Places to go, people to meet...: No more visitors booked to come.......everyone is welcome!!!

So, the last of our visitors from the UK have gone back and I suddenly realised the other day (when Fearne was busy listing to her grandma who else was coming to stay!!) that we have no one else's visits to look forward to at the moment, or maybe more importantly no one to bring out those last minute supplies and cravings we occasionally have. The Cadbury's fruit and nut is going to have to be rationed to a couple of squares at a time rather than rows, since Chris and I gobbled a rather large amount last night!!...and before anyone offers to send us any please don't as it will sit in the mail box round the corner rapidly melting and will resemble something more like one of those heat gel things you put in your pocket to keep you warm on a cold day....more liquid than solid!

Chris' parents have been here for the last 2 weeks and we've managed to fit quite a lot in including trips to the Zoo, Nasa, Joes Crab Shack, lots of shopping (mostly Sheila and I!) swimming, eating, drinking....and more eating and drinking, so all in all I think and I hope they had a good holiday. The weather has dropped down to an average of 32 most days which occasional peaks of 36, which weirdly enough has made a huge difference. Its still very hot, but no longer life zapping! I even took Martha and Henry to the park one day last week and nobody got a burnt bum on the slide or swings, woo-hoo.

I finally seem to have got into more of a routine now that school has started, although I still need to make sure I make the most of the days where I only have Henry, currently those days are spent cleaning, shopping, tidying, washing and putting clothes away.....none of which I would class as any kind of fun! I've joined the swimming club near to the girls school and where Chris goes during the day, I can't wait, swimming lengths in an outdoor pool....simple pleasures. So on the days where I only have Henry, he can go to the creche for an hour while I get some exercise and peace and quiet!

The girls school is lovely and they love going, but there are some things I don't think I'll ever get used to or even be able to stop myself smirking at....

So far this term we have been to a fast food restaurant which was a cross between a pier amusement arcade for toddlers and pizza hut all in the aid of fundraising for schools, we have had to send money in for a teacher appreciation fund (why they can't just add money to the school fees at the beginning of the year I just don't know!) , we've had letters home telling us that when we buy coca cola to save the coupons on the box as they can be used by the school to buy sports equipment, art supplies and educational resources??!!! and then to top it all off, Fearne giving me a rendition of the song she sings in music class just makes me chuckle and cringe! This is the best one so far!

A-M-E-R-I-C-A,

I love America everyday,

If you love America like I do

You can sing the song and I'll sing with you.

America America............

Pfft....how am I supposed to keep a straight face when I hear this!! ;-)

(I've come back at the end of the school year and read through everything I've written and the above paragraph is the only thing I'm kind of embarrassed about writing. Whilst as Brits we may not be patriotic I think it something the Americans do very well, these kind of songs have made the girls feel very welcome and included within the school.)

Not much else happening here, Fearne has a far busier social life than Chris and I though. Patrick's birthday party last weekend at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Cara's birthday party tomorrow at Pump it Up soft play and then Audrey's next weekend at a different soft play. There are only 14 in her class and already 3 parties.....she's going to be sorely disappointed when she realises there aren't parties every weekend.

Martha seems to be going through a rebellious 3 year old stage and has taken to screeching very loudly when something doesn't go her way, shouting 'no' at everything and everyone and generally being a little monster. However, if we can actually get her to eat something she does seem to revert to the normal smiley girl fairly quickly.....it's just getting her to eat something without screaming no and having a tantrum is the hard bit.

Henry has learnt to sit up this week and can commando crawl if he spots something he really wants on the other side of the rug....like a remote control, a set of keys, the computer....everything we'd really rather he didn't suck and slobber on! He had immunisations about 4 weeks ago including the flu jab, which knocked him for 6 and he has been pretty grumpy and not himself. Then he caught a cold which I think he's almost over....just in time to have the second dose of the flu jab in a few weeks. Thankfully we are then done with immunisations until he is 1. I'm ignoring the fact (and firmly sticking my head in the sand!) that the girls need to go back next month for the second doses of their ones!

My trip back to Scotland is booked for the 1st to 9th November. I'm bringing Martha and Henry with me but leaving Fearne behind as she's settled in school. She sort of knows I'm going with the other 2, but hasn't really questioned it too much, thankfully. The promise of ice skating with daddy at Galleria Mall while we're gone is just too much of a lure for her!

So, as I previously said we have no visitors booked to come........anyone fancy a warm holiday????

Oh and I nearly forgot, to the parents of those two very important little girls who have birthdays on the 1st and 3rd October, their presents are on the way. They have been bought back to the UK by Chris' parents and are being sent from there! It was the only way I could guarantee they'd actually get there on time!