Still trying to find a car & lazy Sunday

Saturday:

Started out the weekend with a great surprise...I thought it was Mother's Day because Mike took the boys this morning and let me sleep in a little. I think I got about 2hrs of uninterrupted, childless sleep! I almost don't remember what that feels like. It was nice. Mike took them out for a walk, changed their clothes (he even put them in clothes that matched!!!) and gave Lino breakfast...what a treat. Lino & Shaun playing when I got up 

So after I got up, we packed up our crap and headed to Middleton for the farmers market. We really didn't need anything but we like to walk around and see what's available...we are also obsessed with these sun dried tomatoes so we get a bag of them at every market we go to. Today we decided to try the brick oven pizzas...there are always tons of people in line for them so we thought we would try it out. While Mike was getting the pizza I went to find us a spot on the grass and saw my friend Loretta!  So we sat with her and talked about cars and how the boys were settling in. Shaun and her youngest daughter we sitting and playing with each other...it was cute. And Shaun kept trying to get her toes, he was determined to get them...he loves toes. Her girls and Lino were all running around while we talked. At first I was looking around for Lino constantly but no one else seemed to be to worried about their kids so I relaxed a little. It's so nice to be able to let the kids run around with a little freedom. I was able to meet Loretta's partner before they headed off to the beach. I told her I thought she was crazy for going to the beach in this weather. I mean it was probably around 65F and super cloudy and they were going to the frigid cold beach...and without wet suits...crazy!  I guess that's what you do when in Ireland but I doubt we will ever be getting in the water without a wet suit...maybe the boys will but we will see. They left and we had our pizza before we headed out to see a car. The pizza was ok but the sausage here is really weird. I really don't like it. Lino got a pizza when we went out to dinner last week and the sausage was really weird there too. And today's pizza just made my stomach hurt. I guess we will have to perfect out pizza dough recipe (actually we need to create a recipe) so that we can enjoy pizza at home. Before we left, Shaun snagged a piece of pizza so I broke off the crust for him to gnaw on and he was so happy...it was like he had won a prize. 

Then we headed to some little town to look at a car. On the way there we were talking about how many people in Ireland have kids with their partners and are not married, but it's such a big Catholic country. I don't get how that can be??  I mean when I think about the states it's not that religious...on average...but most families are married couples with kids. Then there are the other bunch of people with kids and a baby daddy/momma but we aren't talking about them right now. I guess I just wasn't expecting so many people to not be married. Don't get me wrong it's ok with me, I'm just a little surprised. Anyway it was something to talk about on the car ride. Once we got into the town we stopped to get directions and I got something to drink at the gas station. When I got in the store I noticed they had a Pepsi display cooler so I thought I would be able to get Mike a Pepsi Max but to my surprise the entire cooler was filled with nothing but Coke products. So crazy. I know this is Coke country but that's a slap in the face to use the Pepsi display case for mainly Coke products. I knew Mike wouldn't believe me so I took a picture. 

He was so upset, I've never seen him be bothered by something like that before. I had to laugh at him because it was so not like him. I told him that he was starting to act like my old boss who is so brand loyal its crazy. We use to joke about him having pj's and slippers with my old companies logo on them. Now I think that will be Mike. I mean he's been pretty loyal to Pepsi but it never bothered him if something like this happened... actually we would probably not have noticed it. Anyway, it's just crazy. We went to see the car next and it was in decent shape and drove ok but you could tell it had been sitting unused for a while. The inside was dirty too, so weird but normal here I guess. We didn't put an offer on it but we think we might...we had another car to see in Mallow later so we wanted to keep our options open. The people were really nice and friendly too and they had a nice view from their house so we ended up talking to them for a while. Then we headed back to Cork but first stopped off at the house. We wanted to see how to get there from Middleton and it was pretty easy. I guess once you drive around for a while you start to understand how the roads go so its not as confusing as I thought it would be. It's actually kind of funny because I get to tell Mike where to go and how to get there because I've been driving around the different towns more than he has. Plus he has a horrible since of direction so he would be a mess trying to find the house on his own...he would find it I'm sure but it wouldn't be easy. But we found it and sat there staring at it for a few min...we can't wait to get out of this freaking apt and be able to have a little room...soon enough. Then on to Mallow...  

It wasn't that bad of a drive and we saw a nice little town, Blackpool that's not to far from the apt. So much we haven't seen. Once we made it to Mallow we had to find a Lidl grocery store because that's where we were meeting the car people. The GPS was no help but thankfully it was near the city center so we found it. And since we were there I went in to see if they have the salad dressing that we are in love with...we have looked at all the Lidl's we can find and still can't find it. Lino came with me and the first thing he saw was chocolate coated donuts and he had to have one...no need fighting it so I let him get one. Then miraculously I found one bottle of salad dressing...only one...really??? I would have bought 10 bottles if they had it but they didn't...just my luck. Well at least now we know it really does exist and it wasn't just in our welcome package...maybe we can find it in a Lidl near us?  Mike was excited too and in disbelief that there was only one bottle too. Oh well...so we both took a quick spin in the car and we both liked it. It was a little dirty but it just looked like someone was currently using it. They said they would clean it out so that was nice. I think we both agreed that this was a better style car for us so we will probably try to get it. It's always hard to make a decision for us. We will have to call a mechanic to see if they can check out the car before we buy it but otherwise I think we might have found our first car...took long enough. We will probably keep looking on line to see if there is anything else that comes up...just in case this one doesn't work out. Then back to the apt for a few min before dinner. Lino is obsessed with Candy Crush so him & Mike had to get a few games in before they were ready to go. Then dinner at Eco in Douglas. This was a great place, the best we have been to in Cork so far. Even Lino loved it...he had mini burgers and actually at both of them...that rarely happens. I had a steak and Mike had a 1/2 of a duck...both very delicious. It's a little expensive for just a Sat dinner but not too bad compared to some of the places around here.  We will definitely have to make it back there again sometime soon.  And I'm sure the family will love this place when they come to visit too. The only issue is that it's such a small place I don't know if we would all fit in one spot...we will just have to try and see...love this place!!!

After a long day in the car it was nice to be home. Everyone was pooped from being in the car and even Lino was ready for bed so it was a quick and easy bed time routine. 

Sunday:

No one was in the mood to do anything today so not much got done. It was rainy outside so the plans of going to the park were kind of out...at least for the morning. So after playing in the apt for a while Mike decided to take Lino swimming...well Lino insisted on going...he insisted over and over and over and over again :-)   So they went to the pool and Shaun took a 1.5hr nap while I watched a movie...nice mommy time for me. I probably should have took a nap but I wasn't feeling it...I guess I can't complain later about being tired.  Then our Sunday shopping and dinner...we went back to Eco because it was so good. Somehow we were able to get a reservation last minute. I told Mike I didn't think it would be a good idea to take Lino to a restaurant today because he was super pooped from swimming and he didn't have a nap... I just knew it would be a nightmare but Mike thought it would be ok. We took a few sweets with us and the iPad just in case he had a complete meltdown. In the end it wasn't so bad, we made it thru dinner with only a few outburst. Mike got a burger, because Lino's burger was so good yesterday... But there must have been a different cool today because the burger wasn't as good as yesterday but still pretty tasty. I got pasta and it was pretty darn good too. It's confirmed, we really do like this place. Sometimes we feel like we like a place after 1 visit but by the 2nd visit we feel like its just so so...but not here. I think that will be the last time we go for a couple weeks at least but at least we got our fix out of the way.  

End if meal loving...Lino loves his daddy and Mike loves his big boy!

By the time we were all done eating and waiting on the bill Lino was more than done so I had to take him outside to let him run around. So we raced on the sidewalk...one of his and my favorite things to do...especially my favorite because it burns energy for him to keep up with me! So while we were racing one of the taxi drivers in the que (aka line) stopped us to say how fast Lino was going and that he was going to keep me in shape for sure...I couldn't agree more. Then Lino wanted to talk to him about his car, how nice it was and fast it looked...my little social butterfly. After a few more sprints we headed home. My dad finally got the phone we sent him set up to iMessage and FaceTime so we got I chat with him & the gang before putting the boys to bed. 

Another weekend in Cork gone. Hopefully only a couple more weekends in this stinking apt until we get into the house...the countdown might have to start now...I can't wait!