Happy Halloween

Tonight we hosted our 2nd Annual Halloween Party. For the past two years we have invited ISE families to join us for trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and then over to our house for goodies. Halloween in the UK is not near as big in the United States so there isn't a lot of trick-or-treating, but its growing. Our neighborhood fortunately is very family friendly and does the closest thing to "American" style trick-or-treating. We got lots of the kids in our neighborhood pretty excited this year because we decorated our house for Halloween on October 1st.  Our other American friends in the village, the Dobberfuhl's, often would have crowds of people stop in front of their house and stare at their decor.  We are starting a trend though because there were lots more decorations and pumpkins on our neighbors' houses out this year compared to last year.
This year we had over 20 kids join in the fun (last year we had 8)!!!  Because we were going to have such a large group, I sent a little note to all of my neighbors to warn them we'd be coming around.  One of them wrote me back and saidshe loved seeing all of us last year and felt like she was in the movie ET with all the kids running around is such cute costumes.  They knew we had to be the Americans because of the quality of our costumes.  Most costumes in the UK are skeletons, witches, devils or pumpkins.  As you can see we've got princesses, bunnies, dinosaurs, Batman, cockroaches, Tigger's and Addie.  

Even more crazy...this year I had 55 people in my tiny English home all at once. It was a good thing that we were all such close friends because we packed in the place pretty tightly. We had so much fun and I think the kids really enjoyed themselves.

Harrison dressed up as Tigger this year and we attempted get Addison to be Dora the Explorer. The giraffe costume that I borrowed for her didn't fit so last minute I put together a little brown wig, an explorer belt with Dora's friend Map and a mini Dora, and borrowed a back pack from Emily to carry Dora's other friend Boots the monkey. Of course she didn't want anything to do with it because once all the kids started showing up she wanted to play. I ended up pinning the little Dora wig on to her stocking cap so she really ended up looking like a little Jamaican girl rather than Dora.  It was so fun bringing her around to trick-or-treat this year because she attempted to say something like "trick-or-treat" but she could say "thank you" to everyone.  Also now that we know most of the people in our neighborhood it was great to see them all and their kids stop by our house.

It was so fun to have mom and dad there to be with the kids on Halloween, because mostly in the States they wouldn't have come all the way to our house in Illinois to go trick-or-treating with the kids. It was also great to have all of our closest friends from over here all in one place so my mom and dad could meet them and put faces with names.  Our wonderful babysitter even left her candy handing out duties to join the party and brought us some well decorated "fairy cakes."  Doesn't she look so cute?  Can't wait to see what next year will be like.

An "English" Treat

Tonight we along with the Wong's visited the Gorman/Clayton household to partake in an authentic English dinner. We had a wonderful time visiting and eating some great food with great friends. 

My favorite part is always when the puddings are served. In the UK, puddings is a general term used for desserts. Tonight they cooked up Bread and Butter pudding and Treacle Sponge Pudding....yummy!!! My dad loved them so much that he kept insisting that I get the recipes so I can make them when I come home for Christmas.

After dinner the boys started a heated discussion about the differences between baseball and cricket while the ladies got the kids off to bed. Dad and Kevin finally showed up back at home about an hour and a half later, apparently after they played a dozen or more games on Simon's Wii.  

Grandma & Grandpa's First Castle and Seeing the Sea

My Dad was really hoping to see some castles on this trip and when he found out we only lived about an hour and a half from the sea he thought it would be cool to check that out as well. So on Wednesday we headed out to see Castle Rising on our way to Hunstanton. 

Mom and Dad have never seen an English castle so this was pretty exciting for them and I could see it in their faces as we walked in the doors. To me it was just "another castle" but I have to always remember the "first times" other people have when they come over.

Dad was looking all over the place for the things that would hold torches and trying to figure out really how old all this stuff was. 

My mom listened to the hand held commentary things to let us know what was what. Last time I was here I didn't get to listen to them either since I tried to keep hold of Addie.

How lucky am I to be here with her as a mummy with my two beautiful kiddos! 

It was a little chilly but the kids both got new hats and gloves from Grandma and Grandpa - Harrison got green camo and Addison got pink camo.

By lunch time we got to Hunstanton, so we popped into a little restaurant and all ordered fish and chips - a true English favorite. Then we headed down the prom to the very end where we got to see the cliffs. Kevin and I didn't see these the last time we came so it was a real treat.

Addie searched for shells with Grandma for a while but then she saw that Grandpa had ventured out on to the rocks and she wanted to join him. She liked it very much but the rocks were covered with moss so he had to be extra careful when holding her especially when got squirming thinking it would be fun to go out towards the water's edge.

Dinner With the Wongs

My mom and dad really enjoyed meeting Danny and Min the last time they were here and since Min's sister Wendy was visiting from Singapore I wanted to make sure they got to meet her as well. So on Tuesday evening after the Wong's got back from their holiday in Belgium, we had them all over for dinner for some traditional "American" eating. Wendy had been having so much fun trying all of Min's English dishes that she had been making I thought it would be fun for her to eat "American" since we were all going to Simon and Sarah's for "English" eating on Thursday.
Min and Wendy are twin sisters and not only do they look like each other but they act like each other as well. Both are so sweet and both just love on Harrison so much!!! Wendy just had a baby boy several months ago and was missing him so much, so she got her baby fix with Harry.
My mom's birthday was on October 20th so I took this opportunity to be able to celebrate with her. I made a chocolate cake with loads of chocolate icing and we sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Manderin to her...what a treat! I'm just guessing but I think she got her birthday wishes before she even blew out the candles with Addie on her lap.

Eight Week Jabs

Today Harrison got his eight week "jabs"...this is what they call shots in the UK. Actually makes sense to call them that since a shot is a short glass full of alcohol and they actually jab you with a needle. Immunizations in the UK are very similar to those that they give in the US with a few differences. Here they additionally vaccinate for Meningitis C, but they don't do rotovirus, Hepetitis B or chicken pox like they do in the States. It was so sad to watch the little guy get "jabbed" because he cried so loud and I couldn't give him any cuddles until the nurse got some band-aids on his legs. Harrison hardly cries ever and to see him so sad broke my heart. I guess he must not have cried too loudly because my mom couldn't hear him outside. He also got checked out by the GP for his eight week visit and all is good. He complemented me on how well natured Harry was, so I was a proud mummy! My dad got a real kick out of the sign just outside the surgery that says "Glinton Surgery" then next to it says "Dead Slow". It's really to warn you that the entrance is a single lane and to slow way down, but it is kind of humorous when you talk about the dead going slow at a doctor's office.

Sacrewell Farms

Today we headed to Sacrewell Farms. It is a local touristy farm where little kids can see and feed farm animals. I've always wanted to bring Addie out there and I thought it would be a great thing to do with my parents here. We started out by eating lunch at the cafe on the farm and it was chaotic. There were millions of kids everywhere since it was half term week and school was out. There were at least 20 strollers parked in the designated "push chair park." And if the loads of kids and parents running around, along with Addison becoming restless didn't stress out my parents enough, not knowing what anything was on the menu may have put them over the top. The menu was very English - hot pie of the day, traditional sandwiches of prawn salad, cucumber, cheese and Wiltshire ham, etc. They both looked down at the menu for a long time and then looked at me and asked what I was having as to say "We have no clue what any of this stuff is and if any of it will taste good." I picked out the beef and mushroom pie with mash and veggies...essentially it was like pot pie but with beef and sides of mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, but it doesn't say that in "American" to them. They decided to order what I was getting...I guess they felt if I liked it, it should be okay.  Addie was more interested in all the other kids in the cafe than wanting to eat any lunch.
The rest of the day was fun. I had bought some animal feed for her to feed the sheep and goats which she had a blast doing. She is such a thoughtful little girl because she went down the line of sheep and made sure that each one of them got a little bit each from her bucket. I do have to say that this place has really figured out a money maker. They sell feed for people to buy and give to the animals. They essentially are getting paid to let other people feed their animals and it probably pays for the feed itself...some smart cookies!!!
The Shire horses were really neat. They are huge horses that are so strong that they can pull something twice their own body weight. They were the same type of horses used by Knights heading off into battle back in those days. Addie really wanted to pet them but it was clearly posted that you weren't supposed to get too close since they can bite...but try explaining that to a 21 month old.
We also saw pigs, calves, rabbits, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, and a "kitty kitty." It has been really fun over the past couple of months because Addison is learning the names of animals and the sounds they make so for her to see most of them in real life here and at the safari park we went to a few weeks ago has been wonderful and loads of fun. She gets so excited!!!

My Eight Week Post-Natal Checkup

Today I got in to the GP to get my postnatal check up. I was told that we would just have a nice chat to discuss how I was doing and line up means of birth control, well, I got a little more than that. Since I had some issues that needed fixed up after giving birth he insisted that I have an exam "down their" to check how things were going. Any woman can agree that it's not your finest hour to have someone poking around down there especially someone you consider to be like your family doctor...not your OB/GYN or midwife...but in this country your GP does about everything. I explained also that I was going to get in for an appointment with my OB/GYN when I went back to the States to get my yearly exam done and he went on to ask me how long I planned to be in the UK...I responded another 2-3 years. He went on to recommend that I continue with my "womenly" care here since I was going to be here for awhile and if something showed up they could help take care of it here. It's not something I was planning on or really wanting to do, but he did have somewhat of a point. I'm still not sure if I'll cancel my appointment in the States over Christmas. I'll have to see what the ol' body says to me by then. One cool thing over here is that the pill is FREE!!! No co-pays, no stopping in the pharmacy every month. They give you a year's supply right up front with no charge!!!

"Mama" Sue and "Papa" Jeff Come Back to England

Today my mom and dad made their SECOND trip to England this year to see us.  God is truly amazing to allow them to be able to do this.  But I also think that it would take an act of God to keep my parents away from meeting their newest grandson.  Kevin headed down to Heathrow with Addison at 4:30 AM in order to pick up my parents.
Their flight was due to arrive at 6:30AM and since we had a time change over night we were trying to figure if their arrival time was actually the new 6:30 time or what would have been the "old" time.   Well I guess someone forgot to tell the pilots that we changed clocks because they actually ended up arriving early and since Heathrow wasn't expecting them that early they had to circle for 45 minutes to make up for the time. Needless to say that Kevin and Addison got some quality time together waiting for the plane to arrive. Kevin said that mom and dad were lucky to have finally got there when they did because Addie was about at breakdown mode. Also the airport and the parking decks didn't synch their clocks right so Kevin got charged for 3 hours of parking instead of 2 which if any of you know is horrible crazy expensive at an airport.  Never the less I was so excited though when they finally got to the house and they were so happy to be back.

It seemed like they were just here and we made jokes that they were so posh to make two European trips in one year, but they got lucky to find fairly decent airfares both times (like I said God works in mysterious ways). After getting in some cat naps, we all decided to get out to enjoy some fresh fall air and play in the park.



I don't think Grandma and Grandpa weren't quite ready for how energetic and adventurous their little Addison had gotten. They did get a kick out of how she managed to jump in every puddle on the way home and completely soak her pant legs.  

Making our Votes Count

Thursday afternoon I was able to carryout a wonderful American freedom that we still possess while living in the UK...voting!!!! Kevin and I received our absentee ballots a couple of weeks ago and got them filled out, signed and sealed up to sent back to the US of A. I needed to make sure they would get to Tazewell County, IL by the next Friday in order for them to be counted in the general election, so we made a pretty important trip to the post office to get them on their way.

Shopping with Two Under Two

Last Thursday I headed up to the Deepings Practice to the baby clinic to get Harrison weighed - he was a whopping 12 lbs already!!! Anyway, while I was there I thought I would stop quick at the Tesco in town to pick up some milk that we ran out of that morning. Again what is nice about shopping with kids is that they have special parking spots for you so I got rock star parking right up by the door...closer than handicapped parking even. Also they have these nifty little shopping carts for a toddler and a baby...just perfect for me! So this trip wasn't so bad...Addison was a perfect little angel. Harrison on the other hand was really tired and couldn't get comfortable and I had to carry him for a while. We did manage to get our Halloween candy purchased, which was great!!!  I still do my online shopping but they don't seem to have the seasonal stuff up, so I needed to get in the store to pick this stuff out myself.

Well, I'm a glutten for punishment because yesterday I attempted to head to the store again with my two little ones because, yes, we ran out of milk again! Things started out great and then with two things left on my list, Addison decides she wants to get out of the cart and can't get up.  She starts crying and throws the hugest fit.  Then Harrison joined in because sissy was crying next to him.  Okay, so I'm at the checkout with two screaming children and everyone passing by is saying, "Oh, looks like someone's upset."  I am pleading Addie to relax and talked as calmly as I could.  I felt all the eyes staring at us and I just wanted to scream outloud and then break down crying, but I didn't.  Why do I put myself into these situations?  On the other hand why do I keep letting myself run out of milk??  When Kevin got home and after putting Addie to bed, I cried a lot and felt completely inadequate as a mother.  He was very supportive and told me that I did the right things and reassured me that it was a phase she was going through. We decided we needed to help each other and Addison get through it as best as we can so any advice that any of you mommies and daddies have out there would be appreciated, because I can so see myself ending up on the "Super Nanny" show someday...well, I hope not.

Halloween Goodies from Grandma Sally

Addison and Harrison's grandmas love to send them things and this week they got a wonderful package from Grandma Sally Dea with loads of great Halloween goodies. Addison got two pairs of spooky socks, a little jack-o-lantern stuffed animal, and a trick-or-treating bag. Sally also made this really cute Halloween banner that she said was meant to be a trick-or-treat bag, but I'm glad she made it into a wall hanging so I have something new to decorate with.

Thank you Grandma Sally!!!

Saturday Fun and Safari Parks

Today we headed down to Milton Keynes to visit a few different places.  We started out the morning at IKEA.  We've been wanting some storage units for the little space we call a "play room" for the kids (it's the 8' x 10' space between our dining room table and the wicker furniture we have in the conservatory).  We really liked the shelves that have the colored tubs that pull out but we couldn't find anything that fit the size space we have.   So instead of buying the shelves, we bought the tubs we liked and have decided to build our own units to fit our space (more to come once we finish that project).

Next we headed to TGI Fridays!!!! It had been awhile since we treated ourselves to a little "American" dining. It was sooooo good and it was nice to get a little taste of "home." I even had my first strawberry dacquari, since it had been ages.  It made me wonder though...what would be doing on this Saturday if we were still living in the States. Would we have shopping out at the mall and ate at the TGIFs in Peoria??? Who knows?

In the afternoon we headed to Woburn Safari Park. It's this huge park loaded with "wild" animals that roam freely as you drive your car around through the park. We saw lions and tigers and bears (oh my) along with elephants, wolves, monkeys, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, and much more.

We got to finally use the telephoto lens on our camera and got some great shots of the animals. It was just like we were a few feet away from them...actually the rhino was about 3 feet from our car. Maybe we should have checked our insurance policy before we went to see if wild charging rhino damage was covered. 

In the "jungle," there were monkeys everywhere.  We didn't have any come on our car, but it was fun watching them on other people's.

After driving though the savannah and jungles, we checked out the Safari walk and saw lynxes, penguins, lemurs, and Addison even got bumped over by what she calls a "baa baa sheep".

By the end of the day we were all pretty tired, especially Addison. We think she's having an early case of the terrible twos because she felt like throwing some pretty bad tantrums all throughout the day and crying can sure wear you out.  We hope she had some as well...we sure did when everyone was happy.

No Nap

Today Addison was like the Energizer Bunny...she kept going and going and going. I tried putting her down for a nap twice and she clearly wasn't interested in sleeping. Well around 2:40PM that it was too late to get her to sleep and I was really wanting to get out for a walk since it was beautiful out. So I packed up the kids and we headed out and walked with Min up to the school to get the kids (which has become one of my favorite things to do lately - great exercise and great time to catch up with the other mums and dads in town.) After we picked up the kids we headed to the park and played. Addison rode on the swing and ran up and down the hill a couple of times. I couldn't believe how much energy she had. When we got home around 4PM Yi Xuen and Min stayed over for about a half hour and Addie was still all fired up. After they left I put in Shrek to have Addie stay distracted while I got her dinner ready. Around 4:45 I thought it was a bit too quiet in the living room and I feared the worst...yes she fell asleep on the floor. It was so cute seeing her all balled up on the floor and listening to her snore because she was so exhausted, but I couldn't let her have her "nap" now otherwise she won't sleep at night. Well I decided to wake her up after a 20 minute power nap. Needless to say she wasn't very happy and only ate the dip that I put on her dinner plate for her carrots. She started getting really ornry so I started to video tape her and for some reason that calmed her down. I gave her a bath and then we cuddled up on the couch with brother before I put her to bed at 6:45 and she slept for the rest of the night...thankfully.