Tea time

Today after I picked up Madison from school, one of her friend's mom came up and asked if Madison would like to come for tea some time next week. I said she would love it and right then and then Madison says, "Mom, tea is dinner, so don't worry, I won't be drinking tea." My little translator....what would I do without her.

I did know tea is what they call like every meal just so you all know.

New things

Well last week we found out where Dan is finally going to work. It has been a mess here and Dan was in one command while another was still paying for him so there was this whole mess as to where he was going...same place but different building and area of the world he's working with. Dan was getting pretty frustrated especially since we've been here since June and nobody did anything about it....or at least the correct way. We found out Monday, Dan will be on the watch. I've talked to some ladies who hate their husband being on the watch and some who don't mind it. I am thinking I'm going to be the one who doesn't mind it. He is on 4 days then off 4 days and then it stitches from working nights to days. Dan has done this switching days to night thing before and takes him one day to transition so basically we'll have more three day weekends...some two but seriously that's what we have now and some of those days are church so the girls and I are gone. I'm just happy Dan is relieved he's where he's suppose to be and not waisting anymore time on things he's learned that turned out he didn't need to learn. He's a little ticked though he's basically starting a new job when he's been here for almost 9 months. Oh well...that's just how life is sometimes.

I love going to the salon and getting my hair done. I am growing out my hair since Dan, Madison and Hannah have requested it so it was just to "tidy it up a bit" as they say here. I was suppose to get my hair colored too today but I wasn't thinking when I scheduled the appointment so next Thursday is the day. I'm thinking lighter blond with some copper in it? I don't know exactly what I'm going to do yet and I told Chelsie, the girl who has done my hair the past 4 times, to think of some ideas. I think she thinks I'm this crazy American who doesn't have TV and never knows what to do with her hair. She laughs every time I say, "just do whatever...you know better then me." I took Hannah to the coffee shop after I picked her up from school and I really couldn't tell my hair looked any different except the fact it's like perfectly blow dried and smells oh so good, but three girls who see me noticed! We will see if Dan does...which he probably will. He notices things most men don't. And I love the fact my hair is growing so fast lately...so exciting since Chelsie has suggested what I do when my hair gets out of the "flip" stage in the back since it's too short but not long enough. YAY! I'm so excited since I absolutely love the idea!

I'm a rebel

So today we had book club and just didn't read the two books we were suppose to read. One was 1984 and the other was The Surgeon of Crowthorne. I started both but just couldn't get into them. Dan LOVES 1984 and I realized why I didn't read it in high school. It was at my house and I was just happy all the fruit and croissants were eaten. I hate having left over food when it's been setting out. I have the books for this next month and hopefully I will get into them. They are war books so we will see. I think I'm looking forward to April's book which are going to be "pretty" books...the kind of girlie ones I like to read. Now I think I'm going to pick up a little bit before I have to pick up the girls from school....I love Hannah long days at school. I feel like I can get so much more accomplished.

York

We were off to the city center Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. We parked and forgot to bring pounds so we luckily had enough for 2 hours but this meant Dan would be walking back when we got change. We walked through the tiny street with all the stores with such cute different personalities. I was going to take pictures but I didn't. I'm sure we will plan another trip up there soon so perhaps next time. Hannah and I hung out at Starbucks since it was warm and Dan had to go back to the car to pay more money. We enjoyed sipping our hot chocolate and watching all the different people. It was the Viking Festival and at first we were so unimpressed. We thought it was just this little tent we paid to go in to see the different vendors and then the continental market that was going on just outside. We then realized if we looked in the brochure we got it told us where the different events were. Just before though, we walked right passed York Minister. If you look, there is a shape of a heart on the window. Sweethearts are suppose to kiss right under so their love lasts forever.

This is where we were able to watch a battle going on between the Vikings and someone else. Dan is asleep otherwise I would ask him, and the girls loved watching it. We were able to go into the museum right beside it and the girls picked out wooden swords of all things to get in the gift shop. I think all the fight watching got them excited. There were hawks on display right by the Abbey Ruins. That is why the people are all lined up. The girls were excited to see a bald eagle and reminded us about the loads that lived up in Whidbey.

Hannah posing right by the River Ouse

Clifford's Tower

We enjoyed walking around and seeing every thing. We liked going into the little shops and seeing all the little t he little trinkets they had inside. It was a beautiful day, sunny, but man the wind was chilly. We walked around for about 4 hours and then decided after Clifford's Tower to get on the bright red city tour bus and ride up on the double decker and view the city that way. I enjoyed it since it had an ongoing recording of all the things we saw and gave a history. I learned a lot and the bus driver added to it and was hilarious. We rode it for almost the whole tour but then we were by our truck so we decided to get off...the girls were pooped as well as Dan and I. We tried to eat at this fish and chips place but the smell just was too gross for me so we passed....not that I would eat fish but they had chicken. We headed back home which was only 2 1/2 hours and made it back before 6. It was nice to see all that we saw but now know what else there is to do there so another trip will be made.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Thursday morning we headed for Scotland. We left a little later then we wanted...10 am....I HAD to do laundry before I left. I really could have left it but I really wanted to get it done. So after I came back from the laundromat...we took off. We stopped in Sheffield which is a pretty big city. I would call it a "European San Francisco" with windy steep roads and no direct route to get anywhere. We enjoyed walking down the city center briefly then hopped back in and made our next stop, Alnwick Castle. While driving the girl spilt their hot chocolate in the car and it landed on my ONLY coat I brought...yeah I was not too happy but I just figured...oh well...I'll just freeze.

We knew the castle was closed for the winter but we HAD to stop by the Harry Potter castle and at least take a picture of it. Actually, Dan and Madison took a picture since I was freezing...and Hannah didn't want to get out. It took us about 8 hours to get up there with all of our stops which we didn't think was too bad. Dan and I loved how beautiful it is up north. It's super green, even more so then down here, and the hills are higher and there are more of them. It was breath taking with the sun out and seeing the rolling hills. We got into Edinburgh around the time every one was getting off work so it took awhile to get to the city center, but the city is BEAUTIFUL! Our hotel was in the actual city center so we parked in the front to check in really quick and find out where exactly we park and came out to find a 60 quin ticket on our windshield. Luckily it's only 30 since we'll pay it within two weeks but that was a bummer. We parked legally, well we lucked out, the man let us park in the employee parking lot which was free for us, and we walked the city center, ate some delicious Italian food...I know...Italian food in Scotland???....they must really like Italian food there since there is a restaurant on every corner. It was a nice place and we were a little hesitant about taking the girls in but they are amazing and so well mannered. They had such good service...England lacks in that department....and we socialized with the owner and waiters curious about the Americans who live in England and us about what to do here in Edinburgh on such a short time. Got some ideas, full satisfied tummys and headed back to our hotel.

The next morning we were up early and ready to hit the castle. I put on my 3 sweaters and Dan's liner for his coat and we were off. It was just about a mile away from our hotel so we got there and started walking up the huge hill to get to the castle. Perhaps we could have parked in a closer car park but we decided the hill would be good...since it was cold...perhaps it would warm us up. We took a tour of the castle and the man that did it wore a kilt....how I don't know since it was FREEZING. Madison was impressed with the way he spoke and how he said "wee" a lot. She tried it for a few hours....she gave up finally.

This was actually taken after we had spent 4 hours at the castle...I was freezing....hence the unhappy face.

The city looking out toward New Edinburgh.

The 7th gate to the castle. We had already walked through the other 6.

Madison...we were just about to the top of the castle.

Castle Square in front of the war memorial. They have records of all the deceased Scottish soldiers up to today. Pretty impressive.

Going through the royal chambers. We had just seen the rediscovered royal jewels as wells as the stone they use for the king and queen coronations.

Hannah not too happy about being in the dungeon.

The side of the castle...we had a long walk down. The city just outside the castle parking lot.

We enjoyed our day at the castle and then decided to head down to York. We took some coastal routes along the way, stopped at a pub in Berwick that had super tasty food and a bunch of characters in it who you could barley understand with their thick accents. We stopped in New Castle and man, that place is BIG! Dan needed a Starbucks and it took us an extra hour and a half....traffic was terrible! We had a good trip down and finally made it to our hotel in York around 7 pm. It was a good, long, eventful day.

I love

mornings your neighbor calls out from the window after you come home from dropping off the kiddos at school to come on over, have a cup of tea and chat even though you have a house to clean, sewing to do by tomorrow morning and two books to read before Wednesday morning. So relaxing...now back to reality and my house that needs some cleaning!

Top 10 events from our mini vacation

(No specific order)

10. Madison and Hannah both spilling their hot chocolate in the car - luckily it landed on my ONLY jacket I brought...luckily it was cold and rainy...basically I froze the whole trip with 3 sweaters on.

9. Dan's Starbuck's break in New Castle that took an extra hour and a half....he had to have one though.

8. Madison telling me she needed jewels like those that we saw in Edinburgh....the Royal Jewels.

7. Falling in love with Edinburgh...I seriously could live there....so beautiful.

6. Hannah's face when we were walking through the prison chambers in the Edinburgh castle...so priceless.

5. Seeing the coronation stone they use for the Kings and Queens of England...I can say I've been inches away from it.

4. The fact we were not all that impressed with the Viking Festival itself...we were more excited about walking around the town center.

3. Taking the cheesy bus tour in York, we were pretty tired of walking.

2. Hannah after realizing we were close to home saying, she's so excited to be home and play Wii Wii.

1. The drive up - super fun and an opportunity to make a list of all the other things we need to see....lots more trips to come!

I will post pictures later...too tired to write about our trip in detail. We are glad to be back home though in our home and can't wait to sleep in my bed!

My lucky bingo game

So tonight I went and played bingo...it was the OCSC (Officer Civilian Spouse's Club for you those not in with the military abbreviations). Anyways....so I wasn't winning and then the 16th game of bingo, my luck changed and I won the glass pitcher I wanted! I was worried since there were three of us at the same time but luckily I drew number 1 and was able to have first choice of the three options. YAY me! I also drove home my friend's sitter she had which is a girl, well she's like in her 20s and she was telling me about all these market places in Birmingham and she's up for going so I'll have a tour guide! YAY! I've been to Birmingham but really haven't seen the city. She's lived there and knows her way around way more then I do so that's exciting since any of you that have been to Birmingham....it is a completely chaotic place!!! So there is another trip I need to take.

Quick Madison story....so today I made the cheese cake I was suppose to make on Valentine's Day...I always make Dan one since it's like his favorite. So the girls are all excited about this cheese cake dessert that has strawberry toppings. So I serve it to Madison and she tries a bite and then I notice she's just eating the top - the strawberries. Her words, "I really don't like the white bits of the cheese cake...only the red bits." Dan and I laugh and he tells her, "Then I guess you don't like cheese cake since the cheese cake is the white bits." It was too cute! Hannah of course ate it all and asked for more....my little sweet tooth child.

A break

We are leaving tomorrow bright and early for our short vacation to Scotland and York and I must admit, I wasn't getting too excited for it. I feel like my house has been turned upside down and I just don't have enough energy to make it the way I like....super clean. I feel like every thing is just piling up and I'm just letting it get bigger and bigger. So this morning I started cleaning and by cleaning, I mean the "Bobbie" way. I tend to move things around, clean in places the eye can't see (but I know it's there) and organize things back how they were two weeks ago. And I must say that after I tackled three rooms upstairs and a bathroom, I have a sudden burst of energy and I feel pretty good. Weird...I know! So now I can be a little more excited about going away since I HATE leaving the house when it's upside down, I like to come home to a clean house with clean linens and the smell of cleaners still lingering in the air. Some times I think...man I really need to get a life if this is what gets me excited...

The scream

Last night, I was up around 3 am because that's just what I do. I decided to do some laundry so I went upstairs, got some clothes, brought them downstairs, and was in the laundry room doing my thing. The laundry room is tucked back in the corner of the house and hello it's 3 am so like I expect anyone up. So I turn around and then see Hannah just standing in the door way of the kitchen and I scream...not just any scream, it's like someone is about to kill me scream. I was seriously freaked out. So I hear Dan yell, "Bobbie, are you ok?" I tell him I'm fine, just Hannah scared me, which I might add, she was fine, she just looked at me and said after I was done with my 5 second scream, "Mom, you were screaming really loud!" I go upstairs and Dan is up, obviously, and tells me I woke him up, the scream was so loud and that he never had heard someone scream like that, not even in the movies....he has never been with me to an amusement park....remember Christina and Nicole when we went to Disneyland and on that ride the man held his fingers in his ears the whole time since he was sitting behind us and we were just a little too loud for him....anyways...so Dan was like it made me wake up with my heart racing. I don't know what I was thinking...perhaps we had a midget intruder? It's 3 am and I all I know was someone was downstairs with me who wasn't suppose to be and it startled me. Pretty intense night. I haven't been scared like that in forever and I think the last time I was startled like that minus the scream at that volume was when my sister Nicole, was sleep walking and I had just come home from watching The Ring with some friends at the cinema and she looked like that crazy girl in the movie. So freaky!!! Anyways...that was our night....fun times!

Emotions and things

Tonight, I had Dan watch August Rush with me...he's never seen it. So first off, he wanted to fast forward it at some parts because he just "couldn't take it." Then at the end....I ask him if he liked it. He says, "No! I don't like feeling emotions Bobbie and that was an emotional movie. Where's Hulk? I need to watch that!"

Baby update

Today was my scan (ultra sound) and I found out they moved my due date to September 4. Woohoo! One full day! Their Aunt Shannon's birthday too...sorry Shan. The baby looks good...two arms, two legs, one head, one tummy....so now until April 17th and then we find out whether we're having a boy or a girl! So exciting! I have a picture but I'm too lazy right now to scan it so perhaps later.

Hannah and her funny moments...

Dan comes down stairs, gets the bird and says, "Toby, you're my war eagle."

Hannah, who doesn't seem to be listening or aware of anything going on besides her movie replies, "No dad, he's just your stupid bird."

Now I'm not one that usually lets her say that word but it was all just too funny.

Valentine's Day

So I actually had a husband this year for Valentine's Day...too bad he was feeling sick the night before. I got my dozen roses....he's so cute, he knows I really like the ones from the city center so he went down that morning and got them. The girls woke up to what Dan and I had gotten them and it was so cute to hear, "Oh my gosh!" from downstairs. They get so excited about the smallest things. I gave Dan "the biggest Valentine's Day card like ever!" and his speakers for his computer. He attempted to make me breakfast but I just really wasn't feeling like eating. He understood though and poured me some orange juice instead. I was busy in the afternoon preparing a meal for a family and got that done before Dan and I were to drop off the girls. Luckily Dan was feeling a little better from that morning so we went bowling. We hadn't been just the two of us in who knows how long and wanted to see if we were as good as our wii skills. Dan scored a 224 and my highest was a 128...which I must say, is like a record for me. We did another round and that was not so good....89. Anyways...Dan wasn't hungry and neither was I but I wanted a McDonalds ice cream cone with a flake so we waited for 20 minutes for the drive thru, after realizing I just wanted the ice cream, I got what I wanted and it was very satisfying. We came home, went for a long walk in the cold, and then went and picked up the girls a little early but it always is better that way since Dan tends to talk to James forever! It's all good. He gave us some samples of his meat he cures and man, it was tasty. Or as Dan made fun of me on the way coming home after eating a slice of cheese cake, "it tasted tasty." Dan had rented some kind of Hulk cartoon so we let the girls stay up really late and watch it with us, well with Dan, I fell asleep on the couch and then I woke up to a really sore throat. Fun times....but all in all...it was a pretty fun, relaxing night.

Half term

So today half term has officially started...well at least in my house. Madison's school had a teacher day so they didn't have school today and Hannah has some weird gunk coming out of her eye....I'm taking her in a little bit to the doctor to see if she has conjunctivitis. Hopefully not! Dan and I have a date tomorrow! Anyways...my husband is even home...they got a 4-day weekend for President's day and then he has all week off next week. So much family time...we will see how that goes...just kidding...it will be fun.

Madison

It was teacher conference last night. I came in not knowing what to expect. Madison doesn't like reading with me and I honestly don't like reading with Madison. It's this super frustrating thing. She will just have read a word and then she suddenly has no idea what it is the next page. She does have super nice hand writing...I was noticing that the other day, small, all the letters are correct, and she can spell just fine. So when I came in and the teacher showed me this paragraph she wrote about their school walk to the village church, I was blown away. The only misspelling she had was the word, candles and she had some big words in their. Miss Morrell was so impressed how far she's come along in school, first, she was in preschool when we left Whidbey and second, she's the second youngest in her class. So I was excited to hear that she's moving up from her support group to the middle level group. I knew this year was going to be a year of catch up, but it's so exciting to know she's there already before the year is over. Her numeracy is strong, I think she tends to goof off and just act like she doesn't know anything around her dad and me.

Hannah's conference is on Thursday, I'm excited to go since it will be my first. Dan went to the last one by himself and I have banned him from going alone to these things. He came home with no information and didn't give me the progress papers until I found them.

On a totally different note, I get my ultra sound done in five days! Woo hoo! I'm hoping they move my due date to an earlier time. I just don't like September 5th!

Toby

Toby LOVES to get attention...well as long as it isn't from some little person. He LOVES to be pet, rubbed, talked to....he's seriously one crazy bird. Dan calls him his "war eagle" and he does this weird thing with his wings. We will be in the living room and yell, "Hello Toby!" and he'll start singing back...or mimicing our whistles...so here's a short video since he's so cute!

My week of being frustrated...all for nothing.

I have been so frustrated with the vacuum we have. For some reason it didn't have any power...well hardly. I am addicted to vacuuming...ask my husband...I tend to leave it out since I'm vacuuming all the time. So anyways...I was super mad about this. I mean we had gotten it when we moved in and that has been less then 8 months. So I went to Tesco, even though I had the truck and would have to walk out in the boonies to go look at getting a new vacuum. I just can't do warranties. I mean, you never know how long it's going to take and I NEED to vacuum! So I look at prices and find one and then realize ours was 90 pounds...so like when we bought it it was $180 and I just think...this should NOT be happening...I better use that warranty! Besides, mine had one with the most wattage so it should be sucking up better then the others. So I'm looking at out vacuum there to see maybe they sell the filter. Perhaps that's the problem? Then I realize there is a power slider...and I have this brilliant idea...perhaps just maybe, ours has been scooted over to the lowest power. So I find other things to buy, and come home and guess what? Sure enough, the little slider is on the lowest setting. I just have to say, Dan looked at the vacuum the other day and didn't see it either...so it's not just me.

Car getting stuck

Today I was late to church and our parking lot has limited actual parking spots. So I park in the grass...I was thinking...this is probably a bad idea but this really is my only option. The parking lot is still covered with loads of snow. So I start my car, and put it in reverse but my car is not moving. Luckily Brother Wheeler was right there, called the Priest over and the boys pushed my car out of the snow. A little embarrassing. It made me think of the time I drove up to the pear orchard for road show practice. I must have been good that week since I was able to drive the brand new mustang. I put the car in reverse and I backed up a little too much and ended up driving on to this huge boulder and got the car stuck. So I had to have the boys all push and help get the car off the boulder....now that was even more so embarrassing!

All that for nothing

So this morning, I kept refreshing the school closure page on BBC hoping perhaps Madison's school would be closed due to snow. It started falling pretty heavily around 8:30, but as I saw neighbors drive away with kids in the car, I thought, I better get the car started. So I started it, got the kids in, forgot to lock the door, put the car in neutral and the e-brake up and what does my car start doing? ROLLING!!! My drive way is a slight downward slant to the garage and my car was going right for the closed garage door! So I quickly jump in my car and press the foot brake and realize my car is sliding because it's on ice. It luckily stopped inches away from the garage door...Thank goodness! So after that I am like spinning trying to reverse up the hill, I finally make it and realize these roads are all icy. I'm in practically first gear since I have to go so slow and after what seems like the a forever driving to her school, and every bus was seriously out which doesn't help already narrow roads with ice, we make it to find out it's been closed! I was like grrrr...I knew I should have just kept her home! We made it back without quite the ordeal as it was getting there and now have a Hannah disappointed she isn't going to school. She really wanted to make a snowman on the hill.

How cold can you get?

My kids were out in the snow around 8:30 this morning, didn't come back in until 12 (we had some moments the came back in quickly to try and warm up and went to the store with Dan for about 45 minutes or so) but other then that, they were outside all morning long. All of our neighborhood was out so there were snowball fights, snowman making and snow angels galore. Dan went to the store and bought some Wellingtons...he feels quite "British" now. I opted to stay inside and talk occasionally with the neighbors through the window....my other neighbor had the same idea. I made some delicious sandwiches for lunch, the kids took a nap and then they were back outside.

It's 4 pm now and my kids are now onto the Wii. Apparently Hannah is "spoiling" the Wii. Time to go referee.

Snow day!

I couldn't sleep last night but I did get to see all the snow come down since 3 am. It is starting to melt a little but but there is still quite a bit. The girls' school was cancelled and Dan was suppose to go down to London for a meeting but it was cancelled since the trains were not running. He now has a delay this morning and doesn't have to be to work until 12. Hopefully he'll be able to just stay home.

Fabric!

Today I went to the fabric store in this little village and bought some fabric. I wasn't sure exactly what colors I wanted...I didn't know what the whole intention of the quilt was going to be. As I was looking, I decided I should make Madison and Hannah a quilt. I made them their little ones that hardly cover their body now. So through much debate...Ryann is so patient...she found her fabric at record speed and those who have been to the fabric store with me...I tend to take forever. So I decided to buy the same colors and patterns, but I'll change up the background fabric a bit and the backings. I'm excited! I love it since the fabric so fits my girls. Oh my goodness though...I so miss fabric prices back in the states...the ones I picked out were nearly 10 pounds per meter (and I had to get more then one meter obviously since I'm making two quilts)!!! I figure though, it will be something I know my girls will cherish.

I finally decided what to do with my empty wall space in the kitchen.....

It works for us since my kids come home with projects and I was sick of tape all over!

Growing up so fast...

I can't believe the changes in just 3 years....I am organizing all the pictures I took of my parent's computer. It's so crazy how time just goes by so fast.

Scotland and York

I just booked us hotels in Edinburgh and York! I'm so excited. Dan took the full week off the girls are off for half term so I suggested we just get some hotel rooms since we're going to be up there and then we could see more things and not feel so rushed. YAY! It worked. I found some excellent deals and now I just need to plan out two days in Scotland and 2 days in York. Saturday will be the Viking Festival so that's pretty much our day but oh how I love planning! We will have to go back up when it's not so freezing there but I had to take advantage of my husband actually having some time off.

Teeth

Madison has her one of her adult front teeth coming in. She hasn't lost any teeth yet but she already has a tooth coming in from the back. Her tooth is just a little wiggly and she keeps insisting I wiggle it to see if it's ready to come out. She's excited.

Tonight it's just the girls and I. Dan is having some male bonding time, dinner and a movie. He didn't want to go but I insisted he did since 1. I have no desire to watch "The Wrestler" and 2. I just hate going out to eat here. Nothing ever really satisfies my taste buds unless I'm in the mood for only dessert. Madison asked me again where her dad was and why he wasn't there to tuck her in. I said he needed some time with his friends...her response..."What does he think he's doing at work? He's with his friends!" Oh my Madison....now if she still feels that way in 10 years we will see.

I had my first Sunday in Primary...Holy cow there are a lot of kids in a tiny room!