Calling all Ipad,Ipod,Iphone users......

Ok so this week has been crazy with extra time for me, me, me, ME!!!!!!  Yayyyyy for me!!!    Ok so really something has come over Mr. M and although he is of course a fabulous man and always helps me out around the house with out so much as a complaint for some reason this week he has decided to clean everything before I even have a chance to get to it. You heard right ya'll!! I have not done a dish, folded a piece of laundry, or vaccummed once this week so far. I did cook some but come on I enjoy that so it's not really something I consider a chore.  He is amazing and I have enjoyed my free time a whole lot.

My only major problem with free time is that 1. It gives me more time to shop...a serious problem I can't seem to shake...yikes!!  and 2.  I always seem to get it in my head that I NEED something desperately even though I probably don't need it and it is just a simple want.  So I have been looking at these Ipads for a while now and I keep thinking how cool they are and then I think what in the world would I use it for though. I mean I have an ipod touch which I use a ton for music, games, calendar and as a planner even for my to do lists and grocery lists.  I love my touch but seriously what would I do with the ipad?!?!   I know you all will be shocked that I do not have an Iphone but let me just tell you for me that is not an option because I am cheap and cell phones are ridiculously expensive over here. The Iphone will not happen until we go back Stateside!  So please anyone with an Ipad, Iphone,Itouch will you please tell me the advantages of it and if you have more then one do you seriously need them both?

I could see using the Ipad maybe when we travel as a way to check email but then again I can do that with my touch already. I am totally confused and honestly want your opinions so that I can make the right decision before I go off half aware again and buy something I will never use.  That is how I ended up with a PSP, a Sony ebook reader and a few other things but that is why I need help.

Thank you in advance for anything you can tell me and yes I absolutely want good and bad things, serious answers if you really need it if you have another device and most of all what is the big difference from the itouch that I would need an Ipad for?!?!

Beware: photos enclosed..please don't faint!!

Ok so I know I have been promising photos that have been stuck on my camera for like.oohhhh a few weeks or so  so the day finally came where I had time and remembered to copy them to my laptop.  So here are some pics of my dearest daughter helping me make her birthday cupcakes. She was so proud of them and you can see it on her face!!

We had such a good time making them together and even though I had this whole plan to make them look like flowers she had her own ideas. So we made cupcakes in flower holders with enough sprinkles to send anyone into sugar shock..they were adorable!!  I am so proud of my little angel who loves to help out and voices her own opinions when she needs to. Who would've thunk I would raise a beautiful little girl with a creative side and a spunk to go with it?!?!

Post it note Tuesday!

It looks like just a few errands today and then some more me time....whoaaa!!  It has been so long since I had everything done and had so much free time to myself. I guess I can actually get back to planning days out with the girls. Maybe some thrift store shopping this week.  I could stand a trip back to Mannheim to the dead man's store..yaaahoooooo!!!!

Have a fabulous day everyone and hopefully you are having beautiful sunny weather as we are!!

We interrupt our regular scheduled program....

Ok so I am guessing by now you have realized that there was no Friday questions and I am so sorry you did not get another week of intimate details of my fabulous life!! Haha ok ok stop laughing now!!  I do love the questions however, Mama M has been in the hospital with her daughter and all my deepest thoughts for a fast recovery are with her family and especially her baby girl. So yes I sort of fell into a...well....errr...ok ok lazy place!! There I said it..happy now?!?!   Aaaaanywhoooo.....so it is Monday and for a while now I have always had Mondays at MY day! That's right. I do no cleaning, no cooking, no errands for anyone else but ME!!!  However, with all the craziness that has become my life over the past year that had changed for a long time.  Today however it was all about ME!!  Yeeehaaawwwwww!!!  I like me days...don't you?!?!  I did not clean(cat litter totally doesn't count nor does taking the dog out to do her business..that stuff is just necessary). I did not cook(Mr. M made me breakfast as he usually does and coffee and then for lunch I had a sandwich I had bought last week and forgot to eat...huzaaah!!!)  For dinner we are going out to one of our favorite restaurants to say goodbye to a soldier who is leaving soon due to medical reasons and well we chose our favorite place because they also offer 1 for 1 dollar for euro on Mondays..again huzzaahhh!!!!   Dang I am good..I know I know I rock!!

This is our last week with the dog and it is kind of sad now that I have gotten used to her and we have our little routine all worked out that we have to give her back...poooooo!!!  She and the cats have actually learned to tolerate each other and there have been no more accidents and we even have enjoyed taking her with us to bbq's and outdoor activities. OMG am I sounding like I want a dog?!?!  Ok this too shall pass right?!!  Oyyyy the last thing I need is another mouth in this house....SERIOUSLY!!!!

So  enough about me already...wait it is MY day!! Sheeesh  I mean I keep telling people I am special so maybe one of these days ya'll will realize it and give me like an award, or maybe a plaque, ohh you know what would be really nice..(drumroll please) a spa day!!!  Yeah yeah I want a spa day!!  So anyone?!  anyone?!  Beuller?! Beuller? Oh hehe sorry old joke!!

Ok well unless you would like to give me a spa day or even a super sweet comment I will be back tomorrow for our regular scheduled programming!! haha  omg I am killing myself!!

Follow up on the dog..

I first want to say thank you so much to everyone who offered some advice and kind words. Yes the first few days was frustrating but more then that I was so worried that something was wrong with the dog.
You all should be happy to know that she is doing very well now. She went almost a whole day without eating anything and then the next day we got her to eat and she is back to normal bm and eating like a regular little puppy.  Of course a long with that comes all the hyperness of a puppy but still she is great.

The girls are really enjoying having her here with us and all I have to say is that I am so glad we took this puppy to try and see how the girls would do with getting a dog.  You see it has become a family decision to NOT get a puppy or a dog until we move back Stateside and don't have to walk up and down 3 flights of stairs to take her out every 2 hours. DD1 even came to the realization that dogs are a lot of work(duhhh!!!)  and has decided that maybe she just wants a small dog instead of a big dog.  Oh yeah did I not mention that this adorable little puppy was a lab so she is huge and so is everything that comes out of her!! Haha   Yes we have learned our lesson and with the few weeks we have left with her I do hope she does ok from now on.

When she is not acting like a toddler and running around my house chasing my cats she really is adorable and sweet!!

Post it note Tuesday: The dog!!

The dog is sweet and so loving and I know it is not her fault..when you gotta go you gotta go and so I do not in any way blame the dog!! Please don't write me a comment on how mean I am being seriously. I am just frustrated and not used to it and honestly worried about the dog's poop being liquid.  Any advice on how to help the dog or a way to make my house not smell like a dog lives here is sooooo welcome right now!!   Before anyone says anything....1. the dog is eating the food the owners gave us ONLY! 2. the dog is fed once in the morning and once in the evening like the owners told us  3.  the dog is not acting like she is sick or doesn't feel well.  Ok so now any advice or help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Thanks and have a fabulous day!!!

Rained out bbq, funny visitors and the phone call....

Ok ok yes I am actually blogging on a Saturday. You may not get up off the floor and continue reading.  So I told you all that I had received a phone call the other day that really made my day.  There are few things that I truly enjoy about  being a stay at home mom and one of them is volunteering in the schools with my girls.  I decided at the beginning of the school year to join the PTSA at the middle school and then was talked into joining the PTA at the elementary school as well.  Wow I had no idea how much work it would be to try to juggle both of those.  I have worked my tail off and had a blast doing it!  Of course I am also a pretty shy person and anytime someone would say something to me about how much I do or thanks for all I do I just  take the compliments and change the subject. I do love volunteering and I love the pride my girls have when they say to someone that I am their mom when I am at some event doing my job.  Other then that I need no thanks and honestly don't want it.  So Thursday after running around all morning volunteering I finally get home to settle down for about an hour before going to get DD2 from school when the phone rings. It is the volunteer coordinator for our area. She asked me if I had spoken with anyone from the middle school and I told her no. She then said " Well then I get the pleasure of telling you that you have been voted the volunteer of the year for the middle school"  I swear I think I fainted just a bit and I know my face turned beet red!!!  I was shocked and humbled and then completely terrified when she told me I would need to attend a dinner to be given my award!! Ohhhhh dear!!!!  I have never been able to get up in front of a group of people without turning beet red to do anything...what am I going to do?!?!?!  Yikes!!!  I guess we will just have to see how it all goes...cross your fingers for me please!!

So we were supposed to bbq today with a group of friends but we woke up to rain, rain, and more rain..BOOOOOOOO!!!!  I was so looking forward to just sitting around the grill talking, laughing and having a good time but now we are at a loss for what to do.  We might be able to bbq tommorrow if the weather cooperates but we shall see.  For now we are just relaxing and thinking and laughing. Oh what are we laughing at you ask?!?! Well as of last night we are dog sitting for some friends..Yay me!!  Now we brought the dog home and watched as the dog growled at the cats and the cats hissed at the dog. There was a lot of whinig and hissing and growling last night..all of which we deeply enjoyed...for reals!!!!    It is going to be a long few weeks I suspect but I really do hope that the cats will get used to the dog eventually.  I still have yet to download all the pics off my camera so I will have to do that soon and share them with you.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and please pray for my poor cats that they will stop feeling threatened and just all get along!!

5 Question Friday!!!

Man oh man do I looooove me some Friday!!!  This week has been super super busy(hence the not so many blogs...sorry!) but it was also a very good week.  I got a lot accomplished and was even able to fit some of my friends into some of my shopping errands. Who doesn't love to go shopping right?!  Duhhh!!!

With everything I did this week there is not too much left for me to do before our event at the school next week. I love when that happens and everything works out great. I even got a phone call yesterday that not only made my day but really shocked me completely. What was the call you ask?!! Oh I will share  that with you another day. I mean I have to have something to keep you coming back right?! Ok so let's get to the Friday fun now..

1. Have you ever testified in court? For what?

I was asked to testify in court when my parents divorced and I didn't do it. I thought it was mean to ask me to do it and so I just blew it off and didn't do it. So no I have not testified in court for any reason.

2. Do you still have your wedding dress?

I think I do.  It is supposed to be in storage back in the States with the rest of our stuff we left behind. I sincerely hope it is still there and nothing has happened to it but you never know when trusting someone else with your prized possesions.

3. Is there a special place you like to go when you're happy, sad, stressed, etc.?

Home!!  I love being at home with my husband and my girls and just all of us being together makes my heart swell. Being military we are not always able to be together and so the times we have together are the best times in the world to me.

4. If you have kids, do they sleep with you? If you don't have kids...will you let your kids sleep with you when/if you have them?

Yes I have kids and ummm no they don't sleep with me. I have 2 girls ages, 13 and 7. Could you imagine trying to share a bed with one of them?!  I mean seriously I am lucky Mr. M shares the bed with me let alone anyone else.  We have never shared our bed with any kids and if I can help it we never will.

5. Do you watch late night TV?

Ok during the week late night tv to me is stay up to watch whatever show comes on at 9pm.  I wake up around 5am every day and so by 7 or 8 at night I am just ready for the kids to go to bed so I can crash myself.




Unfortunately I have had to start the word verification again on my comments. I know it is annoying but sorry I am getting waaaaay too many spam and am hoping this will stop it all!!

Post it note Tuesday!

As soon as I upload the cupcake pics I will share that with you.  Atleast I remember to take pics of that right?!?!  Sighhhhh my poor kids have a camera dumb mom sometimes I swear!!

5 Question Friday!!!

Yayyyy once again I made it to Friday!!! Not without some stress, a little crying and only a slight teeny weeny bit of self pity!!  Yupp the week was hard but I am sooo happy it is Friday and even though we have a full weekend it is going to be all about fun fun fun!!!!!

1. Do you know what your REAL hair color is?

I believe my REAL hair color is dark brown now. It was origionally dirty blonde but after years and years of coloring and moving to countries where their water is so harsh it's not even funny I am pretty much dark brown now. Gotta love them highlights!! Woot woot!!

2. Do you plan ahead for summer, or fly by the seat of your pants?

I definitely plan ahead for big trips. I always like to be sure and get the best deal I can on hotels and whatever else we need. If it is a weekend trip though then I pretty much just go along with whatever. I always do serious research on anywhere we are going though and always have maps and printed out info no matter where the trip will take us. So I guess I would have to say I plan all of it!!

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?

Well if I were to be honest with you all...I can be honest with you all right?!?!  Ok then! My favorite meal to cook is......Thanksgiving!!  I know right?!  As much as I complain and gripe and moan about all the cooking I adore all the compliments and thanks I am given by everyone.  I guess you could say I am a compliment junkie!! Hmmmm I will have to keep an eye on that one..eeeeeeeks!!

4. Do you get offended by not receiving thank yous?

Well it would depend on what I am expecting thank yous for. If my kid goes to your kid's party and you don't send me a thank you then join the club because there is no way I will ever remember who gave what and I never have time to write all that stuff down. If on the other hand I do you a huge favor like say..watch your kids for you EVER...then ummm yes I not only expect a huge thank you from you but a box of chocolates is always nice!! :)

5. How did you meet your best friend?

Ok well this one could take a while. You see I consider myself to have 2 best friends. I have Mr. M who is my soul mate as well as my best friend. I would never even know what to do without him in my life. Then I have Mrs. California who I have known for a very long time and I consider her my best friend. 

So I have done a blog about how I met Mr. M, you can read it here, and let me just say it is fascinating....no really!!

So then we move on to Mrs. California. We met through a mutual friend when our hubbies were deployed together. She had a rottweiler puppy and so did I so our friendship started out getting our puppies together for playdates. I was also prego with DD1 and she soon become not only my bestie but my surrogate hubby too. She was awesome and went everywhere with me, talked with me all night on the phone, and even ran out for midnight cravings with me.  We have always stayed in touch and even though we have never lived close to one another since then we always make time to visit each other whenever possible.  Oh did I mention that she is DD1's godmother too?!  Yupp she is fabulous and I just couldn't imagine my life without her. I am truly a blessed woman to have her in my life.

Wow good questions today!!  That was a ton of fun and now I am going to need each of you to go click that beeeeeauuuutiful buttton up there and go get your own questions from the fabulous Mama M.

We have a very busy weekend and I will update you all as soon as I have time. Have a fab weekend everyone!!

Fasching fun and fabulous people!

So yesterday was the Fasching parade in our city so I got together a group of friends and we all went together. We took the streetcar downtown and walked around to find the perfect spot to stand. We ended up finding a great place where there were no barriers. At first I was a little worried the kids all up front and no barriers but it ended up being a great place because we were actually able to interact with the people in the parade.

The parade began and the Polezei were walking around telling people to stay back. One man came over to us and told us to be sure to say Hallo when they came by so they would give us stuff. Huh?! Ok we will do it.  As  the parade went on and people came by we all were screaming and waving "hallo" over and over again. It was the coolest thing to see the people in floats and walking even throwing candy, toys and stickers at the kids.  Ocassionally we got hit in the head with some candy but it was all good. As soon as you realized you had just been hit in the face with a piece of candy by the time you went to bend down and pick it up it was gone!! Oh yeah these kids did not take any chances with candy. If it hit the ground it was fair game whether or not it had hit you didn't matter.  Hilarious!!

Now there were also guys who ran around throwing confetti at you. When I say at you what I mean is..some would throw it in your general area and others would walk up to you and smash it into your hair or shove a gigantic handfull down your shirt.  It sounds kind of freaky but seriously it was a total blast!!  We went home with confetti all over us, in our clothes, in our hair and now all over my house..haha love it!!

Some of the floats were even handing out booze to the adults. One man told us we had to dance to get some good booze. So what did we do..well duhhh we danced our little tushies off!!!!  Sooo much fun!!

These guys were hilarious!! They talked and sang and we took pics with them and they gave us some goodies.  I loved all their costumes.

Ah hahhhhh!!!  We caught this witch standing behind us..gotcha!! They were sneaking behind people and then grabbing them and putting them in a jail float at the end of the parade.  Not us though we were wise to this and kept our eyes peeled. Fabulous costumes though right?!?!

Here is the jail float. Once the end of the parade was near they started letting the people out of jail. There was a man in the jail screaming like he was being tortured and it was funny because one of the kids we were with said "Do you think he is drunk?" Haha  kids are precious aren't they...yikes!!  We just told him "well you know this is Europe and they really enjoy their drinks here so who knows" Good answer? I dunno but it worked for the moment.

These guys were hilarious. A bunch of men dressed up as woman with suits that made them look like they had huge guts hanging out of their booty shorts, a thong showing and even a tramp stamp.  We sang, we danced, we yelled, we laughed and basically we had the best time!  It was so worth going and I think we will be going back next year too.




Did any of you go to a Fasching parade or maybe Mardi Gras this year?!  I definitely would like to hit a Mardis gras now to see how different it is.  Next year we are also talking about going to Karneval in Venice as well.  Good times!!

Post it note Tuesday!