Monthly Archives: May 2012

Ending the day on a low note…

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This morning I started out positively sad about our pending move. I am ready to dig my heels in and just stay here a little while longer. It didn’t help that it got up to a gorgeous 85 degrees today, nice and sunny with summer right around the corner.

Then…

I have to listen to yet ANOTHER person complaining about how much they hate this base. I am so over it. While we chose to move here there are those people who didn’t have a choice. Or maybe this base just wasn’t what they had in mind. But to LOUDLY complain about practically every aspect of the base, not a good enough selection at the commissary/exchange, not enough for kids to do, not enough child care options, it just annoyed the crap out of me!

We don’t live in America, we live in Spain. There might possibly come a point where you have to pull up your big girl panties and step off base! Amazingly there are stores in Spain that sell food and clothing! Cute clothing in fact! And the complaints you have about having to pay for it in euro? What the hell do you think that COLA is for??? It was just super annoying and I took it personally as I feel like I am a representative of the child care on base and that she was picking on me personally.  Even though she wasn’t, and at this point in time I really don’t care. I think it sad that instead of spending your time enjoying a place that some people save up and vacation to, all you can complain about is how horrible everything is.

And the other day someone told me they hated it here because there was no WalMart. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It. You would rather shop at a trashy big box store (that has a twin here in Spain called Carrefour!!!!) than live here? Is buying stuff, random stuff that you don’t need and are only buying because you are bored, really THAT important to you?

Ending rant now, just had to get that out there. If you are moving to Spain, please be aware that it is a totally different country because apparently there are some people who think it should be ‘little America’. I swear if I hear the phrase “…at our LAST base…” one more time…

Rota Feria

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Last night we hit up the feria in Rota. Lots of yummy food and drinks and we saw half the base there as well! 

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The kiddos at the entry arches. Behind them are the rows and rows of casetas, or tents. Each one is sponsored by a different group and has food and drinks as well as dancing. 

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The same midway as any other fair you may go to full of sketchy games and crappy prizes.  

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And of course tons of rides that have me questioning my parenting skills as I put my children on them!

Speaking of which:

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Oh and this is some shit you ONLY see in Spain:

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One of those rocking ship rides, well here there are cages on either end and the kids that go in jump and hang when it goes up in the air. Insane! And super safe!

Ran into a few of my favorite Spanish ladies:

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Gorgeous Mercedes!

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Miss Ana, I love you!

Food and drink yumminess…

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What does your bar not display fresh produce?

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Riding in bumper cars, I forgot how fun that was. 

 

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It was exactly as much fun as this looks!

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M even gave O some lessons on the little cars…

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On our way out after midnight, it was still packed. And kids were still running around having fun. Awesome.

 

Happy Birthday Makayla!

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Just sending a happy birthday shout out to my daughters best friend, Makayla. She is back stateside but the girls have been friends since they were in diapers. Makayla’s mom and I have been through deployments, pregnancies, and every other thing you can think of!

Happy 10th Birthday Makayla! Hope you have a wonderful day!

M & M best buddies!

We haven’t seen them in a couple of years and miss them terribly, one of the downfalls of being a military family!

All our kiddos together!

Girls, girls, girls

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Why oh why do girls have to be so difficult? For once, I am not talking about my own. While getting ready for bed tonight M came to me and was talking about two of her friends that are pairing up and sitting with each other and not with her.  The seating chart is two boys and two girls per table and she is feeling left out. Now this isn’t the first time (and I am sure it won’t be the last) that we’ve had to talk through these issues. Why are girls so thoughtless of how they hurt each other? 

This is such a difficult age to navigate, girls just get worse from here.  My boring advice as a parent, find another friend. Hang out with someone who wants to hang out with you.  Sometimes the more you try to hang out with someone, the less they want to hang out with you.  We’ve tried telling her that she shouldn’t allow others to dictate how she feels, but she is a delicate flower like her mother. I know how much it sucks to feel left out, it hurts as much at 30 as it does at 13.

I know this is really only something she can work through herself, and I’m hoping by doing so she learns what is and isn’t acceptable behavior from a friend.  It’s hard because as her mama I want to tell her ‘stop talking to those little brats!’ but it just comes with the territory of having a tween girl.