Allegiance

This is the cutest thing ever. I know that American parents have seen this for years but it's still a big thing for us. So anyway, this is for grand parents in England:

Date Fiasco & Start of Halloween

Tonight we got a babysitter and went to watch "Gravity" in 3D. I was excited because it's got rave reviews and even Craig was excited and he hates Sandra Bullock. I was also looking forward to getting out for a couple of hours. So we got to the cinema and it was closed for renovation until next summer. Then we got stuck in traffic. And to really put a downer on the evening we did a spot of grocery shopping when we saw a supermarket. We did finally get some dinner but then we were home by nine. So much for a romantic and cool night out!   The big question is - how did I find a movie listing and time for the film at that place if it's closed?  I guess my senile dementia has struck again.

I've been crap again at this blog and I'm not sure why, because I think about blog posts every single day. I just don't seem to have the energy to get to it once the kids are in bed and all my chores are done. All I can think about is sleep. November (national blog posting month) is coming up though and that means I get to post every single day!

A few highlights from the last few days: Jack scored a goal at soccer and is loving the cub scouts. He's still doing Tang Soo Do but we've told him he can do no more activities. He's got the energy of 10 men but we don't. Danny's doing fab at school and just an absolute character. What a clever lad he is too. I must get a video of him reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as it is far too cute.

We are in full Halloween swing here. The house is decorated and we are going to a "Trunk or Treat" tomorrow. A "trunk or treat" is like "trick or treat" but instead of knocking on doors, kids go from car boot (trunk) to car boot. We are dressing up our car boot and joining in.

Another thing we are doing: pumpkin farms, hay rides, and fall play farms.  Halloween is turning into one of our favourite holidays.

Boy Scouts

Jack is a Cub Scout!

Craig was a scout and wanted him to have the same fantastic memories that he did as a kid. We were reluctant because the Boy Scouts of America  (BSA) did not allow gays, atheists or agnostics to join. Since we have a ton of gay friends and we are atheist/agnostic we didn't want to join a group we disagree strongly with.  This year however they have accepted gay scouts up to the age of 18, which is a step in the right direction I guess, but obviously not fully inclusive yet. Hopefully they'll get there. What they need to do is allow gay people, regardless of age. So, with that said, we are not 100% "in" until they do that.

So Craig and Jack are doing this as a dad and son thing and it's GREAT! For the first time in my parenting life I'm standing back and enjoying the dad and son experience. They go to meetings together and this weekend they went camping together.

The Scout Salute

At his first camp out he and Craig  pitched the tent then they had a cookout, flag raising ceremony and campfire with all the other scouts, then he went back to his camp with his "den". There are 6 kids in his den, including Wesley (his friend from school) and Marshall (the Den leader's kid), and 4 other kids I can't remember.

First camp fire

Jack & salamander

I went to the cook-out but didn't think I'll be too involved in the future. During dinner the couple next to me grabbed my hand during grace and made me join in their prayer, even though I didn't know them. I don't like that.  I didn't have too much in common with the people I met. But hey, this is a father and son thing - and Jack is LOVING it. He had a smile on his face the whole time Craig said and played and played till he dropped.  It's a good thing.

Me and Danny came home and watched the Buckeye game then went to bed very early (they were losing by half time but then they won!) Anyway, Danny slept with me and it was awesome. He's such a snuggler but then every hour he socks you in the eye. I love that boy.

At 9.30am on Sunday my mate Ed came over for an Irish breakfast. He's one of my best friends and lives in Chicago. We had a fantastic chat and caught up. That was time well spent. Then Craig & Jack got home not long after (Craig got to see Ed, which was great). So,  Craig and Jack had had a bad night of camping - it rained and rained and rained BUT they had a fab time overall. Jack caught salamanders, played with friends and just LOVED it. He really does love it and I'm happy for him.

Dad & Sheila Catch-up

It's been over two weeks since I've posted, which might just be a record for me. There's so much to tell and so many good memories but so little time! So I'm going to post pictures of my Dad & Sheila's visit and a few notes about our travels, for prosperity, because I've noticed already that if it were not for this blog, many precious memories would be gone from my ever-crumbling mind.

Drive-in movie night was Retro night: Back to the future

British Ex-pats came for a cook-out. Lyn lived on the same street as my dad in Worcester Park, London!!

First time having s'mores

Covered Bridge Bluegrass Festival

Plymouth, MA.  The English pilgrims landed there in 1620 on the Mayflower. Myles Standish (from Chorley, near my Dad & Sheila's house) was on the ship and was a leader of the colonists for many years. 

The Mayflower ll. 

Duck tour in Boston. Driving into the water scared me to death! What a fun trip though. 

The USS Constitution. One of many fabulous ships in Boston Harbour.

Salem: home of the 1692 witch trials. We got to see a zombie parade, which was great. Dad & I took Jack in a haunted house too and it was very funny but also a bit scary as it was pitch black and they kept jumping out and grabbing us. I'd like to spend a lot more time in Salem & Gloucester. 

Salem burial ground. No witches buried there, since it wasn't allowed, but each stone bench is dedicated to the poor  souls that were persecuted. Mr. George Burroughs didn't attend church too much and had extraordinary strength, so was accused of being a warlock. At his trial he was asked to recite the lord's prayer but couldn't because he was illiterate, so he was hanged. 19 others (mainly women)  had the same fate.
It's a very sad and very interesting moment in history. 

Plimoth Plantation. Fantastic and very educational visit about how the native Americans and colonists lived

My dad with Jack & Danny. 

A Weekend at the Lake

My dad and Sheila got here on Thursday after a 3-year hiatus. They are visiting for three weeks and we  have lots planned. This weekend we did a spur of the moment trip to Lake Erie to a little seaside town called Geneva on the Lake. We had cabins near the beachfront and the weather was perfect, if a little chilly at night. I love Geneva on the Lake. It's small and friendly and there's lots of characters there. Lots of bikers too, which made Craig say more than once that he wished he'd ridden his Harley there.
We all had a great time, particularly on the beach - the boys could have spent eight hours there just digging in the sand and skimming rocks and poking dead fish with sticks. The usual stuff.
Here's a few pictures of our fabulous weekend....

Morning Madness Part 156

My blogs seem to consist entirely of me ranting about how terrible my mornings are. I think this is because (1) I am not a morning person and (2) I live in a madhouse. This morning was rather a humdinger though. Of all the nightmare mornings I've written about I really think this one takes the biscuit.

I have 3 neighbourhood kids that come over at 8am and hang out till school starts at 8.40. They are all great kids and play well with Jack & Danny. I usually keep an eye on them but I'm also getting ready for work and packing lunches and seeing to animals.

This morning the kids let the cat, Bart, out of the office by accident and he came flying down the corridor after Ben. I ran from the kitchen to get Bart back in the office at the same time Jack did. Unbeknown to me, Jack had been playing with Luke (his big hamster) at the time and he just threw him in the first cage he saw to help me with the Bart/Ben thing. Unfortunately he had put Luke in Whitey's cage (Daniel's tiny hamster). As I went back to the kitchen I heard Jack give a cry and say "no no no no!" and he snatched Luke out of Whitey's cage. By this time it was time for all the kids to go to school so I ushered them out fast before they saw too much but the poor thing look like his back was broken and he was dragging his legs behind him. It was awful. Jack went to school looking white and teary.

Thankfully Daniel didn't see a thing. He was in his bedroom having a MAJOR tantrum because he didn't want to wear the t-shirt I had set out. By the time I got him to pre-school, and even though he had changed his t-shirt, he was in that mood where I knew drop off was going to be rough and it was. The teacher had to physically pry him of my leg.

I've been hiding Whitey's cage and telling the kids he's at the vet because I thought we (Craig) might have to put him out of his misery, but tonight he seems to be walking about. His leg is probably broken as he is still dragging it around but we are going to give the little fella some time to heal and maybe he'll be okay?

So there you are. I think this morning tops my crap morning list.

Danny at Pre-K & Bart

Danny started his pre-kindergarten class today. I have been a tad nervous I must admit even though this is his 3rd year in the same building and he knows the teachers and some students in his class. He woke up at 3am crying,  saying he needed a hot water bottle and then had a minor melt down when he got dressed this morning because his t-shirt touched his pants. But when I got him to school he was FINE. In fact he did great. I asked him what he wanted to do tonight as a treat and he said "play Halloween Bingo". So we did. Bless.

My Boy

Bart is fitting in fabulous except with Ben. He has gone from hissing to actually chasing and attacking the poor boy, so we are having to keep him in solitary confinement till he calms down. By contrast he is the most gentle and loving cat I have ever come across and he loves us, his humans,  immediately. He just hates Ben. It'll just take time hopefully.

Black Bart

Today was the hottest day of the year & 95 degrees F! Cooler weather is coming thankfully. I have a list of stuff as long as my arm to get done before my dad & Sheila get here but with soccer, Tang soo do and a PTA meeting tomorrow night I might just have to rely on their graciousness & good humour.

Best way to keep cool!

Danny & his best friend Asher fight zombies

Lots of Words this Week

It's been a week since my last visit and I should probably add photos to break-up my ramblings but time is of the essence this week so it'll all be words, sorry.

Last weekend was Labor Day weekend and after we lost Hank we were a bit down so it was low-key. We did take the boys to the Drive-In though which I'm so glad about. I want those memories for them - of going to the drive-in on a warm summer night and laying out in their dad's truck with a sleeping bag & popcorn. The other thing we did was swim swim swim, since the pool closed on Monday. I think we were there the whole time actually. When we left Danny cried and when I thanked them for a fantastic summer I actually got a lump in my throat. We can't wait to get back there next year.

This past week was NUTS. Craig worked late 3 nights, til 11pm, and I had something on each evening either with work or kid's stuff, so we didn't even get to the house till 8 or 9 each night. It was awful. I was so tired but so wound-up that I did not sleep all week. I'm teaching 4 days a week now and trying to make money at work and it's actually very stressful, very draining.

But enough of the morbid,  and onto more crazy stuff. Because I did not learn my lesson from getting a cat from another person who didn't give a shit, I agreed to take in a cat called "Jack (of all things) because a lady in our neighbourhood is "allergic". Let me say what I think is happening since I actually met her - she is moving in with her boyfriend and Jack belongs to the boyfriend. Jack has been with her boyfriend since birth & he loves him. Jack is also an outdoor cat and very high-strung. She has lived there for a while already & told me she is not a "cat person". So let's be honest here, it's not an allergy thing - she hates the cat and he probably hates her. Anyway, we brought Jack home with us and he was a nightmare. We put him in the office on his own and kept going in to see if he was okay and he'd attack us, biting and scratching, one by one (except Daniel of course, he wasn't touching that with a barge pole).  Finally I went in and sat down on the poof and he came over and went postal on me! Hissing & trying to bite my bare feet! That's a new one for me - having an animal trying to bite my feet while I'm doing an Irish jig and swearing like a sailor. He truly terrified me so I made a quick exit and texted the owners to come get him. I felt very sad when Jack's dad said "well that's another interview you failed Jack".

So as you can imagine, I'm starting to feel like the crappiest cat owner on the planet, even though I had the best relationship in the WORLD with my Frank.  But today I went to a few rescue places and actually found MY cat. Jack wanted a cute kitten of course and tried a bit of a store crocodile-tear argument thing but I shut him down and told him quietly why an older cat was more important than a cute kitten. I got my way and now that we are home he loves the cat.

So, our new family member is called Black Bart, named after the infamous highwayman. He's jet black with startling and gorgeous green eyes. He's 6.5 years old and was adopted back in 2011 by a lady who then came back in 2013, stark raving mad, declaring him as the devil and an evil entity and said she was going to kill him. She was escorted off the premises and thankfully he came to us. I have no idea of his history pre-2011.  Bart is the most loving, friendly and accommodating cat and I feel a bit bad for him because Jack is still too scared from the cat Jack episode to get too close. The only thing is that Bart hasn't been with dogs before so hisses at Ben, but they'll work it out. But Bart is a good egg. Bart's the right fit I think.

So there you are. In between all that we had Jack getting his orange belt stripe in Tang Soo Do, Danny's school open house, and soccer practices. This week has been one of my most exhausting ones of  my whole year though, it really has (and yes, first world problem, sorry).

RIP Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky

We lost Hank today. As we were leaving the house to meet friends for lunch I saw a dead tabby cat by the garage door and asked Craig to stop the car. Immediately Jack said "It's Hank!" but I thought no way - how can he have got out of the house? Of course it was Hank. I think he ate some poison, rat poison maybe, in someones yard because there was white froth around his mouth and nose.

Jack was hysterical crying and has been upset all day. Craig and I are both sad too but also shocked. How did he get out? We have both been super sensitive to not letting him get out but he's been trying lately. I saw him last at 10.30pm last night, when I gave him some extra wet food that he likes as he was meowing at me.

So we just buried him in the garden, along with Frank & Tutz. Jack threw a handful of his favourite treats in with him and we'll look for some nice rocks for his grave. I feel so so sad. He was such a great cat - so friendly and loving. And the short time we had him he had truly found a place where he was flea-free and loved and taken care of.  Just yesterday morning Craig and I were laughing as he was sat on Craig's head in bed.

So long Hank. Wish we'd known you longer sweet boy.

Doing Something Good

There is a resource center in my neighbourhood that helps out needy and homeless people by supplying food, books, housewares, life skills and medical help.

My friend puts on a dinner there once a month and she asked if I wanted to help her by supplying food and serving it, so I said yes. So Jack and I went and we took food and helped serve the dinner to about 50 people, then we stayed on and helped upload a big truck full of several pallets of donated fruit and veg. It was actually hard work - I can't remember the last time I carried boxes of veg and unloaded pallets of melons!

But anyway it was really good. Jack did great, talking with people and helping unload. He's just such a social kid. By the end he was even joking with some people and making them laugh and I thought my heart would explode with pride. As we left he begged me to do it again soon and I said we would. It felt really good giving something back to the community and Craig and I can certainly attest to how rough it is when you don't have enough money for food. When we first came here we had weeks with no food but at least we didn't have kids then. I can't imagine how hard it must be for families if they can't afford to give food to their children, when they know that they are hungry.

World's End, Bumped Head and Pirates

On Friday we got a babysitter and went to see "The World's End" with our neighbours Erika & Mark. The film was wonderful, very funny, then we went back to ours for a drink. We were sat in the front room chatting and Mark starting telling a funny story. Craig was laughing and then coughed a bit and stood up to go to the kitchen. All of a sudden, he made a funny little noise, like a gasp for breath, and fell forward, headlong into the wall. It was terrifying actually because I knew he was unconscious before he fell but didn't know why. His head slammed into the wall and he lay perfectly still. I asked Erika to call 911 and rushed to him. He came round immediately and was a bit confused, asking me why he needed to call 911 and saying he felt fine, so we got him onto the couch and didn't have an ambulance come. As you can see by the picture he took the morning after he really hurt himself...

I was worried to death as to why he passed out, so made him go to get checked out on Saturday. The doc said he's fine and also said that a combination of laughing and coughing and standing up can make someone faint. I never knew that. I certainly never want to see it again because it was awful. At least it gave bragging rights to Mark - his stories being so funny that they make people faint.

Craig was so sore and I was so worried that it definitely put a damper on the weekend. We did some pool time and caught up on housework but not too much else. The boys did watch The Goonies twice and loved it. They got a big pirate flag from their grandad so we hung it outside and they played for ages.

One eyed Willy & his first mate looked for treasure.

The only other news of the weekend worth noting is that Danny did the diving board at the pool. So at the end of the season he did the last big thing there. He loved it and went on it 50 times at least.