"Houston, we have lift off"

Well - after much guessing and trying to figure out where we could possibly be going - we found out yesterday in front of the rest of Nathan's piers and their family and friends that we will be spending our first two year assignment in Bratislava, Slovakia. We had bid it high but honestly didn't give it much thought because it is such a crap shoot as to where you will be assigned and on the bid list there are some great places but a lot of places one might bid medium and a lot one would bid low.

When we met with our CDO (career development officer) a few weeks ago she told us that where would be assigned would essentially come down to luck. When she said this, my stomach just kinda dropped because Nathan and I haven't traditionally experienced a lot of luck. I'm not saying we are not blessed because we are - we have a lot and for that I am truly grateful. I am talking about pure luck such as winning a game when playing with friends, winning the car or the vacation for two when you purchased one raffle ticket for $1 or getting a promotion at work when you've only been there for a year - that kind of luck, we are not so good at attracting. So honestly, when we talked about where we would be going, I was prepare for some crazy, off the wall place where there would be an element of some danger and a warning to not, at any cost, drink the water.

Imagine my surprise when they said "Slovakia, Bratislava, ... Nathan Ringger"! I was excited but admittedly knew nothing about this post, not even where it was located. When I saw how happy Nathan was, I knew it was a good thing and then when this nice lady sitting next to me looked notably disappointed and said that's the one they wanted, I thought it was probably a very good thing. From what I have researched so far, it is an hour drive from Vienna and is four hours from Germany. We can fly for $50 to many countries in Europe. This is so surreal to me. I can't believe my kids will be raised at least for a little while in Eastern Europe. When I was in college, I thought it sounded so cool to backpack through Europe, who knew I would one day live there with my peeps. Unreal!!

I know there will be lots of growing pains and difficult moments a head, but for now I am just so excited. We will move to our post in September of 2011 which is fantastic because we are on a great rotation considering we have kids and they won't have to move during the school year as we move from post to post.

Nathan and I feel like we can breath a sigh of relief because we no longer need to worry about feeling like our life is so up in the air. We have a plan!! Yea. Life is stressful until Flag day because all you think about is the "What if" scenario. I feel bad for those that didn't get anything they wanted and especially for those who got Mexico. All I can hope for is that you will get your dream post after this one!! So I guess I will be going to language classes with Nathan beginning February and learning Slovak (I am sure to use this language the rest of my life). Heaven help my instructor.

These are images I snagged from Google. Apparently this is a picture of old town Bratislava.

Bratislava is located between two rivers and many people who have been there have said it is beautiful. From the looks of these pictures, I would have to agree. Oooo - it even looks like they have a river boat cruise, now you're talkin'!

The Skinny on Crystal City Oakwood

I decided to post the 411 on living as a family of five at the Oakwood in Crystal City. Prior to your move, the State Department gives you a list of Oakwood properties at several different locations and it is hard to know what ones are better and why. I would have loved to find out any information I could so I thought I would throw my two bits out there and see if it helps anyone in cyber world.

When we got the list of Oakwood properties, we knew without having to think very hard, we wanted Crystal City. Reason? LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! It's right in the middle of Crystal City, which is located in Arlington. We are two blocks away from the only Costco in Arlington (any family of five must have the capability to purchase ginormous grocery's and 25 rolls of toilet paper at once), three blocks away from the library, park and mall (Nordstrom for the ladies, Apple store for the men, food court for the kids). Best Buy and Nordstrom Rack are adjacent to Costco across the street. There is a Harris Teeter within walking distance as well but I hear that it's a more expensive grocery store so I usually hit the Shoppers grocery store once a week that is two miles away and near a Target.

The biggest benefit is the Metro right underneath our building - you don't even have to go outside to get your ride on! The Smithsonian is about 10 minutes away on the metro and so slick to ride - even with three kids and a super-sized stroller (however I do recommend not going during rush hour - you will enjoy your ride A LOT more). There is a Rite-Aid in the basement/Crystal City Shops and let me tell you, I had no idea I would ever buy as much as I do at a Rite-Aid. They have basic groceries (no produce) and milk. It's amazing what you can find there. Coming from the land of Wal-Mart, Super Target, Sam's Club and Costco- It has literally been years since I have been in a legitimate drug store but, they are a-okay with me. I even have a frequent shopper card!

The park is great for basketball, tennis and basic running around. The Mount Vernon trail is two blocks away (I know I keep saying that but we really are located right in the middle) and you can run/bike into D.C. or out to Mount Vernon if your little heart so desires. The Pentagon Row outdoor ice skating rink just opened up for the season so have no fear you ice divas out there, there is something for you too! There are a ton of dogs all around Crystal City so if you have a four legged friend you desire to bring with you - they will be loved and admired by all (unfortunately I can't say that about kids - people are not fans of kids around here). There are a total of 17 floors in the building accessed by three elevators complete with an Oakwood employee that sits at the front desk to answer any questions and to receive packages (yes, just like the movies).

There are many, many restaurants within walking distance and an especially delicious Kabob place that is open 24 hours (even tho I may not go there at 3am, I just love knowing that I can)!! A fantastic pizza delivery restaurant that you allows you to place your order online and they deliver right to your door - you don't have to talk to anyone and if you include a 20% tip with your order, the delivery person drops it off and and runs - he doesn't linger, hinting for more money. Very great pizza, very great service. We also order from Potbellies, located in the basement, and then pick it up when our order is ready. Great for a week night when you don't want to cook and you don't want to drag the fam to a hectic dinner out. I could go on and on about the restaurants but this gives you the idea that you will not starve while you are here.

Talking about food leads me to my next subject - working out. There is a gym in the Oakwood with a few treadmills and weights. It is what you might expect to see at a hotel - decent but not lavish. I quickly located a gym to join that is again, about 2 miles away and very easy to get to. It's LA fitness and it is brand new and very beautiful. They have a small daycare that is great for toddlers but not a viable option for anyone over 4 simply because they may get bored. Now that we know where we are going, I plan on joining the gym and trimmin' some of the A-100 5lbs! Vacation mode is over, time to settle in for the long haul seeing as how we won't be out of here until September.

This brings me to the whole elementary school situation. My kids attend Oakridge elementary which is a boundary elementary school and happens to be ranked higher than the other elementary schools nearby. School begins at 9:00am and goes until 3:36pm (early out day on Wednesday). My children ride the bus so they get picked up at 8:40 and dropped off a little after 4:00pm (bus stop is nearby but kids must cross a very busy road, I always walk with them). This is a long day for the kids but it is what it is. Apparently they have before and after school programs for elementary kids whose parents work but you pay for these and I don't know much about what happens there. If this is something you might be doing, rest assured that many kids participate in this and your kid will not be the only one in their class going early or staying late. The principal does not answer emails very well, if at all, but look on the school website, or call ahead to talk to the school Registrar and figure out all the paperwork you need to bring in order to register your children. Let's just say it is very handy the State Department makes everyone get physical exams with TB tests as well - very handy indeed as this is a requirement for anyone entering Arlington Public School System. The school is very used to kids moving in and moving out that the teachers are extremely accommodating. Very pleasant and happy to work with your child in whatever way necessary. Our son was in a gifted program in Utah and I am sad to say the gifted program is not as great here but we are making the best of it and his teacher is trying to challenge him where she can so I am not worried about it at all. Very Very Happy!

Much to our sadness, the pool here is an outdoor pool so we can't wait for the summer time to bust out the swim toys. We have gone over to the adjacent Marriott and gone swimming in their pool but it's not that big and you have to walk through their conference room area so it's kinda awkward trapezing through a sea of business men and women with three kids in swimsuits and flip flops on. There is also a life guard on duty that has to watch the pool at all times and when you are the only family they have seen in two days, you feel quite literally like a fish in a fishbowl.

There are really no negatives to living here but I am generally not a negative person and who can be negative when your housing is paid for? I mean honestly - I am not going to complain (very much). We are in a two bedroom that is small but has ample closet space. We even have a small walk-in closet in the master bedroom that a crib fits perfectly into so we are not able to fit any clothes in there but hey, Jane has her own room which is huge to us! (two bedroom turned three). Jackson and Audrey have a room they share together with two twin beds and I wish they had bunk beds because it would really free up the floor space but I don't even know if that would be an option here. The Oakwood always addresses any maintenance issues right away and the maid that comes in once a week makes everything look beautiful (until real life destroys it).

The building is pretty old and not like in a cool George Washington era kinda way, more like a Regan era kinda way. It has dated cupboards and furniture but it is clean and they just replaced my dishwasher yesterday so that's something anyways. Oh, and it comes with a fica tree that we may use as our pseudo Christmas tree this year (I can't bear to bring in something that will take up more space, like a bushy, needle-dropping tree).

Hopefully this will help some of you future State Department FSO and EFMs out there. You are welcome to email me with any specific questions. If you are a family with kids, please, please come to Crystal City! My kids want lots of friends so the more, the merrier!

Humility

Today was my birthday. I don't like this day. Every year I get one year older and discover a few more wrinkles that will be deeper by next year. Each year I pretend it doesn't matter - that my husband and children are the real gift but I honestly don't think I would mind the crazy surprise of say a really expensive pair of boots or the amazing bag I've only admired in the shop window knowing if I got close enough to smell the leather, it would forever linger in my nostrils and make me want it that much more.

This year my kids brought me breakfast in bed complete with a can of Diet Coke. They poured the cereal themselves and were so proud of their accomplishment and I love that! Audrey made a sign to let everyone know it was my birthday.


I think when your kids are little there are many opportunities to feel personal embarrassment. An example of this might be when your kid hits another kid on the playground or when they scream extra loud in the grocery store "You're HURTING ME!" and everyone thinks you're some crazy child abuser when in actuality all you're really trying to do is secure them safely to the shopping cart by buckling the seat belt! Or perhaps the embarrassment one might feel from a child simply making a sweet and loving gesture by attaching a sign with your ACTUAL age on it for all the world to see.

Yes, these are moments that might cause our face to redden and our hearts to beat a little bit faster. However, it is these same embarrassing moments, in addition to the countless others, that compound upon one another and cause us to be de-sensitized to personal embarrassment. What kids don't realize is that they are only hurting themselves because by the time they get to high school where image is everything - we parents have TOTALLY forgotten what that ever felt like. We have endured total humiliation so many times that we are completely comfortable with it and we no longer realize quite literally, "what is the big deal?"

So as I watched my lovely daughter attach this sign to our apartment door with a beaming smile and inside my head I'm screaming, "NO,NO, NO!", I calmly smiled at her and thought, "one day, I will pull up to your high school in some beater of a car and honk seven times for you until you finally jump in and I will not even be embarrassed because I no longer know what the feels like."

Day at the Museum

On Tuesday we went to the Smithsonian because the kids had Tuesday off (happy election day to me!). Since we live in Crystal City we just walked down stairs and took the metro to the museum - isn't that cool? It was a little tricky maneuvering the stroller on the escalator but I think I've got it down now. (Hopefully I'm not jinking myself by saying this!)

It was a little chilly but it was beautiful outside. I love spending time with the kids and they had a blast. Audrey had to walk a lot which was a challenge for her but she pulled through. It's a lot of fun riding the metro but it can get really crowed during rush hour so I made sure we didn't get stuck in that crowd.



We went only to the Museum of Natural History on Tuesday since every museum in the Smithsonian is GIGANTIC and can be a lot to take in. Once we walked in, I let Jane out of the stroller and she began running around like crazy and yelling "Audrey, Look!" Since we have moved, they have gotten so close. This is a bonus for me however, I can't trust Audrey to take full responsibility of Jane yet considering that Audrey can wander away from me at times and cause me to run around like a crazy, panicked mom worried she was carried away by some pedophile (this actually did happen and museum staff was involved in the perp hunt, Audrey was found and of course - had no idea she was missing. All I can say is BANANAS!)


Lucky for us, it was free admission to see the butterfly room. This would have cost us $26 so huge "ca ching" for me! It was amazing and the two older kids stayed in there forever. When we first walked in, a butterfly landed on Jackson's head and stayed with him the majority of the time. It was a fun thing for him since the night before he had been crying because he was missing his friends and Utah. He had such great friends so I can imagine how tough it must be for him. I moved from Montana to Utah when I was in the fourth grade so I can kinda relate but all in all, the kids have been amazing with the transition. They have made friends at school pretty easily and hopefully we can end up in an area where they will have friends nearby. Jackson's teacher just loves him so that can help in how you are perceived by your peers. Audrey moved back one year to first grade and is doing really well. I wanted to do this forever but Draper elementary thought I was nuts for wanting to do this. Oakridge (where the kids go now) thought I was nuts for wanting to do this but did it any way without any hassle and it has been so perfect for Audrey. She is just a natural leader in her class and has friends like crazy. I love that about her. She just told me that she was absolutely going to second grade next year and I told her I agree.

We weren't able to see all the exhibits just because we got tired but we did not miss the most eye-catching of all. Can you guess what this is?

That right! It's crochet and knitted coral reefs. Crazy right? Oh, I so don't spend too much time on my own hobbies....There were about 8 of these in different colors and arrangements. Creating this would drive me to crazy but then again, maybe you have to be crazy to create this. Hummm, food for thought. For some reason, it made us laugh but I truly admire the work.

And last but not least, I have to show Jane in her light up, plastic high heals. She is obsessed with shoes and loves this new pair I recently bought her. Audrey keeps trying to steel them which angers Jane to the 10th degree but I have a feeling that this fighting over clothes is only the beginning. (I know, what is up with the Binky right? I just took her whole world from her, if the Binky makes her happy, then so be it - I am positive she won't need it by the time she gets to college).