babyblog

The day my child appeared to crawl a little

With his constant rolling around H has appeared to be almost crawling for some time now, but earlier I observed a definite moving forward which didn't involve turning onto his back or side . He's doing it again now. It's weird and mostly stretching and shuffling, but he's definitely mobile!

Weird UK stuff

You end up not belonging anywhere when you emigrate - it's bizarre. I think you kind of expect England to stand still at the point where you left it but it obviously moves on. As do you. And with a lifestyle change comes a change in expectations that are not met when you come 'home'. There are many things I find really hard to adjust to when I come back, and there are things which seem weird compared to N America. Of course overall I love it here but some of the things I struggle with are;

1. Driving on the left. Oddly hard, after driving on the right. The other way around is easy to do though.

2. Gears and clutch in car (sorry mum!).

3. Piss poor water pressure in the shower.

4. No air conditioning anywhere.

5. Warm drinks!

6. Reluctant attitude of people in the service industry who seem to think they're doing you a favour by serving you.

7. DIAL UP.

8. Crap TV's.

9. Mad lack of respect / attitude from kids has to be seen to be believed.

10. Hilarious turning off of plug sockets when not in use.

back 'home'

Dunno where to start really, the last few days have been so overwhelming.

The last couple of days in Canada were filled with stress, exhaustion and emotion. On Thursday the movers were there all day until 9.30pm and we said alot of very emotional goodbyes to friends. Funny that really, I didn't expect to feel that sad, but I did. Dylan was heartbroken* to leave his friends and cried buckets.

Friday saw a last clear up of the house and some more emotional goodbyes. Then to the airport. G dropped us off (more sadness) and I managed to bypass the giant line up (one of the benefits of travelling alone with small children) and check the enormous amount of baggage in. We then hung around for a bit before boarding SpudAir for Spudstead airport.

Getting on to the plane the idiotic stewardess decided to install my car seat (badly) for me. We settled in for the flight... reasonable plane. Boys thankfully slept, I did not. Arrving at Spudstead, I asked for help getting off the plane (too much to carry) and was told OK, just hang back. Hung, then they came to assist me with car seat so D H and I walked ahead to get the stroller from the gate. No stroller - they had sent it to the luggage carousel. So now i'm supposedly carrying 5 bags, a pull along case, a car seat and Harry. Although the car seat hadn't materialised yet and my arms were falling off already with t he weight of H. Went back on to plane to discover stupid stewardess had screwed up installing it and it was stuck. Finally they freed it and I went to ask for help getting to luggage and was rudely refused. THey watched me struggle off dropping things and having serious trouble carrying it... bastards.

*We are now at mums and D, having been really down and miserable about moving for the last ages, has suddenly really brightened up and become happy himself again. I think subconciously he must be relieved to be away from the stress now and is basking in the attention and family love.

And G is now in Seattle... enjoying himself by the sounds of it! We have that to look forward to in a couple of weeks but for now I'm going to enjoy some time off from worrying and being stressed :-)

It's 11pm

Much of the downstairs crap that needed doing has been done. Just need to pack clothes and stuff now and then the movers can come in and take everything away. No doubt I will forget to go to the Dry Cleaners and pick up the things I need for tomorrow, or forget something else important, but there's not alot left that I feel like doing tonight. Even though I could keep working until the small hours.

Our friends came over and helped with a bunch of stuff like emptying fridge/freezers and carrying some crap outside (thank you!). Dylan was playing with his mates and when it came to be time for them to go broke down into tears which lasted an hour or so until he went to sleep "sad because I don't want to leave my friends". Totally heartbreaking, the poor lamb :o( Keep trying to be positive with him but I feel so bad for him that he has to go through this.

G is out picking up a rental car as our van has now gone on the back of a truck to Seattle. I guess he'll be home at some point, not that I think I will sleep tonight - the last night in this house - anyway.

I'll be sad to leave this house, it has been a lovely house to live in. Very big, spacious, airy, bright, calm atmosphere, safe and welcoming. It has a good vibe to it. I have never felt that in a house before, I've always felt a little on edge or unsafe, but here I've felt good, never worried about being on my own if G was away for example. In London I used to be completely freaked out if I had to spend the night alone.... very unsafe. I hope I continue to feel safe in the US of A.

After that one brief moment of reflection and panic resurfacing, I'll be really glad when I am on that plane and all this stressy stuff is behind me - it's so hard to sit and calmly think on the good times or feel sad about going even, when you are worried sick about getting everything that needs to be done, done! G is very blase about the whole thing and tells me to stop panicking. I can't! Where's the valium?

Graduation Day

Dylan officially graduated from Kindergarten today and it was the sweetest thing, seeing all the little people coming up in their hats to receive their medal and certificate. I was so proud of him I had tears running down my face (and found it hard to take photo's!).

Onwards to 1st Grade in the USA

Harry - 11 months

As I write this we are up to our necks in boxes and packing, a giant list of things to do beckoning, and you rolling around at my feet playing with anything and everything that you can find, little man!

Your movement is so funny, to get from A to B you look where you want to go, circle until you're pointing at angles to your destination, and then roll at high speeds to get there. You can also push yourself backwards in an almost backwards crawl, and you are beginning to attempt to pull yourself up to a sitting position when you find a box that looks interesting. You're also in to EVERYTHING at the moment, nothing whatsoever is safe from your inqusitive little self, from anything small to the dog bowl to the air vents.

You are also so noisy it's hilarious. Everything at the moment is either OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH or BUH! BUH!. Right now you're blowing raspberries at my chair for some reason and it's making me giggle.

Sleep wise you've cracked it completely - 2 x 2hr naps during the day and 12 hrs non stop at night. Hurrah for that! You're so good humoured and happy all of the time. When people remark on it (which they do often) I always think it's because you are so content, well rested, well fed (certainly well fed!), and generally so very happy. On the subject of food you are Mr Piggy and you will eat constantly if allowed to! I don't feed you much in the way of junky things but you are certainly anxious to consume anything that crosses your path. If we ever go to a drive-thru for anything and you see everyone else in the car eating? Woe bedtide us and the furious shouting that follows that!

This is a fairly anxious time for us all with the move, but I think you are going to love going to England on Friday for 2 weeks of grandparent love. You will be spoiled rotten and get so much attention you won't know what to do with it all. Then on to Seattle, our new home. Scary! But you won't know the difference little guy, other than a bit of strangeness and disruption, and I'm convinced you'll love it there when you are old enough to notice :o)

Love you little guy!

It's THIS WEEK! Argh!

Woke up this morning in a panic thinking omg, it's THIS WEEK that we are moving.

THIS WEEK.

So much to do, so little time.

Before 9am this morning in a fit of panic I had crossed at least 7 items off the 'to do' list. Thank goodness various call centres are open early. The things which remain are the most serious, and the ones which G needs to input on. ARGH.

Of course, over the weekend, we didn't do much. I spent Saturday clearing out the bathroom cupboards which was a fairly large task - throwing out all those half used ancient medicines and potions that one accumulates over the years. Those are now empty and ready for the movers to pack. D went to a birthday party, and when he was done we went down to the wonderful (?) Chuckie Cheese to play some tokens he had and to exchange millions of tickets he'd accumulated for a prize - a disco ball - that he'd wanted for ages.

That done, we came home and went around to our friends for dinner and SURPRISE! they had organized a surprise leaving party for us, complete with a whole bunch of friends and neighbours. They all leaped out of a garage at us, and it was quite overwhelming (consider the elevated stress levels already!) but very nice. We sat and drank and had pizza and cake. I bailed early because of overall tiredness and stress... G stayed and got wasted!

Sunday was Fathers Day and consequently we did bugger all.. went out for brunch and then came home and watched the last episode of Doctor Who. I cried, 3 or 4 times! Fantastic show. FANTASTIC. Afterwards I took Dylan to see the new Herbie (Fully Loaded) movie which he absolutely loved, on the edge of his seat during the race scenes. Remember watching them myself as a kid and loving them so it was nice to take him and relive that.

Today I really need to get some crap done :-|

More 'Lasts'

Dylan had his last day of school (Montessori) yesterday and it was oddly emotional to say goodbye to his first ever teacher, the same teacher he's had for the last 4 yrs. We sent flowers and she came and gave Dylan a huge hug as he left for the last time.

Dylan's finding the move quite difficult at the moment. For the last 3 or 4 days in a row he's complained of tummy ache which I'm convinced is nerves related. Yesterday the school called me to pick him up in the morning as he was 'ill'. It's so hard to keep him buoyant about the whole thing. He is scared and nervous and doesn't want to leave his friends, completely understandably. I am trying to be as positive as I possibly can to keep him encouraged. Not the easiest thing for me either as I find the whole moving process quite stressful and upsetting.

Darren and Sandra (friends) offered to babysit for us last night so that we could go out. It was the first night out we've had since Harry was born! Sandra offered, reminding me that we wouldn't know anyone well enough to trust them when we move for quite a while , and that we should take advantage and go out before we leave. So nice. Anyway, the boys had a great time and so did we -- saw Mr & Mrs Smith at the movies and had Thai food, awesome, and exactly what I needed yesterday after being stressed about all our things being packed up.

Dylan has a party to go to this morning and I'm going to try to sort out what little is remaining in the house and start some cleaning (urgh).

They're here

The movers are coming

Today! Seeing as we're completely in disarray we're going to be directing them down to the basement to start there while we try to organize that which we need to go to the rented place and that which we need to go to England for 2 wks. Also need to ensure they don't accidentally pack important documents ... when we came here the movers packed our passports (scream) and we had to get new ones on an emergency basis!

Last night I saw some good friends for the last time - bit sad about that. First of many 'lasts' over the next week I guess.

Hair Extensions!

Fucking Pervert

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Jackson 'to change his lifestyle'

What can I say? What is to be said?

What on earth made me think my skin could take 10 mins on the sun bed

A big pile of nothing

Nothing being what we have done so far in terms of organisation for the move, and THE MOVERS ARE COMING ON THURSDAY.

I'm so stressed it's absurd. I had to take Dylan to see Dr D(rugs) the other day because he had a nasty mozzie bite on his leg. We got to talking about us moving and I mentioned I'm very anxious about it and he gave me some valium, lol. I am loathe to take them, I tried one after a massive panic attack and it did stop the thumping heartbeat but also made me feel thoroughly pissed off and fed up with the world, so I won't be taking them again.

Urgh

So, we ended up going to Wonderland after all because the weather didn't *seem* to be all that hot.

We were standing in the line for the new 'Italian Job' roller coaster in some heat, not too bad, when the heavens opened and it began to piss down with rain. At first we welcomed it to cool off but as the rain got heavier and we got wetter it became uncomfortable and we were soon soaked. The line kept being held up by the rain too as they weren't running the ride in the worst of it. An hour and a half later we got on. The ride was good, Dylans first coaster and he loved it, but then the rain stopped and it immediately became hot again. Now we were wet and hot and very uncomfortable.

We stopped for food and then joined another line for something else, and the heat was so intense I began to feel ill. H was grumping and clearly overheated. Nobody seemed to be enjoying themselves, D included who was sunburned and tired, so we decided to go home rather than suffer the heat any longer. I cannot tell you how good it was to get into that air conditioned car after that! All of us (bar G the driver) fell asleep in the car on the way home, completely done in by the heat.

Hot Hot Hot

We were going to go to Wonderland for one last time today, but it's unbearably, UNBEARABLY, hot outside so we decided it was a bad idea. I can only imagine how crappy we would have felt in the line ups, and also how cranky Harry would be in the heat.

It's crazy, you can't enjoy being outside much at all in this country! In the winter it's much too cold and in the summer it's much too hot and humid. Yesterday we went out for less than an hour to get the grass cut and so that D could play in the sprinkler and were very quickly feeling dreadful from the heat and with H crying at the discomfort of it (despite being in the shade). I won't miss the weather, that's for sure.

eastenderthon

Because we get Eastenders from Dish Network, approx 4 wks behind the UK, and because we're moving and won't see it for another couple of months, I've done a massive dlfest and we are spending every evening watching an hour or so of it trying to catch up so that when we move in to the new place we'll be about right. I'm completely eastenderedout though. And Brits are right, it has become rather tedious recently.

Bloody hell, it's hot

Approaching 100 degrees for the last few days with the warmest of winds that make you feel like you're standing infront of a very large hairdryer. My fake tan experience of last week wasn't wholly successful so I switched the remaining sessions for time on a sunbed. Went today for 7 mins (they're very powerful, apparently) and my skin is zinging. I suspect it'll be red tomorrow, mind you it probably wasn't helped by sitting in the sun for an hour or two tonight.

We had soccer (twice a week!) again tonight & D is enjoying it. I confess to enjoying sitting on the sidelines cheering British style for our kids. D is enjoying it too, I will definitely enroll him in something similar when we get to the US. He's not the most sporty of children but he loves it and can't wait to go each time.

The 'list of things to do before we move' grows longer and more pressing each day. Meanwhile, I pile a ton of work on myself for UKChat, very sensible!

This thread about Canadian Baby Photographers

Spa Day

G D & H bought me a Mothers Day voucher for the local Spa so I went yesterday, for 3 or so hours, and got pampered.

Much as I love the results, I don't actually enjoy being there all that much. I know that's sad and as a female I ought to enjoy my time being looked after, but it is honestly fairly tedious.

First off, I got a massage. The Spa has recently extended and expanded and the new treatment rooms are in the basement. Being boiling hot outside, they had the air conditioning going full blast and of course that meant the basement was bloody freezing. Which is not ideal when you're half naked. The massage itself was OK, not as good as my proper massage therapist, but OK. If you could ignore the freezing coldness and the strange head-scratching thing she did. Not very relaxing when you're freezing cold either.

After the massage I had to remain half naked & get a facial treatment. She put a towel over me but it was honestly so cold that I was shivvering. I asked for another, which I got, but it wasn't much help. Facial treatments are half nice and half awful. Nice is having your face massaged with various lotions and potions. Not nice is the 15 mins of hot steam they angle at your face which you have to inhale. Makes me feel very claustrophobic and as though I can't breathe properly and I end up gasping for air. Not nice also is when they dig out all the blackheads and various blocked pores that accumulate in ones skin between these sessions. Bloody hurts.

Following the facial was a pedicure... and when you've got REALLY TICLKLY FEET like I do, those aren't all that much fun either! The nails look lovely though. And finally I had a manicure, and being a nail biter there wasn't a whole lot to do but they look nice and pretty now.

The other thing I hate about going to these places is the inane questions they always ask. They're not interested in the answers. I'm not interested in telling them. But it's an endless round of 'so where do you live?' 'Do you work?' blah blah blah.

That said, all in all great results, despite being fairly unenjoyable at the time.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet - Madeleine L'Engle

AH AH AH AH AH

Harry has suddenly become very demanding indeed! If he wants food, watch out. AH AH AH AH AH in the loudest, shoutiest, most demanding voice I have ever heard. It's too funny, in the car if someone such as his brother beside him should be eating something and he isn't? BIG TROUBLE, and lots of yelling extremely loudly until he is given something.

He also seems to have a bottomless pit of a stomach and will eat until you remove food from him. He is constantly hungry! In the morning now he is eating an entire adult portion of Oatmeal, a large Jar of babyfood for lunch and dinner (I have been far too lazy and not cooked anything for him recently), yoghurts, snacks, you name it. I ought to start preparing his food again really, it's just hard with so much else going on. I certainly don't want him to turn into a fussy eater as a result of taste dampening with this crap, or him to ingest too much sugar or similar from the jars.

In other news, less than 3 weeks to go until the big day now. It is getting more & more scary and I am getting more and more neurotic. There's so much to do, so my solution is to pile on a lot more as well (go figure). At least today I have a relaxing time in mind and am going to the Spa for my mothers day pampering that G D & H bought me!

Innovative Response Marketing Inc

I have to take a minute to write about Innovative Response Marketing Inc.

Why? This direct mail company is owned and run by two of my very good friends here in Canada, Mark and Linda. Their company site isn't showing up on searches so I said I'd mention them and hopefully boost their rankings ;o)

Anyway, Mark & Linda came over last night and it was the last time we'll see them, unless they come to visit in Seattle. It was the first 'Goodbye' we have had to do and it was quite sad in lots of ways. Mark and I have hung out regularly for 3 of the 4 yrs I've lived here, Linda his partner has also become a really great friend, and we have all stuck together through some difficult times and some great times such as when Harry was born!

I'll miss them :o)

Stress. No, just kidding, I HATE IT.

Mosquitos, I'm covered in bites

That internet thing

It's been a long time, a LONG time, since I've been a web addict. You know, when you keep wanting to be at the PC, there's lots of things you just 'have' to do or people you 'have' to talk to?

My new (old) addiction comes in conjunction with the stress of moving and probably the need to cling to something familiar.

I need to stop and get my head away from it, because even while I am doing it I sense it's not healthy and not good for me to close down from reality, but at the same time I can't help it.

Tomorrow I will not sit here all day.

Stress

I had a really horrible stressy situation this morning. There was an appointment booked for the survey on the house for the buyers, and obviously I expected (ala UK) some spud with a clipboard to come around for 20 mins occasionally looking in a corner and muttering 'hmmm' to himself.

Anyway, 9.30am comes and so do 3 different inspectors, complete with various pieces of electronic equipment for detecting flaws in the house. Accompanying them were the buyers agent, the buyers, and their kids. 8 or 10 people in total. They obviously woke Harry by being noisy and so he & I decamped to my study while they circled the exterior of the house.

I was feeling a bit freaked out by it all, especially when I noticed that the wife had paint swatches and obviously intended to come in and measure up for her stuff. I wasn't aware that they were due to come and look around in that detail. The bloody hard work involved in keeping this place looking like nobody lives in it over the last few weeks was exhausting, and having an offer on the place I actually allowed some washing up to stay in the sink this morning and there was laundry everywhere.

So I was a bit stressed by the mess, ran around attempting to tidy up, then they all entered the house. They began by going into the small bathroom downstairs, flushed the loo's, opened cupboards and saw things I'd rather they didn't see (girly things), then into the laundry room where they unloaded my dryer (on, full of wet clothes) and I heard them talking about the hose being wrong on it. Then they came into my office, where I was, and the inspector dude was moaning about a couple of things in here too.

By this time I was really freaked out by the whole thing, lots of people, very overwhelming, upsetting to hear my house criticized. They buggered off into the kitchen and then I heard them opening all my cupboards up and looking in at which point I lost the desire to sit & listen to them so I went outside with Harry and sat on the porch feeling and looking miserable until my next door neighbour took pity on me and invited me in for tea.

The posse ended up being in my house for over 3 hrs. I brought Dylan back from the bus and they were sitting around MY table in the kitchen discussing the things that were wrong with the house while I was trying to make him lunch and it was just awful. Then , bizarrely, they said 'The house is in perfect order, nothing wrong at all'.

Very peculiar indeed.

And horrid. Very stressful, I think, in part due to the fact that if I were walking around a house and having 50,000 things wrong pointed out to me I would probably not want to buy it and I thought that they were going to pull out too.

Thankfully it's done now and all that needs to happen is a valuation done tomorrow for their mortgage application.

If I should stop Harry from taking all the books off the shelves and eating them.

We are GO!

The house is SOLD! Amazingly, someone came in and made us a decent offer and they want in on 24th June, which happens to be the same day we want out and which is so incredibly quick that we're absolutely lucky as you like to have found the 'ideal' buyer. Well, I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch and I have the money in the bank, but YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAAY :o)

And on the scary side, that leaves me 24 DAYS, that's ONLY 24 DAYS to pack up our entire life and send it to Seattle.