Cause baby you're a firework

The best one yet.  We are at the doctors (again).  The kids are running round like wild animals, under desks, through peoples legs, pressing buttons that they shouldn’t be.  I am only trying to pick up a couple of forms but already we’ve been here for about a million years.  A woman approaches us with a clipboard, she obviously works here.  The familiar routine starts, “omg they are so cute, they are so adorable etc” (even though they are behaving worse than chimpanzees in the zoo).  She finishes with, “I love your accent, what is it?  French?  Parlez vous Francais?”  Urrr, no.  Given that we are speaking in English I’d say we are unlikely to be French!

 It was on this same trip that we met the woman who claimed that God must have been in the lift with us (as it took us to a different floor than she apparently pressed the button for).  As she walked away Phia shouted loudly ‘why did that lady say God was in the elevator?  I didn’t see him!’ (I blame Dora for use of the word elevator not living in America!).  This trip unfortunately for Phia, ended up with her having yet another injection.  When she found out what was going to happen she crawled under a chair like a frightened kitten and I had to coax her out with bribes of toys and stickers.  Our bank balance can’t cope with many more of these injections.  Hopefully that’s the last of it for Phia, so just T to go!

Life is continuing to take on its regular pattern.  The new preschool has been started, not entirely smoothly it has to be admitted.  

First day at pre-cool August 25th 2011

T went willingly the first time but absolutely screamed the place down on day 2.  He’s now at the point where he tells you, ‘I a big boy, I don’t cry at pre-cool’ but he’s fighting back the tears and shaking when he’s dropped off.  He’s really trying to be a brave boy though it still breaks my heart to leave him there.  I know he’s fine when I’ve gone and has a nice time but children certainly know how to tug on your heart strings.  Phia has settled in amazing well, especially given that this is her 3^rd preschool this year.  She comes home full of the phonic sound she is learning (am very pleased that this sounds exactly like school at home) and whatever painting style or country she’s been learning about that day.  She’s even started to talk about a couple of children she plays with which is great.  We’ve started on trying to teach her to read at home but it appears she has already memorised every children’s book we have and so can seemingly read them wonderfully, without actually being able to read a word.  Going to be hard work I think!

I have, probably very stupidly, decided to take on the role of president of the preschool PTA.  I wanted to get involved at some level but when it was offered to me thought I may as well throw myself in at the deep end!  Have also got involved with a company who offer Literacy skills lessons to children from 0-5 and so may well put back on my teaching hat for this too.  So these along with preschool and playdates with our lovely friends out here are making for busy weeks which if I’m honest is exactly how I like it!  Have also started my writing course which I’m really enjoying and am making tentative steps to get my novel together, am not looking to get it published but just to have it finished would be great!

Still one of the best things about living in California is the beautiful weather.  September has arrived and it’s still glorious.  It takes a little longer to warm up in the morning and nights draw in a little quicker but the majority of the daytime is beautiful, (as long as you don’t go near San Fran or the coast!).  Bizarrely last night we had a ten minute thunder storm.  The sound of rain is now so alien we had no idea what it was until the lightning started to flash.  Have to admit it was quite nice and did remind me of home, in a lovely way, as there’s something very comforting about the rain.   Was something and nothing though as the blue skies are back today.  Which is good really as I’ll soon start my gold medal Olympic moaning when they’re gone!

Anyway not much else to report seeing as we will be touching down in England in a little over 2 weeks, really cannot wait although am dreading how bad the jetlag for the kids in particular might be.  Still, the last 6 months have been very emotional and can’t wait to touch back with base and see everyone again (although that will possibly be emotional too!).  Also wanted to say I’m really pleased that this blog is in some way entertaining and to anyone who asked if I bullied Steve into writing his part, well of course I did, and here he is again!:

Bullied? Nagged is closer to the mark. Well actually Strictly Come Dancing series 93 has just started so I’m quite happy to be away from the telly for as long as it takes. We’re still at the stage of having interesting things to do at the weekend – I can’t remember the last time we had a normal weekend. Sophia seems to feel similarly too – when she looks at the calendar while we’re having breakfast, asks which day today is and discovers with some excitement there’s nothing written in that space. ‘Is today going to be a quiet day, Daddy?’ she says with a big smile on her face. ‘Can I do some drawing?’ Tommy’s not bothered of course – he just runs round in circles and then trips over the edge of the rug or something.

Can’t complain of course – it’s been utterly brilliant to have Bobby, Rich, Mum and Dad over to visit (not all at once) and also to spend lovely days meeting people for BBQs, by the beach, zoo, park, or whatever. We stayed at a proper old fashioned US of A motel last weekend to make the most of the long weekend. Labor (took real effort to drop the ‘u’ then) Day officially marks the end of summer. Which is nice because it’s still 30 degrees and, in my humble opinion, nice and hot. The motel was like you see in the movies – two storey building built round a courtyard/carpark. I remember staying in one the first time I came over here. I’m no Christian church-goer but there were two charming people in the next room who spoke LOUDLY, used expletives like others use punctuation and apparently had a soft spot for .45s over smaller caliber weapons. Anyway it was much better this time and Tommy went to sleep without his dummy. I’ll be honest, we forgot it and then blackmailed him (big boys don’t have dummies; big boys eat chocolate. Are you a big boy?) into a dummy-less sleep. Having returned home we decided to continue this unforeseen good fortune by keeping the dummy-less sleeping going at home. Admittedly we’re still keeping up the encouragement/blackmail but he’s keeping his part of the deal too. He’s a good boy isn’t he?

God, Jason Donovan is on Strictly??

Work threw a 20-year birthday party yesterday which was very interesting. I’m not sure if it’s something that European companies don’t do or whether it’s just the companies I worked for. The company basically hired a farm and got a few bouncy castles, zip wire type entertainment items for the kids and a big catering/barbecue tent type thing. It was a great gesture but something I’d never witnessed before.

You’ve got to be kidding me – that fat astrology bloke??

Actually, I should be grateful just to have the sense of hearing really. I don’t know who in the family leaves it like this but whenever I get into one of the cars and key the ignition, there’s a short delay as the shock wave travels between the speakers and my defenceless ears and then I wake up upside-down on the parcel shelf with Take That being played at a volume that causes earthquakes. Apparently the kids ‘like it’. Which brings me nicely on to Sophia and Tommy’s latest musical interests. Sophia always had a fondness for Ian Brown which I duly encouraged. She now seems to like Katy Perry since Sian adopted ‘Fireworks’ as her ringtone. Tommy however prefers the next track on the album, called ‘Peacock’. Needless to say, this song isn’t about Pavo cristatus or anything to do with pretty tail feathers. I’m not sure I think this is a great idea so I was thinking of adopting something by NWA or Ice T but Sian says this isn’t appropriate! I’m just waiting for the inquisitive questions: Daddy what does …… mean?

Holly Valance is in it? Surely she’ll walk it…

Right, that’s it from me. I need another beer to get through the nonsense on the telly.

See ya soon!

Being American....

[Sian's bit]
In the UK I hate enormous cars.  The take over the over busy roads, they are generally driven by people who think they own the road and they pollute the environment.  In America however it seems perfectly fine to have bought this monster of a car!

Not only will it seat 7 people it also has room for 7 peoples worth of luggage.  Perfect for when we have visitors and also upcoming road trips to Yosemite in November and Disney in Feb which were the primary reasons for buying it.  It is very old and a bit battered but as long as it lasts us for 2 years it can then die in a heap on the roadside and that's absolutely fine.
Phia and T absolutely love it, mainly because they can actually run around inside in.  It brings back memories of playing house in my grandparents campervan as a kid.  I'm sure if I put their plastic kitchen and the potty in it they can do the same thing!  I keep thinking back to my time travelling round Oz when I had a job working in a youth hostel.  As well as my duties of cleaning toilets, selling people trips they weren't really that interested in doing and skiving off work wherever possible to swim in the pool or go to the pub, I also had to drive a 15 seater minibus to collect people from the airport.  I managed to do this for 3 months without an accident.  Yes the Australians do drive on the right side (by that I mean left side) of the road but surely if I can do that then I can master the Grand Dodge Caravan.  Only time will tell!
So, we now have the American style house and the large American car to go with it.  Some aspects of America (or Northern California I should say as America is a big place) are becoming fairly commonplace.  Seeing a palm tree no longer reminds me of being on holiday, I never think to take a jacket anywhere (apart from San Fran which is cold - so glad we don't live there), the sound of cicadas chirping as we go to sleep has become very familiar (although Phia still makes us put a fan on outside her door as she claims they keep her awake), waiting for 5 minutes at a left turn red light no longer sends me into a complete rage and seeing possums in the garden no longer sends me into hysterics.  Living on one floor continues to suit us really well.  This house is something we would never have chosen on our initial house hunting trip and yet my rash and overly emotional decision to move at a moments notice has paid off as it is home and even with its drawbacks we all really like it.
So have we been swayed by the American way of life.  Not really!  The kids are still obsessed by the American flag as it really does fly in every street and on many buildings.  They both do 'stars and stripes' spotting on every journey.  The fact that they know the American flag so well and not the British one is something I feel the need to correct.  I have shown Phia the Union Jack and St Georges Cross (both of which she refers to as the flags of Cambourne!) but she always ends up saying 'but stars and stripes is our flag now mummy'! Nooooo.  Its funny as I've never felt overly patriotic about being British but I do now (even with whats going on at home at the moment).  Phia came home from preschool the other day and said ' mummy, would you like me to show you how to pledge allegiance to the flag?!' - it makes me feel very weird to know she is doing this and I'm not sure I like it.
I have to say though that both Phia and T's accents remain resolutely English.  Lots of people told me that their accents would be one of the first things to change and so I thought this might have happened by now but it really hasn't.  Apart from Phia calling us 'Hey. you guys' and everything being 'super cool' she now sounds like she comes from Bedford (dropping her t's) and T sounds like he's from the West Country. Its weird!  I'm pretty sure that over a couple of years here their accents will change but I wonder how much.  I wonder too, when we eventually go home, will the kids feel British or American?  I'm not sure I want to know the answer!
As well, its not just my random fear of American flags that doesn't sit easily.  There's still the old moan of driving round here - my god they neeeed some roundabouts.  I've stop being frustrated because it gets you nowhere but even so.  Steve thinks the driving round here is really funny and likes to show people his 'European' driving (which basically means tearing away at traffic lights leaving everyone else for dust and pushing in queues at the last minute).  There's also shopping without getting hassled (virtually impossible).  Even in supermarkets you can't browse because they minute you look like you're not quite sure what you're looking for someone is by your side 'can I help you ma'am?'  Just walking down the aisles sometimes someone will just pop up from nowhere 'did you find everything you were looking for ma'am?.  Its like being in Dixons when every staff member wants to sell you the 40 inch plasma TV!  And generally I'm deciding which can of tomatoes to buy!  Not knowing brands well I just want to explore the options (on my own!) and I find it really irritating.  I'm afraid the British way of being left well and truly alone (even when you wouldn't mind some help!) ultimately wins for me.
Homesickness over the past 4 months for me has been like an illness and one that I was completely not expecting to hit me so hard.  I never though we would come here and 'become American' but nor did I think it would be such a completely different way of life.  It is a life now that gets a little easier as the days pass.  We've had a great weekend. met up with friends and met some lovely new people.  Today we have had a fabulous day playing at a friends house in the morning and having friends over to ours in the afternoon.  But things do bring you back to earth with a bump.  We went to a BBQ at Steve's bosses house and the kids and I met some of his work colleagues one of whom had a little girl of Phia's age.  They played beautifully together for the entire evening and both cried when it was time to leave.  But it transpires that Phia is desperate to see this little girl again 'because she looks just Lily mummy, she's got the same hair and everything'.  Yesterday was also a bit of a sad one for me as my good friend Clare went home to good old Blighty.  She came out for 3 months to decide whether she wanted to make the move out here and has decided not.  I totally understand her reasons but I'll miss her lots.
Still things do change all the time, especially out here.  As Kanye West says 'that that doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger' (Well it possibly was someone else that said this first but the sentiment is there!)

[Steve's perspective]
In the UK, I love enormous cars. They make a very nice noise and if we plant enough trees and stop the Beckhams flying to and from Los Angeles every week I think the environmental impact can be considered marginal. However, I think minivans are the scourge of the earth. They're usually a normal saloon car with a huge heavy body bolted to the top and are driven by observationally-challenged 'soccer moms'.

I can't quite believe Sian talked me into buying one of these monsters but secretly I quite like it. It's got a nice engine and I can just put my bike in the boot without rearranging the seats or anything. Sure it's got its problems - the passenger door and window don't open; the windscreen wipers come on randomly and considering the state of the bodywork, the previous owner most definitely came into the observationally-challenged category. Sophia and Tommy love it though so it's fine by me. Sian and I have an agreement that the next car we get has only two seats and no roof. Well, kind of.

Other than that, work's good and I've not been killed cycling to and from yet which (I think) Sian considers a positive. S and especially T love the weather. Tommy is at the terrible twos stage but in fairness to him, he's not as stroppy as I remember Sophia being at that age. He's got more questions in his head than there is time in the day and he's delightful when he's joining in with the family sing-songs in the traffic queues. Sophia is growing up into a little girl and is able to carry pretty sophisticated conversations about the moon or travel or whatever else piques her curiosity.

Maybe the only thing left is to keep Bolton where they are now!