Flashback Friday

It makes me a little sad to realize my youngest baby is growing up so quickly. Well, actually, it makes me a little sad to see them all growing so fast. Mister Man just turned 7, and Girly Girl will not let us forget she is getting ready to turn 10. Monster Tot is our last baby. She is definitely the most challenging, but we love her all the same. Here she is with her older siblings, and before she was dubbed Monster Tot. She loves Girly Girl and Mister Man very much, but she also knows how to push their buttons *ahem* run off with the one lego piece they need, steal their bowl at dinner (when they aren't looking,) scream when they aren't letting her have her way, and the list goes on.

Happy Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Playground Fun

Release the beasts! When we flew to Germany, I made sure to have a separate bag full of toys for the kids, and the older kids packed a few extra things in their luggage. Unfortunately, I know they are starting to get bored of the same old toys. Being cooped up in the hotel isn't fun at all. Luckily for us, there is a playground right next to the hotel, and there are two other play areas we can easily walk to from where we are. It is so nice to get a break and enjoy the fresh air! The temperatures in Germany this week are a little on the warmer side, but during the summer, it generally stays in the comfortable 70's, it isn't uncommon for it to be colder though, and you will have to wear pants and a jacket in summer. There are periods where it will get very warm. There isn't air conditioning in the houses, so you have to learn how to use your rolladens (if you are lucky enough to have them) to let in fresh air in the mornings, and close them before it gets hot. I didn't actually manage to master this technique the first go round, even though I tried. One time, it was so hot in the house, I filled the tub with as cold a temperature of water as I could manage, and the kids and I sat in the tub in bathing suits in order to cool down. The older kids STILL talk about it now, and this happened 3 years ago, when they were 4 and 6. I really think it is one of their favorite early memories of Germany.

Able to run free! The movie theater is in the upper right of the frame.

Monster Tot LOVES to slide.

What to do...what to do?

Girly Girl likes to think Monster Tot needs help...perfect excuse to go on the slide without looking like an uncool big kid! lol

What are some of your favorite summertime memories from childhood?

Finally! A house and Ranch Oyster Crackers

Hooray! This day couldn't have come soon enough! The Hubs was finally able to sign the agreement for our rental house yesterday! We will be able to move in around the beginning of August. You have no idea how excited I am. While the hotel is nice, and we have a small kitchen in our room, I can't bake, and anything I cook is limited to two burners and a microwave.  I think one of the first things I will make once we get settled, is one of my childhood favorites...Ranch Oyster Crackers! It is super easy!


My kids love, love, love this recipe. I can't even get it into the oven without them stealing some first. My mom also used to make it for us when we were little, so it is one of those recipes that takes me back :)


Ranch Oyster Crackers

Finished crackers cooling

10 oz bag of oyster crackers (these are little round saltines you can find near the crackers. I have found them in both bags and boxes.)
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup oil (I use olive oil)

Preheat your oven to 250 °F, approx 120/121°C if your here in Germany like me :D

Empty oyster crackers into a gallon sized zipper bag and add the oil. Toss to coat the crackers.

Add your ranch, lemon pepper, dill weed, and garlic powder. Toss to coat the crackers.

Bake in a 250 °F (120/121 °C) oven for 15-20 minutes.

Let cool and then store in an air tight container.

*You can even add in pretzels, chex cereal, etc to the oyster crackers to make a snack mix. You may need to adjust the amount of seasoning and oil, depending on how much of each extra ingredient you add in.*

 Do you have any recipes you love to make that take you back to your childhood?

We have arrived!

I finally have a chance to sit down and breathe for a minute. We had a few hiccups when it came to packing the house up. Since it is the summer rush, there were new people working on the crew, and things weren't being done exactly right. The moving liaison for the base was great, and worked everything out for us. If you are moving with the military, definitely use your liaison. He or she will make sure things are right and will do everything to make sure both sides are protected. After our movers were done, Hubby and I, along with his parents, took a couple days to finish cleaning and touching up our house. We ended up spending a few weeks with my in-laws, and then headed down to Atlanta for a few days before we flew out to Germany. We visited the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. It was a fun last few days in the states.

I'll do two additional posts, in order to break the pictures up a bit. I took a ton more than just these, but I will share a few of my favorites.

The following pictures are from our trip to the Tennessee Aquarium. The aquarium is divided into two buildings, and there is also an IMAX theater. The aquarium was quite busy the day we visited. There are exhibits ranging from a stingrays, to a feeling tank (where you can touch sharks,) to  alligators, turtles, fish, and so much more!

I love this picture of the kids! They were looking at stingrays.

The butterfly room was a favorite for all the kids.

This turtle shell is 10 million years old. It is really big! You can get a good idea of just how big, by looking at the electrical outlet to the bottom left of the shell.

Getting Things Ready

There has been an abundance of activity around our house for the last couple weeks. The hubby has been working hard to get things set up for our move, and I’ve been cleaning, organizing, and sorting through every closet, drawer, and room in our home. One thing I learned from living in Germany previously is the houses there do not have the same amount of storage space as many American homes do. We have begun the task of deciding what goes with us and what we will put into storage. It is becoming a bigger task than I expected, and our guest room is beginning to look like a battle ground.

I became a little obsessed with storage solutions the last time we were overseas. I have the bins and containers to prove it! This time, I have been planning and preparing ahead of time and trying to find new storage solutions for some of our basic, everyday things. I have found the removable Command hooks by 3M to be a fantastic product. I use them around the house for everything ranging from a place to hold the cords to the blinds, to a place to hang my towel in the bathroom. Coincidentally, I first came to love the hooks when we first lived in Germany. The hooks are one thing I’ll be stocking up on prior to the move. I have a healthy stash already, but I’m sure I can find more great uses for them. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have extra on hand. 

If you ever find yourself being stationed in Germany (or anywhere else overseas), do not be afraid to put things into storage. Trust me, especially if it is something you do not use on a regular basis. Research the area you will be going to. Seek out forums devoted to the area you will be moving to. Chances are, you can ask questions directly to people who presently live there and get a better idea of the type of living spaces you will be looking at. Moving overseas can be a scary idea, but being prepared can help make the transition a little bit smoother. I am hoping to get the opportunity to post as we are going through this process. We were once in the position of being completely clueless as to what we were doing. With any luck, I can pass on what I’ve learned, and make the move a little easier for someone else.

It's official! Another move is on the horizon.

It's been a while since I've been able to hop on here and post anything. A lot of things have happened. We've celebrated the new year. My kid's school year is almost over. We've also received word about another change in jobs for my husband. What's next? Germany. Again. While this is not the first time we have lived in Germany, it is still a gargantuan task to get everything in order. We need to decide what goes and what stays. We have to bring in movers and we have to find lodging for our final days in the states. I've learned a lot about moving over the last 10 years. This will be the seventh major move I've made with the hubs. There are aspects of this move that I think will be a little easier since we know what to expect. I look forward to showing everyone the culture and things we experience while we are in Europe. We plan to travel far more than we did the last time we were there. I do not want to waste this experience, because this is something we will take with us for the rest of our lives. I am so grateful my kids will be able to experience all the history and beauty of Germany, and the surrounding countries and beyond.

A Fridgid Morning...for the elves!

Good morning! It is already hard enough to believe we are only a week away from Christmas, and the weather today is making it even harder. There was a warm edge to the air this morning, as the kids and I were waiting for the bus to arrive. Our elves seemed to have sensed the warmth and decided to chill out (literally!) in our fridge.

Lolly dyed our milk green!

Holly was hungry for Gogurt.

Jolly was hungry for leftovers from Chili's. He snagged a fry.

 How is the weather where you are? Are you under a blanket of snow? Are you facing a unseasonably warm day, like we are?

Elf on the Shelf Rewind!

Like many other families, we have an Elf on the Shelf. Well, actually, we have three elves. We started with one elf last year, and two more joined us this year. Our first elf is a boy and his name is Jolly. His sisters, Holly and Lolly, joined us this year. My hope is the elves will move on and continue the tradition when my kids are older, and begin their own families.The elves have been found in some pretty funny places!

Our elves arrived on the Monday after Thanksgiving. They brought us breakfast, and new plates and hot cocoa cups for the kids. The Hubs made scrambled eggs for everyone to help balance the sweet breakfast the elves brought.

Big brother just spotted one of the new elves!

The new elf Big Brother spotted. This is Holly.

Baby sister enjoying her eggs.

The elves made reindeer faces out of donuts. I think they forgot to add eyes!

A few days after the elves arrived, we caught them in the middle of a game of Yahtzee.

One morning, they brought us a new movie. Home Alone! The kids already had Home Alone 2. I guess the elves wanted to make sure we had the first one as well.

 Those naughty elves! I think they were trying to get my baking chocolate. That is what is in the bin at the top!

On this day, they had their own things going on.

Another day doing their own things.

Crazy! They were hiding in the stockings

I guess the kitchen wasn't festive enough!

Maybe, they missed the North Pole on this day?

 

While Jolly was in the kitchen, Holly was reading Lolly a story. How sweet!

 Oh, no! Our tree was rolled!

Today, they had a candy battle. Girls against the boy!