Schools out for the summer

So its June 6th and school is over!!  How early?! I am so proud of my little graduates.  T said farewell to preschool (hurray hurray, no more preschool!!) and is absolutely thrilled by the prospect of 10 weeks off.  He's come such a long way this year.  Socially, because of preschool and academically, because of us!

Writing his teacher appreciation card

With his friends

Can't believe that next stop is going to be school!  I'm so pleased we've managed to get him in early, he's so ready for it.

T also graduated from his Little Gym class, he's become quite the gymnast too.

Phia graduated from Kindergarten.  Her end of year report card was fantastic.  She reads fluently and is a whiz at maths but she also has excelled at art which she really loves.  She's made friends (so sad that a couple of them won't be returning to the school next year) and really enjoys school life.  

I love the school and am so glad that both of them get to go next year but am slightly worried about bankruptcy!  Two private school tuitions is no joke.  Still, we will grin and bear it for the next year at least, as let's face it, who knows what the future holds.

Come fly with me.....

Ste.  Shay.  A small plane.  What could possibly go wrong?!

The place where we live

Photos on top of a huge hill in Almaden (and in a tree!)  Boiling hot and beautiful.

Saturday night at the movies ....

....don't care what picture you see - although actually it has to be Back to the Future.  Outside movie venue set up in the Greenes back yard and we were ready to go.  Good times.

In other news my Work Authorisation Card has come - yay!  However the social security office have decided it looks like a fraud and won't give me a social security number - not so yay.  Because I just cannot face the stress of sorting it out my work plans have been put on hold until the Green Card comes through (then I don't need the work one anymore).  Starting to care less and less as to when that will be :)

Right now am just looking forward to a long and lovely summer.  School's out on Thursday (6th June!!!)

For the love of reading.....

Phia has recently discovered the delights of reading to herself for enjoyment.  She couldn't sleep the other night and so proceeded to read the whole of her 'Junie B Jones' chapter book to herself.

The problem with making kids read to you is that it takes a lot of effort on their part whereas reading to yourself is just enjoyable.

The next day I caught her having a quiet few moments reading to herself in the garden.  Perfect :)

The life of an expat

In the last two weeks we have experienced a school ‘lock down’ and an earthquake.  We’re not in Cambridge anymore Toto.

To be the fair the earthquakes measured 3.4 – not exactly the stuff that will bring down houses.  It moved the sofa by about a 1cm.  And only I (in the Mole family) felt it.  But still.

The lockdown thing was all a storm in a teacup really.  Still frightening nonetheless.  Reading an email titled ‘URGENT – PLEASE READ – SCHOOL IN SEMI LOCKDOWN’ is not good for your health.

A quick summary – a death threat was delivered to one of the Appleseed (preschool that shares it campus with Carden) teachers.  This meant the kids spent their day locked in their classrooms and then the armed police were sent to patrol the area.  As soon as the word ‘firearm’ was mentioned Sophia was out of there so fast her feet didn’t touch the ground.  This was on a Friday and we fully intended to keep her at home until all guns, in the hands of the police or not, had vacated the premises.  Fortunately by Monday normalness had resumed. 

Sophia was totally nonplussed by the whole affair but again something to remind us of exactly where we’re living.  That and Ste’s seeming effort to attend every American sporting event in the area – the Sharks and the Earthquakes have a tick.  Think it’s the Sabrecats next week – who??!

You live life so differently as an expat.  We had a Brit mum’s night out last week.  It was great fun.  We are all very different and yet exactly the same because we live here.  Only when speaking to a British person whilst living in America would you start a conversation, “so, what’s your life plan?” and then proceed to make a firm friend in about 5 minutes.  And sunshine or not, there’s no way I would have survived without my wonderful fast friendships.

Fucking birds

The 5.30am dawn chorus wakes me up every morning and then I can't go back to sleep.  There are two pigeons determined to nest in the gutter right outside our bedroom window.  Ste has throw a flip flop at them, bashed them with a broom and I have hosed them down 3 times.  They keep coming back.. They are truly stupid, stupid birds.  To top it off there is also a bird in the garden that sounds like a mobile phone.  One that no-one picks up.  Whats left of my sanity will shortly leave me if these things don't 'beat it' very soon.

The beginning of May heatwave has been intense.  Set to be 90F tomorrow which actually means 100F out of the shade and this means at least 150F in my car.  All very well and good but it needs to be proper summer for these temperatures which means that the kids need to have finished school.  This is still another 5 weeks away.  I'm not moaning, really I'm not, I'm just hot.  And tired, due to the fucking birds

Summer (well April!) days in the garden)

For some, its just all a bit too much.

Jason (and his friend Lee) come for tea.  Good excuse for BBQ and wine/beer on a Monday!

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