About a week ago:
"Wouldn't it be good if everyone was already really clever and knew everything they needed to know about everything because then people wouldn't have to to go to school".
Yesterday:
"Mummy wouldn't it be good if life was just like pre-school"
Anyone else get the feeling her enthusiasm for school is on the wain?!
Today about language:
"Americans call shopping centres 'The Mall', I thought that was somewhere the Queen goes, why do they say that?"
"Listen to this...Yoghurt. I say yoghurt. Why do Americans say Yoh-gurt"?
"Garage, that's what we call it...do you know that Americans call it the 'Garrraaage'?
And I thought we'd finally got over the whole Tomato Tomahto thing!
Monday, 8 February 2010
A Snow/Sick/Rain Bound Update
Oh dear, things did get tough!
Ellie's bad case of strep throat morphed into Luke with a gooey ear infection and burst ear drum and a fridge brimming full of psychadelic pink anti-biotics.
After 7 days of solitary confinement made up of 2 days snow, 3 days illness and 2 days of 'almost over illness' but torrential stairrod rain so we ain't going anywhere: The sun came out...and so did we!
Yesterday was bliss on legs, brunch with a friend, followed by a trip to Marbles Kids Museum with said friend and her daughter (a classmate of Ellie's). The kids played and played to the point of exhaustion which is always a good thing! In the evening while the kids were tucked up safely in bed the rest of this Nation's population was watching something called, errrrr 'The Superbowl', something to do with baking perhaps? (just kidding!) which freed up enough 'cable' to enable me to finally be able to access the 'Movies on Demand' channel. Something that has been out of my grasp all week.
It would seem that most of the time Time Warner Cable can't keep up with demand for Movies on Demand (did that make sense?) which apparently leaves alot of unhappy customers including me. So out of my list of '10 films to watch before Ian gets home' I finally got to see Julie and Julia (GREAT) and Love Happens (not so great).
Today (Monday) came and we are thankfully back to health, school and some sort of normality. *sigh*
Ellie's bad case of strep throat morphed into Luke with a gooey ear infection and burst ear drum and a fridge brimming full of psychadelic pink anti-biotics.
After 7 days of solitary confinement made up of 2 days snow, 3 days illness and 2 days of 'almost over illness' but torrential stairrod rain so we ain't going anywhere: The sun came out...and so did we!
Yesterday was bliss on legs, brunch with a friend, followed by a trip to Marbles Kids Museum with said friend and her daughter (a classmate of Ellie's). The kids played and played to the point of exhaustion which is always a good thing! In the evening while the kids were tucked up safely in bed the rest of this Nation's population was watching something called, errrrr 'The Superbowl', something to do with baking perhaps? (just kidding!) which freed up enough 'cable' to enable me to finally be able to access the 'Movies on Demand' channel. Something that has been out of my grasp all week.
It would seem that most of the time Time Warner Cable can't keep up with demand for Movies on Demand (did that make sense?) which apparently leaves alot of unhappy customers including me. So out of my list of '10 films to watch before Ian gets home' I finally got to see Julie and Julia (GREAT) and Love Happens (not so great).
Today (Monday) came and we are thankfully back to health, school and some sort of normality. *sigh*
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Is D.A.D.D.Y Away?
Monday: So what exactly could happen? Well, within 18 hours of Ian leaving for his latest 3 week trip and whilst enjoying our first enforced (Grrr) family snow day confined at home with a little ice and now just 1" of snow blocking us in at every doorway... I'm the very first casualty of the day as I manage pretty early on -oh about 8am - to cut my finger - on a pathetic box. It had a razor sharp plastic covering OK? How sharp do they have to make boxes these days anyway? The tiny cut bled for an hour much to my amusement, but to the distress of Ellie meanwhile nothing even appeared on Luke's radar. Then while I'm still bleeding Ellie cuts her toe, even she doesn't know how...."It just appeared Mummy." Yeah, yeah like mother, like daughter I just know many of you are saying that!, but she was just as brave as I always am (ha ha!) probably more so. Chip off the old block. Second trip to the plaster cupboard.
Then guess what? Like mother, like son. Oh yes, because next up is Luke with a cut foot, we're not sure how it happened but we did find an open safety pin with an Indian flag on it (some of you will appreciate the irony!) on the playroom floor that neither me nor Ellie have ever ever seen before. This was Luke's first ever ever brush with blood and yes, let me just say that I think blood will be a very tough thing for him to deal with in the future. Oh the drama! Didn't we all just know about it! Another trip to the plaster cupboard was necessary and now, three days later I have only just managed to prise his socks off - I think he thought his foot would follow!
Tuesday: Every school is the area is still closed bar Ellie's which is opening on a 2 hour delay. This week she is 'Student of the Week', and we made a big snowbound poster with her favourite photographs of herself, family and friends that is to be displayed on the wall, she gets to be lunch monitor and choose a helper which she had given a great deal of thought to. We all get up get ready and all is hunkydory. Without warning she spins into a total meltdown, we butt heads big time, she tantrums and I lose my patience and send her back to her room, she screams blue murder and I tear my hair out while Luke just wants "more pancake pease."
The school run is not much better. Ellie normally happy and singing is miserable and sullen and just not herself. Because of 'the poster' I opt out of Car Pool and take Ellie in myself which gives me an opportunity to have a word with her teacher...."Not herself today, no temperature, can't put my finger on it, call me if she worsens". Then she asks in a hushed whisper...."Is D.A.D.D.Y away at the moment?" Well actually, yes he is. "I'll let you know if there's any change" she winks.
An hour an a half later I get a call...Ellie is still complaining she doesn't feel well, she doesn't have a temperature but she looks pale and hurts, "I'll be there in 15 minutes" I say. I get there and she does indeed look terrible. We get in the car and drive off. Within 2 minutes she's fast asleep. We get home she sleeps some more, she wakes, she's hot, she's cold, her temperature is now all of a sudden very high, her glands are swollen, she won't eat, she won't drink in fact the only thing she does want to do is go to bed, that's definitely not my girl - It was a long Calpol fuelled night.
Wednesday: Luke's day for pre-school and I am ever so thankful that they decide against following 'Wake County Inclement Weather Guidelines' and actually open. More for Ellie because when she's around, Luke just wants to play and play with her and she just didn't want to that day, she just wanted to lie on the sofa and have a Duvet Day. I was torn about what to do with her and it's right at moments like these that it dawns on you just how far away from home we are, all the resources we know, our family, our friends, our friendly GP that you can call to discuss things and the cherry on top is a big fat 5 hour time difference that complicates things further. It also dawns on you that you're very much still a novice parent whose partner in crime and sounding board is far away and you're not quite sure what to do next.
Enter Lesley - A British mum of two teenagers, she came over for an impromptu coffee, she took a look at Ellie for me, asked her a couple of questions and told me to make an appointment with the Pediatrician, had she not come over at the short notice she did, I may have left things to see what happened (yes, that very British habit of not wanting to waste a doctors time!) but by 3pm we were down there, examined, throat swabbed, result: A nasty case of Strep Throat, first dose of antibiotics at 4pm, an almost new child by 6pm.
Note to self (and other expat Mums) - trust your instincts, accept help, we're all in the same boat. You're not a neurotic nuisance, reassurance is good and some people are more experienced in areas than others and can add perspective to a situation...for the best.
Thursday night: All is peaceful, just 2 and a half weeks and D.A.D.D.Y will be home!
Then guess what? Like mother, like son. Oh yes, because next up is Luke with a cut foot, we're not sure how it happened but we did find an open safety pin with an Indian flag on it (some of you will appreciate the irony!) on the playroom floor that neither me nor Ellie have ever ever seen before. This was Luke's first ever ever brush with blood and yes, let me just say that I think blood will be a very tough thing for him to deal with in the future. Oh the drama! Didn't we all just know about it! Another trip to the plaster cupboard was necessary and now, three days later I have only just managed to prise his socks off - I think he thought his foot would follow!
Tuesday: Every school is the area is still closed bar Ellie's which is opening on a 2 hour delay. This week she is 'Student of the Week', and we made a big snowbound poster with her favourite photographs of herself, family and friends that is to be displayed on the wall, she gets to be lunch monitor and choose a helper which she had given a great deal of thought to. We all get up get ready and all is hunkydory. Without warning she spins into a total meltdown, we butt heads big time, she tantrums and I lose my patience and send her back to her room, she screams blue murder and I tear my hair out while Luke just wants "more pancake pease."
The school run is not much better. Ellie normally happy and singing is miserable and sullen and just not herself. Because of 'the poster' I opt out of Car Pool and take Ellie in myself which gives me an opportunity to have a word with her teacher...."Not herself today, no temperature, can't put my finger on it, call me if she worsens". Then she asks in a hushed whisper...."Is D.A.D.D.Y away at the moment?" Well actually, yes he is. "I'll let you know if there's any change" she winks.
An hour an a half later I get a call...Ellie is still complaining she doesn't feel well, she doesn't have a temperature but she looks pale and hurts, "I'll be there in 15 minutes" I say. I get there and she does indeed look terrible. We get in the car and drive off. Within 2 minutes she's fast asleep. We get home she sleeps some more, she wakes, she's hot, she's cold, her temperature is now all of a sudden very high, her glands are swollen, she won't eat, she won't drink in fact the only thing she does want to do is go to bed, that's definitely not my girl - It was a long Calpol fuelled night.
Wednesday: Luke's day for pre-school and I am ever so thankful that they decide against following 'Wake County Inclement Weather Guidelines' and actually open. More for Ellie because when she's around, Luke just wants to play and play with her and she just didn't want to that day, she just wanted to lie on the sofa and have a Duvet Day. I was torn about what to do with her and it's right at moments like these that it dawns on you just how far away from home we are, all the resources we know, our family, our friends, our friendly GP that you can call to discuss things and the cherry on top is a big fat 5 hour time difference that complicates things further. It also dawns on you that you're very much still a novice parent whose partner in crime and sounding board is far away and you're not quite sure what to do next.
Enter Lesley - A British mum of two teenagers, she came over for an impromptu coffee, she took a look at Ellie for me, asked her a couple of questions and told me to make an appointment with the Pediatrician, had she not come over at the short notice she did, I may have left things to see what happened (yes, that very British habit of not wanting to waste a doctors time!) but by 3pm we were down there, examined, throat swabbed, result: A nasty case of Strep Throat, first dose of antibiotics at 4pm, an almost new child by 6pm.
Note to self (and other expat Mums) - trust your instincts, accept help, we're all in the same boat. You're not a neurotic nuisance, reassurance is good and some people are more experienced in areas than others and can add perspective to a situation...for the best.
Thursday night: All is peaceful, just 2 and a half weeks and D.A.D.D.Y will be home!
Friday, 29 January 2010
Old Wives Weather Tales
They're everywhere, wherever you live in the world there are always Old wives tales for one thing or another.
In India there were so many superstitions about the weather, one was that you shouldn't get wet in the first rainfall after the dry season or you'll get sick. Imagine the looks we got when it finally rained and me and the kids danced in it and got soaked while all the locals sheltered and watched us, some with amusement but most with fear written all over their faces.
In England, the weather Full Stop is just one big Old Wives Tale and so are the weather forecasters!
One of North Carolina's weather tales is that if there is a winter rain storm with thunder and lightening it will snow in 10 days time.
It happened sometime in December and so many people told me there would be a snow on the way - only it didn't happen. Then, a few weeks ago there wasn't even a thunder storm but snow was forecast - it didn't happen either.
12 days ago there was a thunderstorm and according to every tv and radio station there is definately a significant snowstorm heading our way. We are all so excited! It should move in here later this evening, we will be waiting with baited breath.
Just before Christmas Toys R Us had a load of sledges and I suggested to Ian that we buy one - just in case. He practically laughed at me, so sure was he that it hardly ever ever snows in North Carolina, and it hasn't yet this winter but it sure as sure looks very likely at this moment in time. So do you think I can find a sledge anywhere? Of course I can't...I've tried everywhere I could think of and I wasn't the only one searching in vain. Pat on the back for me though as I think that I may just have solved this little problem, I called our landlord, all three of his children are at college and !Yes! he has one in the attic we can borrow - whoopee! Now we just need to find a hill, with not many trees - that could prove difficult.
One more thing....when did a sledge translate to or become a 'Sled'? I've never heard of a sled but I've had lots of fun on a sledge!
In India there were so many superstitions about the weather, one was that you shouldn't get wet in the first rainfall after the dry season or you'll get sick. Imagine the looks we got when it finally rained and me and the kids danced in it and got soaked while all the locals sheltered and watched us, some with amusement but most with fear written all over their faces.
In England, the weather Full Stop is just one big Old Wives Tale and so are the weather forecasters!
One of North Carolina's weather tales is that if there is a winter rain storm with thunder and lightening it will snow in 10 days time.
It happened sometime in December and so many people told me there would be a snow on the way - only it didn't happen. Then, a few weeks ago there wasn't even a thunder storm but snow was forecast - it didn't happen either.
12 days ago there was a thunderstorm and according to every tv and radio station there is definately a significant snowstorm heading our way. We are all so excited! It should move in here later this evening, we will be waiting with baited breath.
Just before Christmas Toys R Us had a load of sledges and I suggested to Ian that we buy one - just in case. He practically laughed at me, so sure was he that it hardly ever ever snows in North Carolina, and it hasn't yet this winter but it sure as sure looks very likely at this moment in time. So do you think I can find a sledge anywhere? Of course I can't...I've tried everywhere I could think of and I wasn't the only one searching in vain. Pat on the back for me though as I think that I may just have solved this little problem, I called our landlord, all three of his children are at college and !Yes! he has one in the attic we can borrow - whoopee! Now we just need to find a hill, with not many trees - that could prove difficult.
One more thing....when did a sledge translate to or become a 'Sled'? I've never heard of a sled but I've had lots of fun on a sledge!
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Allergy Aware
When Ellie was one, as per UK health guidelines she tried honey for the first time. It can't have interested her much because when I turned my back for a few seconds she swiped a piece of my peanut butter on toast, took a bite, swallowed it and when I turned back to her she had a neat row of hives from her cheek to her chest.
I immediately called the doctor who ran through all the checks with me, how big are the hives? how fast did they appear? Is her throat swelling? Is she breathing normally? Do you have any Piriton? Can you give her a spoonful right now? I did. I watched and he waited on the other end of the phone. Thankfully there were no other danger signs and his advice was to avoid peanut butter until she was at least 4 before re-introducing it to her because it wasn't standard NHS practice to allergy test a baby (!I know!).
Over the next few years we diligently avoided her having peanuts and peanut butter and she became acutely aware that peanuts were something she had to avoid - just in case. One day an accident happened, a knife that had been used to spread some peanut butter was washed, wiped and used to cut a piece of cheese. As soon as that piece of cheese touched her lips, they swelled and began to itch. I grabbed the cheese, grabbed the bottle of Piriton and we played the waiting game....phew, panic over as the symptoms subsided. We decided we would have to get her allergy tested.
We arrived in the US and the kids pediatrician agreed with us that an allergy test was necessary and then we waited and waited for our medical insurance details and information to come through. What constituted a 6 month delay I'll never know but finally a couple of weeks ago everything arrived and it was straight to the Allergist's office for both Ellie and Luke.
Day 1 and Ellie was tested first with skin scratch tests on her back for a reaction to peanuts, pecans, walnuts and one other, I forget which. Within seconds her back was a maze of hives around the peanut area and she was itching terribly and she had to wait like that for 15 minutes while I fanned her back and tried to distract her from all the discomfort. Affirmative: Ellie is allergic to peanuts but not to any other nuts. The doctor then ran through the allergy drill with me and wrote a prescription for two Epi-pens and trained me on how to use them. He doesn't feel her allergy is severe enough to be life threatening but better to be safe than sorry.
Day 2, Luke's turn. After the previous day I was dreading going through the same with a toddler but he was as good as gold and thankfully is not allergic to peanuts.
Having discussed the family history of allergies, asthma, eczema the doctor has advised that Ellie now be tested for bee/insect stings. Luke only if Ellie's is positive. It's a good time of year to get it out of the way but this test involves *blood* and *needles* and after having gone through a 10 week immunisation programme to go to India you can imagine Ellie's reaction level to needles now - it verges on hysterical. I have decided to mentally prepare myself before we go but cannot decide whether to mentally prepare her or just go with the element of surprise.
I immediately called the doctor who ran through all the checks with me, how big are the hives? how fast did they appear? Is her throat swelling? Is she breathing normally? Do you have any Piriton? Can you give her a spoonful right now? I did. I watched and he waited on the other end of the phone. Thankfully there were no other danger signs and his advice was to avoid peanut butter until she was at least 4 before re-introducing it to her because it wasn't standard NHS practice to allergy test a baby (!I know!).
Over the next few years we diligently avoided her having peanuts and peanut butter and she became acutely aware that peanuts were something she had to avoid - just in case. One day an accident happened, a knife that had been used to spread some peanut butter was washed, wiped and used to cut a piece of cheese. As soon as that piece of cheese touched her lips, they swelled and began to itch. I grabbed the cheese, grabbed the bottle of Piriton and we played the waiting game....phew, panic over as the symptoms subsided. We decided we would have to get her allergy tested.
We arrived in the US and the kids pediatrician agreed with us that an allergy test was necessary and then we waited and waited for our medical insurance details and information to come through. What constituted a 6 month delay I'll never know but finally a couple of weeks ago everything arrived and it was straight to the Allergist's office for both Ellie and Luke.
Day 1 and Ellie was tested first with skin scratch tests on her back for a reaction to peanuts, pecans, walnuts and one other, I forget which. Within seconds her back was a maze of hives around the peanut area and she was itching terribly and she had to wait like that for 15 minutes while I fanned her back and tried to distract her from all the discomfort. Affirmative: Ellie is allergic to peanuts but not to any other nuts. The doctor then ran through the allergy drill with me and wrote a prescription for two Epi-pens and trained me on how to use them. He doesn't feel her allergy is severe enough to be life threatening but better to be safe than sorry.
Day 2, Luke's turn. After the previous day I was dreading going through the same with a toddler but he was as good as gold and thankfully is not allergic to peanuts.
Having discussed the family history of allergies, asthma, eczema the doctor has advised that Ellie now be tested for bee/insect stings. Luke only if Ellie's is positive. It's a good time of year to get it out of the way but this test involves *blood* and *needles* and after having gone through a 10 week immunisation programme to go to India you can imagine Ellie's reaction level to needles now - it verges on hysterical. I have decided to mentally prepare myself before we go but cannot decide whether to mentally prepare her or just go with the element of surprise.
Monday, 25 January 2010
We Are Not Alone
When we moved into our house last September we moved into a new 'sub-division'. Three houses had been completed and were on the market. Three were almost finished and one was half finished. There are also several plots on which building work is yet to start but the developer of the whole site has gone to the wall and so three of the almost completed houses had been taken over by 'The Bank'.
For four months we were here alone with the deer, squirrels and many strange comings and goings during the darker hours. Alot of them were more than likely local high schoolers looking for somewhere to 'hang out'. We had the case of the 'Big Black Pick-Up' that would regularly cruise slowly past our house before dashing off to the other end of the sub-division and then cruise back again - obviously up to no good. We also had the strange case of 'Is There or Isn't There a Body in the Woods?' which came about because we spotted another pick-up in the driveway of the semi-finished house next door and it looked like the driver was unloading something into the woods at 1am in the morning. More than likely stealing materials but when I told a friend about what had happened she immediately jumped to the aforementioned conclusion which set my pulse racing and imagination working overtime. We can laugh about it now!
One of the houses had alot of pipes stolen and another had all the appliances removed one night although I'm not sure whether that was before or when we were here. So you can see that for a couple of months I was on tenterhooks. Then I decided that it really wasn't my problem and if the bank/developer/whoever wasn't prepared to be security conscious then I wasn't going to give myself anxiety or high blood pressure and I relocated my bum to a different sofa so as not to be distracted by any headlights coming and going.
In time, either I just got used to not noticing things or the suspicious traffic declined as 'the bank' completed the three almost finished houses and lights got switched on.
Then one week before Christmas a removals van pulled up and a family moved into one of the first houses in the sub-division. One week later and another removals van and another family move into another house and I can honestly say that I have never been so thankful to have neighbours!
I still haven't met the first family properly but the second family have a son the same age as Ellie and twins of 18 months. Me and the kids all enjoyed a great play date and getting to know you afternoon with them. It seems that some other strange comings and goings will now cease....especially as the mother of the new family, while checking her mailbox esrly last week happened last week to 'catch' a couple enjoying each other in a car on their lunch break. 'It was 3oF that day', she laughed (below freezing in new money) 'And I don't think they'll be coming back this way any day soon'. You tell em! This is a family neighbourhood now you know.
For four months we were here alone with the deer, squirrels and many strange comings and goings during the darker hours. Alot of them were more than likely local high schoolers looking for somewhere to 'hang out'. We had the case of the 'Big Black Pick-Up' that would regularly cruise slowly past our house before dashing off to the other end of the sub-division and then cruise back again - obviously up to no good. We also had the strange case of 'Is There or Isn't There a Body in the Woods?' which came about because we spotted another pick-up in the driveway of the semi-finished house next door and it looked like the driver was unloading something into the woods at 1am in the morning. More than likely stealing materials but when I told a friend about what had happened she immediately jumped to the aforementioned conclusion which set my pulse racing and imagination working overtime. We can laugh about it now!
One of the houses had alot of pipes stolen and another had all the appliances removed one night although I'm not sure whether that was before or when we were here. So you can see that for a couple of months I was on tenterhooks. Then I decided that it really wasn't my problem and if the bank/developer/whoever wasn't prepared to be security conscious then I wasn't going to give myself anxiety or high blood pressure and I relocated my bum to a different sofa so as not to be distracted by any headlights coming and going.
In time, either I just got used to not noticing things or the suspicious traffic declined as 'the bank' completed the three almost finished houses and lights got switched on.
Then one week before Christmas a removals van pulled up and a family moved into one of the first houses in the sub-division. One week later and another removals van and another family move into another house and I can honestly say that I have never been so thankful to have neighbours!
I still haven't met the first family properly but the second family have a son the same age as Ellie and twins of 18 months. Me and the kids all enjoyed a great play date and getting to know you afternoon with them. It seems that some other strange comings and goings will now cease....especially as the mother of the new family, while checking her mailbox esrly last week happened last week to 'catch' a couple enjoying each other in a car on their lunch break. 'It was 3oF that day', she laughed (below freezing in new money) 'And I don't think they'll be coming back this way any day soon'. You tell em! This is a family neighbourhood now you know.
So Far Behind
I am behind on blog posts.
Behind on emails.
Behind on phonecalls.
Behind, behind, behind and trying to catch up!
So if you haven't heard from me in a while, that's why and I promise that eventually you will.
Behind on emails.
Behind on phonecalls.
Behind, behind, behind and trying to catch up!
So if you haven't heard from me in a while, that's why and I promise that eventually you will.
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