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!
Tuesday 27 December 2011
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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