I have to admit, I'm impressed with these little Hogglets. They have moved across the pond, travelled for 50% of the 6 weeks we have been here, and have rolled with it. We started at Bellbank (Nana & Grandad's farm), to an apartment in the city (Cardiff), back to Bellbank, to a hotel in Wales (outside Cardiff), to the Cassidy's house in Windsor, and back to Bellbank again. We have two "official" weeks left before our rental home in Brampton is available, although we are grateful to have the luxury of moving slowly if needed. (Especially since we're still lacking things like a bed and couches!). As I keep reminding Darren, if mama's happy, the kids are happy. So we are all focused on making this a super positive experience!
We officially moved over on May 23/24 and the kids held up beautifully on the overnight flight. We were VERY lucky that it wasn't a full plane, so we ended up with a lot of extra space to spread! Once we arrived, Nana and Grandad were waiting and Darren and the kids headed to the farm in the car, while Kathleen and I took the train to check in for my visa. I'm officially a British Resident Permit Holder, which allows me the luxury of unlimited travel back and forth, as well as the potential to work if needed. The kids are all dual citizens so have both UK & US passports. Quite the international citizens.
Getting packed for travel
Mac:
Height: Approx 39" (measured via tape in the kitchen)
Weight: 13,5 KG (measured on a scale where the options were Stone or KG) approx. 29 3/4 lbs
Clothes: He's a 3T as long as there is an elastic waistband that runs slim. 7.5 UK shoe
Mac is in love with life at the farm. If given the choice, he wouldn't leave Granddad's side. He's a tractor riding, dog walking, cow talking, puddle jumping, creek walking, stone throwing side kick. The back garden at Bellbank opens onto a field which alternates between sheep and cattle. Mac loves standing next to the fence and talking to the cows, who are much more friendly than the sheep, who are in general a bit skiddish. The Hogg's are leasing out their land, and currently don't own any of the animals that are constantly roaming around eating the rented grass.
He's very into super heroes, but has zero exposure to them. I think its a carry over from some US friends. But he recently chose a new spiderman costume at the store, and then didn't take it off for 3 days. We had to discuss that Spiderman is actually a good guy despite his costumes appearance....
He's generally a sweet natured boy, but has decided he doesn't like kisses. He sneaks up and tells me to close my eyes while giving me a sneaky kiss on the leg. But he does LOVE a cuddle and loves to be held tight and just melt into me. He is the heaviest of the lot, and has no fear of just resting his full weight on mama.
He is currently very excited to tell you that he has lots of names and list them. "Brother, Mac, Hogglet, Triplet, John McGuire, and gentleman" if you get the long list. He sometimes will add in "buddy" which is what Darren calls him. He prefers to have full attention, eye contact and quietness when sharing his idea, and you can tell his brain is working faster than his voice. But he displays the most memory of our old house, referencing toys he has there "the workbench with the thing on the front", the "weasel that rolls around on the floor". And he is getting clearer and clearer with speech. Long gone are the days where milk was "whoop" and Catherine is less of a "Caffrien" than she used to be. He has big ideas and plans - currently wanting to go to the store to buy a rocket ship so we can go to the moon. Initially it was only for him and Darren until Paisley said she wanted to go. His follow up, "Okay! We can all go together!"
When he's done something accidentally wrong, he takes it hard and needs to be supported that no one is mad at him. He will come cuddle and eventually will initiate an apology, but if pushed too quickly, easily gets sad and teary. He alternates easily between wrestling with Paisley, defending Princess Catherine, and playing family with them both. He loves to color, and demonstrates neat ideas with his pictures.
Family birthday picture
Getting killed by his sisters feather sword
Paisley
Height: 35.5"
Weight: approx. 23 lbs (10.5ish KG)
Clothes: She still can fit into some of her 18m clothes, but she's generally a 2T; 5.5 UK shoes
Paisley recently chose a shirt at the store "Tiny, But Loud" which couldn't be more appropriate. She is the talker of the group, with full affect and gestural communication. She's the most petite but self identifies as the bossiest of the group. She LOVES to pretend she's a baby and have a whiny cry, but if you call her out, she smiles and grins and knows she has been busted.
Her memory is stellar & she can bridge references between experiences. We met another mother recently at a party who sat and spoke with us for 15-20 minutes, when we saw her about a week later "Look! It's the same lady from the Queen's birthday party!" Grandma had introduced her to a Star Wars book before we left the US, and she recently picked out Darth Vader as her choice for a costume. It's highly comical. She loves to start an idea with "Mama, I need to tell you something".
She prefers to follow Nana around and gets tired on the long walks through the farm. She LOVES hanging the laundry on the line and taking the pegs down. And she especially likes to find a big girl who will carry her around like a baby. She is the instigator of grand plans, and occasionally chooses to instigate play by pushing her siblings buttons. However, if she is redirected by attuning her to their emotional experience, she generally will immediately switch her attitude.
She absorbs vocabulary easily, but I still enjoy that she calls "connectors", "protectors" & a few other odd words. She has picked up more British English and has used rubbish & crisps appropriately. She continues to struggle with sleeping in her bed all night and as she informed me at 2:30 am "Mama, I need to tell you something. If you had a bigger bed then we could sleep altogether when Daddy is home".
Catherine
Height: 39" (I think she is a touch taller than Mac, but not enough for the tape measure to register)
Weight: approx. 12 KG, 26.5 pounds
Clothes: She's an easy 3T for height, but probably an 18m/2T based on her waist. She's always cold, and frequently requesting a snuggle or a sweater.
I always relate persistence to Catherine, and that has held true. If she's determined she will try and try again. Given the option, she would be carried around on my hip holding her favorite monkey, but in a gross motor play section, she's off and away and exploring. She loves to play with her brother and sister, and is really never the one who is to blame for making the others upset.
She has a special place on granddad's knee and remains the little Princess of the three. When she feels a slight, she's the easiest to rely on drama, but immediately smiles if you don't play into it. Her favorites are princess costumes & figures and she often spends the day dressed up as Cinderella, her favorite. On the costume stop, she chose Rapunzel, and continued her days dressed in costume with her "braid" headband.
She's my heavy sleeper, but has the hardest time falling asleep. I think her eyes and her brain are constantly going, so she needs quiet and calm to fall fast asleep. She's got a great sense of humor, and laughs the quickest and easiest at jokes, and loves to tease by saying the wrong thing. When M/P does something entertaining she's quick with a laugh and a "that's crazy".
While she may go to whiny when feeling needed, in general she's an easy going kid with less request than the other two (as long as she is with you and possibly being held). She will sit and read books or play characters independently. As long as she is warned about transitions she has no issues, but doesn't like surprises of mommy leaving.
All of them:
Will be heading to a morning program in September, and we will go on Monday to a teddy bear tea to meet the teachers and see the school. They will be following in their cousin's footsteps and going to the same school that Olivia currently attends.
The farm recently hosted "Hoggfest", a 2 day music festival down in the field, where the Americans did it right and opened up the dance floor both nights. The kids love to move and groove, but especially love to go play with all the big cousins & friends who were roaming about.
Me:
It took a few weeks to start feeling like I wasn't on vacation, and I'm still not there yet!!! Transitioning to not working was probably one of the biggest shifts, and 24/7 mommy time. Luckily, Nana is quite capable and lets me run off to do errands or attempt fitness. Had a great time spending last week with the Cassidy's and our friend Lindsey down near London and I'm looking forward to making some more girl friends up here to share a bottle of wine :) That visit came just in time as I needed a little "Julie friend" time. I'm lucky enough that I will have 2 trips back to the states this summer, so I'll be cashing in on friend time for those as well!
I ALMOST made it back to the farm without relying on my GPS, and I'm getting ever more confident at driving on the opposite side of the road. Figuring out how and where to buy things, and what Mexican food should not taste like. I haven't eaten this many white potatoes since college, and am constantly amused that the side dish for ALL food is French fries or "chips". Indian - with chips! Chinese - with chips! I am already planning on getting a US style refridgerator :) and am desperately missing Iced tea as my out and about drink of choice. I'm compiling a random list of things to purchase when home, and am so grateful we've had the time at Bellbank so I can take some space and travel without worrying about Nana and the gang.
I've gotten to enjoy cooking again, as the kids are occupied around the house. I get to spend time chopping and planning, versus being the short order cook I had become at home when feeding 3 toddlers. We will certainly look forward to having Nana & Grandad come help out at the new house!
There is something lovely about not having the mommy babysitter guilt. In the US Darren travelled so often, that the kids often spent 1-3 nights with sitters depending on my work/life schedule. We LOVED all of our sitters, but it's just different to say "the kids are spending time with their grandparents".
Our house is Brampton is a 6 mo rental as we get acclimated to the area, and continue to figure out our plans! But it has space for a guest room, so feel free to book your tickets :)
Take care,
My Love to All,
Julie
Getting killed by his sisters feather swordHeight: 35.5"
Weight: approx. 23 lbs (10.5ish KG)
Clothes: She still can fit into some of her 18m clothes, but she's generally a 2T; 5.5 UK shoes
Paisley recently chose a shirt at the store "Tiny, But Loud" which couldn't be more appropriate. She is the talker of the group, with full affect and gestural communication. She's the most petite but self identifies as the bossiest of the group. She LOVES to pretend she's a baby and have a whiny cry, but if you call her out, she smiles and grins and knows she has been busted.
Her memory is stellar & she can bridge references between experiences. We met another mother recently at a party who sat and spoke with us for 15-20 minutes, when we saw her about a week later "Look! It's the same lady from the Queen's birthday party!" Grandma had introduced her to a Star Wars book before we left the US, and she recently picked out Darth Vader as her choice for a costume. It's highly comical. She loves to start an idea with "Mama, I need to tell you something".
She prefers to follow Nana around and gets tired on the long walks through the farm. She LOVES hanging the laundry on the line and taking the pegs down. And she especially likes to find a big girl who will carry her around like a baby. She is the instigator of grand plans, and occasionally chooses to instigate play by pushing her siblings buttons. However, if she is redirected by attuning her to their emotional experience, she generally will immediately switch her attitude.
She absorbs vocabulary easily, but I still enjoy that she calls "connectors", "protectors" & a few other odd words. She has picked up more British English and has used rubbish & crisps appropriately. She continues to struggle with sleeping in her bed all night and as she informed me at 2:30 am "Mama, I need to tell you something. If you had a bigger bed then we could sleep altogether when Daddy is home".
Catherine
Height: 39" (I think she is a touch taller than Mac, but not enough for the tape measure to register)
Weight: approx. 12 KG, 26.5 pounds
Clothes: She's an easy 3T for height, but probably an 18m/2T based on her waist. She's always cold, and frequently requesting a snuggle or a sweater.
I always relate persistence to Catherine, and that has held true. If she's determined she will try and try again. Given the option, she would be carried around on my hip holding her favorite monkey, but in a gross motor play section, she's off and away and exploring. She loves to play with her brother and sister, and is really never the one who is to blame for making the others upset.
She has a special place on granddad's knee and remains the little Princess of the three. When she feels a slight, she's the easiest to rely on drama, but immediately smiles if you don't play into it. Her favorites are princess costumes & figures and she often spends the day dressed up as Cinderella, her favorite. On the costume stop, she chose Rapunzel, and continued her days dressed in costume with her "braid" headband.
She's my heavy sleeper, but has the hardest time falling asleep. I think her eyes and her brain are constantly going, so she needs quiet and calm to fall fast asleep. She's got a great sense of humor, and laughs the quickest and easiest at jokes, and loves to tease by saying the wrong thing. When M/P does something entertaining she's quick with a laugh and a "that's crazy".
While she may go to whiny when feeling needed, in general she's an easy going kid with less request than the other two (as long as she is with you and possibly being held). She will sit and read books or play characters independently. As long as she is warned about transitions she has no issues, but doesn't like surprises of mommy leaving.
She's quick to find friends in both adults and kids, and is the most extroverted upon introductions.
All of them:
We were blessed with good trips and amazing goodbyes this year. Spending a week in Florida with all my family, followed by trips, trips, and then a week or two of consecutive goodbye parties...
Will be heading to a morning program in September, and we will go on Monday to a teddy bear tea to meet the teachers and see the school. They will be following in their cousin's footsteps and going to the same school that Olivia currently attends.
The farm recently hosted "Hoggfest", a 2 day music festival down in the field, where the Americans did it right and opened up the dance floor both nights. The kids love to move and groove, but especially love to go play with all the big cousins & friends who were roaming about.
All of them are loving their cousins and being spoiled by their extended family and nana and granddad.
Me:
It took a few weeks to start feeling like I wasn't on vacation, and I'm still not there yet!!! Transitioning to not working was probably one of the biggest shifts, and 24/7 mommy time. Luckily, Nana is quite capable and lets me run off to do errands or attempt fitness. Had a great time spending last week with the Cassidy's and our friend Lindsey down near London and I'm looking forward to making some more girl friends up here to share a bottle of wine :) That visit came just in time as I needed a little "Julie friend" time. I'm lucky enough that I will have 2 trips back to the states this summer, so I'll be cashing in on friend time for those as well!
I ALMOST made it back to the farm without relying on my GPS, and I'm getting ever more confident at driving on the opposite side of the road. Figuring out how and where to buy things, and what Mexican food should not taste like. I haven't eaten this many white potatoes since college, and am constantly amused that the side dish for ALL food is French fries or "chips". Indian - with chips! Chinese - with chips! I am already planning on getting a US style refridgerator :) and am desperately missing Iced tea as my out and about drink of choice. I'm compiling a random list of things to purchase when home, and am so grateful we've had the time at Bellbank so I can take some space and travel without worrying about Nana and the gang.
I've gotten to enjoy cooking again, as the kids are occupied around the house. I get to spend time chopping and planning, versus being the short order cook I had become at home when feeding 3 toddlers. We will certainly look forward to having Nana & Grandad come help out at the new house!
There is something lovely about not having the mommy babysitter guilt. In the US Darren travelled so often, that the kids often spent 1-3 nights with sitters depending on my work/life schedule. We LOVED all of our sitters, but it's just different to say "the kids are spending time with their grandparents".
Our house is Brampton is a 6 mo rental as we get acclimated to the area, and continue to figure out our plans! But it has space for a guest room, so feel free to book your tickets :)
Take care,
My Love to All,
Julie
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