Europe Here We Come

So Jason and I are off on our much needed vacation. We are so excited we can hardly stand it. The flight over however was not very comfortable. The only plus was that our seats were behind one of the walls of the bathrooms so there was more leg room but the seats were extremely uncomfortable. We did not get much sleep and would not get any until many hours later. We were off and running as soon as we hit the ground in Munich. We took the S-bahn to the Hauptbanhof (the main train station) and caught our train for Salzburg, Austria. Man those first class seats are nice. There was only us and an older English couple in our car. They were very nice and we talked most of the way down there. We talked mostly of politics, it's very interesting how Europeans view American politics. We were constantly asked what we thought of our new president, and I wasn't shy to give them my opinion. When we got to Salzburg we checked into our hotel and then went to find where our Sound of Music tour would start. We found it, and then it was off to get some lunch. We sat at an outdoor cafe, the waiter spoke perfect English without even a hint of an accent but he said he was born and raised in Austria. We then went for our Sound of Music tour with Rosa Maria as our guide. It was just Jason and I so we didn't do much singing. Unfortunately we couldn't spin around a meadow singing about the hills being alive because they filmed that way outside of Salzburg. We did get to see the back of the house where they had lemonade, played ball, and fell into the lake. We also saw the gazebo (which is closed due to to many people getting injured jumping from bench to bench singing I am 16. One guy broke his hip because he was more like 76 going on 77). We also saw the church they were married in which is not as big as it looks in the movie, however it was still huge compared to American standards. The tour also took us to a village outside of Salzburg which had a very fun luge ride with great views. We also stopped at a little restaurant overlooking a tiny village at the base of the Alps, it was gorgeous. We had some amazing Apple Strudel. And even though it was cold we sat outside because absolutely everyone in Austria smokes and I couldn't stand it inside, I'd rather freeze then breath in the cigarette smoke. After the tour we walked back to our hotel and decided to go to an internet cafe to check e-mail and then get dinner. Due to my control issues I wanted my mom to e-mail everyday and give me a step by step run down of how the kids days went. I did not get an e-mail that day which bummed me out. It was really hard not knowing everything that was going on with them. For dinner we decided to get a Donner Kabab from a place called Gyros. So I was expecting an American gyro, oh that was so far from what I got. It had the same meat as a Gyro but it was in a toasted hamburger bun with coleslaw and a sauce that tasted more of mayo than of cucumbers. It was not good. We had eaten back in the hotel room and then finally went to bed after being up for about 24 hours. Boy that bed felt good. Tomorrow it's off to Vienna with a side trip of a boat ride down the Danube.

Duncan's Birthday

Duncan turned 5 yesterday. I can't believe how fast time goes by. Mom and Dad came in on Wednesday for his birthday and to watch the kids while Jason and I are in Europe. We took pizza, Star Wars cupcakes, and a Star Wars pinata to his school for a little party. I think all of the kids had a great time. We went out to TX Roadhouse for dinner and then back to the house for presents. He got a bunch of Star Wars things. The smart mom that I am decided to get all three of them the huge electronic light sabers. I mean really it doesn't matter that the age on the box says 6 and up right? Well there have already been 3 injuries. Aiden was looking down at it while trying to activate it and it shot up and poked him in the chin. Duncan was doing the same thing but it poked him in the eye. And then Aiden was trying to activate his again a little too close to Jason who had a toothpick in his mouth. Needless to say there was a little bit of blood involved in that one. However I think they really like them. Aiden is so funny he has the perfect fighting stance and his expression is hilarious. I'll post pictures when I get them on the computer. Today Duncan had his well check, and well, he's well. Nothing exciting about it. Ran a bunch of errands. I'm looking for a pail to put Jensyn's lunch in for her one room school house camp she's going to this summer, you know like the ones in Little House on the Prairie. If anyone has any ideas of where I can find something like that let me know.

Duncan quips

I just wanted to share a few of the adorable off hand comments Duncan will make. Of course it's a little hard to give them as much justice as they deserve because I can't emulate his expressions when he says these things. Yesterday I told him that I went by Sam's to see if they had any Star Wars cakes for his birthday, I told him that they didn't have any. With the corner of his mouth scrunched up (the way he does when he's coming up with a solution) he said "I know what we can do, we can go down to Walmart, they have everything you would need". And then tonight he had a long glow stick that he had gotten at church and he was whipping it through the air, to make the whirring sound that glowsticks make when their whipped through the air, and he happened to whip himself in the leg. Jason said "doesn't that hurt?" Duncan said "yeah it hurts, but it makes a sound", and that's what's important to a little boy. Believe me these sound so much cuter when you can actually hear the tone of voice and see his expressions. He is probably our most expressive child and I just love the little tidbits of knowledge that come out of his mouth. Stay tuned for more Duncan quips.

Another Saturday

We got up today and drove to Columbus to meet with some good friends, (amazingly Mike went to high school with us, however I didn't know him he was friends with Jason, and now we all live in Indiana). We had lunch at their house and headed over to Chuck E. Cheese's. Jensyn took her punishment very well. She sat in the booth and didn't complain at all. So she'll get off for good behavior. She won't have to stay in her room on Monday or Tuesday. When I was a kid I would badger my Mom until she would give in and let me go play. Hopefully that won't happen in my house. I'll let them off early if they take their punishments well. Jensyn had a birthday party to go to and Jason took Duncan rock climbing as a little daddy-son time and for his 5th birthday coming up on Thursday. He showed me the pictures of Duncan doing it and they were so cute, I'll post them once we get them on to the computer. So another weekend day went by without much getting done around the house. I'm not sure how we're going to be ready for our Germany trip, I have so much to do. So I guess I better quit blogging and try to get some of the instruction booklet typed up for my parents with all the information they need to know about the kids.

My child the bully???

Went to the mall today to find a vacuum. I got the Bissell Pet Hair Erasure. This will come in handy when my mom's dogs are here as they are Springer Spaniels and shed quite a bit. I also got a Star Wars Lego shirt for Jensyn who said she wanted one even though they are boy shirts. She said that one of her friends has a Star Wars shirt and she's a girl. Can't argue with that. When I got home there was a message from Dr. Hamati, who is Aiden's Neurologist. She said that some of the tests have come back from his muscle biopsy and they are normal. We are now waiting for the mitochondrial tests to come back which will take about 6 weeks. I'm not sure what the tests were that already came back, but so far so good.

I'm having some trouble with my daughter. Apparently she's been harrasing one of her best friends. There are three good friends and us mommies will put notes in their lunch boxes every day. One of the girls decided that she would rather keep her notes private between her and her mom instead of sharing them with the others. Well I guess Jensyn wasn't happy with that decision and decided to bully her friend for days to try and get her to share her notes. I am appalled!!!!!! I can't believe this is my daughter, in place of the little girl who was always so compassionate. So she is in major trouble. I have taken away Chuck E Cheese for tomorrow (she will sit and watch her brothers play), and she is grounded for the next three school days. She will come home, do her homework, go to her room, come out for dinner, and then go to her room again until bed. While in her room she will write a long sincere letter of apology to her friend and she will write an essay on how she thinks her friend feels. I also got some books from the library about bullying that she will read. This may sound harsh for an 8 year old, but she's going to learn that what she did was horrible and that she needs to change. I'm hoping she will go back to that innocent, compassionate little girl that she once was, even if I have to beat it back into her :)

Entering the Blog World

So it's my first day as a blogger (as my husband laughs). It was another Wednesday in the Bowman house. Jason and I are getting over strep throat (we feel tons better than we did the last few days). Thank God for antibiotics. As usual I had to rush the kids off to school and then Aiden and I came back to the house to do a little house work, which is pretty much futile with him around. I was trying to get Jensyn's room in order for my parents to sleep in when they come to keep the kids while Jason and I go to Germany and Austria for two weeks. WOOHOO!!!!!!!! The kids went to AWANA tonight and Stephanie was so sweet to offer to bring them home since Jason and I still aren't feeling well. We have such good friends. For some reason Aiden wouldn't go to sleep tonight, it took him about 2 hours until he finally went to sleep for good. I hope he's not getting sick. He's always been our best sleeper. While I was on the computer setting this up I told Duncan he needed to get in bed (which he never does the first time I ask). A few minutes later I went looking for him to tell him to brush his teeth and go potty for the last time and I couldn't find him. I went to Jensyn's room, my room, the bathrooms all the while telling him he was going to be in trouble if he was hiding from me. Low and behold he was actually in his bed. I was amazed. I wish every night was that easy. Of course I felt bad for assuming he didn't do what I told him to do and thinking he was hiding from me. But all of us mom's know that we make these assumptions based on past experiences.

Now I'm going to get on my political soapbox for a minute. You are forwarned. Today was tax day and there are tea parties going on nation wide (I don't think there were any in Bloomington, but I did think about going to the courthouse lawn with a blanket and some Earl Gray). I really hope that it makes a difference, it really upsets me to see how much my children are going to have to pay for all of this frivolous spending. They didn't ask for this, they couldn't vote, yet they will have to pay. So there is my tirade for the day. Jensyn was more concerned with the fact that they didn't have Salisbery Steak when it said they would on the menu.

So now I must go to bed. I have an exciting day of vacuum shopping tomorrow. Oh the life of a domestic goddess, aren't you jealous?