Mukkefuck Cafe

Holland

I know I have been kind of quiet, lately. I guess I just don't have much to say! Life is just meandering along at it's normal pace...and all is well!

I do want to share my favorite photo from my trip to the Keukenhof Garden in Holland. It has to be the most beautiful place I have ever seen!

because I don't already have ENOUGH to do...

...I am attending a DONA workshop this weekend.

For those of you who actually know me and stuff, you are already aware of the fact that I have been serving as a (volunteer) doula for many, many years.

Well, the opportunity presented itself for me to participate in the training that is necessary for me to actually get certified. (and since that is so, very rare over here...I jumped on it!)

So, I will be spending about 20 hours of my weekend in classes...and once I complete all of the other requirements I will be a bonafide doula. And I can start charging people money for my services. Which in these uncertain economic times, might not be such a bad thing for my family.

YAY!

I am also reviving my Pampered Chef business (for the 42nd time) but hosting an open house. Today! (maybe I should step away from the computer and get busy...)

And Aaron...this post is for you, since you slathered me with such gratitude after my last (or was it my last, last?) post. How would my life be, without such compassionate, kind and caring friends like you???

Oh...and it also might be worth mentioning (or not...) that it is freaking SNOWING. Didn't anyone bother to send up the memo that it is SPRINGTIME???

OK...I think that is a sufficient amount of drivel for one morning.

Until next time...

The Interview

Elijah, age 5.999

1. What is something mom always says to you?

Do your homework!

2. What makes mom happy?

Being good

3. What makes mom sad?

Being naughty

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Tickling me &  telling jokes

5. What did your mom like to do as a child?

Go to school

6. How old is your mom?

22 or 23 (bless him;)

4. How tall is your mom?

Really, really high

8. What is her favourite thing to watch on TV?

American Idol (not really, but OK...)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Shop & do chores

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Doing a good job in all of her stuff...or being the President

11. What is your mom really good at?

Doing chores, like cleaning

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Keeping us from doing naughty stuff (this kid is GOOD!) heh

13. What does your mom do for her job?

Clean?

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

I think your favorite food is that new kind of mashed potatoes that we had the other night (gouda and garlic, for those who weren't present...VERY YUM!)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

By doing a good job on cleaning (OK, OK...enough with the cleaning, already!)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Spongebob (God, save me!)

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Play games, that's what we always do!

18. How are you and your mom the same?

Cause we both do chores (I sound like such a FUN person, don't I???)

19. How are you and your mom different?

Cause you are big and I am little & you are a grown up and I am a kid

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Cause you always kiss me and I always kiss you (this is true...he is a smoochy little guy:)

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

I think...that...you like him cause he's your friend (FEELIN' the love;)

22. Where is your mom's favourite place to go?

Legoland (NOT. my. favorite. place. to. go.)

preoccupied

I am fairly certain tha tby now, nobody even checks this here blog...but just in case, I figure I owe my faithful reader a tiny explaination as to why I have been MIA.

I am completely and totally consumed with taking my body back. I am spending 8-10 hours per week at the gym and am carefully planning out my menus and grocery lists.

It is totally starting to pay off! I am now down a total of 35 pounds (just 4 pounds from my first goal) and I have managed to lower my BMI from 43.9 to 38.6.

I still have a long, LONG way to go...but I am to the point that there is absolutely NO turning back.

But since you bothered to stop by, I figured I would leave you with a SNL clip that has had me laughing my ass off for days:)

a name in the sand

This was written for my lost baby.

What an awesome thing to see the name written.

the bag thingy

I was tagged by my Good Friend Lisa to do this, but my Good Friends Catey and Heidi did it, too...and since they are the collective epitome of coolness, I wanted to do it, too:)

OK...so maybe that is a little bit over the top. The truth is, I spent SO many years carrying around a Land's End backpack/diaper bag that I have really enjoyed the opportunity to buy some cute and fun bags over the past year or two.

Here are the rules (which normally I boycott, but they seem a little necessary  this time):

A. Post a picture of whatever bag you are (using) today - not last weekend when you and your hubby went out to that fabulous restaurant. No cheating!!! AND it's contents!! EVERYTHING! Yes, even THAT!

B. Tell us how much it cost. This is a no-judgment zone -- there will be no ridiculing or eye rolling here. And, if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I'd love to hear it.

C. Now tag some fellow bloggers and link back to this post so people know why you are posting pictures of your bag. (it is OK to break this rule...I know I am;)

OK, exhibit A:

OK, I know that there are two bags in this photo. I have yet to use a bag, today so I decided to post the bag(s) I used last night. Here they are. Aren't they cute???

Contents of the Dick Bag:

 

1. Girl Scout Badge Book

2. composition book to track Abby's badge progress

3. G.S. Handbook

4. Life is Good hat

5. ink pen, black

6. disk with piratey Wife Swap episode

7. Juliette Lowe birthday patch

8. mitten/glove thingys

Contents of the Fossil Bag:

 

1. two tampons

2. generic Dramamine

3. two packs of gum

4. calculator

5. gel pen, purple

6. receipts for kids' lunch accounts

7. prescription for German pharmacy

8. letter from school nurse regarding Abby's vision and hearing screenings

9. USAA business card

10. MK lip gloss, Aveeno lip balm and some tropical fruity Blistex

11. cell phone

12. checkbook

13. wallet

14. USAA pocket calendar

15. ink pen, black and ink pen, patriotic (from the Fisher House)

16. change purse I carry all of my Euro in (US dollars go in my wallet)

17. my Zune...I love my Zune:)

Exhibit B:

I bought the dick and Jane bag from this chick. I can't remember what I paid for it. Maybe $40-ish, including shipping??? I really didn't care what it cost, I just had to have it. Wanna know what the biggest selling point of this bag was for me??? Two little words; Oh, Dick. When I carry this bag, it is like a little inside joke with myself:)

The other bag is a Fossil purse. It is the only purse I have ever bought from the BX. I think I paid $50-60 for it. I picked this bag up right before I took my trip to Poland in August because I needed a bag that has lots of pockets and that I could carry across my chest. It is hard to find purses that I can carry that way because I am tall and have ginormous boobs. Very annoying. But this purse fits and is actually my favorite every-day bag.

Exhibit C:

I am not specifically tagging anyone, but if you decide to do this leave me a comment to let me know! I am very nosy and love to see what everyone carries around in their purses:)

blogstyle iron chef chili challenge

 

Hi, faithful readers! I have missed all both of you SO much! A lot has happened since we last chatted, but I will have to fill you in on all of that stuff (Ethan ranked high enough in his Pinewood Derby to go on to the district derby & Abby is not deaf, she just can't hear well right now:) next time.

Today, I bring you a new blog thingy. My good friend Heidi over at Sacred and Profanejust came up with a cool way to find some new, delicious and cost effective recipes for her family. With winners! And prizes!!

My competitive nature compels me to participate in this contest because I fancy myself a fairly decent cook (I didn't get this fat eating Twinkies, I assure you). So anyway...pop on over to Heidi's blog if'n you want to play. Or to say hi or even get to know her. She's a pretty cool Momma. Don't take my word for it...just go.

But wait! Before you do, here is my submission for the chili recipe contest!

Sweet Potato & Veggie Chili

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small to medium red onion,chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 10 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
1 14 1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes with juice, break up tomatoes in a bowl with your fingers
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 medium zucchini,
diced 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: This is a very simple and hearty chili. The sweet potato adds a nice sweetness in contrast to the smoky and spicy flavors. You may add more cayenne pepper for a little extra heat! Heat olive oil in heavy medium sauce-pan over medium-high heat.

Add red onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and stir for about a minute. Add 1 cup of the veggie broth and potato.

Cover pan and reduce heat to medium and simmer until potato is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes with their juices and pinto beans along with the garlic and spices.

Add zucchini and the rest of veggie broth (1/2 cup). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered until chili thickens and potato is very tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in parsley or cilantro at the end.

 

Enjoy:)

Murphy's Law

I know we all have days like this from time to time...so forgive me my whining. I have just had one of those days. You know the ones...where everything that can go wrong pretty much does? Yeah...one of those.

As a result, I have cursed at two (relatively) undeserving people and called my husband at work at the height of my nonsensical, hysterical, crying and slobbering rage.

I started my day in a relatively good mood. I got my kids on the bus and then headed over to the vehicle registration center on base. I haven't lived in the USofA in a number of years, but I vaguely recall spending hours in line at the DMV for license renewals and such. I didn't have to deal with long lines...but that doesn't mean that things went smoothly.

After spending a small fortune getting 4 new tires and new brakes put on my van, I thought that surely it would pass Germany's strict inspection process. Everything checked out OK except for a burned out brake light. I called That Guy I Married at work and then headed up to Landstuhl to have him see about changing the bulb for me. (I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to get to the bulb...otherwise I would have done it myself. I am not THAT helpless.) He comes out and takes the thing apart...and genius that he is, he just swaps the bulbs' positions and VOILA! The brake light works! (nevermind the fact that my blinker no longer works on that side...but I don't find this out until I go back to the inspection station and fail for a second time.) This would be the first point at which I drop an F-bomb in the direciton of a mostly innocent bystander.

A quick (and unfruitful) call to TGIM leaves me sitting in the parking lot of the Auto Store on base, which doesn't open for another 25 minutes. I suppose that's a good thing because it takes me that long to pry the cover off and get the bulbs out. I go in and buy two new bulbs, replace them with little incident and replace the cover. The clips are pretty well mangled as I don't think they are meant to be pried away with a set of keys...but it seems to be holding OK, so I will deal with that another day.

Third time's a charm and I pass my inspection! (and then unceremoniously apologize to the attendant for cussing at him) Next step is to go into the office with my inspection paper, stamped APPROVED! and in theory, walk out with a renewed registration form and fuel ration card. Well, as it happens, I have the old style American plates on my van and they rules have changed meaning that I have to get the German style plates. Changing license plates doesn't seem like it should be such a big deal but nothing over here is easy.

Our insurance policies are attached to our license plates instead of our VIN's therefore I have to call my insurance company and have them fax confirmation to the registration office. Another thing that shouldn't be an issue and would not have been an issue had they told me about it ahead of time so I could be prepared. Instead, I am blindsided with this fact when I am standing at the counter...and that guy...he won't get an apology from me for cussing at him.

So, anyway...there's that story.

The next chapter of this story has to do with the fact that we have been referred to a German Doctor to deal with Abby's hearing loss. This is not ideal for me and even less ideal is the fact that I have to pay 25% and a €150 deductible for said doctor. I know that most of you pay co-pays and whatnot but we have had military insurance for so long that I have never had to pay so much out of pocket! That made me cry, but I will suck it up and pray that our income tax return gets here before medical bills start piling up.

After my horrible and very bad morning, I was going to treat myself to Chili's Fajita Quesidillas for lunch and when I got to the door I was greeted with a note that read, "Due to technical difficulties, Chili's will be closed until further notice." Fucking brilliant.

Oh...and the cherry on top of the shitcake that has been my day??? I got an e-mail from Ethan's teacher expressing concern over some of his behaviors lately. I noticed that he seemed a little off at home, lately...but I as not aware that it was carrying over into his school day, too.

Just a lot on my plate and my mental illness makes me fairly inept at dealing when things get too hard.

long time no...

I know I have been kind of quiet, lately. This is a hard time of year for me and this year is messing with me already.

Here is a quick rundown of what's been happening lately...in no particular order.

I have been enduring the dreary and bleak Germany winter. I think I suffer from SAD.

One of my Good Friends has moved to Italy.

Another one of my Good Friends has moved to Morocco.

Another Good Friend's Hubby (who could also be considered a Good Friend) is deploying to Iraq next week.

I am now the mother of a teen-aged girl.

January 10th markedthe 11th anniversary of the day I lost who would have been my second baby.

Abby has been diagnosed with a significant hearing loss. We are waiting for our referral to audiology.

My weight loss stalled over the holidays and I am having a hard time getting my groove back.

I have been selling off a lot of my Pampered Chef stuff and all of my scrapbooking stuff in order to clear the clutter and get us in a better place, financially. (if you are interested in anything, you can click on the Ramstein Yard Sales thingy over in the left sidebar.)

Despite all of the crap, things aren't all bad. I raised enough money already to buy four new tires, new brakes, a new battery and pay for the labor to have the tired mounted and threw in an oil change while I was at it!

Oh...and while the economy is crumbling down all around us, this is the first year EVER that we will not need to earmark a single DIME of our income tax return to play catch up on bills! This is HUGE for us! I guess I did not realize how poor we were when he was enlisted until we weren't, anymore. We are working really hard at making and sticking with a budget. I suppose it's about time, 'eh??

I know that several of you are waiting for me to interview you. I have not forgotten! I will get to it before the weekend is through:)

interview me

You know, aside from the obvious benefit of giving the crazies in my head someplace safe to play, one of my favorite things about blogging has been getting a glimpse into other people's lives, getting to know them and forming a few real, honest-to-goodness friendships to boot!

My Good Friend Lisa did this on her blog and I thought it seemed interesting. I met Lisa online back in 2002 when I was pregnant with my fourth and she was pregnant with her second. Our relationship grew from being online acquaintances to online friends to friend in real life. We have exchanged countless e-mails, telephone calls...heck, she has even welcomed my crazy herd into her home.

She probably knows more about me than most of the friends I see every day do...but she still managed to come up with a series of questions for me:)

1. How is being a mom to all schoolers going?  Are you reaching any of your planned goals?Ahhh...a two part question;) The first week with all of ym kiddos in school was difficult and sad. I felt a little lost and a lot lonely...but you should be pleased to know that I am SO over that, now. I really enjoy the free time I have during the week and after having all of the kids home for several days in a row, I am SO ready for them to go back to school:) All both of my Faithful Readers might remember the list of goals I set for myself when the kids started school. I have been able to keep the house cleaner during the week. Amazing how much easier it is to keep things neat and tidy when no one is around to undo everything just as fast as you get it done! Next item on my list was getting back in shape. I have lost about 30 pounds since the kids started school. I kind of plateaued after Thanksgiving...but at least I have maintained the loss and will be hitting the gym again on Monday! I do regularly volunteer at the kids' school. I am taking more pictures but I have not signed up for a German class yet. Maybe I can focus on that more now that the holidays are behind me.

2.  How did you learn to be such a great photographer?  Have you ever submitted your photos for contests or publication?  First off, I don't consider myself to be a great photographer. I don't even fancy myself a GOOD photographer, merely an enthusiast. But thank you, just the same! I have taken a few classes but mostly, I just take pictures of things that I like to look at. I much prefer to photograph nature and inanimate objects...but portrait photography is something I would like to explore a bit more, too. I have never submitted any of my photos for contests or publication. Funny you should mention it, though...it is a goal of mine to get something published in 2009:)

3.  Are you still planning to adopt one day? I really, really, REALLY want to adopt one day. I am not sure that I would call it a plan at this point...but it is definitely something that we would like to do. If only money weren't such an obstacle...

4. What is your favorite guilty treat? Probably going out to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants with a good friend or two. I love eating a delicious meal that I didn't have to prepare and even more, I love spending time with people:)

5. Do you Facebook, MySpace, both or neither and why?I have had a Myspace for years. I mainly use(d) it to keep up with some of my friends from high school as well as a few of the friends we have made during That Guy I Married's times in the military. I also have a Facebook. I have connected with even more people whom I have loved and lost contact wit. I really don't put too much effort into commenting and stuff...but it is nice to know how to find people if I want to say hi:)

Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.