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Fab 5 Friday...

Hey there! Another Friday has come...which means another Fab 5 Friday!

Blaine has been in Minneapolis all week for meetings (and Target runs!). He returns tomorrow and I think we'll all be happy for his return. (I think even he'll be happy to be back!) The kids have been great all week (with the exception of Grayson getting caught in a lie which resulted in the loss of all electronics for 48 hours) but, we all miss having Blaine around in the evenings.

With Blaine gone, cooking has been minimal this week...french toast, Kraft mac, McD's, and last night we had popcorn. (Yup, popcorn - that was it. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies - because I did bake this week!) I'm stepping up my game tonight with tacos...so fancy.

See! Cookies! I used the Levain Bakery recipe - with some modifications of course! 

Pecans instead of walnuts - because pecans are just better! 

And three types of chocolate chips - because one is B-O-R-I-N-G!

Today I'm blogging from McD's - mainly because I need a change of scenery and a white mocha. But, I'm sitting here watching a group of the Korean moms load up their golf clubs and thinking to myself, "Maybe I need to get hooked up with that group." I like their style - a little coffee and then off to play some golf on a Friday. I wonder if they'd adopt me.

Anyways, I digress...Fab 5 - that's what this post is supposed to be about - so let's get to it.

1. Soccer. The boys have started back with soccer. So our Saturday mornings are currently filled with doubleheaders (the boys play on different teams due to their ages) and lots of coffee. Thankfully, the weather has been fantastic and has made watching lots of fun.

Saturday morning soccer on our home pitch

2. Italian Night. We had Italian Night potluck at Jennifer's last weekend. Tons of yummy food and a lot of laughs (c'mon - some of the evening's conversations included a discussion on doomsday preppers and meth heads. Those are just good discussion topics which are bound to lead to laughter). Thanks to our fabulous hosts for a fun evening!

Smiles all around!

3. Bike Ride and Pokemon Hunting. Sunday had the boys and I out on our bikes doing a little Pokemon hunting. Grayson just received a new bike last weekend and was anxious to take a ride to the streets near the school that have a ton of Pokestops and gyms. Needless to say it was a successful ride!

4. Coffee. Had the chance to have coffee with some fabulous women this week. It was good timing as adult conversation has been lacking with Blaine away this week. While I've been busy with work (somehow when they realize you are truly leaving more work suddenly gets sent your way) - some breaks were definitely needed...

Photo courtesy of Pixabay! (I didn't take any coffee pix this week.) 

Be sure to check out Pixabay for royalty free images.

5. Midday walks. I've been taking the time to grab a 30 minute walk during the day...mainly to clear my head for more writing. (Like I said...lots of work projects right now as I prepare to be done next Friday.) The weather has been perfect - cool and plenty of sunshine. Throw in some 80's music and it's been great just having 30 minutes to myself.

So that's it! Oh, for those who have been asking...no news on our septic problem at the summer place. It's in the hands of the engineer right now who will take it to all of the "boards" in hopes of getting us approval. When I hear something...I will be sure to share! We want to make sure everything is fixed and ready to go before we open up the calendar for summer of '17 visitors!

So...

I quit my job last week. Yeah, I'm not going to go into a huge amount of detail, but September 30th is my last day. It's for the best - on so many levels.

Yet, I'm sitting here wondering, "What the heck am I going to do with myself?"

AGAIN.

Yeah, yeah...enjoy the free time. 

Extraneous amounts of free time bores me.

Take up a new hobby.

Yeah, I already do the things I want to do.

And then I ready this quote...

So maybe I'm not lost...maybe I'm just not on the right road...

Fab 5 Friday...

Oh, Friday...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Yes, we've once again made it to another Friday! Woohoo! Give it up for Friday! Super excited to have made it through another week! And since I have much to get done today...let's crank this bad boy out!

1. Manuela's Birthday. We had the pleasure of celebrating Manuela's birthday last week with a beautiful coffee morning at her home. Good friends, gorgeous weather, lovely coffee and food, and, of course, the birthday girl!

Happy Birthday, Manuela!

2. PTO BBQ. The PTO Fall BBQ was last weekend...on another gorgeous day. I had collected a lot of the items for the "American" baskets. We put together two great baskets chocked full of yummy American goodies!

I love walking around the bbq and looking at the ticket boxes (the American baskets are extremely popular) and listening to the kids as they decide where their tickets will go. It's quite entertaining to listen to their rationale. We were lucky to win a voucher to Mr. India and a voucher to Blue Cactus in the drawings. Yay us! And, my boys were super excited that their mom guessed the closest to the actual number of Citibank customers here in Poland and won the signed Robert Lewandoski soccer ball. (Yes, that upped my mom status significantly!)

American baskets and gift certificates we won

Our signed Robert Lewandoski ball

Smiles and sunshine!

Anyways...a fun way to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon for sure!

3. Grayson Away. Grayson has just returned from his 4 day class trip to Nowy Targ, Poland where he climbed a rockface, rappelled off a bridge into a raft waiting in a river, rappelled off the roof of a multi-story building, participated in many team building activities - and basically just had a great time! The boys are very lucky to have these fantastic class trips!

Look at that serious face before - and then him clowning around!

Climbing the rock face and celebrating at the top

4. Dinner with Caleb. With Grayson being away, that meant Caleb got to choose a place for dinner one night...and he chose Blue Cactus. (Probably so he could Pokemon hunt on the way!) Cold San Miguel on tap for the parents, quesadillas for the kid - and we were all happy!

He loves his quesadillas!

5. Coffee. A big shout out to Chrissie who brought me Starbucks coffee on Thursday morning! A super fantastic surprise and a great way to start the morning!

In the cute fall cup and everything!

Okay...that's all I've got for today! And that's really all I've got time for! I'm thinking I may be moving the blog in the upcoming weeks...and changing some things up! Will keep you updated on that!

Smile and enjoy your weekend!!!

Fab 5 Friday...

What's that saying? Fake it 'til you make it?! Um, yeah...I'm living by that one this week. Actually, I saw this earlier in the week...and this has been my mantra:

And truly, it has been a better week. 

So let's take a stab at this Fab 5 thing! A legit Fab 5! 

1. Lunch with friends. Oh, yes...definitely was needed. A nice lunch sitting outside in the sunshine having some good conversation.... Not quite sure what I would do without these fabulous women!

2. Sushi Night with Grayson. So Caleb is on his school trip this week...which means we got some solo time with G$. (Caleb gets his solo time next week as Grayson heads off on his trip.) We always give the kids a choice on dinner one evening...and Grayson chose sushi. (He knows that Caleb is not a fan - so it's nice that he waits until his brother is gone.) Anyways, we had a lovely night of sushi on the patio...with the parents enjoying some margaritas...and it was good to have some conversation with Grayson. While he is more often than not the kiddo who drives me up a wall (because he's more like me than I want to admit), I was totally reminded about what a great kid he is as we all had dinner together.

Look at that smile!

Yummy margaritas!

3. Cargill Party. We attended a little Cargill get-together last weekend. And, if you know me at all, you know that doing the small talk/chit chat thing with people I don't know is...well, enough to make me want to fake an illness and stay home. Soooooo not my thing. But, Blaine had promised to cook steaks and it was a lovely evening and there was bimber (homemade illegal Polish moonshine) involved and I survived. I might even go as far as to say it was an enjoyable evening. (That may be remnants of the bimber talking...)

Caleb hanging with Phil, the dog...they were buddies.

Bimber...the first of many shots.

4. Pokemon Go. Okay...so you can all laugh that I'm playing Pokemon Go, but when you have two boys who also love to play it - it really can be a way to hang out with your kids and actually continue to have them include you in stuff. We've had lots of fun Pokemon hunting (and we thank Blaine who continues to take us to Poke Stops and gyms so we can do battle.) We've caught some rare Pokemons (I'm very proud of my Mr. Mime, Chansey, Omanyte, and Porygon) and we've had lots of laughs! 

5. Dinner with New Friends. So last Friday night we invited the Joehls over for drinks and Mr. India. They arrived just a couple of weeks ago and are settling in just fine and we enjoyed spending a a relaxing evening with them on the patio...

So there...How's that? Five good things from the week. The Fab 5 is officially BACK!

Fab 5 Friday...yeah, no...

Ugh! I had excellent intentions of doing a Fab 5 today...really, I did. But, just not feeling it. It's not that it's been a horrible week...it just hasn't been a fabulous week.

And why hasn't it been fabulous? Well, mainly because I just don't want to be here. I know, I know...after a fantastic summer break, it can take a bit to get back into the swing of things...and it's definitely taking me a little bit extra this year. And then this little punk at school who was bullying Grayson really ticked me off...and then we had internet issues...and seriously, I need to stop whining.

Because, truly, in the grand scheme of things...it hasn't been bad. We spent Saturday night with friends and there was lots of laughter and kids running around having a great time. I've had coffee with friends this week and that's been fantastic. Work is going well. The kids seem fairly settled at school. Soccer has started and school trips are fast approaching.

See! These peeps make me smile - even when I'm grumpy!

I just have a bad attitude right now. And I can change it. I have to change it. I spent a good bit of time booking vacations - which always puts a smile on my face. And it's Friday...so that's a good thing. And the weather is amazing right now - so that's fantastic! And, it's time to follow this little piece of advice that a friend sent me...

Fab 5 Friday...Without the Fab 5...

Hey all! It's Friday and I'm not at all prepared to do a Fab 5, but thought I'd take a few minutes to just say hi! So...HI!

We had a great summer at home...with the exception of our septic system blowing up (more details on that to come)! It was so relaxing. Days on the dock, lots of swimming, tons of reading, tubing, sleeping in late, friends visiting, BBQs with family, attempts at water skiing, trips to Great Escape, tons of mini-golf, lots of par 3 golf, sports camps, shopping, dinner at our favorite restaurants, time spent with family. (Heck...I even worked a little this summer!) It was fabulous! My kids and I laughed about how little I "lost my sh*t" this summer...a true sign that we were all happy and relaxed.

And yes, then our septic system decided to bite the dust. Ugh! So normally, you'd just suck it up and install a new system, BUT...with the size of lot, the tiers on our lot, and the fact that we're in the Adirondack Park Agency which is full of restrictions...well, it's just not that easy. Right now we've got an architect and an engineer and, well, a ton of people trying to help us figure out this mess! Needless to say, the last few weeks of our stay felt a bit like camping with limited water use, Adirondack showers, laundry going to Mom's house and boys peeing in the woods! (I hope none of our neighbors caught this action!) So...we could use some positive thoughts as we look to find a solution that will have us up and running for next summer! (And all of our future summers!)

Of course, we're back in Poland now. The kids started school. Caleb in middle school and Grayson in 5th grade. They are both settling in nicely. Caleb has joined the middle school soccer team (actually it looks like there will be two teams) and club soccer starts this weekend. Grayson has signed up for two after school activities and he's also got club soccer starting. Lots of new kids in the neighborhood and life is good for them. Blaine is busy at work...some things just don't change. I've started working more hours at my job (after a little bit of slacking this summer) and I'm looking forward to spending time with friends and upcoming travels. While this is still not my favorite place to be, friends and travel opportunities certainly make things easier.

And that's all I've got! Will work to truly put together a Fab 5 for next week! It's looking like a beautiful weekend ahead and we can't wait to spend time with friends on Saturday!

The blog is BACK! Or, will be soon enough...

Well, we've all arrived safely back in Poland...which means summer vacation is over. (*Insert big sad face here*)

I have to admit that I didn't want to come back (even if the last few weeks of our stay in NY were like a big camping trip...which I'll explain about later.) Held back a few tears on the flight here, but I know that we'll all quickly be in the school year routine, vacations will come, fun times with friends here will happen and another year will pass...it will all be good.

But, I did put the date for our return into the countdown calendar already...just couldn't help myself.

Home...

I know...the blog is on vacation, but I just wanted to say that we are safely home. We spent yesterday unpacking boxes and settling in and working to make our new house feel like our new home. Jet lag had me up at 4:30 this morning and Caleb was awake at 5:30, but it gave him and I the chance to head down to the dock and grab a photo...

I can handle a whole summer of that view...

The Blog Is On Vacation...

It's time for the summer shutdown. There might be an occasional blog or two over the summer, but it's not going to be high on the priority list. This summer is all about sunshine, family, the lake, friends, good books, a little work, swimming, fishing, and boating. Relaxing.

We're almost packed and tomorrow the boys and I fly home...and Blaine will join us in about 2 weeks. We absolutely cannot wait! If our paths don't cross this summer...we hope you have a great one!

Fab 5 Whatever Day It Is...

So...we all know how crazy the last few weeks of school can be...and when you're living abroad you can add in a whole bunch of goodbye parties for friends and kids who are leaving...and then you add in packing up to head home...and, well, it can be a bit manic! So, it's Tuesday and I'm starting the Fab 5 today without knowing exactly when I'll push the "Publish" button...but, that's okay. Maybe you'll read it anyways!

I think it will be longer than 5, but let's get started and see where it goes.

1. PTO Luncheon. We had our final PTO luncheon last week. It was very nice to sit down with this great group of women and share a laugh or twelve. At times, things have not been easy at our school this year, but this group persevered and did the very best they could for our school community. Let's hope for smoother sailing next year!

2. High Tea at The Bristol Hotel. We said farewell to Belinda with a high tea at the Bristol Hotel last Friday. What a lovely way to spend the afternoon. We will miss you tons, Belinda, but I'm hopeful that since you'll be in NYC that you may want to travel upstate and visit during future summers.

 3. Grayson's Birthday Sleepover. Now, you all know Grayson quite well. He's a master negotiator. Master. People could take lessons from this kid. Anyways, he started negotiating his birthday several months ago. He wanted a new iPod and to have us pay for it, but he also wanted a party with friends here before he left. I said that both were not possible. He decided that the iPod was his true desire and settled for two boys sleeping over and dinner out at the Blue Cactus with another family party to happen in the States. (His birthday is June 19th). He then added an amendment to his birthday contract which includes me baking brownies for his class. (I somehow missed this in the fine print! He's good!) I joke, but he's a good kid with nice friends and while I felt bad about limiting him to just two boys to sleepover, it worked out well, and they all seemed to have fun.

4. FC Inter End of Season Party. Both boys celebrated the almost-end of the soccer season with a big party at Legia Stadium on Sunday. Very cool as the kids and parents spent the time playing soccer on the Legia field! Definitely an unforgettable experience!

5. Farewell to Julie. Had the pleasure to say farewell to the gorgeous Julie this week. She is off to Tunisia for her newest adventures. She has to be one of the kindest and most sincere people I have ever met...always with a smile on her face. We will miss her smile next year at ASW.

6. 4th Grade Wax Museum. Grayson's grade put together a Wax Museum this week to end their biography/autobiography unit. Grayson was Harry Houdini and he put quite a bit of practice into his speech (which he started for you when you hit the "button"). It was great to walk around and see who all the children had chosen - and there were definitely some interesting choices!

7. Caleb's Concert. Caleb had his big 5th grade concert. He did a really nice job. While he's no musician, he does enjoy singing and next year has put down choir as his first choice. Fingers crossed he gets it!

And, well...that's 7 and it's Wednesday, but I'm going to push publish because I have a full day of work planned for tomorrow and shopping in Old Town and lunch with friends planned for Friday - so no time for bloggin'. 

P.S. The countdown is officially on...Only 7 days left!! We've started packing some of our bags and gathering stuff to bring back to the States. Internet is hooked up at the house and everything should be ready for our arrival! Absolutely cannot wait! 

Madrid...

Seriously...a great few days in Madrid...just great! Would move there in a heartbeat. Love the language! Love the city! Love the people! 

We arrived Thursday around lunchtime and dropped our stuff at the hotel and headed out. Grayson's teacher had given us directions to a little plaza, so we walked over there and found an outdoor cafe to enjoy lunch - and ice cream for the boys!

Then it was a quick tour of the city via the Hop On/Hop Off bus. It was a gorgeous day and the bus was crowded, but we finally managed to grab seats on the top deck!

Then it was back to the pool for a swim on the rooftop. Just stunning!

The evening brought a tapas tour and flamenco show. Our guide was a man named Luis - and he was great. We had three stops for tapas and then the flamenco show for dessert. Some guys from CrossFit TLV were on our tour - which was funny as I had mentioned CrossFit TLV in a WODTalk story from Seoul two years ago. They were here supporting their team again. It was enjoyable talking with them.

The next day we went to Day 1 of the CrossFit Meridian Regionals. We ran into one of Sara Sigmundsdottir's coaches, John Singleton, in Starbuck's as we were heading over to Caja Magica - and introduced ourselves. (He was actually staying at our hotel, but I have no idea if Sara or any of his other athletes were as well.) He had to be thrilled with how the weekend went for Sara.

I have to say we all really enjoyed Regionals that day - even the kids. They were awesome! They asked great questions. Watched attentively. Cheered loudly. (And in then end they each scored some new Nanos because, well, because mom is a sucker!)

After Regionals we went immediately to the bullfights. I had been previously when I was here, but this was a first for Blaine and the boys. I think they enjoyed the cultural significance of it (and Luis had explained to them what they would see on the tapas tour the night before). We all wished that we spoke more Spanish so we could understand why the crowd was happy or upset when certain things happened. Caleb, my sensitive one, felt bad for the bulls, but was comforted in knowing that they were immediately butchered and sold in the local markets. (After all, he's my little carnivore!)

We were too tired for much else after the bullfights - so the boys' wish came true! Taco Bell for dinner! We haven't seen a Taco Bell in 10 months - so I'd be lying if I didn't say we were all pretty happy for some soft tacos!

Saturday morning was all about churros y chocolate! While we could've gone to San Gines, Churreria Chocolateria 1902 was super close to the hotel, had no wait, we could watch the man making churros and was DELICIOUS! Big cups of thick chocolate and lots of yummy churros and good lattes! What more do you need?

Then it was off for a free walking tour! I tried to download just a few pictures to share, but Google is having none of it right now...so here's a link to some pix from the tour:  https://goo.gl/photos/2VCKyDXZrT5atGfMA

Santiago was our guide and he did a great job!

Lunch that day was at Botín - the oldest restaurant in the world (according to the Guinness book of World Records). It was great simple fair and excellent service! Highly recommend the roast suckling pig (which Grayson had)!

Then we got stuck in a downpour - so that necessitated a little shopping! (Yes, we brought back ham and cheese! Arrest me now!)

The evening had us heading out for our last tapas. We found a great place where we could sit outside and people watch - and there was lots to see as Real Madrid was going to be playing Atletico Madrid in Milan later that night. The streets were full of fans heading to bars to watch the game! We decided we would do tapas and head back to the hotel and watch it there...

And that was our long weekend in Madrid! Definitely a good one!!