Pandemic travel - June 1, 2020

Using the kids blog to log in this very strange memory...

I never would have anticipated getting on an airplane in the midst of the worldwide Pandemic.  In fact, we had been contentedly making the most of our little rural village with long walks, rare trips into town and an amazingly sunny Cumbrian summer.   

Unfortunately, my mother passed away due to some other health issues, and I decided the need to be with my family in the states was the right choice.  I’m not quite ready to write the blog about mom, so this one is just about the travel :)

While not a major difference in normal pricing, the first thing to encounter was the significantly reduced availability of international flights.   Newcastle had nothing, travelling to Glasgow/Edinburgh would still require 30 plus hours of travel, and the best decision came to flying out of Heathrow.   We often joke, that to an American 200 years is a long time, but to and Englishman 200 miles is a long distance.  As an America, I wasn’t daunted by the drive down, and so away I went….  A bag packed with antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizers and masks.  Can you picture an M6 without traffic?  It was under 6 hours door to door to London, and not one stop for congestion.  I’m still in shock.  

But more shocking yet, was the Heathrow airport.  Normally a buzzing vibrant hub with shops a plenty.  It was an empty warehouse, all shops shuttered, no cafes open, nothing feels stranger that a Starbucks closed mid-day!   I was in luck to find a vending machine (the only option for food and drink), and got a bottle of water (which then was sanitized and hand washed) for the wait. I had been so unsure of the situation that I was still there my 2 hours early!   But with zero lines at check in, security or anywhere else, this proved to be some very quiet waiting time instead.  Masks were worn not by everyone, but by some of the personnel.  The security officers, yes, the check in and gate agents, no.  Balancing skills are required in this new normal as riding on an escalator or going down stairs while trying not to touch the handrail can be very difficult!  Opening a door without touching with your hands, but by far the most difficult skill is not touching your face!  I have never been so aware of instinctive mannerisms as I was on  this first trip out of my protected bubble. 

As the flight grew closer, and the gate remained empty, I started to wonder about the other passengers.  They slowly trickled in all wearing masks.   It is hard to acknowledge someone with a smile when you can’t see their face.  So, we all kind of looked at each other with a blank expression.  I think we will all need to practice friendly eyebrows soon.     The total number of passengers on this very large aircraft, was 8. 

    Due to my status as an American citizen, I am currently allowed to travel back whenever I’d like, but the US still has many restrictions in place.  After a thorough wipe down of my seats, screen and anything else I could think of, we were seated and ready. The pilot greeted us with a friendly “Good afternoon, I’d like to welcome you to our flight….  Actually, I’d like to personally welcome you.  Good Afternoon Mrs. Hogg” and individually listed all the passengers.  

After take off, we were allowed to move wherever we wanted within the cabin, so each passenger had several rows of personal space.  They continued with minimal food and beverage service, but it was limited to a prepackaged cold box, and a selection of drinks.   All delivered from a outstretched arm on a tray as far back as possible.   When not eating or drinking, everyone wore their masks, even though on this flight it was not announced that it was required.  Oh, and I accidentally named myself on the frequent flyer program....  

I connected flights in Chicago and the difference was astounding.   Not full, or all open by any means.  But the basics shops were selling, starbucks was open and the food court had 4 choices still serving!  People spaced themselves out away from each other to get a quick bite, and I took mine to an empty gate (and the cheese and chutney airline sandwich with mini cheddars didn’t quite hit the mark).  As there were more people, I think about 70% of them were wearing masks while walking around, but several still without.   

To clear customs, the US currently requires you to fill out a health screening form with your address in the US, as well as standard health questions, and then to identify if you had been in an associated list of countries.  I was asked by each level of clearance my reason for travelling into the US.  Because the UK was on the listed countries, I then had to see an extra level of health screen, questions were repeated, I was given a handout on the virus and restriction and my temperature was taken.

My final flight was a US Domestic airline, and it was announced there would be no in-flight services and everyone was required a face covering.   No one objected, but apparently a few people don’t understand that a face covering should also cover your nose.  On this flight they staggered the seats, so a person in the middle, and then the next role had an aisle/window, this flight was about half full.  A quick up and down, and I was in St. Louis.  More things open, more people without masks. 

Before seeing my family, I once again sanitized by bags, washed my hands, and waited until home and showered before getting proper hugs.   We were lucky for the fact that my sister, fatherand I have all been socially distancing and cautious, so for this trip, we made our little family bubble.  The plan to return to UK included another round of full lockdown for 2 weeks when I returned.

St. Louis has not been one of the epicenters of the virus, and is well on it’s way to opening back up.  Several of the similarities exist in guidelines, masks, hand stations, etc., but their restaurants are able to open again, including in room dining.   Most of their drive-through and take out restaurants had already been operating.   Already, I had a larger variety of food without leaving the car than I had in months! 

We spent the time together laughing, crying, exploring boxes of memories, and sorting and clearing as we all adjusted to our new normal.   We dined on a socially distant/ take out patio but mostly ate at home.   We maintained our social distance and a few friends were able to stop by, and sit several feet away on the opposite side of the fire pit.   I think America is more accepting of the family bubble…. Choosing your siblings or grandparents, and spending time together, but not extending that interaction to others.   This seems to be working well for the family groups I know, as it maintains the limited exposure, but also gives people the interaction that we are so desperately seeking at this point.   We stuck to social distancing, carried hand sanitizer, hand washed upon entering the house, and kept health at the forefront of our mindset.  

Two weeks later, I travelled again.  This time the “openness” wasn’t as shocking as I had been experiencing it as the normal for the last two weeks.   The lack of masks in public places still bothers me, as it is such an easy accommodation to protect ourselves and others, but a similar amount of people were not wearing them in the main airport.  I had a large meal distanced in the airport as my plan was to keep my mask on for as much of the long distance flight as possible.  Since UK isn’t as closed to incoming travel, I was expecting the return flight to have more passengers.  Again, our domestic flight required face coverings (and another group of people who didn’t wear them properly) and no in-flight service.

The gate for the long distance flight already had more people waiting than my whole flight on the way here, and it soon became apparent that this flight had many people connecting to other countries as well.   The flight attendants spaced us out, once again, and this time instead of several rows, all of economy had a single row of 3 seats to themselves. The flight attendants had closed the back bathrooms and final two rows to staff only, giving themselves some safe space as well as preventing anyone from entering the food and drink prep area.   They had a regular heated meal service/ drinks on this flight and were wiping down the public services throughout the flight.   I chose to skip the meal and had a good nap.  Sleeping with a mask on, is also a strange sensation.

Upon entry to the UK, Dots on the floor marked social distancing at the lines for immigration, signs

Warned of temperature checks.  In reality, there was none.  They didn’t ask for my address, they didn’t check my health.  A quick- how long were you gone, and off I went to get my bag. 

Back to London, sanitized all the surfaces, and back into the car.   The two stops on the drive back in the service stations, I observed no one wearing masks in the public places.  I was the ONLY person.   This included staff and the other patrons.   There is plexiglass up on all the shops to protect the people, but I am surprised by the public lack of face covering

.  

Back home with my family, travelling clothes into the bag, a shower and lots of cuddles.  We’re grateful that I was able to go, we’re grateful that UK grocery deliveries are the norm, and we are especially grateful for the little rural oasis we call home.   The legos have been well worth the investment, a garden is a lovely thing to have, and my children have rediscovered each other as excellent play mates.  I’m grateful for everyone that helped my husband keep them alive and happy, and am working on starting this new normal with one less person to call on the phone.  And so, I conclude my unexpected travel adventure.

 

Jan 2nd, 2019 - newly 6 years old!!!

Our little Hogglets are newly minted 6 year olds, and this sentence has probably taken me 10 minutes to write as I am navigating dinner, play dynamics and our general usual chaos.

I always hold back from the blog bc of the time required to choose and pick the pics for the matching descriptions, so please excuse me if we just have a wordy post without all the normal visual images!

We've had an extremely lucky year with many visitors, trips and are currently celebrating Christmas and their birthday with Grandpa & Grandma McGuire over for an extended bit.   Our family has grown by one as we added a yellow Labrador puppy to the mix.   Each child chose their special name and she is officially registered as "Conkers Lily Twinkle"....   I imagine the judges will love that if she ever enters the field trials.

We also made a big decision and purchased a new home in the next village east of Brampton, named Low Row.   We live less than 10 homes away from Darren's sister Jackie and her family, including husband Barry and our nieces Sophie & Olivia.   Mac has already figured out how to time his visits so that he gets Auntie Jackie to feed him.   On the second day in our new home, my darling husband (with Sophie's advice) took down a wall before leaving for America.  So I've had a quick and steep learning curve of home remodeling in the UK, including joiners, plasterers, decorators, and just before Christmas we got to a stable point in order to have  lull over the holidays.

Mac

Mac continues to be very sweet natured while maintain a full dose of his Y chromosome.   He suffers the most since we've entered into our period of dark nights, requiring the most physical energy/outlet in the evenings.   He's sensitive when tired, protective of his sisters, and loves to climb in and cuddle.  Kisses are out of the question, although he'll tolerate some on his forehead or a sneaky cheek.  But he hasn't given them out in quite some time.  He loves to do physical sports, but is also the most uncertain about trying new things.   He has three buddies in his class, and seems to be good friends with all of them, picking and choosing different friends for different activities.    He still sleeps with his lovey, but it doesn't generally travel away from home with him.   He is the middle of a phase where lovey goes into the freezer before bed.  

His favorite superhero is Batman, his favorite color in red, and herby potatoes (specifically the ones from the school cook) are his favorite.   He is recently and fondly involved with learning about Pokémon, and loves to wear his joggers with his Pikachu shirt as his first choice.  His favorite part of school is "making stuff", and he is progressing with his reading with a blend of sight words and phonics.  He will sit and color for hours, creating scenes from stories as well as creating his own.  When the weather is nice, he has found a love of "football" or soccer and some of the older boy from our neighborhood will come knocking to have him come up and play ball at the play park.  When given his choices for school activities, he chose the running club.   He can be convinced to try other things, especially if his good buddy Tom is going to be there, but his initial reaction is to not participate because of nerves.   After our American vacation this summer where we had pool access for two weeks straight, he became a much more confident swimmer, picking toys off the bottom and going from one end of the pool to the other.   He's requested that we restart swimming lessons, because he wants to get faster.

Mac is consistent in his food preferences, and if they are his chosen foods, he can clear his plate in rapid time.   He likes to say that he doesn't like something anymore....  right before asking for a helping of it.

He is in a 5/6 for pants and shirts and his shoes are a UK 10.5.  Weight:  39.6 lbs

Paisley

Paisley is an avid fan of maths.   Often creating her own worksheets as she works out the pattern that math problems follow.   They are working through addition and subtraction at school, but she will occasionally do multiplication independently.  She loves an activity book and will entertain herself with singing and dancing all about the house.   She has a special affection for youtube videos and I wouldn't doubt it if one day she has her own channel.   She comes home from school and does her homework straight away, while the other two need a bit more convincing.   She will sit and do crafts for hours, and has really enjoyed being part of the art club as her first after school activity.  She has decided on being an artist when she gets older.

She chose to join the school choir, and has a knack for performance and facial gestures.  She still gets nervous in new or large surroundings and will ask to be held or just need lap cuddles.   Her "bear" or "ted" is still around for bedtime, and an occasional soothing snuggle, but it also doesn't travel with us unless sleepiness is on the schedule.

Paisley is our pickiest eater, with limited fruits and veggies.  But she's got a few in each category and is slowly expanding.  She's also the only one who continues to enjoy tuna, salmon, and coconut.

Paisley is finally growing and in a 4/5 for clothes and size 7 shoes.  She remains 4 inches shorter than Mac & Catherine.  Weight:  29.4lbs








Catherine

Catherine is a willing participant in any activity, and the first one to go and find a new friend when we are at a play area.   She's proven herself to be a good friend, and has gotten much more confident about expressing her own ideas.   She is long and lanky, and takes after her Aunt Ellen & Grandpa's in her long legs!  There is not an ounce of extra padding on her even though she is generally my best eater.  She loves a cuddle in and still remains very, very, very attached to her monkey.  She's spent more than a few hours with Grandpa McGuire in the big chair this visit.  Cuddles with monkey also mean thumb sucking so we've been trying to decrease the amount of time together, but it's a tricky one!  Monkey has very recently started staying at home while she goes to school (vs. in her backpack or car seat) so a bit of distance in on the horizon.  

She is the most easily frustrated with her abilities, and needs reminders that she is still learning and practicing will make it better.   She loves to tell a joke and certainly has a silly side that loves to entertain.   She recently got a joke book in her grab bag from Grandma and has been spending time memorizing and reading them.

Catherine has the most varied diet, easting a broad spectrum of fruit, veg and proteins.  She's my pizza pal as we share a regular ham, mushroom and olive pizza.   At our recent Christmas dinner she had 2 helpings of brussel sprouts.

Catherine is a 5/6 for length, a 3/4 for width and a size 10 shoes.   She is 34.5 lbs.








They all continue to love school and never fuss about going in the morning.   We are late sleepers so our morning routine is rushed most days, but it is VERY rare to hear them complain about going.   They are all beginning readers and can work their way through simple books.   As part of school, they read at home a minimum of 4 times a week.   This is generally an easily met task, (although getting me to write it down is a larger task!).   Occasionally this is accomplished with all three sitting relatively close and reading out loud simultaneously....  talk about multi tasking as I listen for words to correct or support.








They have loved moving into our new village, which comes with their cousins around the corner and school friends up the street.   Sophie, our niece, has started doing a little evening babysitting and they jump at the chance to have her over.   As a team, they get along so well, and are generally laughing and entertaining each other instead of fighting (although that does occasionally happen as well).  

Their school has provided them with lots of experiential learning adventures (as well as local press coverage!).  They've been in the paper dressed as Romans walking Hadrian's Wall, in their Tudor finery as they had a banquet at the local Naworth castle, and most recently with the girls in their Angelic nativity costumes.    

Darren continues to work hard, and also enjoy our local golf club and shooting season.  He travels off and on, and we work to try and make sure we balance life as much as possible.   He's in love with his new dog, and has already started training her for shooting seasons.  He joined us for 2/3 weeks America for family vacation, I joined him in Thailand for a project he was on, and we had a childfree long weekend in Tenerife where we enjoyed uninterrupted sleep and ocean views.

I've continued on as the chair of our parent organization at school, and have recently joined the School Governors as well.   I've got another volunteer board as the secretary of the Dacre Hall, a local village hall that is also a registered  landmark and said to be possibly the oldest village hall.  I seem to have lost all the free time I thought I had, but the days are full and happy, and the housework is always behind.

My original spouse visa expires at the end of this month, so hopefully we'll be hearing soon if they're going to give me another chance.   The kids recent query was "who will take care of us if you go back to America", so they're obviously not quite ready to leave!  I've found my vocabulary has naturally shifted as they have come home with words....  We play "naughts and crosses" instead of tic-tac-toe, they wear jumpers instead of sweaters and more often than not things go in the bin instead of the trash.   But I've still got plenty of Americanisms....   and most of them I'm not aware of until my friends start laughing :)   I’ve lost a dear friend Paul Giaccio recently, and I’m trying to remember to Live Like Paul with a life full of kindness and a desire to make the most of each day.  We love you and miss you. 

Well, I hope this one little shot got a few of you (and me) caught up!   We find ourselves so lucky that our miracle babies are 6 and we haven't totally ruined them yet.    

I'm sure I'll add some more and hopefully attach some pics as I generally wake up the next day wishing I had put something in.  

25/04/2017 - Wow, it has been a long time coming (did you see how I did the date in UK style?)

 

Hello strangers....
It's been a long time since I've sat down to write, but it's constantly on my mind...   I'll promise to try harder, but life is life, and sometimes it just takes awhile!  This one is going to be a long one because there is a ton to catch up on!!!

We're almost a year into our UK journey (11 months!) and I'm still surprised at how fast it has gone.  We've been super lucky to have found a great "in-town" rental while possibly looking for a purchase, with a view :)   Since moving in, I have not once hung clothes out to dry.  The real luck has been that our rental house is on a lovely little cul-de-sac street where the kids can play, and we are sandwiched between two delightful neighborhood families, who both have kids that are in the same class as the Hogglets.  Many an hour has been spent recently going back and forth between houses, or scootering and bike riding up and down the sidewalks and streets.  It brings back many a Mary Meadows memory as I've got most of the kids trained to shout "CAR!" as soon as they see one and hustle to side of the road.   

The kids started in the nursery class in Sept 2016 at the Lanercost School.   Families receive 15 hours of child care starting at age 3, and we were lucky enough to get three spots at our preferred school.   Lanercost is set outside of town and the kids are outdoors frequently for learning opportunities and on Tuesdays, rain or shine, they have a Woodland school, where they don their wellies and waterproofs for a morning in the woods.    The classroom has 3 teachers amongst a shared group of nursery and reception children (approx. 20, 3 & 4 year olds).  I am extremely grateful as I could not have asked for a better staff to leave my tiny humans.  It has been a wonderful child led, developmentally appropriate play based year for them where they are absorbing and learning every day.  I have informed them that I will be the least academically concerned parent that they have met.  Mrs. Reed is amazing at encouraging empathy and problem solving, Mrs. Irving is quick with comfort for those a bit unsteady or sensitive, and Miss Fisher brings easy smiles and laughter with her natural calm and excellent singing and story telling.  I've changed their schedule about a bit, and they now stay for one afternoon, where they also get to work with Ms. Baty, who is constantly helping them to create their ideas and bring home special objects!

When school started, they were still napping and so we had set up a 5 morning schedule with school from 8:50-11:50 M-F.  Our lives became a little too focused on school, naps, dinner, bath and bed, and not enough adventure time with me :)  So we've changed it about a bit, and now that naps aren't a mandatory part of every day, they go to a full day on Monday's and we take Wednesdays off to play.  Naps still happen occasionally, but maybe 1-2x/ week.   I look back and remember how I thought 15 hours was going to allow me soooooo much free time.  Well, it tends to be home for chores and back for pick up with not much getting done in between!  As I explain to Darren, I've got this new job (which I'm not always particularly good at), that involves constantly food prepping, cleaning and never ending laundry!  But, I try to remember those are just the things that happen and that every once in a while, it's a really good idea to sit down and just PLAY!   Maybe I just need to build a sensory clinic so I can get back to the place where I could go and play for hours!  (kidding, but I do need to remind myself that the house will wait and focus on the kids).  I have added on small role as the Chair of the schools parent organization - the FOLS (friends of Lanercost School), and have been climbing a steep learning curve of hosting fundraisers and supporting all the extra events.  Makes me appreciate all the hours mom spent on the PTA, and dad spent making burgers and dogs at football games with the Dad's club. 

We currently live in a "market town" called Brampton that provides easy access to some basic amenities.  There are (forgive me if I miss something) two butchers, 1 indian take away, 2 chip shops, 4 pubs of a variety of sorts, convenience stores and the co-op grocery - which has all the basics and good weekend hours :)   Carlisle is the closest city with a major grocery store, shopping, etc, and about a 30 min drive away.   Funny how 30 min feels so far now when that is shorter than my daily commute in Atlanta!  The local stores know us by sight, as me and the Hogglets come through fairly often to our local fruit shop, post office, and library.   I don't tire of the novelty of a tractor driving straight through town, and when there is congestion on the roads, the kids immediately ask if it is because there is a tractor at the front.      There are things that I miss about the big city.... accessibility of retail and options, never ending choices of delicious dining, but I trade those for beautiful sunny days with fellside views on the way to school, and to knowing and being part of a community.   I desperately miss iced tea, and my loving husband got me a counter top ice maker for Valentine's Day this year.  I've taken to brewing a pitcher in the morning and bringing my togo cup with me when out and about.  :)  I have been know to order the occasional cup of tea while out, but I'm still not used to the addition of milk. 

My ability to talk to inanimate objects and smile unerringly has come in handy as I've started to develop a good friend circle here.   Darren laughed out loud the first time I rushed inside after drop off because I was so excited that I had been invited out for a cup of tea with some other moms!!! Joining a new community is never easy, and the Lanercost families have been amazingly gracious in accepting and inviting my chaos along.

Darren's family is very close with his sister about a 5 minute drive down the road and the kids LOVE going to "Auntie Jackie's" and playing with their cousins, Sophie and Olivia and Uncle Barry.    Kathleen, "nana", stops through often and is our primary babysitter, letting me escape to yoga every Tuesday and whenever else needed along the way.  Darren and I are catching up on 4 years of taking advantage, and skipping out of town here and there while the kids spend the weekend at the farm with her and Malcolm (granddad).   We've been back to the states, a weekend in Germany & recently a jaunt up to Inverness.

The kids had their first "Easter Holiday" vacation and we spent the week in Blackpool.  It is basically the Jersey shore of the UK complete with arcades and it's own theme park.  I was grateful to have friends travelling with us and for a lovely hotel lounge that served a nice glass of Rose.

Mac:
Weight: 33lbs
Height: 40 3/4 inches
Clothes - a 4T for length, and probably a 2/3 for shorts this summer just so they don't fall down!
Shoes - he's moving between a UK 8 to a 9

Mac is displaying all of the athletic ability that he did not get from me!   He flies down the sidewalk on his scooter, loves the driving range with his dad, and kicking the ball in the street.   He loves to build to create, whether he is using the couch cushions to build a house or path or the recycling and tape to make a new structure.  He loves finding coins and treasures on the sidewalk (bottle caps, screws, string) and does not like throwing anything away.

He has a sweet sensitive soul, and gets his feelings hurt even when it's not intentional.  He loves a strong cuddle in the morning, and a back rub and a song at bedtime.  He's the most nervous to be by himself, wanting company to go up or downstairs, and gets nervous or scared during the night.  When he's overtired, he does an excellent job of pestering his sisters.  He needs reminders sometimes to use words instead of his body when he is upset.  When he's not the cause of the trouble, he is very protective and helpful of his girls.  He'll make his best silly faces to make them laugh when they are sad, and he'll yell at his mama to go say sorry for making them cry.  "I'm the big brother and I'll protect them" he'll tell you.  When he's in trouble, he still needs time to regroup before he is ready to apologize and check on his siblings/friends.  He's got one or two good buddies from school, and looks up to our 5 year old next door neighbor.  He frequently comments on the world around him "Mama, isn't it a lovely day?"  And only when tired, tends to be a little bit of a grump.

He has recently started doing some pretend figure play, whether he is finally interested or the months of his sisters playing with mini princesses and the castle has sunk in, I'm not sure which.  He really enjoys coloring and does a great job of staying in the lines.  They have been working on writing his name at school, and although he "knows that there is an around the apple and down the leaf (letter a for the rest of us), he prefers a p."   So, he is currently going with Mcp as his name of choice. 

He loves pizza as his current favorite, followed by spaghetti and as a true british boy, beans.   He eats a wide variety of food but declares that he doesn't like fish sticks, except for the ones that Julie, the school cook, makes for lunch.   He's a fruit & yogurt eating monster.  He uses his super sensitive nose to sniff out things and decide if he's interested.   He'll eat mashed potatoes (and French fries), but not roasted.   He LOVES carrots and corn.  

His favorite color is mostly blue, but sometimes red.  Thanks to the miracle of netflix, he has discovered a passion for the red Power Ranger, in addition to PJ Masks and anything superhero.  He likes to collect stuffed animals - currently on his bed there are 2 dinosaurs, a spiderman, Catboy, a leopard, a small monkey, and a fish.  He continues to love his "blue letters lovey" the most - a hand me down from our friends in Atlanta, and needs it to sleep at night.  He loves to wait until he is settled down in bed to have a "last thoughts on his day" moments...  and if you can wait until then, you'll hear about his highlights and fears from his day. 

My big boy. 

Paisley
Height: 40 inches (a full 4 inches shorter than her siblings)
Weight: 25.6 lbs
Clothes: 2/3 year
Shoes:  FINALLY a size 6 UK (but she can still wear 5.5)

She remains our tiny but mighty, and is the most similar to me in appearance.  She has declared that she wants to remain small forever and has no interest in growing up.  She has taken to reminding me to bring the baby carrier on long walks because her legs get "very tired".   She also loves to scooter on the sidewalk and ride with her training wheels, and although her face is full of determination, she doesn't quite have the endurance of her brother.

She loves to draw and create, and has started making "books" where she will draw pictures and then tell you quite the lengthy story to go along with the drawings.  She could sit and read with me for hours.  When she is independent, she is very independent, but she's the most interested in just being with me.  She frequently requests to just be held while I walk around or wants to sit in my lap while she colors or watches a show.   She loves to be the helper, unpacks the fruit for the bowl, helps "tidy up" in the house or playroom.

She's the pickiest eater of the group, but has a few favorites in all the food groups. She is a good sport (mostly) about tasting new things, and is expanding, but her favorite food is definitely chocolate or any form or potato.   She tends to still be sensitive to too much dairy, but can tolerate in small amounts and with a little supplement help.  

Both girls really enjoy dressing up as princesses and can be found to play out little dramas.  I find that Paisley is probably generally the director of these scenarios, but Catherine holds her own when she have an opinion.  

She is an animated story teller full of gestures and intense facial expressions (I have no clue where she got that from!  :)  )   Most days she can be found at least once creating a song and dance in front of my full length mirror.  She has perfected the hand on the hip, and even the occasional hair flip.   She loves to make up her own words and names for her toys involving lots of consonants.  She is a sponge for data, and rarely ever forgets something she has been told or experienced.  And she's protective of her things, sometimes needing a little help to remind her to share.  When in public she takes a while to warm up, and wants to be held, but in her familiar domains she does not hesitate to express her opinions.  She prefers to be warned about changes or upcoming new things, but can regroup quickly when upset.  On the odd occasion, she needs a little help to see from others perspectives or to ask to join in their play vs them do her game.  But in general, she's in the thick of it, playing her day away.   She'll tell you, she has "loads" of friends.

Her favorite color is purple but really she "likes all of the colors".  She shows the most love for the academic learning piece of school, attempting to independently write her name and numbers.  She loves math and patterns, and matching.  She can be caught playing "teacher" to her friends and working on the pattern games that I sometimes play with her at home. She's sensitive to scary things, and doesn't enjoy watching the shows with bad guy characters or tense moments.  (likes playing power rangers with her brother, but wants to be held while she watches the show - and those bad guys are possibly the silliest looking bad guys ever)

My little peanut.

Catherine
Height: 41 inches
Weight: 29.2 lbs
Clothes: 4T for length, 2T for waist!
Shoes: 8UK going on 9 very soon...

The most easy going of the three, Catherine tends to just roll with it.  The only time she really puts up a fuss is when I decide we all need a nap (or when she's hungry).  To her credit, she's the best sleeper of the group, so probably doesn't need one as much as the others!   She'll self describe "I'm just feeling a little whiny".   She mixes easily within all the dynamics - from princesses with Paisley, to scooters and playing baddies with Mac.   She's self assured and confident when going about her play and the house.  She's the most empathetic, checking on others when they are upset and generally attempts to help solve the situation.

She likes to have a cuddle with me in bed before starting her day, and lovingly still sleeps with her precious "old" monkey and her thumb.  She's demonstrating the best sense of humor thus far and loves telling and explaining jokes.  She's a general goof ball and laughs easily at things that are funny.  She loves to declare a food is "yucky" but then will always taste it and let you know if her body decides to change it's mind.  She has the most interest in vegetables and requested a bowl of peas for breakfast the other day.   She is certainly the best and most varied eater (although every once in a while Mac takes her on quantity).

Her favorite color is pink.  She loves to color pictures, and her people always have belly buttons.   She struggles the most with her letters (but then again, her name is the longest!), but knows the few important ones! She has her own sense of fashion and will go upstairs and put together a coordinated outfit (not just ones that the colors or patterns match).  She can be found playing her with pretend ponies or looking through books.

The gang:
We still tend to do all things as a unit, but there have definitely been some preferences coming up.  The group favorite has been pony rides at a nearby farm.  Where they all love the ride but experience it in very different ways.  Paisley loves the trotting and talks non stop the whole time.  Mac tends to go into a zoned out state and just enjoys how the horse makes his head move back and forth, and Catherine smiles and sits up tall enjoying taking it all in.  

We tend to be the most successful hitting places on the off hours or toddler times.  We still manage to try new things, but I'll give it a whirl to make sure all 4 of us are enjoying it before signing up again  :)   Our move has allowed Darren to be home more often, but he still spends a fair amount of time on the road, so it's usually the 4 of us trying out new things on our adventure days.      He's recently joined our local golf course, and I've started taking lessons again, so we will hopefully get a few rounds in together during the British summer.  The kids will be in year round school with the longest break coming at the end of July and all of August.   In September they will start 5 full days, and I'll be in shock!

We've been lucky to have Aunt Ellen come visit, Grandma & Grandpa McGuire, Big Brother Zachary and our friend Lindsey.   We're looking forward to more visitors soon!!

Take care, we think of you often!
Love,
Julie & the Hogglets