Happy Kids!

We went to Happy Kids again!  Clara had a blast!  I took pictures this time...

Clara crawling up into the playground!

Over, under, over, under...

Mom... keep up with me!

Clara, Braden, and Mallory JUMPING!

Meanwhile, Clara has been becoming very comfortable around the house.  One of her new things is brushing her hair.  She loves to have it brushed by me, but will pick up a brush on her own and start brushing it!

She also decided that my drawers needed rearranging this morning as was kind enough to do it for me...

Around Mannheim!

My one friend here, Juile, took me and Clara out this morning to go thrift store shopping.  She has two toddlers, so the morning is her busy time, which has helped get me and Clara started on an earlier morning routine!  While out, I found TWO beds for Clara.  They are matching, so I figured I should get both b/c they were only 25 Euros a piece.  They are very low to the ground twin size loft beds, so if she rolls off it won't be far.  We need to see about mattresses though, b/c European dimensions may be a little different than US.  Now I have to figure out where it will go!  I will post pictures once Nick gets it put together!

While out I took some pictures!

This our lovely apt. building!  It is a great shade of green.  There are also yellow and orange ones on our street, too!

This is "Freindship Circle".  It is a roundabout between two kasernes.   We live on one side of it, and the hotel, shopping, and work buildings are on the other.  I took a picture to share with you guys because this is where General Patton got in the car accident that took his life.  Apparently, he was in the accident right there and died at the hospital in Heidelberg (about ten minutes away) in 1945!  Looking forward to showing this spot to my dad when he visits in March!

Afraid of getting lost in Germany?  Just look for these signs!  These signs are located on main roads and point you to US kasernes.  All the ones listed there are ones in Mannheim.  The kasernses are very small but there are plenty of them!  We live in BF Village, buy furnitures at Spinelli, have to go Funari to get stuff when we need to repair our apartment, shop at Sullivan, and Nick works at one that is not even listed.  So... there are a lot of them, and they each have a different function!

Driving.... somewhere!  I was told it didn't snow in Mannheim....

Clara in her HUGE coat outside our apartment.

Mega PX!

We went ahead and bought a desk today so that we can leave our computer and phone on.  Otherwise they are both one of Clara's favorite toys! She was really interested in what was going on... She even helped Nick put the desk together!

Today we went to the Ramstein AFB.  It was about an hour way, however with Nick driving on the Autobahn it was about 35 minutes!  I thought the wheels were going to fall off our little Mitsubishi!  Hopefully my car will be here soon!  Anyways, Ramstein has the Mecca of all PXs.  This place is ridiculous.  A regular Army PX is usually just like an old WalMart that occasionally will sell Vera Bradley or Coach.  The PX in Ramstein was literally a mall, it had a Macoroni Grill, a Swarski Crystal Store, Cinnabon, a bookstore... this place was ridiculous!

Anyways,  I took a few pictures of the apartment to show you how it is different!
First is the Kitchen.  I could only get half a picture because there is a door to the kitchen.  It can be shit off just like a bedroom.  Because when the door was open you couldn't open the "pantry" Nick took the door off.  We had to put up a baby gate because someone enjoys playing in the kitchen a bit to much!

The next is the biggest pain in the world! In Europe the have the whole 220v thing!  So, therefore none of our stuff works unless we have an adapter or a transformer...  We have made many trips to the thrift store in hopes of finding 220v appliances.  So far I have gotten a $5 hairdryer and a microwave.  I have been looking for kitchen stuff with no luck.  So, our thinking is that we will just put a transformer in the kitchen and plug what we need into the transformer when we need to use it.  We checked or TV before we came and it should work with just an adapter (a small plug that plugs into the outlet as opposed to a transformer which is the size of a Jack-in-the-Box.  Sorry about the reference.. it was the first thing I saw when I was looking at, as Clara's toys are scattered everywhere b/c we have nothing to store them in!  We have our IPod chargers plugged into them.  It looks silly because it is huge box charging such a small thing!

 

This and that...

Nick has started to learn more about what he will be doing while we are in Mannheim.  As of now he is working in the Plans office for his brigade.  He is working under a major (our sponsor... who is awesome!) and will take over the major's job because he is suppose to deploy soon.  Nick is excited and a little bit anxious.  However this is not the first time he has been placed in a position that is usually held by a higher ranking officer, so I have no doubt he will do a great job.

I have been searching for a job with no luck.  Many of the jobs are contracted out and filled by German nationals.  The school is only hiring subs, and that won't work because of the child care situation.  You have to make reservations at the child care center two weeks in advance, so obviously.  However I think staying at home still won't be too boring.  I have become friends with a wonderful woman named Julie (our husbands will be working together, too!)  and she has shown me lots of different things to do.  She has a 2.5 year old boy and a 4 year old girl.  Her little girl is just wonderful with Clara!  Yesterday she took us to an inside playground called Happy Kids  http://www.happykidsgmbh.de/v02/en/spielplatz.htm  There is an infant section and a bigger kids part.  Clara had a blast in the big kids part (which shocked me!)  She was climbing up the stairs, going down the slides, etc.  Of course I had to climb around with her, but it was a lot of fun!  I will make sure to take my camera next time!  There was mixture of German and American kids, so it was really neat!  I think I may take Clara about once a week.  She literally was not stop in the tunnels for a good hour!  It was great.  The nap she took afterwards was even better though!

Here we have what is called AFN.  Armed Forces Network.  There are no commercials, just public service announcements about the military.  There are also no good shows! haha.  Well, we do get the Daily Show and the Colbert Report a day late.  Which is great because those are probably Nick's favorites.  We also get American Idol the next day too.  So the other wives were telling to me not get online and check to see what happened or it will spoil the show.  Like when every one on FB was talking about Pants on the Ground I had no idea what they were talking about!

We are looking into going on an overnight trip this weekend!  Not sure where yet, but I will take lots of pictures for sure!

Blogging!

So, in an attempt to keep everyone up-to-date while we are overseas, I am going to try to blog!  I think it is easier to use then some of the other sites I have played around with!

We have gotten our small apartment in Mannheim, and currently have a table with 4 chairs, a couch, 2 chairs, a twin bed and a full bed in it.  As well as our items we have been carrying with us in suitcases for that last month and half.  Our STUFF shold be here mid February... by then I won't know what to do with real stuff...

Clara is having a hard time adjusting and has been very clingy.  She can't be more then 2 feet away from or she starts screaming... it makes cooking and showering kind of hard!  Hopefully this is just a phase and it will blow over soon.  MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA is all we really hear right now.  Except for 5 in the morning when she starts yelling for DADADADADADADADA.  As I am typing right now she is screaming because she is not in my lap.  We are definitely taking her to hourly child care on post soon.  Mama needs a break!

Nick bought a car right when we got here.  His European license was still good from when he was over here in 2004.  So we have driving everywhere in our 1997 Mitsubishi Carisma :)  My car should be here in the next few weeks, however I still have to pass the driving test the Army makes everyone take.  Wish me luck.  The driving over here is a little bit different... the person turning right will usually get right of way, crazy, I know.  I am excited to drive 150mph on the Autobahn though!

Since we won't get Clara's furniture for a month, and she refuses to sleep in the pack and play, we were thinking about transitioning her to a big girl bed.  I am concerned that she is so small and will fall out though.  We found a really neat bed at IKEA though.  It is a bunk bed and one of the mattresses is one the floor.  Later this can be turned into a play area or something.  I am thinking about putting her in that and putting a baby gate up at her door.  Something has to give eventually.  Here is a picture of the bed.  If we get it, we will get white though...
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I think it will work!  I hope it will work...

Thats about it for now!  I will try and keep everyone up to date on whats going on with us!  As well as put up some pictures of Clara and our new home!