Finally, it's happened to me...well, us....

WE HAVE INTERNET...yes, at our own home.  We no longer have to mooch off of the library, the pool or Pizza Villa's internet services.  To top this off, Madison turns 14 today!!!  No, I can't believe it either.  She has requested that I make a cake that my bestest buddy from Guam made.  Devil's food cake with reeses cups and peanut butter frosting.  For dinner, she would like me to make my best attempt at Outback Steakhouse's no rules parmesan pasta.  Not having a vehicle puts a damper on that one but I'll be sure to make it tomorrow.

I did ride Glenn's bike down to the grocery store Dia Maxi to get some butter for her cake and toilet paper though!  Man oh man am I out of shape.  I thought it would be a breeze, you know, not even a mile on a bike should be super easy.  Well, first off, I think it's much more than a mile, maybe like 1.5 miles... ;)  Second, when blowing up the tires makes you tired before you even get on the bike, that's the first hint at the need to exercise a tad bit more.  Thank God I realized that I only had a bike and a backpack before I started piling things in the cart.  That would have been an adventure and a long walk home.

So, here are a few things that have happened since I last posted using borrowed internet and these may or may not be in order but whatevs. :)


We went to the NEX and I found a few rugs I think I like... Anyone have a preference?

Madison tried on a mask Christopher found and I really really wish she would be this guy for Halloween.  Shoot, maybe if they won't, I will.  I think we'd have to give out a lot less candy this way since most kids would probably run away after I opened the door.  I'm not really sure they trick or treat out in town anyway.

Christopher found the guy he wants to be for Halloween.  He always picks the costumes because they have cool props but hey, he looks good as Freddy so I can't disagree with him this time. :)

Someone parked this close, yes, THIS CLOSE, to me while I was driving Glenn's ginormous truck.  I swear to you there was about a half a foot in front of his truck.  Good thing I thought ahead and left myself 1-2 feet in back.  That one took some maneuvering and quite possibly a 20 point turn as well.  I felt like a champ once I got out.

Madison and Christopher are still crazy.  The water was not as warm as they make it look that day.

I was able to make a cup of coffee in my own coffee pot!!!  Hooked up a transformer, plugged in my Keurig and let her rip.

Rajah loves the new "open door policy" as Madison called it.  She likes to guard the house even though there's a giant wall around it.

I blew up the giant beach ball with my own air, because I love my kids, not because I love feeling short of breath.

We went to the drive in theater on base.  Madison was with us, she just took off with a few of her friends to watch the movie.  We saw The Scorch Trials.  The back of the truck isn't so bad when you have mattresses in there and the tailgate down.  Next time we're bringing blankets though.  

Glenn hooked me up with a glass of wine after helping me blow up my 50% off floatie that I'd been waiting to buy.  I made sure we had a house with a pool and then went and got it for $5!  The same floatie is on Amazon for $15.99 so I feel pretty thrifty.

Madison borrowed my goggles since they were the only pair that seemed to get put in a box by themselves.

The boys cooling off.  Alexander actually swims now, I think having a pool in our backyard is going to be great for the kids.  

Rajah is practicing her "lay by the fire" naps for when it gets cold enough to need one.  Yes, we will move her bed a little.

Do you see something in the distance?  

It was Alexander, I let him walk to and from school all by himself...I know, big step.  Took some getting used to but he's 10, it just took me a bit to realize that.

Madison watching the other golfers on the driving range after practicing a bit.  Note the glove sticking out of her back pocket...she gets it from her daddy.

Glenn and I left the kids at home for a grown up dinner.  We went to The Cabin a.k.a. La Cabaña which ended up being right down the road from our new house after moving here!  Yes, it's just a coincidence, we didn't pick this house just because it was by a restaurant.

Jalapeño poppers happened here, but something was different.

Madison made them all by herself!  I was only there to micromanage. :)  They turned out awesome!

I played copycat to Heather J. and got an Instax Mini 8 camera.  This thing makes you very picky on what you take pictures of.

Rajah found herself a temporary Papa replacement since he wasn't here to spray the hose for her.

She loves the sprinkler!

As if you can't tell.

Madison played in a golf tournament for the school team.  She lettered in it the very first day!  Here she is getting the ball out of the sand trap like a boss.  She gets that from her daddy too.

As you can see we've had a pretty busy few weeks.  We've been working on unpacking the house, putting things where they go and then doing it over again after we realize that's not where they should have gone.  We actually made it to the bus stop after getting lost again this morning.  The bus stop is down the road but the roads around here are more like mazes.  We'll have to pay more attention to the street names because I'm not sure getting lost every morning is on my list of things to do daily.

We're still waiting for our dresser, footboard and one leg of our coffee table to be delivered since they were damaged during the move.  Poor Madison's had to share her bed with me and Glenn's been sleeping on the couch.  

I've been hanging clothes to save on electricity and the kids are absolutely flabbergasted as to why I haven't been using the dishwasher.  I want to travel, I'm saving money so we can do just that.  We'll be getting our passports soon hopefully and I want to make sure we're able to use them.  

That's pretty much it from here.  Have a wonderful day everyone and I'll post again soon!

Alexander nada!

                                                                                                            September 5, 2015

So the other day, Madison wanted to go to a movie and the boys wanted to go to the pool.  I took the boys to the pool while Glenn got to go see an amazing movie called Paper Towns….He did it for Madison.  After Alexander had been in the pool with Christopher for a little bit he asked me to fill out the permission slip so that he could take the swimming test.  In order to go down the slides he has to swim across the pool once.  So he headed out in pursuit of the blue bracelet.

Look who’s got themselves a blue bracelet!  He went down the slide once, unplugged his nose on accident and got water up his nose.  That was the last time he went down it that day.  We haven’t gotten back to the pool since then because school started up the next day.  We will need a house with a pool so that they can all learn how to swim better.  Speaking of houses, we’re still on the hunt for that ‘perfect’ one.

                       

                         Alexander taking the swim test.             Alexander sporting the blue band!

Sunday we ventured out into the town of Rota in search of a restaurant.  We found tons of them, all of which seemed to offer nothing but seafood.  Man oh man, this is the perfect place for seafood lovers but we’re not into it that much.  We may need to explore more of it just to find some that we like.  During this day of exploration we ended up getting caught in the rain, after the weatherman said there was a 0% chance of rain….trust has been lost in that guy.  We were able to find some baby trees and take shelter until Glenn noticed a larger spot right next to the bank.

After the rain stopped we headed back out still searching for that perfect restaurant.  By this time you would think we were starting to death since it’s been 2 hours and still, no lunch.  Nope, we got some ice cream as a small tapa to tide us over.  Afterwards, we finally found a place called Burger-Ton.  Not the authentic Spanish cuisine we were looking for but it filled our bellies.  On the way back we found the beach and a nice walkway.  I think I might have to spend some time there to make sure it’s okay for the family. ;) 

During a day of the class Glenn and I had to attend we got to go on a field trip.  We went to the fish market and now I want to get a recipe to cook some clams and figure out how to filet and cook fresh fish.  Maybe I’ll just have them filet it…I’m still not sure about that one.  A giant clam did spit at me though which made me jump since I thought they were all dead.  Afterwards, we went to a beautiful church and a castle that has been turned into the city hall.  At the city hall they introduced us to tinto de verrano and boy is that stuff delicious!  It is their local wine with some orange soda.  Yummy.  When I went to look at a house with a lady I talked to her a bit and she told me how to ask for tinto de verrano con limón or con blanco.  I believe I just might need to try these as well. 

That’s it for today.  Have a great day!!

Walking along the beach in Rota finding our way back home.

They must have wanted something, they all sat and smiled the first time they were told...

I mean asked to. :)

Super cool pier type thing I want to walk on and take pictures one day.  

Sorry this is so late.  Making sure I have my computer everytime we go to the library is tough because I never know when we're going.  Love you all and have a great night.  I'll try to post more when we have internet in the house!! :)

La Biblioteca is not open for business en Sabado

            

              We were well rested after a night of gambling and eating so we decided to sleep in this morning.  Rajah however had other plans.  She decided we should take a potty break at 3:30 in the morning and then again at 7:30 and didn’t want me to go back to sleep.  She antagonized me and we played a bat each other around game for an hour and a half before we decided it was time to get up and get a very large cup of joe. 

            After everyone was up and ready to start the day, we decided to go to the library and use some internet to look at some houses out in town.  The library is closed on Saturdays.  Alexander was happy to hear that we would have to go to Pizza Villa to get some lunch and wi-fi.  We found a few that we will hopefully get to check out and possibly find the one that we can live in for a few years.  We really want to get one with a pool and a nice sized yard so the kids and Rajah have a nice back yard to play and hang out in.  I’ll post updates when we get something.  Our stuff still hasn’t made it here so we can’t do anything yet.

            After lunch Glenn and Madison went to a movie while the boys and I went to the pool.  Alexander passed the swim test for the water slide by swimming 25 meters.  He decided after going down the slide the first time and accidentally unplugging his nose, that it’s just not his thing.  Maybe one day it will be, when he learns to swim a little better.  Tonight we went to a steakhouse for dinner.  The kids had what they always get at a steakhouse (one that isn’t Outback), chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.  Other than that, there’s not much to report yet.  I’ll do my best to keep the pictures and posts coming. 

Hasta Aquí, me gusta España

We have arrived safely and so far, we think we’re going to like it.  The check-in process has not been a non-stressful process for Glenn.  He’s been running constantly since Wednesday morning until Friday afternoon.  After getting very little sleep on the flight Monday night, it wasn’t easy to hop off of the plane, figure out how to get Rajah out of cargo and then make the 6 hour drive to Rota from Madrid.  Good thing I remembered how to drive a manual car.

The first night in the temporary house was very uneventful.  It was full of sleep, and that’s about it.  The kids and I were able to explore the base a bit the next day.  Little did we know, there was a bicycle race that was about to start as we left the house.  Something called Fertilidad…..we are still unsure of what it means because we never looked it up.  On the plus side, we do know not to try to find a way home during said race because you will get told to pull over into a parking lot, and shut off your engine by the Spanish police.  We ended up waiting for about 20-30 minutes for the actual bikes to go by. 

            The second night was nicer.  The kids went to the park behind the house and Rajah went with me.  She was able to enjoy her first sunset in Spain. J  The kids were able to use up some of the energy they had been saving from the long flight and the last day being used to catch up on sleep that was lost.  They did get that thing going pretty fast.  I, on the other hand, got it going much faster and Christopher could barely lift his head up.  Maybe there will be no need for lifting weights if I can just get one of those things installed in a basement….just a thought.

                                       Rajah taking in the night time breeze.

 
                                                   Rajah's very first sunset in Spain.  

       Friday we were able to get the kids registered for school, sit through 2 orientations and make it to the pool as well.  Christopher passed the swim test at yet another pool so he could go to the deep end and use the slides.  This pool was the most important yet.  He wanted to be able to climb the rock wall in the deep end.  Both him and Madison climbed it over and over again.  Alexander practiced his swimming in the shallow part of the pool.  He will learn to swim one day soon.

                                                The birdies getting a drink at the pool.                          
     

The rock wall that Christopher passed the swim test for...he said it was worth it and it was awesome.

Friday night was so much fun.  Glenn took us to los Carreros de Caballos (Horse races on the beach), we tried some new snacks, some of which were delicious and some that were just so so.  Needless to say, they all got eaten so they weren’t horrible.  As we walked down the beach, there were booths that kids had designed and built for people (children mostly) to place bets at.  The beach was beautiful, the sunset was gorgeous and the kids all had smiles on their faces.  Each of us placed our bets for the first race, and the winner was……

Madison.  She bet 1 Euro and won 3.  We are still dumbfounded by how this occurred since she picked horse number 8 and that horse was clearly in last place in the video we took…..Then again, we could have been betting for the loser of the race and not known it since we only understood about 15% of what was being said during the bet placements.  On to the last race of the night.  We all wanted to try out our skills once again.  While we were waiting for the second race to start we decided to venture out into the shallow waters of the beach.  I have to say, Glenn took a pretty nice picture.  He saw a little cart rolling past and decided to grab one of the two pastry type treats for all of us to try.  I absolutely loved the cuña and Alexander loved the carmela.

                                              The horses on their way to the starting line.

Beautiful sunset on the beach.

                                        My beautiful family (not the lady on the right with her back turned obviously) and my bad, Christopher's eyes were closed....aaahhhh the memories we're making.

Any guesses as to who won this race?  It sure as hell wasn’t my horse….again.  I am at horse race betting as I am at lottery ticket winning….I suck.  Madison won the damn bet again.  This time it was legit, we saw her horse win.  She ended up paying me back the euro she borrowed to place the first bet and ended up with 4 of her own.  Not a bad night…..for her.  Yeah, we teach our kids to bet early, since we all suck at lottery tickets we might as well teach them how to be good at some sort of gambling right? ;) 

                                         
                                                      Her first winnings of the night.

Christopher placing his second bet of the night....hoping for at least one win.

                                               Glenn sure took a lovely picture of us. :)

The bet pamphlet, my betting ticket and my delicioso cuña.

Another pretty sunset.

                                         THERE THEY GO!!!  Well, not my horse...

Madison going to pick up more winnings as Christopher watches from the losers sidelines with the rest of us.

Glenn decided to ask one of the locals if they could recommend a good restaurant.  After trying out our tiny bit of Spanish, and him trying out his tiny bit of English, they brought their interpreter in.  Their daughter translated for us and we ended up trying out a place called Paco Secundino.  We, meaning all of us, not just a few, tried fried shark, marinated clams (we’re still not 100% sure if the two stalky looking things were eyes or not), grilled shark, marinated shark and noodles with seafood.  The funny thing is, the one thing that seemed to be the most well known dish was our least favorite.  The noodles were no bueno…no me gusta.  None of us cared for them.  The grilled shark came in first place because everyone loved it.  Christopher loved the clams and said they were in a tie with the grilled shark. The fried shark was pretty tasty as well.  

On the way to the restaurant.

 
                                            The restaurant that ended up winning over the others.

The kids wanted to walk home from the pool the other night.  I figured, why not?  They weren't going to get Daddy's truck all wet and we would get some quiet time at least for 20 minutes. Boy do they walk fast though.

So far, it seems like a great place to be able to live and explore.  As for the cost of the meals….let’s just say shark and clams will not be on the menu very frequently.