll have to leave behind in June!

Grassy Meatballs!

2010-01-23T21:30:00.007Z

How many of you have tasted grass-fed beef? If you haven't, it's wonderful. It has so much more flavor than typical grocery store (feedlot) meat.

It's also healthier. EatWild.com says this:

A major benefit of raising animals on pasture is that their products are healthier for you. For example, compared with feedlot meat, meat from grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and goats has less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. It also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and a number of health-promoting fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and “conjugated linoleic acid,”

If you would like more reasons as to why you should make the switch to switch to grass-fed beef/meat, I suggest you rent Food, Inc. or read more here.

This year, we bought a 1/4 cow from Bryant Family Farm, a local, family-run farm. Our family has been very fortunate to be able to find a wonderful local resource for meat (and pasture eggs, milk and so much more). I love that our meat was treated humanely and fed properly before it ended up on our plates! Those of you who know me well, know I love supporting local businesses.

If you're looking for a local grass-fed meat source, EatWild has an excellent database. If you can't find anything locally, EatWild has a list of farms that ship. You may find the prices of meat more than what you're used to. My tip: Eat superior quality meat - just less of it!

I thought I'd share with you a beef recipe I grabbed off of Gluten-Free Goddess last week (see her recipe for various meatball meal recipes). I was out of eggs and found this lovely egg-free meatball recipe. I served these with marinara sauce and noodles. Each one of my family members loved them. The girls asked that I make them every day. I made a huge batch and froze the leftovers.

Gluten-Free Meatballs
(see notes at bottom for my changes)

1 small to medium sweet onion
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into several pieces
1 pound of organic grass fed ground beef or buffalo- either works
1 pound of organic ground pork
1/2 cup Annie's Naturals or Muir Glen Organic Ketchup
1 tablespoon organic molasses (this helps bind the mixture)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/3 to 1/2 cup gluten-free herbed bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (my secret ingredient!)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Dash of red pepper flakes, for heat, if desired
Olive oil, as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss the onion, garlic and carrot pieces into a food processor and pulse until the texture is very finely diced. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, briefly stir together the ground beef and pork. Add in the processed onion, garlic and carrot mixture, ketchup, molasses, balsamic vinegar, parsley, gluten-free bread crumbs, sea salt and pepper flakes. Mix gently to combine. Try not to over-mix (over-mixing makes a dense meatball).

Rub a little olive oil on your hands and form the meatball mixture into balls (roughly the size of golf balls). Place them on the lined baking sheet. You should end up with about 20-24 balls.

Bake the meatballs in the center of the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes until done (no longer pink in the center). Note: Smaller meatballs cook faster, so if your meatballs are smaller, check them at 20 minutes. If you make ginormous balls, Darling, they'll take longer to cook through. Adjust baking times accordingly.

You could also fry the meatballs in a large skillet, using olive oil, I suppose, but this method makes an oilier meatball.

Makes about six servings.

Natalie's Changes: I used two pounds of ground beef instead of a combo. I used panko crumbs (not gluten-free) because that's all I had. Next time, I may grind up some oats and use those instead.

Kaleidoscope

2010-01-23T20:36:00.007Z

Liv drawing on cardboard that will soon go into the puzzle maker

Last weekend, on a tip, we drove into Kansas City, MO to Hallmark Kaleidoscope and participated in the FREE family art session. Each of us had a blast. Matt kept saying, "I can't believe this place is FREE!" We can't wait to go again and bring some friends. Here are a few pictures of our morning there.

Daddy putting his artwork through the puzzle maker

Liv turning her artwork through the puzzle maker

Lila and Mom making funny faces

Olivia working on a party hat

Lila painting her star

Lila watching her star go through the dryer

I Miss This

2010-01-23T15:46:00.004Z

I miss Olivia talking to her friends, her babysitter and her dolls in Portuguese. I think the gift of language is so important and it's saddened me that I couldn't find a reasonably priced language immersion program in our town (actually, there is nothing in this town). Olivia still understands much of the Portuguese Matt and I use (which isn't much, honestly). However, often she'll say, "My Portuguese didn't come with me!"

If any of you reading fluently speak a foreign language, speak it to your kids! My wish, when we move this summer, is that I'll find more foreign language opportunities for our girls!

Triplets

2010-01-10T19:25:00.007Z

The cousins posing in Vermont

Olivia has been telling us, for quite some time, that she wants a baby brother or sister. When we arrived in Vermont and she got a look a "Baby Zoey," she decided that she needs another sister so that she, Lila and the baby can be "triplets."

When Matt and I explained to her that we don't know if we'll ever have another baby, she began to cry and beg. Life is so simple for a five-year-old! Five-year-olds don't contemplate future deployments, illness or money.

Showing off her mothering skills

Refined Sugar-Free Granola Bars

2010-01-10T18:36:00.004Z

These are really yummy and easy to make. We love brown rice syrup. They are almost as good as our favorite store-bought granola bars (Cascadian Farms Chewy). I had this posted on the side-bar, however, the author made her blog private. I do have a protein bar in it's place on side-bar, if you're interested. So here's the recipe:

2 Cups Rolled Oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup raw pecan halves
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup brown rice syrup (found at health food stores)
3 tablespoons local, raw honey (most grocery store honey is heated at high temp, depleting nutrition).

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread oats, almonds, and pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, until the almonds are just beginning to turn golden. Add the coconut and put the baking sheet back in the oven for another couple minutes, until the cocount is golden brown. Keep an eye on it. The coconut will brown very quickly. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in salt. Combine the honey and the brown rice syrup in a small sauce pan. Cook over low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes JUST until syrup thins out (do not boil-basically warm it up). Remove from heat and pour over the nut mixture. Stir well until everything is well-coated with the syrup.

Spread granola evenly in the prepared pan. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and press the granola into the pan. Be sure to pack the whole thing down really well, all the way to the edges. Refrigerate until cooled completely. Transfer to a cutting board and peel off the parchment paper. Using a sharp, heavy knife, cut the square into 5-6 strips, then cut the strips in half crosswise to make 10-12 bars. I keep them covered in the fridge and serve chilled so they are less gooey. If serving in lunch box, you may want to wrap them individually in waxed paper so that they're easy to grab and take to work. If I am sending my husband off to work with these, I freeze ahead of time so they aren't too gooey at lunch time.

Note: I am allergic to almonds, so I use chopped walnuts and pecans.

Additions: I will sometimes add organic ground flax, bits of dark chocolate and/or dried fruit (i.e., cranberries).

Natalie's Favorites of 2009

2010-01-08T08:00:00.000Z

Here's a list of my favorites of 2009:

Place: Portugal (duh)
Musical Artist: Duffy
Gadget: Kindle
Rediscovered Kitchen Appliance: Bread Machine
Movie: Becoming Jane (came out in 2007 - just saw it in 2009)
Book Series: Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Who doesn't love Jamie Fraser!
Restaurant: Freestate Brewery-Lawrence, KS
Main Meal: Chicken Curry and Brown Rice
Muffin Recipe: Banana or Blueberry Crumb Muffins
Pancake Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes
Beverage: Kombucha
Quote: "To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”- La Rochefoucald
Trashy Website: Perez Hilton
Healthy Search Engine: Eat Well Guide

In 2010...

2010-01-07T04:01:00.005Z

...I will continue to work on the things I'm always working on: Patience, patience, patience. Less time on the computer. More time in the gym. Cleaner house. Blah Blah Blah.

Top Two Goals:

I want to accomplish getting a handle on our food budget (Despite popular belief, I don't buy all organic. Organic food is not what's killing the budget. Nor is cereal, juice, granola bars, fruit snacks, candy bars, chips, crackers, cookies, ice cream, soda, bottled water, bread, etc). We spend too much money on food and I know that some of it is because I don't meal plan well. I decide the day of or two days before and end up spending more due to the lack of planning ahead. Meal plan. Meal Plan.

Secondly, I have to find a way to get the anxiety I have about my Meniere's Disease under control. Nearly every second of every waking hour, it's on my mind. I worry about when my next attack or flare up could be. Or, if I'm flared up, how long it's going to last. I wonder how much hearing I'll eventually lose. I wonder if I'll eventually struggle with daily vertigo and, possibly, lose my drivers license. I wonder how this could eventually effect my kids (I don't want to be the "sick" mom). I wonder if I'll ever get one ear ringing-free day. Just one damn day-is that too much to ask? The answer rings in my head all the time: NO!!! I don't have a silent world. Ever. I'm really angry about that. The problem with Meniere's is that stress elevates symptoms, spurs attacks and progression of the disease. When I was diagnosed, I was told this, "You can't have any stress in your life. Ever. It will progress the disease."

Husband in the military, deploying for a year (or more) at a time, moving every three years. Two kids. Yup. No stress here.

So, aside from exercise (read: stress reliever), I have to find another way to get it off my mind. It's a hard thing to do because I always have symptoms. I never have a symptom-free day. So, I'm constantly reminded. Since I don't look sick, I think it's hard for people get it. And, if you can't see it, you kinda just want the person with the problem to shut up already. I know there are several things I can do. I may turn to a therapist who deals, very specifically, with chronically ill patients. I know that I'm not alone in this. A lot of patients get regular acupuncture and weekly massage therapy. That's not going to fit into our current budget. But, I have to do something because it's affecting my quality of life. I should be enjoying all the good days I do have instead of worrying about what could happen...

Other than that, I'm hoping we have a healthy year (Meniere's-managment aside) and have a smooth move to wherever the Army sends us this summer!

2009 Wrap-Up

2010-01-05T00:25:00.003Z

We're back from vacation! It was great to see so many family and friends. The kids did remarkably well on our 2,500-mile round-trip car journey! One perk of driving in our Prius is that we spent about $50 in gas each way! Wow!! A tiny bit cramped - but well worth it!! We survived with no major blow outs (read: screaming matches). I plan a couple of year-end/new year posts and, hopefully, some pictures. For now, I'll share with you our 2009 family letter:

Greetings!

It’s been a busy past several months for our family. We moved from the European seaside of Portugal to Midwest suburbia. Natalie was quite a princess about the move, claiming that she was leaving her heart behind in Portugal. The girls were simply excited about a new home and a promise of a sandbox. Matt was eager for 80-hour work weeks to end.

In July, while the girls and Natalie visited with friends and family in the North East, Matt flew down to Kansas and picked out a lovely, newly built home and made the purchase. Natalie was more than pleased with his choice!

Thankfully, much of Natalie’s heart has returned. She has made friends, started up a book club and come to, surprisingly, enjoy life in Kansas. She has found nearby farmer’s markets and family run farms in which to buy fresh eggs, freshly-milled flour, milk, grass-fed meat and so on. Most days you will find her in the kitchen, surrounded by what appears to be a huge mess, but what are, actually, various food creations in progress: Homemade yogurt and kombucha fermenting, bread rising, nuts and grains soaking and cook books thrown about. She enjoys meeting with her book club, swapping recipes with neighbors and friends online and exploring the area with her family (Surprisingly, the Kansas City area offers up a lot for families. The family has a membership to the KC Zoo and enjoys exploring nature centers, farms and museums).

Matt has been working hard in the CGSC program and on a master’s degree. He is doing quite well, nevertheless, quite busy with schoolwork. He has turned part of the garage into a brewery. As he’s always looking for a brewing partner, we have an extra room in which brewing enthusiasts can come for an extended stay in order to tour the brewery and help him brew. He also offers free beer tastings.

Olivia – Fashionista Extraordinaire

Currently, Olivia enjoys being a feisty fashionista extraordinaire. She spends much of her day mothering her dolls (asking neighbors to babysit if she must be away from them) and changing into various, typically outrageous, outfits and practicing ballet. It is often quite painful for Matt and Natalie to get her out the door looking presentable. She is already done with winter and is looking forward to the summer when she can run through the sprinkler.

Lila Kate – Sweet as Can Be

Lila is still sweet as can be. She is mild-tempered, cuddly and sensitive. She enjoys ballet, riding ponies when the opportunity presents itself, following her sister around and, like Olivia, having play dates with the little girl next door. She recently started preschool, two days weekly, and is having a blast!

We are hoping for healthy year full of laughter and family fun. We wish you the same!

No Fast Food for Us!

2009-12-22T14:18:00.006Z

Well, we made it to NY!! The kids were ecstatic to see grandma and grandpa and immediately ditched Matt and I. I can barely get a good morning kiss out of each of them!

The car ride went much better than expected. I made some mini-pumpkin muffins that were a hit. I also brought fruit. Tangerines peel very easily and aren't so juicy that they create a mess. I also made bread and sliced it. So, along with sliced cheese, nitrate-free meat slices, and peanut butter, I was able to make several sandwiches over the course of the two days. We kept our water bottles filled with water and didn't allow any sugary drinks or even juice (this cut down on bathroom breaks because the kids are less apt to drink a ton of water, whereas, they are more apt to drink a lot of juice). I did allow for some whole grain goldfish crackers, and fruit snacks (sweetened with juice - not sugar or artificial anything).

My sister, Sarah, taught me a trick a while back: Take serving size apple sauce (we choose organic cinnamon with no sugar added) containers and put a straw through the top. The girls loved to suck out the apple sauce and it created less mess. This is NOT an eco-friendly option because it uses so much plastic packaging. However, for the twice a year or so I do this, I don't really feel that guilty.

Other than that, I had downloaded some new music for the girls to listen to and we did bring the DVD player. We only use it on long trips, therefore, it's a real treat and keeps them pretty occupied.

There was a lot of: "When are we going to be there?" from Olivia and very little nap taking. That was hard to take from time to time. However, there wasn't a single family screaming match and for that I'm proud of us!

I'm also proud to report that we did not stop at a single fast food joint! We stopped for dinner at one restaurant and hit a Starbucks once (coffee only). In fact, no one even asked to drive through a McDonald's and no one complained about the food I served. I am so happy about this. You can travel over 1,200 miles by car and NOT stop at a fast food joint! You just have to prepare ahead. Now that we've done it, I don't know why I ever thought it was that hard. Stopping at a grocery store along the way, had we run out of food supplies, would not have been hard either. You just have to keep stock of what you have, what you want, and be quick about running in to buy it.

The girls have been sleeping well at night and napping well (so far). They are even sleeping in the same bed and making it through the night without getting up to play. There must be something about grandma and grandpa's house!

We'll be in NY for about a week and then we'll head to Vermont for a few days before starting that long drive over! We hope to see many of you soon!

Explosion Bags

2009-12-19T00:33:00.003Z

Sorry, no time for pictures - but, if you've been following me on Facebook, you know that we're about to embark from Kansas to New York. By car. In my Prius. How long of a drive is it, you ask? Twenty hours.

I've been trying to pack all day. This morning, Olivia was demanding, crying, whining and trashing the house as I tried to do laundry and pack. Eventually, I begged her and her sister off on a neighbor for an hour. I was able to shove food in my mouth, run to the post office and throw in another load of laundry.

The girls are fast asleep, finally, but the house is still trashed. I hate to leave the house a mess. Returning to a messy house after a 2o-hour road trip, with two children under the age of five, is a recipe for, oh, I don't know, just bad stuff all-around.

My head is about to explode and it's not just from thinking about a long car ride. I think we're getting some sort of small storm here and the barometric pressure change has my ears filled with so much pressure, I feel as if I've been in a plane, on descent, all day long (actually, since yesterday or the day before) and it's now given me a headache and I'm so tired, I just want to give up on packing and have someone do it for me (Matt's at his grad school class).

I hate meniere's disease! Hate it! As Kristin Chenoweth (Meniere's suffer, the original Glinda in Wicked, Emmy award winner for her Pushing Daisies roll, recent guest star on Glee) says, "...it sucks a big fat corn cob." She inspires me - because through it all, she finds a way to shine and laugh (which, I just don't feel like doing right now), even when Meniere's steps in right after she accepts her Emmy and puts more than a little bit of a damper on her moment (also paramedics must be called because she is flat out with a meniere's migraine).

Anyway, more on that later, for sure. I've got a lot to say about it. But, for now, I must go finish packing, what Matt calls, the "explosion bags." As soon as we reach our destination, the bags are rummaged through and, inevitably, explode all over the floor and reduce my husband to tears of frustration.

Time for Blogging When I Have This?

2009-12-14T19:01:00.007Z

Olivia acting as Lila's teacher at a preschool during nap time.

Is laundry ever really caught up?

Blogging, for some time now, has gone by the wayside. I used to be a blogging maniac. Blogging upwards of twice a day. Over the past several months, I've had to take extended blogging breaks. Some people have complained, some haven't really noticed. But, I have had an excuse.

I can't keep up. There is so much that I want to do in a day. If my mind wasn't so disorganized, I think I would be more productive. I don't know if there are that many parents out there who get headaches, spin in circles and just don't know where to begin their day. Usually, I get Matt out the door with his coffee and his lunch packed up. From there, it can go in any direction.

I always mean to get Olivia to school before 8:00am. I rarely do. I promise myself, every M,W, and F, that I will not be late for my body sculpting class. I almost always am. But, I do make it. Olivia usually makes it to school just as circle time in starting. I make it to the gym; there is consistency of some sort.

After the morning school and/or gym run, I have time to update my Facebook status and make a quick comment here or there. Then, I end up in the kitchen, making lunch, prepping dinner, answering a phone call, throwing in a load of laundry, and, inevitably, picking up messes like the one shown at the top of the page.

That picture, in fact, was taken today, right after I finished washing bathroom sinks, floors and toilets. That is how my two girls entertained themselves while I cleaned. I can't tell you how many times Matt and I have asked them NOT to play in the living room. Jeez, we need at least one room unexpected visitors can walk into and not be presented by a mess!

Ignoring the living room mess for a moment, I ran downstairs, grabbed a load laundry (also seen above) out of the dryer, threw another load in washer and dryer, and then began lunch. While I got lunch started, the girls left the messy living room, and headed downstairs. All was quiet for a bit. Too quiet. So, I went downstairs and found Olivia had stopped the washer, and dumped scoop after scoop of detergent into the dispenser. Said guilty child was sent to her room.

After I cleaned up the laundry mess, restarted the washer and came upstairs, I forgot about the blond headed mess-maker in time out and finished making lunch. By the time I remembered she was in time out, she had changed into another outfit and was having a grand time in her room with her sister.

We did sit down and have lunch together and I did finish folding that load of laundry and picking up the living room. And, they did go down for naps really well.

But, that seems to be my day, every day. If I get on to blog or spend too much time on the phone, computer or more than a few minutes reading a book, the house gets OUT. OF. CONTROL. I keep up with the very basics, but, we've lived here since August and already closets need to be reorganized. Summer clothes still need to be taken out of closets and drawers and put away. On top of that, I should really wash my baseboards, scrub the fridge out once again, wash down all my cabinets, dust, run our comforter to the laundromat (it won't fit in our washer), run to the grocery store (that is, after I plan meals for the week - which should have been done over the weekend) and the list just goes on and on. One step forward. Two steps back.

It never ends. I'm feeling guilty taking a time to blog right now. I could be doing so much. How dare I blog!

Right now, I'm thinking I just need a nap. I was up all night with a sick toddler (who's better this morning, thankfully). If I don't get sleep, I could give a hoot about cleaning or cooking or doing anything productive.

I don't know how some people do it. They are organized, their house is clean, they're caught up on good book reading, heck, some even take online classes to "work" their brain. Their little girls have perfectly braided or combed hair, their cars are shiny and even clean on the inside. I would just like to switch brain's with them for a day - because the organized/motivation part of my brain is broken - or it never existed in the first place. I worry all the time that I am failing my kids - teaching them my disorganized ways.

I try to look on the positive side. Our house is not trashed. It's mostly presentable (well, if you're a neat freak, you may be uncomfortable in my home - but, to the average person, it's a little cluttered - but, not, generally, dirty), I do read about a book a month (but, oh how I'd love to read more), and I do make most of our meals from scratch. So, while some people find it perfectly acceptable to regularly throw together a jar of pasta sauce and pasta for dinner or a boxed dinner, in order to spend more time cleaning and less time cooking I, generally, do not feel that way. My kids get all kinds of homemade things like homemade Indian or Thai curry, soups, yogurt drinks, bread, pizza, pancakes and so on. I rarely reach for a boxed meal (though, I will not lie - I do have a place for a quick meal of pasta and jarred sauce from time to time - I'm not a freak about homemade everything when time is tight, I am sick, etc). I enjoy pushing the limits (or expanding) my children's (and husband's) palates'. Food, even the making of it, brings me happiness. I can't tell you how great it feels when Olivia says, "I bet my friends' moms' don't make this." Or, "Mom, do all moms make yogurt drinks at home or do they buy them? Because I think yours are the best!" Or, when Lila says, "Mom, you have to make this soup every day, okay! Please mom?!"

Healthy, real food, but, always at a price. Frequent blogging is one thing that I've had to give up if I want to make clean, good food, read at least a little bit, keep up on DVR'd shows, get to the gym, and keep a bit of sanity. I'm trying to figure it all out. You'd think, now that I've been a mother for nearly five years, I'd a have it all figured out like so many other's seem to have done long ago. But, I haven't. Maybe, someday, it'll all click. In the mean time, I just try to smile through it, not compare myself to other parents too much, chug along and exercise often enough to keep myself sane. I will, however, talk dirty about the mother who says her house is dirty and when I walk in, unexpected, no less, it's spotless and she's apologizing for the mess! I mean, really?

I do miss blogging like I used to. So, I'm determined to keep up this blog better in 2010! I'll try not to whine too much.

Lila+Preschool=Where Did the Time Go?

2009-12-02T03:03:00.005Z

Today was Lila's first day of preschool. I was a bit sad to send her off. As she walked down our stairs, out the door and into Matt's truck, pink backpack on her back, I had to bite my lip in order to stop myself from crying. Where has the time gone?

Matt dropped her off and she spent 30-minutes in hourly care before being transferred to Adventures (her preschool room). Since Matt passes by her school every morning, he'll drop her off each Tuesday and Thursday morning. He has to be at class at 8:30. So, she spends 30-minutes in hourly care (her class runs from 8:30-11:30). Olivia's preschool is in a different town, in the opposite direction. So, Matt bringing her will save me having to make the trip twice.

I switched Olivia's preschool days to Tuesday's, Wednesday's and Thursday's (she's excited about this because her best friend attends preschool on these days). That way I can have a little free time on Tuesday's and Thursday's when they are both in school. Selfish? Maybe. However, I have to drive into Shawnee, KS for allergy shots every Tuesday morning. They are quite pleasant appointments (the shot is in my butt). So, it's not like I'm really out there enjoying myself. Though, I will have a chance to stop at Whole Food's on my way home, or do some quick errands. Thursday mornings, I'll start taking a spinning class. So, it's not like I'll be at a coffee shop, sipping coffee and eating bon bons with friends. But, I did feel a bit guilty. For all of two seconds.

Lila loved her first day of school. She said she had strawberries and bread for a snack. Later, she changed her story and told me that she was read a story about strawberries and bread. She also played outside. No crying (Lila's the sensitive one - so this was a bit surprising). Olivia's been going to school for two years now and I'm sure Lila was excited to finally get her turn. In fact, she went to bed crying because she wants to go to school again tomorrow.

Don't grow up too quickly, sweetie!

It's a Zoo Around Here

2009-11-29T03:20:00.004Z

Matt, Olivia and Lila come face to face with a kangaroo

My parents came for a visit recently. The girls took advantage of them every second that they could. They climbed into bed with them every morning, cuddled, sassed back, and typically treated them as if they had seen them every day since the day they were born, instead of just once or twice a year.

Olivia was especially bossy. Her bossy and flippant behavior has started to concern Matt and I. But, that's for a possible later post.

For whatever reason, I don't have any pictures of my parents with the kids. I'll have to have my mother send me some to post. There are, however, a few pictures we took at the Kansas City Zoo (my parents were there, albeit, absent from these pictures). We now have an 18-month or so membership. So, there should be many more zoo pictures in the future:

The girls getting goofy at the zoo

Surrogate mama and baby

"Whatever, folks. Just go away."

Olivia to Sheep: "Now, I'm going to pretend to be your mother and you will be my baby and do everything I say."

For the Love of Naps

2009-11-09T02:48:00.003Z

These are recent pictures I took of the girls taking naps. Olivia will be five in February and sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to get her to sleep. I get her to nap about five days a week. Many people have suggested I pull her nap, especially when she's going through a nap strike phase. But, the kid really needs a nap. No nap and she'll be falling to pieces by 4:00pm. Momma can't deal with tantrums while she's trying to get dinner ready!!

I just love nap time. I love it because I can have some time to myself to read, clean, read blogs (which I'm way behind on right now), catch up on a show I DVR'd, etc. And, I love naps because my kids wake up rejuvenated and, mostly, happy (unless they are hungry). I also love them because I love to hear my girls talk to each other and to their dolls. They "read" and sing to each other, share laughs, quiet moments and sister secrets (Oh, and they plot, I'm sure). Building tight bonds and storing tender moments...

Scented Homemade Playdough

2009-10-26T01:49:00.003Z

A few days ago, I saw an ad for natural, aromatherapy playdough. I nearly ordered some. Then, I thought it best to save that $28 and make some!

I had some new, natural food coloring (found at King Arthur Flour here) that I thought I'd try out. I don't have a big supply of scents right now. I only had peppermint oil and vanilla extract. Using the following recipe, the girls and I made some vanilla-peppermint pink and purple playdough.

This is a GREAT homemade gift idea. Hope you enjoy making it and playing with it as much as the girls and I did!

Cooked Playdough (flour and salt)

3 cups flour

1.5 cups salt

6 tsp cream of tarter

3 tbsp oil

3 cups water

Extracts or essential oils of your choice

Food Coloring

Dissolve salt in the water (this is where I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and several drops of peppermint oil - for several different scents, knead extracts and/or oils of your choice in when you knead in food coloring). Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the sides.

Separate dough into a few even amounts and knead in a few drops of food coloring until the dough mixture matches playdough (1-2 minutes)

Store in plastic containers. Should last for at least 3 months.

Deanna Rose Farmstead

2009-10-26T01:33:00.003Z

Last weekend, we went to Deana Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, KS. The girls had a great time riding ponies, petting and feeding goats and just running around. It'll be a great place to take family when they come to visit. Here are some pictures:

A is for Alligator Bowling

2009-10-13T04:54:00.006+01:00

Well, I've been a horrible blogger lately. Updates about the kids have been sparse. So, here's a quick update.

Lila and I came down with bad colds. The kind of colds that aren't quite the flu, but, make you think you may just die even so. It got me thinking, a little bit, about flu season and whether I'll give my kids the flu shots. Jury's out. What are you all doing?

The sugar-free challenge is over. I did the beginner version for the kids (no refined sugar, no white four) and a more moderate version for myself (no natural sweeteners either). We cut out refined sugar so long ago, that we don't really miss out. I thought I would crave chocolate or wine or something, mostly because I wasn't supposed to have it. But, I didn't. Which, I'm happy about. I was, however, hoping more of my Meniere's symptoms would disappear. Unlike some people in the challenge, who noticed that many of their chronic illness symptoms disappeared, mine did not. Shocking that cutting out refined sugar and white flour could help some people feel so much better, so quickly...

Admittedly, we broke the challenge a day early. I had been cooped up and sick all week and couldn't come up with another grain-free/limited recipe. So, my friend Amy and I went shopping and out to eat (read: I finally bathed and stopped blowing my nose every five seconds). Matt and her husband bought pizza and gave the kids Coke. Yup. The nasty drink with HFCS. Matt was long asleep before his daughters last night. Need I say more?

My neighbor and I took our girls bowling today. Lila was scared to death. She wouldn't tell me why, specifically. But, she sat in a chair and watched for a while. Then, finally, got up the courage to run around. She would not, however, bowl.

Olivia's interest in bowling waned after about three frames. I was a little disappointed. I love to bowl and was hoping Olivia would have a little more interest in the game. But, she did have fun, despite her short attention span. Sometimes she had the alligator (see top picture) help her out and sometimes she threw the ball down the lane (between her legs) and sometimes, she threw the ball into a lane not operating.

I have finished painting the kitchen, dining room, living room, entrance and hallway. Finally! We are the slowest painters ever! If it were not for the help of my neighbor, it wouldn't have gotten done. I just, pretty much, throw paint all over the walls and make a mess. She came behind me and fixed the mess. Eventually, I'll move to the bedrooms...

Fall is rapidly coming to a close here (so it seems). I was not prepared for this cooler weather. Fall is my favorite season but, so far, in all my travels, Vermont Fall, hands down, has the prettiest Fall and I miss it dearly every year. The search is now on for winter coats, hats and gloves. I do not like cold, wet weather and am not really looking forward to winter. However, I'm sure the kids will love it. Their joy will rub off on me...I hope.

Crockpot Chicken and Quinoa

2009-10-07T19:11:00.003+01:00

I had to post this because we all really liked this dish and it's EASY!! My girls adore rice dishes (as does my husband) and quinoa has a similar consistency. Quinoa is packed with protein, essential amino acids and fiber.

Word of caution to parents of younger children: Olivia didn't like the onions. So, next time, I may have to saute some onions on the side (because I LOVE onions) and use onion powder instead.

Crockpot Chicken and Quinoa

1 cup quinoa (soaked overnight in water, than drained and rinsed in a strainer. If you don’t soak your grains still rinse to remove a bitter substance from the grain)
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2-3/4 cup of white wine
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
4-6 carrots, peeled and cubed
3 celery, sliced
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2 chicken breasts or thighs
3 Tablespoons of butter (opt, for added richness and flavor)

Throw all the ingredients in your crockpot, cook on high, 4 hours or on low, 8. Shred the chicken when done, and stir into the stew and you are done! How simple is that?

My adaptions: I used four cups of chicken broth (did not use water or wine) and that seemed to work fine. I also used left-over cooked and shredded chicken and added it during the last hour of cooking.

This recipe comes from here.

Thoughts on the Sugar-Free Challenge

2009-10-05T18:35:00.004+01:00

As I previously blogged about, I am tackling the no-sugar challenge taking place at The Nourishing Gourmet. A couple of my friends decided to partake of it with me (So,thankfully, I am not alone).

I know most of you found it too daunting. For me, however, it's not quite as tough because, if you looked over the challenge on NG's site, you'll notice that there are three levels in which you can participate. The beginner level is where my family and I are usually at anyway. I use white flour minimally and rarely use refined sugar.

Today has been easy so far. Since I cut out refined sugar a few months back, my sugar cravings have gone way down. Unless I really allow myself to dwell on something sweet, gooey and full of chocolate, I don't really think about sweets anymore. In the beginning, I found it hard to distract myself. Over time, it's gotten a lot easier.

The moderate and advance level of the challenge, however, has grains as very limited. This week, I intend to only use quinoa. When I make spaghetti, I'll be using spaghetti squash for noodles.

My immediate goals, if I were to decide right now, instead of as I go along, would be to completely cut out all sweeteners (including natural ones), white flour and fruit. My children, however, will be "allowed" to eat 100% whole wheat pasta, fruit and restricted amounts of maple syrup and honey. They are just too young to understand what I am doing and, honestly, I'm not up for a fight - especially since I know that they do not have yeast-build up issues.

I'm not 100% sure that I have a yeast build up issue. I keep meaning to have myself tested by my PCP and then forget to ask when I am in the office. But, I have increasing allergies and rashes that lead me believe I may. Especially since I have been on several rounds of antibiotics and steroids for different health reasons over the past few years. I've been amazed to read that yeast build-up presents itself in so many ways. From bad PMS, to athletes foot that comes back soon after treatment, to gastrointestional issues and so on. Going on a yeast and grain free diet can help get rid of these issues. I don't know if I'll do it long term...we'll see how I feel after this week is up! Some people find that when they heal their gut, their food allergies disappear (though, typically, not peanut allergies, sadly). That, in itself, is reason for me to try it. Oh, I tell you! To be able to eat a raw apple again would be just lovely!

I know that many of you may think I'm a freak. But, I am not doing this just to "be different." Aside from allergies, I also have a severe health issue that may benefit from getting rid of grains and sweeteners out of my system for a period of time (Obviously, for most people, this type of challenge isn't realistic as a long term. It's more about healing the gut and then going back to a normal, healthy, whole, real foods way of eating/living).

I like what NG had to say today. It's a bit lengthy, but, I think it's important to read:

"For those of us doing the No Sugar Challenge this week, we can feel like we are giving up a big part of our diets. It limits us. But we need to understand that white sugar is a new phenomenon. Leaving out white sugar and white flour is hardly extra-ordinary. Then again, it may be extra-ordinary in our culture considering that half the food we can buy contains it. But in light of history, we are simply going back to how people used to eat.
According to my dear friend, Wikipedia.

“During the eighteenth century, sugar became enormously popular. Britain, for example, consumed five times as much sugar in 1770 as in 1710.About 1750 sugar surpassed grain as “the most valuable commodity in European trade — it made up a fifth of all European imports and in the last decades of the century four-fifths of the sugar came from the British and French colonies in the West Indies.” The sugar market went through a series of booms. The heightened demand and production of sugar came about to a large extent due to a great change in the eating habits of many Europeans. For example, they began consuming jams, candy, tea, coffee, cocoa, processed foods, and other sweet victuals in much greater numbers.”

In the eighteenth century we saw the beginning of our current typical American diet. When you think of the length of history, we really haven’t had sugar that long. Before that point, sugar cane was used in India, but it took a long time to figure out how to refine it. Refined sugar is the new boy on the block, and it hasn’t had a good reputation ever since it came into the picture!

So, how did people used to eat? I thought the following quote from my husband’s book, 1066: The Year of the Conquest, by David Howarth very enlightening. It speaks of what people had around that time period (1066 A.D.).

” Nor were there many luxuries money could buy. The rich had more food, more drink, and more elegant clothes, but not much more variety. They depended like everyone else on the native products of England – bread, meat, butter and eggs, dried fish in Lent and on Fridays, nothing sweet except honey and the local fruit when it was ripe. Once in a while, perhaps, they acquired a bale of silk or some spices, cloves or pepper, brought at enormous cost along the ancient roads of Asia and through the length of Europe.

Honey and fruit in season. That was about it. They did have sweet food for their sweet tooth, but it wasn’t in so much excess like it is today. It simply wasn’t available.

Now, if you look at any packaged food, it’s very hard to find anything that does not have sugar, corn syrup, or white flour. When we try to cut these things out of our diet, we can be viewed as extreme because in our culture, we are extremely overloaded with these foods. “You can’t eat anything!” ” It doesn’t matter that much.” “You shouldn’t be too extreme”. These are some of the comments one could expect when trying to avoid “normal” American food.

That’s when it’s important to remember, that history is on our side. Avoiding the pitfalls of sugar is not an extreme step, simply turning the clocks back to a more simple, and more nourishing lifestyle.

So, for the many people doing the No Sugar Challenge this week. Be encouraged that you are not doing a bizarre, extreme action by taking out sugar. Instead, enjoy the food that has been relished for thousands of years while being naturally sugar free.

The Sugar Free Challenge

2009-10-01T19:29:00.003+01:00

Does anyone want to join me for the sugar-free challenge taking place over at The Nourishing Gourmet?

Read more about the challenge here and place a comment here if you're in!

I'll be doing the beginner-moderate challenge. Specifically, we'll only make 100% whole wheat bread (probably without any sweetener) and use quinoa as our other grains. I will be using a bit of honey here and there throughout the week - but, in extreme moderation.

I'm hoping that Nourishing Gourmet posts some recipes in advance to help those of us participating in her challenge prepare meals and shop over the weekend. I know I'll definitely need some help coming up with ideas. The sugar-free part isn't what will be hard for me. It's the grain part. Life without grains??? Yikes!

Nourishing Gourmet states that removing sugar from our diets helps boost our immune system. So, that, in itself, may motivate some of us to take the challenge, especially due to this crazy flu season!

Introducing Rainbow

2009-09-28T02:32:00.004+01:00

Not the baby rabbit shown above. Olivia. As of today, her name is now Rainbow. She has informed us that she will announce it to her preschool teacher tomorrow and her ballet teacher on Tuesday. We are to teach her how to write it out on paper first thing tomorrow morning.

She decided that she wanted to change her name when she started playing "Princesses Around the World" with a girlfriend at school. It's the name she picked for that game and she has decided to use it in real life.

So, if you call asking for Olivia, please be advised that her name is now Rainbow.

I will be sure to inform you all if anything changes in the near future.

Dear Olivia, Lila and Husband:

2009-09-23T15:08:00.004+01:00

Dear Olivia and Lila,

Getting up at the butt crack of dawn is extremely inappropriate. If you want to make mommy crazy, and in turn make your life miserable, continue to do that. Then, to really send me over the edge, and further complicate your life, why don't you cry, whine, yell at each other, and turn Raffi up full blast before the sun even rises.

Lila,

Yesterday you were concerned that I ran away during your nap. If you and your sister continue with this behavior, I just might!

Dear Matt,

Staring at me and complaining that you are running late while I make your lunch, is not going to get it made any faster. Asking, "What can I do to help you?" and then acting on it, would get you out the door a heck of a lot sooner.

Thank you for your time, respect and consideration.

Sincerely,

Wife and Mother (FYI: Considering quitting both jobs)

Food Poll

2009-09-18T13:37:00.004+01:00

If you haven't already noticed, there is a food spending poll on the left sidebar. Take the poll when you get a chance. It is anynomous. I promise!

I'm trying to figure out if I am spending more than average family of 4-5 on groceries each month. I'm a little perplexed because it appears I am, but, there are so many things I do not buy, that I know a lot of other families do (I'm not picking here, I just cook from scratch, mostly and I know most people do not have as much time as I do, or desire). I don't buy bread (as in, I think I've bought two loaves of bread and a few artisen loaves from the bakery since we moved here in late July), cookies, boxed mixes (aside from organic mac and cheese for the kids when I'm sick, they are with a sitter, etc), canned food (aside from organic coconut milk and tuna), salad dressings, juice, soda (aside from the occasional Kombucha drink - but, I brew my own now) or ice cream (I make my own for about $3/quart and it has just a few ingredients in it - currently: eggs, cream, raw agave, dark chocolate and peppermint extract-cream is the most expensive ingredient). I keep my cereals to one - an organic cheerios knock-off which, typically, lasts three weeks a box.

Now, I have been "stocking up" on various flours and baking/cooking ingredients. So, that may explain our recent higher bill. But, man, Matt and I think that with all the scratch cooking I do, we'd be saving so much more money. The key is to get on top of meal planning, and track the exact food expenses better - which I plan on doing. But, holy moly! Maybe Matt and I are both unrealistic as to how much it cost to feed a family?

I feel like I really stretch the dollar. I mean, that $14 free-range, local farm chicken I bought supplied over four meals for the family (I made tons of chicken broth-still not used up-and used the left-over chicken for a chicken curry dish).

Each loaf of bread I make costs about $1. Buying the equivalent in the store (but, not really, because it isn't fresh), is $3 a loaf.

I am, currently, spending more on produce. But, you just can't beat a fresh, local tomato in taste. There is no comparison. In fact, it kills me to see people buying a Mexican green pepper at the commissary when the farmer's market is taking place a mile down the road and the peppers are plentiful.

What do you all spend? Tips, tricks (Since I cook mostly from scratch - coupons don't really work. I think I've come across two or three coupons recently - for our peanut butter, nitrate-free deli meat and mac & cheese)?

Olivia's View

2009-09-17T18:20:00.005+01:00

Olivia took a few good pictures the other day (she's always begging to use my camera) and I thought I'd share them.

She needs a little bit of work. But, for a four-year-old, she does pretty well. She'll surpass me by the time she's ten, I expect!

Ballerina Girls

2009-09-17T01:59:00.002+01:00

The girls are taking ballet every Tuesday evening. They are in the same class (YES! This is good for mom, who can read and chat with other moms or even run an errand or two - mom time).

I wasn't sure if Lila was mature enough. The class is for 3-5 year-olds. Lila doesn't turn three until November - but, I asked for an age waiver and got it. Despite the fact that she's the youngest in the group, she holds her own.

This is Olivia's second year in ballet. Her first year was at school in Portugal, once a week for nine months. Now, Olivia enjoys bossing Lila around, because she, obviously, knows what she doing (Above: Olivia's first ballet recital this past June in Portugal).

The girls spend countless hours during the week practicing and holding ballet classes at home. It's really endearing to watch.

There Is No Love In That Food

2009-09-09T22:25:00.007+01:00

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing healthy food for my family. When I am not in the kitchen, I spend a lot time thinking about future meals, snacks, browsing blogs, magazines, cookbooks, and discussing food with friends and family.

Cooking is therapy of sorts for me. I frequently get asked if I actually like to spend so much time in the kitchen. I do. I love it. Cooking, to me, is as relaxing as crawling into bed with a good book, a long, sweaty workout that leaves me feeling flushed and tingling with energy. I rarely cook junk anymore and have been trying my darnest to put love and thought into the meals I serve.

So, it irks me when we pass McDonalds and my girls squeal with delight, as Lila did today. For our family, McDonalds is frequented on very rare occasions (as in, 3-4 times a year). A very rare "treat" and almost always with me in disagreement - even if I don't publically share my opinion, so as to not be rude or, possibly, offensive.

I had no response to Lila's McDonald's envy today. Except to say, "We don't eat there because it's junk food."

However, it's more than that, obviously. Those of you who know me, personally, can list off the reasons I avoid the place like the plague.

So, when I saw this post from Food Renegade today, I laughed. The explanation to Lila was so simple and, yet, someone else had to come up with it for me. I'll use this each and every time my family asks to go there as we pass (I'm not sure they've ever asked to go unless we have recently driven by).

There is No Love in That Food:

“Even though the food is bad, I really like McDonald’s,” my son explained.

“Why is that, son?” my husband asked. He expected to hear something about indoor play places or ice cream. Instead, my soon-to-be five year old continued, “Well, I think it’s special.”

“But they’re not special,” I interrupted. “Every McDonald’s is exactly the same. They all look the same, make the same foods. There is nothing special or unique about them.”

“The really special food is the food Mommy cooks for you,” my husband contributed.

“What makes it special?”

“All the love that goes into it. The food Mommy makes is full of love every step of the way — from the way the vegetables and animals were cared for and raised, to the way the animals were killed and turned into meats, to the way Mommy bought them and turned them into meals. But the food at McDonald’s, there’s no love in that food.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, maybe there’s love in the heart of the person buying it for you, like Granna or Grandad. But there’s no love in how the animals were raised or how the food was prepared.”

“What happens if there’s no love in the food? Can you eat it?”

“Well, you can eat it. But if all you ever ate was food without love, a little piece of you would die. You’d suffer in a world with just a little bit less love in it, and that’d be sad.”

“I don’t want to be sad.”

“Neither do I.”

Jump to the link below to access the Food Renegade blog:

There Is No Love In That Food

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