Blue light special, Online Shoppers!

There is this annoying commercial over here on AFN (that's Armed Forces Network for you non-DoDDSers), where this hardcore chick is saying, "What do drugs, alcohol, gambling, and credit cards all have in common? They can all be addicting--Yes, even credit cards." (We can't have normal commercials here so we get educated during our show breaks!) This is what is going through my mind as I click, yet again, to Old Navy's website "just to look". It's not like we have a lot of options here. Especially right now. The euro rate pretty much restricts us from buying much from German stores and our other illustrious option is the Px (post exchange). Or as Aiden calls it, "The Pee Eks". I'm not a snob. I've bought and currently wear the Px brands--particularly proud of my purchases when they've been 75% off and cost about $2. But, I can only lace my meager wardrobe with these particular purchases or I risk looking like a doughty middle-aged mom. Shut up, Odell. Anyway! I've really been trying to get some different, colorful, bold patterns added to my staple black and gray pieces. BUT...Radley's got a few financial goals for us that he'd love to make easily done IF I can not shop like I normally do online for like, a month? I though, "No problem!" So, today, several times, I thought, "So it must've been a month by now that I've shopped at ON." So I counted back to my last purchase. It was NOT a month ago. And now I'm feeling...what I would liken to withdrawl...And that's when I go online "just to browse" while the AFN lady's talking to ME now...My bag has several items in it but I haven't hit that magical "checkout" button yet...How strong am I? Do I need to go to Old Navy rehab?

Quitters

Well, I don't know, but Aiden might be quitting soccer after barely getting started. Radley took him a couple weeks ago and he quit half-way through. He said he was tired (which I'm sure he was) and sat down like I'd said he should do (instead of crying like last time). This is the part that chagrined Radley: He then got up and started picking flowers and running around with another little boy that'd had enough. (I'm secretly laughing about this). Then last week, we got Aiden all dressed out in his soccer outfit complete with shiny new shin guards and right after they get there, Aiden refused to play because he said he was too tired. So, Radley got him back into the van to head home. That's when Aiden decided that he wanted to go to the spielplatz (playground)! Oh, that ticked Radley off. I thought he should give the poor kid a break because he really does still need a nap by the afternoon but I gave up getting him down for a nap over a year ago. Too much drama. He gets 12 hrs. of sleep a night anyway. Whatever. So tonight...He said he just wanted to watch the other kids play because....You guessed it--he was tired. We ended up not going because he was tired and I've actually just put him to bed (6:45pm). I don't know if this is just a bad streak, or if he's really quitting. By the way, I'm over belly dancing, so...I'm quitting :)

Charlie Sheen

Okay, seriously. Am I the only one who thinks that Charlie Sheen is one of the worst actors ever? What is up with him being on a popular show and winning awards for...acting? Ugh. I can' t stand him and I just can't figure out this bizarre following he's got. Is it because his dad's decent and people are loyal to him? What is it?!?!? Seriously. It bothers me enough to blog it.

You're fired!

I'm in a quandry. I like the woman that's been cleaning my house the past few years because she really cleans, but she has a horrible habit of breaking things--and not telling me about it until I see it myself, while still taking every euro we pay her. That ticks me off. Today, I saw my soap holder was broken and I can't for the life of me figure out HOW she could break that. Like the vacuum's retractable cord that she breaks repeatedly after Rad fixes it. And she chipped my polish pottery spoon holder. Ripped a rug long time ago...I'm just tired of my stuff being broken by someone else continually. My kids don't even break that much stuff!! So, I want to fire her. But I can't bring myself to say to her, "You suck, you're fired." So, I will probably sheepishly ask for my key back under the pretense of saving money this summer while I'm off and have more time to clean. Then, just not re-hire her. And then, I actually have to resume cleaning for hours...Our bathrooms are so huge when you have to clean them! Ugh. But on the bright side, I have been feeling indulgent not ever having to clean the bathrooms (since that's her main job) and I sort of miss disinfecting and grounging out dirt myself...It's satisfying. So, commence the toilet scrubbing...

Hexenacht

Here are some pics of our first attendance of the official hexenacht (witches night) bonfire of Reichenbach. The night before May 1, everyone stays up all night burning bonfires to burn or scare away the winter witches and usher in spring. The witches--in the form of hooligan teens--in revenge, wreck havoc through the town by dumping flower pots, stealing trash cans, tp-ing stuff, and other shinanigans.

Trouble

My daughter scares the living daylights out of me. She climbed into the bathtub with Aiden the other night as my back was turned, quick as lightning, pajamas and all. As I was turning, Aiden whined, "Aw, Mommy! Ava's in here, too!" I caught her mid-fall as she had climbed from the couch onto the adjacent TV tray for thrills and it proceeded to tip over (it is not stable enough to accomodate a 20 lb. child you know). She knows how to get around the gate blocking the stairs and gave us a scare. She threw a towel in the toilet. With Aiden, we didn't need to put gates up, quarantine the plants, move potential climbing tools away from danger areas, worry about him eating poisonous stuff (since he eats essentially nothing anyway--again, opposite of Miss Piggy). Radley and I would probably fall in the middle of the "child-proof lockdown to child-endangerment" range of parents. However, since Ava's mobility arrived, we've been forced to move a little to the lockdown side. I have to say, though, it is interesting at the same time as it's scary. She's so different from Aiden and she was just born that way--less cautious, fearless, and wanting to be in the middle of everything. With Aiden, you can see his mind calculating the chances that he'll land on his feet from a 3-foot jump, or if he should risk going down the slide standing, etc. Ava...No way man, it's jump!! And ask mommy for a bandaid later. Seeing the difference in how they approach hazardous situations has been fascinating and I'm ready for where the ride will take us next because so far, it's been a blast!