Oh bother!

Sorry about the lack of posting...or pictures!! I have tried, honestly! Our router keeps disconnecting me from the main computer! I type something and click to review...offline. *Sigh*.

I was able to upload a few pictures, but now the folder is unavailable.....argh! Hopefully it will behave itself.....(insert stomping and fist waving). I just need the "computer guy" (i.e. husband) to have a few hours to fix it, but activities and daily life keep interfering.

Six Seis Sechs Seven Siete Sieben Sept

I was tagged by Anne at "Anne's Blog" do a "Six" Meme, and by Hilary at "My Own Little Circus" to do a "Seven" meme. Ever the multi-tasker, I am combining these. Nah-nah-nah-na-nan-nah!


Here are the rules of the meme:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on the blog.

3. Write six (or seven)random things about yourself.

4. Tag six (or seven)people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know they have been tagged

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

7. Uh-oh. Make up your own rule.

1. I cannot, most days, leave the house a mess (or the kitchen at night before I go to bed). This generally results in late nights and being late, which I don't enjoy. My husband is always questioning, "Why are you picking up toys or flufffing pillows before we leave? Who's going to see it?". Ugh.
2. I am quite a germ-a-phobe. I believe that this stems from working in hospitals and watching MRSA work its way down the hall. That and watching so many people walk of of restrooms without washing the hands! Ugh. My kids wash their hands immediately upon returning home because I know school is a germ playground-that and the bus that brings them home.
3. I have traveled in fourteen countries: Belgium, Scotland, England, Crete, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg , Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Mexico, and Wales. We are planning a trip to the Netherlands in the spring, and hopefully the Czech Republic and Italy (again) before we leave. No wonder I feel so out of place! I have no home :(.
4. I have a love for magazines! I have a hard time parting with them. It seems that I think I will have time to pull out useful recipes, decorating ideas, articles, etc. My favorites are Real Simple, Country Living, Southern Living, Oprah, Martha Stewart ( wink, wink Mamaneena) and Nick Jr. (great kid party ideas, crafts and recipes).
5. When I was a child we had animals as pets-doves, rabbits, parakeets, dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards (my brother), turtles (again-my brother)......but I refuse to let my kids get a pet. I know they are fun and that they teach important lessons, but I just can't convince myself that I will have the time and patience for another thing to care for....
6. I have never baked a turkey. Shameful! I know. I have always been blessed to have friends or a husband who take on this monumental task. Maybe it's something about touching the raw bird.....
7. I have a pet peeve of almost used-up items....almost empty tubes of toothpaste, one piece of bread in the bag, the sliver of soap, only bubbles left in the shampoo bottle, one candy in the dish, one storage bag left....use it up already!! :D

There you have it-random things from the top o'my head. These are late, but at least I followed through! I am not tagging anyone-play along if you wish or leave a random comment about you or your day.

Great Giveaways!

I am not the "giver-awayer", but Allison at "Life in Germany" has found some fancy, true-to-life, German Christmas decorations that she is Giving away!! So, head over there and have a look!

Just guess

Guess where we are going this weekend?

Clues: it is not too far away; it is a very Halloween-ish place; monsters run amuck here!

Leave a comment and de-lurk! You know that you want to!?! Besides, I am interested in the variety of ideas. We just might think it is a great idea!

Leaves!

We found a great park with tons of leaves! I will post more later. This is the fifth time I have uploaded and lost them. Oh! If you are on our Christmas card list...don't look too closely. You just might see them again :D

Finally!

This past week has been a blur of activity. Besides the normal school and after school activities, we have had a day off (Colombus Day) to recover from the Legoland weekend adventure. I was part of a group hosting a baby shower for a very deserving mother expecting her fifth baby. We had a great morning of fantastic food, interesting chat, ahhhing over baby clothing, and fun friends. Before we knew it we had to rush off to collect children, have sports photographs and attend the Fall Festival at the school.



Ashlyn had a game (cheering) on Saturday, and then the rest of the weekend was spent cleaning out our third floor storage room. We have been putting it off since we moved in, and the situation was deteriorating, quickly. Nothing is so humbling as watching every single item that you own being crammed into crates (for an overseas move), and then now getting rid of so many items in the storage room that you are wondering why you have moved, stored, and kept these items as long as you have!!! There are children's clothes galore. Now that it has been cleared out --the storage room looks so much better! You can actually walk in! I now need to sort out the clothing for selling, donating, tossing, etc. Blech.



Today is catch up day...laundry, blogging, e-mails, housework. Logan is happily playing with blocks and I am finishing an episode of Lost in Austen. I also planned on finishing another post with some pictures and putting up Legoland pictures, but have a roadblock. Since installing a new router for the upstairs computer, the stored pictures are unaccessible. Aaccckk! That will have to wait, I guess.

Overheard during the car trip

It took us quite a while to get to Legoland. We encountered quite a bit of constructiuon in multiple areas along the autobahn, but thankfully did not have the six kilometer (at least) staus (traffic jam) that we viewed on the opposite side of the motorway.

During that time we made multiple bathroom stops, passed out goldfish crackers, small packets of Haribo gummy bears, and water.

Lauren soon noticed that Nick had saved over her Imagine Teacher DS game.
Lauren : "Nick! I can't believe that you did that! I am going to write in my journal that you are a bad boy!"
Nicholas: "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" (As if this has some bearing on his future).

Ryan "Dad, it's lunchtime and we haven't had lunch yet! All we have had is goldfish and water". We are such mean, uncaring parents, aren't we? How dare we starve our kids as we take them on a Legoland adventure, when we would love to take a trip to a warm, sandy beach....sans offspring?

Nick, after asking every two minutes, "How many minutes until we get there?"......and being told about two hours......replies, "I think I am going to say it will be ten minutes since I like that number better".

Yeah, if it only worked that way!

We are home, unpacked, and ready to begin the work/school week. We will post pictures soon!