Regular Day and Ramblings

This morning was shaping up like any other until the boys were chasing each other and Easton fell hard. On his face. My poor neighbors in our apartment building! As I cuddled one screaming child, another approached whining she wasn't being held too! And this episode made us miss the bus for the first time in our short bus goin' career. Traffic getting to the school just ten minutes away took us 45 minutes so we were 15 minutes late. Grrr! At least it allowed me to keep an eye on Easton a little longer to make sure his cheek's goose egg wasn't something more serious.

The rest of the day went pretty leisurely. I got to plan out a couple of my Sunday School lessons and do my chores while Morgan napped and McKay was at kindergarten. A little chill in the air today had my feet frozen so when Morgan woke up early from her nap needing a bath, I threw my legs over the side to warm them up! I also filled the tub up more than usual and it was fun to see her try to slurp up water too fast and sputter through a grin. The few inches of water she's accustomed to in her baths always kept her busy splashing, but a full tub had her clapping and sputtering. She's such a funny little gal! I'm getting a kick out of her fake laugh to get attention, periodic standing up in the middle of empty rooms just to show she can, and now the fun clapping!

We went to pick up McKay and I got to practice a little of my German on some neighbors. It's fun to hear and understand a smidgen more here and there! Today was made even better because I got McKay to finally take a much over due nap this afternoon! YAHOOOO!!! Unfortunately I got listening to a BYU Kennedy Center lecture by a guy in the Foreign Service rather than doing my budget assignment. And then all of a sudden it was time to go catch Easton from the bus. I love the autumn colors and the slight chill in the air!!! But today, Easton and Morgan are both feeling a little warm and a lot cranky - 100 degree temps. Morgan had shots yesterday, Easton . . . Hmmm, I foresee EARLY bedtimes in our future!

Getting accustomed to having a school age kid has truly been a mixed bag. It's forcing me into a new schedule and we're all growing into the quirks. For instance, Easton never eats everything I pack for his school lunch/snacks which is fine by me. He eats the Gogurt first thing and eats his PB&J sandwich at lunch. Somewhere in there he ate his applesauce which today left his cucumbers, string cheese, apple and one of the graham crackers w/ PB. His teacher called the other day to check in on this situation because he hits the "snack cafe" first thing every day. When she mentioned what he ate from his supply, I had a laugh. Gogurts. She was wondering if he was just not much of a breakfast eater or needed to eat more. Nope, he's just loving his independence to eat what he wants when he wants!

On the Gogurts, aren't kids and food interesting when you send them off on their own? I have sporadically bought these Gogurts before. The boys beg for them, but McKay has taken a long to time to finally master pushing the yogurt up and out which until last week required my help and/or a mess as he learned. Too much work for an afternoon snack sometimes with a 3 yr old who wants to do everything by himself! That and I have a personal love-hate relationship with all the handy kid-sized foods out there. I'm constantly confronted with a surge of gratitude for something easy to grab tempered by a nagging little voice in my head whispering that all that packaging is so wasteful and it's the lazy way out of doing something it would take a couple minutes to do myself in reusable containers. Alas, gratitude usually wins out at this stage of the game!

As for the lunch leftovers, around 4pm every day, all three of the kids have scavenged Easton's lunch remains. I get a kick out of this. Easton will ask for a snack and when I say, "Finish what I packed you today," he whines until he realizes I'm serious. It's the only way I can make sure he gets the healthy stuff eaten, silly boy! Morgan particularly relishes the leftovers afternoon ritual! She does get quite frustrated by packaging barriers on the string cheese and cucumbers, but that apple is becoming one of her faves - always accessible and more fun with more chompers up top - can ya see 'em in the pic above?

It's 5pm and time to get dinner on the table as the kids play outside. Oh how I love this routine when they're not fighting! And Mon-Wed I don't really cook full out meals because Ryan's got class M/W and we all go to class Tuesday nights. It makes for long days for Ryan without much face time with the kids, but he's only got another week. I am loving the classes! I am finding lots of opportunities to practice and slaughter my German and we're both enjoying our Dave Ramsey's financial peace planning.

I just plain love to learn and with peers it's even more fun! For instance, yesterday in German class some gal did her belly dancing demo for us because she teaches a class. Anyone want a sparkly, jangling hip sash? My funny German instructor is DYING to have one in every color available! Not to belly dance, but to accessorize her wardrobe and she means business! Some conversations in German class are purely trivial, but I'm enjoying lots of insights into German culture whereas Ryan wants to plough through more German. I wonder if that's because he's already proficient in another foreign language and absorbs new ones easier whereas my brain takes more time to make it click?

Last weekend we took the kids to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." When the boys were asked about their favorite parts, Easton loved the inventions, McKay loved the action and violence. McKay recently likes to run through upcoming events in our schedule to be assured that everything goes according to his preferences (meals, bedtime, playtime - you name it!). I get a kick out of hearing him also recently saying "Darn it!" and "Holy Cow!" while playing mixed in with "NEIN!" whenever bothered, usually by Morgan. He is quite the ham and cuddlebug. My favorite is how he still randomly says, "Mom? . . . I love you." In his German kindergarten, it is fun to see that he's willing to try new German words they are teaching him and heartily participates in all the activities.

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Ryan's Berlin Marathon

Ryan and I took Morgan to Berlin last weekend to see the sights and participate in the Berlin Marathon. It is the fastest marathon course in the world, ranked second among the world's top five marathons. "Twenty Years Without Borders" was the theme where over 40,000 athletes traversed East and West Berlin while a million spectators cheered them on and over 70 bands kept us all feelin' the beat! Ryan's been training for months to run and once again, it was so fun to see him give it a go!

The excitement was palpable from the lobby of our hotel and the cheering troupe of Brazilian runners in the U-bahn (underground metro train)! I kept getting choked up all day chasing my runner! I couldn’t wait to see his happy finish face!

It was a gorgeous morning and it was hard not to run people over with the stroller as we absorbed it all! We got a good laugh as we approached the race along the Tiergarten and just about every male in town was off to the side leaving their mark in the 'garten. Sorry, but it's also something we've become used to here in Germany when there's a big event or stau (traffic jam). Especially now that McKay is potty trained/ing!

Plenty of nerves between the both of us! What to do?

Kiss on Miss Morgan, of course!

I caught this while running along side - can you see Ryan waving?

The Victory Monument was their first site to round. Worked great for me, because I was able to hang a left and scoot a few blocks down to catch Sacrament meeting before meeting up with Ryan at the half way mark.

The Tiergarten Ward in downtown Berlin had enough English-only speakers to warrant headphones and translators. Hurray for me! The ward also had three sets of missionaries - two elders and a set of sisters. By the end of the meeting there were about 50 ward members present and I really appreciated the warm welcome by the bishopric, the bishop's wife, and a handful of members.

After the meeting, I rushed down to the race's halfway point and stood at the edge til I could inch me and Morgan to the front. Within five minutes of scanning the fast paced runners, I squealed at my man! One of those involuntary girly squeals, Ugh! But PHEW! I was so worried I'd miss him! He couldn't stop because of the pace and sheer number of runners pressing on. A woman behind me chuckled and said, "You've done your job!"

Right after Ryan saw me, he looked up and saw the 4:00 pacer and was pretty happy with himself! This meant he'd run half the marathon in two hours. He was cookin'! The pacers carried yellow balloons with their respective pace time. So if you want to run a marathon in four hours, you try to be near the 4:00 pacer.

And off I was trekking back to Potsdam Platz and the Brandenburg Gate to find Ryan's post-race carbs -- Dunkin Donuts and cheese pretzels. Oh yes, and it was noon so I decided I should probably eat something too! I sat and took in the Sony Center while scarfing down a breakfast and trying to discreetly feed an overtired Morgan.

We were very impressed with how the event was organized. Right before the Brandenburg Gate, close to the finish line here, they had a large pedestrian crossing zone they would herd us through while diverting the runners from one side to the other. We'd gather on one side then they'd divert the runners into a far lane while we crossed to the middle corral. The runners would be diverted again so we could cross. I took this from the middle of the herd. The new US embassy is to our right.

And once on the other side I waited to see if I could catch Ryan before he ran through the gate. He said he got choked up as he approached the Brandenburg Gate here. It's an awesome sight. He also said that when he'd hit a wall, someone would inevitably holler out "Run, Ryan, RUN!" It was fabulous that below their bib numbers, each runner's name was also printed. I waited here for a little over a half hour and probably just missed him. But I didn't want to miss him at the family reunion park!

I was so excited to see Ryan!!! So proud! So relieved! It'd been such a warm, bright day that I wondered if he'd been able to keep hydrated. He'd looked good at the half way point, but I was so anxious to see him!

Second marathon and he shaved over 30 minutes off his time! Well done!!!

Quite happy with himself as he should be! Then we had to hoof it to the hotel

to catch a cab to the airport to fly home and see our boys!

Happy Birthday, Ryan!!!

Here's the birthday boy last weekend before he ran the Berlin Marathon. So cool! I was surprised to be reminded this week how old he is today because I wasn't ready for my own corresponding age! Age became irrelevant to me when I got married and I can't seem to keep track. Isn't it funny to re-examine where and what you thought you'd be doing by a certain age? I'm positive that bringing his family to live in Germany with a new job and running the Berlin Marathon were not what he imagined last year at this time!

My greatest hope is that he knows I love him the mostest and that I hope the roast enchiladas will be gobbled up in his happy devouring way! I know I've done well when he doesn't say much until after the second plate full and he's put the leftovers away practically before I've finished. Here's hoping! The boys are so excited to have his party and what fun it'll be to have their "help"!

This week’s Top 5 things I wish to celebrate about the cute boy I married:

5. I love how Ryan prefers to spend his spare time with just me and/or our kids. Family outings, playing super powers and smack down, dates and getaways, morning flashlight snuggling with the kids – how lucky are we?! I truly appreciate Ryan’s “free spirit” side pushing us out the door to go have adventures wherever we live.

4. I love seeing Ryan play, teach, and correct our children with the pride and love of a father.

3. I love how Ryan provides for our family’s needs allowing me to be a mother at home. That is too simplistic a statement for such a weighty, thankless responsibility that he shoulders and routinely critically examines.

2. I’ve deserved quite a bit of correction lately and it’s never easy! However, I truly appreciate Ryan’s kind way of correcting me and allowing me to process it in my own time. I love that I can trust my heart, my family, my hopes, my sorrows, and our future in him.


1. I love watching Ryan succeed and being his biggest fan! First and foremost, he is the cute boy I fell in love with.

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
I’m lucky we’re in love in every way
- Lucky lyrics by Jason Mraz

Group Science Experiment

Have you ever tried to cook while talking to a friend? How'd it turn out? My experiences tell me it's usually a comedy of errors. I will relate my latest because my mom told me to, and because it was just one of those classics.

My friend Dawn recently had a nice round cherub she named Sophia. Her and I are a lot alike in my opinion, because we commit ourselves to projects early post-partum when common sense might counsel us otherwise. She signed up for a dinner swap where you pull together six full meals and swap with others who've done the same. I told her she was crazy and then offered to help her out while my boys were in school one morning. Mind you, we didn't really know each other well yet so this was more like a "tell your life story in an hour" session. We really had a lot of fun with it even though the baking sometimes got in the way.

I was really impressed that when I arrived that morning, she was ready to go! First I watched the kids while she ran to the store for all her ingredients. See, I was actually helpful, just remember that for later! Then she got out all the supplies to mix up 6 batches of oatmeal cookies for me before she sat to nurse her cherub. I began to mix ingredients while attempting to tell my life story and answer questions with varying success. It was akin to cooking on a first date. You're trying to make a good impression but can't focus on two things requiring your focus at the same time.

Baking is an exact science, right? Hmmm. . . ya know how you're supposed to mix the dry ingredients separate from the wet? Well, we were also trying to wait for the butter to thaw which really seemed to overcomplicate things for me! I never seem to be able to thaw butter in the microwave well so I didn't want to mess it up for someone else. And why don't recipes list ingredients in the order they are to be mixed? We're chatting away and I notice I had the sugars in with the flour mixture. Oh dear! We both caught my mistake and luckily she shrugged it off as I tried to correct it. Good thing our friendship wasn't built upon my simultaneous ability to bake and chat!

Since we were making six batches, we just made three double batches. Simple enough, or so we thought. I forgot the salt and vanilla on the first batch. For the next two, I or we forgot the vanilla, baking soda, eggs, half the butter, or flour in some combination. By the end, we had all three double batches mixed and "rolled" for easy baking. As I was leaving to go pick up my boys, it dawned on Dawn that she'd forgotten flour in one of them I think. Or all the extra butter still thawing on the tray could have been our clue. Either way, we realized what each batch was missing and she jotted it down to fix after I'd left. Who knew two college grads would find following a simple recipe would be so difficult!

She called recently to tell me that everyone in her dinner group ordered her oatmeal cookies again! And I asked, "So when do you want my help?!" Oh how fun it is to laugh at ourselves!

Interesting things about my buddy:

- Her dream job would be to modify and package common items to make them more user-friendly. She really gave my new mop a thorough once over and now my mop makes me think of her. Puts a smile on my face every time. Too bad it doesn't inspire me to mop.

- She fell in love with her husband over an egg sandwich he made her. That may be stretching it, but it did eventually lead to her conversion to the church. Alright, so that might be a stretch too, but I really love her story!

- She began home schooling their oldest son when he had a teacher who was over-extended professionally and personally. Now it's hard to give up because they both love it at alternating times! I think their co-ops sound fabulous and it tempts me. She's got some great resources here!

- Her husband became an Army chaplain which means they are actually set apart as an LDS missionary couple. One time I saw her husband in the PX right after she had her baby. We began chatting and then he saw a member of his congregation. All of a sudden, it was like I could feel the mantle of his calling so visibly and it was awesome! Ever had that happen to you?

Remembering September 11

As this anniversary rolls around each year, I think about where I was then like everyone else does. I looked back at my blog archives to see if I'd ever written up where I was that day. I still get teary remembering the collective emotions of that time. Seeing military uniforms regularly here on bases always reminds me of that day at the Pentagon. Knowing that many here have been or are going to theaters of our War on Terror, it makes me proud of them, disappointed in how our government has handled aspect of it, sad for their families, and hopeful.

I always feel compelled to check in with my coworker Mary who was with me that morning. I hope I get to call her today. Time zones mess with my best intentions to keep in touch.


Here's where I was then . . .

Girl or Mom?

Do I have to choose? Cuz I know which one is winning right now!

I have a good friend here. I was excited to get to know her for four initial reasons:

1) Her son is in my Primary class and made a classic 11 year old boy statement I like to share and remember often.

2) She mentioned in a talk that she joined the church in college. That's just so exciting to me because many leave faith and values behind as they enter young adulthood and the halls of higher learning.

3) Her husband is an Army chaplain and I wondered what that meant.

4) Her son had mentioned he was home schooled and I'm intrigued by home schooling / co-op logistics.

Wanna hear the classic 11 yr old statement? Here goes.

My friend's family often isn't able to stay through all the meetings because of their chaplain duties. I teach during the third hour so we often don't get to see her son. One Sunday last spring, her son was able to be in my class. My class is typically all girls but we combined with another class that day so I had a few other boys too. Having the 10-11 yr olds is pretty comical when you get a mix. Everyone's a bit more frisky and asserting themselves.

We were doing a scripture hunt/small group activity and one of the boys asked one of the girls for help. My friend's son gave the boy a hard time saying incredulously, "You're letting a GIRL help you?!"

As the kids were finishing up their scripture hunt, I turned to him sitting next to me and quietly asked, "Didn't you say you were home schooled?"

He replied, "Yeah."

I said, "So you're mom's your teacher?"

Again, another "Yeah." Like, Duh! his look patiently said.

And I said, "Ya know, your mom's a GIRL and I imagine she helps you all the time with your school work."

He emphatically replied, "My mom's not a GIRL! She's a MOM!"

I got a good chuckle at this and shared it with his mom the first time we met a couple weeks later. As a mom with young little ones, the comment also just highlights how I've felt a lot lately. My role as mom often overshadows any girly part of me. Spit up, slobbered goobers, and changing dirty diapers have inspired more of a utilitarian wardrobe rather than cute, girly one and that’s just the tip of the iceberg here. It was greatly apparent to me this week as I began taking Easton to meet the bus by 7:20.

I show up in a sweat shirt and some version of expand-o-matic pants. No shower. No makeup. Usually I've at least brushed my hair and teeth. Definitely not America’s Next Top Model which I saw a snippet of last night to help reinforce these thoughts. Easton has three tasks in the morning - Eat, Brush Teeth, and Get Dressed. We're a simple operation thus far and I hope to step it up a bit once we're a bit more acclimated to the routine. However, being girly has not entered the equation and I don't know when it will.

I'm inspired by my friend who always looks great even at the 7:20 bus stop, all ready for the day. She's got kids all the ages mine are so I know lookin' good can happen. I just hope I can be like her when I grow up! Apparently a mortgate, car payment, and kids don’t qualify me for being a grown up just yet. Will reclaiming my inner girl?

First Day of School

Written Tuesday, Sept 8:

I tried not to be too anxious this morning, but my stomach was in knots! I finally had to wake Easton up and was dreading it. None of my kids like to be woken up and can be seriously grumpy for hours afterward so I was a little concerned. The magic words seemed to be "Cream of Wheat." I made Easton's favorite breakfast cereal and there was no whining! So cute to see Ryan fussing over his boy, making sure Easton was all set for his first day!


Easton's new school - Boeblingen (almost pronounced Byooblingen). McKay didn't want to be in the family picture and boycotted.


Here's Easton with his kindergarten teacher, Ms. Senna. We've heard fabulous things about her from many people.


This face pretty well describes Easton's mood -- cautious and absorbing.


McKay could feel the vibe and was the first to be ready to go -- except for shoes. He wanted to wear his "super shoes" but we couldn't find both of them so it was rain boots again in a pinch. McKay did demand to have his backpack "like Eas'on has." I got such a kick out of the snapshots this morning and was so pleased with myself that we even made it on time!


I got a little teary, not in saying goodbye to Easton, but looking over at a friend whose husband is deployed while their youngest is having her first day of school. I wondered how many of these kids were missing a parent and how many parents are missing their kid's first day of school. I often get these reality checks here and it makes me so grateful for Ryan and his 8-5 non-traveling job. We have truly been blessed!


Easton hopped off the bus with his friends Sammy and Taylor. His first words to me were, "Is it almost 3 o'clock?" Code for "is it time to play my video games?" And then he asked if he could run home. I said not until we crossed our street at the end which lets him run for about 150 yards. Silly boy!


I was actually grateful for the ten minute walk back home so I could pepper him with questions. He liked circle times, playing on the playground, going to the library and checking out "Go Dog Go", the sandbox, snacks and lunch, a quiet time nap, and reading his book. He's fine with going back tomorrow, not ecstatic, but happy to go. The after school pictures pretty well reflected his moods. Ryan and I were both pumping him for information and boy does it take us back to our own school days!


Here's my big boy happy as a clam back in his own little family world, comfort item and all! Today was his third day and knowing that some friends were coming over to play, he said he wanted to stay home. I told him that he was a big kid now and big kids go to school Monday through Friday because their job is now to learn. We related it to dad's job and how we get weekends off to be together as a family all day long. He seemed to like the sound of that -- and then he voiced a concern. Would he miss his favorite Saturday cartoon, Phineas & Ferb?

Growin' Up . . . (sniff, sniff)

Spaghetti makes the best hair product, don't ya think? Great hold and washes out with ease! Tonight, as Morgan was winding down for the evening, she crawled on into her room to retrieve her blanket from her crib! And it was work! I love catching her leaning over a baby doll or stuffed teddy to give them kisses. She even lets her brothers hug and kiss on her which is just adorable! She's finally holding her own bottles and sippy cups after months of refusing. Her two top teeth are just barely breaking through and they look like some real chompers! Her banshee scream gathers horrified and concerned looks, even from other mothers in the trenches. Dad calls her our parakeet, but that's being kind. It's quite the high pitched screech.


McKay + Potty training = Strategery. McKay's German kindergarten has a two week break so I figured now was the best time if there ever was one. He loved his new big boy Transformer and Batman underwear. The very first day, he would wet through each pair so he could put on the next great pair. That way he could wear all his faves in one day! We don't raise no dummies here! My mom and a friend wisely talked me off the ledge that evening with the tip to reward him with a new pair by staying dry for a predetermined, agreed upon time. Why do the simplest solutions evade the supremely frustrated? We've switched to treats now. He's so proud and so am I! Now I can tell when it's getting close to a meal because he goes potty a lot in order to get his treats. Here he is showing off his muscles below -- from adorable to fierce at the flip of a switch!



Easton starts bonafide full-day American kindergarten tomorrow. I'm not sure he understands everyone in his class speaks English and I think he's going to love it. His teachers, Ms. Senna and Mrs. Vigue, seem wonderful and we've heard others rave. I know I'm way more excited and nervous than him which is probably a real good thing. He'll probably sleep better for it. Ryan just admitted to having first day of school jitters for Easton too. I doubt we'll join the other kindergarten parents at the Boo-Hoo Breakfast put on by the PTA, but I wouldn't be too surprised if a few tears were shed by these two proud parents!

Perhaps once we're good and settled into this new routine, we'll get Easton back into tai kwon do or a soccer league. He sure loved his tai kwon do class and it was great to see him totally focused on learning the moves. I'm just not eager to add to our growing schedule and am anxious that kids today don't get enough down time at home. We'll just have to see how he adjusts to full day school!

Easton's still our cute little reader. When the boys were playing after dinner, Ryan found him perched up on the shelves trying to ignore McKay's pestering.


Ryan is in the final two weeks before his Berlin marathon and yet didn't shy away from any shop o' sweets we passed by in Strasbourg this weekend! He's signed us up for German conversational classes and we're also doing a financial planning course. Time to be grown ups? We'll see!

What happened to my deliberately quiet, non-scheduled life?! I knew it would end sooner or later but I'm in mourning. Well, I'm in mourning when I have the time to mourn. I already feel rushed each day to accomplish daily tasks at hand! We used to head to the kindergarten around the corner at 8:45. Now Easton will be on the bus at 7:20 with a lunch and two snacks packed. McKay will probably head out with him and Ryan to save me from being seen that early in the morning (right, Ryan??!). That leaves Morgan and me with her naps, morning German class and homework, preschool pickup, meeting Easton at the bus, and my cleaning lady throwing me into a frenzy to clean so she can really clean . . . Life will march on at a quicker pace now and I hope I'm up for the challenge! I know many who are much busier so I really can't complain! I'm one lucky gal!

I must say I have really come to admire new friends here that amaze me with their efforts to build their own support networks from scratch. On a handful of days I've been out running errands and stopping for a bite to eat on base with the kids where I've been approached by another young mom with kids in tow. Playdates are arranged, local tips shared, and general mom stories laughed over. All these moms are new to the area when we meet, often still living in a hotel while finding housing. As I've also come to find out, it's such a small world on base. I often run into these new friends and ward members running errands on base. I guess I'm still feeling new to the area because it surprises me every time!

Two book raves

I've been devouring a slew of books lately. It's been great! No, they weren't useful ones about how to potty train. That would have been way too smart and on-the-ball. Most of them seemed to have a common thread - the power of sisterhood. I loved it!

My favorite was The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment that Transformed Their Lives. One lady has always wanted to own a diamond necklace, but has never been able to justify the cost. She talks other women into buying it with her and the experiment is them sharing the necklace. It was interesting to read about the women and their differing motivations to become part of this group and what they were able to accomplish together.

On a completely different note, I'm a big fan of the Church's official radio station online called the Mormon Channel. I often listen to it while I clean - either the live feed or individual programs. Last week I listened to one of the Legacy programs about Willard and Rebecca Bean of Palmyra, NY. The Beans were called to serve a five year mission in Palmyra, New York. They lived on and worked the Joseph Smith farm just after the Church was first able to acquire it in 1915. During the program, two of the Beans' grown grandchildren shared stories from histories they have published. Willard was a prize-winning boxer and a great scriptorian which was perfect for the religiosity and anti-Mormon persecution of Palmyra at that time. There are many great "encounters"! Dad, you'd LOVE this!!!

Two days after I listened to the program, I was going through a box of books dropped off by a friend. In there, was one of the Bean's grandkids' histories of what became a 24 year mission in Palmyra! Serendipity!!! A Lion and a Lamb. It didn't take me long to get through that book and I absolutely loved it! Rebecca ran the home while taking care of unexpected visitors daily and her testimony will make you cry. I have a new hero! Willard ran the farm and sought to soften hearts towards the Church. In the end, they were able to acquire the Hill Cumorah and some other important sites from the early years of the Church. It was a fascinating, lively glimpse into their lives and I loved every bit of it!