September already!

Lots seems to have happened in August and I can hardly believe its suddenly September. Usually at this time of year I would be feeling rather disappointed that the summer is technically and most likely over, whereas as this year I'm thinking, yesssss, thank goodness for that, maybe, just maybe the weather may start to get a bit cooler now! Actually I think we still have a couple of months of hot weather, but I'm beginning to get desperate for cold weather, I soooo want to wear my jeans again, long sleeve tops....just a bit of variety would be nice!

Well, 2nd of September today, we have a forecast of possible thunderstorms for about 5 days (still no sign of them :-( ), and a tropical storm forming out in the gulf of Mexico which we are waiting to see what it develops into and where it goes. But its looking more and more likely to miss drought stricken Texas. This is rather unfortunate for our grass, as, since we turned off our sprinklers outside it is beginning to resemble the texture of crispy seaweed!

Anyway....

We went out to Fredericksburg a few weeks ago, for a long weekend and stayed in a rustic cabin on a ranch. The cabin was fully air conditioned, very basic but perfect for a short weekend with children. Our cabin backed onto peach, fig and apricot vines/trees which we were free to pick at our pleasure. Even though it was the end of the season and not much fruit left the girls still loved picking the different fruit and actually trying it.....they are not known for their adventurous side when it comes to food! There was also a lovely park in the shade of the trees for them to play on which they thought was fantastic since its been a good 4 months since they've been able to play in a park in Houston (weather and equipment is too hot).

Fredericksburg was lovely, there was very much a western cowboy feel to the place, great shops with lots of cowboy boots, hats, antiques, gifts and some great pastry shops...oh and LOTS of vineyards and peach shops. Definitely a place to go back to when its a bit cooler, me for shopping, Chris for road biking....hmmmmm what to do with 3 small children...any takers?! While in Fredericksburg we also visited the Pioneer museum and drove around the Lyndon B Johnson Ranch. The ranch feels very much like a normal ranch until you realise you are driving alongside a full length runway and then get close to the house and see the Private Jet parked outside!

On the 17th August Fearne turned 5!!!!..........where has 5 years gone. We went to the same restaurant that we had taken Martha too about 3 weeks before (at Fearne's request) and then had a pink princess tea party with my parents. I made a cake carefully to Fearne's precise requirements...white sponge cake with jam in the middle, pink icing with icing flowers......then she wanted her name and then at the last minute she also wanted a number 5....it must have been ok, judging by the grin on her face when she saw it.

Fearne has also started school, thankfully she absolutely loves her teacher and happily goes in every morning. I'd love to tell all my family what she's been learning about, but to be honest I'm not entirely sure as she tells me everyday that she can't remember! She had show and tell last week and had to take in 3 things to talk about. She took in a book about Deeside to tell everyone where she has come from and where her home is and a picture of her best friend Charlotte in Banchory. Funny to think that a year ago there is no way she would have got up and spoken to anyone out loud, let alone to a group of children she barely knows. She's grown up and matured so much in the last year :-).

Martha has started preschool at the same school as Fearne, although poor thing obviously thought that when we said she was starting preschool, she thought she would be starting at the preschool in Banchory. Its taking her a little while to settle in but hopefully she'll get there soon.

As for Henry, he just loves to roll everywhere! Its funny because the girls were never like this as babies so it's all a bit new to me. I could put them somewhere and they'd move around but never more than a foot in each direction. Henry on the other hand moves across the room at speed, yet I never seem to see him do it. He also eats everything in sight and the girls haven't quite cottoned on to not leaving their things on the floor.....so today Henry ate Fearne's picture from school and had a good chew on her wind paper pinwheel.

Most of August has been good, but there has been downs too. Most fairly minor but when they seem to happen on a regular basis, it tends to get you down a bit. The worst was taking the girls to be immunised. Now, I've been taking them to the doctors for 5 years and while its not nice having injections I've never had a problem with it and never come away distressed. Here, however it's another matter. I just don't get the paediatric medical system in the States. Its unfriendly, over medicalised and frankly, totally over the top and unnecessary. A quick visit to the doctors for Hep A and Hep B immunisations for the girls (Texas school requirement) turned into a 2 and a half ordeal with eye tests, ear tests, trying to take blood pressure......this was all before any injections and understandably Fearne was absolutely petrified by the time the nurses got round to doing what we'd come in for. The nurse was rude and unfriendly and I will NEVER put them through that again. In the end both girls had 4 injections, 2 flu sprays up the nose, ear tests, eye tests and full medicals. I don't think I have ever moaned about the NHS, but I now love that when it comes to dealing with children, everyone does everything they can to make it as stress free and quick. Can you tell I still haven't got over the trauma of it?!

Anyway, I still (just about!) have a glimmer of hope that things will improve...but I am slowly losing patience....

Looking forward to coming back to the UK for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year and I'm currently looking into a short trip back at the beginning of November for a little bit of respite and catch up with my lovely friends in Scotland.....oh and to go and look at some wedding venues too!

Busy few weeks

We've had a busy few weeks since mum arrived, trying to get lots of things done that I've been trying to do for months but just haven't managed to, or haven't wanted to with 3 children in tow. I'd forgotten how easy it is to get anything done without having children traipsing around behind and wingeing....let alone getting them into and out of the car each time! At the same time when we have gone anywhere it is 10 times easier having an extra pair of hands and someone else to cajoule them into hurrying up! Although, I do feel like all I have done is shop for things!

We've spent a lot of time by the pool too, Fearne has grown in confidence so much that she no longer ever needs her swim vest on and I don't feel at all anxious about her swimming around on her own. She's even quite fast when she's trying to get to to lilo before granny!

We decided to venture to the zoo last week on Tuesday afternoon as after 2pm on the first Tuesday of every month it is free, however so did all of Houston and we drove around and around and around the car park for about 40 minutes and decided to give up! But we went back the following day first thing in the morning and had a great time. Mum bought us an annual family and friends membership so that we can now go whenever we want, which is fantastic. I can't wait for the weather to get cooler and just go during the week for a wander round with Martha and Henry while Fearne is at school. It just gives us somewhere to go when we need to get out the house. There's also a really good kids park, and a children's area where there is often painting and various activities going on. Thank you very much mum!!

It was Martha's birthday on 29th July, so we had our very own pirate tea party at her request. I made a chocolate cake treasure chest and filled it with chocolate coins and edible necklaces, she seemed impressed. We also took her out to lunch at a restaurant I came across in a local mums magazine, which had a small petting zoo, a sandpit and we got to eat in a room with a huge oak tree growing in the middle of it...it was good fun, so much so that Fearne has asked to go back for her birthday lunch next week. http://www.claysrestaurant.com/

Chris has spent the last two afternoons kiteboarding down in an area called Texas City, which is (I think!) on the estuary south east of Houston. He's very pleased with himself as he learnt to gybe in both directions and even managed a little jump yesterday....although a jellyfish swum up his shorts and stung him (:-s) and then when he got out he stood in an ants nest and got furiously bitten by the little buggers. But he didn't seem to care too much, he was just rather happy to have had 2 days of fun.....so thank you again mum for keeping me company so he could go off kitesurfing 2 days in a row!

We've also been and got both girls kitted out in their new school uniforms, I've organised their immunisations which they both need before they can enter a Texas school (Hep A and Hep B), they're both going to be seriously unimpressed when they realise whats happening, but thankfully mum and dad will both be here so there will be 1 adult per child on the day! I've also ordered their school bags from school, Martha's is a lovely sensible red book bag with her name on, Fearne's is a suitcase on wheels with a metal handle.....its compulsory! She could take enough clothes in her bag for a week!

Fearne has her ballet and tap recital this Thursday which she's very excited about, and so am I as I haven't seen anything she's done in her classes. She loves the dance class but we've decided we need to find an earlier one for her to go to as its at 5.30pm during the week. I think starting school full time is going to be tiring enough for her at the moment without adding early evening activities into the mix.....and besides I don't think I can juggle doing a ballet run, tea, homework and bedtime with children all at the same time and on my own!!!

I can't believe its the end of the summer holidays here, yippeeee dippy doo!!!! They both start school on the 22nd August. I'm going to a new parents coffee morning on Friday and then taking Fearne into school at 10 to meet her teacher and her classmates and it's a chance for me to meet other parents. I'm really excited at the prospect of actually meeting the other parents, since it won't happen much during term time due to the car drop off routine.

and finally....my dad arrives this week, which we're all excited about. I've just booked 2 nights in a ranch b&b/cabin near Fredericksburg. We're planning on spending 3 days visiting some vineyards, going into Austin, maybe a State Park and we may even get the chance to try a little Western style horse riding. http://www.grapecreekranch.com

I'll come back next week and update all that we have done....oh and I'd better start thinking about Fearne's birthday too. Can't believe she's going to be 5 and starting school 2 weeks today....let alone Martha now being 3 and starting Pre-school too!

bye

Freya xxxxx