Weeks 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10

February was a tough month.  Right after starting school Nathan got sick and stayed sick forever.  The children even had a week long break and poor child got better and then worse before the week was over.  So in light of the difficult February, I am going to look back a try to highlight the ups in the month.

Week 6 - Thankful for space heaters to help warm up cold rooms and keep little sick ones warmer in a very cold Victorian house.  Thankful also for said Victorian house, which though cold is a wonderful place to live.

Week 7 - Thankful to have found a wonderful hair salon and hair stylist.  Looking good again.

Week 8 - Thankful for England's idea of long breaks.  The school year is three terms.  Each term has a half term break that is a week long.  We were mostly sick during the break, in fact at the start of break I had 3 that were too sick to leave the house.  But Jay took off the afternoons and managed to help the children, who were well enough, to enjoy their break.  No big exciting trips during this break, but very restful week.  We did as a family go to the theatre a couple of blocks away to see the play Annie.  Thankful to live in a place that is so easy to enjoy the Arts.

Week 9 - Thankful for great friends here in England.  We celebrated Fat Tuesday with local Navy friends.  The Navy here in Portsmouth is like an extended family.  Even when we can't get together we know that someone is there supporting us.  It is always wonderful to get together.

Week 10 - Thankful for Heath and Normalcy.  Jay will be traveling for work during the upcoming weeks.  Thankfully the children are all well.  Last week Nathan went to school well for the entire week.  Finally!  We have figured out our insurance and if we need to, can now go to the doctor.  That's a relief.  With Jay traveling we really notice his absence.  We recognize that life doesn't run picture perfect without him around and we don't live up to our best without him here, but we do know how to do this crazy life of transient dad and are so grateful when he come home.  

Gratitude Weekly Week 5 - Shore tours

England is a shore tour for Jay, which means not attached to a ship.  Not attached to a ship means, not going in and out and in and out and in and out.  It means not being away from home port 50-60% of the time.  It means not working 85-120 hours a week.  It means family dinner more often than not.  It means time to get in PT.  It means being a part of school activities, church activities and family activities.  It means coming home when the children are awake and having time to interact with them for extended periods of time before bedtime.

We have managed pretty darn well during the last 5 years of deployment, and sea tour time.  I thought we had a decent system worked out.  Since being in England however I have come to see just what a half life we have been having.  We do the best with what we have, but having Jay home is so much better.

Jay being bonged off the USS WASP barely 24 hours before boarding flight to England.

Gratitude Weekly Week 4 - The Homeschool Opportunity

Today Nathan and Sarah start at a new school.  We have been doing the homeschool thing this year, but just before Christmas we decided that Nathan needed to go back to traditional school.  He was doing great academically, but really needed to improve socially.  I just couldn't give him them opportunities to be part of a group here.  He is very resistant to going to school, but we believe it to be in his best interest.  While checking out the school that Nathan was placed in, Sarah decided that she really wanted to go to school as well.  After much deliberation both of the young ones will be going to school.

I am trying to be upbeat about it, but I think I am failing miserably.  It has been so enjoyable teaching them at home.  Sarah's schooling was very difficult, but I felt that we grew closer as we struggled through it.  Nathan's schooling was delightful.  There is nothing like learning something and getting a hug and a kiss from mom for doing well.  Both of us were so happy every time he learned something new.

I am so very thankful that we did the homeschool thing, even if only for a little while.  I love the resources we now have in our home as well.  Just because they go off to the big school tomorrow doesn't mean we stop learning at home.  This opportunity, just taught us that we can learn at home and have the tools to do so.

PS  Now I may be able to do a little shopping, don't tell Jay.  :)

Gratitude Weekly - Week 3 - Warmth

This week we had a little warm spell.  I got a little bit excited because I thought our heat was working, but really the temperature just went up 10-15 degrees here (50-54*F).  We had several days of sunshine and mild temperatures.  My feet were toasty and a few times our house got a so warm I thought we needed to crack a window.  We were able to go to the playground and play until Nathan was tired instead of playing until appendages go numb.  Now however the temperature is back down to about 40*F during the day and 34*F at night.  My feet are cold again too.  But I have cute new slippers so that helps some.

Sarah's First Horse Ride

Sarah began riding lessons this week.  Riding lessons were one of Sarah's Christmas presents.  Two years ago Sarah tried riding on a trail ride and was too nervous, but she does love horses so much she really wanted to learn to ride.  Over here in England there really seem to be many opportunities for riding so it seemed like a good time to start.

 Sarah's lessons are on a New Forest Pony named Tia.  She is 9 years old and the softest horse I have ever laid a hand on.  Her teacher is a friend of a friend named Kate.

 Sarah was still a little nervous, but Tia made her more relaxed.

 Beautiful ladies all three.

Gratitude Weekly - Week 2 Birthday Celebration

I am very blessed to have a wonderful generous husband who spoils me delightfully.  Friday a week ago was my birthday and as usual, my darling didn't disappoint.  This year to make sure that my day was special, Jay took off work and we made a family trip to Stonehenge and Bath.  

 I am sorry to admit that Stonehenge wasn't quite as impressive in person as I had imagined in my head.  The children however were completely impressed.  So much so that they listened intently to the recording and wouldn't stop listening for pictures.  Nathan's comment was those look like the rocks on the computer.  We had Stonehenge as our backdrop on the computer for months, he was so excited to find out they were the same rocks. 

Bath was a delightful discovery.  We didn't know what to expect, but Bath was beautiful and charming.  There were many cute shops and more shopping opportunities than anyone needs.  We really look forward to more trips to Bath.

 Bath Abbey

 Very cute area of town

 Roman Bath in the center of town

Gratitude Weekly - Week 1

Better late than never.  I am going to begin again with my gratitude postings.  In the month on November on Facebook I listed something I was thankful for every day in November.  I found that I was much happier and looked for things to be happy about.  Also when something bothered me I was more likely to gloss over my upset or disappointment.  I want to feel that in my life more, that is why I will be going back to my Gratitude Weekly posting.

Week 1 - I am thankful for my family, my cute little family at home.

 My parents and my siblings.

Those crazy people I married into.

 Each and everyone  of those people helped to make me who I am.  They helped me grow and learn and helped me to see what I could become.  I am extremely blessed to be a part of all these people.

London Trip 3 - Fall Break

During the boys' fall break we also took a trip to London. I know the title of the post says London Trip 3 and there isn't a trip 2, but that is because the pictures aren't on this computer and I need to find them. Anyway, on our 3rd trip we again took the train and this time spent the night so that we could have more time to see London.  At the end of the trip we realized that you can never have enough time in London. Our lists of things we want to see and do in London grows and grows and grows.  Here are a few of the MANY pictures we took while on our trip.

Day 1 - Bus Tour

Best Seats on the Bus

Big Ben

Palace Guards 

Harrods Department Store

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

London Eye

Trafalgar Square

Southsea Castle (and Lighthouse)

fromwww.southseacastle.co.uk

One day, about 2 months into our time here in England, while sitting at the playground watching Nathan and Sarah play, I looked up and saw a lighthouse.  I was stunned because Nathan has an uncanny ability to see lighthouses everywhere and we had never seen this lighthouse before.  I called him over to me and just before I could point it out to him, Nathan yells LIGHTHOUSE!  Needless to say we planned a trip to visit the lighthouse as soon as possible.

 England has a wonderful thing called fall break that gives the children 10 days out of school in the fall, so while the boys were out on fall break we visited the lighthouse which is part of the Southsea Castle.

Sarah & Nathan's 1st Day

Sarah and Nathan have school too, it is just getting off the ground a little bit more slowly. They are being home-schooled this year and before we could start school we had to have a home. We have begun on a modified schedule now, we are still waiting on some materials to be sent. This is a good thing because one of us really needs to be eased into this whole school thing.

As is only right and fitting I wanted to share pictures from their first day of school too. Nathan decided that he didn't want to go to school even if it was at home with Mommy, but Sarah makes things more fun.

First Day of School 2011

Better Late Than Never

This year school is a little different. Alex and Spencer are going to school at Ryde School with Upper Chine. It is on the Isle of Wight just off the coast of Portsmouth. They wear uniforms and ride a hovercraft and walk almost two miles literally up a hill. After school it is down hill. Sarah and Nathan don't have a school. They will be being home schooled once we get a home. The day before school started we had welcome and meet and greet type activity. The weather was a little harsh with high winds and drizzle. The hovercraft was closed and we had to take a foot ferry over to the school. Now we know the procedure for bad weather.

Luckily the first day of school weather was much more delightful. We left the hotel, took a taxi to the hovercraft terminal and as a family took the boys to school. The hovercraft had about 10 students going Ryde. From a not so discreet distance we followed Alex and Spencer up the hill till they arrived at the back gate of the school. They were lucky enough to be friended by another boy Spencer's age who showed them the way.

While the boys were at school Sarah, Nathan, Jay and I toured a part of the Isle of Wight by history telling double decker bus. We also did some shopping and had hot chocolate at the Chocolate Apothecary. After school the boys came down the hill and met us for ice cream. Not your typical 1st day of school, but highly memorable.

Southsea Kite Festival

One more quick fun blog before school begins. The first weekend we were in England, and more specifically in Portsmouth, Southsea, which is the part of Portsmouth we will be living in, had a Kite Festival. We had nothing else to do so we went to the Kite Festival. There were expensive food stands with food that isn't good for you. There were great jewelry, clothing and knickknack stands with things that we can't really afford to spend money on. There was also the carnival section with rides to make children very excited. Unlike Busch Gardens the rides cost money every time you ride one and so we had to limit the children to one ride each.

The Kite Festival was our first real experience with the weather here. It was beautiful, but very windy with occasional showers. When we arrived we were taking our coats off, but about 30 minutes into it the clouds blew in and it rained on us. Then it stayed cloudy and windy for about 30 minutes. Finally the sun came back out. I spent almost as much time looking at the kites as I did studying what people wear. From shoes to coats it is almost an obsession with me to figure out what we are going to buy for this ever changing, yet fairly moderate climate.

The last part of our day, and I really wish I had a picture of this, we had lunch at a deli. Lunch was good, but the Lemon donut pastry was the best, it ruined me for all other pastries. It was AMAZING.

Striping Up on the HMS Victory

Today Jay and I were happy to be invited to attend the Striping Up Ceremony for Jay's sponsor, Joe Bainer. Joe has been a terrific sponsor before we arrived in the UK and since we've been here. The favorite saying our first week here was "Joe Says". The kids even talked about playing Simon Says and changing it to Joe Says.

Joe was promoted from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy and chose the HMS (Her Majesty's Ship) Victory as the location for the event. (HMS Victory is perhaps the greatest successful war vessel of all times. It was Admiral Nelson's flag ship for two very decisive Naval battles.) There were officers from the US Navy, Her Majesty's Royal Navy and other NATO militaries all joined together on a beautiful old wooden hull war ship.

During the ceremony they read the Warrant (US Government's official statement of promotion), recited the Oath of Office and then the newly promoted officer changed into his new uniform with the assistance of the Admiral.

We loved being a part of it. Congratulations Joe and thank you for including us.