Flavors of the USA

Tuesday, Sarah and I took the girls on a roadtrip to Ramstein.  Jorge printed out directions for us just in case the navi had a hiccup to ensure we had a successful girl's outing. Preparing for the trip, Adeline knew the trip was a big deal because I had made a two column shopping list. The German army checked us in at the military base's visitors center and then we were on our way for a few hours of shopping. 

Entering the main shopping area and seeing the various restaurant advertisements made my mouth water. Our first stop was for a snack break as Adeline wanted a sub from Subway and Emmie a taco from Taco Bell. I could not resist the temptation, so I joined Emmie and had a taco too. After we were reenergized, we walked through the mall to the main store. 

As Sarah puts it, I had perma-grin for the first hour seeing all of the familiar items. She laughed as the girls talked non-stop for the first hour. They would recognize various items we used to have or questioned if we needed them now or if they could have them because they remembered them. While I was answering their questions, the cart was quickly filling up and it was time we checked out. We definitely needed a break after all of the excitement, so Chili's was our next stop. 

The flavors were just what we needed for a taste of the USA. The waiter made us chuckle because he kept referring to us as guys even though we were the only table with girls as we were surrounded by numerous tables full of servicemen. After a satisfying lunch, we headed back home.

On the way, my personal secretary, Adeline, updated my shopping list. While she was reading, Sarah and I laughed because the list consisted of tasty sauces and sweets that can only be found and purchased in the US. The girls caught a nap before we finished up our shopping in Wiesbaden. We managed to get almost everything in the trunk, except the bags with chips and bread. After dropping Sarah off, the girls discussed  our purchases and what we should eat now and save for later.

When I finally had everything in the house, I cleaned off a shelf just for our US goods that will be rationed over the next few months. When it was all put away, I asked them what they would like to eat for dinner. They both exclaimed, "Lucky Charms!" I will not get the Mother of the Year award for letting them have a bowl of it for dinner, but the smiles were priceless as they enjoyed every bite and played the game on the back of the cereal box. The memories of eating American cereal are irreplaceable when it is a novelty.