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.
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
