Day 340: Breakfast with Santa and Caleb's Sleepover

This morning Maddie woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  Caleb was well behaved and in a great mood, but Maddie was not.  She was crying over multiple things, including eating.  She was picking fights over everything and crying at the drop of a hat.

The embassy arranged "Pancakes with Santa" so we stopped by to enjoy that for a little while.  Maddie had multiple fits over dresses, but we finally made her stick to one she has picked out.  She was not happy, even though it's one she decided to wear after we had already let her change.

When we arrived to the breakfast we went to the ornament station and made a reindeer ornament.  This ended up being Madison's favorite.  We then moved to the room where the kids could write a letter to Santa.  Caleb partook in this, and Maddie did not.  I asked Maddie if she wanted to sit on Santa's lap and she replied with a no.  She had no interest in being anywhere near Santa.  She doesn't see Santa very often in this country, so to be fair, it was all relatively new to her.  So, we opted for a family photo instead, and even though she wasn't a huge fan of that, she managed and we all survived.

We moved on to the dining area and enjoyed some pancakes.  Caleb covered his in chocolate and cool whip and Maddie wouldn't take a bite of hers with maple syrup.  Kids!  Instead, she ate a few oranges and talked to her friend from school once she saw her there.  These two little girls are precious and I cannot get enough of them together.  Anything one does, the other does.  It's too sweet.

Once we left, we were off to find a Christmas tree.  We settled on one and then headed home with it.  We immediately put it in water, and hopefully once it falls a little we can decorate it.  We got the house put together enough to welcome company later on. 

Caleb opted to host a few friends for a sleepover instead of having a birthday party for his 10th birthday.  He chose to have a few friends go to a play place and then sleepover for the night.  He is so excited to have people over and they seemed to have a good night overall.  

The boys started out by playing the Wii in the basement until all of the boys arrived.  Daniel then took them to a play area to burn some energy!  Once they returned, we enjoyed some pizza and they chugged tons of water.  Caleb opened gifts afterwards, and got some amazing new games and toys.  He was so excited with each item.  Then came the nerf gun fight.  Daniel had set up a few boxes and barriers in the garage and they all went out to have a good time.  Daniel joined them and they played for almost 2 hours.

They played hard, showered, and then cleaned their shoes for St. Nicholas.  In Poland (as well as other European countries) St. Nicholas comes the night of the 5th of December and leaves the kids small toys/fruit/books in the polished shoes.  If the kids are not well behaved, it's rumored that Krampus comes instead and beats the children until they behave again (I didn't share that story with the kids, just Daniel).  Interesting stories, nonetheless!  The boys have had such a great time and have been really good overall.

They received gifts from the play place. 

Be jealous folks - he's all mine. 

They're enjoying a movie at the moment and will hopefully go to bed soon.  Afterall, St. Nicholas must come only when the children are sleeping! 

Update: it's 12:25am and I've turned the tv off (all but Caleb wanted it off) so hopefully they'll pass out soon so this mama can do her "duties" and then go to bed. 

Goodnight all!

Day 339: Birthdays and Anniversaries

This morning Daniel woke up to multiple birthday wishes as well as a few happy anniversary ones.  We enjoyed a cup of coffee and then got the craziness on the road.  We headed to work and the day for me became crazier than I had hoped.

When Daniel walked in he had balloons on his door (3-1) for his age, and balloons all over his office with the numbers 3 and 1 on them.  He also received a huge Polish birthday card (with the translation written out) and movie tickets.  This was the most thoughtful gift!  He loved every minute of it and was so happy to have it all.

We took a quick lunch break together and enjoyed some schnitzel and Paulaner.  I also enjoyed some potato salad, so I had carb overload and loved every minute of it.  We had a great time taking a lunch together, and got back to the grind as soon as we returned.

I wrapped up as much as I could and then left to get Caleb.  We have to meet the bus around 3:55 on Tuesday and Fridays, so we have to make sure we leave no later than 3:30 on those days so we are home in time to get him.  We had plans to meet up with another couple for dinner, so we had a few things to take care of around the house once we arrived.

Caleb got off the bus and then headed off with a friend to see the movie "Good Dinosaur."  Multiple people told me how sad this movie was!  It was definitely described as more of a dark movie than I thought, but it was still a great movie overall (from what I was told).  The entire movie theater was in tears!  He had fun hanging out with his friends and we were happy he got to go.

Daniel and I left Maddie with Anna watching Frozen.  She had Anna sit right beside her and snuggle up with a blanket.  She is beyond rotten.  Daniel and I decided to celebrate the night with Mexican food at one of our favorite places, El Popo.  They have wonderful drinks and amazingly fresh food.  We had a great time and stayed out talking to our friends well into the night.

We got back home around 11:30 and made our way straight to bed.  We had a great day, but the night was definitely the best.  We really enjoyed celebrating Daniel's 31st birthday as well as our 11 year wedding anniversary.

Goodnight all!

Day 338: An Early Birthday Surprise

This morning Daniel and I headed off to work once the kids were at school.  Maddie has been wanting Daniel to take her lately, which is pretty sweet.  Thankfully, traffic wasn't terrible, even though construction is still being done.  Daniel and I knocked out a lot of things on our to-do lists, and made our way through the day.

I went to a reception this evening hosted by New Zealand - aka - kiwis.  I had never heard this term, but apparently it's a thing and they don't mind it at all!  They're actually quite proud.  I met some lovely people and said hello to others I had previously met.  It was a great night and I had a lot of fun.  I made my way home after the Ambassador spoke and then I decided to go ahead and give Daniel his birthday gift.

During the afternoon, I looked into Garth Brooks concert tickets while we are home visiting.  Garth happens to be in Raleigh during the March 12th weekend.  So, I plan to buy a pair once they become available next week.  I couldn't give him the official tickets, so I gave him the print out and the idea of it if he wanted to make it happen.  Last year, he was so disappointed that he missed the concert and swore he'd go eventually.  Since we don't know if his tour will continue through the years I felt like this may be the only chance we get.  We'll see!  Daniel was happy nonetheless, so that was nice.

The kids loved being part of the present opening.  It was then my turn.  Daniel gave me my anniversary gift early, so I opened my gift next.  Maddie insisted she help, so once I saw what it was, she took over my bag and other items.  I got a ring from Pandora and a charm for my bracelet.  I received the Eiffel Tower, so both were nice surprises.

We had a great day and night overall.  It ended up better than it started, and we were happy to call it a night at the end.  We were all in bed by 9:30.

Goodnight!

Day 337: Long Wednesdays

This morning we got the kids off to school and began our drive to work.  We've had a lot going on the last few days, so we have both been pretty busy.  I took a lunch break to enjoy some German food with a friend and Daniel and I finished up some stuff before leaving for the night.

We arrived home to Anna and the kids playing in the basement.  They had a great time together, as usual.  We enjoyed some dinner and then had the kids take baths and get ready for bed.  Caleb is still working on his letter to Brody, so he fought through that a little more this evening.  He still has a bit more to do, but he's getting there.  Overall, the kids had a good day and evening and we enjoyed goofing off throughout the night. 

Day 336: Our First Snow of the Season

Finally!  This morning, we woke up to a little dusting, soon followed by huge flakes falling from the sky.  Daniel and I helped get all of the kid's items together.  Buddy, our elf, returned and brought along two Advent calendars filled with chocolates.  We're now counting down the days to Christmas.  We hope to incorporate a few "thoughtful" advent pieces, but we're loving the candy at the moment.  Buddy was also new to Maddie, as she doesn't remember him from last year, so that was fun.  She didn't try to mess with him, she just looked at him and took her candy.  She didn't care who was giving her sweets, she just wanted them.

Once the kids finished up their breakfast and chocolate we got them off in the right directions.  Caleb got on the bus and I took Maddie to school.  Maddie's teacher told me that she is talking a lot in Polish now.  She said that she'll speak Polish to the kids and when she doesn't know how to say something she'll mix in English.  I love that she's picking it up, and it's hilarious to hear what she says sometimes.  She's now calling Daniel "Tata" which is Daddy in Polish.  She will also say "that's mine" in Polish, along with other phrases.  We're not sure what all she's capable of, as we're very Polish language challenged!

Daniel and I had a pretty busy day at work.  Two of the Marines were promoted this morning, so that was nice to attend.  The guys definitely deserved it, and I was thankful to be a part of it.  One Marine had his best friend (also a MSG on the program currently in Greece) pin him on and the Ambassador pinned on the other Marine.

After that fun, I went back to my boring, and terribly slow computer and began working on a few things.  I have a few more things to do, but I'm caught up for the most part, which is nice!  Daniel and I left early today and didn't beat the bus home.  The snow had melted and as we drove home, a rain/snow mix fell quite hard.  It was more rain than snow, so driving was terrible.  Caleb had just arrived, though, so we weren't too late.  He was, however, waiting out in the rain, so I hate he didn't get back in the bus.

Caleb worked on his letter back to Brody (this may be the death of his short ten years) and we all enjoyed some chicken casserole.  We turned our boring leftovers into a pretty tasty dish!  Well, Daniel did.  As he got everything together, I gave Maddie a bath and got her in pajamas.  We were all showered and ready to eat by 5:30.  By 6pm, Daniel and I were fighting to keep our eyes open.  We watched Sofia the First for a few episodes and then played with balloons.

I popped a couple by letting air out, and Daniel and Maddie popped others by sitting on them.  Caleb and I sat at the table and laughed, because they were much harder to pop than Daniel had planned.  He would sit on it, bounce on it, and nothing would happen.  Once it did, Maddie would let out a little squeal and then laugh.  We were all in tears from laughing so hard!

After the balloon fun, Daniel and I cleaned up everything and got the kitchen and living room cleaned up.  Maddie is now on night three of putting herself to sleep, and she did great.  She stood at the door two separate times, once in princess shoes, but after peeing two more times, and being laid back down three, she finally passed out.  Tonight she didn't cry nearly as much, so I think we're almost there!!

Goodnight all!!

Day 335: Caleb is Officially Double Digits!

This morning we woke up and smiled as Caleb pointed out all of the "cool" things that were left out for him for his birthday.  He thought the streamers were cool (and referred to them as beamers, which made it even cuter) and then said he loved the balloons.  I put icing on the cupcakes as Daniel prepared his lunch, and then we fixed his breakfast.  After breakfast we decided to let him open his gift up from us.  He was so happy, and Maddie insisted she help him.  He received a Nerf gun and thought it was cool that his friend had the same kind.

Caleb made his way to school with cupcakes in hand, and we made our way to daycare to drop Maddie off before heading into work.  We spent the day staying busy and digging out from emails over the weekend, but overall, it was a good and busy day.  We left a little earlier than we normally do so we could be home shortly after Caleb arrived.

When we got home, Anna, Caleb, and Maddie were playing in the basement.  Anna had gotten Caleb a puzzle and a sweet card for his birthday.  She is so thoughtful and that meant the world to us.  She also bought Maddie a little gift and had it out playing with it, too.

We told Anna goodbye and then made Caleb's birthday dinner.  He requested hotdogs and Mac and Cheese (no surprise there).  Daniel and I were finishing up when my mom called.  She and my dad talked to Caleb for a little while and wished/sang happy birthday.  

We sat down to eat, and as we were finishing up, Daniel's mom called.  She began by singing to him, too, immediately causing him to smile and blush.  One of her packages had arrived, so he was able to open that up as she watched via FaceTime.  He received an outfit as well as candy.  He was so excited to have candy of his "own."  We have so much, I'm not sure he'll ever notice it missing!

We finished up with her FaceTime call and then brought over the cake for Caleb to make a wish on.  Maddie really wanted to help him blow out the candles.  She tried twice but couldn't quite reach it.  He decided she could help, and both kids blew out the candles as Caleb made a wish.  After the cake, we called my Aunt Leann.  We had been trying to talk all weekend, but the phones weren't working in our favor!  Caleb received a book from her and the family, so Leann, Jacob, and Olivia watched him open it up.  He was SO happy to receive the latest book: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and couldn't wait to read it.  We ended our FaceTime calls with Poppy.  Once we connected, Kim played the guitar and sang "happy birthday" to Caleb.  It was really sweet and Caleb loved it!

Overall, he had 6 people sing to him and 2 times he received the song in Polish (from school and again from us at home)!  He was definitely feeling the love today.  He made his way upstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed.  He said he didn't want the day to end because he was having so much fun!

We couldn't be more blessed with such a kind hearted little boy.  He truly is the most polite and kind, especially to others.  He has his moments, as all kids do, but we are very fortunate to have such a well rounded little boy, who rarely causes problems.  We cannot believe he is ten years old already, but we are looking forward to watching him grow into the young man we know he will soon become.

Goodnight all.

Caleb opening his gift. 

Our amazing care package from our sweet friends who are currently in Brussels. 

Day 333: Relaxing on Saturday

This morning I slept in and Daniel cooked breakfast.  The kids spent the morning watching cartoons and randomness on TV.  We stayed in pajamas and did nothing for quite some time.  I enjoyed two cups of coffee and tried not to move too much.  This day of relaxation was definitely needed, especially since our entire week consisted of shopping, prepping, and then cooking/serving/cleaning up for Thanksgiving.  We're all beat, and it was nice to put the house back together as well stay in pajamas.

We FaceTimed with Daniel's brother Jason and his family after lunch.  Caleb had received  a package from them earlier, so we decided to talk on Saturday so they could watch him open it.  Caleb loved unwrapping each American treat.  He received some of his favorites.  He had his own personal care package, and has enjoyed telling us all, each treat is his.  I usually don't share certain items either, so I don't blame him at all!

After our FaceTime call, the kids played around with toys and Lego's, and enjoyed having nothing to do.  We were able to watch some football games, and stayed up late that night to watch the Auburn and Alabama game.  Daniel and I also stayed up late to watch a movie, so that was a nice change!  We enjoyed having a fire all day, too, and we keep saying that we're only missing the snow.  We won't be here much longer, so we're hoping to get a full dose of snow!  

We had leftovers again for lunch and dinner, so that made cooking easy!  We have so much food still left over it may take us a week to get through it all.

We FaceTimed with Rhonda and Kim later on, and followed up on our conversation from the day before.  We had talked to Tara and Rhonda on Friday and we all shared Christmas lists for everyone.  I got to live vicariously through their shopping experiences and tried to find a few gift ideas for the kids online once we said our goodbyes.

Overall, we had a wonderful Saturday and we were very happy with taking it easy!  Goodnight all.

Maddie was hiding as FaceTime rang. 

Day 332: Black Fridays in Poland

This morning I slept in just a little later than normal and then made my way into work.  I left Daniel and the kids tucked away in bed and hoped they would all rest.  Traffic was terrible, so my normal drive took quite some time.  To top it off, when I arrived to get coffee at the embassy's coffee shop, the girl was a little behind so it took a while for me to get through the line.  Once I had a coffee in hand, I made my way to my office.  I made it in an hour later than normal, but I decided I was okay skipping lunch for an extra hour of sleep this morning.  Totally worth it.

Daniel took Maddie to daycare after they were up and going, and then he and Caleb got a few things cleaned up around the house.  Caleb went down the street to play with his friend and Daniel did laundry along with a few other things during that time.  The day was overcast and cold, so not much happened outside.

I had plans to go "Black Friday" shopping online, as Poland does not partake in this crazy American tradition.  However, we were incredibly busy at work so I didn't get to do much of that at all.  I had plans to do it when I got home, but once I walked through the door my shopping got put on hold.

I hung out with the family, took a shower, and ate a second round of Thanksgiving dinner.  Everything was delicious, and we hung out during the night and took it easy overall.  Black Friday is much different here in Warsaw, but I'm thankful for the nice, calm day where there was no pressure to go out and buy everything.  I definitely miss it, but I'm fine taking a few years off.

I'll have to keep watching a few online deals in hopes that Santa can fit a few more items in his sleigh.  Hopefully, the items (if I break down and order any) will make it in time for Christmas morning, but you never really know!  I was done with all of my shopping this time last year, but I've definitely fallen behind this year.  So much to do!

Goodnight all!

I came in from work to this. It was so sweet. She slept for a couple of hours! 

Day 331: Happy Thanksgiving!

Daniel and I began our morning by sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee as we discussed how the day was going to go.  Around 11, we began cooking ham with sides to follow.  During this cook time, Daniel put together banana pudding as I finished making red velvet cake.  The desserts were finished and we kept our oven busy for the remainder of the day.  We had to make a few things as we went along, but everything turned out great and appetizers and drinks were ready to go by 4pm!  We did lose the round with mashed potatoes, but we had a potato dish coming, so we were covered!  I had no idea one could mess up potatoes, but now I know. 

We invited all of the Marines, along with two families over to enjoy drinks and dinner.  We had a wonderful turn out.  We hosted 23 people total (including our family) and had an abundance of food remaining afterwards.  During dinner the kids played in the basement and the adults hung around the living room and dining room table talking.  We couldn't have been happier with how things turned out.  Thankfully, we were able to host "friendsgiving" here since we are all away from our families.

Everyone left shortly after dinner and all guests were gone by 10.  We cleaned everything up (all dishes were washed, too) and then FaceTimed Nana and Poppy for a few minutes.  Tara and her family showed up before we hung up, so we were able to tell them hello, too.  Around midnight, we called it a day and tucked ourselves in.

We are very hopeful that we all sleep well and no one wakes up too early in the morning.  Goodnight!

Appetizers and table setting.

Caleb standing in the drink bar area. 

Dinner! 

Our dear friends and extended "family" members. 

Playing! 

Talking on the phone and watching football. 

Because I did it, I know how much it sucks! 

Happy Thanksgiving, from our family to yours! 

Day 334: Sundays in Poland

This morning Daniel slept in and the kids and I cleaned up a little bit and read books.  Once Daniel came down, we decided that we would not be going to Krakow as originally planned, and instead, we'd take the day to get a few other things done around the house.  I finally ordered Christmas cards (I'm so behind this year) and we did a little online shopping.  We still haven't found the items we're looking for, so we'll keep searching.  As Caleb gets older, it gets harder to shop for him.  Especially when you're overseas and you have to be conscious of the electrical plugs as well as the product quality.  

We enjoyed lunch and then Maddie took a nap.  During that time, Caleb and I hung out while Daniel went to the store to get a few groceries.  Caleb played the Wii for a little while and I finished up a few computer projects.  I'm still behind on so much, but I'm catching up.  I will eventually get pictures uploaded and off my camera, as well as complete other projects.  I have yet to write one thing in Maddie's baby book for instance and she's nearly three.  Anyways, I'm a work in progress and my "list" is never ending.

We had a really good day taking it easy.  This weekend was nice to recuperate and catch up on some items as well as Christmas card and  Christmas list items.  

Maddie had so much fun playing in her kitchen tonight, too.  I spent an hour (at least) enjoying her soup, multiple cups of coffee, and other delicious food of course.  Daniel asked her what the name of her restaurant was and she replied with, "Maddie's Toilet."  I have no idea how these things run through her mind, but we had a wonderful laugh after that.  Caleb thought it was hysterical and was in tears from her comment.  She changed the name a few times, but later came to the name, "Barbie's Toilet."  Either way, it's quite the name for a restaurant.

Tonight was the first night of Maddie putting herself to sleep.  She has always been the kid who preferred to sleep on her own and put herself to sleep, but once she got sick a while ago, she preferred to  have us with her.  Instead of fighting it, we embraced it, but we now feel like it's time for her to put herself to sleep.  

She still gets up during the night to pee and finds her way to our bed, so we'll deal with one thing at a time.  If she can put herself to sleep, I think we'll be much happier!  She did okay overall, but whined and cried for an hour.  She pitched multiple fits, took all of her clothes off (diaper included) and laid on the floor as well as the foot of her bed.  We insisted she keep the diaper on, but told her she could sleep without clothes.  That helped, and she finally fell asleep at the foot of her bed, and once we knew she was out, we went in and covered her up.  

Once both kids were in bed, Daniel and I put up a few streamers up along with a Happy Birthday sign for Caleb.  We then blew up balloons and left some downstairs, and some taped on the outside of his door.  I wrapped his present and left it sitting for him by the fireplace so he would see it in the morning.  We tried to make it as fun as it could be as he woke up, but hopefully seeing those few things will make him smile.  We were also able to make a batch of cupcakes for his classmates.  He was so excited to take in treats to share with everyone.

Our day was good, and we're hoping we have a good Monday.  Goodnight!