TGIF

TGIF...that about sums it up, huh? The kids have been on school vacation, so we've been hanging out all week, and I am more than ready for my day off tomorrow. I mean, I love hanging out with them (obviously, or I wouldn't be here) but 5 days in a row is exhausting.

I will say this though, to the people who said I wasn't responsible enough to have my own dog (DAD), if I can manage 2 preschoolers, I can definitely handle a dog. I mean, I feed them, make sure they drink enough water, discipline them, clean up after them, take them for walks and play with them. Plus, unlike a puppy, I also have to teach them how to get dressed on their own, proper sentence structure and how to count. Plus, children need things like manners and morality. So that's it, when I get home I'm getting a puppy. (As soon as it's in the budget anyway)

Wednesday was fun--Stephanie took the kids and me to an animal/attractions park about an hour from here. We saw bears, deer, a warthog, miniature ponies and goats. Plus there were other animals we didn't see. We went on a train ride though the park and the kids got to ride go carts and mechanical horses. There was also a huge playground and a couple of those giant bubble trampolines. (my favorite) Plus, one of those giant slides you go down on a potato sack, which the kids LOVED. I think they would've played on that all day if we had let them. Which, thank God, we didn't. 5 flights of stairs for >30 seconds of slide time is NOT my idea of a good time. But that trampoline......I could've jumped on that thing all day.....

I was planning to take the kids on a boat ride down the Rhine either yesterday or today, but, well, I didn't. I developed a weird itchy rash all over my arms of unknown origin over the past few days amd my dad thought it might be a sun allergy, so he suggested I stay inside for a day to see if it went away. I was so upset when he suggested I might be allergic to sunlight. I mean, I am an absolute sun goddess. I could spend an entire just laying in the sun, reading a book or listening to my ipod. I don't think it  was the sun though, as yesterday was the worst day and I didn't go outside at all. I mean, it itched so bad that I was literally in tears. I finally made some oatmeal and put that all over it to calm the itch. Which definitely helped, but was super gross.

Even more disgusting though, was Stephanie's suggestion...she told me to smear cream cheese up and down my arms and leave it on for about an hour. There is something in the cheese that cools and calms the itch, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Thankfully, it's starting to go away and it doesn't really itch anymore.
So today I was going to take the kids on that boat ride, and then it was supposed to rain. They were super bummed when I told them we couldn't go this morning, but I quickly distracted them by offering to make pizza for lunch. I think they were more excited about that than they were about the boat ride. LoL We had cheese pizza and salad for lunch and then took a walk downtown. I was hoping we could take a later boat, but I forgot like everything (sunglasses, water bottles, snacks) so  we just tooled around downtown for a bit before coming home and having ice cream bars.

Now the kids are running around in the backyard with dandilions tucked behind their ears (don't ask) and I'm going to do a little cleaning before dinner at six. Kind of annoying that it didn't actually rain today.

I have tomorrow off, but everything is closed because it's some kind of holiday in Switzerland. I'll probably take my book down to the river if it's nice. (Right now they're predicting a high of 62 and some  showers. I work again Sunday because Stephanie has a fligh (and I have to work almost everyday between May 1 and Brandi's arrival so I don't have to use "vacation time" while she is here) but the kids will spend the afternoon with their dad, so I can paint my nails and shave my legs and whatever. :)

Again, TGIF friends. Have a great weekend!

LOVELOVELOVE

If you can't see the full image. click on the box to open a new window (youtube) and ENJOY!
((If this doesn't just make your day, you are probably a lost cause))

entry #19 (for lack of a better title)

Allright, as there was no trip to Portugal this week (I still hate you, Eyjafjallajokull ) my schedule saw a pretty big overhaul and my week saw daily trips to the playground. 

The kids are on vacation from school/playgroup and Stephanie is on vacation from work, so I worked half days all week, which is AWESOME. I wake up at 11AM, check my Facebook/email/Perez/TFLN and then join the kids and Stephanie for lunch. And THEN my day begins! Loves it!

So, like I said, the kids and I made daily trips to the playground. We went to the one by the river a couple times and one day we decided to go over to the Munot. The night I ran to the Munot, I took the most random roundabout way possible, so Stephanie gave me a shorter way that would be much easier. Well, it would've been much easier if I had paid full attention to her. Instead, I got us completely lost in some neighborhood, nearly got us killed my a garbage truck and had to ask for directions. When we finally got there, the kids didn't even want to play. Grrrr....

I got the invitation to my 5 year class reunion the other day. (Well, not really an invitation, a Facebook message that said, "Hey, we might do this. Who's interested?") I'm so happy I'm in Europe, so I don't have to decide whether or not to go--the decision is made for me. I am here and therefore, I cannot be there.  I mean, out of the 28 other people I graduated with; I'd only really want to talk to maybe 10 of them. I'd only make conversation with the others out of politeness. And then there's the 3-5 that I wouldn't even bother with.
I was talking with someone I graduated with and she was all, "You know, I think you imagine how bad high school was. People liked you-you forget that." Honestly, at this point, I don't care who likes me and who doesn't. I wasted too much time trying to fit into the St Mary's mold growing up and now they can all S my non-existant D if you know what I mean.

(True, UV Blue and Tylenol PM were the catalyst that put me in the ICU, but the feelings that sprung that self-destructive behavior didn't appear overnight.)

Anyway, whoa, we're getting a little too serious here. I don't know who all is reading this anymore, so let's step back a bit. Someday I plan to publish a book that connects the assholes that made fun of my Power Rangers backpack when I was 8 to the "Paris Hilton" I was at 19. My rocky road to recovery and finally, the day I stand atop a mountain and give everyone the finger. (That last one hasn't actually happened yet. Watch for my picture in the Gaylord Herald Times when it does...)

Not much else to comment on....the kids are on vacation again next week, so we'll see what I can come up with to keep them occupied....

OH! I almost forgot, lots of birthdays coming up....(well, 3) So, happy birthday to Emily Westphal today. Happy Birthday to my favorite cousin of rhyming name (Melissa) on the the 28th and.........

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY!!!

                                                                        (on the 26th)

Allright, peace out babies....xoxo

Damn You, Eyjafjallajokull

The Icelandic language is crazy...how the H do you even pronounce that? I tried to sound it out, but I nearly  choked.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, Eyjafjallajokull is the volcano in Iceland that is disrupting air travel across Europe (and around the world) and now it is affecting me. And I am most displeased.

We were supposed to leave for Lisbon tomorrow morning, but now our trip has been pushed back to (hopefully) next week, though probably much later than that. Swiss airspace has been closed since Friday afternoon and remains closed through at least 8AM tomorrow. And, even if airspace does open tomorrow, we were flying standby and would definitely not get seats on any of the first few flights out, as they are dreadfully overbooked.

Instead, the kids and I spent most of the afternoon down at the Rhine (it's like 75 today!) and I will have tomorrow off.
So angry right now. I wish Eyjafjallajokull was a person so I could punch them in the mouth.....

So Much Stuff....

Haha...I had to make a list before I wrote this entry, to make sure I didn't forget anything! I'm not really good at making segway between topics, so I apologize in advance if this seems to jump around a lot. There's just so much to talk about! (and it's all unrelated)

First of all, I have hit and surpassed 1500 page views! How cool is that? When I originally sat down to write this, I imagined that my family and close friends would read it and that would be about it. Now, I've had readers in Costa Rica, Russia, Canada and several other semmingly "random" places. That so many strangers take an interest in me and my writing is a HUGE compliment and motivation to write when I feel like there's really nothing to say/no one who actually cares.

I registered for classes Wednesday night...14 credits in all. I have a Literature class, Geography, US History and a (retake) Math class. Aside from the math class (which will cause my brian to implode-gaurenteed. Algebra is rediculous. Math is NUMBERS, not LETTERS) the semester should be a cakewalk. I could rock a Lit class in my sleep I aced Geography/History in high school. I'm actually kind of pumped to go back now, because I know that I can kick ass in the fall, my GPA will go back up and I'll be more than ready to transfer come the following fall. (I was thinking about transferring for winter semester, but financially I don't think this will work) If I end up back at SVSU, I just have to get through Chemistry & Human Anatomy & I'll be ready for nursing school. =) 
And, while talking about school, I need to send a big thank you to Allison (Porta) for her "inspirational speech" last night. I was being all whiney and emo about going back and she basically said, "school was shit before because you didn't know what you wanted so you were only there for the sake of being there, Now that you know you want to be a nurse, get in there and get it done."

EXCITEMENT! We're going to Portugal next week! The (potential) next nanny lives there and Stephanie wants to meet her, so we're taking the kids and flying to Lisbon for the night on Tuesday.  The kids have never flown before, so this will be quite the adventure for them. I'm just excited to meet my successor. Amanda, Rachel and I are all so different; it will be interesting to see what this girl is like. Plus, we're spending the afternoon at the second largest oceanairium in the world--awesome! All told, we'll actually be there less than 24 hours, but when I get back, I can say that I've been to Portugal and that's something most of you can't do, so I'll win. 24 hours or 2 weeks; I've been there and you haven't, so HA. LoL All jokes aside, I hope this girl is cool, so maybe I can go back and visit her during my 2 week vacation in July.

Speaking of flying, it is my understanding that lots of people in the States are absolutely freaking out about this volcano-saying you may not be able to go to Europe again for months and whatever. Okay, right now you cannot fly into/ out of England, Ireland, France or any of the Nordic countries, but not ALL of Europe is closed to air travel. Zurich airport is still sending/receiving flights, as are most of the other interior airports. Iceland is VERY far north and this erruption does not affect the entire European continent. So settle down, America.

Today is Liano's 4th birthday, so Happy Birthday to him. There was a party this afternoon with cake and presents. I was really surprised, they sing "Happy Birthday" in English. Even the kids great grandmother, who doesn't speak any English sings that song in English. As for gifts, he got a Playskool ultra-durable digital camera, a book about dinosaurs and a bunch of candy. I got him sidewalk chalk and bubbles. =) When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he told me a bear, but stuffed animal START at 20CHF for tiny little things and go up from there. Rediculous. Thanks, Coop/Manor, but I'm not really in mood to have my pocketbook raped today.

Finally, my countdowns. The kids count how many sleeps until something, so here we go...
-4 sleeps til Portugal
-31 sleeps until Brandi is here
-143 sleeps until I am in college again

Nothin' Much to Say

Well, there has been little to nothing going on the past few days. I thought I was getting sick, so I hid out for most of the weekend, sleeping and watching movies online. I would just like to point out how AWESOME technology is these days....not only can I keep up on all my favorite US TV shows while here, I can also watch literally HUNDREDS of movies on my computer at any time....and it's all completely free! So cool. I don't even know how my parents functioned without Facebook, email, Skype and online TV when they moved to Texas in the 80s. Though I'm sure, 25 years from now, my kids will be saying the exact same thing about some kind of technology that I can't even imagine yet!

And, speaking of TV shows....GLEE IS BACK! This show is my (not so secret) guilty pleasure and I am beyond excited that it's back on. I think it's adorable and the kids love to watch it too. I know that the storyline is not exactly "preschool friendly", but I seriously doubt they understand what's going on---they just love the song/dance numbers. (as do I)

I'm still really struggling with the decision to go back to school and I'm starting to panic about it. I mean I WANT to be a nurse....I WANT to help people and save lives and I definitely WANT a solid carreer; a "real job". But, I do not WANT to go back to college...at all. And it's the only way to reach from where I am now to where I want to be. The idea of sitting in a classroom again makes me want to cry from boredem and the prospect of living in Gaylord again is not a happy one. I would MUCH MUCH rather move back to Park City or find another au pair job, or just find a completely new adventure. I just feel like if I don't choose college and go back now, people will be disappointed. And what if I do go back and I hate it...or can't focus..and I end up failing? That would be even worse than not going back at all. So much suckiness. I register for classes tonight.....and then we'll see.

I wish I had more to say; sadly I don't. Workin' through bedtime today and in the afternoon tomorrow. (Yay halfday!) Then there's a three day weekend. Hoping the weather will be nice enough to do some running...I haven't been in a few days and I'm starting to feel gross. Plus, it will eventually be summer. Gotta do work.

xoxoxoxooooooooooo babies

Updated the Look...

Hey-o and happy weekend!

I got the kids up dressed and out the door to Poppy's by 10AM today and I had planned to go to the river and read, but since it's a little cooler today (and I'm a baby about the weather-how I survived UT, I'll never know) I've decided to stay in and take advantage of the quiet house. I went back to bed for a little while once they left and now I'm just playing around online til I get hungry enough for lunch. Then maybe a nap and a book in the afternoon.

As you can see, I did some remodeling of the blog last night. I wanted something more cheerful (and more pink!) I'm not sure how I feel about this though; the normal font is a bit too small I think-and when I go up to "large" font it is too big. I wish I knew HTML better, so I could just fix it there. Maybe an afternoon project.... Don't be surprised if the blog looks different by tonight and this entire paragraph is no longer relevent. =)

Anyway, in addition to updating the look of the blog, I've decided to share with you the list of blogs I follow. I know there are now people reading this purely for entertainment and not just my friends/family. (which, by the way, is a HUGE compliment) So maybe I can help you find more interesting reading material.
So, without further adieu....my Blog Roll....

Globerotting in Heels....Elisa from Globetrotting has become a frequent reader/commenter on my blog and hers is what I aspire mine to be...well written, witty and entertaining while making me think about various things.

The Daily Gunther....the story of an expat family here in Switzerland. The writer is a member of the Swiss Expat bloggers group I belong to.

Carol Nelson Snyder....I follow this blog to keep track of the progress and healing of Carol, an integreal member of the Gaylord community and mother to classmates of mine from SMH. She suffered an aneurysm last year and has been making her way up the road to full recovery.

Queso Suizo....the amazing blog kept by Stephanie's last au pair, Amanda. She is always writing about trips she and her husband take, as well as random tidbits from their Swiss life.

Nanny McNina Goes to Switzerland....the blog of another American au pair living here in Switzerland. Her experience sometimes seems wayyy more exciting than mine. And she is getting married when she returns to the US, so sometimes she shares wedding details. Yay!

Diaries of a Personal Assistant....the blog that my blog inspired! My "island friend" Hillary decided to give blogging a shot and I follow her because I love her. =) Plus she is a wonderful writer!

Anyway, ch-check 'em out. And, if you can reccomend any other great blogs I should be reading, please do!! They don't necessarily have to be written by ex-pats or nannies, they just have to be fun and interesting!