POD "Now with Finlay in the Picture..."

Are you having a déjà vu moment? Seen this photo before? Maybe you have! Well... sort of...

Finlay and I take the pups for a two mile stroll every morning. One of the mornings this past week I decided, just for fun, to take my little camera with me. I snapped a few pics while we were out and about, and as I was crouching down to take one specific picture, I was like... "hmmmmmmmm... déjà vu". I vaguely remembered taking a similar picture a year or so back, shortly after we first arrived here in Spain.

While downloading the pics, I decided to dig back into my electronic files to see if I could find the older picture. Sure enough! I found them! Two years ago, early June of 2010, I took this picture:
If you've been reading my blog since its earliest days, you may also have caught this post.

Well, we're still taking our morning walks, but there IS one thing different about this year's picture. Thanks to the Finster, we're a bit wider now. Seriously though, you should see us coming down the street. We take up half the road. Maybe I'll invest in one of those "wide load" signs that those trucks have when they're carrying half a house down the highway. ;)

POD "Breakfast for Dinner"

Blueberry pancakes for dinner? Don't mind if I do.

Here in the Thomsen house, the griddle doesn't come out very often. BUT, when it does... it means something YUMMY is heading for the tummy.

PS. If you don't have a griddle and are still cooking breakfast in the frying pan... you are missing out. What a time saver! Cook five pancakes at once! It's one of those small appliances that you may only pull out every four months, but even a few uses a year make the purchase totally worth it!

POD "Cage of Fun"

When you're a stay-at-home mom living in Spain with no help from family... sometimes... you just gotta get creative if you want to get things done.

I give you exhibit A:
How do I keep a high-energy, super social seven month old who hates to sit (even though he can't even stand on his own yet) entertained while I attempt a trip to Ikea? Well, you can do what you want, but this is what I did. Classy right? You should have seen some of the smiles I got from the Spanish. Oh well. This cage of fun bought me 40 glorious minutes of shopping time! ;)

POD "The Old Man Bodega"

What is this you ask? Oh, you know, just the entrance to one of our FAVORITE bars in Rota.

No, but seriously… it is.

This bar, affectionately nicknamed by the Americans “Old Man Bodega,” is a special little spot. (Side note: That is not THE old man standing in the doorway, just AN old man.)

“Bodega,” because it is the only spot in Rota that MAKES its own sherry wine.
“Old Man”, because, well… at any given moment the doors are open you can find at least one, if not a gaggle of old men drinking a glass of sherry at the bar.

So why is it one of our favorites? Well, aside from the above mentioned factoid, THEY MAKE THEIR OWN SHERRY, it has some great tapas. I feel obligated to inform you, however, that the tapas, not unlike the atmosphere and the weathered men silently standing at the bar, are a little rough around the edges. I don’t think the bartender/cook/server behind the counter majored in food presentation. BUT they taste great! A simple slice of fresh bread with hot-off-the-griddle chorizo or pork tenderloin. The best heaping pile of arranque (a veggie and bread based hummus- style dip) in Rota. A mound of fresh langostinos (HUUUUGE shrimp) sprinkled with sea salt. And many more.

Why else? Well, there is some sort of odd satisfaction many of us (and you know who you are) get in finding a hole-in-the-wall place where only the locals go. And this is about as hole-in-the-wall as it gets. There is NO sign. NONE. JUST a garage door that swings open and closed. In fact, shortly after we arrived, we came to this bar with friends and I was unable to find the place the very next day. I was like “Oh, come on! I KNOW it was RIGHT here!” And it was, but how was I to know? All I could see was a garage style door that I assumed was the entrance to somebody’s garage.

Much of Southern Spain is like our Old Man Bodega, and I must say, it is strangely amazing. Walk by at the wrong time… too early in the morning, siesta, a random day of the week the place decided not to open… and it’s just a garage door. What sleepy little town, right? WRONG. Walk by at the right time and the stores, cafes, bars, stands, and windows come to life! There are so many little places that you can miss! It keeps me out there exploring and taking pictures. :)

So anyway, if you ever make it to Rota, ask around about the Old Man Bodega AKA by its real name, Bodega El Gato. Find this little gem, pick any random barrel of sherry on the wall to try, order anything off the dusty chalkboard on the wall… and enjoy!

OOH lastly, I dug up a picture of our FIRST trip to Old Man Bodea from January 2010, the FIRST month we were here! Nothing fancy... just good sherry and good friends. Oh, and sweet florescent lights. ;)

Fin'evision "A Mover and a Shaker"

Ummmm my baby doesn't stop moving... like ever... like only if he's sleeping. IS THIS NORMAL?! ;)

Enjoy my crazy little man being a crazy little man.



PS. This was at 6:30 AM. :)

The Seabee Ball

The 70th annual Seabee Ball was this past Saturday. Sadly, Matty had to work the ball again this year as the planner, organizer and emcee. However, I was SO happy that as my date in his place, I was able to bring my spanish partner, teacher and amazing friend Rocio!

She looked stunning!I cleaned up alright too!Enjoying some tapas, sherry and sunshine during the cocktail hour.Such a great location!The amazing sherry pourer was there again this year! Only this year, not pregnant, I could enjoy a glass!It is the neatest thing to see. He dips his sherry dipper down into the barrel, scoops some out, and then while pouring, brings the head of the dipper probably 2 feet above the glass. AND HE DOESN'T LOSE A DROP! SO cool to watch. Matt standing gaurd over barrels of wine and sherry. Haha. Not really.RIGGED! As you know, Matt both planned and emceed the entire evening, so it looked a little sketchy when his wife's ticket number was called for one of the prizes drawn that evening.Once the ceremony and formalities were over, Matt was able to kick back and have fun with his friends. I'd say some of them had a bit TOO much fun! ;)We were able to sneak a peek in the amazing wine cellar and snag a pic with the endless rows of barrels. It was amazing!
Fin did GREAT with Rocio's mom (his Spanish granny), Matt did awesome as emcee, the whole evening went smoothly, the food was yummy, the wine was tasty, the dancing was silly... what more could I have asked for?!?!! Maybe a little more time with the hubster? Ah well... next time!What a spectacular night.

POD " A Spikey Treat"

Mmmmmmmmm. I’m so hungry after seeing this “stand” on the side of the road selling delicious, delectable, scrumptious… well, I’m not sure. ;)

I THINK they are sea urchins? And they MUST be some sort of prized catch? Why else would you set up a pile of them on the side of the street and stand there all morning selling them?

Aren’t you hungry for this spikey treat?

*** PS. I just spent the morning with my Spanish amiga, Rocio, and she explained to me that these are eaten CRUDO (aka RAW!!!)

St. Patty's Day Challenge

On Saint Patty's Day (I told you I was a bit behind.) Matt and the rest of his wardroom were given a hall pass to spend the morning away from the office and out in the fresh air. As a team, they participated in a St. Patty's Day Irish Challenge. It included various events including kilt relays, log throwing, rock tossing...etc. As you can imagine... it was quite entertaining to watch.

The boys (rather than go for that oh-so-predictable green theme) selected flashy and fabulous hawaiian print shirts. Don't mind the fella in the facepaint with short shorts. He was an extra from another team that slid onto the open spot on team NAVFAC.

Fin (in his own Hawaiian shirt) got to spend a few minutes with Dad.Watching the events...

And enjoying some Ritz. ;)
They weren't the champions... but atleast they had fun. :)

POD "A Hard to Come By Angle"

Today's POD is a bit behind. Ah well. You will have to deal with an occasional tardy due to the fact I am now Trisin + 1.

This is a shot from the weekend before last. Matt, Fin and I went out to breakfast at our FAVORITE local joint (probably the only place in Rota you can get eggs for breakfast... POD of the place to come!) and upon leaving the base we noticed how extremely low the tide was! We decided we'd rush a bit through breakfast and scurry out to the shore to do some exploring.

Upon discovering it was SUPER windy, Fin and I opted to hang out close to the buildings and shore where there was a little coverage from the blasting gusts. Still, there was no stopping Matt, and he ventured off with the camera to check out the rocks. He was able to take a few shots at angles that are probably only able to be captured at low-tide at certain times of the year. (Like the first pic of El Duque, a famous hotel on the boardwalk in Rota... seen... from a football field's length out into the cove!) Nice work Matty!

Ahhhhh Rota. Ahhhh low tide.

POD "Sad Suds"

Today's POD makes me sad. A sink full of bottles. It's a sadness that Matt can't understand. A sadness that only a mother can understand, more specifically, a breastfeeding mother.

For various reasons, I have started the weaning process and we're nearing completion. Today is probably the last day I will nurse Finlay.

Most people can understand the freedom that comes with finishing nursing. Now anyone can feed Finlay. Now I can take longer breaks for "me" time. Now I can drink as much coffee, wine, or beer that my heart desires. Now I can pop a bottle in his mouth wherever, whenever with no concern over who my exposed breast may offend.

Still, what probably only mother can understand,(or a person who is abnormally and amazingly empathetic) is why nevertheless, I am still sad.

So today, during the one bf session I have left, I will hold him close and cherish it. I will thank God that I have been able to BF at all. I will remember how lucky I am to have a baby that is growing strong and eating well and transitioning to the bottle so smoothly. AND,I will be clinging to the hope that I will be blessed with one or two or three more babies to share in this special moment with. Oh yeah, and...I will cry.

POD "Husky Anyone?"

For those of you that are considering getting a husky... just remember this:
They are a lot of fun in the snow, but when springtime comes... count on there being long shaggy hairs on your couches, floors, clothes and food. :)

POD "I'maaaaaaaaaaaa Bug"

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I'm a bug. But I sort of look like a mountain goat. ;)

Found this lil guy hanging out on one of my plants. He can stay... as long as he isn't eating it. But if I so much as see one chomped on leaf... he's a goner.

Conversations With A New Mother

Conversations with a new mother:

Nurse Assistant: Go ahead and step on the scale.

Me: Shouldn't I take off my boots?

Nurse Assistant: Naw, that's okay.

Me: (Pause) They are heavy boots. (Smile)

Nurse Assistant: (Ignores me and looks at his chart instead... probably looking for some sort of previous diagnosis of neurosis.)

Me: (Frowns. Steps on the scale.) Huh. Looks like your scale is a little off.

Nurse Assistant: (Chuckles) Oh yeah?

Me: (Mildly, but internally, irritated) Yeah... and by a little off, I mean it probably should be recalibrated.

Nurse Assistant: (A silent knod and polite smile that suggests he knows better than continue this conversation.) Okay. Let's get your temp.

A Finger Feeder

It all happened so fast. It started last Monday. He's been playing with the little corn puff, melt-in-your-mouth treats for a while. Let me tell you, there were MANY failed attempts to hit the pie hole, but most of the tid-bits ended up scattered all over the tile floor. AND THEN, on Monday, it allllll changed. SUCCESS. Not once, but twice. Over the course of breakfast he awkwardly grasped and landed TWO cereal puffs INTO the mouth. (Probably a 25% success rate for those of you who are keeping track.)

By Friday, I told Matt that his success to failure hit-the-pie-hole ratio had already increased to 75:25. Unbelievable. This kid is a quick learner. Maybe it's because there is food involved? Hey, it worked for Pavlov's dog and those little white mice in the cages with the creepy pink eyes! (But I digress...)

Anyway, by the end of the following week (the day before yesterday)... Finlay was a pro. Well... sort of.

Mmmmmmm! Scrambled egg yolks with cheese!

So yeah, we've got a FINGER FEEDER! :) HOLY smokes, somebody pump the breaks! This kid is growing up WAY too fast.

POD "Wanted: Labrahoover"

Really dogs? Really? There are crumbs ALL over the floor, and I have to SWEEP THEM UP?!!!
You are dogs. These savory morsels shouldn't even hit the floor. They should fall from the highchair and hit drooling, open mouths about 3 inches below. Remind me to invest in a Labrahoover next time around.

POD "Simple but Delicious"

REALLY good Spanish Olive Oil, a little Pampered Chef seasoning, and freshly baked bread... so simple, but SO delicious.

Fin'evision "The Sunshade"

I knew that sunshade would come in handy. How handy? Now THAT, I had no idea.

POD "It's Raining, It's Pouring and Inside is Boring"

What do you do when you have a 7 month old that LOVES, scratch that, EXPECTS to go outside immediately upon waking up from his morning nap... BUT... IT'S RAINING. Clearly he's not going to understand if you, very matter of factly, inform him that going out that day is impossible because of all that dreary wetness.

So what do you do when he starts fussing and whining and staring at the door?!

Here is a recipe for success:

Step 1: Dress whiny worm warmly. (You may need a sweatshirt too.)
Step 2: Layer tile floor with towels (they may get a smidge wet).
Step 3: Reposition toy selection to space near door.
Step 4: OPEN said door.
Step 5: Plop child in front of door.

Finished result should last approximately 10-15 minutes, which buys you just enough time to write a blog, in a few Pinterest items, or make sure you haven't missed anyting on Facebook. :)

Mommy's Night Out!

On Thursday night, Matt came home from work and took over Finlay-land while I hustled to get myself all fancied up for my big night out. That's right! Matt played daddy-daycare while I got a chance to take a shower, apply make up, get dressed up, and enjoy some drinks and food with friends! I was a little bit nervous leaving Finlay, but I knew he was Matt, so he'd be okay. It made my evening THAT much more stress-free when Finlay showed signs of exhaustion and I was able to put him to bed before I even left! Yahoo!

Anyway, my friend Alicia Olsen and I (also flying solo that evening because her husband is away) thoroughly enjoyed our time at this year's Dining Out. I was able to relax, unwind, and enjoy the laughs and silliness that a typical military dining out entails. Fin slept good for Matt, and although by the time I got home and got to bed, I only squeezed in about 4 hours of sleep... it was all worth it!