Inspiration and Easter

So how long have I been gone...oof, way too long! You could say a lot's gone on since I last posted. - things at work, kids all getting taller than me, towels toppling - so on and so forth. The biggest thing wasn't really me directly, but a health issue that came up in the family. In the interest of keeping it on the down low, the cathartic to have shared things that were going on.

Inspiration has struck me, though, in the form of a 16 year old who decided to start her own blog. Oddly enough, cause of me...go figure! My lil Carrot Girl...all grown up and blogging...sorta...maybe...ok, we'll see how this works out.  No, really, so far, so good - it's going to be interesting to see where it takes her. Oh - while she's going by that name, I did want to clarify, this is the Elfling we're talking about.

Easter evening and I'm here at work. It's been quiet and I have to admit, I'm feeling this side of tired. It started pretty early with at least one excited girl...I think she got me up to watch a movie but we wound up with Amer Hor Story - hey, did I get that right?? That show is it's own post, let me tell you!

Anyhow...*grins* my tradition with the girls is making up an Easter basket for each of them. I like to do a pile o' candy (of course) but with a couple non-candy treats like lip gloss or pretty soaps. This year it was really cute, mini notebooks with purple pens and Hello Kitty bandaids. They went over like a dream so, hey, a win!

Ham is usually the big thing around here but since I had work at 3, I decided to try something new. When dealing with a big honkin' piece of meat is no longer the plan, what do you do? Brunch, of course..duh and or hola!

Inspiration came in the form of Ina Garten - I've always, always, always wanted to make her smoked salmon frittata....course...I didn't today cause...let's face it, my budget doesn't allow for it and my grocery store had no fresh dill.  No dill..what the heck!?! Regardless, I thought I made a nice lil spread - it was perfect for the three of us - here's what was served in Haus der Fae:

Smoked Sausage Frittata

Fried Polenta

Fruit Salat

Joghurt

Granola (of my own doing!)

Carrot Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Seriously - given the Diva went to town, even after being a total glutton with the candy all morning long, you know it had to be good! This was the first time I've made fried polenta that held its shape while being fried - I hope it's something that can be replicated cause I have a feeling it's going to be requested once again in the near future. 

 As the day trickles away - I hope everyone had a great Easter!

Inspiration and Impulse Buys

About midweek, last week, The Elfling realized that her friend's birthday was this week and for the rest of the week we half-assedly tossed out gift ideas. Said friend apparently is big on cows...or seems to be going with that theme in her room these days. The Elfling's comment on that was “why can't she have a normal teen theme like zebra stripes?” It was seriously funny considering I'm pretty sure there's not one lick of zebra stripe in her own room...mind you....she's not really that much of a “normal” teen. Too much like me, I fear.

The weekend plea was for a trip to WalMart, where to be quite frank, she had no idea what she was going to get that was fitting of her friend's theme. On a Saturday afternoon during my day off, the very LAST place I want to be is there. Seems E was in agreement since we never went. I may have suggested better luck on Sunday, after work. Who knows why, but I don't mind going when I've been at work all day....go figure.

So on Sunday, I had a quiet moment and was pondering the whole gift situation...I did some searches on cow gift ideas and luckily didn't get actual gift ideas FOR cows....sent an link to the Elf via email for her to check out – hoping to inspire her so we'd have an idea where to go and not wander about cluelessly. A quick check of my email showed that I had a coupon to World Market so I mentioned we might go there and see if we can't find something neat...cowish. And so the plan was set!

Except....she made no mention to E about our plans...yargh! With the Elf in tow, E comes to pick me up, expecting a nice ride home only to find that we need to make a stop. There was a bit of grumbling on his part, a quick call to the Diva to let her know we weren't heading straight home and a mini-lecture to the Elfling about letting E know plans when leaving the house so he can put on shoes instead of schlepping about in slippers with the knowledge he'd be coming straight home.

Have any of you guys been to World Market? My first time there was a Christmas, where even before I went in, I felt like I should have had papers that indicated I was....ritzy... enough to go in...which I wouldn't be. The MacAuthur Center is maybe the first and last time I seriously felt that way – as a side note. Regardless of that, I think it has a lot of really neat things! First time there, I got this gorgeous dark chocolate and cayenne pepper bar – it was tiny but took a few days to get through. Such bliss! I've been wanting to go back and get a couple more and this was a perfect opportunity to do that.

So with the promise we'd hurry along, the Elfling and I headed on in and started poking around where we found....not a bit of cow to be found. Luckily, looking around really let us come up with a couple ideas for gift baskets. We wound up settling on a sort of bath pampering basket in shades of pink (the bday girl's favourite colour) and really got some cute things. It was inspiration!

 

Of course....then we come to the dreaded impulse buy....My coupon was contingent on spending 30 bucks to get 10 off....so I picked...a few things to help our purchase along....and wound up spending $50.....

On the bright side, the bday girl LOVED her gift basket. And I have another post I'll share with youse tomorrow.  

It's Lunchtime, Lunchtime!

Ha!  Total lie, it's only 930ish here.  However, yesterday, I was looking at my own lunch and realized it's fit for the average preschooler.  *sighs*  PB sandwich (cut into tiny squares, god, not even quarters...like 8ths) and carrot sticks, in case you're wondering.  Oddly enough, this was the first time I've done a sandwich...ever.  No, you sillies - I mean while working here.  Of course I've had sandwiches for lunch before! 

Since I don't get a proper lunch break and very quickly caught on that if I don't eat during the day I wind up with a nagging headache and desire to eat my way into dinner, it's best I bring something.  I started off with just carrot sticks which quell the headache but not the starvation that follows coming home from work but since adding pb crackers, I've found I'm good till dinner.  Yesterday I went to make said crackers only to find my sleeve of them was all sad and crumbly, so improvisation came in handy.  I've done it again today but packing my tiny squares (with some ribbing from E who asked if I was three years old) has made me realize that I should start using one the containers I have for the girls lunches.

Oh, you know, I totally missed the point.  I like tiny bite sizes cause it's inevitable that just as soon as I get a nibble in, the phone bloody rings and I'm sitting there either furiously chewing before answering or...let's not got there. Anyhow...

Speaking of the girls lunches, the Elfling's been taking hers to save on waiting in line.  PE is also right after lunch so I think maybe she feels her lunch is lighter offerings than the cafeteria which does her good - after all, who wants to go running around after a big meal?  The Diva does a bit of both, I wish I could or would pack more of her lunches since I'm willing to bet I do a healthier meal.  Did I mention the super cute containers I have? I saw them last year...or maybe it was two years ago at Borders (RIP *sniffle*) and just had to have them.  They're two sets (round and square) that nest into another - round into round and square into square, of course and just adorable and are perfect for tucking cut up sandwiches, fruit and veg or salad into.  I don't think they're water tight though so I use my lil Glad...whatevers for those things.  I think they just make lunch a lil funner.

While this wasn't really the point of my post, I think it's a nice diversion.  I think I've done better this year with making lunches for the girls  than I did last year.  It's a real treat to make them fun - to have colourful things looking up when you open your lunch bag, find a funny note or word of encouragement and perhaps have a piece of fruit to chuck at that jerk who's called you a name.  Ok...maybe not that last bit, even if they do deserve it.

Tomorrow I'll be planning out my weekly dinner menu and grocery list so don't be surprised if I continue on this bent and mull over my latest adventures in baking. 

School Days, School Days!

Yesterday I was contemplating talking about the first day of school - how it went for the girls, the chaos and agony of school supply lists and the odd calm that's come over me when I do lunch making prep.  However, as you can see by yesterday's abruptly ending post, I had other things in mind that I wanted to talk about before bringing on the school post.

First off....It's so hard to believe that god, was it three years ago(?) that I posted this lil post about the Diva's first day of kindergarten!  She started the third grade on Monday with a male teacher!  Perhaps it's the schools I went to, but I never had one till high school. Mr. Banks, 9th grade US Govt.  Ugh...why do I even remember that? Anyhow - we met him on meet the teacher night and he seems like a nice enough sort of bloke - last last year's teacher, I think he's an older one in regards to years on the job.  It's going to prove interesting how the school year turns out.

If a 3rd grader wasn't crazy enough, the Elfling is in Jr. High!  Omg, I feel so old just typing that....but then on Monday, I was talking to an old friend and bloody hell - she has a junior in high school! Regardless - the move from an intermediate school to junior high is a big thing...a bit like going from the county jail to Leavenworth.  You don't even have to ask the Elfling if that's her opinion, it's a bit of mine! I would think the point of 7th and 8th grade is to prepare them for increasing Independence as they get into high school and beyond.  Surprisingly, the dress code is MORE strict than in elementary and intermediate grades.  They're not allowed use backpacks during the school day, once you sit somewhere at lunch, you're stuck there till released to go to class and no going to your locker right when you get to school.  You have to wait around doing...who knows what, where (ok, this bad on my part, as I haven't gotten exact details, beyond outside).  I don't know if this really drives home how...I don't know...reined in these kids are but some of these thins just sound really asinine.  Are all kids this age seen as monsters? 

The Elfling's first few days have been spent struggling over getting into her locker - it's got a lock built in and I'm beginning to wonder if this is a lefty issue she's having.  Yesterday went better as she was able to get it open twice.  I hope it's just stress of a new place, new people all around and nerves getting the better of her.  She's been stuck near cretins at lunch and yakkity assed girls in class. Despite her overwhelming negativity to the situation, I've heard glimmers of hope from her - interesting people in her class and perhaps even interest in her classes, so we'll see.

Part of going to Leavenworth, of course, was getting her supplied for the stay.  What a bloody pain in the arse.  We're talking seven teachers with seven ideas that they need full supply lists for one class each...i mean one teacher alone wanted something like 72 pencils!  Mein gott!!  I think they're going to build a wing to the school or something with them.  I get the need for school supplies but why does one teacher want my daughter to have three bags of red pens?  What really pissed me off was all these things I bought?  How much came home with the declaration - "I didn't even need this crap,ugh!"  Poor kid...no backpack and she was lugging said crap all damn day. 

This year the girls seem pretty keen on bringing their lunches.  For the first days of school, I think it's a smart move as with all the chaos these days can have, at least they know they've got lunch.  The first day report on the matter proved me right - the Elfling said the lines were long so she was happy to have something yummy from home.  The Diva sounds like she's got the last lunch of the day - who knows what's left by then!  I'm kind of jealous, actually.  Today they're feasting on leftover pasta and sauce packed (with grumpy love from a tired daddy) in their thermoses...what do I have?  My standard carrot sticks and pb crackers.  *laughs*  Ah well - they're calling to me, so I'm going to nibble while the phone is quiet.

I'm So Lonely

Sunday marked a week that the girls have been gone and part of me is really lonely.  Not to say that E isn't good company cause he is and that my darling pets aren't like small children in need of attention cause...wait... Ok, Freya is.  But still...I miss cuddling with one or both of my kids, hearing what they have to say, seeing what havoc they've brought upon my computer while I'm away. Despite the distance, technology keeps us close as she very easily texts me at all hours of the day.  Here's a sampling of topics:

Gypsies.  This turned into a discussion of UK gypsies and their extravagant weddings.  The Elfling declared the caravans and big, trashy, poofy dresses as not a part of culture...*sighs* I know - not ours.

Oompa Loompas.  She's apparently turned into a tall one.  After seeing a picture, she has gotten a lot of sun...too much on her cheeks.  They're slightly sun burnt but she does not look like a wrestler.

Kosher Cakes.  Ok, so I only guessed that this means the cake doesn't have dairy in it.  And of course no gelatin.  Everybody should know about the infamous Sandra Lee Hanuka cake she made...with marshmallows....ugh...

Anyhow...she may be a texting maven, but I can appreciate it cause i'm on her "must text" list...or some shit like that.  Blogging here from work means I stop to actually get things done...and unfortunately, sometimes loose my train of thought.  Based on how today's going, I think it's more that I've just lost my mind so I'm going to end it here while I'm still keeping all cursing to myself, in my mind. 

ok, so a quick postscript...she bloody sent me a picture of how much fat she kept the family from eating while cooking last night...ewww!  Mind you...I totally drain grease too when i cook ground beef so I know where she got it.

Holy Shit, Our Security is Atrocious

I meant to write type this up back in July when it happened but never managed to do. since I'm here in a waiting room, I should play a lil catch up...so go on and pretend a lil with mebthat this recently happened. As sort of addendum to the whole waiting room thing...I at least started there...and you know...days later....

Originally this post was going to be titled, "The Boys Are Back In Town" in homage to the girls homecoming. However Im feeling in a bit of a ranty mood and this new title is more appropriate.

I'd like to start by saying that I do think that we need to take precautions in regards to airport security. On the whole, TSA staff I've encountered have been professional and courteous and given the times when things have looked utterly chaotic (to me at least) they have preservered and appeared hard working. That being said, in regards to security checks, some things they do or require are absolutely crazy.

The other day E and I went to pick up the girls from the airport. Surprisingly, the AirTran counter was practically deserted...no line waiting!! The original plan was that E would find a comfy place down in baggage claims to chill and wait while I went to the gate to meet the girls. Turned out that we both could go and meet them instead. While I certainly can't complain about that, I do wonder why only ONE of us was allowed to go when accompanying the girls to the gate for their departure.

Seriously, have you ever been at a departure gate having to pry a crying girl off each one of your legs so you can shove them onto a plane and send them off to Grandma's? No?!? Me neither, thank god!!

Anyhow we get in line for security screening and you all know the drill - all metal, electronics, coins (mmm..does that even count as metal?  I guess it might) get stuffed in a bin along with any bags, entrails and of course...shoes.  This is all going to go through x-ray so everybody can freak out when the horse statuettes you packed in your carry on look more like guns than the well...tchatchkes they are.  My issue, of course, is the whole shoe thing.  While it squicks me out to no end to see all these people barefoot wandering around, it at least is not my problem if they contract some sort of foot funk from not having worn socks to the airport. *shudders*  Eww...I don't even want to think about it!

Those of you who know E, know that he gets around with a leg brace and cane. I just don't get why concessions cant't be made to those with certain medical devices cause like the rest of us, he had to doff his shoes (and thus brace) and exchange his metal cane for a provided wooden one.  I just think it's a little crazy to make a person with obvious mobility issues deal with even more issues by having them shuffle about on tile floors in their socks.

Am I being a special snowflake over this?  Maybe but it does go beyond the whole E experience. The woman behind us was in a WHEELCHAIR!  She not only was without shoes, but they made her walk through on stockinged feet...on what can feel like rather slippery tile!  Oy vey, I don't know i took a breath till she was back in her chair and E was on a bench waiting for his shoes.  I know it's not like it's a very far walk but I guess I believe that an ounce of prevention keeps us from a ton of shit and it really was worrisome for me witness this.

The situation really reminded me of when we moved overseas.  Of course we got pulled over for the "extra" screening they like to do.  What killed me back then was that the Diva was a baby - we were loaded down with her stroller and car seat for the plane.  It's a fact of life, yeah, I know. But why the hell did I have to coax my child to CRAWL through the x-ray thingie (You know, the part we walk through, not that i got to put her on a belt or anything *grins*) on a FILTHY floor to the waiting personnel on the other side? I mean Jesus fucking Saint Bart...what do they do for infants???

Anyhow...back to my lil tale here...We made it to the gate in good time AND their flight was 20 minutes early on its arrival.  Something I never considered till I actually experienced it was that in a post 9/11 airport, they no longer announce arrivals.  Of course, why bother - how many people are hanging around anymore waiting to pounce on loved ones and strangers as they exit the plane?  Not many, let me tell you.  It was seriously eerie...in a Hotel California sort of way.  You can leave but nobody ever shows up...I know...they do...just unannounced.  After all, I did - just a couple gates ahead from where the girls did.  Two years ago this month.

Insomniac Bloggery Anyone?

So it's 240am and here I am.  Sitting the dark.  Sweating my arse off.  Blogging.

Well...kinda, at least.  I took a moment to check the temp. on my way here and found that it's still about 80 degrees in here.  Goddamn that's hot!  It was actually that hot at 5am yesterday when I came stumbling down.  So you can probably guess what kind of day I had.  

It's actually been a kinda wierd last couple weeks.  For those of you who don't keep up with the world around you there's been a bit of a hysteria over the swine flu.  I'll admit, it was a blip on my personal radar till 2 kids at the local high school caught it.  After the 3rd student, they actually shut down that high school and soon the entire district was down.  Yadda-yadda-yadda - we come tonight, I'm sleepless in San Antonio and my kids (thank the gods!) have school in the morning.

Speaking of which, i should make brownies.  You know since it's only 80 degrees in here.  (:

Schulanfang

For those of you who couldn't tell - Schulanfang (probably roughly) translates to "school" beginning".I just had to show off how stylin' my lil Diva was when she went off to her first day of school last week. You can't tell from the pic but that Tinkerbell backpack is not only spiffy sweet looking but it's glittery too! I'd totally go for one myself if it were like...a messenger bag and I was slightly less self conscious. After a summer filled with vaccination catch ups (did you know Hep A isn't a common vaccine in Germany) and spazzing out over lost birth certificates...oh and wondering if the school had forgotten our entering kindergartener the first day of school was upon us!

Even E got up early for the momentous walk to the bus stop so it was a full party. Ok, not a full party since that would be five members but come on, you guys know what I mean. It was a pretty jovial group - I guess older kids are still excited about school and then there was the lil cutie-pie who goes to the German Kindergarten (preschool) who's always happy and if I recall - even our other resident darling who's started the American preschool along with her still new smelling baby sister. Dear gods...did that last sentence even make sense? No? Oh well, figure it out for yourself - make it up as you go! (: Surprisingly, and I hate to admit it, I found myself choking up when the bus came. One of the hardest things to do was smile happily while taking an all too short hug from my baby before she gleefully hopped up on her bus to go to school. I've never left the Gang of Moms so fast - I didn't want them to see me cry. Thankfully, I didn't cry loudly - I'd never be able to show my face to the neighbourhood again.

Some of you guys may be wondering what happened in regards to my blog posts - or lack therein. I really have had things to say in the over a month time period that's gone by. I have pictures and tales to go with those pictures and in due time they'll come out.

As to what happened to me for the last part of this summer? I guess the big part is that my Vavô, my Grandfather passed away rather suddenly and it's something that's hit me rather hard. I remember how when I was a kid visiting family "up North", I'd get to spend the night and how in the quiet of early morning, he'd go off to work. There was something oddly peaceful about it... Some of my fondest memories come from summers there - of hanging out under an awning of grapevines in the back yard and having him tell me I'd get a tummy ache for eating too green grapes. I'm eternally grateful I at least got to see my family before I left for Germany. The last time I saw my Vavô, one of the last things he talked about was how I used to speak in Portuguese (hard to fathom considering how now I speak a lot of Spanish and my Portuguese is not only bad but with a Brazilian accent) and that he still had tapes of me talking about moving to Alabama, asking why I had to leave him and why couldn't he come with us. We're talking about tapes from back when I was bloody four years old...that makes for something really long kept. Sentimentality of it just breaks my heart. In less than a year I've lost both Vavô and one of my Vavó and didn't go to any funerals. I mean...I realize with the distance, I couldn't go but it doesn't stop me from feeling like a crappy person.

Bridge under the water, I guess...in the end I'm feeling more like posting so I will.

Won't You Take Me To....Funky Town?

And I ain't talkin' about a good sort of funky, either. It was rather bright and early Friday morning when the Diva and I took off to run some errands in town. Around these parts Friday means trash day and we have alternating green and black trash weeks. Unfortunately it was green trash day meaning the streets were lined with cans holding two weeks worth of...shall we say...composting stuff. Now while this lil fae's all about the composting happiness (if you're into it), she does NOT like to smell it downwind....especially if it smells like horse too.

First place we hit was the bank! Now, I'll have to admit, I prolly have more quirks than socially acceptable and one of them is that when nervous, I try to stick with the known which is why I went straight for the cashier I knew. Her look of surprise was most satisfying when I whipped out my (Well, E's) account card thing, saving time and thus getting me back out on the street!

I've been blessed with a child who has these moments where she'll want to try different fruits and veg and this week she selected an avocado to try. I don't know about you, but I can't do avocado straight up so our next venture in town was the local fruit and veg market. I've walked by this place a billion times but up until now, I've never actually gone in. It seems to be run by some lovely people, one who actually spoke English - which wound up confusing me as I went between bad French and even worse German before finding my tounge. Despite my own gooberishness, I walked away a happy woman and the Diva came home one apple richer.

So look - I included a picture! I went in look for lime for my avocado salad but just had to pick up some garlic too. It's sad when you can say getting a decent head of garlic is a treat - I usually have the worst luck at the commissary so this one was a real treat! The raspberries were just calling out to...well...both of us. Alas, in the end, I think I got two berries and a half eaten one from the bunch. *le sigh* As you can tell from above, this trip also included a stop at the bäckerei. I have absolutely no idea what the pastry or bread is called. I'd assume the pastry is a chocolate tipped almond horseshoe thingie - the teensy bite I had found it to be flaky with an übersweet inside. The bread might be something rye...or wheat....who knows? (:

Moving on to salad prep, I'll have to admit - I don't know what the hell actually goes into an avocado salad. Knowing my luck it involves pureeing the poor thing to death before adding it to jello, thus making it some sort of abomination that, when cut, slithers off the plate to devour the unsuspecting family. But as for me, after a brief game of "toss the avocado pit till it hits the kitchen window and freaks us all out" with the Diva, I hacked up the actual flesh before gleefully drowning it in the blood of one lime. I tossed in garlic that I hesitate to call minced....though I suppose you could say that's what I attempted and added a sprinkling of salt and deluge of pepper. Oh and i tossed with with just a touch of olive oil. And halved cherry tomatoes cause it seemed like the honourable thing to do.

The Diva gave it a noble try - I think she managed about 3 tiny bites before abandoning it to the corner of her plate. As for me...like the lil piggy I can be, I gobbled mine down for like the next five meals.
So that was last Friday, I hate to admit. I took my stupid lil pics and just couldn't bear to post without them. What does this Friday bring us? Black trashcan day and a less smelly neighbourhood. (: