There are times in my life when everything is roses and sunshine. There are other times when I am certain that the universe is having a grand ol' laugh at my expense. Do you ever feel like that? Well, as much as that would suck for you, I hope that you do. I would hate it if I'm the only one the universe is laughing at.
So last week was our special needs support group meeting. I was super excited to go! I even baked like 4 dozen cookies for it because that's what happens when I'm excited (well, excited, stressed, angry, sad, pick an emotion). I bake.
I picked up the kids and got everything ready - grabbed our cookies, some "driving snacks" for the kids, their homework, a change of clothes for the mister and headed out the door. And yes, I remembered to check that I had all 3 kids with me in the car. We drove 45 minutes back to the base they had just come from. I pulled up to the gate on the base, reached next to me in the seat and went "oh sh*t!" when I realized at that very moment that my purse was sitting on the counter in my utility room...you know, along with every picture ID I have that verifies my identity. (Epic fail)
Eventually I get a hold of Brian and he comes off base to meet me and take us all the way around to the visitors center to see if they can work their computer-type magic and verify that yes, I am me, an no one else. But. Their computers were down so no dice. (Ugh!!) I changed cars with Brian, because our van needed gas, and I took his car back home. Two minutes into my foray back home, the GPS falls off the windshield and ends up in the passenger seat floorboard where I can't reach it. So now I am driving on a road I don't know and it's pitch black and pouring down rain so I can't see anything - including the road signs. As I'm mildly panicking about how I'm going to get home I hit the world's largest pothole and a case of Guinness (the cans with those CO2 balls in them) exploded in the backseat. (And I'll go ahead and tell you that I was already so stressed that I would have sworn someone shot at me).
It was a weird, weird day.
So jump ahead a week. A week, to the day, actually. I will spare the long, drawn out story of how I had to listen to my refrigerator sound like a dying cow all day. It's not broken. I think it was just in mood. Or maybe it's the fact that it was Thursday. Maybe Thursday is "sound like a dying cow" day. I don't know. But the crazy part....And I hope you're not eating. If you are, please stop. I wouldn't want you to choke.
Brian comes home from work and tells me we got packages (Yay!) and I got one from someone named "Maurice". I was all "Maurice?? Do you mean Maurices? That's a store, not a person. I didn't order anything from them though." I grab the package and, sure enough, it's from Maurices. I am now very confused because, like I said, I didn't order anything. I opened it anyway.
There was a form in front telling me that they're returning my return because they can't accept it at this time. (Did I already tell you that I didn't order anything? Well I didn't return anything either.) So now I'm super confused. And I start unwrapping all the stuff in there.
- 3 red microfiber pillow covers from (what I think might be) Germany. The wording looks German and the price sticker is in euros.
- 12 packets of some super-sugary-vanilla smelling powdered pudding-type stuff
- 1 broken mini camera tripod
What.The.Hell.
Their customer service has no idea. I have no idea. But for serious y'all, if next Thursday is filled with crazy, I'm going to hide. I'm going to find a nice little cave and not come out for awhile. My sanity needs to remain intact y'all.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
A Year in Review (with lots of pictures)
A few days ago I got an email about things we have coming up for the girls in the world o' Girl Scouts and it hit me that it is almost the end of January. That kind of caught me off guard. And then I realized that a year ago right now we were getting everything ready for the movers. In fact, Friday will be 1 year to the day that the movers came to pack up our stuff and ship it across the pond.
That just blows my mind. This year went by fast. So in honor of that, I thought I'd look back over the last year - the good, the bad, and the crazy.
A year ago, we said goodbye to Florida - our home (for better or worse) for the last 9 years. It was bittersweet knowing it would be a while before we were back again.
We watched movers come and wrap, box, and generally pack up every single thing we owned and said goodbye to our home.
We moved through 4 different hotels (one of which I was pretty sure hadn't been cleaned or occupied since 1973 and was prime real estate for very bad things to happen). And then we eventually said tearful goodbyes to our friends and family, and the friends who had become family.
We boarded what would feel like the longest plane ride in the history of ever...
...And came out feeling very tired, a little grumpy, and pretty hungry.
We were more tired than I thought was humanly possible. And spent almost a week trying to teach our bodies that 3 or 4 am was most definitely not bedtime....
We learned to drive on the left side of the road (and the right side of the car) and figured out that "mind the ditches" was serious business.
We tried very hard to understand everyone because even though we're all speaking the same language, it just didn't feel like it. We were appreciative of the locals who were patient with us when we asked them to repeat something at least 3 times, and then still weren't sure what they were saying.
We learned to negotiate a whole new school system & got the kids enrolled in what has become the most amazing educational opportunity for them.
We explained to them that things were different here, and if they ever had a problem (like getting lost) to find the nearest military building and tell an adult they needed help. It was a conversation I would later regret when, on their first day of school, I was a few minutes late getting to their bus stop, they panicked and went to the BX where the base cops were called.
After many painstaking hours on the phone with British letting agents (aka realtors) we found a house. One that I fell in love with and was 100% positive was perfect. ....Well, until the utility door fell apart the night we moved in, and the upstairs bathroom started leaking 2 weeks later. And realized that we were sharing our house with hoards of roly polies and spiders. LOL
We learned to enjoy the pub with all the crazy that goes on there, especially during football (aka soccer) season. And we also learned you don't order hamburgers here unless it says the meat is "certified beef".....Yeah....
We have explored our local area...
...And found out all about market days.
We learned that it is a lot colder here than it was in FL. We learned that jackets, coats, and windbreakers are not interchangeable. And you will need all 3 of them living here. And wellies (aka rain boots), we can't forget those. They are a must as well.
We also learned that umbrellas in the States are much larger than here in the UK, and Brits don't really appreciate them at all.
We had our first snow...followed quickly by our first snowball fight and first snowman.
And here we are a year later...
We have become accustomed to the local accents (though I still don't understand Brummie or Scouse at all). We don't even have to ask people to repeat themselves anymore. In fact, we're so used to the British accent it's surprising when we hear American ones. We are even getting used to the different words they use.
We have learned that trainers are really tennis shoes (or sneakers, whichever is your preferred word) and plimsolls are athletic shoes. That lorries are delivery trucks, and jugernauts are really 18-wheelers. A breakfast sandwich is a biscuit (to us), while a biscuit (to them) is a cookie. Chips (to them) are actually french fries, while chips (to us) are called crisps. A chemist is a pharmacist, and a solicitor is a lawyer (well, I actually learned that one in a book). Queing up means to line up. A dust bin is really a garbage can and a skip is a dumpster. And it is illegal to "fly tip" (which means leaving large items on the side of the road for the refuse pick up...or trash day really...you know like we do on State-side bases LOL).
We have gotten used to the cold, even though I never thought we would. When we first got here, it was not uncommon for us to have on 2 or 3 layers of clothes and our "FL coats". And now, a year later, we are fine with a short sleeved shirt and a jacket (and sometimes sandals) when it's 37 degrees outside, though we don't actually do that often.
We have learned to automatically convert the price of something from pounds to dollars in our head, so we're not shocked by our bank statement every month.
We have met new people and made new friends, some who have already become family.
We have learned to love the differences. We're a third of the way through this tour, with no way of knowing where we'll be headed next, and that's kind of scary. There's still so much to see and so much do. The sad(ish) part is how much we miss everyone. The time difference sucks, and the price of airfare sucks. But as with so many other things here (like internet speed and cell phone services), we're learning to deal with it.
That just blows my mind. This year went by fast. So in honor of that, I thought I'd look back over the last year - the good, the bad, and the crazy.
A year ago, we said goodbye to Florida - our home (for better or worse) for the last 9 years. It was bittersweet knowing it would be a while before we were back again.
We moved through 4 different hotels (one of which I was pretty sure hadn't been cleaned or occupied since 1973 and was prime real estate for very bad things to happen). And then we eventually said tearful goodbyes to our friends and family, and the friends who had become family.
We boarded what would feel like the longest plane ride in the history of ever...
We learned to drive on the left side of the road (and the right side of the car) and figured out that "mind the ditches" was serious business.
We tried very hard to understand everyone because even though we're all speaking the same language, it just didn't feel like it. We were appreciative of the locals who were patient with us when we asked them to repeat something at least 3 times, and then still weren't sure what they were saying.
We learned to negotiate a whole new school system & got the kids enrolled in what has become the most amazing educational opportunity for them.
After many painstaking hours on the phone with British letting agents (aka realtors) we found a house. One that I fell in love with and was 100% positive was perfect. ....Well, until the utility door fell apart the night we moved in, and the upstairs bathroom started leaking 2 weeks later. And realized that we were sharing our house with hoards of roly polies and spiders. LOL
We also learned that umbrellas in the States are much larger than here in the UK, and Brits don't really appreciate them at all.
We had our first snow...followed quickly by our first snowball fight and first snowman.
We learned that the British tube (or subway) is no joke, and always wear good walking shoes in London.
We have become accustomed to the local accents (though I still don't understand Brummie or Scouse at all). We don't even have to ask people to repeat themselves anymore. In fact, we're so used to the British accent it's surprising when we hear American ones. We are even getting used to the different words they use.
We have learned that trainers are really tennis shoes (or sneakers, whichever is your preferred word) and plimsolls are athletic shoes. That lorries are delivery trucks, and jugernauts are really 18-wheelers. A breakfast sandwich is a biscuit (to us), while a biscuit (to them) is a cookie. Chips (to them) are actually french fries, while chips (to us) are called crisps. A chemist is a pharmacist, and a solicitor is a lawyer (well, I actually learned that one in a book). Queing up means to line up. A dust bin is really a garbage can and a skip is a dumpster. And it is illegal to "fly tip" (which means leaving large items on the side of the road for the refuse pick up...or trash day really...you know like we do on State-side bases LOL).
We have gotten used to the cold, even though I never thought we would. When we first got here, it was not uncommon for us to have on 2 or 3 layers of clothes and our "FL coats". And now, a year later, we are fine with a short sleeved shirt and a jacket (and sometimes sandals) when it's 37 degrees outside, though we don't actually do that often.
We have learned to automatically convert the price of something from pounds to dollars in our head, so we're not shocked by our bank statement every month.
We have met new people and made new friends, some who have already become family.
We have learned to love the differences. We're a third of the way through this tour, with no way of knowing where we'll be headed next, and that's kind of scary. There's still so much to see and so much do. The sad(ish) part is how much we miss everyone. The time difference sucks, and the price of airfare sucks. But as with so many other things here (like internet speed and cell phone services), we're learning to deal with it.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Painting Lizards
Since I have a quick minute, I thought I'd pop on and say hi....
Hi.
...and share a little story with you written by my very own Hayden. I'm sure the publishers will be calling any day to sign him up for a series, it's just that awesome. Here's his story -
It's fabulous, isnt it? His teacher helped him type it up, add some fun pictures, and print it so is oh-so-awesome mom can keep it forever.
I thought I'd also fill you in on a little secret. So last week I realized that when I got rid of my Facebook account, I didn't really get rid of it. It was sitting there deactivated, being sad and lonely (or so I've been told). I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity and grab some stuff from the messenger and reactivated it. And then forgot all about it once again. Jump to today. A friend saw my un-deactivated FB account and made a suggestion.
If you didn't already know, our cell service out here is horrible. I miss more texts and calls than I get - it is a serious pain in the booty and I inevitably make someone think I'm ignoring them - I promise you I'm not. And I'm sure some of you have noticed by now how well I reply to my email. I'm not so great at that. So many emails and only 1 me so I have a tendency to think I replied to you when I didn't. So anyway, my friend suggested not re-deactivating my Facebok account (don't you like how I make up my own words?) and instead using the messenger to converse with everyone. As of last October, the Facebook messenger had never failed to deliver my messages and that is a huge step above all my other apps.
Soooooo....yes, if you look on Facebook, you will see me showing up once again. But. (And this is my disclaimer part) I am going to be hiding in the corner of the Facebook world. Right now I don't really want to get back into all of that. I may never want to, who knows. But I will have the messenger. So feel free to send me stuff there rather than something else we've been using to chat. Or keep using the other apps, or both - whatever floats your boat. I'm not going to be posting pictures or anything else there though, just so you know. Sorry. You'll still have to visit me here for that.
So that was my little secret. Really, nothing has changed except me taking advantage of a, hopefully, easier way to get in touch.
But I hope you're having a wonderful week. Mine has been...eh. Maybe next time I'll tell you the story of how I became the butt of the universe's joke. Or maybe I'll have a fabulous time at Ikea tomorrow and can tell you about that instead.
Until then, my sweets! <3
Hi.
...and share a little story with you written by my very own Hayden. I'm sure the publishers will be calling any day to sign him up for a series, it's just that awesome. Here's his story -
I am Hayden.
I like to paint.
I like to paint lizards.
My lizard is pink.
The End.
It's fabulous, isnt it? His teacher helped him type it up, add some fun pictures, and print it so is oh-so-awesome mom can keep it forever.
I thought I'd also fill you in on a little secret. So last week I realized that when I got rid of my Facebook account, I didn't really get rid of it. It was sitting there deactivated, being sad and lonely (or so I've been told). I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity and grab some stuff from the messenger and reactivated it. And then forgot all about it once again. Jump to today. A friend saw my un-deactivated FB account and made a suggestion.
If you didn't already know, our cell service out here is horrible. I miss more texts and calls than I get - it is a serious pain in the booty and I inevitably make someone think I'm ignoring them - I promise you I'm not. And I'm sure some of you have noticed by now how well I reply to my email. I'm not so great at that. So many emails and only 1 me so I have a tendency to think I replied to you when I didn't. So anyway, my friend suggested not re-deactivating my Facebok account (don't you like how I make up my own words?) and instead using the messenger to converse with everyone. As of last October, the Facebook messenger had never failed to deliver my messages and that is a huge step above all my other apps.
Soooooo....yes, if you look on Facebook, you will see me showing up once again. But. (And this is my disclaimer part) I am going to be hiding in the corner of the Facebook world. Right now I don't really want to get back into all of that. I may never want to, who knows. But I will have the messenger. So feel free to send me stuff there rather than something else we've been using to chat. Or keep using the other apps, or both - whatever floats your boat. I'm not going to be posting pictures or anything else there though, just so you know. Sorry. You'll still have to visit me here for that.
So that was my little secret. Really, nothing has changed except me taking advantage of a, hopefully, easier way to get in touch.
But I hope you're having a wonderful week. Mine has been...eh. Maybe next time I'll tell you the story of how I became the butt of the universe's joke. Or maybe I'll have a fabulous time at Ikea tomorrow and can tell you about that instead.
Until then, my sweets! <3
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Sleep is for Sissies
So yesterday was the first day back to school for us. As much as I enjoyed having the kids home during the break, I was happy to send them back. Hayden hates being away from school for too long and will drive me crazy asking if he can go every single minute of every single day. LOL Not to mention that the girls were bored out of their minds and just itching to get back to see their friends.
The icing on the cake was that I was able to get back to my normal routine - grocery shopping and running errands by myself. I love my kids but taking them all to the store is not for the faint-hearted. Although, I will count my blessings that I'm not having take them to some place like Walmart or Target. At least the commissary doesn't have toys or video games or anything. Just boring ol' groceries, which often is bad enough when I get to the checkout and find out exactly how much they've sneaked in the cart when I wasn't looking.
The downside to them going back? Now I can't sleep in until whenever I want. No more staying up latereading doing something exciting. :) Not when my alarm starts annoying me at 5:30. (Which, btw, ask me sometime about yesterday morning when my alarm wouldn't stop buzzing even after I hit snooze. It was not pleasant). So, anyway, I went to bed last night at a semi-decent hour (11 rather than 2 or 3 like every other night since the break started) crossing my fingers that I would be able to go to sleep. No such luck. I tossed and turned forever, and this is what started going through my head...
Ugh, I need to go to sleep! I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow.....ok I need to stop thinking about sleep and think about something relaxing....the beach is relaxing....oh I miss the beach....I need to email Hayden's teacher about our meeting this month...and I need to reply to those emails that I got today...I still haven't bought my bedside lamp yet....ohhh!! I'm going to Ikea next week....I finally get my desk - yay....I really need to look at bookshelves....I need to check the tracking info on those books I ordered....maybe I should write this down....this would make an interesting blog...(*this is where I started thinking about what the blog would say*)....oh this is ridiculous! I have got to go to sleep....I hope we have some coffee, I think I'm going to need it tomorrow....
Needless to say, at 2 am I finally fell asleep. And when my alarm went off three and half hours later I almost threw it across the room and refused to get up. Thankfully we had coffee and I made a huge pot. It's going to be a long day.
The icing on the cake was that I was able to get back to my normal routine - grocery shopping and running errands by myself. I love my kids but taking them all to the store is not for the faint-hearted. Although, I will count my blessings that I'm not having take them to some place like Walmart or Target. At least the commissary doesn't have toys or video games or anything. Just boring ol' groceries, which often is bad enough when I get to the checkout and find out exactly how much they've sneaked in the cart when I wasn't looking.
The downside to them going back? Now I can't sleep in until whenever I want. No more staying up late
Ugh, I need to go to sleep! I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow.....ok I need to stop thinking about sleep and think about something relaxing....the beach is relaxing....oh I miss the beach....I need to email Hayden's teacher about our meeting this month...and I need to reply to those emails that I got today...I still haven't bought my bedside lamp yet....ohhh!! I'm going to Ikea next week....I finally get my desk - yay....I really need to look at bookshelves....I need to check the tracking info on those books I ordered....maybe I should write this down....this would make an interesting blog...(*this is where I started thinking about what the blog would say*)....oh this is ridiculous! I have got to go to sleep....I hope we have some coffee, I think I'm going to need it tomorrow....
Needless to say, at 2 am I finally fell asleep. And when my alarm went off three and half hours later I almost threw it across the room and refused to get up. Thankfully we had coffee and I made a huge pot. It's going to be a long day.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
All Things New
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
So it's kinda weird to think that it is now 2014 for us, and still 2013 for you (at least it is if you're still in the States). In fact it's like dinner time in 2013 for you. That's just strange. We've been here for 11 months now and I'm still not used to the time difference yet. Do you think that will ever change? Well, it probably will, just about the time we're getting ready to move somewhere else. (It always works like that doesn't it?)
So goodbye 2013 and hello 2014!
We have brought in the new year in a very "us" fashion - hanging out together in the living room. We've watched some tv, played some video games, read together and just generally spent time together. The kids were a little sad that they couldn't watch the ball drop, since that's typically been a tradition for us the last few years. But once we explained that "the ball" was a States thing and they'd have to stay awake until 5 in the morning for that, they kind of understood. Well, they understood but vowed to wake up early enough to see it anyway. (Ha!) I'm fairly certain that none of them will be up before 9 though. (At least I hope not.) Hopefully the televised London fireworks show will be enough for them.
So, as another year ends and a new one begins, here are my 2 cents worth of wisdom for you...
*Don't make a resolution - resolutions suck and inevitably end up being something you quit after January. So don't make resolutions, make changes.
*Make mistakes - lots of them. Mistakes mean you're still learning, still changing yourself, and becoming a better you.
*Promise to do one thing (or hell, 5 things....10 things) you've never done. This goes right along with still learning and changing, and overall living.
*Look at the big picture. Small details are great but don't forget to look at the whole perspective.
*Smile more. Laugh more. Have more fun.
*Don't forget that every day is gift and we should all enjoy every single second we're blessed enough to have. Be grateful for that. Be grateful for the people that bless your life. They are amazing people.
So again, just my 2 cents. :)
Know that we wish so much we could bring in this new year with all of the people we love, that we miss you and love you all.
Happy 2014!!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I hope you are all having a fabulous Christmas day! Ours has been entertaining as ever. (Is anything ever not entertaining in my house? Well, yes, when the kids take to coloring on things other than paper - closet doors, walls, floors, coloring themselves with a sharpie...that's not really entertaining.) I hope Santa was good to you. (He was very good to me - $$ and Coach...what more could I ask for?? .....a maid...that's what I should have asked for. Crap!!))
Our festivities started last night really. We usually spend Christmas Eve having a family night. (I love it!) Last night we watched Elf (not my first choice in holiday movies but we were seriously lacking in choices so it would have to do) and had hot chocolate with Christmas colored marshmallows and some festive-type brownies (well, they were brownies with sprinkles on them lol). It was awesome. When all was said and done, the kids made a special plate for Santa with our festive-type brownies and some celery for the reindeers, said goodbye to Pinky (our Elf on the Shelf) and headed to bed, to not go to sleep.
Our festivities started last night really. We usually spend Christmas Eve having a family night. (I love it!) Last night we watched Elf (not my first choice in holiday movies but we were seriously lacking in choices so it would have to do) and had hot chocolate with Christmas colored marshmallows and some festive-type brownies (well, they were brownies with sprinkles on them lol). It was awesome. When all was said and done, the kids made a special plate for Santa with our festive-type brownies and some celery for the reindeers, said goodbye to Pinky (our Elf on the Shelf) and headed to bed, to not go to sleep.
Challenge accepted. Challenge won.
The rest of the day passed so quickly it was ridiculous. But it was wonderful. Well, except that Santa was foolish enough to get Makenzie a Furby Boom. Google that - you might be as disturbed by it as I am. It responds to you, laughs, sings, snores and...has gas. (yeah.) After watching it for several hours I'm pretty sure that thing is evil incarnate and is going to come alive in the middle of the night and terrorize me in my sleep.
But that's not festive at all. Sorry about that. (I really am kind of scared of it though.)
Anyway, we hope you are all having a wonderfully Merry Christmas!! We miss everyone so much!
All our love!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Where Did the Week Go?
I'm really starting to think that time passes differently here in England. Like maybe I'm gaining 2 hours for every 1 of yours, although sometimes it feels like maybe 4 to 1. Either way, this week flew by me. It just sprouted wings and said "peace out crazy lady, I'm outta here. I don't wanna deal with your loony antics anymore". Well, maybe that's a tad dramatic, but it really did go by pretty fast. Probably because we were (not so) patiently waiting on jolly little elves to drop the kids' presents in our APO box, which seemed to take for-ev-er(!). (Note to self: don't ever procrastinate on the Christmas shopping again. The wait is maddening and I'm pretty sure I sprouted at least a few new gray hairs because of it.)
Anywho.
We did have a really awesome week, despite time moving a lot faster than I would have liked. The girls had their final Girl Scout meetings of 2013 and found out that each of their troops was able to raise over $300 from the bake sale extravaganza (**I just love that word...don't you?). That is just amazing! They're well on their way to having enough money for their first Girl Scout overnight trip (and I'm trying really hard not to freak out about that and remember that it will be amazing for them). They got to celebrate and have parties and all kinds of fun stuff. Brian found out that he made NCO of the Quarter thanks to all the awesome stuff he's been doing at work. (I'm super proud and excited!!) And Mr. Hayden read to me.
Did you see what I just wrote there? He read to me.
I cried, just so you know. I mean, it would be awesome to sit here and tell you that I was that super cool mom that handled it like a pro and was all "you're doing so great...keep going". No. That is not what happened. I cried....and cried and cried. I'll sing from the rooftops about how awesome and smart and fabulous he is, and how I know he can do anything he wants, but there's always this tiny part inside of me that wonders what the future holds. Will he ever live on his own or have a job or...learn to read? Well, let me tell you, singing-me jumped for joy at the sound of him reading and pretty much laughed in doubting-wondering-about-the-future-me's face. And then I cried. (There were a lot of tears. It was an off-and-on-again thing for a bit.)
As for me being awesome this week? I'd love (like really love) to tell you that I achieved some long awaited goal like climbing Mt Everest (except that's not one of my goals, like ever) or learned some super cool new thing, but no. I did not. I did find out that I received an A in my Intro to Spanish class by the skin of my teeth. No seriously, by one one-hundredth of a point. It was close. And I did get all of the laundry clean - does that count at all? No, not really? Aww, that's sad. I felt like it was a major accomplishment. How bout the fact that 3/4 of the Christmas presents are wrapped? They'd all be wrapped except I ran out of places to hide things. British houses are not known for their ample storage/hiding spaces, so for now the rest reside in the boxes they were shipped in and the boxes are strategically sitting in the floor of my room. (I'm a rebel like that.)
I will most definitely try to work my awesomeness next week. Although, I think if I can find a way to keep the kids from ripping into the Christmas presents before they wake us up, I will have achieved greatness. Right now I'm thinking of using crepe paper to make papery-type obstacle course of sorts that they'll wake up to Christmas morning. I'm thinking that when they try to get through it, they'll make so much noise that it'll wake us up and we can all enjoy present unwrapping together. The other possibility is that Hayden will just demolish my crepe paper masterpiece and I'll sleep right through it, thereby missing the unwrapping of presents. (Hopefully I figure something out soon.)
Well, anyway, if I don't talk to you before Wednesday - I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! We miss you bunches & love you all so much!
Anywho.
We did have a really awesome week, despite time moving a lot faster than I would have liked. The girls had their final Girl Scout meetings of 2013 and found out that each of their troops was able to raise over $300 from the bake sale extravaganza (**I just love that word...don't you?). That is just amazing! They're well on their way to having enough money for their first Girl Scout overnight trip (and I'm trying really hard not to freak out about that and remember that it will be amazing for them). They got to celebrate and have parties and all kinds of fun stuff. Brian found out that he made NCO of the Quarter thanks to all the awesome stuff he's been doing at work. (I'm super proud and excited!!) And Mr. Hayden read to me.
Did you see what I just wrote there? He read to me.
I cried, just so you know. I mean, it would be awesome to sit here and tell you that I was that super cool mom that handled it like a pro and was all "you're doing so great...keep going". No. That is not what happened. I cried....and cried and cried. I'll sing from the rooftops about how awesome and smart and fabulous he is, and how I know he can do anything he wants, but there's always this tiny part inside of me that wonders what the future holds. Will he ever live on his own or have a job or...learn to read? Well, let me tell you, singing-me jumped for joy at the sound of him reading and pretty much laughed in doubting-wondering-about-the-future-me's face. And then I cried. (There were a lot of tears. It was an off-and-on-again thing for a bit.)
As for me being awesome this week? I'd love (like really love) to tell you that I achieved some long awaited goal like climbing Mt Everest (except that's not one of my goals, like ever) or learned some super cool new thing, but no. I did not. I did find out that I received an A in my Intro to Spanish class by the skin of my teeth. No seriously, by one one-hundredth of a point. It was close. And I did get all of the laundry clean - does that count at all? No, not really? Aww, that's sad. I felt like it was a major accomplishment. How bout the fact that 3/4 of the Christmas presents are wrapped? They'd all be wrapped except I ran out of places to hide things. British houses are not known for their ample storage/hiding spaces, so for now the rest reside in the boxes they were shipped in and the boxes are strategically sitting in the floor of my room. (I'm a rebel like that.)
I will most definitely try to work my awesomeness next week. Although, I think if I can find a way to keep the kids from ripping into the Christmas presents before they wake us up, I will have achieved greatness. Right now I'm thinking of using crepe paper to make papery-type obstacle course of sorts that they'll wake up to Christmas morning. I'm thinking that when they try to get through it, they'll make so much noise that it'll wake us up and we can all enjoy present unwrapping together. The other possibility is that Hayden will just demolish my crepe paper masterpiece and I'll sleep right through it, thereby missing the unwrapping of presents. (Hopefully I figure something out soon.)
Well, anyway, if I don't talk to you before Wednesday - I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! We miss you bunches & love you all so much!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Break Time
Do you hear that? It's the sound of relief. The beautiful silence that means I am not studying because winter break has officially started for me. Finals are over! Yay! That is such a sweet sound. Lol
So I feel like it's been an eternity since I've been here. I have spent the better part of the last week studying and figuring out Christmas presents for the kids (well, and mourning what I thought was the end of a book series that I really love) that I didn't even realize it was Friday until around 10 this morning. (It's probably a good thing I did realize it so I didn't try to send the kids to school tomorrow.) I also forgot to move our Elf on the Shelf for an entire week. Word of advice - don't do that. Don't forget to move them...your kids might think he's dead. (Mine did.)
But yay because it is Friday - no school for me for 3 whole weeks. And on top of that, we actually finished our Christmas shopping today...and (!) I got the Christmas cards mailed this week too. Now I don't know if they'll make it to anyone before Christmas, but it's the thought that counts, right? And how did I celebrate this wonderfulness? (Because everything wonderful must be celebrated.) I baked...a lot. Not for us though. The girls have their very first Girl Scout fundraisers this weekend - a bake sale. And this mama is nothing if not a proactive baker and supportive Girl Scout mom. (Which really means that, yes, I will contribute and volunteer for just about anything they have going on if you give me puppy dog eyes and tell me that they need me.) So they did (give me the sad eyes and the "we really need you" speech) so I stood in my kitchen for an unmentionable amount of time baking. (They really do need me right? Please tell me they did and my feet aren't hurting like this for nothing.)
Thankfully, once they were all baked Brian stepped in and set up an assembly line. 100+ cookies (with more to come tomorrow) were wrapped up by the 2 of us while the girls taped and labeled. Being a proactive baker and supportive GS mama is tiring, y'all. (Did I tell you that Brian and I spent almost the whole day walking around Cambridge? Maybe that's really why my feet hurt so bad.)
Fortunately it's just about bed time here. (Ahh, another sweet sound - silence.) So I'm going to hole up on my couch with a book and some wine. But not until I move the elf. The apocalypse may happen if I forget again.
So I feel like it's been an eternity since I've been here. I have spent the better part of the last week studying and figuring out Christmas presents for the kids (well, and mourning what I thought was the end of a book series that I really love) that I didn't even realize it was Friday until around 10 this morning. (It's probably a good thing I did realize it so I didn't try to send the kids to school tomorrow.) I also forgot to move our Elf on the Shelf for an entire week. Word of advice - don't do that. Don't forget to move them...your kids might think he's dead. (Mine did.)
But yay because it is Friday - no school for me for 3 whole weeks. And on top of that, we actually finished our Christmas shopping today...and (!) I got the Christmas cards mailed this week too. Now I don't know if they'll make it to anyone before Christmas, but it's the thought that counts, right? And how did I celebrate this wonderfulness? (Because everything wonderful must be celebrated.) I baked...a lot. Not for us though. The girls have their very first Girl Scout fundraisers this weekend - a bake sale. And this mama is nothing if not a proactive baker and supportive Girl Scout mom. (Which really means that, yes, I will contribute and volunteer for just about anything they have going on if you give me puppy dog eyes and tell me that they need me.) So they did (give me the sad eyes and the "we really need you" speech) so I stood in my kitchen for an unmentionable amount of time baking. (They really do need me right? Please tell me they did and my feet aren't hurting like this for nothing.)
Thankfully, once they were all baked Brian stepped in and set up an assembly line. 100+ cookies (with more to come tomorrow) were wrapped up by the 2 of us while the girls taped and labeled. Being a proactive baker and supportive GS mama is tiring, y'all. (Did I tell you that Brian and I spent almost the whole day walking around Cambridge? Maybe that's really why my feet hurt so bad.)
Fortunately it's just about bed time here. (Ahh, another sweet sound - silence.) So I'm going to hole up on my couch with a book and some wine. But not until I move the elf. The apocalypse may happen if I forget again.
Good night y'all.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Christmas Spirit
Can you believe it's almost Christmas? As in less-than-3-weeks almost? I cannot. Not even a little. Part of me is still stuck back in October wondering what happened to Halloween. And trying to figure out why in the world I only slept like 3 hours the night before Thanksgiving, knowing full well that I was going to be cooking all day, after cooking all day the day before. Or something like that. I was exhausted - that's the point - and I have no one to blame but me. So it's really already time for Christmas?? That's just blasphemy. I'm just now getting around to buying presents because apparently I've gone into slacker-mode. (What's that? I still haven't emailed you back? I'm sorry. Seriously, I promise I am. I'll get there. One day. Probably around the same time I mail out Christmas cards so that they get to you in January. It happens.)
Jokes aside, I really am having trouble processing this whole "time for Christmas" phenomenon. I did decorate though because that's 50% of why I love this time of year. My house gets all sparkly. (It's that girly part of me...the one who questions my love of super-descriptive crime novels...who loves for my living room to sparkle.)
So yes, I'm really trying to get into the Christmas spirit. I'm hoping the decorations will help. It's been tough though. There's been so much going on the last week. Today alone was just sheer insanity. We're having some kind of wind situation. I have no idea what this is or why it happens every year but our first year to go through has not gone well.
Jokes aside, I really am having trouble processing this whole "time for Christmas" phenomenon. I did decorate though because that's 50% of why I love this time of year. My house gets all sparkly. (It's that girly part of me...the one who questions my love of super-descriptive crime novels...who loves for my living room to sparkle.)
That's our living room stuff - the Christmas tree that attacked me while I tried to make it pretty (and now it looks like I lost a fight to the world's largest cat)...our mantel...the french doors into the room are even sparkly....and last but not least, my new friend that I picked up in that German Christmas market we went to a few weeks ago. (Oh and my favorite candle in the whole world is sitting next to him - who cares that it's really a "Thanksgiving scent", right? You won't judge me will you?)
So yes, I'm really trying to get into the Christmas spirit. I'm hoping the decorations will help. It's been tough though. There's been so much going on the last week. Today alone was just sheer insanity. We're having some kind of wind situation. I have no idea what this is or why it happens every year but our first year to go through has not gone well.
Let me show you....
That's what I came home to today and was faced with the question of "how exactly does one politely call their letting agent and explain that mother nature threw a tantrum and somehow the fence fell apart?" The answer? You call your husband and let him call the letting agent. Problem solved.
So yes, that's what's going on the world o' me right now. Exciting, isn't it? So for now I'm going to go ignore my broken fence (while crossing my fingers that the rest stays upright) and go read. I hope that all is well in the world o' you...and that your fence isn't falling apart.
Much love to you all!
That's what I came home to today and was faced with the question of "how exactly does one politely call their letting agent and explain that mother nature threw a tantrum and somehow the fence fell apart?" The answer? You call your husband and let him call the letting agent. Problem solved.
So yes, that's what's going on the world o' me right now. Exciting, isn't it? So for now I'm going to go ignore my broken fence (while crossing my fingers that the rest stays upright) and go read. I hope that all is well in the world o' you...and that your fence isn't falling apart.
Much love to you all!
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Being Thankful
I just want to pop in really quick (between my crazy cooking escapades) to say Happy Thanksgiving!!
In the spirit of being thankful I thought I'd share with you the many things I am thankful for this year.....
~ I am thankful for air conditioning. Seriously. Suffering through 90 degree weather with probably 300% humidity and no air conditioner, made me incredibly thankful for that tiny piece of technology.
~ Speaking of technology, I am thankful for that too. For cell phones with free international texting, etc apps. For email. For the internet (even when it's snail-speed-slow).
~ I am thankful for American-sized ovens. Cooking a turkey in a Brit-sized one has been...challenging. Adventurous even. (It'll make a good story one day, right?)
~ I am thankful for better educational opportunities for my kids. I will be forever thankful for the schools and teachers here. They are amazing!
~ I am thankful for the opportunity we have to live overseas. To be able to share new cultures & visit new places, & all that that entails with the kids. (Well, with me too, if we're being honest.)
~ In times of such economic hardship, I am thankful that my husband has a job. That we're not worrying about money, that we have a nice place to live and food on our table. Everything else we have is just an added bonus that I should never complain about.
~ I am thankful for all of the amazing people in our life. We have the most wonderfully fabulous family and friends, without whom our life would be seriously lacking. I'm not always very good at expressing that but I love all of the people that have blessed my life in immeasurable ways and am so grateful for every day that I am given with them.
~ I am grateful for my husband who puts up with my crazy antics (like redecorating or rearranging stuff every other week), who gets up and kills spiders in the middle of the night because I can't sleep knowing there's a spider in the room, who loves me no matter what.
~ I am grateful for my children. They are beyond words amazing and I am so blessed to have them.
So I hope this Thanksgiving Day finds you equally grateful for all that blesses your life. I hope you have a wonderful day planned with good food on your table and amazing people to share your day with.
Our love to you always!
In the spirit of being thankful I thought I'd share with you the many things I am thankful for this year.....
~ I am thankful for air conditioning. Seriously. Suffering through 90 degree weather with probably 300% humidity and no air conditioner, made me incredibly thankful for that tiny piece of technology.
~ Speaking of technology, I am thankful for that too. For cell phones with free international texting, etc apps. For email. For the internet (even when it's snail-speed-slow).
~ I am thankful for American-sized ovens. Cooking a turkey in a Brit-sized one has been...challenging. Adventurous even. (It'll make a good story one day, right?)
~ I am thankful for better educational opportunities for my kids. I will be forever thankful for the schools and teachers here. They are amazing!
~ I am thankful for the opportunity we have to live overseas. To be able to share new cultures & visit new places, & all that that entails with the kids. (Well, with me too, if we're being honest.)
~ In times of such economic hardship, I am thankful that my husband has a job. That we're not worrying about money, that we have a nice place to live and food on our table. Everything else we have is just an added bonus that I should never complain about.
~ I am thankful for all of the amazing people in our life. We have the most wonderfully fabulous family and friends, without whom our life would be seriously lacking. I'm not always very good at expressing that but I love all of the people that have blessed my life in immeasurable ways and am so grateful for every day that I am given with them.
~ I am grateful for my husband who puts up with my crazy antics (like redecorating or rearranging stuff every other week), who gets up and kills spiders in the middle of the night because I can't sleep knowing there's a spider in the room, who loves me no matter what.
~ I am grateful for my children. They are beyond words amazing and I am so blessed to have them.
So I hope this Thanksgiving Day finds you equally grateful for all that blesses your life. I hope you have a wonderful day planned with good food on your table and amazing people to share your day with.
Our love to you always!
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