February Catch-Up

[PrincessFiona]

Ok...it's the dead of winter for many of us (and we hate all of you that are wearin t-shirts right now )

What's everyone up to lately?

I'll confess....I actually got out paper/pencils yesterday and plotted my veggie garden for the spring. We're still stuck in a cycle of cold and yuck where warm=30F. The kids were excited this weekend that it was so warm.

Other than braving the cold and driving kids back and forth to school and activities though there is nothing exciting here to report...with the exception that we are also deep into the planning of our Fall trip to Germany. We're hoping to stay for 3 months (sans Thomas who will have to work!) so that the kids can also go to school there. It's been a lot of fun to focus on that and try and see how we can make it work. Interestingly, it's a pretty easy sell for the schools here...and a little tricker with the german schools. They are trying to demand a 6 month commitment....

So what is everyone up to?

Kris

[Vanquisher]

Re: February Catch-Up

I am the job search secretary and recruitment specialist for my husband. I have to laugh at these people who want to talk to the "doctor." Bwahahahaha! Like he has any say? :P

Anyhoo, I have been on the phone nonstop for several days and looking through e-mails and trying to keep all the opportunities straight. I have to say, though, I like this much better than anything else in training thus far. The ass kissing is monumental. I enjoy it. Pucker up, buttercup.

I am also in the midst of making the sweet potato agnolotti with sage cream and brown butter from my cookbook, and I hope to have it finished within the next couple of hours.

Chad is still living it up in Greenville. My crazy-assed, gotta love him, father was here this weekend because he bought a truck in Florida on eBay, and drove through here and stayed for two nights before heading back to Salt Lake. The man truly is nuts, but I love him. On Saturday night he watched the kids and Chad and I got away to our Greenville home away from home and ate at Devereaux's. The head chef there is going to go study under Thomas Keller for a month at the Frech Laundry in a few weeks and talked to me about making the agnolotti. He said it is easier than I think. We had the 10-course tasting menu - the single most expensive meal I have ever eaten, and it was FANTASTIC!!

Wanna hear the menu? Here it goes:

Amuse Bouche - Butternut Squash soup.
Course One: Yellow and Red Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese and Walnut Vinagrette
COurse Two: Tatar of Beef, Cucumber, Lotus Root Miso-Cashew Vinaigrette
Course Three - Grilled Lobster, Vanilla Scented Parsnips, and Almond Milk
Course Four: Seared Chilean Sea Bass, Stir Fry of Vegetables, 5-Spice Consomme
Course Five: Apricot-White Bean Soup, Aged Sherry Glazed Pork Belly
Course Six: Duo of Foie Gras, Pistachios, Pomegranate, House Made Brioche
Course Seven- Breast of Muscouvy Duck, Mishiki Rice Risotto, Kumquat Marmalade
Main Course: Beef Short Ribs, Beluga Lentils, Fennel Salad
Pre-Dessert: Coconut Parfait, Pineapple Salad, Champagne Passion Fruit Gelee
Dessert- Cayenne Spiced Flourless Chocolate Cake, Buttermilk Ice Cream, and Port Cherries

OMG!!!

Ryan is back in baseball. First practice is tomorrow. I also have an appointment at the dermatologist. My skin is horrible right now, absolutely awful.

Residency still sucks, but I am seeing a faint, distant glow of that light at the end of the tunnel. It isn't pitch black anymore.

[DCJenn]

Re: February Catch-Up

Not too much going on here. We're all sick thanks to Nikolai. Rick is gearing up for the oral Boards and I'm just hanging in there with the job/gym/cousin's wedding things.

Nikolai is fine- we played outside all weekend- walked on the Riverwalk and Rick and dude played catch a bunch of times. It was 80ish and sunny yesterday.

We're waiting for the AF assignments officers to figure out where a bunch of our friends are supposed to be going. You'd think it would be logical but not a chance. The Army at least doesn't bother giving you the illusion of choice like the AF does.

I got an email from one of my "True Loves" from college. This guy and I just never got our timing right. I can't wait to hear his saga. He's married and has a step-daughter. He's also military (of course) and we spent one hell of a week together in Germany when I graduated from college (he was a year ahead of me). He and I grew up in the same area but went to different high schools. Funny.

We got our ginormous tax return (paying 4 mortgages will do that) so we're plotting our spending at the moment. It's fun.

Dogs are fine, cats are fine, house is fine (knock wood). Family is fine. Dude and Big Dude are great. I'm finally back to losing these last few pounds. Unfortunately I have had to up my cardio to completely ridiculous amounts- like one hour every day on top of lifting 3x a week for an hour. (and not just an hour of strolling with the dog, an hour of full-on non-stop sweat pouring off misery. Aging, it's not for the weak.)

We have a bunch of stuff coming up, travelwise- bridal shower in MD, wedding in OH, college reunion in MD, nephew's wedding in CA, Boards in MD. It's all fine though. It's all about the people that are important in your life- I'm not wasting any more time NOT seeing people who are important to us.

That's it.

Jenn

[alison]

Re: February Catch-Up

Nothing much here. Just sick of the snow and cold, but it's better this way than hot and humid.

Kris, are you enrolling the older kids in a Gymnasium?
What about the young ones - will they go to Kindergarten? Where will you live? I'm very curious!

[PrincessFiona]

Re: February Catch-Up

Alison...

That is kind of the big debate and why it is harder in germany than in the US...

We're looking at a group of Ferienwohnungen in the area near Thomas' mom. There is one in particular that is owned by a farmer and his wife and 5 kiddos...all around the same ages as ours! That would be the ideal option, I think.

Aidan will go to Kindergarten and Alex to the Grundschule (hopefully the same one that Thomas went to as a boy!!!) but it gets tricky with the older kids and the whole gymnasium snobbery. We're still going to just have to wait and see how that plays out. Thomas is being clear that although we would like to turn this into a recurring thing, we are not looking for an Abschluss of any sort.

Germans are so funny.

kris

Re: February Catch-Up

Plotting out a veggie garden sounds fun! I was hoping to have some raised beds this spring and summer but that might be too ambitious. Maybe some container gardens.

We've had a few dry days here which is really nice.

[Phoebe]

Re: February Catch-Up

We haven't been up to a whole lot. Everybody is passing around a cold. The weather is getting old. We are ready for spring. DH has been working a lot up until last weekend. I went to the kids respective Valentine's parties at their schools. We have had playdates and been hitting the gym regularly as possible.

My grandmother visited us this weekend. She hasn't met DD#3 before and everyone enjoyed it. We are plotting DH's birthday coming up next week. I wanted to send him on a golf weekend, but he wants to take the kids to a indoor waterpark hotel nearby. I think he is nuts.

The pressure for baby #4 has heated up. Not that I feel pressured. We just found out DH's brother/psycho SIL, DH's best friend, DH's other friend and one of my college roommates are all expecting in the next 6 months. DH is gung-ho about our next addition. I just don't know.

I rented a Princess Wii game for the girls since there was no school today. I had to pry them away from it for breaks. OMG!

[alison]

Re: February Catch-Up

Alison...

That is kind of the big debate and why it is harder in germany than in the US...

We're looking at a group of Ferienwohnungen in the area near Thomas' mom. There is one in particular that is owned by a farmer and his wife and 5 kiddos...all around the same ages as ours! That would be the ideal option, I think.

Aidan will go to Kindergarten and Alex to the Grundschule (hopefully the same one that Thomas went to as a boy!!!) but it gets tricky with the older kids and the whole gymnasium snobbery. We're still going to just have to wait and see how that plays out. Thomas is being clear that although we would like to turn this into a recurring thing, we are not looking for an Abschluss of any sort.

Germans are so funny.

kris

But they could go as Gastschueler (not Austauschschueler, because then there'd have to be a switch). I don't see how it's different than when the schools host exchange students, but what do I know? It sounds like a great adventure. you'll have to let me know how it all works out in the end. I'm curious!

Where does your mil live?

[PrincessFiona]

Re: February Catch-Up

She lives in Wangen im Allgau. It's a beautiful area...and I agree about the gastschueler status (though we hadn't formulated it that way and NOW we WILL. Thank you!). Yesterday, I finally said "enough...we're talking about 7th and 8th grade here, not....harvard med school....". Seriously, what's the big deal! LOL

Nellie,

Any veggie garden requests? I can't sent the stuff to you, but I can email you pictures. I'm up for any and all suggestions to fill my wandering mind!

Kris

[Michele]

Re: February Catch-Up

Daegan's been sick and teething...now I've got his funk. Russ has a hectic call schedule coming up so we've been spending a lot of time together now. It's been great! We got a new Wii game and we're playing it non-stop! At least it's entertaining for Daegan to watch. (Zack and Wiki for you other Wii-nies.)

[alison]

Re: February Catch-Up

Yup, try the Gastschueler thing. I was hoping you'd say your mil lived in Hessen somewhere, because I have connections to schools there (my host mother is an administrator for the schools there).

Re: February Catch-Up

Three weeks until the kids' spring break, and dh will be off for all 2 weeks of it! I'm literally counting down the days...24!

Garrison's basketball season is ending soon and baseball practice has already begun. He's playing for his school team and for the first time the boys had to try out to make the team. That was good for some high stress. Garrison had me checking my email numerous times a day to see if the team list was out yet.

Brennan's school held a 5th grade preview for parents to prepare US for middle school. My little Brennan just seems too young for middle school! She just turned 9! Her school begins middle school in the 5th grade. Garrison's school begins middle school in the 6th grade...sooo we'll have two middle schoolers next year (and one preschooler.)

Since Easter is getting close, I've been making lots of monogrammed diaper covers for little girls to wear with their Easter dresses.

Our taxes are done and at this stage of training it's nice to have a refund coming instead of owing like last year. This could go in one of the medical spouse books being written around here...tax help! Beware of the way your spouse is hired for various moonlighting jobs...as an employee vs partner in an llc.

All of the above sums up February, plus this...frozen precipitation and cold.

[alison]

Re: February Catch-Up

How nice, Tara! You've got lots of really exciting things coming up! Congratulations on 16 years!

Have you ever had a dumpster before? Have it parked very close to your house and within your line of vision. Be careful - people will throw their own stuff in there - and what I mean by that, is that people will bring their old couches and fridges and dump their stuff. I had to be such a cranky person.

Re: February Catch-Up

Things are going well here. We booked our Hawaii trip, even though now I'm stressing because all of the tickets for the Jack Johnson/Dave Matthews concert were bought up, mostly by scalpers and they have jacked up the prices so much! I just don't know if we're even going to be able to afford them now. But I am still excited for the trip and glad that we will have that time together.

30 days from today is Match Day! 30 days seems like nothing since I started this countdown around 170!!!

Dh is on cardiology for another couple weeks, then neuro for a month and he is done!

I am trying to plan a party for him after he graduates... the invitation is him in scrubs when he was about 4 years old, dressed up for halloween! It's going to be so cute!

Anyway, I'm just counting the days and randomly looking at houses!!

[Momo]

Re: February Catch-Up

my first post was a PM to Kris...so I thought I'd edit and do one that works for this thread!

My mom is in town for a 3 week visit...she got off the plane w/ the flu!

The baby has double ear infections (I told the NP I wanted to see...sure enough, puss!) You would never have known it...he hasn't been fussy at all!

The older 2 are continually bringing home upper respiratory ickiness for the younger two ugh!

We threatened action against our landscaper unless he returned to finish the job!!! aparazzi: I promise pics when it is ALL done!!

On the bright side we do have the best weather!! :nana: