School News and Birthday Party Fun

January is almost over and overall the month has been very low key. That is one of the reasons, I haven't blogged much about our life lately and the fact that we are enjoying our family time together instead of taking pictures or being out and about much. Amelia and Elliot share a bedroom and before bed, they are allowed to read for a few minutes before we turn the lights off. This is the scene I walked in several times this week:

All of last week, my hubby was on a business trip and so the kids and I couldn't wait to have him back home on Friday evening. Sword fights and horsing around was on the agenda on Saturday morning:

While Derrick is gone, we keep our menu very simple and one dish that always makes the list is homemade pizza. And having a good friend over for pizza makes it an even better night!

Mommy and her little boy heading out to bible study/ boot camp (every Tuesday morning, I participate in an  1 1/4 hour bible study session - currently we do Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst- and afterwards we get our butts kicked for an hour in boot camp while the kids are cared for):

On Wednesday, Amelia had her 100th day in school and the children were asked to dress up as old people. It was so cute seeing all the little old people in her class being excited about being old. Her teacher, Ms. Wyatt, also joined in on the fun.

The entire Kindergarten class: 

My proud "Centenarian":

In the first 100 days of school, my little girl learned how to behave in school and broadened her knowledge of colors, numbers and letters. She quickly made friends and enjoys going to school. Amelia is a quick study and improved on her handwriting as well as her reading skills. Because she is so advanced in reading and math, she gets to work with an assistant teacher for  10 minutes a day by herself, which she relishes. She also reads a lot of books at home and almost daily we fill out a book slip and so far, she has brought home two reading awards (a certificate for a free pizza) for having read the most pages in her class. This month, she also received the "citizen of the month" award for being respectful, helpful and a great student in her class. I'm so proud of my little girl and her love for learning. I love seeing her grow and become an avid reader, just as her mommy, and I hope that she never looses her passion for exploring and learning new things. 

A couple of times a week, her class has specials and Amelia really enjoys her P.E., art, computer and music classes. This week, her drawing of an owl was one of several owls that were on exhibit in the hallway. Her drawing skills are almost better than mine and it is really no wonder by the amount of paper we go thru at home every week. She either writes or draws on multiple pages a day. 

The only thing we had scheduled for this weekend was a birthday party for one of her classmates. So on Saturday afternoon, I took her to an indoor amusement park where the birthday party was held at. Despite the fact that it was crowded and very noisy (hello overstimulation), the girls enjoyed celebrating Keeley's 6th birthday. From bumper cars, trampolines, laser tag, bowling to roller skating, there was something to do for everyone. Amelia tried out the bumper cars and enjoyed them until she got dizzy from all that spinning around:

Her favorite was roller skating with the birthday girl and eating pizza. 

The rest of the weekend was spent indoors playing board games, relaxing and waiting on some snow flurries. Unfortunately, there weren't many and they didn't stick to the ground even though it was cold enough. Now we are hoping that February will bring us some more snow to play in. Happy Monday to all of you!

Tea Party and Paw Patrol Live

On Sunday, Elliot and Derrick went to see Paw Patrol live. The ticket was part of his Christmas gift and it was the perfect gift for this pup-loving boy. He was so excited to go with his Daddy and see his favorite TV show characters live. Ready to go:

The show was at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and just the right length for all those little ones.

Elliot loved the show and danced and sang along. The boys finished their man-date off with a doughnut.One happy boy:

While the boys were out, we girls stayed home and got ready for our tea party. First up were nails, hair. and a tiny bit of make-up. Amelia truly enjoyed being pampered:

My little lady all dressed up and ready to have tea:

When you are all dressed up, then you need to take some pictures:

 

The table was all set, the little sandwiches and other goodies put out and it was time for our tea party and movie (Inside Out) to begin. We used the porcelain dishes from my grandmother and it brought back happy memories of the entire family having coffee and cake with my grandmother at her place. 

Amelia and I really enjoyed our girls' time together and I'm looking forward to many more of these fun activities with my little lady. I'm so blessed to be her mommy!

We definitely will have to do these boy/ girls days again soon as everyone enjoyed the quality time with their little one. As you can see, it doesn't have to cost much or you don't even need to leave the house, what is important is taking the time to listen to their stories and do something with them that they enjoy.

Weekend Fun

We started out the weekend with a play-date for Elliot at a nearby gymnastic place on Friday morning. Since we had lots of rain this week, the children were all ready to let some steam off and it was quite crowded too. But they were able to use all the equipment for an hour and my little boy loved jumping from block to block and bouncing on the trampoline. He also met new friends and played with them with a huge bouncy ball for at least 20 minutes. My little gymnast: 

That same night, my German friend Bettina and I went out to downtown Nashville to grab some food and listen to some live music. I have never been to Nashville's Honky Tonk "highway" and was excited to see what is going on there at night (honky tonk = a loud, rowdy bar that plays "honky tonk" country music. Typically full of drunken hillbillies having a good ole' time."). We started our night out with a simple but tasty dinner at Kitchen Notes in the Omni Hotel. These deviled eggs were mouthwatering and so was my beet salad. 

After dinner, we walked around the Bridgestone Arena (where our pro Hockey team plays) up to Broadway, also known as Music Row. 

Country Music Hall of Fame

Despite a fairly warm evening, not too many people were out and about and it was no problem getting in and out of the bars. Eventually, we settled at Rippy's and enjoyed a nice Radler (German beer with fruit soda mix) and some live music.

We girls had a fun night out and even though I wouldn't want to go there every weekend (it can get very crowded and rowdy), we will definitely be back later on this year. A big thanks to Bettina for showing me around town. 

On Saturday morning, the kids and I went to the park for a quick run and bike ride. This past week, we had unseasonably warm weather (think high 60s/ 19C) and lots of rain too but yesterday, it was just beautiful out. Sunny and almost 70F, it definitely didn't feel like January at all. So it was perfect timing that our local YMCA hosted a family Luau party that afternoon. There were snacks, crafts, dancing, games and some pool fun. The children had a fun time for sure:

And then it was time to hit the pool for some more games and swimming:

By the time we got home Saturday afternoon, it was time for pj's, a simple dinner and some rest since we all were worn out. 

Today, we are having a boys/ girls day. The boys are out watching a live show and we girls are at home having a spa day. Of course, a blog post about our Sunday Funday will be up tomorrow. 

January Photos

It has been fairly quite around here, which is good. We are all back into a routine and pretty much back to health as well. Our past two weekends were quiet and uneventful and since I have a few pictures I wanted to be uploaded to my blog, this post will be a hodgepodge of our past two weeks. 

While our first snow of the season melted within 48 hours, the temperatures stayed below freezing for up to 3 days afterwards. It was freezing cold as the daytime highs on that weekend were around 20F (-6C) or less. But the kids still found some fun on the shaded part of our street: 

 

Here is a little clip:

The rest of the time was spent inside in the warmth of the house reading, playing or just being silly.

And this kid cracks me up  (no wonder we call him class clown). He came running in to the room, screaming " Look at me, Mom" and doing silly poses. He is silly but genuine and makes me smile every day. It is the ordinary moments that I will miss the most when they are all grown up. 

We also decorated Amelia's classroom for the winter season. Both kids helped me make the snowman and my little girl was so proud of showing it of to her classmates. 

Elliot and I also surprised her for lunch last week. Elliot loves eating with the big kids and this big smile on her face shows you how much Amelia loved having us there. 

This photo might not be the best quality but I want to remember it because as soon as I sit down on the couch during nap time, the cat joins me. And when Elliot wakes up from his nap, we all cuddle together. My lap seems to be very popular lately. 

But the best days are the ones that we are all together. A slow start to our Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in bed: 

After nursing my sinus infection for two weeks, I have been back to the gym for a week now. My body is sore and I can feel the burn, not only from my gym workout but also from my kickboxing-fitness night with my MOPS moms on Friday as well as my boot-camp class yesterday. While I enjoyed the workouts, my leg muscles and butt surely would prefer not to be moved today. 

During the past few evenings, the kids and I have been busy coloring together. It makes my mommy heart happy to see them enjoy the same things I like to do. And Amelia loves it even more so when I share my glitter pens with her. 

Hope your January is off to a good start. Even though this is a short week, we are looking forward to the weekend since Elliot is going to a surprise event while the girls will do something fun too. Stay tuned!

My current view on America

I came to the U.S. over 15 years ago and planned on staying only a year to work as an Au-Pair for a family who lived in Florida. I never dreamed of coming to the U.S. in the first place or staying here for good. But I liked living here (the opportunities available for anyone and the openness of people) and decided to continue with my higher education in the States. I worked hard on and off campus and eventually became a U.S. citizen. I married the love of my life and we have two beautiful children. Why I'm telling you all this? So you know that I'm as much as a citizen as everyone else and I have rights and duties that come with this honor. 

Only a few more days and President-Elect Trump will be sworn into office. I can't say I'm not a bit nervous about what is going to happen while he is in office. A lot of people are. And not just here but all over the world. What will happen to our economy? And our relationships with other countries? Will there be Cyber wars ensuing? How will our unemployment rate be affected by the changes in the government? Will there be health care available for millions of people? These are all major issues and not one of them has been addressed properly so far, leaving me to wonder how he will tackle these issues in his first 100 days as President.

Also, I'm worried about the ethical ramifications that will come along with a soon-to-be President that belittles people and uses words that I don't want my children to hear about. What will happen to the sophistication of the Office of the President and our international relationships when we will have someone in office that gives a speech like a third-grader and goes on constant Twitter hiatuses. Since the election in November, no changes have been noticeable in  the behavior of Donald Trump. He is still attacking his opponents, blaming others and did not drop his business ties nor published his tax returns. And honestly, I can't see that the presidency is going to change Donald Trump much but rather that he may change the presidency. He will be like no other president before him, that's for sure. 

I want my children to look up to the person representing the highest office in this country and learn about and from him but for now, I will shield them as the President-Elect can be as explosive as a nuclear weapon.   Maybe, I'm overreacting about all these issues and once President-Elect Trump is in office, he will surprise us all and act presidential. I give him the benefit of the doubt. I know changes are coming and sometimes changes are good. All I can do is be to hopeful, pray and know that this country had its up and downs before and survived it every time,  even grew stronger because of it.  

However, I feel blessed to be a U.S. citizen and it is my duty to respect the office of the president, albeit I may not share the same views as him and dislike the person he is. Despite the change in government, I still believe we all can have a positive effect on our environment and that working together will make us stronger and happier. Some may call me naive but  I always have and I always will believe in the best of people and I will do what is best for my family. It may not always be the easiest route traveled or the most popular one but it is one engraved in my heart and soul. So while I may be skeptical and anxious about our new president coming into office, I'm also certain that this country is build upon the believe to do what is best for its people - Not just for one group of people but all- and that this will not be forgotten or overlooked.

*I wrote this post because these thoughts are on my mind and I wanted them being written down, for my own memory. I'm sharing them so people can get to know me better and as an answer to an often asked question "How do you feel as an American nowadays?".  I do not want to cause any conflicts or mean discussions. You are my friend because who you are and not who you vote for.*  

My Goals for 2017

The new year has begun and as usual, I made some new resolutions. While some of my goals I made last year were accomplished, others I had to neglect due to our move and such. Overall, 2016 has been such an unexpected year for us that, often times, we didn't know what will happen next month and where we will live or what we will do. Despite all the changes that occurred last year, I did a pretty decent job keeping up with most of my goals. 

1. I wanted to focus on speaking more German with the kids and since the kids and I spent lots of time alone (hubby doesn't speak German), we did work on that. It also helped that the three of us spent an entire summer in Germany 😊
2. Another goal of mine was to get back to running 2-3 times a week and after settling in TN, it has become my routine to go to the gym at least 2 or 3 times a week. I also ran my first 5 mile race on Thanksgiving day. 
3. I wanted to read at least 20 books in 2016 and I actually read 27 books. I really enjoyed taking time to read and to get lost in a great book.
4. I wanted to focus on spending more time reading the bible or doing devotions each day and while I did get to it some days, there is still plenty of room for improvement (especially, in those hectic days).
5. My word for 2016 was CONSISTENCY but this past year has been anything else but consistent. From moving, to job changes, to traveling all summer to new routines every other week, it was just not in the cards. 
6. Another goal of mine was to work on being more consistent as a parent and while this was difficult to do when everything changes constantly, I'm happy to report that overall the aggravation and outbursts at home have become much fewer and we all are working more coherent together. This can be due to the fact that the kids are growing up and getting less needy in terms of doing more things by themselves or  that they better understand what we want from me or the fact that constant changes in routines, the stress moving across several States, solo parenting, etc. made it less of a focus for me to worry about mommy guilt, but rather survive each day as best as we can. I'm truly amazed at how well my children handled this past year and while it was chaotic at best and there was lots of time spent apart, we also grew closer as a family.  One for all and all for one!

This year, I had a tougher time coming up with some personal goals. Not so much because there aren't enough resolutions I can't think of but more so because I want them to be more meaningful. So here are my goals for 2017:

1. My word for 2017 is TRUST. I want to focus on trusting HIM to lead the way, believing that He will guide me to were I need to go and that HE has always the Best for me in mind. Trusting him about my family, well-being and needs is a big step for me as I have to let go of the total control I like to have and listen  to what HE has planned for us. Also, trust myself and the skills I possess and with that in mind, some opportunity for personal growth will come along that will satisfy me. 
2. Read at least 26 books. While I surpassed that amount already last year, I keep in mind that life doesn't always work out the way we plan it and if I get to read one book every two weeks, I should have no issues of accomplishing this goal. 
3. Complete some scrap booking projects I have meant to finish a long time ago (for example: Elliot's baby album). I enjoy scrap-booking and most of the pictures are already printed, so I just need to sit down and finally do it. DO IT!
4. Participate in simple, daily, bible study sessions and/ or devotions and to make reading in my bible a habit.
5. This year, I also want to learn and master a new skill or hobby. I'm thinking something along the lines of crafting but it could be something else too. I haven't figured out what yet, but I'm excited about the opportunity. 
6. Declutter the house and finally read "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo. While we are pretty good at letting go of stuff that we don't need or like, I still have to work thru all my crafting supplies and clothing and finally get rid of what is no longer needed. 
7. Focus on my marital relationship and put more effort in it. This past year has been a blur and with us spending so much time apart, our dating life has taken a toll. So this year, I want to focus on be more intend with each other, make more time for just the two of us and also go out more often. I think it will be good for our relationship as well as ourselves. 

That's it. I try to keep it fairly simple as I don't know what this year will be like and I'd rather focus on a few, attainable, goals than having to many that distract my main focus: my family. These goals are here to help me become a better mom and wife and to take care of myself. They are not intended to make my life more crazy or hectic. What are your goals for 2017?

First Snow of 2017

While we waited all afternoon yesterday for the promised dusting of snow to arrive (all while the kids were released two hours early on their first day back to school after Christmas break), nothing came till late evening and it was less than a dusting even. This morning, it looked pitiful. Luckily, it started snowing just in time when we got ready to leave for school. Our county's schools were open and on time while many other counties closed their schools. While walking Amelia to school, the children enjoyed catching some snowflakes on their tongues:

 

Our temperature at 9:28am (-8C and snowing but it felt like -20C in the wind):

While it continued to snow, Elliot and I worked on his fine motor skills inside. He enjoyed building a house and a cat for over 20 minutes with this old school peg toy:

And then we got the call that the schools will be closing early today due to the snowy weather. So, off we went to pick Amelia back up (she was barely two hours in school). It may not be much snow on the ground (less than an inch) but here the snow often turns into ice and the roads and transportation system are just not made for these kinds of conditions and to be safe, they close everything down. But it is enough snow to make snow angels, eat some of it (Elliot!) and throw snowballs at each other:

Yummy Snow (just don't eat the yellow one 😀):

 

When you run around and have fun, it doesn't feel as cold as 19F (-7). We lasted around 20 minutes before it got too chilly. To warm up, we ate the homemade chicken noddle soup I made last night. It was delicious and hit the spot:

Now it is nap time and then we will go back out again. There is no more snow in the forecast for this week but the temperatures will stay below freezing over the weekend, so the white stuff on the ground may stick around for a while longer. And since it is only the beginning of January, we hope there will be plenty more snow to come in the next two months.