Tuesday 27 December 2011

The white stuff

Tuesday 27th December

One thing that we promised ourselves when we set off on this adventure was that, by hook or by crook, everyone would learn to ski (even our resident cold weather haters). To get this party started we headed off for a few days to Poconos (I still don't know how to say that) and Blue Mountain ski resort (http://www.skibluemt.com/SkiBlue/index.aspx). As we all know Americans would not let a small thing like no snow close their resorts so artifical snow it was. The adults in the family were very pleased to refind our snow legs after an hour or so (we must have learnt something all those years ago in Andorra so many thanks to Nicki and Sue for tuition past) and we were sufficiently confident to head off up in the chair lift and zoom down the green runs (the only fall caused by being taken out from behind by a snow boarder grrrrrr). The little people did really well too and mastered snow ploughing and turning. After lunch G was sufficiently confident to head up for the green run too (although with the snow cannons on full pelt now it was not quite so pleasant as in the morning). By the end of the day we were all pleased to escape with no more need for medical intervention (see earlier posts) and headed back to the lodge for R&R (http://woodstonecc.net/lodgereservations.html) - the remote control fireplace was something else. All in all a good start and bodes well for the future. Thanks to the Dash's whose clothes made it possible. And of course - happy birthday Uncle J.
PS the eye is healing nicely - thanks to everyone for asking!

Monday 26 December 2011

Boxing Day walk

Monday 26th December

Next up in our family Christmas traditions is our Boxing Day walk (Boxing Day I hear the US readers cry - what is that?). We wanted to get off the beaten track and lacking an Ordnance Survey map, some well trod footpaths and some stiles, we ventured to PA State park Ridley Creek (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/ridleycreek/index.htm). This park is set In the land which surrounded a historic mill community (Sycamore Mills) and still contains the remains of many tumble down stone houses as well as some of the original properties now private residences. It fitted the bill perfectly. A 4 mile hike along the creek, up and over some hills and under some very tall trees. It was all in beautiful sunshine (the days here are mostly clear and blue), accompanied by the usual complaining small people and we even met the boy scouts who had a cheery "good afternoon" for us - there were fellow Englishmen in their midst. On the way back we saw a fly fisherman in the river and G and I learnt what a "funeral door is". There are many such parks in PA so roll on the weekends so we can do more exploring.

Christmas Day

Sunday 25th December

He came! And not only that but he managed to bring a selection of great presents. Mine was the first out to cook waffles for breakfast - we could get used to that. Next up a multi-chef to help cook lunch (we are not defeated by the fact that 99% of our belongings are lounging in a warehouse waiting to be delivered). The Internet was needed though to convert our recipes into cups. Skiing equipment and cold weather clothing also featured heavily - but where is the snow? We had a lovely day cooking, playing games and learning about USA geography with our new jigsaw of the country. It was rounded off nicely with a family table tennis game (great new bats and balls) and a box of UK Celebrations chocolates (thanks to the Redgwells for that thoughtful addition to our luggage). Thank you to everyone for their kind Christmas wishes - happy Christmas to you too!

Christmas Eve

Saturday 24th Decemeber

In recent years we have enjoyed attending Canterbury Cathedral's (http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/) Christmas carol service on Christmas Eve - it really does get you in a festive mood enjoying a carol service which has likely essentially remained unchanged for a couple of hundred years, wishing the Archbishop a very Merry Christmas and seeing the life sized crib. Medieval churches aside, we decided to head off to see what the Main Line could offer us as a festive treat. We had received a local tip off that a good starting place was the Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr (http://www.bmpc.org/). Our resident Welsh man was looking forward to hearing a good hearty choir - well it is called Bryn Mawr....... After recovering from the shock that some carols appear the same but have an entirely different tune, that others appear the same but then suddenly have new words, and finally others look completey new but are actually set to a surprisingly well known tune (Greensleeves?????) we had a very enjoyable time. Well done to the family who volunteered to be Mary Joseph and the baby Jesus in the live Tableau, we don't think that the dummy ("pacifier") was authentic but she was getting pretty upset. The candles for Silent Night set the scene and the children playing hand bells were very well done. Happy Christmas.

Saturday 24 December 2011

Elementary School

Friday 23rd December

Since US children only have 1 week break for Christmas (this is going to take a bit of getting used to!), the girls have been able to join their respective classes for 2 half days this week to start settling in (it has also done them a world of good to have a well deserved break from space rocket making.......... see earlier posts). In second grade there are lots of friendly children who like our accents, and in Kindergarten it was really fun making a gingerbread house. In both classes we were able to join their Christmas parties and their seasonal sing-a-long. The first of many differences are that "playtime" is now "recess" and there is a loud speaker broadcast which announces home time and which buses are leaving when! The buses will be a new adventure for the New Year.

The Big Apple

Thursday 22nd December

There being never a dull moment with work, I needed to go to the Big Apple today to visit the Malaysian Consulate - I have certainly had my fill of Embassies this year after never having been to one before until 4 months ago. The train from Paoli was surprisingly easy taking just 2hrs door to door which bodes very well for weekend trips in the future. The Embassy visit was uneventful (other than costing a fair bit more cash than I was advised it would which was not entirely straight-forward as I haven't quite yet worked out our US bank account), it was good to meet up with colleagues for lunch and surprisingly refreshing to have a day off space rocket building(see earlier posts). The Christmas decorations everywhere were beautiful and the animated windows in Macy's really something else.

Fairies and Felicity wishes magic

Tuesday 20th December

Yesterday two momentous things happened - firstly Georgina lost another tooth and secondly our first guest left to go back to UK. The first caused a fair amount of concern about whether or not the tooth fairy would find us. The second was another milestone in realising that we are now living here and not just on holiday. After waving Grandma through security a pick me up was needed and so it was time for Felicity Wishes magic in the form of some special stars. They worked a treat and this morning everyone is feeling much better. Even better - the tooth fairy came too (much more promptly than she usually manages in UK) - it is a good sign for a visit from Father Christmas (or Santa Claus as we now call him) later this week. Thank you very much to Grandma for coming with us to help us settle in, we are glad that she had a safe trip home. Thanks also to the givers of the stars - they know who they are.

Monday 19 December 2011

Looking to the future

Monday 19th December

What to do when you have two small children, an inordinately large house with nothing in it, a husband who still can't see (see earlier posts) and your biggest resource empty packing boxes - well it's obvious - look to the future and build an escape vehicle. So today we have put in place plan B - the boxes are no longer and instead we have a 2.5m (8ft to our US readers) rocket to entertain ourselves until the rest of our toys arrive. Still under construction are the control panel and external equipment but to get an idea think Wallace and Gromit. It has been a constructive use of the first 8 boxes - when the next 277 arrive we will add on the launch pad, the boosters and the space station. At least we now have an escape route if it gets even more hairy. PS everyone felt strong enough to bring the tree in from the cold so it was decorated today too.

Lights, lights and more lights (for those of us that can see)

Sunday 18th December

Well the pre-booked spectacle of Christmas lights at local Longwood Gardens (http://www.longwoodgardens.org/) was beginning to look like a bit of a waste of money as M hadn't actually been able to open his eyes for the previous 24hrs (see earlier post), but as the day wore on he rallied enough to join us for the visit. The gardens, lights, tree houses, Christmas trees and wreaths in the conservatory were an amazing sight (even wearing sun glasses). Some personal favourites were the wreaths made from gingerbread maple leaves, the "silver" Christmas tree made from live aloes and cactuses and the lantern lit walkways as it grew dark. Next year we will go earlier to enjoy the gingerbread houses too. Americans sure know how to decorate for the holiday season. We hope that the eyes continue to recover.

Decorating disaster

Saturday 17th December

So today we headed off to deck our halls with boughs of holly (and mostly the front garden with lots and lots of lights) but at the first stop M encountered a seasonal hazard and managed to poke himself in the eye with the Christmas tree. Harmless enough you would think, but not in this case. First stop the first aid station in Home Depot (B&Q to our UK readers), next stop Frazer pharmacy, third stop the "minute clinic" in Paoli and then Immediate Care minor injuries clinic in Berwyn - prognosis a scratched cornea with 0.5cm (3/16th " for our US readers) diameter chunk removed....... Well looking on the upside now we know how to access emergency care, get a prescription (and even get the prescription refunded when you have found all the right insurance cards). The tree remained netted for the rest of the day as a punishment! A family Christmas memory to treasure.

Wednesday 14 December 2011

We've arrived

Tuesday 13th December

Well we flew yesterday and landed safely and today we have arrived at our new home. It's HUGE! The slippy floors are good for skating (don't tell the owners!), we've chosen our bedrooms and unpacked our air freight shipment, and we've been playing table tennis in the basement (thank you to the owners for letting us borrow their table!). The best bit was the jacuzzi bath ( it brings a whole new meaning to our Friday night bubbles). The house currently stands out from the crowd as it is somewhat lacking in Christmas lights but we can rectify that at the weekend.

Sunday 11 December 2011

It's behind you!

Saturday 3rd December

The new theatre has opened in Canterbury (http://www.marlowetheatre.com) and this year's pantomime is Cinderella - it was a must do for our family before leaving. We all enjoyed it very much, especially the dancing and singing - the "strictly come dancing" scene was one of our favourites. I loved the ugly sister's costumes, and the man with the "prediction" was great fun. Go and see it if you get a chance! Very well done to Evolution Productions (http://www.evolution-productions.co.uk/home/4535036066) for yet another fabulous Christmas treat and all the very best of luck with your forth coming addition - we hope that all goes really well.

Friday 9 December 2011

It's the BIG goodbye party ......... Boing

Saturday 3rd December

This afternoon it was off to join 27 of our lovely friends for a great big boing at the local trampolining club (http://www.aire.tc/). We had lots of fun jumping around and we played lots of fun games. Our favourite bits were dodge ball and skipping. Then it was time for tea, we chose chicken nuggets and chips. Our cake was decorated with balloons and the ice fountain fireworks were spectacular. Thank you very much to the staff for all their hard work in making it such a fun afternoon and thank you to all our friends who made a special effort to join us - it was lovely and we will miss you all. Photos to follow when we have our computer back again!

Friday 2 December 2011

Back to the US Embassy

Tuesday 29th November

So back to the US Embassy today to have my VISA status changed so that I will also be able to continue working whilst we are living in USA. These visits to the Embassy are a bit like a game of snakes and ladders - one step forward, two back - but after a slippery slide down a snake soon after passing go (evicted by security due to a pair of cheap and cheerful headphones in my bag as apparently these are classified as an electronic device) it was plain sailing. Many thanks to everyone who helped to prepare my application. I hope that my passport comes back swiftly so that we can leave as planned in a couple of weeks.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Christmas is coming.........

Sunday 27th November

Today is the first Sunday of advent and one of my favourite church services of the year. I took the girls to the school advent service in a Medieaval church in Challock (for more history of the church see here http://www.challock.org.uk/). The service was everything we had hoped - well done to Mrs Gleeve for conducting such an excellent choir. The girls were fascinated by watching their piano teacher (school legend Mr Chris Berriman) playing the organ and we all enjoyed the hymns and readings. Half way through the service though it suddenly struck me that Christmas is now so close, this year our family build up is going to be so different from previous years and that by the big day itself we will be fully ensconced in USA. It seems that reality is slowly sinking in! In fact I was so distracted that I didn't manage to spot Mr Berriman in the murals (I have it on very good authority that he is immortalised there). The animals were fascinating though and Claudia and I are still trying to work out where the secret spiral staircase goes.........

Our belongings are on their way

Thursday 24th November

We have found out today that our container has left Felixstowe today on its way to Philadelphia and is due to arrive stateside on 9th December. Thank you very much to Mrs Cave for waving it off (you see there is something to do in Suffolk after all). The big question is how long will it take to clear customs and so will we have everything back for Christmas - if so no presents needed!

Monday 21 November 2011

Thanksgiving

Well this week hosts possibly the most important holiday of the year for many Americans, Thanksgiving. It's my first Thanksgiving spent in the US and I'm lucky enough to have been invited to spend it with a local family so I've been doing a bit of research in preparation.....
Thanksgiving is celebrated in America every year on the fourth Thursday of November, and whilst it has similarities to Harvest Festival has taken on special significance due to the hardships experienced by the early settlers (of which more in a later post perhaps). For most Americans it revolves around a family celebration (hence it is also one of the worst times to travel in the USA because everyone else is going 'home'). Turkey seems to figure quite highly on the menu, rather like a UK Christmas, but I haven't heard anyone mention Brussels Sprouts yet so it can't be all bad, right? Thanksgiving has also been marked by parades, and many cities still have large ones, and also often marks the end of the American College Football season so many people watch a football game.
I'll let you know how I get on.

What will we miss?

Monday 21st November 2011

Today I sat my grade 2 piano exam which I have been working towards achieving before departing UK - I also went to the ATP tennis finals with a friend - a tradition for the past 3 years. We will definitely miss all the people and friends who have made living in Kent such a rewarding experience - we hope to stay in touch and this blog should help. I look forward to my piano exam results and bad luck Andy Murray.

Is everyone going to live in Pennsylvania?

Saturday 19th November 2011

Today I went with the girls for a final meal in one of our favourite Canterbury family restaurants Pizza Express (http://www.pizzaexpress.com/)- we were served by our favourite waitress (we will miss her) but on the table behind us a group of 15 year old girls had organised a surprise party lunch for their friend Jenny because she was leaving the UK to go and live in .............. West Chester Pennsylvania - incredible - must be the place to go!

The adventure begins

Friday 18th November 2011
Today the Summers family adventure to live in Pennsylvania has begun. We moved out of our home in Canterbury and into a holiday cottage, Silbertswold Cottage, where we will live for the last 3 weeks (you too can holiday here http://www.seewhitstable.com/Sibertswold-Cottage-Accommodation-Kent.html and the owners are lovely!). We watched all 277 boxes of our things going off down the road in a container to Felixstowe - we look forward to being reunited with them in USA (before Christmas if we are very lucky). Silbertsworld Cottage will make a cosy staging post with friends (and the untamable puppy Wilbur) until we depart on 12th December. We are feeling apprehensive about what awaits us but looking forward to the exciting opportunities and new friends that we will make!