Let me preface this post by saying I have a whole new appreciation for my friends who are single mothers - for ALL single mothers. I don't know how you dear ladies do it except by the grace of God, because Lord knows it is only by the grace of God that I have survived the last three and a half months. Patrick will be home in 30 days and I feel like that 30 days is 30 years.
So here goes the list:
When My Husband is Away
1. I do not change light bulbs. It is just going above and beyond and I can't bear it. I will live in darkness in the bathroom for 30 more days.
2. I am the only one to change the toilet paper roll. This does get old sometimes.
3. The kids have learned to go to bed with very little fuss and fanfare. No longer are the nights with three stories and singing 10 songs before bed. It's prayers and to sleep for you.
4. We eat maybe two things for dinner. Usually one, lately. A main and a vegetable. Nothing fancy. I try to do Nourishing Traditions but it is tiring and gets little appreciation. We have many nights of Veggie Dunkers from Sainsbury's - plus a veg. Sometimes.
5. I don't get to exercise. This is because I am a home schooling mom, so I don't really like to verbally complain about this since it was our choice to home school, but it really, really stinks. I miss it and feel like a blob.
6. I am the only grown-up to empty the dishwasher which is my least favorite household chore. Guess what my three children now do?
7. The cars suffer. The only thing I worry about is that they run. Oil change? What? Hmmm.
8. There is no one else to "come and look at my big poops in the potty!" I'm on DUTY for that one each and every time.
9. I have to do the bath routine by myself each and every night. Okay, baths are now given only about three nights a week - that's all I can do at this point.
10. When a child needs attention - and by this I mean, Mommy, look at this! - kind of attention, you are IT.
11. When your child needs a cuddle - well, that's a wonderful thing and I'm always happy to oblige.
12. I have to put a positive in this list: I have my own bed and snore-free nights for the next 30 nights. That is something to appreciate!
This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination. I could go on and on about being the only parent "on" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sick kid in the middle of the night? Guess who's on duty. Hear a noise in the middle of the night? Household maintenance? Glad we're renting and can call the rental agency!
I do miss you, Patrick. We all cannot wait for you to get home. We are proud of you and all the important work you are doing, but we are ready for you to be back with us. Counting down the days ....
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Our Return to the States
We spent a wonderful, wonderful time with my sister and her family. Thank you so much, Megan and Kostja, for putting up with us for so long! We loved being with you guys!
We got to see Patrick's parents while we were in North Carolina, too, but I failed to get any photos. We did spend a wonderful two days with them, though. We visited the North Carolina Science Museum in Raleigh, and the kids got to spend a night in a hotel with Grandma and Grandpa - quite an adventure!
We then spent a wonderful day and evening with my dear, dear friend, Gail, and her beautiful family.
The following week saw us up in Maryland having a wonderful visit with our friends, the Bensings. Joshua stayed with his best friend, Jeremy, and his family, for five days. He was right at home with them and hated to leave. 
We then had a wonderful stay with our friends, the Dore's. We were able to celebrate Gillian's birthday with them, too, which was very special for Gillian. Thanks, guys, for letting us crash with you! We also got to spend time with some other friends while hanging with the Dores - we were so happy to see the Franey's and the Sparks. I had a fantastic girls' night out, too. Aaaahhhh. Thanks, Linda. You're the best.
It snowed while we were with Jim and Linda. We almost had to stay an extra night! But we made it out in time to get down to Virginia and see the Moran clan. Another fun evening for all of us. The only regret was that we couldn't stay longer. 
Then back to Megan's house where we spent a last few days enjoying some warm weather and sunshine. We also celebrated Gillian's birthday again with Megan's triple chocolate cake. Um, YUM.
We really had a good time, though we didn't see everyone we wanted to see, and looking back, it feels like a big, fat whirlwind. I can't believe we've been home for an entire week already.
I should mention we had lots of throw-up on this trip. Our family seems to have a throw-up curse. Whenever we get together - anywhere - for whatever reason - the throw-up goes around. This all started at Megan and Kostja's wedding. It happened at Ben's wedding. Really bad. Where else has it happened? I know it's been more than that, but I'm still jet-lagging so I can't think.
I do not want to define this trip by the throw-up, but there was so much of it that I feel I cannot NOT blog about it. The third day we were at Megan's, Mila and Megan were throwing up. Then Aidan got it. Kostja and I got the dumbed down version - we never threw up but felt horrible.
Then we went out to eat a few days later where Camden threw up - Kostja amazingly captured most of what Camden had to offer - Kostja is truly the throw-up cleaner-upper king. We actually think Camden's throw-up was just a one-time fluke. He didn't get sick again.
Then we went to Maryland and escaped any more throw-up for the time being. Although while we were gone, Megan got it again - with Josiah this time.
On our way home, Gillian threw up in the rental car. But this was purely motion-sickness. This, despite giving her a "Joy Ride" - our special English medication that she prefers to the American version. We had to stop at an exit right outside of Fredricksburg where it was freezing, freezing cold. She had to stand outside in her throw-up clothes while I cleaned the leather seats with the wipies I had JUST bought that morning. Thank you, Lord. But then she had to change out of her throw-up clothes in the freezing, freezing cold. Ugh.
So back to Megan and Kostja's where we had another wonderful few days - and one more throw-up child. Joshua, the night before we left for home, had about 12 hours of throwing up. I was most grateful that none of the other children got the bug - particularly Bella Joy and my children - on the airplane. Ahh. Thank you again, Lord. And thank you, Megan and Kostja, for pumping us full of your fabulous natural medicines. I'm quite sure that the whey I took for three days straight kept me from getting sick. And the Mullen kept me from coughing my head off on the airplane.
I must mention something I forgot to mention in my last post - I want to tell all my American family and friends that they need to truly, truly appreciate their gigantic stoves, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and powerful microwaves. Also, please enjoy the fact that you have electrical outlets in your bathrooms. Apparently, in England, the authorities do not believe the general public is responsible enough to use a hair dryer in their very own bathroom.
I want to thank all of you who were so generous in opening your homes to us, and for loving us so well. We are so grateful.
We are now home a week. And it is now 34 days until Patrick returns home. It can't come soon enough. But we made it this far, we can make it another 4 weeks and six days!
We got to see Patrick's parents while we were in North Carolina, too, but I failed to get any photos. We did spend a wonderful two days with them, though. We visited the North Carolina Science Museum in Raleigh, and the kids got to spend a night in a hotel with Grandma and Grandpa - quite an adventure!We then spent a wonderful day and evening with my dear, dear friend, Gail, and her beautiful family.
The following week saw us up in Maryland having a wonderful visit with our friends, the Bensings. Joshua stayed with his best friend, Jeremy, and his family, for five days. He was right at home with them and hated to leave. 
We then had a wonderful stay with our friends, the Dore's. We were able to celebrate Gillian's birthday with them, too, which was very special for Gillian. Thanks, guys, for letting us crash with you! We also got to spend time with some other friends while hanging with the Dores - we were so happy to see the Franey's and the Sparks. I had a fantastic girls' night out, too. Aaaahhhh. Thanks, Linda. You're the best.
It snowed while we were with Jim and Linda. We almost had to stay an extra night! But we made it out in time to get down to Virginia and see the Moran clan. Another fun evening for all of us. The only regret was that we couldn't stay longer. 
Then back to Megan's house where we spent a last few days enjoying some warm weather and sunshine. We also celebrated Gillian's birthday again with Megan's triple chocolate cake. Um, YUM.
We really had a good time, though we didn't see everyone we wanted to see, and looking back, it feels like a big, fat whirlwind. I can't believe we've been home for an entire week already.
I should mention we had lots of throw-up on this trip. Our family seems to have a throw-up curse. Whenever we get together - anywhere - for whatever reason - the throw-up goes around. This all started at Megan and Kostja's wedding. It happened at Ben's wedding. Really bad. Where else has it happened? I know it's been more than that, but I'm still jet-lagging so I can't think.
I do not want to define this trip by the throw-up, but there was so much of it that I feel I cannot NOT blog about it. The third day we were at Megan's, Mila and Megan were throwing up. Then Aidan got it. Kostja and I got the dumbed down version - we never threw up but felt horrible.
Then we went out to eat a few days later where Camden threw up - Kostja amazingly captured most of what Camden had to offer - Kostja is truly the throw-up cleaner-upper king. We actually think Camden's throw-up was just a one-time fluke. He didn't get sick again.
Then we went to Maryland and escaped any more throw-up for the time being. Although while we were gone, Megan got it again - with Josiah this time.
On our way home, Gillian threw up in the rental car. But this was purely motion-sickness. This, despite giving her a "Joy Ride" - our special English medication that she prefers to the American version. We had to stop at an exit right outside of Fredricksburg where it was freezing, freezing cold. She had to stand outside in her throw-up clothes while I cleaned the leather seats with the wipies I had JUST bought that morning. Thank you, Lord. But then she had to change out of her throw-up clothes in the freezing, freezing cold. Ugh.
So back to Megan and Kostja's where we had another wonderful few days - and one more throw-up child. Joshua, the night before we left for home, had about 12 hours of throwing up. I was most grateful that none of the other children got the bug - particularly Bella Joy and my children - on the airplane. Ahh. Thank you again, Lord. And thank you, Megan and Kostja, for pumping us full of your fabulous natural medicines. I'm quite sure that the whey I took for three days straight kept me from getting sick. And the Mullen kept me from coughing my head off on the airplane.
I must mention something I forgot to mention in my last post - I want to tell all my American family and friends that they need to truly, truly appreciate their gigantic stoves, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and powerful microwaves. Also, please enjoy the fact that you have electrical outlets in your bathrooms. Apparently, in England, the authorities do not believe the general public is responsible enough to use a hair dryer in their very own bathroom.
I want to thank all of you who were so generous in opening your homes to us, and for loving us so well. We are so grateful.
We are now home a week. And it is now 34 days until Patrick returns home. It can't come soon enough. But we made it this far, we can make it another 4 weeks and six days!
Monday, 9 March 2009
Home Sweet Home
We are back in England after spending a wonderful three-week whirlwind in America. I will soon be blogging on more of the details of our trip, but until I get the photos uploaded, I thought I'd share the things I noticed during our travels - things that I had forgotten about America, perhaps. Also things that I realized I liked and didn't like about my homeland.
After landing in Raleigh, I rented a car (a sedan) and set out for my sister's home near Wake Forest. The first thing I noticed was how absolutely GIGANTIC all the cars on the road seemed. There were so many trucks and SUVs, and I felt like I couldn't see! I couldn't see around the big vehicles and it was scary. Also, I was no longer comfortable using my cell phone while driving. This is a good thing, I realize. It is illegal to use a cell (or mobile) phone in England, so I have gotten out of the habit, and I now realize how distracting it really is.
Along the same lines as the vehicles on the road, I realized, anew, how horrible most American drivers are. People are rude, they don't follow the laws, and they get angry when you don't get over even when YOU'RE DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE. I don't miss American highways in that respect, although the bigness of them I really appreciate.
In America, the roads are wide and there is always a shoulder on which to pull over. In England, shoulders are rare, so people pull over anywhere. Which can be somewhat annoying on these skinny two-lane roads. You must always look out for cars pulled over randomly as well as people biking and walking on main roads.
People in America (North Carolina, specifically, but really, everywhere) are super duper friendly. The first time I went to the mall in Raleigh on our trip back, I felt overwhelmed by how friendly everyone was. In every shop I went into, people talked to me. And not just sales people. Everyone is chatty and friendly. I felt like the rude one. I didn't even realize on several different occasions that someone was speaking to me. I'm just not used to it anymore. People in England don't speak to you, in general, unless they know you.
There are many, many more restaurants in the States than in England. Chain restaurants, in particular. Fast food is so accessible, and in the grocery stores, pre-packaged food is available in abundance. This is just not so in England, and it's something I really love about living here. I have to cook every meal, and even if it was a difficult thing to get used to at first, now I'm really thankful for that. It has forced me to come up with a healthier food lifestyle for our family, and I really enjoy it now. I see how the culture in America has made it so easy for people to eat in an unhealthy way, and I was totally guilty of that before we moved here. And I will admit it - I indulged while we were back home. Chik-Fil-A, Wendy's, Red Robin, and Beck's were a few places we ate at, to name just a few ...
This is kind of a weird observation, but I really think there's something to it. The first two Sundays I was in America, we couldn't go to church because of sick children (more on that later). However, the third Sunday we were in Maryland visiting our dear friends there. We decided to join our friends, the Bensings, at their church in Mt. Airy, MD. We all really enjoyed the church, the preaching was totally biblical, and the kids had a GREAT time in Sunday School. But what I noticed was how FAST the service was. Not fast as in it was over in a jiff, but fast as in - the songs were sung super fast, the service itself was run rather quickly. The sermon wasn't fast (ha ha) but the entire experience made me feel rather rushed. When singing the worship songs, I felt like I could hardly get a breath in - we were singing so quickly!
I mentioned this to my friend, Jackie, afterwards, and we talked about the fact that Americans seem to be in such a hurry all the time. The lifestyle in America tends to be rushed and busy. And I realized that we have learned here in England to slow down.
Along those lines, I realized that we really have succumbed to a much more "simple" life here. I went to Super Target every chance that I had when I was home, and it was overwhelming. The choices I had were overwhelming. My brain hurt, and I had to leave several times without getting everything I'd gone for. I realized that while living here in England, I didn't know what I was missing! And I am thankful for that. It takes so much more effort here to go out, to shop, to find things as simple as toiletries and socks. Without the mall, LL Bean, Super Target, Home Depot, I don't know what I'm missing! And I like it.
But believe me when I say I'm not a true convert. I felt completely right at home in my home country. I felt comfortable, capable and undaunted while here in England I still get nervous or anxious about doing something new. Nothing will change the fact that I'm still proud to be an American!
More on the rest of our trip soon.
After landing in Raleigh, I rented a car (a sedan) and set out for my sister's home near Wake Forest. The first thing I noticed was how absolutely GIGANTIC all the cars on the road seemed. There were so many trucks and SUVs, and I felt like I couldn't see! I couldn't see around the big vehicles and it was scary. Also, I was no longer comfortable using my cell phone while driving. This is a good thing, I realize. It is illegal to use a cell (or mobile) phone in England, so I have gotten out of the habit, and I now realize how distracting it really is.
Along the same lines as the vehicles on the road, I realized, anew, how horrible most American drivers are. People are rude, they don't follow the laws, and they get angry when you don't get over even when YOU'RE DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE. I don't miss American highways in that respect, although the bigness of them I really appreciate.
In America, the roads are wide and there is always a shoulder on which to pull over. In England, shoulders are rare, so people pull over anywhere. Which can be somewhat annoying on these skinny two-lane roads. You must always look out for cars pulled over randomly as well as people biking and walking on main roads.
People in America (North Carolina, specifically, but really, everywhere) are super duper friendly. The first time I went to the mall in Raleigh on our trip back, I felt overwhelmed by how friendly everyone was. In every shop I went into, people talked to me. And not just sales people. Everyone is chatty and friendly. I felt like the rude one. I didn't even realize on several different occasions that someone was speaking to me. I'm just not used to it anymore. People in England don't speak to you, in general, unless they know you.
There are many, many more restaurants in the States than in England. Chain restaurants, in particular. Fast food is so accessible, and in the grocery stores, pre-packaged food is available in abundance. This is just not so in England, and it's something I really love about living here. I have to cook every meal, and even if it was a difficult thing to get used to at first, now I'm really thankful for that. It has forced me to come up with a healthier food lifestyle for our family, and I really enjoy it now. I see how the culture in America has made it so easy for people to eat in an unhealthy way, and I was totally guilty of that before we moved here. And I will admit it - I indulged while we were back home. Chik-Fil-A, Wendy's, Red Robin, and Beck's were a few places we ate at, to name just a few ...
This is kind of a weird observation, but I really think there's something to it. The first two Sundays I was in America, we couldn't go to church because of sick children (more on that later). However, the third Sunday we were in Maryland visiting our dear friends there. We decided to join our friends, the Bensings, at their church in Mt. Airy, MD. We all really enjoyed the church, the preaching was totally biblical, and the kids had a GREAT time in Sunday School. But what I noticed was how FAST the service was. Not fast as in it was over in a jiff, but fast as in - the songs were sung super fast, the service itself was run rather quickly. The sermon wasn't fast (ha ha) but the entire experience made me feel rather rushed. When singing the worship songs, I felt like I could hardly get a breath in - we were singing so quickly!
I mentioned this to my friend, Jackie, afterwards, and we talked about the fact that Americans seem to be in such a hurry all the time. The lifestyle in America tends to be rushed and busy. And I realized that we have learned here in England to slow down.
Along those lines, I realized that we really have succumbed to a much more "simple" life here. I went to Super Target every chance that I had when I was home, and it was overwhelming. The choices I had were overwhelming. My brain hurt, and I had to leave several times without getting everything I'd gone for. I realized that while living here in England, I didn't know what I was missing! And I am thankful for that. It takes so much more effort here to go out, to shop, to find things as simple as toiletries and socks. Without the mall, LL Bean, Super Target, Home Depot, I don't know what I'm missing! And I like it.
But believe me when I say I'm not a true convert. I felt completely right at home in my home country. I felt comfortable, capable and undaunted while here in England I still get nervous or anxious about doing something new. Nothing will change the fact that I'm still proud to be an American!
More on the rest of our trip soon.
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