Shopping

So after the trauma of mum's infected bite yesterday we actually managed to make it to the shops today. Firstly we went to IKEA - so weird as its exactly the same as the Wednesbury store! Hard to remember the prices but I think the $ price was the same as our £ price making it all cheaper over here! I bought a roll of paper for the children to draw on and some plastic bowls that they wanted for their games. We then went to a Mexican place for lunch and had great steak fajitas. Imogen tried a corn dog and didn't like it but luckily both children liked the tortilla/nacho crisps so didn't starve! We then went to a shopping mall where Jamie found a great maternity shop and bought herself some great jeans and a couple of tops. The children had a go on a carousel and then we came home. Luckily just missing the rush hour traffic.

At home I have finished my book - quite good, I liked the way the author had thought about how a relationship could possibly get off the ground let alone succeed when one person already knows so much about the other even though they had never met! Jigsaw progressing nicely - keeping me out of trouble anyway. Not a great nights sleep again though as for the fourth night in a row William has got in bed with me at some point during the night only to be joined by Immy too - I work up with no room at all as they had their arms and legs spread out so much!

We've just been to i-hop for our breakfast and I was so amazed by Immy's appetite as she managed to eat 2 pancakes and a plate full of scrambled eggs (I didn't even know she liked scrambled eggs!), William on the other hand ate 4 pieces of bacon, half a pancake and since we've been hope has been repeating his mantra "I'm hungry" and eating his way through donuts and breakfast cereal (he really is a mini-Robin! :-))

Nothing planned for today, Stu's off work to take Mum to the airport for 1pm. Hope she has a good flight and gets back safely - she's out with Stu at the moment picking up Jamie's kayak!?!

Emergency Care

So yesterday we were all meant to be going out shopping and then for lunch but at breakfast mum showed me the insect bite on her leg. Now I never go to the doctors and believe in self-care or at worst go and ask the pharmacist, so scared mum upon seeing her leg as I said she should see someone about it. The bite had all bruising around it and she said she hadn't scratched it! So over in USA you can pop into the "Minute Clinic" at the pharmacist and wait to see a nurse for a consultation (for around $80). We were in luck because when mum electronically checked in she was the only one on the list so as soon as the nurse was ready she was in. So mum was already scared because of her leg and as I had suggested she see someone so you can imagine the shock was compounded when the nurse said she couldn't treat her and she needed to go to "Emergency care". This was more like a doctors surgery and after waiting nearly an hour Mum was called in to see a doctor. Well she was in there almost an hour by which time I was starting to get concerned about what they were doing to her! Jamie said that they often just have you wait in another room and this it turned out is what happened, more or less. So with an injection of anti-biotics and a purple circle drawn on her leg (to monitor the growth/reduction of the bruising/redness/swelling) Mum was free to go. By now it was 1pm having set out to go to the minute clinic at around 10.30! We then had further waits at the pharmacist to get mum's medicine and antibiotics. I don't know how much its cost in total but mum had to pay around $150 at the emergency care place and then medicine on top! Its not fun getting ill when you're abroad! Lucky that she's had it seen to though as the bite has caused a skin infection which could have developed into an abscess and then she wouldn't have been able to fly home - tomorrow. So, mum's last day today, I'm hoping she feels up to going shopping and for lunch but she's not up yet so we'll have to wait and see.

We went to McDonalds for lunch whilst mum was waiting at the pharmacy and I spoke to the server who was a lovely young girl from Equador. She was fascinated with us, being from the UK and loved our accents and wanted to talk to us all day! The children were happy at having something they're used to to eat - they're still being quite picky about everything tasting slightly different and apart from dry bran flakes (All Bran Complete Wheat Flakes - see if the product tastes the same then to confuse us they give it a different name!) oh and of course the glazed ring donuts, they're not eating much else so it was great to see them eat a whole meal, even if it was chicken McNuggets and fries!

Back at Stu and Jamie's in a bid to entertain the children I started a jigsaw - not used to doing jigsaws so I didn't quite comprehend the mammoth task that a 1000 piece jigsaw is! After helping me sort the edges out from the other 900 pieces William and Imogen got bored and I have been left to complete it! I have to finish it now I've started, if only to check we're got all the pieces after some over-enthusiastic sorting on Imogen's part. I'm almost at the end of my Cecelia Ahern book which is getting even better now. I did worry that once the hero and heroine met up that would be the end of the story and whilst that may still be the case (they have managed to avoid meeting so far and I'm only 75 pages from the end) the book has been very entertaining with the heroine exploring her relationship with her elderly father in such a poignant way so as to make you ponder about your own life, relatives and relationships.

So whilst the children sit and watch the Disney channel and watch Mickey Mouse alongside the chipmunks (you know they didn't know who mickey mouse was until this holiday!) making crumbs on the carpet from their dry breakfast cereal the sun is shining outside for another glorious and hot day full of possibilities for mum's last day here - she flies home tomorrow! Another 13 days for us though, home 2 weeks today!

Day at home

Had a great rest day yesterday after the party the night before wore us all out! Stuart and Jamie kindly took the children to the cinema to see "Despicable Me" - which they all loved - its not out in the UK til October so they get to see it before all their friends. Despite the film featuring a "baddie" who isn't so bad, more grumpy who changes his ways and becomes a goody the children still (claimed to have) had nightmares last night and ended up in my bed (again). I still managed to sleep well partly as William went downstairs and occupied himself until Immy and I woke at 8am.

I was supposed to have a nap whilst child-less but managed to bake a banana cake as well as tidy and vacuum which didn't leave much napping time! I did make great headway with my latest book though - Cecelia Ahern's Thanks for the memories. Fantastic book, as hers all are, chick lit with an extra dimension. This book has the hero donating blood only for the heroine to recieve it and then gain memories and knowledge from the blood donor - interesting concept that enhances the boy meets girl experience.

The weather yesterday was torrential rain almost all day with the roads turning into rivers and all the car alarms being set off across the neighbourhood! Its still a little overcast today which is why we're going ot head to a mall and have lunch, the perfect way to spend a day in my opinion! Even with the rain the temperature never lowers and stays around 80-90 (25 degrees) so its still hot - thank goodness for a/c.

The day after the party

Had a great day yesterday - Stuart's Hawaiian Party day. Stuart took us shopping and out for lunch to Chillis where we had great burgers! Then we went to the party and the children loved swimming in Kim's pool. Thanks to the insect repellant we are all unbitten this morning. Jamie and Kim had made delicious food including hawaiian bread rolls which we filled with pork (delicious!), the beef ribs were to die for and the cocktails were very tasty. After dinner we were sat round the pool when the birds starting flying away as the sky turned very dark and the wind started to blow quite fiercely. Then from the cover of the porch we watched the storm come in and heavy rain ensued. The rain on the pool was great to watch and whilst there was some thunder and lightening it was nothing too scary. Great to be able to watch from the porch and stay dry. There was an absolutely enormous spider in a web on the porch which they called a "darning spider" and the tree frogs were making their loud noises throughout the evening.

Stuart had some wonderful gifts from his loving family and friends. I was the designated driver but didn't fair too well driving a car I'd never driven before, on the wrong side of the road, in the dark, down country lanes (although the highway wasn't much better!) in the dark and pouring rain. Feeling I was a danger to all the occupants Stuart luckily had not drank any alcohol since the beginnig of the night and so was quite safe to drive us home. Sorry for not being able to drive us but the spray was horrendous and I just couldn't get my road positioning right - the drive was a horrendous experience, very frightening (for all concerned I think, except the children who were asleep in the back!).

The children went to bed near to 11pm and managed to sleep until 8 this morning, which is very good for them, they're enjoying America and are sat at the breakfast bar playing play-doh as I type. They're making a playground out of it and showing their excellent design and modelling skills! All this swimming is increasing their confidence in the water and William even managed to swim without his body belt - not bad for a 6 year old. I think he'll be a confident swimmer by the time we get home. Immy is great with her belt on and was entertaining everyone at the party with her water ballet!

So, a quiet day is scheduled today after the excitment of yesterday. Bit overcast today but still very hot.

Acclimatisation Complete

Woke up today (day 4) feeling so much better. I didn't write yesterday as I spent 24 hours sleeping!  When not actually asleep I spent my time trying to unlock a door from the outside - my children managed to lock an internal door and then close it so there was no way of getting into the room to unlock the door! I tried pins etc to unlock the door before it dawned on me that if I could push the latch then I might be able to get it open. So I found something thin enough to fit into the door frame and was able to push the catch enough for the door to open. I was so pleased - initially that none of the children had locked themselves in the room, and then because I managed to unlock the door. Hurray!

Had a great time at Jamie's dad's house last night where the children enjoyed playing pool (by knocking the balls into the pockets by hand! and running around the table to do it in the fastest time!) and we enjoyed good food (lettuce wraps and chocolate and strawberry pie) and company. I couldn't believe the noise when we left though - I've never heard anything like the tree frogs - absolutely mad.

Today we did some more shopping (daily supermarket trips are the norm!) and then went to the pool. What a fantastic way to be outside in the 102/39 degree heat. The children enjoyed the almost exclusive use of the swimming pool and then the splash area designed specifically for children was absolute bliss. Some of the sprinklers were like having a massage and the splashing and the water spray was just enough to keep cool in the sunshine. And my 6 year old even managed to swim without any floats and completed a length unaided - he was so pleased (when he's determined he can achieve anything!).

So, Hawaiian pool party tomorrow night...

Relaxation

Proper day 1 in USA and apart from going to Wal-Mart we did absolutely nothing! This was just what we all needed as I think you don't always appreciate how much travelling takes it out of you. Also with the children having woken up at 4 a.m. none of us were in the mood for doing very much.

I actually like supermarkets in the UK but in another country I find them all the more alluring. Looking around the different products especially when they seem to stock everything you could possibly ever need, as well as a few things I can't imagine anyone one ever need. On the food side of things though I find it strange that there are so many products that are not international - and even the ones that are (e.g. Kelloggs) taste so different. Do the people in each country really have such different tastes? and how does these big companies cope with the different recipes and ingredients etc? Not something I've ever considered before - I think this shows I have too much time on my hands! So of course with my ultra-picky children I have been finding it very tricky to buy food that they like the taste of - how can white sliced bread not taste right?!

So, no plans for today really, I might see if the children will put some sun cream on and venture for a walk to the park. After the amazing ribs that we had last night (thank you Jamie) of which I ate double helpings I need some exercise! I had hoped to lose weight whilst on holiday, my thinking being that with the heat I wouldn't feel like eating.. but with the heat I have been eating just as much (if not more) but not actually moving at all!

The children and I had a lovely conversation with Daddy last night - the wonders of technology (after a few technical hitches were straightened out!) - skype is amazing, you can be thousands of miles from home and yet still chat with family as if they were in the next room - seeing them makes it all the better.
So, off to relax some more...

Arrived in USA!

After getting up at 4am to get myself and 2 small children (3 and 6) to the airport we arrived in USA 18 hours and 3 flights later. The suitcases were with us but unfortunately due to rushing in Philadelphia to make the connection I forgot to pick up the car seats off the carousel and re-check them so unsurprisingly they didn't magically turn up at our destination - until this morning when they were delivered to the house! The children survived the journey really well and were even running around the airport at the equivalent to midnight (after being up since 4am and having had no sleep on the plane - except for when my little girl fell asleep 10 minutes before landing!). We are all really excited to be with my brother and his wife and my mum. The heat however is overpowering - what a shock when I opened the window last night in our bedroom and it felt as if I'd opened an oven door! Air conditioning is a god-send and I don't think I'd really appreciated that it was switched on until the shock with the window!

So, day 1 in USA - my 6 year old woke up at 4am! and wouldn't go back to sleep - thank goodness for Harry Potter on the ds with headphones. That worked for an hour and then I had to draw him some pictures for him to colour in (thank you Jamie for the pads and pens left in our room). Managed to hold off until 6am when I took them both down to breakfast. Its already baking hot outside with temperatures predicted of 93 degrees - 33 C.

So now the car seats are here we're off to hit the supermarket - Harris Teeter here we come! That should keep the children happy anyway - all they've eaten so far is almost a whole packet of Cornflakes - are all children so picky about what they will/won't eat?!