February 2015
Lino was in his 1st St Patrick's Day parade! He marched with his Taekwon-Do club in Carrigtowhill!!! We were so excited to see him. It was a short parade but nothing as short as the parade in Glounthaune which basically goes from the Church on the corner to the community center across the road. I think the parade is about 6 min long (and that might even be a stretch).
A few pints for mommy & daddy at The Rising Tide after the long parade!
March 2015
The boys got new swim suits for Christmas. I can't find the picture of them both so this one will have to do.
Special desert day with our au pair Silvia! She is an amazing cook and such a good person. The boys loved her to death and probably stressed her out just as much as they loved her but what do you expect from boys.
Mommy turned 27!!! For some reason daddy got the number wrong but we won't fault him for that. Mike and the boys worked all day to make this amazing peanut butter desert for me. It was so rich but super special because it was from my boys. And as a standing tradition, going on 10yrs, Mike prepared some special dinner for me which was one of his best ever. Stuffed ravioli with pancetta and steamed spinach...YUM! At the same time as my birthday I started my course at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in Project Management. It had been 2 years almost exactly sense I had worked and it was time for me to get back into it. It took me about 4 months to decide what it was I wanted to do and apply and get accepted but it was worth it. The diploma course that I was taking would require me to go to campus 2 days a month for 8hrs each day. This lasted for about 9 months. It was one of the best decisions that I could have made. I started taking steps to getting back into the work force and building up my resume for my next steps...whatever that may be.
Shaun turned 2!!!!! Can't believe how small he was and almost, I mean almost, forgot how crazy his hair was. This was a great party at the house. We got the Clown Gazpacho to come and do face painting, candy floss and games with the kids. It was a lot of fun and the weather was amazing! Very lucky day for us and tons of fun for Shaun and his friends.
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| Ha Eun scaring Hanno with her Hello Kitty face! |
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| Lino & Patrick (best buds) |
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| Hanno & Shaun |
Birthday boy!
There are almost always 2 celebrations for birthdays in our house so this is Shaun's actual birthday. And in our house on your birthday you get to pick what you want for dinner and of course Shaun picks pizza because it is his favorite. Happy birthday amazingly crazy, happy, loveable, Shaun!
Took the boys to see Cat in the Hat at the Everyman in Cork with Nicole & Michelle. It was a great time!
Easter loot curtesy of Michelle!
April 2015
Our first ski trip ever! We were invited to go skiing in Austria with our amazing friends and even though we are not skiing people we couldn't pass up an opportunity to try it out and hang out with our peeps. As we normally do, we waited until the last minute to decide to go so I remember spending weeks going to every Aldi and Lidl I could find to try and get ski gear for the boys. I didn't want to spend to much money on ski stuff when I knew they would grow out of them quickly and I wasn't sure that we would be making this a regular trip for us. Somehow I was able to get everyone geard up for less than e50 which was great. Daddy did have to order shoes online but otherwise it was reasonable. Although Shaun was a little to young to enjoy it I think the whole family had a great time. We flew into Munich from Cork and drove to Austria from there. What should have been a 2hr drive ended up taking us about 3.5hrs due to daddy's crazy directions. We got so lost at one point we think we ended up in Poland (well not exactly but it seemed like it)...it was an adventure to say the least. Eventually we made it to our B&B and it was a great quick trip. The boys enjoyed the snow and it was impressive how quickly the kids pick it up and how scared the adults are. Mike & I had lessons every day for 4hrs and we still were only 1/2 as good as Lino & Hami. Shaun & Hanno were to small for the ski camp so they stayed back with Gernot's parents for the day. It was so nice to have them there, it made such a difference for the whole trip.
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| Hami & Lino's 1st day together on the slops |
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| Amazingly beautiful Ginzling |
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| Family! |
On to Prague! Since we were so close to Czech Republic and because we are obsessed with Koloches from our favorite Koloache stop in West Texas we had to make a trip to Prague. Well the short and sweet version of this story is that Kolaches are a very American thing that is not at all common in the Czech Republic and Prague is a city for drinking not for touring. I was not impressed by the town and even years after I couldn't say I would go back to visit again. The best part of the trip was the cheap beers and the clock tower which Mike is still explaining the details of it to me 2 years later!!!
Some pictures just from around
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| Lino & the cows on the farm after school |
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| Freya, Shaun, Lino at the playground in Glounthaune |
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| Lino getting his belt at Taekwon do |
Shauny's hair TAMED in the bath!!! Look how long it is.
To close off April we have to end with a bang...a birthday bang! We finally got all the crew together to celebrate the birthdays from March - May. We had a blast! Me, Ha Eun, Nicole, Michelle, Karen, Dee and the guys (Mike & Gernot) went out on the town and really lived it up. One of the most fun we have had in a long time.
May 2015
Lino spends a lot of time in timeout and generally there ends up being some interesting position that he ends up falling asleep in due to his over exhaustion which as a result gets him into timeout. This one is one of my favorites because he is in a perfect position to sleep yet not fall off of the cooler!
Trip to the states for Nini's birthday and Uncle Frederick's graduation.
We found out that Shaun is a direct replica of Pop-Pop!!! That is so scary close to exact its crazy!!!
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| Both boys reading the safety card before takeoff |
The boys went to Prairie village dinosaur park...super cool and very close to TT's house. I really wish they had more places like this in Ireland.
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| American loot bag for Ireland...packing at its best |
Uncle Frederick's graduation. What a proud moment for our whole family. It was a long time coming but he stuck in there and made it happen. I'm so happy that I could have been there to share that moment with him.
Silly face with the boys and stickers before our flight back to Ireland.
June 2015
Visit from TT & Morgan! There is always a lot of fun when these guys come to visit. On this visit, TT and Pierre were suppose to go on a secret getaway for a few days while in Europe. Unfortunately Pierre's grandmother got very sick just before he was suppose to come over so he wasn't able to go. We spent about 2 full days trying to sort out all of the flights, hotels and transfers. In the end we were only able to get partial refunds on most of the stuff and we had to spend more money to utilize the bookings but as a result Morgan got to have a cool little trip to Barcelona with her mom. I think they were both a little traumatized by the trip but it was also an amazing experience that they will remember for ever. I kept telling TT to plan to travel like an European but really she was traveling like a crazy Cutaia! They visited Madrid and Barcelona and Dublin all over 4 days/nights! It was a jam packed trip but cool as well.
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| Our favorite restaurant in Cork, Elbow Lane! Some of the best oyster mushrooms in town. |
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| The start of my Insanity insanity |
Mike is somewhere in the trunk of our car...not enough space for all of us in our car and we are too cheap to rent a car just to accommodate 1 person so Mike always takes one for the team by squeezing into the boot for short trips.
Lino got a chance to visit daddy's work for the first time! He was so excited that he got to be the boss for the day. It looks like that jacket is a little too big but he is more than able to fill the role of a leader regardless of how small he may be.
We ended up taking a day trip to Kilkenny, Waterford and Youghal. While TT& Morgan visited the crystal factory I had a little me time and a beer on the rooftop of one of the little towers.Spending some quality time with my very high maintenance niece! I wanted to give her a flare for Ireland so of course we had to go to the sweet shop. She loved it and found some random candy that she is still dying for 2yrs later. Look how small my baby girl is...just so big.
A ladies afternoon tea for Morgan and me at the Kingsley in Cork! I was trying to do something unique with her and even I had never experienced a true afternoon tea outing so it was an experience for the both of us. Of course the drama queen that she is she was not overly impressed during the meal and had to make a big drama of it at the end. I didn't think that it would rank high up on her list of favorite things she did on this trip but come to find out she really enjoyed getting all dressed up and eating our little fancy crustless cucumber sandwhiches, scones and tea selection.
Last meal before the family left. We went to Market Lane and had a really nice dinner. I miss them already. Shaun & Silvia being silly as always.
End of June in Ireland doesn't mean that it is warm but this day the clouds parted and the heat was able to shine down on us for a brief moment so of course that means water fight time. Lino is obsessed with water ballons every since our summer in Kansas having a water fight so even though it was only about 70F which is pretty warm in Ireland but not that warm in general the boys stripped down to the undies and we enjoyed the splash of summer!
End of school year for Lino! This is the last week of school at Joan's Early Learning Center and it is a very sad moment. This is such an amazing school and the first place Lino really made friends...these pictures are priceless.
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Left to right back: Cian, Jack O, Sasha, Ben
Left to right front: ??, Paddy, Lino, Ruben, Jamie V, Jack F
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Teachers: Marien, Lino, Olive, Joan
Cork Summer Show in Curraheen Park
Shaun's first day in his new Pre-School. He got to go for a feeler morning and he was so excited that he was going to Lino's school and Lino was very excited to show him all the things that he could do while at school. They are both getting so big so quick its amazing.
End of June means end of school and birthday time for Lino. Since his birthday is during the summer break we always find it easier to celebrate it at the end of school so that he can have all of his friends with him. And since this year I wanted to get him a fancy cake but couldn't find one that was reasonable or one that tasted good I decided to make it myself. With the help of YouTube, Gina, Silvia and a lot of Vodka I was able to pull some sort of super hero cake together. The cake making itself wasn't too bad but getting all the supplies, tools and creating the art templates (which I made out of paper) was a long and tedious job. It probably took me almost 2 weeks to get all the little pieces organized and cut in order to actually cut them on the fondant. I looked at cake designs and YouTube videos for weeks trying to learn the best way to roll out and lay the fondant. Somehow I was able to create something that looked pretty good...especially since it was my first cake ever!! I think this would have been one of the best birthday parties ever except I had a hell of a time with the entertainment. This is one of those times that being in Ireland really was a pain in the butt, the way people handle things is very different from the US. I can't say which is better I just know what I am use to and it made it very frustrating for me. So basically I had booked this party package for Lino, it was suppose to include a DJ, bouncy castle and face painter. It was all for a pretty good deal so that is the reason I got it. So when I booked the place and told them the date and location they said everything was all good. They just needed to make sure that the location was on the insurance list and it should be fine. So I said grand because that is what you say here...only about a week before the party I call to confirm everything is ok because I haven't heard back from them. When I call they say oh we don't have the insurance for the place you have booked so we can't do the bouncy castle unless you want to pay to add the new location. Of course I don't want to pay to add the new location because why the heck should I have to pay to add new locations to this companies insurance when they will be able to use that location for other events after it has been added on? To me it makes no sense at all but as much as I tried to convince the guy he wouldn't go for it. So we went round and round for a day and finally I said I would pay for 1/2 of the cost to add it...he had to get back to me to see if that was reasonable. Of course it wasn't so he said he could cancel the booking if needed. As much as I wanted to cancel the booking because I didn't want to give them a dime of my money I didn't have a back-up option and I had a hall booked with nothing to do with the kids! I was desperate!!! So eventually we came to an agreement, which means I gave in, and they said they would replace the bouncy castle with a bubble blower...what a bunch of crap! Either way it was entertainment and I didn't have to find something last minute...I had enough to do with the cake. So the day of the party we are getting everything in order and I get to the venue and call the company to confirm they will be there at least 30min before getting set up and they say yes they will. Well 30min before the party they are no where to be found. I spent about 30min calling and trying to track them down. They eventually show up but I had to send the kids to the playground for about 20min to play because there was nothing for them to do in the hall while the people where on the way and while they were setting up. At this point I'm really fuming because they had already been messing with my day by not letting us have the bouncy castle now they were late and the guy just kept saying that it will be grand and don't worry. I wasn't worried I was PISSED!!!! Eventually they got set up and kids got to enjoy the music and bubbles...temporarily! Once the bubbles started going the supervisor of the venue comes to tell me that the bubbles are not allowed because they will cause the kids to slip and can be to dangers for them...its a safety/insurance risk. At that point I thought I was going to breath fire!!!! It was like everything that could go wrong would go wrong. I had to talk that mad down a ledge before I killed him and he finally said it was OK to go with the bubbles but make sure to clean up any big puddles if there are any...yeah yeah yeah...I couldn't wait for this day to be over. Somehow this all worked out and the kids had a blast. The face painter was amazing (with all is crazy tattoos) and the music was fun (but way to loud). The cake came out great and Lino was in heaven...I guess that is all that matters. Oh and I had to pay the entertainment full price and it killed me. The guys kept asking me if I was happy and I told him no but paid him anyway...I just wanted to be done with them and enjoy the smiles on the kids faces. Note to self...never book with them again!
I took a quick trip to London to meet up with my cousin on her girls weekend. What a good time we had. There is always some drama but it was so great to see her and catch up it was worth every bit of it. Jen is like a sister to me and it is always like old times whenever we get together. It doesn't matter how long its been or what is going on in the world we always make the best of our time and she always knows how to make me smile. I love this girl to pieces... so glad I got to see London with my cousin and Stonehenge which I had no idea about until she told me (I am so aloof).
July 2015
4th of July! Of course we want to have a BBQ but it's Ireland so you never know what kind of weather you are going to get. This day happened to be a really nice day in the early morning and not so nice later in the afternoon. As a result we ended up at the beach in the morning so the boys could have a play. Lino had been at us for the past few weeks asking to go to the beach but the weather just wasn't really good so we kept telling him we would do it when it was sunny. Well of course it was sunny this day so we had to go. We went with extra heavy clothes because I knew it would be cold on the coast. We had a good time despite the weather and the Portuguese Man of War trying to attack us!
Shaun picking strawberries in the garden and baking from Lino at camp.
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Time to cut Shauns hair!!!!! Just joking...mommy wasn't ready...yet!
July Gina and Drew came to visit for a week which was so awesome! She said she would come but it isn't an easy flight but somehow we pulled it together and got it all coordinated so that she could visit Ireland for the first time. This was a jam packed week as I always have with my visitors but it honestly was so great. I took Gina all over Ireland and I got to see a lot myself. We took a day trip up to County Wicklow to Glendalough where we climbed the mountain and took tons of pictures. Gina visited Blarney and kissed the Blarney stone (even though I told her not to) and she took precautions with her to ensure it was sanitary...wet wipes! She is crazy and already has the gift of gab so I am not sure why she wanted to enhance this attribute! Then we took a trip with Silvia and Sara in tow to the Kilkenny castle. It is one of the nices restored castles that we have seen in Ireland. I am sure there are more but this one is really done up nice, plus the playground just outside is huge and the boys love it! After that we stopped at the Rock of Cashel which was cool. The boys really enjoyed climbing all over the rock and the view was pretty amazing. We were very lucky with weather. On the way back we stopped at Michelstown to see the caves which were just like any other caves but still nice to do. What an exhausting day...but lots of fun!
Before the visit ended we had to make a stop at Oliver Plunkett to have a pint and enjoy some good ol Irish music. These guys are pretty talented but I guess so many people are here.
A day at the beach with the boys, Silvia and Sara!
Silvia is leaving us and we are gathering pictures to remember her time with the boys. Silvia was such an amazing person. She worked harder than most people and didn't ask or want of anything. She loved the boys like they were her own brothers (especially since she only has 2 sisters). She made friends wherever she went and she just brought sunshine into the place when she was around. I feel very blessed to have had the chance to spend so much time with her and share her and my Irish experience together. We will never forget her and she will always be apart of our family!
So Mike took a trip to Paris to see Alicia...it was a very last minute trip but it was so worth it. We haven't seen Alicia in a while and with us living in Ireland and her going through her chemo it has just been hard to keep in touch. So when she suggested that he come visit while she was in France for a work trip we both thought it was a great idea. They had a ball those 2 days! I think it must have been like 2 old high school friends getting back together because they partied and ate and reminisced about the good old days so much that we convinced Alicia to come to Ireland for a few days so that I could see her and the boys could see her too. The last time they would have seen her would have been around the same time in 2013. So what started out as a crazy idea to go to France for a couple days ended up being 2 days there and 2 days in Ireland which was a very unexpected but amazing surprise.
Home cooking...Mikes famous sticky toffee pudding (via Jamie Oliver) and Siliva's amazing Paella!
Day trip to Fota
Lino's actual birthday...we saved the top of the cake for it!
Day trip to Dublin Zoo which ended up being a little bit of a nightmare. This was our first time at the Zoo and we were not prepared for the crowds. I think we were just too use to Fota and the amount of space that is there and lack of people because the Dublin Zoo was way more like what we have in the States version Fota which was something out of a nature reserve movie. Needless to say only about 30min after getting there did we loose Lino!!! How can we loose Lino??? Well since Lino has a mind of his own and does what he wants he was following the crowd of people who were going towards the sea lion exhibit. He followed along of course and wanted to get a closer look so he did! Where were his parents you might ask? Well we thought we were ALL looking at the tiger exhibit that was just behind the sea lion but we quickly realized that someone had lost interest very fast and had moved on to something else...what we didn't know. So Mike & I start to panic! At Fota you can see where the kids run off to because the next exhibit is like a 10min walk from where ever you are and there is not a lot of things to obstruct your vision or a lot of people to make you nervous...not true in Dublin! So we search high and low looking for him, we are very close to calling the security to come help us but I finally decide to get really low and find him...I didn't think anyone took him I figured he must be close focused on something very interesting...thankfully I was right. I found him by those bright neon green shoe soles you can see in the picture. I saw those little shoes at the front of the sea lion glass pressed up so close you would think he was inside the tank. There was no way for me to get to him without knocking down a few people so I just kept an eye on his shoes until the exhibit was over. Man my little heart nearly jumped out of my body! Needless to say when the show was over he was looking for us! We had a nice talking to him and I think we scared him enough that he didn't do that again that day. Boy, kids really know how to make you age quickly.
Donovan's birthday party...I made him a Mind Craft cake...a lot of work for those little squares. I wasn't overly happy with the end result but the birthday boy was so I guess that is all that matters. Yet another cake in the bag...I'm starting to make it a habit!August 2015
Silvia's last night with us. We went to the city for a nice Italian dinner...she loves her some pasta! We were all very sad to see her go...there were tears and snot and everything!
Silvia, Ramon and family pictures!
Sunny day means splash pool day at our house
Lino & Shaun spent the afternoon with Michelle and Freya at the leisure world in Cork.
Trip to Bermuda!!! Mike & I surprised Nini & Pop Pop with are arrival at their anniversary vacation! We were able to get TT to come in and help watch the boys so that we can go off gallivanting in the sun...what an amazing sister/aunt! The trip down was fairly uneventful but upon arrival it became a true Cutaia vacation. Apparently there are 2 hotels with the same name but on opposite sides of the small island. Of course we booked into the wrong one we thought and changed the booking so that we could be at the right place. So we got all this sorted out before we arrived...we thought until we arrive and the taxi driver takes us to what we thought was the wrong hotel. We get there and the taxi driver is convinced this is the right place but based on our booking its the wrong hotel...so of curse we are arguing with the local and we have been in the country for all of 15min! So we talk to the people at the front desk to see if they could just check the reservations to see if our parents were there or not...of course they are not suppose to do this but we look honest enough that I think they felt sorry for us. As the lady was about to check who walks into the door...Pop Pop!!! So of course now we are screwed! We are in the right hotel, our booking is for the wrong hotel, and we are spoiling our surprise by being at the check-in counter which wasn't our plan! So we are ducking and trying to hide while everyone looks at us like we are crazy. Thankfully PopPop was not interested in the counter so he never looked over. We somehow managed to stay out of sight but still had to deal with the reservation issue which didn't really work out...they couldn't change the booking of course since it was the day of check-in but after I got on the horn with Bookings.com and told them the sad story about our surprise and not knowing the difference between the 2 hotels we at least got 1/2 of our money back...HALF! Oh well, in the end we were able to surprise them at breakfast and it was nice to be able to be there with them and their friends for their wedding and birthday celebrations. Bermuda is a beautiful country and the people are so nice too. Its incredible how expensive it is but the locals all make higher wages so I guess it all balances out. What a cool little mini vacation.
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| Streets of Bermuda |
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| 3 peas in a pod |
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| Anniversary/Birthday matching t-shirts |
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| Cliff jumping! |
While we were on this magical getaway we realized that TT's flight leaves the day before we arrive. This is due to the time change and the person who booked the flights...Mike! We realize this early on our trip and tried to figure out a way to make it work and finally were able to get Darren to take her to Shannon for us. It was a big ask of our friend to do that but thankfully we have really good friends and they bailed us out big time. Also, it was really good that it was only a 1/2 day difference or else we really would have been in trouble. So once all that was sorted we headed back and that is when everything changed for Mike...we have been on dozens of flights and neither one of us are very afraid of plans but this flight from Bermuda to Philidelpia was one of the most turbulent flights we have ever taken. It was so bumpy that I thought I was going to loose my lunch for sure and Mike well it scared him for LIFE! He was so shook up after that fight that any flight he takes since then he thinks its going to crash! Any little bump on the plane he is like 'what's that?' 'what is that noise and why don't they do something about it?' He is just hilarious!!! And annoying all at the same time! Well I guess that is what we get for running off to the islands and leaving our kids at home!
Just after our trip to Bermuda I had to pull all my study habbits out of the grave and prepare for my PMP exam. I took a day away from the family to go and focus on my studies. It wasn't easy but had to be done...thankfully I passed my exam and become PMP certified!! One more credential to add to the resume. Now the rest of my PM classes will count towards my PM credits. It was a good course that I signed up for...I hope that it pays off in the end.
August 31st 2015 - Shauny's 1st haircut!!!!
It has been a long time coming and we have threatened, teased, and even asked for votes as to what to do with Shaun's hair but at some point you have to call it quits and give in when the hair takes complete control. We finally reached that point. It was surprisingly easy to do it but I did have a few reqiriements for the cut...mainly, do not cut all of it off...only trim it up and make it look neat! I must have said that abot 50x because the barber, Fifty, kept giving me a look like 'I know what I'm doing lady...I am the professional here'. It needed to be done so it was done...the end result was good and it started a tread towards more regular cuts. Shaun was excited to get his first cut but he was not impressed with the amount of time he had to sit in a chair without moving. And somehow we made an already overly adorable kid become even more edible! Love the new look Shauny!!!!
September 2015
September 1st - Lino's first day of Jr Infants (pre-school but at the primary school). Lino was pretty excited to start school but I don't think he realized until later what he was missing out on at his old school. He thought the new uniform was really cool so that was a plus! I can't believe he is in school!!! His teachers name is Mrs. Burke.
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| The boys hanging with daddy while they wait for me to finish my class |
Date night at our favorite place in Cork...Elbow Lane! The grilled fish and the fried oyster mushrooms are so delicious its worth the wait (usually).
So Mike & I decided to take a trip to Germany. Nana kindly decided to come and help watch the boys with Daniela. We were thankful for that because otherwise it would have been very difficult if not impossible to make the trip. So we went for about 8 days and visited Berlin, Krakow and Munich for Oktoberfest! Berlin by far is one of our favorite cities. The weather was really nice when we were there and everyone there speaks English so it wasn't very difficult to get around at all. Oh and the food is amazing!!!! The kebabs are some of the best we have ever had. And since we didn't have the boys we decided to tour the city a little differently. Normally we take a bus tour because its an easy way to see the city and the boys don't have to walk everywhere but this time we decided to do a bike tour because we heard that Berlin was very flat and cycling was very popular. This was a ton of fun and we liked it so much we ended up doing 3 bike tours!!!! The first tour was just a general city tour which was great because I didn't know much about the city other than about the war so it was nice to see more than that. But of course a lot of the cities history is evolved around the war and you can tell that throughout because a lot of buildings still have bullet holes or are half way constructed. During the first bike tour we realized there was so much to see in the city that we scheduled a tour specifically focused on the war. I am no history person but this was an awesome tour and so informative....highly recommend. 
One of the first stops in Berlin was of course some food...and one of the top places to eat in Berlin was a Kebab place in Kreuzburg called Mustafa's...if you go for a late night snack there is always a 30-40min line to get one of these amazing treats. On our first go, Mike got a Donor and I got a Kebab wrap...both were the best we had ever had! |
| Fernsehturm - Radio tower |
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| Reichstag - Parliament |
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| In front of the Reichstag |
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| Berlin wall trail |
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| Steel beams from the original wall |
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| Berlin wall trail |
Part of the bike tour we learned about an amazing piece of history. During the war Tempelhof airport was the site of an amazing air carrier/supply system which provided critical food, coal and war supplies to the people in West Berlin which had been cut off from the outside world (some sort of issue between Russia and West Berlin). Over a period of about 1.5yrs this airport was used solely for supply purposes and the amount of plans that landed and departed from here was amazing. The team who coordinated the flights were very skilled and came up with a very thought out plan. Here is some fun facts from the internet... "The Berlin Airlift officially ended on 30 September 1949, after fifteen months. In total, the USA delivered 1,783,573 tons and the RAF 541,937 tons, totaling 2,326,406 tons, nearly two-thirds of which was coal, on 278,228 flights to Berlin. The Royal Australian Air Force delivered 7,968 tons of freight and 6,964 passengers during 2,062 sorties. The C-47s and C-54s together flew over 92 million miles in the process, almost the distance from the Earth to the Sun. At the height of the Airlift, one plane reached West Berlin every thirty seconds." Now this airport is abandoned but the city has taken it over and it is a very popular place for concerts, family outings, cycling, jogging and much more. IAnother stop along the bike food tour was the most delicious falafel place we have ever had, Dada Falafel! So yummy that we had to go back before we left.
Part of the tour we took to the concentration camp also included a tour of one of Poland's most famous salt cave. Mike was super excited about this and I was not. But after a trip like that we needed something to lighten up the mood a bit. I must say it was pretty horrible but we made the best of it.Krakow!!! One of the oldest cities in Poland and home to Schindlers factory (Jewish Ghettos) this place has become a major party city and street food hub. Man, people said it was a place to party and they were not joking! The place is so cheap it is ridiculous. And it is a huge vodka and absinthe! Mike had to get both (because I would have died with either). Green cup is the burned sugar absinthe and the tasting tray was different flavored vodkas. Both bars were dirt cheap but the alcohol was no joke...it hits you fast regardless of your experience. Along with a sample of alcohols we also had to try some traditional foods. There was so much to try but porogies were up on the list because they are so delisous and they were even better there. It seems so simple and it doesn't need a lot of extra sauces to swim in, just a simple steamed pirogi some sour cream and chives and you have yourself a very cheap yet tasty meal/snack.
There is also the traditional street food of Krakow (or maybe Poland I'm not sure) called the Zapiekanki. It is basically a baguette cut in half and topped with various items like salami, cheese, ham, fried onions, etc. It is pretty tasty!
So after a quick trip to Poland and 2 very quick trips on the autobahn we make it back to Berlin and fly into Munich for Oktoberfest!!!! We had always talked about going here with Alicia but it just never happened since we had the boys but since we are in Europe and it is so cheap and close to go there was no way we could pass up a chance to go before we left. So here we go!!! It was such an incredible experience. Nothing like what I thought it would be like but also everything I could have imagined and more. The atmosphere is incredible and its not just a place for people to get crazy drunk on higher alcohol content beer it is like a huge carnival/festival for the whole family to enjoy. The food is great, the music is going, there are rides, games, candy, clothes and whatever else you could think of. It is so much more than we expected. I didn't think I would like it but I am glad that we went. The best part of course is all the food and I think we made a mission to try as many different tents as possible. See that is one of the key parts about Oktoberfest...other than it is celebrated in September and not October as you would think. I digress for a moment, the reason for this which is a very interesting fact that I think most Americans don't know is that the name comes from the anniversary celebration that the Bavarian's had for the prince and princess some 200yrs ago. I guess it use to be in October but has been moved to September due to better weather and this anniversary celebration has been happening every since ...its incredible. It is also a time for great pride for the Bavarian's, hence the Lederhosen and Dirndls.
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| Our first table! We made friends with some people from France and US |
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| Some random Americans that were wasted at 4pm! |
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| Inside one of the tents |
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| Italian friends that just came over for the day and driving back to Italy in the evening! |
One of my most favorite tents had this amazing smoked fish. I have never tasted anything so amazing like this fish on a stick! The only unfortunate part was that I had to eat the whole fish by myself because my husband is not a fish fan. Anyway it was only a small issue because it was so tasty I didn't complain much at all.
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| Pork knuckle |
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| Last stop in Berlin...the memorial wall. |
October 2015
Birthday cake creation for Senan...I
was pretty proud of this one even though Woody's wings kept falling off.
Senan liked it anyway so thats what matters.
So we got the chance to have Hami
and Hanno over for a couple day sleep over while their parents had work
business to do. The boys were so excited that their friends were coming
over and not just for 1 night but 2. I never thought something so simple
would bring so much joy to these kids but it did. We had a great little
weekend too. Lino & Hami are like husband and wife the way they
act. Hami is constantly directing Lino to do things and Lino is always
looking to her for direction. It seems like such a perfect union...if
only marriage was that simple. Most of the time you would catch these two
together plotting their next game or coming up with some strategy to get daddy
to play tickle monster...they are just purely amazing. Add to that Lino's
'wolf' costume that is really a bear but we wanted him to think it was tough so
we call it a wolf...he loved this outfit and seemed to put it on every chance
he got. So its almost like the beauty and the wolf. 
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| Movie time...these 2 are inseparable |
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| Battle ship time. What a great game for the kids |
Pumpkin carving! This was one
of the first times that I have carved a pumpkin let alone carve one with
kids. It wasn't as hard as I thought and I really enjoyed the roasted
pumpkin seeds after and the roasted pumpkin sauce (not exactly the same as the
Libby in the can but close enough). Hami & Lino loved doing it and
actually took their time carving and scooping out the insides. Lino was
bored a little quicker than Hami but she kept him on task so he didn't give
up...I need to keep her around more often!!! The end results were pretty
neat. I was so proud for them and I think they were proud too. I tried
to preserve the pumpkins by spraying a ton of hair spray on them but it ended
up smearing the sharpie designs and making them smell like a hair salon and
didn't seem to do to much for preserving them. Oh well, it was a great
experience either way!
Face painting! They are so
creative
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| Pasta making with daddy! |
Splashing in puddles...it has taken
me a long time to get over this. Lino & Shaun seem to have an
attraction to jumping and splashing in puddles. I guess its just a kid
thing but all I could think of was the wet clothes and shoes and not the pure
fun. Now I have gotten over being ridiculously parinod about the water and
just let the splash away...at least most of the time...as long as we don't have
any where special to go. I just hope that the boys remember these moments
because I know that they are few and far in between. I wish I could let
go more but I know my limits and hopfully they will not be dampered because of
them. For now...splash on my loves!
Baby cake for a friend of a friend.
Halloween! These are some of
the most cheap costumes but I think the boys really enjoyed it either
way. I was so aginst getting costmes because they cost so much and
usually are only worn for a few days a year then tossed due to the kids getting
to big so I tried to convince the boys to be something that we had at the house
or something that we could make at the house and I think we succeeded.
Lino is obsessed with Spiderman and has a ton of Spidy stuff so we were good
there. I just added a makeshift eye mask and he was happy to go...he
loves the face paint. Shaun didn't really care too much and so I gave him
Linos old Hulk costume...I think Lino actually wore that to school a few days
before...add a little green face paint and you have yourself a home grown Hulk
with the hair to go with it! As for trick or treating, we were not sure
where to go because the year before we were in Kansas so we decided at the last
minute to go with our neighbor Lisa and her kids. Now trick or treating
in our neighborhood isn't as easy as going out the door and hitting 50
houses...the kids actually have to work for it! Each house is about 5min
walk from each other which was great! We walked for about 1hr and
probably only went to 12 houses. The boys were delighted regardless and
Shaun became super obsessed with the knocking and saying TOT! We had a
lot of fun and let the boys eat most of their candy when we got back to the
house which they were both very excited about.
November 2015
One of my first friends in Ireland
is leaving! I think Nicole is the 2nd or 3rd friend that I made in
Ireland and now her and her husband and their family are moving to Texas (of
all the places). They were talking about moving for a long time but it
never happened and I really thought it never would but the day came and it was
a sad day for sure. Nicole is such a sweet friend and so emotional its
unbelievable. Its a shame that she left because she was a big part of my
daily routine in Ireland and part of my security net so it will be hard to fill
the gap. Also, she brought critical items to all the functions and now
who will I get to make the macaroni salad or the pumpkin whoopie pies or what
ever else amazing she would make. It was funny, before she left we were
going round and round about recipes to share with each other. I had a few
recipes that she loved and wanted but I didn't want to share them with anyone
because I wanted people to feel like they could only have it if I made
it...hahaha. And she was pretty much the same. So that last week
that she was in Ireland we had a lot of negotiations happening and eventually
we traded recipes. It is so silly and funny all at the same time. I
give her so much crap and she gives it right back...she will be missed dearly.
November 14th girls weekend to
Paris!!!! Well not exactly. So I got invited to go on a girls
weekend to Paris with Ha Eun, Karen and Rosean. The girls thought it
would be fun to get away for a weekend and live it up in the town in Paris...I
wasn't that impressed with Paris but didn't want to miss an outing with the
girls. I knew it didn't really matter where we were we would have a good
time. So the day before our flight we are all getting prepared and
checking the weather to see what kind of clothes to bring and all of
that. There is already enough stress with packing light for a few days
and the thought of leaving the kids with your husbands for a few days on their
own too. But the end result is usually worth it. Well anyway after
the packing is all done there is some commotion on the news about an attack...I
only hear a little of it because at this point I feel like I am getting a
little immune to it because everything that happens is some sort of terrorist
attack. Well I should have paid more attention to it because that evening
the girls start discussing this bombing that happened at the Aireana Grande
concert in Paris. I kind of write them off and say it was probably just
some electrical issue and there is not a good chance it was an attack and for
the most part I think the other girls were a little bit skeptic of the details
too. So we all agreed that we would check the news in the morning to see
what the full story is and make a decision then. Well I didn't worry much
about it but the other girls did and they were up early talking about the
attack and the 3 or 4 other locations where a bombs were detonated. I
couldn't believe it!!! So after confirming myself and after the other
girls had said they were not going we had to get on the horn to try and get our
accommodations refunded. That was no easy task...Ha Eun had booked us
into a food/wine tour and the lady was not impressed that we were
canceling. She kept saying that she is a private company and does all of
this on her own so she can't just up and cancel it...we were like 'umh excuse
me lady but there is a freaking terrorist attack going on in your city I don't
think I want to risk my life for some French cheese and wine' She was not
budging, so we had to keep working on her. The other places pretty much
canceled with no issues, most even send email notifications letting the
guest/passengers know that free cancellations would be approved for this day or
the days before/after. I had the duty of trying to get a refund from our
airb&b place and that guy was also not happy about us canceling. He
was like, 'the bombings happened in a area that I go to for drinks and I just
went there and everything is normal...there is no problem...people are caring
on as normal so I do not see the reason why you want to cancel. But if
you wish to cancel I will not provide you with a refund as that is in the
rental policy' I was so annoyed with him and there must have been a ton
of other people in the same spot as me because after a few days airb&b sent
out a note that all customers seeking refunds would be granted. That was
the least that they could do. And I think they also asked that the host
open up their homes to people who may have been impacted by this (canceled
flights and over booked accommodations etc). Eventually we worked it
out. It is just so crazy that we were planning to be there the day after
the attack happen. 
So since we were all packed and ready
to go and had sitters already lined up for the kids someone suggested that we
just go somewhere anyway. Well none of us were interested in flying so we
decided to do something close to home so we went to Killarny Even though
I have been there before I have never explored the place with the girls and
hung out without kids so I was happy to go. And so, a weekend in Paris
France became a weekend in Killarny Ireland. Gernot let us use his new
fancy car to drive down to Killarny in style and on the way we stopped an
amazing little deli that is known for their buffalo mozzarella.
Apparently there is a little story/drama to go with this (as there always is)
basically there are 2 shops that make buffalo mozzarella in this area...one
actually makes it from actual buffalo milk while the other one makes it from
powdered buffalo milk mix! Of course we were at the shop that made the
authentic stuff...hahaha. Anyway, I guess the 2 shops use to be one and
the 2 owners split because of whatever reason and one kept making the real
buffalo cheese and the other got the cheap powder version to make it...which
technically if the powdered milk was from a buffalo I guess they are both
making buffalo mozzarella. It was too funny of a story and a great pit
stop! The food their was so good and it had such a nice little atmosphere
I really enjoyed it. After that we headed on to our destination and when
we got to our very last minute but very nice hotel thanks to Rosian we had a
nice surprise welcome bottle of champagne waiting for us...she knows a lot of
people! The next day we took a trip into town and did a little walking
around Muckross Castle grounds. The weather was absolutely awful but what
can you do...its Ireland. There were a ton of roads that were partially
flooded and the parking lot for the castle was a disaster too. One of the
good and bad things about this trip was that I didn't actually have a proper
rain jacket, only some cheap thing that I had got from Aldi or Lidl that really
only repelled the rain partially. We were planning to do some walking and
after about 10min outside I was soaked. So I ended up getting myself a
new jacket. For some reason I felt like I was doing something naughty
because I spent more than e30 on myself. Its unbelievable how your
prospective changes when you have kids. In the end it was a great weekend
the girls are a lot of fun. We all like our food and drink so it made for
a very fun unexpected staycation after all!
Well
its not even thanksgiving yet but since that holiday is not celebrated in
Ireland the Christmas decorations and celebrations start in November...so this
year we went down to the city to be apart of the Christmas lighting ceremony...I
must say it was a little uneventful but the boys loved being down in the city
late and seeing
all the decorations lit up.
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| Pumkin Pie making time |
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| Lino wanted shrimp...but didn't eat them |
Paella time!!!! My first one
on my own but I used the recipe and video that Silvia and her mom sent to me.
It wasn't as good as Silvias but it was pretty darn good.
Late late toy show!!!! An
Irish tradition and this is our first...it was an experience. We only
made it through the first 1/2.
Since we have Thanksgiving over at our friends house we usually do a small Thanksgiving dinner party at our house. Since we have our big Thanksgiving at the friends house this is just a small get together for friends. It is actually really enjoyable and I am not stressed to the max with cooking and preparing since there is only a few people (not like our normal large crowds). This year we decided to do a TurDukEn because I saw Paula Dean doing it over and over again and it seems like all the rage. A few years ago it was a fried turkey now this. So we searched low and high for a fresh duck and couldn't find one. The best we could do was frozen duck breast...so we went with that. This is a serious ordeal and I definately wasn't prepared for all the time and effort that goes into making it amazing. You have to soak the turkey in a salt brine for like 2 days, then do all this stuff to the duck...it was a mess. So I didn't even start out with the right ingredients and I didn't realize I needed to start preparing the meat 3 days before so I was a little behind and rushed. So I skipped a few steps and made a lot of adjustments and I came out with this creation. I tried to cut the batch size in 1/2 since I knew I didn't have a full turkey/duck but even cutting it I had to much stuffing and then I must have forgot to cut one of the salted ingredients because the stuffing came out to be more like just salt!!!! It was horrible!!!! I was so upset and mad at myself for such a stupid move. I didn't even taste the stuffing at any point in the process until I was stuffing it into the TurDukEn and at that point it was to late. So I added a little sugar and hoped for the best...some luck that was. It was still a hot mess of salt! So I tried to recover the dish by scooping out the salt filling and serving the rest which seemed to go down ok since most people would have mixed cranberry sauce with the dressing. But of course my girl Michelle was so kind and told me it wasn't bad at all and that she really liked it because she likes salty things...she is so sweet but I couldn't let her eat it because I was worried that she would go into some sort of salt comma!!! Other than the fiasco with the new recipe that required 3 days that I squeezed and adjusted into 1 day (and 1/3 of the servings) the rest of the meal was great. I love Thanksgiving!!! 
Left over Thanksgiving dinner. After our first year we have always gone over to Ha Eun & Gernot's house for Thanksgiving. Even though I love to have a party it is nice to enjoy the holidays at their house...it has become our new tradition.
December 2015
Well we have reached the end of November and it couldn't have come soon enough...although I do appreciate and am happy to support the cause...Movember really is one of the most dreaded months of the year! The best part about it, is Dec 1st!!!! Usually we get a little showcase of different looks so enjoy the progression back to normal!
After the first cut the hair cuts
just become more and more frequent and more and more short!!!! Poor
Shaun's little trim a few months ago only lasted for a short time before it
went back to crazy Shaun so we decided to go for a shorter look...I decided!
I think this is too short and I was not happy with the barber after the cut but
it does look sleek. But it makes him look too old!!!! This is my
baby boy and will always be the baby so I want to hold on to that for as long
as I can. But I guess its better that we cut it now because the more
pictures that we have with his hair all over the place the more he will be
upset with us when he gets older. The poor boy is already going to have a
hard time with the girls when I show them all his crazy hair pictures. At
least poor Lino only has about 18months worth of photos, Shaun has over 2yrs of
it! 
Pepsi
kids Christmas party. The boys love this party. They don't have one
like this in Texas so they are in heaven. And I usually have my Cuidiu
Christmas party the same day so its like a full day of Santa and gifts and candy!
Ring dinner at Ballymaloe House. Ha Eun and Gernot invited to this Ring dinner at the Ballymaloe house and we had no idea what to expect. Traditionally the food we get in Ireland isn't the most exotic which isn't a bad thing it just tends to be more traditional and not very different. This dinner on the other hand was very much the opposite. Rosian and her husband Ted put on this affair and it is actually a really good time. We were not expecting it to be like it was and I am really happy that we were invited and went to it. The food was so different and tasty and the atmosphere was cool too...literally it was cold! It was held in a barn which just added to the experience. Oh and in the middle of the dinner I get a call from my dad and I can't actually talk to him because I'm in the middle of a barn in the middle of now where Ireland but eventually I talk to TT and I find out that my dad got married...now imagine that. Anyway, happy for him.
I had my PM course graduation ceremony in December and I was able to talk to one of my teachers about an internship...this is the beginning to something.
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| Lino Christmas Play at school |
Annual cookie making
weekend!!! Over the past 10 years I think Mike & I have been making
cookies for Christmas cookie exchange. Over the last few years the boys
have joined us and it has added a level of entertainment. I don't think
they really get the point of it because we make so many cookies then they only
get a few to eat. They both love to help but I think its the thought of
liking the bowl or mixer after its all done that is the real treat for
them...us too! Lino doesn't understand why I would want to take so many
cookies to work or friends when we could eat them all at home. I hope
over the next few years they will start to understand the tradition and look
forward to it like we do. Hopefully they can help Mike & I stop
bickering in the kitchen on cookie day...I always make way to many batches or
varieties of cookies and Mike is always using every single kitchen utensil or
gadget he can get his hands on and if his recipe isnt followed 110% to the
letter he is not happy and wants to toss the whole batch! I am the one
that is the perfectionist but when it comes to cooking or baking he has to be
exact and I am more like him with my estimations. It is amazing how a
like and different we are.
Preparing for the Christmas gift
suitcase for the KC crew. They are so easy to buy for these days it is
amazing. I don't know what I am going to do when I don't have Tesco right
around the corner to supply me with 10lbs of Cadbury's chocolate or Volvic
flavored water. Everyone loves these 2 things so it makes for a short
list but heavy Christmas case.
Christmas trip to the states! Always a lot of fun to go home and our tradition for over 12 yrs now has been Christmas in NY and New Years in KS. It works out really well for us, especially with us coming from Ireland over. This year Nini & PopPop were a little funny and got Mike & I character pj's...now I loved mine but I a not so sure about Mike. Either way it was a good laugh for all of us and it was a really nice and warm suit for me! Merry Christmas all!!!
For our Christmas gift to each other we decided to go out to a nice restaurant in the city, this year Nini & PopPop got us reservations to go to a place and they gave us a little cash to use...very very nice of them. It is a simple gift but so thoughtful because its exactly what we want to do. We were really obsessed with Iorn Chef so we usually pick one of those chef's restaurants to go to. Since we don't get to have a lot of time in the city we decided to go a little early and get a 'snack' before dinner. First we tried to go to the place where they sell the Cronuts but of course there were none. Apparently they sell out of them after 1hr of opening the shop. You would think they would make more to keep people supplied but I guess there is a little sense of eliteness if you go and can't get it because its sold out. Regardless its a novelty and maybe one day we will try it...maybe not. Since we went all the way to the shop we decided to get something else there. I don't remember it but it was definitely over priced but good...I wold have preferred the cronut! Next on our stop was the best chicken & waffle place in NY...which happened to also have a down right outrageous shrimp & grits. Man this could of been our dinner! We went in there thinking that we were going to share a meal but I wanted the shrimp & grits and there was no way Mike was having any of that (he hates both) so we had to get both...what a great decision!!!! The food was so good it was a shame that we had to go. We had a nice afternoon in the city and our dinner was amazing...but so expensive!!!! |
| Sept 11th Memorial |
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| World 1 building...amazing! |
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| Dinner at Morimoto's Restaurant |
Another nice Christmas present this year was tickets to the Jets game. I remember my first Jets game...well actually I barely remember it because I was scooped up off of the floor and dragged to the game after drinking about 2L of dads wine! It was a good night but an oh so bad morning! Anyway, Lino, Mike & PopPop went to the game and this was Lino's 1st football game so he was super excited!!!! Hopefully the tradition continues...we love football and it is OK to root for the Jets as long as they aren't playing against the Chiefs!
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| Shaun got to go to trampoline park while Lino was at the game |
On to Kansas from here...its always a good time at TT & Uncle Pete's house. This year Uncle Sherman and our godfather Allen decided to join us too so that made it even more fun. Even though our godfather was a lot of work he is amazing and so fitting to be apart of the family. What can I say other than we had a great time with family. We don't usually do a whole lot but just being together, drinking and playing cards is so rewarding I look forward to it as soon as its over. I love these people to death...my crazy family. |
| Karaoke |
This year we did something a little different to end off the
celebrations...we went to paint ball park. It took us what seemed like
forever to find the place but once we did it was on like popcorn!
Everyone is so competative it is crazy...we were absolutly horrible at
it but had the best time ever. Pierre found this place for us and it
was some of the most fun we have had in a long time. It looks to be a
new family tradition for post New Years celebration close out! 
My new tradition with my nieces is to go get manicures! The girls are a little small for this but since I know they wouldn't be doing this on a regular basis I think its a nice treat to do with Auntie when I'm in town. I love the quality time and the smiles on their faces are worth their weight in gold. It is such a simple thing but I think it really is great for them. This year GG and Lino decided to go...well come on down!
After over a year of dealing with ear infection after ear infection and having little help with the system in Ireland we decided to take Shaun to an ENT in Kansas to check out his ears. He had about 4 ear infections over 9-12months and that was just too much...I knew something was wrong or at least there was something that could be done to help him but I wasn't getting any help in Ireland. This is where the social system really doesn't work...the GP's who saw him every time he had an ear infection just kept telling me that this sort of thing they grow out of so don't worry about. I know that they grow out of it but I wasn't going to put him through another year of painful nights because he the system didn't think it was that critical that he be treated. I know that having major surgery at 2 isn't a great thing but I also know that if I don't do something soon that this issue that could be nothing could most likely cause serious hearing issues for him in the long run. I also know that this procedure/surgery is very common in the states and the risk are very very minimal...less than the chances of him loosing hearing by having repeated ear infections. So I would rather put my money on treatment...preventative I know but treatment none the less, rather than watch and see. So we made appointments to see the ENT and we told them our situation so they tentatively booked us in for surgery and everything. After his first visit the Dr could see that he had a small bit of hearing loss but the bigger issue was that he could see that there was fluid in his ears (and he didn't even have an ear infection at that time) so we knew we had to have the surgery. So only 2 days after our first appointment we were in the hospital preparing Shaun for surgery. It was a scary morning but we knew it would be OK. Shaun didn't seem to bothered by it and everyone was really nice so that made it even easier. At the end, he got his tubes in and was awake within 1hr!!!! It is unbelievable to think that after 3 days basically we were able to accomplish more than we would have in 1 yr in Ireland. I love Ireland and I am really thankful for the health care system but this preventative treatment stuff really needs a new look. If they continue to deprioritize minor issues I think they are going to have bigger problems on their hands in the coming years. This simple procedure for Shaun at 2 would be much more invasive and expensive and risky if we had to wait until he was school age to assess if it was needed or not. I love America for that!!!
Shaun's first dentist appointment!!!! He had no cavities unlike Lino who had 2 on his first visit!
Last day in Kansas means we have to take a trip to IHOP for all you can eat pancakes!!! I love this place and it is probably a good thing that I can not endulge in this treat more often. Now, it is a special treat and a sign for the end of a great year. GG has been with us at Christmas for the last 3 years so it is great to be able to keep sharing this memory with her...and her fiesty self!
Continue to Recap Continued Part 2...2016
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