An American in Wales
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Re-living the past
Christmastime always makes me sentimental. Maybe it is the unwrapping of Christmas ornaments, reliving the memories that they invoke…I’m not sure, but it’s guaranteed that Holiday Inn (the movie – not the hotel) WILL make me tear up, and that I’ll share happy moments with Boo and Pea as they rediscover their favorite holiday decorations. Then again, I’m a sentimental fool, anyway, so any sappy movie, holiday or otherwise, or a home movie will also make me weep. The same goes for my husband (sorry baby, I had to call you out.) I get particularly blubbery over my wedding video – there really was a very special feeling in the…
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And then there was the time I fell….
Thanksgiving, schmanksgiving, it’s not celebrated over here and thinking about it will make me the teensiest homesick for family…so I’m not gonna talk about it. So. Um. Yeah, this is awkward. *crickets chirping* Speaking of awkward… I am a tad bit clumsy. Ungraceful. Awkward. I am always tripping over my own feet. Or my own laundry basket, during which stumble I tried to catch myself and slammed my toe into the wall. And broke my pinkie toe. At about 8 months pregnant. (To be fair, I couldn’t SEE my feet. I prolly couldn’t see the basket under me, I was so big. But we won’t go there.) Or, there was…
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Speaking English
The other day, Pea ran out of school to meeting, and said with much excitement “Momma, I’m a rag doll in the school play!” , to which I replied “A rag dog?? That’s wonderful!” She looked at me crossly and said, “Not a rag doll mommy – a RAG DOLL”. Confused, I said “That’s what I said — a rag doll.” She stomped her foot in yelled in frustration “not a raag dahl, Mommy – a RAHG DOHL”. Fantastic. Now I’m getting lessons in enunciation from a 4-year-old who calls pajamas “kajamas”. Now, let’s get one thing straight – I am from the Midwest. Hence (according to my husband and…
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Fill in the Blank Friday – Thanksgiving
Thank GOD it is Friday – it has been such a long week, and it is only by His grace that my children have lived to see tonight that I have survived this week. I’m flabbergasted that Thanksgiving is only a week away – or, should I say, that my family back home will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week. Me? Not so much. With just the four of us, Thanksgiving feels like just another family dinner, only with too much food. Anywho… It’s Fill in the Blank Friday, and this week is all about Thanksgiving (because next Friday I suppose most of you will still be in a turkey coma.)…
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Remembrance Sunday
*This is not a typical post for me – but I wanted to share it for the benefit of my Dad – a “gratuitous Grandpa post”, if you will.* This past Sunday was Remembrance Sunday here in the UK. Here in Hay, it was recognized with a parade from the town clock to a local church for a service, and then to the War Memorial in the center of town for a ceremony that culminated in the laying of poppy wreaths. (For my American pals, Armistice Day is observed on November 11, same as Veterans’ Day in the US. It was traditionally observed with a two-minutes silence at 11:00am; according…
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Little Miss-Matched (or, Garanimals Be Damned)
Do you remember Garanimals – the line of kids clothing from the 70’s that had little tags hanging on it, and anything with a purple elephant matched everything with a purple elephant? Which was, in the end, pointless, because as soon as you brought the clothes home you had to cut off the tag. And then you were once again on your own to make the apparently challenging decision of what tops went with which bottoms. *to be fair to Garanimals, which I realize is still in business, they now color coordinate the tags. Pea would likely love them, given how much of a rule follower she is. However, Garanimals…
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Princess in Training.
Last weekend, we took my parents to London for some sightseeing. One of my favorite touristy places there is the Tower of London. The Yeoman Warders do such an excellent, interesting (and humorous) tour, and the history in that one spot is staggering to me. (We Americans have a piddly 200-some years of history to contend with). Pea, of course, being the princess that she was, was most excited to see the crown jewels in the Jewel House. She was captivated. She was in awe as she watched footage from Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Her eyes were HUGE as we rode the moving walkway past the Crown Jewels. But forget…
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The joy of living abroad
Walking through the marina in Swansea this weekend, the Hubs commented that on our next trip there, we’d need to get on the water – take one of the boat excursions offered in the area. Boo looked at him and said “MY first boat ride was in Paris”. Yeah. How cool is that?
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First Day of School
The summer holiday passed so quickly, helped along by three weeks travel back to the US, but nonetheless, Boo and Pea were ready to head back to school and see their friends. I think we were all also in need of getting back on a regular schedule. (My lovelies need structure, which is seriously lacking in the summer….) Boo is starting Year 2 (the US equivalent of first grade) and Pea is in Reception – which age-wise would be Pre-K in the US, although I’d consider what they do to be Kindergarden-level work.) Boo is very excited as he is “in the top of Key Stage 1 – we’re the…
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When in Rome….or Hay
When by the river in Hay And you don’t have a swimsuit Sometimes, you just have to roll up your trousers And jump right in…. But sometimes, that’s just not enough….and when the little ones nearby stripped to their underpants… Mine did too! Happiness is sitting on the beach in your underpants!