Leader of the "Cat Pack"

Yesterday I arrived at Ava's school a little early. The kids were still outside playing on the playground. I looked everywhere for Ava, not seeing her. Suddenly she appeared, crawling out from underneath the slide on all fours, "Merowing" at the top of her lungs. I watched her, smiling, then I observed three other little "kitty cats" following closely behind her (merowing as well!)...Ava's own little entourage. Somehow I feel that maybe the apple didn't fall far...When I went in to pick her up, little miss Ava showed me a Mum's day card she had made for me (yes it is celebrated early here). She pointed out the "Spectrununum" that she had colored especially for me. I looked blankly at the rainbow and asked, "What's a spretrumumblemumble?" Ava looked at me wisely and said, "Don't worry Mom, you'll learn that word when you get bigger".

Showing off her "spectrum"

Eli has been busy inflicting bodily harm...on himself! He smashed the top layer of the skin on his finger off a couple days ago. If you ask him about his plaster (band aid) he will tell you, "Dat door bonked me on da singer! Not nice not nice, not good not good!" Today he matched his skull against the flight of stairs...both fortunately survived intact! Both kids are still in the middle of a growth spurt, so Eric and I spend a good deal of the day running the "soup kitchen" in an attempt to keep those kids somewhat satiated!

My big news is that I got my official admission into Grad School....Oh please pray for me! I am really excited to start this next Big Thing. I am not so excited about rediscovering homework...yuck!

We are off to Normandy on Saturday morning. Eric is so excited...he has always wanted to go...something about a battle or something...(I won't have to take any history classes in grad school right?) We are also going to Mont Saint Michel- can't wait!

I remember when....

She claims to be a fairy cowboy...I certainly wouldn't argue!
When I was a little girl, I sometimes got to go and stay with my Grammy. If I was very good (or if she just felt like spoiling me a little), I got to have "applesauce with suzielocks". I have no earthly idea why red hots were known in my mind as "suzielocks", but so it was. So yesterday, when I gave Eli his lunch on his favorite "CARS" plate, I decided to pass on the "suzielocks" tradition...he wouldn't eat it....so I did...and it was just as delicious as I remembered! Oh to be a kid again...maybe I will eat a bologne sandwich and Twinkies for lunch tomorrow...or maybe just some more applesauce with suzielocks...

Time out...

big, big...time out...

S'mores in February

We just had to have one more toy to make our garden look so nice. Many know that my husband professes himself to be a bit of a pyromaniac...so just look how happy my big (and jr) fire starters are! I did make him pull the thing a little farther away from the house when the embers started to his the wall outside the kids bedroom...something about that seems just a teensy bit unsafe. Of course moving a fire pit in full blaze isn't exactly brilliant...we aren't idiots, really!
It was fun to watch my husband get a marshmallow skewer stuck to both his hand and back of his shirt...looked like he was trying to fight it off instead of cook with it! Then we got to giggling because Eric had "purchased" the fire pit from a buddy for a bottle of booze. Yes, we are such classy people!

Please send food!!!

Our kids have two settings...1. Growth spurt=eating everything in sight, sleeping like normal kids, then eating everything in sight. 2. Not growing at all=living on air and random cheerios and other floor snacks, taking short or no naps, then refusing to eat again. Both kids are currently in "stage 1". Eli is working on "fourth breakfast" as he has already had eggs and toast, then kix, then Life cereal. I just gave him peanut butter on a spoon in an effort to find something that will fill the poor child up. Ava is a bit more mature about her growth spurts. She eats enough to satisfy a sumo wrestler and then is able to go a good 3 hours or so before gorging again. Don't get me wrong, as a mother of two "on the small side" children, nothing makes me happier than watching my children eat instead of pick and whine at their food!
This was a few minutes before waking him up from a three and a half hour nap...heaven...
It is "snot season" here in England. Enlarge the picture to fully appriciate this fact...
Poor little Ava got a nice glimpse into what her life is going to be like having a little brother...Last night Eric had the kids over at a friend's house. He had bought them some french fries for third dinner. He gave half to Eli and saved the other half for Ava. Ava was happily playing upstairs with the other kids and ignored Eric when he called her downstairs to eat her fries. So when Eli showed up a half hour later asking for more french fries, Eric gave him Ava's. Ava remembered that french fries had been offered when they were driving home and she started to whine that she now wanted them. Eric explained that he had called her to come eat and she had ignored him so she didn't get any. Before she even got a chance to throw an all out fit, Eli turned to her, eyes gleaming, "I got french fries!"
I had to just add this picture...Peanut Butter=Happy Eli!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

The newest member of our family has finally arrived! After reading my cousin's blogs about her "servant", I got so green with envy that we finally had to get one too. I told my kids that we were getting a pet robot...kinda mean since they really want a dog...anyway... Her name is Bernie and we all love her. She was the perfect Valentines Day gift. My kids did have to learn that "Bernie Herding" is a no no, and I am not sure that I am really saving time cleaning because I am just so enthralled that I tend to sit and watch my little Roomba do her thing. She is the best pet ever!!
Eli kept saying, "Don't eat me!" Ava (my nurturer) kept asking, "Bernie, awww, are you tired? Do you want to go to your home?"
Just in case you thought your weather was bad...this is around noon...and it only got worse! Pea soup anyone?
My friend Kate kept the kids overnight so that we could go on a real date. We had all of these plans about drinking Champagne and watching a movie, maybe playing a game....we made it to about 930 before we were both asleep on the couch. It was the perfect Valentines day date for two tired parents!

Getting around

Going

Going

Gone!

Today we got to borrow Logan and Lily for the evening...the Fabulous Four! They are so much fun, but my hat is off to the moms that actually have four kids four and under...wow! I actually ran a 5K this morning, so I was already a little tired...funny story about that... One of my techs at work told me that there was a Valentines Day 5K this morning and I should run in it. We had errands to run on base anyway, so Eric and the kids dropped me off at the starting line and left to run the errands. I looked around and noticed all of the families, strollers, pets, small children, husbands and wives, etc. Oh yeah, it would make sense that you run a Valentines Day 5K...with your valentine(s). So I set my iPOD to the sappy "sad alone guy" song list (Think "You're Beautiful" and "Hey Delilah") and I ran all alone. Did pretty well too until a little snafu on the way back. I decided it was too hot for 3 layers so I tried to take my hoodie off while I was still running. My headphones were unfortunately a little tangled in the shirt, so I got it stuck on my head while I was taking it off, my iPod eventually unplugged itself from my pulling and it fell on the ground where I accidentally kicked it in the ditch because I was still (blindly) trying to keep running. I did eventually get my shirt, headphones, hair, and neck all untangled from each other, retrieved my iPod from the ditch, and finished the race in 29:38. Not bad for an "old" 29-year-old!

Roma!

I woke up at 415 this morning, grumbling at my alarm clock because I did not want to get out of bed and go run. Then I realized- I am going to a gym in England...where I live. I just got back from 3 days in Rome, my husband is happy because the giants won (thank you Eli), life is good. Enough of my rare Pollyanna attitude though...let's get on with "the Condermans do Rome"!
I have always loved this painting...I think because the guy in green has a second face attached to the back of his head. I want to say that this is supposed to be Michelangelo himself...but factual history has never been my strong point!
St Peter's basilica was probably one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. I didn't realize that the apostle Peter was actually buried here! (Duh I guess..) We explained to Ava that Jesus' friend Peter was buried here and we thought she understood...until she started yelling into the grates on the floor, "Is dead Peter down there!?"
Eli gets a time out in St Peter's Cathedral
Signs, signs, everywhere....I completely understand this one...no legs or cleavage in the holy church...
...but what does that Catholic church have against one legged people?
I call this one: "The Conderman kids- destroying the ambiance of European cities since 2006"
These pictures are from, like, 200AD
Vatican
When we said we were going to Rome, people warned us about the thieves and pickpockets. We took proper precautions. What we did not expect was to be waylaid in front of the Colosseum by 3 questionably looking Roman guards who grabbed my camera, took a few pictures of our family, and then told us that we owed them fifteen Euros. Yes, we were officially robbed in Rome.
The kids slept through the Colusseum. I guess getting robbed made them tired.
Here we are on the oldest hill in Rome. According to Roman mythology, this is where the city was founded. I am told that Mama wolf actually used to put the naughty Romulus and Remus in this same spot for time out...
Boring scenery
More ruins. I can't really tell you what it is because I was too busy keeping Eli from falling in it to listen to the tour guide.
Bocca della verita! (only I am sure it is not spelled like that!) If you have ever watched Roman Holiday- this is where Audrey Hepburn tells Gregory Peck to put his hand if he is telling the truth. According to legend, the lion will bite your hand if you are telling a lie. We should not have told Ava this. She sobbed through the 15 minute line up to the fountain and howled when we put our hands in his mouth. She tells me several times a day that she loved Rome...except for that scary lion!
I call this the kids' "Italian vaccines" (Because of the sheer volume of germs that one drink exposed them to, if you are having a hard time following my reasoning:)
The Trevi fountain, and yes we all threw a penny over our shoulder and made a wish...except Eli...he threw his penny at a bunch of girls.
The Spanish steps
We had Gelata every day-yummy! What a great trip!