Remembered

Some days I just want to be remembered. Don't we ever think about what others will say about us when we die? I want to be remembered for doing something wonderful, something beautiful, something amazing... and then all I have to do is look at my three kids and there they are.

Something wonderful,


something beautiful
(even with 2 cm long bangs now!!!)


and something amazing.

Done deal right?

But then I hope that they reach the fullness of their potential and make all those right choices that they are learning in those special places called church and home.

Then some days I just wish I could follow them around everywhere with a pillow and earplugs so they can't ever get hurt by falling or mean words. But in the same breath, I want them to be able to fall, get hurt, wipe it off, and keep going. I want them to listen to those mean words, shrug, and walk on.

Balance. Where does it come from? Experiencing the bad and the good? Appreciating the good and the bad? How does a mother teach that? Well, I give them good and bad, that's for sure, but I can't force them to appreciate it all. I mean, who really appreciates time-out anyway? Sure, I remind them over and over and over and over and over again to say "thank you" to everyone around you for things that they do for them, but I'm not going to be there for them in college. Heck, I probably won't be there in High School. Jr. High? maybe. If I'm lucky I can remind them throughout the first 8 years of their lives without making them feel too sheepish.

Maybe I just want them to be remembered for doing something wonderful, something beautiful, and something amazing. Then have people say, "Wow. They must have a great mother."

Selfish, maybe a little. Okay a lot. At least I know that, right? And maybe, just maybe, I'm working on that too.

SSMT Day!

Stop Sucking My Thumb Day!!!

We just celebrated Haley today since she has officially stopped sucking her thumb! It's been just over a month, so she got to pick what we did for FHE. She wanted to eat at Subway and go Bowling with friends. So we did just that! It was a long, on-going, accomplishment that she was so happy to be done with. We were also happy. Not to mention our bank account due to future possible braces. She has been trying to stop for a year and it was just out of habit that she was doing it, so I bought this Malva Stop stuff that goes on like Nail Polish, but tastes like rubber bands. Disgusting, but it was magic! And that did the trick for her. So three cheers for a confident non-thumb sucker! Hooray!

Heeeee's BACK!!!

Phew!

So I have been a lone woman in the wilderness for 4 weeks and it has been... okay. The first week was miserable and the day before he got home was bad too since B's flight got canceled, so he came home a day later than expected, but all in all, though it went by slowly, we kept really busy. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for Maleia. She has this insane and amazing connection with her father and was literally sobbing for 3 days in a row. One night she was sobbing so hard, that I just held her in front of the computer to wait until B got home from work in the US. At 11 pm our time he finally got on the computer and Maleia grins from ear to ear and in between sobs and catching her breath says, "Hi (sucking in, hu-hu) daddy!! (hu-hu) Are you (hu-hu) coming (hu-hu) home (hu-hu) tomorrow?" Daddy says, "Only 3 1/2 more weeks honey!" Maleia responds, "Is that a (hu-hu-hu) long time?" Daddy, "Not if you stay busy and talk to me every day on the computer." It was so sad.

There were a few nights of that. Then Maleia wakes up another morning super excited and running aroung the house looking frantically for something. She sees me and runs up to me yelling, "Daddy's home!!!" I respond very carefully, "Almost. He only has 3 more weeks, sweetie!" Maleia, "No. I saw him come home. He read me books in my bed last night." Me, "I don't think so babe. But do you want to see him and talk to him on the computer this afternoon when he wakes up?" She looks around, crumbles to the ground, silently started to sob and says in a small voice, "It was only a dream." And continues to cry in my arms for a few minutes. Thankfully, that first week I tried to have something planned every day, we saw and talked to him on the computer, and I kept them busy around the time he would normally come home. sigh. The few weeks that followed they got more and more used to it. Maleia would be a little sad, especially at night, but it was easy to get her mind off of it and switch it to a happy conversation.

Wow. It was defintely harder than I thought, but I can't complain since I know there are so many families that go without their husband and father for months and months at a time while they are serving in the military. Mine was safely in an office and came home after only about one month. No biggie, right? We still missed him tons.

I think it's my turn for a break... ;)

P.S. And what is with the "everything breaks and goes a-wahl" right when the husband leaves town??

Balaton!

The Hungarian Sea

We and 5 other ex-pat families made the 1 1/2 hour trek to the Hungarian Sea, aka Lake Balaton. Exactly one movie and one episode of Blue Clues later and we were there! Spoiled? My kids? It's more like the parents are spoiled with those DVD players you can bring in the car.
The Balaton is one of the biggest lakes in Europe and it is really awesome. Living in a land-locked country, we are grateful for any beach! Just look at all the people!

Where my girls at?
The six moms who made the trek together caravanning in 4 cars.

(Abigail, Maleia, Caden, Reece, Scarlett, Josephine, Helena, Alex, Haley, and Dylan)
All the kids (minus one who was getting her bum changed and another who was too little to have another little kid hold her) sitting ever so patiently to get their picture taken. I didn't bring my camera out once. Really. I was so distracted with having 3 kids without B that I was a little, well, busy. These are all taken by the other moms... thanks ladies.

Once again, Maleia wandered off. This time it was into the sea of people looking for the pool that she was begging to go to. We were waiting for the rest of the group to be ready and I was putting lunch stuff away and then notice 5 seconds later, Maleia was no longer there. Luckily we found her crying because she couldn't find the pool only about 50 meters away, but GEEZ! And you wonder why people have leashes for their kids... criminy!

The lake was awesome and stayed knee deep for a looooooong time. There were basketball hoops and volleyball nets IN the water and everyone had a splendid time. We just may do it again next weekend...

Thought for the day: At what age is it not okay to run around naked at a public beach? Just wondering becuase we saw children who could quite possibly (should) be wearing a bra by now who were topless and boys running around naked "drying off" who may very well be in Jr. High... and don't get me started on thong bikinis. Some people can pull it off... most cannot. And all those who I saw with them on were in the "not" category. (shiver)

Rock on!!

It is sad that I have been LOVING the 80's and 90's music they have stylin' here in Hungary? It has reminded me of how much I love that crazy fun music. I'm still a Country girl, don't get me wrong, but who doesn't love a little Ice Ice Baby or Jump Around? It reminds me of all those fun Church dances I went to. (Yes, I wrote fun and Church dances in the same sentence.) I loved them!

And this week I made a crazy cool playlist, in my opinion, and the kids and I have been doing a lot of dancing to music I grew up on and they it love too! I have taught them the Roger Rabbit, the Running Man, the Snake, the Kid and Play, and the Cabbage Patch. There's actually one that I can't remember the name of it, but it's pretty rockin. My little balerina's are learning the ropes. Man is their mom hip.

So if anyone wants to come to our Dance Party HU come on over!

Maleia's World

Pretending to shop at my store where she bought some pretty expensive merchandise. Five kisses each.

Pretending to be the three princesses in Mulan II.
(with Mimi)

Notice all the girls are wearing each others' shoes.
They are pretending to be each other.
(with Brianne and Katie)

Pretending to be a Princess Mermaid in her swim suit.

Pretending to be Princesses
(with Josephine and Helena)

Welcome to Maleia's World!

No, we are not going to sing that catchy, horrible Elmo song...

I have come to figure out that Maleia's whole world is pretend. We pretend to be queens and servants, princesses and princes, mommies and daddies, babies, animals (especially pigs), ballerinas, bugs, trees, you name it. It sometimes includes her imaginary friends as well, so it is kind of fun talking to something that isn't there because then you can pretend that they told you something that is to your benefit. Like for instance:

"Oh really Jake? You think it's a good idea to take a bath too? Well Maleia, Jake is going to take a bath... What was that Jake? Oh, he was wondering if you wanted to take a bath with him? You do Maleia? Great! Let's go!"

This was tonight's conversation while they were setting the dinner table...

Maleia: Mommy? Can you pretend to be the queen and the chef?
Me: Yes and Yes (I mean, who's pretending?)
Maleia: Here is your royal silverware ma'dam Queen.

*Which actually came out as 'my damn Queen' and it took me a while to really figure out what she was saying. It wasn't until Haley starting in on the pretending that I figured it out because Haley said it right.

This was the conversation while they were clearing the table...

Me: Hey Maleia? Will you please help clear everything that needs to go in the fridge?
Maleia: um. No. I will just rescue them since I am SUPERGIRL and will bring them to safety.
Me: ooo. Sounds great! Just make sure they are safely in the the fridge.
Maleia: Of course! I know that already. I have a super brain.

Then here is the playtime conversation...

Maleia: "Hi mom. I am Emily Elizabeth and you are Clifford and Haley is my mom. And since you are Clifford, I get to ride you!"

I don't know if I was insulted because I was a dog or because I was just denounced as Clifford just so she can have a ride on my back. Either way I relented. That is what being a mom is all about.

Then here is the bath time conversation...

Maleia: (opening the shower curtain) Presenting the Magical Mermaid!!
Me: Wow! Can I see the Magical Mermaid go underwater?
Maleia: (who I know is afraid of going underwater) That part is in the next show mommy.

Until the next show...