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Lessons of the Season
Well Summer is here! The calendar doesn’t affirm that but the weather, sun and laughter sure do. We upgraded our Intex ‘blow-up’ pool this year after trying to fill last year’s pool and finding /multiple/ holes. (It was two or three years old so quite possibly the holes were inevitable from all the fun ‘n sun of years past!) This year’s pool is 15 x 42 and quite possibly the PERFECT size for my fish… ahem, boys, ages 5 and 7. They can actually swim if they want to and stand up at any point. There is a certain feeling of safety for them that encourages them to swim harder,…
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The Land of Fire and Ice Disrupts Air Traffic – DoD Roundtable
We were stationed in Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, for almost three years and saw the island at its best and worst at times. It was windy, cold, dark in the winter, required handrails on sidewalks due to ice and wind but it was a great tour! The people were helpful, liked Americans and treated us well. The land was always exciting with new adventures to see such as waterfalls, geysers, hot water lakes (such as the Blue Lagoon), beautiful geothermal heated swimming pools and much more! We visited Vestmannaeyjar (the home of Free Willy fame) and the ground was so hot in places the locals claimed they…
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Perfect Pasta and Fish
These fish recipes are just swimming around my head today! I have posted quite a few. But, one is just better than the next… until I go back and think… that is the one I want. They just swim past each other!I love the look of a good dish! This Pasta and Fish dish uses shells as the starch, and is so good!Serves 61 1lb box of shell pasta1/2 c chipped onion1/2 t dried basil2 T olive oil1 envelope of spaghetti sauce mix32 oz canned tomatoes1 lb fish fillets, solid white fish, cut into cubes1/2 c Parmesan cheese8 oz mozzarella cheese Cook shells according to box directions until just al…
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Summer Jobs
Summer has arrived at the Kocsis Household. It may not be summer on the calendar but school is out! The kids are sleeping in (well the teenager is anyway), staying up late & enjoying every moment in between. I remember these days as a child. The monotony of school was broken with the excitement of summer. I have clear memories of swimming at the base pool, having to pass the test to dive off of the diving board; taking our bikes to the shoppette to buy candy; playing on our slip and slide in the backyard; or jumping off the deck (as a teenager) to land in a little kids…
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Routine
First of all I want to announce we have a winner! Fellow Army Spouse, Sarah, is our winner. She is a Family Newsletter Subscriber AND as an added bonus she is a fellow Twitter-er. (Do you twitter? @MilAve_Leanne) Congratulations, Sarah! We hope you enjoy your new iPod from MilitaryAvenue.com and USAA. Our next drawing for ‘Rockin’ the Avenue‘ will be around May 1st. Join. Subscribe. WIN! And now back to our regularly scheduled reading material… Routine… it is what keeps me going. Two days a week my preschooler goes to child-care, two days a week he goes to preschool. Thursday is “our” day, we change sheets & do laundry and…
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National Support Services for Military Spouses: Short List
Do you feel like you are ‘out there’ alone? Think that no one knows the craziness that is going on in your life? Do not rest on those thoughts. Take action and seek information. Take it on as if you were taking on a new project. The military ‘name’ every endeavor that they set out to bring into action. Name it! Easy to write advice when my mind is clear and I am not swimming nose deep in newness. However, there are support sources for you. Besides looking only locally, it is a good to recognize that there are National Support Services for Military Spouses. Here is a list of…
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Swim Lessons
We had our VERY first swim-lessons on Saturday. I was taking advantage of our new YMCA membership & wanted to get my water-loving, but non-swimming boys enrolled in swim lessons. *E*, 6 years-old was very excited. *C*, 3 years-old was a little timid but a little excited because big-brother was excited. Once we were to the Y *C* declared right-away he was “not going in the big-pool”. Sigh… I was glad that *E*’s lessons started 15 minutes before his, in hopes he would see his brother in the pool and get over his fear of non-baby size pools. They called *E*’s class to the pool. There were three boys, the…
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A Ball of Mixed Emotions
I am lost in thought this week as my sweet *E* is off to kindergarten the last week of August. I always thought I would be ready to kick him out the door but somehow the closer we get to *the big day* the more reflective, and a little sullen, I feel. He is my oldest; although my 14 year old step-son is our oldest. I feel like I am crossing into new territory as *E* crosses the bridge of preschool into public-school. So as our summer vacation winds down on Monday & Tuesday we took a quick ‘road-trip’ out to my parents house. They live far enough away that…
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A is for April… every Military Child gets an A too!
April is just jammed packed with action. It is after all the month of the Military Child: right there my mind is racing through pictures of friends, their babies, my babies… and my babies’ babies. Whoa… better stop. April comes in like a lion… and out like a lamb. April Fools. April showers bring May flowers. They all relate to those military children: Hear the roar of their excitement, patriotism, experience and networking friends. See the shy sheepish look as they once again enter a new school building. But don’t forget the warmth of their smiles! Catch that glimpse of a sparkle in their eye when they realize the new…
