Christmas in England

Its hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone.  But now we have some time off from work and school to relax and spend time together, so its not completely over yet.

We had a very nice Christmas celebration in our new house.  The kids left mince pies and milk for Santa, and he seemed to have enjoyed them.

When we woke up on Christmas morning, we were all excited to see that Santa had been here, and he left some of the things they wanted most.

Ben had been asking for a "motorcycle" - a two wheeler without pedals or training wheels.
Susanna was hoping for this Barbie toy that includes the ingredients needed to make sparkly lip gloss.
On Saturday, we went on a quick trip to the north coast of Devon.  The drive was 4 hours, part on the motorways and part on some winding back roads.  We learned that Susanna is rather prone to motion sickness on this trip!  We had a nice stay at a small family-run  hotel - there was an indoor pool, a toy room, a restaurant and a bar!  And we had two adjoining rooms - one with single beds for the kids and one with a double for us.  The kids loved having their own room with its own television.  The town itself was very nice, though not as lively as its likely to be in warmer weather.  We tried to walk up this hill on Sunday, but found it to be waaay too windy.  We went back this morning for another try and found success!

Now we're back home and ready to stay put for a while.  We're looking forward to a few quiet days with not much to do.  Susanna goes back to school on the 6th - I'm sure by then she'll be quite ready to go!

Switzerland

We just got back from our pre-Christmas trip to Switzerland.

We had a nice, quiet, relaxing time.  Actually, all of us were sick, and Brad and I had it the worst.  Therefore, we weren't much in the go-out-and-see-it-all mood, so we took it easy instead.

We went to Basel, which is near where Switzerland meets France and Germany.  Its a nice little city with the usual charming Swiss architecture.  We thought we'd travel a bit in Switzerland but ended up staying in Basel the whole time.

The main purpose of the trip was to see the Christmas market.  We accomplished that!  It was fairly small but very nice.  Lots of different things to buy - Christmas decorations, of course, and also toys, jewellry, bags, and much more.  Ben and Brad enjoyed the hot dogs and sausages.  We all enjoyed the hot pretzels.

We also went to the zoo which was pretty much in the center of town.  It was a fairly small zoo with small habitats for some big animals!  We seemed very close to some of the animals, including the penguins (out for a walk) and the elephants.

The kids loved riding on the trams, which were like mini-trains right on the street.  Very easy and convenient.  And we had a few nice walks up in the side streets.

The weather was nice enough - no snow, and not terribly cold either.  We stayed bundled up but were quite comfortable.

Now we're back in England and its time to get ready for Christmas.  There are still some preparations to be made - gift wrapping, food shopping, etc. and not much more time!  The kids are very excited to see what Santa will bring them, and I'm pretty excited myself!

Orange

Just another quiet evening at home...  almost time to get ready for bed.  The kids were busy playing on the computer together so I left them and ran to the bathroom.  Upon my return, Susanna was alone at the computer, and my quick search for Ben found him in the kitchen enjoying an orange.  This orange.  Peel and all!

Christmas decorations

We got our tree today, and it is already decorated, thanks to Susanna!  We also have lots of gifts under it, too!

The stockings.
Susanna and Ben's cousins, Florence and Sarah, sent them special glasses to view the tree with.  When you look at fairy lights through them the lights look like snowmen or Santas.  I managed to get a decent photo of it!  (click on it to make it bigger)
My new hand-knit, made in England nativity.
The wreath on our front door.

Room on the Broom

Today we went to see Room on the Broom at a small local theatre.  My kids love the book (and others by the author/illustrator pair) so when we saw that it was being done in the theatre, we knew we had to go.  

Its a kids show, but it was done by 4 adult actors, and a handful of puppets.  I believe that this theatre group adapted the book into a play on its own, and it was really well done.  They had songs, a broomstick, and of course a dragon, and it was funny and engaging for kids and adults.

And of course Ben's favorite part was the dragon, who threatened to eat everyone in the audience, until he was distracted by the delicious-looking witch.  

Apart from the show, we had a relaxing day around home.  Ben hasn't been feeling well and we weren't even sure he'd make the show, but I'm happy he did.  But he really needed a restful afternoon, and he wanted me to snuggle with him on the sofa which was nice!

Susanna's school play is over now after three shows, all of which I attended.  I still have her song in my head all the time.  I really can't get over how great the show was!

Tomorrow we are getting our Christmas tree and we will continue to decorate the house for Christmas.  Only one more week of school before the break - I'm looking forward to them having time off, but I plan to take advantage of every free minute this week!

Nativity play

Tonight was "opening night" of the Christmas play at Susanna's school.  

The play is called The Little Fir Tree.  Three classes of kids were in the performance - Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.  So it was a big group of 4 to 7 year olds.

It was great!  All the kids were involved, and a lot of them had their own lines, or lines with one other child.  The youngest kids were divided into three groups (raindrops, snowflakes and sunbeams) and did group dances.  Year 1 kids did the nativity play, and the Year 2 kids had other parts relating to the Fir Tree.  The nativity was incorporated into the Fir Tree story.

Susanna was an innkeeper, and she stood with a boy and sang a couple of lines.  She did very well as did everyone else.  There were no real goofs and no one seemed too nervous.  There were many songs within the play and the kids sang them well.

Tonight was also the first night that we hired a babysitter.  Ben stayed home with her so that Brad and I could go together to see Susanna (and enjoy the mulled wine and mince pies they served before the show!)  She came highly recommended from a friend and Ben was fine.  We told her that Ben could stay up until we got home (around 8:15 - quite late for him!) but he didn't make it - he curled up on the couch with his blanket and just went to sleep.

Ben and I went to the matinee performance today, and there is one more show on Thursday evening.  Tomorrow night is a big Christmas street fair in town, so this is a busy week full of late nights!  

Random Christmas questions

My cousin Tami posted a list of questions (and her own answers) on her blog, and "tagged" her readers (who have blogs too) to do the same on their own blogs.  

So here are the questions with my answers.  If you have a blog, feel free to do the same!  (Easy blog post!)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Usually paper, unless it’s a funny shape and I happen to have a bag it will fit in.

2. Real tree or artificial? Real Tree for the first time in several years.  Its coming on Sunday!

3. When do you put up the tree? This Sunday.  This past weekend seemed too early, but now this coming weekend almost feels too late!

4. When do you take down the tree? By Easter : )

5. Do you like eggnog? Actually I’m not sure.  I think I tried it and liked it, but I know its bad for you so I figure its better not to get hooked.  There are plenty of other things I love to indulge in over the holidays!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Its hard to remember my favorite, but one that made a big impression was a little gumball machine I got when I was about 5.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Susanna (because she says she really wants make-up this year.)

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ben.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I just bought a hand-knitted set off ebay (and yes it was made in England!)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if I actually do them.

11. Worst Christmas gift you have received? I am going to decline to answer this one.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Muppets Christmas Carol.

13. When do you start shopping? Usually before summer, but this year not until November as I had no hiding places in the other house.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.



15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Baked goods of all kinds.



16. Favorite Christmas song? 

Christmas Wrapping.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We’ll be at home on Christmas day, but have trips planned before and after Christmas.

18. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning.



19. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Not enough time to get everything done.



20. Favorite ornament theme or color? Handmade, either by the kids or from someone else.



21. What do you want for Christmas this year? Fun stuff from the cook shop.

Merry Christmas!!

Little shepherd

Today was Ben's preschool nativity play.  It was held at a church near his preschool.  As you can see, Ben was a shepherd.  All the kids (around 30 of them) were dressed up in various costumes and seated at the front of the church.  Only a few kids had quick lines.  All the kids participated in singing songs.  Ben liked being in the play but seemed a bit bored sitting up there!

After the nativity, there was a school Christmas fair in the church.  They had games, raffles, crafts and food.  It was similar to the one at Susanna's school, but on a much smaller scale.  I got to run the Teddy Tombola stall - they put numbers on a bunch of prizes, and the kids buy tickets and try to match the numbers.  Sort of like gambling for preschoolers!  We all had a good time and plenty of treats!

The new routine

Our new house is a little closer to school than the old one.  So being on time should be even easier, right?

Unfortunately, it hasn't been.  Our move coincided with the start of some truly chilly weather.  This means I need to be getting in the car a good 7 or 8 minutes earlier than usual, just to get the ice and fog cleared from the windows.

For some reason, when we moved in March, it didn't occur to us that we'd need our ice scrapers.  But we do have a pitcher, and warm water works pretty well!

I was informed by another mum at school this morning that this frostiness is usually only temporary - not something we'll have to deal with everyday until March.  We'll see...

I miss my garage!  (okay, we have a garage, but I'm pretty sure a car wouldn't fit so I haven't tried.)

Pickle pudding

This morning Susanna walked into the kitchen singing about "pickle pudding".  I asked her what she was singing about, and of course she said that its part of the song, "We wish you a Merry Christmas".  I confirmed that she was singing "pickle pudding" and she assured me that she was, as that is how the song goes.

I said pickle pudding didn't sound very good to me, and she said that is actually quite good - just some pudding with pickles next to it!  Hmmm...  maybe we'll have to add it to the Christmas menu after all.

On the way to school, the song in question came on the CD player.  Its the John Denver/Muppets version.  Susanna listened, and realized its not pickle pudding at all, but PIGGY pudding!

She's getting closer, anyway!

Haggis

A few weeks ago, I had my turn at helping out with Susanna's Rainbows group.  Each week there is a theme, and the week I was there was Scottish night.

Ben came along with me since I had no where better for him to go.  He was a good boy during the hour; in fact, he was better than some of the girls!

The leader had the girls try a Scottish dance with some Scottish music.  Then it was time to try some traditional Scottish fare.

She told a story about a Haggis, a little animal with six legs (long on one side and short on the other) that climbs hills.  You can catch it by scaring it and making it roll down the hill into a net.  Then she produced a bowl and unwrapped a cooked haggis.  If you don't know about haggis, its not really an animal at all,  but a stuffed sheep's stomach that is a traditional Scottish food.  The stuffing has lots of good stuff like kidneys and other organs, and also spices and stuff to make it taste good.

The haggis was cut open (like a big fat sausage) and each girl was offered a spoon.  Some of the girls wouldn't try (mine included) but others did and they liked it.  Ben was eager for his spoon full and he went back for more along with several of the girls.

I have to say that Ben is much braver than me when it comes to trying new food!  Unfortunately, I don't know if he'll ever get the chance to eat haggis again - at least not if I have to provide it for him!

I'm back!

Just a quick post to say that we are back on the internet!  The promise of three weeks was somehow cut to two, so I'm very excited!  Though I could have used the extra internet-free week to finish unpacking...

My parents have come and gone since I last posted.  They had a good visit - my mom enjoyed shopping and my dad enjoyed our new leather sofas!  They did spend a few days in London seeing the sights and the big Christmas crowds.  They also enjoyed some good English food.

Now that Thanksgiving is past, Christmas seems to be right around the corner, which I guess it is.  Only three weekends left to get ready!  We have two short trips planned - to Switzerland before Christmas and to Devon (in England - about 4 hours by car) for a few days after Christmas.  We will celebrate Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in our new house, eating a Christmas pudding and sharing Christmas crackers.

I hope everyone has fun preparing for the holidays!

New house

Here are a few photos of the new house.  We move tomorrow.  We been in and out since Saturday cleaning and moving in odds and ends.  The kids are excited to live there!

This is the living room, looking through to the foyer.  Its not quite as big as the camera makes it look, but its a decent size room.

Here is the "family room" (was a dining room I think), which is off the living room and has a door through to the kitchen and also to the conservatory/breakfast room.
Here is the kitchen and conservatory/breakfast room.  Check out the wine rack!  The house also has two refrigerators, which Brad thinks is great!
Here is the kitchen - there are two parts separated by the arch.  Lots of cupboards and plenty of counter space too.  Its all an "older" style as you can see, but its generally in good shape.

Christmas Fair

Yesterday we went to the Christmas fair at Susanna's school.  They had lots of games (and opportunities to win sweeties!), face painting (Susanna is sporting a cat face), crafts, and food.  A good time was had by all!  Except poor Ben, who wasn't feeling well and gave up after waiting more than 2 hours to see Santa.  Susanna made sure that Santa knew Ben had tried!

We're moving (again)

So we've been here for about 7 months now, and its time to move on.  But this time we're only going about a mile.

We'll still be in the same town (of course) and we're actually moving closer to Susanna's school, which will hopefully increase Ben's chances of getting in there next year.  I just did his application but we won't find out anything until February.

The house is a bit bigger, with an extra bedroom and half bathroom.  And it has CLOSETS.  Small ones, but I'll take anything I can get!

I am realizing (well I guess I realized a while ago) that we aren't going to get a great house with our budget, so all we can do is prioritize.  Things like a tumble dryer (or at least the space for one) are huge and not to be taken for granted!  Also nice is a refrigerator larger than dorm-sized.  Our new house has two!  

So hopefully everything will go well and the new house won't be worse than the old one (I won't bore you with my complaints!)  But I know it won't be tons better either, so I feel like at least I am going into this with my eyes open.

Really, we just didn't have too many choices when we had our house hunt in March.  We took the best one at the time.

We are planning to move next Tuesday.  My parents are coming for a visit next Thursday, so it will be a busy week!

Guy Fawkes Night

November 5th is the day that England celebrates Guy Fawkes Night.  

Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament in 1605, but the plot was foiled.  Now there is an annual celebration (of the foiling) that traditionally involved burning effigies of Guy in bonfires.  I'm not sure if the effigy-burning still happens, but they still have the bonfires anyway, and also fireworks.

On Saturday our town had a big Bonfire Night/fireworks display, and I'm sure it would have been lots of fun if it hadn't been such a rainy, yucky day (and night).  Just as I was buying my ticket at the post office early Saturday afternoon the rain began, and that was that.  The festivities still went on, but we just couldn't drag the kids out in the bad weather at the same time they normally get ready for bed.  

So lucky for them, lots of neighbours have been setting off fireworks in their own gardens this evening, and we've seen a few "shows" from the comfort of our own house.

Now that the kids are in bed I hope that the fireworks quiet down a bit, but really they don't seem too bothered anyway.

Darkness

A few months ago, during "summer", I couldn't believe how light it was so late at night.  It would be so light out and I would look at the clock and see that it was nearly 10 p.m.

Now its gone the other way.  Susanna has swim class at 5:15 on Wednesday, and since we just set our clocks back a week and a half ago (one week earlier than in the U.S.) this was the first night that it was dark when we left home at 4:50.  I have to admit that it took a little extra motivation to drag the kids to the car and go to the pool.

Everything just seems darker here.  There are streetlights in some places, but even so, its just dark.  Really dark.  And its only the beginning of the long, dark winter...

Halloween fun

Our English Halloween celebration ended up being pretty fun, and not entirely different from what we're used to, anyway.

For starters, I didn't have to decorate my house at all - we have enough spiders and webs to scare anyone!

This afternoon Susanna had a friend over to play, and then I took all 3 kids to a Halloween party at Ben's school.  The party was great!  The room was well decorated with various crepe paper, balloons, etc.  They had games to play, dancing, and plenty of sweets.  They had a bowl of jelly (Jell-o) for the kids to stick their hands in to find little plastic critters - the girls loved this!  They also had dinner, which I loved.

After the party, we went to another friend's house for a quick trick-or-treat.  We weren't sure if it would be worthwhile to trick-or-treat around our neighborhood.  I've heard that some people do it, but not everyone, and I figured it might not be very fun if we went out and didn't find anyone giving out candy.  (And I feared that we might ring someone's doorbell and they would have no idea what we were up to!)  

So my friend called with the idea to meet on her cul-de-sac and trick-or-treat at the houses there, plus the cars of whoever else came.  It worked out great - its a quiet street so the kids could run around with no worries about traffic.  And the kids got enough candy to make it fun, but not an entire pumpkin-full, or anywhere close.

And I was just grateful that we had something to dress up for on Halloween!

Here are two differences I noticed today:

• Candy corn was referred to as "skittles".  Actually, I only heard this because we had some candy corn stickers...  I'm not sure I even saw any candy corn in the stores.

• Most kids here dress up as something Halloween-related - pumpkins, cats, vampires, witches, etc...  Ben dressed in his Philadelphia Eagles uniform and was one of the few non-Halloweeny kids the party.  There were no princesses at all!  I suppose that isn't even considered an option.
  

So, we had lots of fun and the kids were, of course, exhausted.  Though I do have to say that we sort of missed trick-or-treating with our old neighbors in Brownstown...  We hope everyone had (or has) fun tonight!

Happy Halloween!!

Holiday in pictures

This is the view from the top of the Round Tower in the center of Copenhagen.  While at the top, it became very windy, and I knocked my glasses off my face while putting my bag on...  They skittered right along the platform in the wind and I was sure they were going to fall off the tower.  Fortunately, they got stuck in a drain that goes around the top of the tower, and getting them back was as easy as finding someone to unlock a gate and go between the two fences surrounding the top.  I felt very lucky!

This is the way to the top of the tower.  It is mostly just this ramp, with two short sets of steps right before the top.  It was amazing how quickly Ben could get to the top of this tower when he could barely walk on a level surface most of the day!

Ben learned about historical Danish cooking at the Danish National Museum.

Ben teaching school in the Danish style.  I can't imagine what his students did to cause him to make a face like that!
This is in Nyhavn, which means "new harbour" in English.  We were waiting for our boat tour of the canals and harbour.

We braved the cold one night and had dinner outside.  We were the only ones.  It was actually a nice night and the heaters under the table umbrellas made it quite tolerable.  They even had blankets on the chairs and the kids enjoyed snuggling in them.

Waiting for the train after our trip to the science museum.

Greetings from Copenhagen!

We are in Copenhagen right now on a little holiday from England. Susanna has the week off from school so we decided it was a good opportunity to visit another country.

So far its been lots of fun. The kids love everything about travelling - going to the airport, going on the plane, going to the hotel, being in the hotel... its all good until its time to WALK somewhere! It took a day or so for them to warm up, but they're doing great now.

Copenhagen is quite child-friendly. The Danish National Museum has a great Children's Museum within it, and they spent two hours running around there. My cousin lives in Denmark with his family (on a job assignment like us) and we met up with them at the museum. Ben and Susanna were very excited to meet their little cousin who is almost 5 and they had lots of fun together.

Today we went to a fabulous science museum called Experimentarium. Lots and lots of hands-on exhibits and we didn't even see them all. Its so nice to go to places like this were the kids can just run around and have some fun.

Its fairly chilly here - a little colder and drearier than good ol' England... Ben doesn't seem to mind at all - he all but refuses to put on his coat!

We haven't tried any real Danish food yet apart from breakfast at the hotel. It is a nice buffet including cereals, fruits, yogurt, breads, cold cuts, veggies, and some rather fragrant cheeses. I now undertand why cheese has a reputation for being stinky!

We have one more day to enjoy Denmark before we head home to England. Not sure yet how we'll spend it but we have a few ideas. Three days is hardly enough time to figure out a new city and really enjoy it (especially with two little kids) but I think overall its been a really nice trip!

For my bunco friends...

Tonight I went to play Bunco with the local American Women's Club.  They also play once a month on a Thursday night, but as I suspected, the way they play is a bit different.  

There were three tables of four ladies and three dice at each, but one person keeps score for the entire table.  Each person has a large index card and we made punches (with a hole puncher) for buncos, baby buncos, and wins for each round.  So you don't keep track of  your own points at all.  And after you roll each number and determine who wins and who loses, one team moves to another table.  So if you play three full rounds, you could sit in 18 different seats instead of just three.

There were winners for most wins, most buncos, last bunco, most baby buncos, and, of course, biggest loser.  Since points are not tracked individually, they are not part of determining winners.

But, as in Lititz, there was lots of food (and a bit of drink)!

And I have to add that they start at 7:30, which is clearly an ideal time to start bunco : )

A three-year-old never forgets

Today we had to run a quick errand after returning home from school.  Since I had to pay for a half-hour of parking, I figured we could also run into the small grocery store and grab some yogurt for tomorrow's breakfast.

We quickly chose our yogurt and saw that there were two lines open - a regular one about three people deep with full baskets, and a quick check out.  I headed for the quick check out with my one item and Ben immediately got upset and started insisting on being in the other line.

I started to give in to avoid the tantrum, but the  regular line was so slow, and the quick line emptied out, so I went back to the quick line despite Ben's protests.

Then  it finally occurred to me (I must be having a slow day!) - a few weeks ago Ben got a cookie at the regular check out, and he recognized the lady working there and was hoping for another cookie today!

Once again, I am just amazed at how much a 3-year-old notices and remembers!

Language barrier

One of Ben's favorite things to do when we're out and about is visit the restroom.  Or the bathroom.  Or the toilet.  Or the loo.

Today I returned to his swim school toward the end of his lesson and was quickly informed that my son was in the bathroom for the second time so far during his half-hour lesson.  He decided he was done when I turned up, but then quickly went back for a third go.

He went yet again when we were back at the swim school this evening for Susanna's lesson.  One of the teachers overheard him ask for the potty and asked me why we call it that.  I explained that its just what we call the toilet for little kids.  Then while I was waiting for him, the other teacher came out and she too asked about our terminology.  She said that when he asked to go to the potty during class she didn't know what he meant.  She figured it out quickly enough by his gestures and sent him on his way.

After being here over six months, we are still discovering little differences in our language.  It amazes me how many differences there are between English and English!

Spicy!

We went to Wagamama (once again) for dinner tonight.  Ben just loves this place.  

He gets a basic kids meal - breaded chicken, sticky rice, and shredded cucumbers.  

Brad gets the same thing every time - chili chicken soup that is pretty spicy.  I try to mix it up (though I do have a favorite) and tonight I picked a different soup that was also quite spicy.

There was a little mix up with the server and Ben's meal wasn't ordered, so he had to wait a little longer than the rest of us.  (Their standard procedure is to bring meals out as they are ready, so it wasn't a huge difference in timing.  Everything on their menu can be cooked in about 3 minutes or so...)

So while Ben waited, he started in on Brad's soup, asking for bites, probably eating more than Brad at that point.  Then I offered a bit of my good and spicy chicken, and he immediately changed his focus to my food.  After several bites of both of our meals, his meal came and was quickly devoured.  Then he helped his sister with her plain chicken (still working on getting her to love this place), and then went to work on his father's leftover soup.  He was even eating the red peppers out of Brad's bowl!

And he washed all the spice down with sparkling water!

Needless to say, we are very impressed (and entertained) with his sophisticated taste buds!

Pumpkin carving

Today we went to the local farm park again.  Some of Susanna's school friends were meeting there today, including her best friend, so we went along too.

We spent a lot of time at the play area.  All the kids from her class were dressed up (its called "fancy dress" here) and they had fun running around from place to place.  There wasn't much walking going on today!

All the kids who came in fancy dress got to carve a pumpkin for free.  It was nice to do that somewhere besides in our house!  Somehow it seemed a lot easier and less messy than it does at home.  I'm not much of a pumpkin artist so Susanna got a nice basic smiley face on hers.  Brad helped Ben with his.  We brought somes seeds home and roasted them - didn't last long in my kitchen!

It was fun to get dressed up for Halloween.  I'm still not sure what we'll do on the actual holiday.

Ben in costume - Sportacus - he suddenly LOVES Lazytown.

Susanna really wanted a witch costume - a very pretty, sparkly witch!

Mansize

The tissue one the left is a regular one... the one on the right is mansize!

Promise Party

Today was Susanna's Promise Party at Rainbows.  It was actually for all the girls who are new to the group this term.

It was her official initiation into Rainbows, and involved sitting together and saying a "promise:"

I promise that I will do my best 

to love my God and to be 

kind and helpful.

So the new girls said their promise, then the older girls officially welcomed them, and then they ate cake!  Ben was excited to get some cake for himself.

Susanna likes going to Rainbows, but she is still pretty attached (physically) to one of her best friends, K, who is in her group.  She is starting to learn the names of the other girls.  There aren't any others in her class, but there are a few in the Year 2 class at her school.  Other girls go to another school in town.  Each term, the girls who turn 7 move up to Brownies, opening spaces for new girls to join.  So its quite possible that more girls from her class will join in the next term or two.  Hopefully as she progresses through this term she will become a bit more confident there and truly enjoy it.

Three Little Pigs

Yesterday we went to London for a show - The Three Little Pigs.  It was, of course, meant for kids.  It was Ben's first theatre experience (Susanna had previously been to the Ephrata Playhouse) and he enjoyed it very much.  The show was about an hour long and had only two actors, along with piggy puppets and a variety of props.  As you might imagine, a lot of fluff was required to make this story take up an entire hour!  Lots of silly humour - chases, dances, etc. - it was as much fun watching Ben laugh as it was watching the show!

After the show, we went to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground.  As it was a beautiful day (for October in London, or October anywhere, really) it was rather crowded, so we had to stick close to the kiddos.  There was a huge ship, some teepees, and some other climbing/sliding structures.  We didn't stay long, but it was definitely worth the visit.  

Today has been more relaxing...  Susanna had a Craft Day for Rainbows in the afternoon, so we couldn't venture far from home.  After dinner we went out to practice bike riding - Susanna is getting better at riding on two wheels... now we have to work on getting Ben to understand the word "stop"!  He make me a little nervous - with all the hedges its hard to know too far in advance if there might be a car.  I'm not sure how much more bike riding there will be before spring - with weather getting colder and days getting shorter there won't be many more opportunities.  

The weather

I guess the weather is supposed to be a big topic of conversation in this country.  People do talk about it.  I try to come up with other topics as talking about the weather makes me feel a bit, hmmm..., American, I guess.

I still don't mind the cool, rainy weather.  I like being bundled up in jeans, boots, and my new wool coat.  In fact, I'm pretty sure its colder inside my house than outside, especially in my bathroom (a whole different subject...)

Ben, on the other hand, is still firmly in "summer" mode, going out in a t-shirt most days (but he does wear long pants, or trousers, as we are slowly learning to call them.)  I offer him one of the five coats/jackets in my station wagon every time we leave the car, and he always refuses.  If its chilly enough that I have my coat on, I at least carry a coat for him, to save anyone the trouble of callling the authorities about my negligence.  Maybe he'll be one of those guys who wears shorts in January.

In contrast to the past week or so, today was beautiful - I was almost hot in my jeans and cardigan.  The next few days are expected to be in the 60's and sunny - we will have to go out and enjoy.  

Every nice, sunny day must be treated as the last of its kind.

Apple (and pear) picking

Today we went apple picking.  We found a farm through a website called pickyourown.org (which is for the U.S. as well.)  The farm we found was about 20 minutes away.  Just a small farm not far outside London, but it felt like we were out in the country.

They had lots of different apples to pick as well as pears.  The kids had a lot of fun checking out the fruit on the trees and picking off the best ones.  We stopped on the way home for a pub lunch.  It wasn't exactly the most authentic of pubs, but the food was pretty good.

We didn't fill Ben's container, but we still have more than enough apples now!

Making a good choice.

Maybe they're better if their higher up...

Lots of fruit at child-height.

Six months, or 25%

We have now lived in England for six months.  I can't believe its been that long - it's gone so fast!  With our two-year assignment, that means we are one-quarter of the way through our time here.  I feel like I just moved in!  Before we know it, we will be trying to figure out where we are moving back to (who knows...), then finding a good place to live and good schools for the kids (not necessarily in that order.)

When we arrived, it felt like we'd be here forever, and now we realize its not so long.  Time to get serious about getting out there and seeing stuff.  We should start this weekend!  Too bad its going to be sooo cold...

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

And we still have weeks to go before Halloween!

All the shops around here are starting to get their Christmas merchandise on the shelves.  Lots of candies, tins of biscuits (cookies), mince pies, Christmas puddings, chocolate Advent calendars, cards and decorations.  All the food items look so good - I want to try them all!  I know its just because they're different from what I'm used to, and for some things its just the different packaging that makes them look exciting.  I haven't bought anything yet - I will at least wait until November!

I found a website that lists lots and lots of Christmas markets throughout Europe, including the U.K.  We are thinking about a quick pre-Christmas trip to visit one on the Continent.  We will definitely visit one in England, either in London or another smaller city somewhere.

I am so excited to celebrate our first English Christmas!

Spiders: a matter of perspective?

My  house has a lot of spiders.  Some days I kill 3 or 4 in my house.  Other days I'm feeling more generous and I just leave them alone.  When I look out my kitchen window, there are always a few with webs on the window or in the bushes just outside.  They seem to hang out for days and days...  maybe they are nursing their little spider eggs.  I don't know.  

Whenever I mention  the spider "problem" to people, they say, "oh, there really aren't a lot of spiders here."  So I am left to wonder, are these people used to a lot of spiders already, or is it just my house?  I know most houses have the occasional spider or two, but I really think mine has more than its fair share!

Butterfly girl

Celebration Assembly

Every morning at Susanna's school, all the kids in the school gather in the school hall for an assembly.  I'm not sure exactly what happens there on a daily basis, but I'm pretty sure there is singing, students playing instruments, and probably announcements.

On the last Friday of each month, all the parents are invited to attend what they call Celebration Assembly.  I only went once last  year because Ben had his cooking class on Friday mornings.  Fortunately this year we don't have any conflicts so I am able to attend.

This morning there were a few students playing their instruments, tallying of House points for the week, a song for all the students to sing (but only if they could read the words on the overhead projector), and announcement of the Stars of the Week and a few other awards.

After the assembly, they have coffee and tea in the school library.  Older students help to prepare and serve the refreshments to all the parents (only 15 or so parents were there.)  I think its really nice that they give these kids a chance to learn a little hospitality, and they are always so polite.

Its so fun to see how things work in the school here.  Since Susanna wasn't in school in the States before we came I can't really compare, but I'm pretty sure its very different!

Coronation Chicken, or, if I have nothing else to write about, I can always write about food

Ben's favorite thing for Brad to have for lunch at the moment is Coronation Chicken.  Every morning Ben suggests that his dad have this for lunch, and every night Ben checks to make sure he did.  Brad eats it more often than he might like so that he can truthfully tell Ben that he in fact did have Coronation Chicken for lunch.  

Until recently I had no idea what Coronation Chicken was.  I knew it was a sandwich filler and imagined it maybe had a curry flavor.  

I was right about the curry - Coronation Chicken is basically chicken salad (or chicken mayonnaise) with mild curry flavor and raisins.  Its really quite good - a nice variation on plain chicken salad, anyway.

Of course Ben refuses to eat it himself because it has raisins in it.  But he does like raisins...  

Football for girls

Sometime last year, before we moved, Susanna decided that dance class was "too much exercise" and that she would rather do soccer.  So I figured she could start that this autumn.  In Lancaster it seemed that a lot of girls played soccer, and Susanna would have been excited to join them.

Where we live now, football doesn't seem to be so popular with the girls.  There are so many options for activities, including dance, music, theatre, etc, and football just seems to be more of a boy thing.  Now there is usually a girl in Ben's football class (sometimes different ones on different weeks, but usually just one per class), and there are football clubs with girls groups.  But Ben's football school only goes up to five years (once you're five you're too old) and the football clubs start at age six.  So if you are five-years-old, what do you do?

One local football club offers after school lessons at Susanna's school, and lucky for her, it works with her schedule and one of her good friends wanted to play too.  Today was the first day.  There were 12 kids total (they said they'd take up to 60), and I think seven of them were from Year 1 (Susanna's class), and of those seven, 5 were girls.  Perfect!  

It goes for an hour right after school, but I still have to collect her from her class and get her changed before they start.  Then I have about an hour to do something with Ben (just like when she has Rainbows on Tuesdays...)  Home is too far to be worthwhile, but there really isn't anywhere else to just hang out, except Costa...  Today we went to a nearby playground with a few other younger siblings and the hour passed quickly enough.  As it gets colder (and darker) in the coming weeks, I think we'll have to find somewhere better to wait.

Susanna seemed to enjoy the class today.  She said there wasn't too much running; they mostly played little games.  There won't be any games or real competition.  Its more about learning some football skills.  I'm happy that she is finally getting to opportunity to try this sport.  We'll see where it leads...

End of the week

Another busy week has ended...  we're all ready for the weekend!  

The kids are having lots of fun with school and activities.  Ben had his first sick day (on what would have been his third day of school.)  He'd been up half the night coughing and crying, so school was out of the question.  Of course I was up half the night with him, and his dad, who could have been sleeping, was also up half the night watching Monday Night Football.  I won't write any more about that...

After two good nights of sleep (with the help of a little medication), Ben was back in school for his next scheduled day on Thursday (he missed Tuesday.)

The kids had their swim lessons, which I guess went well.  I feel like I need to plan a trip to a hotel with a pool just to see their progress!  Susanna changed classes to be with a good friend, so she was very happy about that.

Ben had football this afternoon.  He was so tired when it was time to go, but once he got in there, he was totally happy.  He loves to sit next to the coach when he gets the chance, and is very eager to show his stuff.  At the end they stamp the kids' hands with a football stamp.  Ben gets his hands stamped, then pulls up his shorts to get his legs stamped, then pulls up his shirt so they can stamp his belly!

The weather has been beautiful all week - in the 60's and no rain - the best its been since we've been here!  The forecast for the next several days is more of the same, but you never know...

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Rainbows is just for girls

Today Susanna had her first meeting of Rainbows.  Rainbows is the youngest group in Girl Guides, which is a lot like Girl Scouts.  (I'm assuming they are totally different organizations, but the next level in Girl Guides is called Brownies...) 

She was very much looking forward to it, mainly because one of her good friends from school would be there as well.  Ben was quite interested in know what Rainbows was all about, and wondered why he couldn't go too.  I had to explain that its just for girls.  Maybe when he's bigger he can do Boy Scouts.

The meeting was for one hour.  The only "thing" about it is that I have to pick her up from school at 3:15, then Rainbows starts at 4:30 and is right by her school.  So I have the hour between picking her up and dropping her off again, then the hour while she's there to do something quick with Ben and go right back.  Today we came home after school to have a snack and change.  Then during Susanna's meeting Ben and I had a Costa date.  It went okay but it just seems like too much driving around.  

I think Rainbows will be a lot of fun for her.  I have good memories of Girl Scouts from when I was young, and hope she can have the same.  I think it will be nice to be in a smaller, girls-only group, and perhaps we'll also learn a bit about this country's culture and history through the activities.

Pretty flower

Susanna found this pretty pink and purple flower growing in front of our house.  Does anyone know what it is?  (I have no idea!  To see the photo bigger, click on it.)

Second day of school, or, I dress myself now!

Application

Its that time of year already - time for Ben to apply for school!  

Kids here start school when they are four years old - like if you turn four on the last day of August, you go to school a few days later.  (Nobody holds back.)  So that means that Ben will start school next September, when he is not quite four-and-a-half.  He will be in Reception, as Susanna was last year when we first arrived.  Depending on which school he gets into, he might go half-days until April, full days from September, or not at all until at least January.

In England, each school has a "catchment area", just like in the States.  The difference is that you don't necessarily have to go to the school in your area, and even if you want to, you may not get a place.  There are three state-run primary schools in our town.  When we arrived, we were assured that only one had a place available in Reception, and that is the furthest from our house of the three.  (Its still just a little less than 3 miles.)  

Since we are not in the catchment area for that school, Ben doesn't have top priority for a place.  Having a sibling there helps, but I think anyone who lives in the catchment area who wants to go to that school would get in before Ben.

So at this point (actually by mid-November), we have to do his application, and give our top three picks for school.  Of course Susanna's school will be our first choice, followed by the closest school; third choice will be the other school in town (which is actually the most highly-regarded of the three.)  

Then all we can do is wait and see!  I'm really really hoping he gets into the same school because I have no idea how I could possibly be at two different schools on opposite ends of town at the same time everyday!

BYOB

I've finally gotten into the habit of bringing my own bags to the grocery store.  When we lived in the States, I started a small collection of re-usable bags, but hardly ever remembered to actually bring them to the store.  Here, as part of our "simple living" experience, I remember to take them most every time - I just put them in the car after I've unpacked them (no room to keep them in the house!) and if I stop at the store, there they are.  Its nice not having so many extra plastic bags to store (I felt guilty just tossing them and I don't need them for diapers anymore), and I feel like I'm helping the environment in one small way.

One store here has started charging for the basic plastic bags.  I'm not sure if that is encouraging people to bring their own...  they often have promotions where they give a nicer, re-usable plastic bag free with each order.

So, please bring your own bag!!

What did you do at school today?

This is the standard question to ask your kid after school each day.  And most of the time, very little information is actually shared.  Perhaps that is because they do so much that they can't think of anything in particular.  Also maybe because they are exhausted.

When I try to talk to Susanna about what she does at school, I mostly get the vague response, "we do a lot of work."  Last night I found out that she does in fact do a lot of work.  We had Parents' Night at school.  We sat in the classroom and listened to the teachers describe the things they do.  It sounds like a lot of time is spent sitting at their desks (two kids per table) following instructions being given to the class as a whole.  We didn't hear much about the kind of work they actually do, however.  The only thing on the wall was a collection of self-portraits.

They do have some free time during the week.  And they have P.E. twice a week, and they get some outside playtime in the morning and afternoon.  Her classroom is the smallest in the school, so there isn't much room to move around.  Last year the classroom was huge, but with young kids that is quite necessary.  The teachers this year let us know that expectations are much higher in Year 1, in terms of time spent sitting, listening to and following instructions, and being responsible for their own things.  They will also have a bit of homework each week, to get in the habit of doing homework.

So far Susanna is very happy there.  She has three very good friends in the class and is always excited to see them each day.  I'm hoping that the long days are a little easier this year since she's a bit older, but she's still little!  

I'm very happy to get the experience of a different school system.  I can't really compare it to the U.S. at this point since we hadn't yet started school there, but I do know that its quite different.    

Gardening success, or, how to get your kids to eat veggies

We finally got something to grow in our garden!  We first tried carrots, but the little plants got eaten (though after reading The Carrot Seed, I still have a sliver of hope.)  Then we tried pumpkins.  We started the seeds in little pots, watered them faithfully, then when they were big enough we planted them in the garden.  Within days, something came along and nipped the plants right off, all three of them.

Finally we got some pea seeds and planted them in a raised stone planter that was left in our garden (along with assorted other planters and bird baths and bird feeders and an old ladder and wheelbarrow...)  Its been at least a month, and we had our first harvest today.  Susanna had fun looking for ones that were ready and picking them.  Both kids thought they were delicious!

First day of school, 2nd edition

Today was Ben's first day of preschool in England.  He went to preschool last year until we moved.  I thought about putting him in school here sooner, but the time sort of flew by, and now its September again.  September is always a good time to start school, and he was definitely ready.

His school is just next door to Susanna's school, and his start time is 10 minutes after hers.  So that makes it very convenient.  I have to drive back at midday to collect him, so there is still plenty of driving around.  He was originally scheduled for two mornings - Tuesday and Thursday - but today the director offered him a place on Mondays as well, so now he has three days a week.  On Mondays he'll have the option to stay for lunch for a few extra pounds, and I plan to take advantage of having him there an extra hour.  

Ben was happy to go this morning, and happy to be there.  He still talks a lot about his old school and teacher, but I think he knew this one would be different.  His school is basically one big classroom with 28 kids per day.  The group changes from day to day depending on which day each kid goes.  I'm not sure how many teachers are there each day, but obviously quite a few.

Ben seemed to have had a good morning at school, and he came out tired.  I forgot to take my camera this morning for his first-day-of-school photo.  I took it when I went to pick him up and he was not interested in having his photo taken (that is rare!)  I will try again Monday morning, and if it works, I will post a Second-day-of-school photo!

Swim lessons

Yesterday both kids started swim lessons.  Ben goes while Susanna is at school, and Susanna goes in the late afternoon.  Both were very excited to get started.  It was a long morning for Ben, waiting until it was time to go.  

Knowing that the kids were starting swim lessons in September, we bought three new swim suits for Ben while we were in the States.  The usual boy trunk-style suits.  We also got new goggles at the suggestion of one of the swim teachers.  So, we were all set.  

The day before the first lessons, someone told me that Ben couldn't wear a trunk-style suit - boys need to have a tight-style suit.  Fortunately that friend had an extra that she was willing to lend.  Its actually cute - more like tight little shorts - not quite a Speedo.

Girls are required to wear swim caps - another surprise - fortunately they sell them at the school (the school is at the teacher's house.)  Boys wear them too once they are a bit older, so Ben doesn't need one just yet.  The swim caps they sell are pink or black with a shark design - very cool!

Lessons went well, from what I can tell.  Other than a quick glance out the window at the pool, parents aren't allow anywhere near it.  The kids go in a few minutes early to sit and watch TV while they wait for their lesson.  Then they come out at the end.  Unfortunately there isn't a community pool very close to us, but if we want to see how the kids are doing, we will have to find one.  Hopefully they will make good progress.

Big kid football

Ben started his first activity today - football (soccer).  The organization that he does classes with has two levels - one is for 2 to 3.5-year-olds, and the other is for 3.5 to 5-year-olds.  He had been doing classes with the same organization in a different location, and he was of course in the younger class.  When he started with that class, he was one of the biggest kids, but not the oldest.  At some point, all the kids anywhere near Ben in size moved up to the next class, but they said there was no room for Ben (and as a new 3-year-old, he technically wasn't big enough anyway).  So his old class was suddenly packed with what appeared to be young 2-year-olds, and Ben quickly lost interest, and hasn't gone at all since early July.  

His class this autumn is in our town (supposedly they were full last spring) and he is in the older group, even though he won't be 3-and-a-half for another month-and-a-half.  Of course he fit right in size-wise, but he did seem a little young.  Ben was the only new kid today, so the other kids had a better idea of what was going on and what to expect.  He was definitely happy to be there.  Everytime the coach asked a question like, "who is the fastest?", Ben shouted out, "me!"  Ben likes his new coach (which is good, since when I said he was going to football he started talking about his old coach) and even though there were only five other children (including one girl) there was another Benjamin.

And thankfully I didn't get any complaints from his big sister, who sat with me, looking at her library book from school and occasionally watching the action.

We're planning a quiet weekend...  Brad is on his way home tonight from Orlando, and will arrive bright and early tomorrow morning.  Next week will be our first full week of school and activities, and I think the kids will need all the rest they can get to be ready!

First day of school

Today is Susanna's first day of school.  She was definitely ready to go this morning!  We were all up in plenty of time (as usual) and both kids were eager to get dressed.  Susanna chose her new skirt for today - girls have lots of options - trousers, skirt, pinnafore (all three with the white shirt and tie) or the summer dress.  Even though they can wear the summer dress in September, the weather today isn't particularly summer-like.

When we got to the school gate, Susanna suggested that I just leave her there.  Of course I couldn't do that!  We walked into the schoolyard and found her new classroom.  All the kids lined up to walk inside the building.  Most of the parents went in with the kids to help find their hooks and hang everything up (lunch bag, gym bag, and school bag, and jackets for some - lots of stuff to deal with!)  Susanna found her hook and told me again to leave - I'm glad she feels so comfortable and happy there.

All dressed up in her new school clothes (and shoes!)

Summer holiday - last day

Today was the last day of summer holiday.  Susanna goes back to school tomorrow and will be in Year 1.  I think she is excited...  in a way, it seems like just another day - like it was only yesterday that she finished Reception.  I know she will be very happy to see all her friends in the morning.

Susanna had a playdate with a school friend today, so Ben and I had a little preview of what our days will be like, with just the two of us.  It was a quiet afternoon, a chilly, rainy day.  I would have taken him for a walk to town, but I just couldn't get motivated.  He and I will have plenty of time for fun in the days ahead.

I should be getting to bed - time to get back to the school morning routine.

Dentist

Today's adventure was our first trip to an English dentist.  There were a few differences.  First of all, the dentist is called Mr. instead of Dr.  On this visit, which was just for Susanna and Ben, we only saw the dentist, so the whole appointment was about 10 minutes.  When it was Susanna's turn, the power went out, and the dentist ended up using a torch (flashlight) to look in her mouth.  If we want to see the hygienist, we have to arrange that separately.  We didn't get a chance to arrange it today since the power was still out when we left.

Its been good being back home here in England.  We've had a few playdates already and have a few more scheduled before school starts next Wednesday.  We only have a few more leisurely mornings to enjoy before the school-morning rush.  The weather has been somewhat cool, but its not cold yet.  We took the kids out this evening to ride their bikes.  We live on a sort-of busy street, but there is a quiet side street behind us, and it was great for bike riding.  Susanna had a good go at riding on two wheels by herself!  Hopefully she'll be a pro soon.

To all our friends who have started Kindergarten this week - we hope you're having lots of fun!

Holiday photos

I didn't take as many photos as I should have while we were back in Pennsylvania this month, but I did remember my camera when Brad took the kids for their first fishing experience.

My daughter wears a dress to go fishing, but she did dig for her own worms.

That's the Gator that Ben likes to "drive".
Its getting dark, but also more interesting...
Yay!  She caught one!
Ben has one last go, but the fish are too smart now.

Big sleep

Coming to the UK from the US always poses a sleeping challenge - even though you don't get much sleep on the flight, its best to stay awake as long as possible on the day of arrival, go to bed early (I usually don't make it much past 7) and get back on schedule for the next day.

Since this was the first time we "came home" to the UK from the US, it was hard to resist the comfort of our own sofas, so we gave up on the idea of staying awake all day and spent the afternoon sleeping.  As a result, dinner was late, and bedtime was late as well.  The kids got to bed around 9:30.  I figured it was just as well - I didn't want to put them to bed at 6 or 7 and have them wake up at 6 or 7 this morning!

Brad got up and went to work this morning - I stayed in bed until almost 9 since the kids hadn't come in to get me.  I got up and checked on them - both were sleeping soundly (Susanna decided last night that she wants to sleep in her own room now - maybe that helped).  Susanna ended up waking up at about 10:30, and Ben didn't stir until shortly after noon.  I could hardly believe how much they slept, especially Ben.  He is a true early bird.

So maybe now they will be all set to get back on a regular sleep schedule.  With only a week to go before school, that would be really nice!

Its good to be home

We made it back to England.  Everything went well, or at least well enough.  The flight was short, but of course its in the middle of the night, so there isn't much opportunity to sleep.  The kids slept some, curled up in their seats with their heads on our laps.  Brad and I snoozed a bit, but it was too difficult to get comfortable.  Ben had a coughing fit at one point and ended up sleeping on me, so Brad had a chance to stretch out a bit over two seats.

Our flight got in early and we got through passport control, baggage collection, and customs quickly.  Our ride was waiting, so it wasn't long before we were back at our house.  Now we are all exhausted, especially the grown-ups.  And there is much work to be done - putting away our clothes (fortunately most are clean) and all the odds and ends I purchased while in Pennsylvania.

We have one week before school starts - Susanna goes back on Wednesday the 3rd of September.  Ben starts preschool and all his other activities the following week.  

Its lunch time and I'm ready for bed!