parkersanity

My Little Lego Guy

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:13:00 +0000

I know the lego boxes say that legos are not meant for kids under 3 BUT when you have 2 older brothers who like playing with legos.....

Age doesn't matter. Graham loves playing with legos and building "ships" and making different "guys". He is very proud of his work and spends many minutes of his day playing with legos.

The little guy in his hand is part of a Power Miners Lego set and Graham calls him "Mars". If he has misplaced "Mars" he walks around saying, "Where Mawrs, where mawrs??" That little lego guy's real name is Glaciator--I'm not sure where Graham got Mars from but it sure is cute!~

Everyday

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Wrestling

Every. Single. Day.

It's always fun until someone gets hurt.

Every. Single. Day.

Gotta be primordial instinct because it happens

Every. Single. Day.

Driving in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

I bit the bullet and drove the car. I've been dealing with some sensitive tummy issues and thought that walking to pick Ewan up from school might put me in an, uhum, compromising situation, so I thought I'd better buck up and drive.

I invited a friend from our building to come with me. She is British and has driven both in the US and in the UK. I thought I might feel better about driving if another adult was with me--and also less nervous if Jon weren't the other adult. He couldn't be there anyway since he was at school. Driving to the school is the route I know how to get there and back best. I know how to drive to our church and back home but ask me to get anywhere else and I'm pretty sure I'd get lost. Those roundabouts are tricky I tell you.

The funniest thing that happened was after I got Graham and Isaac in the car and got to my own seat. I had never even sat in the drivers seat before and it definitely felt different. I reached over my left shoulder to pull down the seatbelt (you know cuz I was DRIVING) and go figure, the seatbelt wasn't there. It was on my RIGHT side. You don't realize how habitualized you become at driving until all the parts are in the wrong place. I chuckled to myself that I didn't realize ahead of time to reach to my right to pull the seatbelt down. Next, the car was started and I went to put it in reverse. Our car is a manual shifter. Another little difficulty in learning how to drive on the other side of the road. Not only do you have to remember to stay on the LEFT side of the road you also have to change gears while driving.

I'm used to a stick shift. I've been driving one (different cars along the way) since I started driving 18 years ago. Driving a stick is automatic--I barely think about it. That is until I have to shift with my left hand.

As I was saying, I went to put the car in reverse and knew that it was still in first gear. (Reverse is to the left of 1st gear instead of to the right of 5th) I had a very vague memory that you had to do something to move the shifter into reverse--push something down, pull something up...but I tried everything that seemed obvious and could not figure it out. I texted Jon and asked, "how do you put the car in reverse?" His response, "up and to the left". I knew that part already but WHAT do you do to put the car in reverse? My friend who was with me was just as perplexed as I was. She finally flagged down a friend of hers in the parking lot to see if he could figure it out. Let me tell you, I felt like such a "woman". Turns out you have to pull up on a spring loaded sheath (on the gear shift) and then magically you can move the shifter all the way to the left.

After laughing at ourselves, I pulled out into our car park (parking lot) and started the journey.

Thoughts going through my head:

" Stay left, left, left, left"

"Don't bump the left curb" (Americans tend to hug the left side of the lane because we aren't used to the spacial differences from the drivers seat)

"Go slow if you have to"

"Lord, please let me get there and home safely"

"How do I use my blinkers on the roundabout again?"

My friend, whose name is Kate by the way, offered some helpful instruction about when to turn on my blinker on the roundabout and when to switch lanes--and when to signal my blinker while switching lanes. When you are on the inside lane of the roundabout you signal with your right blinker. And you use the inside lane when you are going more than 2 exits away from yours on the roundabout. When you are on the outside lane you signal to the left. That means you are taking the 1st or second exit off the roundabout. When entering a roundabout you watch what the cars to the right of you are doing. Are they exiting? Are they entering the roundabout? Do you have room to enter? You don't really pay attention to the cars to your left (the cars waiting in the entrance to the left of you) because they have to give you the right of way. I'm sure you are getting the picture that there is quite a lot to think about when at a roundabout.

To get to Ewan's school I have to go through 5 roundabouts--some more complicated than others. Kate was very calm and as I was driving I had a huge grin on my face. I was driving in England! It wasn't so bad. A little nerve wracking sure, but not quite as terrifying as I thought. I think I was ready to tackle another challenge.

Remember when I mentioned that driving a stick shift is like second nature? Well, my left hand isn't so used to it. I kept trying to shift with my right hand and don't you know my right hand kept hitting the drivers door! Mental note: Gear shift is on the LEFT! Using my left hand, I was timing the clutch, gas and shifter all fine. But when I went to put the car in 3rd gear I'd end up back in first. Or when I'd go to put it in second gear I'd end up in 4th. Oh bother! So much for second nature!

We made it to the school and I parked a block away because the parking lot at Ewan's school is typically very British and small and crowded with loads of cars parked on the sidewalk and every crevice. I didn't want any fender benders my first day out in the car. Better safe than sorry.

As I collected Ewan from his wing of the building he quickly noticed that Isaac and Graham weren't with me. "Mom where are Isaac and Graham?" "In the car with Kate," I respond. "I thought you didn't know how to drive in England." He was skeptical. I was still a little skeptical myself because I knew we still had to get home --but I wasn't going to tell him that!

We get to the car and Ewan gets buckled in. First question, "mom, do you know where you're going?" "Uh-huh--sure do" The rest of the drive home was pretty uneventful I'm happy to say. Once we pulled into our spot in the parking lot Graham said, "We made it!" just as I was saying the very same thing in my head.

Conversations

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Isaac:

"Mom, how does God hear us when we pray? He is all the way up there and we are all the way down here? God and Jesus must have really big ears to hear us. And how does God hear everyone praying at the same time?"

Mom: Those are great questions, Isaac. God can hear us from anywhere. I don't think He has really big ears but he is able to listen to everyone at the same time. Pretty amazing huh?

The next day: (Isaac again)

"Dad, how do birds fly?"

Jon: They use their wings.

"I know they use their wings but how do they fly WITH their wings? How does it work?"

Jon: What a great question, Isaac. (and then Jon gives an explanation about aerodynamics and wind)

Graham:

"We made it!"

This was after we got home from picking Ewan up from school and I was driving (another post to come). How could a 2 year old know that I was thinking the same thing??!!

Jon has another conversation that he should write about. I was in the same room but somehow missed what happened. Ewan had a world perspective shattered when he discovered that his friend from school who also lives in our building doesn't know Jesus. His brain was in overdrive as he tried to grasp the idea that his friend doesn't believe in Jesus.

Homemade Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:14:00 +0000

A lovely friend of mine (Hi Kelly!) gave me her recipe for making pizza dough. I finally tried it on Friday night and it turned out GREAT! Tasted good and looked delicious! Since it was my first time to make pizza dough/pizza from scratch I was a little nervous that the dough wouldn't rise or that I would mess something up along the way. One pizza had thinner crust than the other one and we all liked the thinner crust better. All things considered, it was not difficult to make--it just took a little time. I made a sausage and red pepper pizza (silver pan) and a bacon and pineapple pizza (black pan). Making pizza is so much cheaper than buying it!

Here are the pics:

One Benefit Of The NHS

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000

I have come to appreciate a few things about being part of nationalized health care here in the UK. The NHS (National Health System) has a program that you can use if a health problem should come up. It is called NHS Direct. If you fall ill or your child falls ill you can call the NHS direct number and talk with someone over the phone about the problem. It is sort of a phone triage system, if you will. The person on the other end of the phone asks you several diagnostic type questions and then puts you in the system to receive a phone call from a doctor. The doctor returns your call fairly quickly and decides if you need to come in for a visit. The doctor then schedules you in for your appointment later that day or asap.

If you get sick over the weekend then they have after hours offices you can go to. You follow the same process above and get an appointment at the after hours office. This way, if it isn't an emergency you can get medical care quickly without having to go to the ER and wait and wait.

The system saves a lot of money because it keeps people from going into the ER--which is the most expensive way to be seen with a medical problem. And you don't have to worry about paying out of pocket to go to a medical clinic that isn't covered on your insurance plan if your problem occurs after hours.

We've used the after hours place twice--once for me and once for Ewan. It worked great! And we used the NHS direct to be worked into a doctor's office during regular office hours in the week when Graham had his rash a few weeks ago. We talked to the doctor directly on the phone for Graham (after going through NHS direct) and he even called us back because he could see us sooner than our appointment was scheduled for.

I'm sure there are glitches in the system, but we have so far been pleased with being able to see a doctor when we were in need. I've heard some negative things from other people's experiences but for us, so far so good.

Quotes from the Kids

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:03:00 +0000

"Mom! They aren't called markers. They're called FELT TIPS."

Can you guess who said that? I don't think I responded very well to that one. It was something like, "I can call them whatever I like. In the US we call them markers so that is what I'm going to call them." What can I say? My flesh gets in the way of good Spirit led parenting sometimes.

"Mom, is there anymore shrimp in this jungleaya?"

Isaac said that at lunch today. It gave me a little giggle.

Your Teacher's Name is What?

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:49:00 +0000

I've been trying to figure out how to write this post since last night. Ewan on occasion has a different teacher in his class if his regular teacher is out for the day. I have noticed her a few times and was curious about what her name is. Ewan's current teacher, Miss Rennison, is leaving after the term is over because she is getting married and I wanted to know if the substitute teacher yesterday is going to be the replacement for Miss Rennison. I know the teacher replacing Miss Rennison is Mrs. White but I don't know what she looks like.

As I picked Ewan up from school we were beginning our walk home and I asked him what the name of the teacher is who was at the door. Our conversation went like this:

Me: Ewan, what is that teacher's name?

Ewan: Miss Crellis.

Me: Miss Crellis?

Ewan: NO! Miss Crudis!

Me: Miss Crudis?

Ewan: NO, Mom! Miss Curtis.

Me: Miss Curtis?

Ewan: No that isn't her name.

At this point I'm totally perplexed because I think I'm pronouncing her name exactly how I hear him saying it but everytime I try he tells me that what I say isn't her name.

Perplexed, I dropped it and thought I'd try again at dinner to see if Jon was hearing something I wasn't hearing. When I asked him again at dinner, he said what sounded again like the same sounds and so Jon took a stab at trying to say her name.

Jon: Miss Crellis?

Ewan: No! Miss CRELLIS!

Jon: Miss Credis?

Ewan: No! Miss Crudis!

Jon: Miss Crudis?

Ewan: Miss Crutis!

So I try again:

Me: Miss Crutis?

Ewan: No! Miss Crudis!

Me: Miss Crudis?

Ewan: No- that isn't it either.

Jon and I looked at each other and laughed. We were thinking that maybe Ewan was confusing himself because he would say it a little different everytime but when we repeated the same sounds we obviously weren't saying it right.

Jon suggests that maybe the only thing we are doing wrong is pronouncing her name with an American accent. To his ears, he hears everyone calling her name with a British accent and since he may not know how it would sound with an American accent it sounds like we are saying her name incorrectly.

So we start trying to say the different versions of her name with a British accent instead of an American one.

Ewan: Miss Crellis.

Me: Miss Crellis?

Ewan: NO! Miss Crudis!

Me: Miss Crudis?

Ewan: Yes--that is it!

Me: Miss Crudis? (with american accent this time)

Ewan: No mom.

Me: (with British accent) Miss Crudis?

Ewan: Yes.

To my ears I heard no difference and I'm not sure I could even say her name correctly today. I wish we had that conversation on film because trying to write it down truly does it no justice. I think I'll ask Miss Rennison today what the teacher's name was from yesterday because my curiousity wants to know what her name really is. The mystery named teacher allowed for some funny dinner conversation and for that I am grateful.

Seaham Beach

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:28:00 +0000

We made our way to Seaham beachfront this past Saturday with our friends, the Linebaughs. Seaham is about 20 minutes away from Durham. This beach is filled with interesting caves, TONS of rocks, cliffs, and sea glass! There was something for everyone. Climbing for Isaac, exploring for Ewan, rocks to pick up and throw for Graham, the beach (in general) for me, and for Jon? Hmmm.....not being stuck in the house all day on a Saturday? Actually Jon liked exploring too. For Fall weather, the day was about as good as it gets. It was beautifully sunny and not too chilly or windy.

Before our big descent down the steps to the beach.

Just some surrounding pictures. As you can see, there were lots of people taking advantage of the beach. It seemed like just about everyone had a dog along for their walk.

Lighthouse.

I think, if I'm not mistaken, this is a far off view of Sunderland.

Rocks along the shoreline.

There are some amazing structures that the water from waves has cut into the rocky cliffs.

There was also some mud which we all got our feet sucked into. Ewan's shoe got it the worst.

General shots of the kids:

What 2 year old boy wouldn't LOVE being on this beach?

Ewan and Isaac were lifted up into a carved out "cave".

Peek-a-boo, I see you.

Take that, rock! Does anyone else see the "face"?

Walking along.

Jon thought he should try the local seaweed.

Ewan was inspecting all the tidal pools for fish or crabs or shells. No luck. Just lots of cool rocks. I don't have very many pictures with Ewan on this trip because he was exploring with our friends who were ahead of us and then I had to trek all the way back up the beach and stairs to take him to the toilet. Jon took over the camera at that point.

This plaque was at the top of the stairs you had to climb down to get to the beach.

Tidal pool inspection.

This was my score for the day. I remember reading in a novel about 4 or 5 years ago that sea glass is valuable and that a lot of people collect it. Some people make jewelry out of sea glass. There was loads of it sprinkled all over the beach. I don't know much about the hobby of it but I do think it looks pretty in a jar or pretty vase. I can't wait to go back and gather some more! I think the most unique piece is the white and red round piece of sea glass.

Visit to Eureka! Children's Museum

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:56:00 +0000

Yesterday we drove for 2 hours to go to Eureka! Children's Museum in Halifax, England. This was our longest road trip so far and it was fun to see more of the countryside.

I took several pictures from the road to try and catch a feel for what it looks like driving around:

This is a picture of a church tower in Halifax. I was standing near the sandbox at the museum so I don't know any details about the church.

I like this picture because to me, it captures what the roads look like. You see the british stone walls on the left. A car parked halfway on the road that you must drive around to pass. You see the stone houses and get a feel for the "older look" that England has.

Entering a roundabout. This one has 5 exits and it is a 3 laner which means it is a little more complicated to navigate than a 1 or 2 laner. We had to make sure we were in the correct lane so we could make our exit off the roundabout without bumping into another car. We'd be lost without our GPS!

On the left you see a covered barn with tons of baled hay. These are very common to see--I imagine because the growing season for hay is short so it must be stocked for the winter.

You see lots of sheep grazing as you drive along.

On the left is a group of row houses. Most of the homes here look very similar to this. A group of rowhouses won't have much distinction other than how someone has landscaped their front yard.

The children's museum was worth the long drive. There were so many hands on interactive things for the kids to do. It was very crowded since it was half term break and many children are on holiday. The museum had a section that was a "city" for kids. A grocery store, bank, post office, mechanic, and house were all set up so that kids could pretend to shop for groceries, operate a cash register, deliver mail, rob a bank, print out their own money, give a loan, work on a car, and "drive" a truck. We spent a long time in this section trying out all the different things.

Isaac navigating with the map.

This is how I practice my driving.

Ewan worked in the auto shop and got to dress up as a mechanic. He had to deliver the package he's holding to the right place.

Changing a tire.

Stamping money at the bank.

Graham had a blast shopping for groceries at the store.

The museum had a great exhibit about the human body that the kids liked. There was even a video showing a birth (not super graphic but it birth nonetheless) and how babies breastfeed after they are born. There were close up shots of babies nursing. I thought to myself--"How wonderful that children can see something so normal promoted about the human body!" and then I wondered if the US would ever let something like that be shown in a children's museum--or any museum for that matter. It amazes me how liberal (and skanky) the US can be on some things and how conservative the US can be on other things. Sometimes we get it backwards, I think.

Outside the museum were rides, a HUGE sandbox--like as big as a public pool sandbox, a giant connect four game, some tunnels and other climbing gear.

That red on Graham's cheeks is more hives. He is still welting up in hives all over his body. He's on some antihistimine and hopefully we'll figure out the cause soon.

Ewan and Isaac learning about teeth.

Learning about sound.

The museum had a bike kids could ride and when they pedaled hard enough the lights dimmed and a skelaton appeared on the other side of the mirror to show what bones move when you pedal a bike. Ewan thought it was cool to see how bones work.

Isaac crawling through the tunnel.

Graham Woke Up Early From His Nap

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Because of this:

We have an appointment today in about an hour and a half to get his rash checked out. For the past 3 weeks we have been hit with stomach bugs, terrible coughs, runny noses, high fevers, tiredness, and now a hot to the touch, welty rash.

Graham hadn't been asleep more than an hour when he woke up moaning and half crying from his nap. I went in to check on him and he was still obviously very tired but was rubbing his ear a lot and saying his hand hurt. I laid down with him on my chest for a few minutes and laid him back down after he fell back asleep. A few minutes later he was calling for me. Defeated, I got him up convinced that the poor kid had some kind of ear infection since he's had runny nose and cough with fever in between for the past 2 weeks. It wasn't until I had him in our room in the sunlight that I noticed that his cheeks were bright red and there was a rash to go with it. Then I noticed stripes on his neck and it wasn't until Jon got home that I checked the rest of his body and noticed the rash under his arms and diaper area.

So, what is this? Is it an allergy to something? Is it ANOTHER illness we have to get over this month? The only new thing I've done was try some fabric softener in a wash load the other day. Only the pants he is wearing were washed in that load. Nothing else new. Is he suddenly developing a rash to peanut butter? He had some on a sandwich for lunch. Or is there some other allergen lurking somewhere that I need to discover?

The Parkers are really tired of dealing with sniffles, hacking coughs, stomach bugs, fevers, rashes and any other illness floating around. We are ready to feel like healthy, normal people so we can do normal things. Ewan has this week off from school and I was still planning on doing school with Isaac in the mornings and incorporating some other fun things into the week. We can't get out in the afternoons if someone is running fever! We've had to take 2 days off of school because Isaac's been running a high fever for 2 days. Tomorrow we were planning on going up to Scotland for a family fun day. But with fevers and random rashes it looks like another fun activity has to be thrown out the window.

I'm hoping that maybe we are getting all the winter illnesses right now and then we will be nice and healthy the rest of the season.

So, enough of the doom and gloom. How's your week?

**Doc said it was a histimine and that it could be caused by anything or nothing even. He said that sometimes the body's histimine blockers get out of whack and you get hives. He is taking an antihistimine and it helped most of the welts/rash go down. So, I'm hoping that it a random occurence and that we won't have to go hunting for allergy sources. I had a lot of trouble with allergies and hives as a kid and I don't want him to have to deal with the same thing.**

Homemade Sauerkraut

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +0000

I've been reading a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for a while now. The cookbook is focused on eating traditional foods-real food if you will. The book teaches you how to cook with traditional fats, cook meat, grains, and vegetables. One of the specialties of the book is how to add fermented foods into your diet. Fermented foods are so good for you and add to your health. I ventured to try making some sauerkraut because it has few ingredients-- plus it tastes good.

It will have to sit at room temperature for 3 days before I move it to the fridge. I can keep it in the fridge and start eating it on the 4th day but I'll probably wait a few extra days as it improves with age.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Cabbage shredded

4 Tbsp. **Whey

1 Tbsp. Caraway seeds

1 Tbsp. Sea salt

Wooden mallet

Large bowl

End Result

Directions:

Add cabbage, caraway seeds, whey, and sea salt in a bowl. Pound the cabbage in the bowl with the wooden mallet for about 10 minutes until the juices are released. Squish all the cabbage in a wide mouth jar until there is about 1" of juices covering the top of the cabbage. Let it sit at room temperature for 3 days then move to cold storage.

So easy!

**Whey is easily homemade by letting whole milk yogurt separate all day long. If you take a quart of yogurt and put it into a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl the whey will separate into the bowl during the course of the day. Whey will keep in the fridge for several months. The Yogurt will make a cream cheese which also lasts for several weeks in the fridge.

The Journey

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Monks Carrying St. Cuthbert's Body To Durham Cathedral

Windows, Gates, and Doors

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:33:00 +0000

Trip to Europe's Biggest Mall

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:20:00 +0000

It just so happens that we live very close to the (or one of the--depending on who you ask) largest malls in Europe. We took the train up to Newcastle this morning which the kids loved. It is a 10 minute ride to the first train stop in downtown Newcastle and then a very short--maybe 5 minute train ride to MetroCentre Mall. I was trying to find a picture of a map so you could see how enormous it actually is. The mall is color coded so you know where you are and there are map kiosks frequently so you can remember where you are or help you decide where you need to go. We were there for a little over 3 hours and we still didn't see everything. We didn't have a main shopping reason to go--we just thought it would be a fun Saturday excursion.

One thing we DID look at were strollers. Our stroller (or pushchair as they are called here) is now on its last leg--or wheel. I wish I could show you a video of the stroller wheels rolling. They are very wonky and look like they are about to fall off. The cobblestones and frequent curb checks haven't been very kind to the wheels. The stroller already had a lot of miles on it so we are now looking for a new one. We have discovered that strollers are EXPENSIVE here. It is very difficult to find a (new) stroller for less than 100 Pounds--which is $160 american dollars! We are shopping for a used one but are in of one pretty quickly since one of the wheels is about to fall off!

Here are some pictures of our journey:

Walking home from the train station

Fall colors on the streets of Durham

Downtown Newcastle (looks a little like Pittsburgh, eh?)

Pictures from the train

Another picture of Newcastle from the train.

Ewan on the train

Jon and our friend Jono, with his son Liam

Graham turning around giving me a "cheesy" smile on the train

What Do Toddlers Do During Homeschool?

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:30:00 +0000

They join right in, of course!

Graham wanted to run around naked the other morning instead of wear his diaper. I made sure his potty was nearby in case he started to pee. We aren't potty training but he likes to sit on the potty and I wanted something nearby to catch any runoffs. Running around naked means that he participates in school naked too. Isaac and I were working on making a painted poster of the seasons and Graham wanted to paint too. Of course his version of painting is a little messier than Isaac's. Needless to say, he got a bath afterwards.

Surprisingly, having Graham around while we do school has been pretty easy. He likes to join in any of the art projects and do his own or sit in my lap while I read. He really likes all the science books we are looking at. Sometimes he'll go off on his own and play but for the most part he is by our side or in my lap learning right along.

Homeschool hasn't been as tough as I thought it would but I've only been doing it for a week--so maybe I'll change my mind about the difficulty in another few weeks.

Ewan is enjoying his classroom at his school. I don't have a very good picture of him in his uniform but it'll do for now.

Our situation ended up working out great--thanks be to the Lord! Ewan is technically enrolled in Year 2 but is really in Year 1. Originally, the head teacher (principal) and I talked about Ewan starting off in the Year 2 class and spending some time in the Year 1 class to catch up. Then we thought that maybe he should just be in Year 1 full time and move up to Year 2 at Christmas. But, after talking to his teacher (who taught Year 2 last year) we both feel confident that he will most likely stay in Year 1 all year. I don't exactly understand how that will work with the county and how they work--but it really isn't my problem to fix or worry about. All I know is that Ewan is in Year 1 which is the right class for him. He really enjoys it! From what I can tell, Year 1 is just like Kindergarten. They spend a lot of time playing--and learning through play. There isn't any pressure for any kid to be at a certain level. They put children in groups in the classes who are on similar levels and work with them according to their levels. They get to spend a lot of time outside too--which is great for Ewan.

All in all, I'm pleased. I think everything has worked out well.

One cultural difference: Ewan's school provides shorts and shirts for kids during their gym class. But that is unusual--most kids at other schools just do gym in their underwear. The whole class changes their clothes together in the same room though. They don't separate the kids at all. Of course the kids don't think twice about it. That is one thing that would NEVER happen in the States these days!

The Flat: Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:23:00 +0000

This is our building.

Ewan and Isaac's Room BEFORE

Ewan and Isaac's Room AFTER

Dining Room BEFORE

Dining Room AFTER

Living Room BEFORE

Living Room AFTER

Hallway BEFORE (part 1)

Hallway BEFORE (part 2)

Hallway AFTER

Our Bedroom BEFORE

Bedroom AFTER--My wardrobe. Jon's is next to mine with all his clothes in it. Those sweater hangers are amazing. I really didn't think all my clothes would fit in this wardrobe...but they do.

Bedroom AFTER (My workspace)

Our Bedroom AFTER

Graham's room AFTER I didn't have any before pictures of his room. It is still rather plain but will have more of a look over time. We gave him the biggest room because the desk in our bedroom is attached to the wall and I needed the workspace. We thought it might make a nice guest area in addition to a play area.

Bathroom--It is hard to tell in the picture but the tub is fairly high off the ground. We are working on putting up a shower curtain because the glass "door" causes a leak all over the bathroom floor.

1st half of the kitchen. Notice the mini fridge. Somehow it works--a lot of food packages come in smaller portions here which helps everything to fit in the fridge.

2nd half of kitchen

Cookies Vs. Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:47:00 +0000

This past Sunday at church our friend, Jono, was in the nursery with Graham. At one point the nursery worker said, "Who would like a biscuit?" All the kids dropped their toys and ran to the little snack table. Except Graham.

Graham was very happy playing with his toy and didn't really care for a biscuit. So he thought.

Since Jono was in the room helping his own son, he watched Graham playing while all the kids ate their biscuits. Jono looked at Graham and said, "Graham, do you want a cookie?" Graham dropped his toy and yelled out "COOKIE!" and ran over to the snack table to get one.

Thus begins the process of making our children bilingual in English.

Biscuit=Cookie

Going To School Should Be Easy, Right?

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:15:00 +0000

ACK!

As I'm writing this I am feeling at the peak of my emotions. Here are the events of the morning:

We had an appointment to tour the school we are hoping Isaac can get a spot in. The receptionist told Jon two days ago that it looked like there were spots available. The school offered a tour for parents interested in sending their kids there--next year. Everything here works a year in advance so you apply now for a spot in a school for next year. This morning we took the bus because it is about a 30-35 minute walk and we are trying to take advantage and learn the bus system here. The bus was almost 15 minutes late which made us late for our appointment. We went on the tour and got a feel for the school (more on that later). After the tour we talked with the Head Teacher (principal) about getting Isaac into school starting Monday. According to the Head Teacher and receptionist, they have space but because they are at full capacity according to county standards, we had to wait a few minutes to get final word from the County. The County called back and told us that we have to file an appeal with them. So, they said no he can't just start Monday--you have to file an appeal first and sort of "prove" that you should go to that school. We aren't sure how long the appeal process takes--they have to mail us the forms first.

Here is the kicker--in order to give Isaac a better shot at getting into their school this year the Head Teacher and receptionish said I could register Ewan now as a Year 2 student (meaning he skips Kindergarten and goes right into first grade). It gives Isaac a "sibling advantage" of getting into the school. If the appeal commitee sees that Isaac has an older sibling in the school they will most likely put him in the school as well. We have already bought a homeschool curriculum and I don't want to put Ewan in school just to get Isaac a spot. That would be money just flushed down the toilet---even though it is unused there is no way I could get my $$ back due to the shipping fees. We already paid to have it shipped here and the likelyhood of me being able to sell it here is vey slim.

We have 3 options:

1) Sign Ewan up for school at Neville's Cross to give Isaac a better chance at getting a spot and essentially flushing curriculum down the toilet.

2) Take our chances with the appeal process without signing Ewan up.

3)Try another school and start the whole process over.

Another little glitch in the system is that if we want to send Ewan to this school next year (to Year 3) then we would probably have to sign him up to start Summer Term--which starts in late April--as in this coming April. This is because there is a school near Neville's Cross that only goes up through Year 2 and those students need to find a different school starting in Year 3. At Neville's Cross, there are only 34 spots available for year 3. 30 spots are already taken for next year. Waiting until the Fall Term might be too late and then we'd have 2 kids at 2 different schools. So, Ewan could do a partial year of Kindergarten, skip most of the first grade year completing the 3rd term of it and then start Year 3 (2nd grade) the following year. Make sense?

I walked out of the school and burst into tears. Getting your child into a school feels so difficult. Maybe it would feel differently if we had a car and it were easier to pick up and drop off. We walked on to our bus stop and realized once we got there that we'd have to wait for an hour before the next bus came. It was almost 12 and the kids were tired and hungry. Graham was falling asleep in the stroller--which he can't do or he won't nap. Jon didn't bring enough cash/change to take a different, slightly more expensive bus so we either had to wait for an hour or walk home. We decided to walk home--which let me tell you did NOT get a good response from the boys. Ewan got up very early this morning because he had to go to the bathroom and didn't go back to sleep. He threw an enormous fit about not wanting to walk home and screamed for a third of the way. So sad that waking up early and choosing not to go to sleep means you are miserable when you need extra energy! Hopefully that consequence did some talking.

I know we are used to the American system and how it works--and that there are many, many people in the world who walk miles and miles to school just to get some education. I get that. I'm sure in a year's time I'll even like the system. I just need some room to dislike something that feels so difficult.

In the meantime, I have no idea what to do. I feel too cloudy in the head, and frankly--angry, to hear what God might be saying. Any prayers are welcomed!

Best View of the Cathedral and Castle

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:16:00 +0000

This is a better view of the Cathedral taken from Wharton Park. Jon's department office is right next to the Cathedral (where Sting recently performed). How cool is that? I haven't been there since last week--which means that I also haven't brought my camera there yet to take some close ups.

British Phrases Etc...

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Some things I've noticed....

*Parking lot=Car park

*Basic tv service= "Freebox" except you actually have to pay for it. The channels are free but you have to pay about $240 a year to have access to basic tv channels. I think we've decided not to pay the tv tax in lieu of using that $$ toward car costs. We brought our movies and bought a dvd player. Other things we can see on the computer if we want. I don't think we'll miss having access to regular tv too much.

*Doctor's office= Surgery If you have to go to the doctor's office you say, "I'm going to the surgery" or "I'm going to surgery" or "I'm going to the surgery center"

Here you can either go during "open surgery" hours without making an appointment or you can call ahead and schedule an appointment to be seen by someone. The latter is recommended for us because many of the undergrad university students are assigned to the same center we are and open surgery hours tend to have a long wait.

*Chips=Crisps

*Highway=Motorway

Megan was telling me that instead of police waiting in hidden areas and pulling over people for speeding they have hidden cameras everywhere looking for speeders. If you get caught you get a ticket sent to you in the mail. Our GPS beeps at us when we go through an area with one.

*Vans=People carriers

*England is VERY green conscious. You can recycle a lot of things here. Keeping things out of landfills is encouraged. In our building we can recycle cardboard, paper, glass, and plastic. I saw a box that I think you can put lightbulbs in but recycling bulbs is also highly encouraged.

*England is also promotes products that are FairTrade. I bought bananas this morning that were fair trade, Fair Trade coffee and tea are easy to find, and even the church we visited this past Sunday mentioned in the bulletin that they are a "Fair Trade Parish" and provide FT coffee and tea during refreshment hour after church.

*Diaper=Nappy

*We have an information packet for a school that we are hoping Isaac gets a spot in.

Uniform requirements:

red sweatshirts, sweatcardis or jumpers (with school logo)

grey trousers or shorts

white polo shirt (with school logo)

fleeces or reversible coats (with school logo for outside use)

For indoor PE:

red shorts

white t-shirt

plimsolls

For outdoor PE:

tracksuit top and trousers

old trainers

For swimming:

towel

costume

hat

Words in italics are clothing items that are new vocabulary. We aren't sure what some of the things are.....plimsolls (a particular kind of shoe but we don't know what kind), tracksuit top and trousers. The rest we can figure out in context (i.e. for swimming a swim suit is obviously called a costume)

Brown House Farm

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Jon brought back some incredible pictures from the farm he went to this afternoon. What a place! Being able to drive here easily might just make it worth getting a car so we can get there. You can't really get there by bus and it is too close to take a train. It is FREE and there are some really fun things for the kids to do while they're there.

I'm posting some of my favorite pictures although I wish you could see the slide show I can see on my computer because seeing all the pictures together give you a better idea of how great this place is.

Isaac jumping from hay bale to hay bale

Isaac pretending to be the tower guard

Ewan playing soccer with Jono

Isaac burying horses in the sand to protect them from pirates

Here little piggy!

Jumping from hay bale to hay bale

Cobblestone wall

Ewan pretending to be the watchman in the tower

Sheep tic tac toe

More soccer

Isaac hiking

Ewan and Isaac

Playing King of the Hill

Fields of England

One thing that is striking about being here is that there is no suburban sprawl. You can look on Google earth and see that farmland and fields surround all the cities. Makes for a beautiful drive.

Halleluja

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:45:00 +0000

We went to our first church experience this morning and I couldn't help but think of this Mr. Bean skit. The church we visited, St. Johns, was a small for US church but the people seemed very warm. We are interested in visiting 2 other churches before making a final decision. The children join the congregation for worship and then go to their own classes. Apparently it is pretty rare for a church to have any kind of nursery or programs for children in the UK. So few people attend church and there aren't enough resources to have the kind of programs we have in the States. Ewan and Isaac did well in their classes (a miracle) and there was a nursery for Graham until Eucharist. Then all the families come back together for communion. The diocese of Durham has decided to only serve the bread for Eucharist in order to help prevent the spread of Swine Flu.

Jon and the 3 boys walked to church while our friend Jono and his son, Liam, showed Jon how to get there. I rode with Megan in her car (she is very pregnant). It is about a 30 minute walk to get to that church.

After lunch, Jono and Jon took the older boys to a nearby farm to play for the afternoon. Graham is napping and I am avoiding dishes (Oh, how I miss our dishwasher!!!). I was a little jealous that I didn't get to go see the farm but I'm also thankful for a very quiet house. I think our place will be easy to keep tidy but it also seems a little louder without so much space to drown out the noise.

Next week's tasks are to do something "fun and touristy", get Isaac a spot in a school that is nearby, hopefully get the rest of our boxes we shipped so I can start homeschool with Ewan, and decide whether or not we want to buy a car.

Jon talking to some peeps after church

(Above) Jono and Liam playing leap frog

Graham (below) playing on a sculpture outside the church

What it's like in Durham, England

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Wow! We made it!

Our travel day went better than we anticipated. The 9 hour flight was long, but tvs in front of each seat kept the boys entertained for a long time. There were some kids movies available and we knew to bring kiddie headphones for viewing fun. The funniest thing that happened on the plane was when the kids were telling knock knock jokes. Graham's favorite knock, knock joke goes like this:

Graham: knock, knock

Ewan: who's there?

Graham: chicken!

Ewan: chicken who?

Graham: (the answer varies but usually we can't understand what he's saying)

Graham: hahaha! (total fake laugh)

It is very cute but this time when Graham was answering Ewan's "chicken who?" he said something that sounded like "chicken chit". Ewan yelled out very loud, "Grahammy said CHICKEN CHIT!" Of course Ewan had NO idea what it REALLY sounded like Graham was saying--he was just celebrating Graham's joke. Ewan is very good about celebrating Graham and this time he did it rather joyfully. No intentional harm on his part, but somewhat embarrassing to us since it sounded like maybe Ewan DID know what it sounded like Graham was saying. Or worse, that Graham was actually saying that word! What do you do in those situations but laugh? And share the story with your friends.

We almost missed our flight from London to NewCastle because once we got into the London area we had to circle the city for 20 minutes. We were at the back of the plane and because we were flying a giant 777 it took a while to actually get off the plane. After getting off the plane we had to go through customs, fill out several pieces of paperwork, answer some questions, go back through security and make it to our plane on time. Going through security was more difficult the second time around because the kids were very tired and we had to pull out Jon's laptop, my desktop, the Wii, all of our liquids (of which we only had some OTC fever reducer). We noticed the time and that it was very close to the time our plane was supposed to leave. We then had to repack all the things we had to pull out and run to the gate where our plane was leaving. As we were running through the airport we heard over the intercom "Last call for Parker, Last call for Parker". Aye! Pick up the speed we did and we made it to the gate just in time. We were seated in the VERY last row which meant that everyone on the plane was watching 5 tired and very frazzled people get on board. Ewan had a difficult time (aka melt-down) when he couldn't sit in the middle seat. He really wanted to be by the window but it wasn't possible with Graham's carseat. Thankfully it was a short flight and everyone was happy that we were almost done with all the plane flying.

After landing in NewCastle, we collected our bags and then realized that our 2 red crates and Ewan and Isaac's carseats were not coming. The baggage customer service told us that our crates would be on the next flight in and we would get them by the end of the day. She gave us two booster seats for free so the boys could ride safely to our new home.

Our friend Jono, and his friend Peter, came in 2 cars to pick us up and take us back to our new house. Jono and his wife Megan also went to Trinity and live in the same building. Having them help us has been HUGE!!! Jon and I were laughing that they were our official bridgers at Trinity and here they became our unoffical bridgers.

We got to the flat (apartment) and unloaded our bags. I can't remember exactly what we did right after that--I think we unpacked some of the basics and put sheets on the bed. We went down into the city to see the Cathedral and get a feel for what Durham looks like. I didn't bring my camera--I was kicking myself for that. I need to bring it EVERYWHERE with me right now because I am seeing so many new things with fresh eyes. I keep seeing so many different photo opportunities for amazing pictures and I want to take advantage. For dinner, we went to the Linebaugh's flat for dinner and met some other people in the building. After we ate and mingled for a while we came back upstairs and crashed. We all slept for at least 14 hours the first night we were here. Sleep never felt so good.

The past few days have been going grocery shopping, Ikea, unpacking, signing up for our NHS cards, rearranging furniture, exploring our new city-- you know settling in.

view from the living room of our flat

another view from the living room of our flat

Exploring a park by Durham City Council. The pond had some ducks and other aquatic birds.

Jon posing in Wharton Park. Durham is across the river in the background.

Walking up a very steep hill to get to the park.

Gate entrance to the park.

Graham telling me to STOP pushing him on the swing. He wanted daddy to do it.

Funky exposure of the Castle.

Closer look of the Castle.

Ewan learned how to slide down a pole and I caught it on camera!

So did Isaac!

Church cemetary.

An old church. (I can't remember the name of it right now).

I have some pictures of our flat but I'm holding off posting pictures until I get it a little more put together. I have to put some bookcases together and do a little rearranging before I take the "after" pictures.

Coming soon:

A post on transportation

A post on some of the differences here

CHECK!

noreply@blogger.com (amelia) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:17:00 +0000

Passport-check!
Tickets-check!
Baggage-check!
Goodies for the kids on the plane-check!
Goodbyes to family-check!
Car rides arranged for the airport-check!
Post office-check!
Bank-check!
Best buy-check!
Excitement-check!

Night of good sleep-not exactly

We leave this afternoon to go across ocean. It still doesn't seem real in so many ways. We have been very blessed this summer with friends, faithfulness from God, relationships, good times, gifts....the list goes on. I am not sure that it will all seem real until we land in England. I've never been to the UK so it is hard to imagine what my days will look like past getting all of us and our stuff on the plane. Surreal, surreal surreal.

My plan is to blog as soon as I can about our trip.

Bon Voyage!