Aiden as a Shepherd!

Yesterday was Aiden's big debut as a shepherd in his school nativity play. I wasn't sure that he would be into it, but when we got there and he saw us he was all smiles. They sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas" after the play (complete with "Oh bring us some figgy pudding!"). It was adorable...well, except for him picking his nose!!

Jacob's School Nativity

It finally feels like Christmas this week - all due to Christmas programs at school. Tradition at Holtspur school is that Year 1 kids do the nativity section of the Christmas program. So, Jacob was an innkeeper. Not the one who lets Mary and Joseph in, one that turns them away. I was totally expecting Jacob to say his lines and be done with it. Afterall, I've been hearing it over and over for the past month - in a British accent as well. But, kids like to surprise their mums. Take a look - maybe he'll follow in his papa's footsteps...

So Thankful

Obviously, Thanksgiving isn't a holiday in England since the whole breakoff from the British Empire and all, but we still celebrated!

A little different this year since we spent the days leading up to the holiday in the hospital, but last night we sat around the table as a family and that is something to be thankful for! The roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings was brought to us by a friend. A perfect way to illustrate the first thanksgiving to the boys. Others sharing food and friendship. We did our usual bit and went around the table to say what we were thankful for this year. Everyone said that they were thankful that Jeb was home. And he seemed pretty thankful for that too as he smiled, laughed and ate for the first time in 4 days. God is good.

Jeb Back in the Hospital

Last week brought about a cough for Jeb. Jeb has always gotten a cough really easy since his stint in the hospital last year, but this time it seemed different. Off to the GP we went. He was prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection and steroids for bronchiolitis. I thought that we had lucked out - we didn't get sent to the hospital. But, Sunday morning I knew that things were bad when Jeb didn't want to do anything but lay on Tom and he refused to eat.

Off to A&E we went and were sent up to the children's ward immediately. I had no idea how bad he was until drs seemed to swarm him checking his stats every 3 minutes and an instant IV in his arm. The doctors said he had severe pneumonia. So, there Jeb laid with an oxygen mask on his face - he didn't even fight it, he was too exhausted. Then the dr. told us he might be moved to ICU. We were worried, but we wanted to do what was best. Tom left to get the boys from our friends who had watched them all day and the dr. came to tell me the chances of him being moved to Oxford were getting low. "Oxford? For what?" I asked. That is where the ICU is. Dumb me, I ask, "Do I just take him in my car?" The dr looked at me like I was crazy. Nope, he'd have to be intebated, put on a ventilator and taken in an ambulance. I was blown away. THANK GOODNESS his breathing improved.

So, we sat. The first night we had breathing treatments every hour. The next day, he didn't need oxygen, but was still breathing hard. Days ran into each other and now here we are on Thursday, 4 days later. I am a zombie dealing with little sleep. Jeb is ready to go home, but just needs to be watched until this afternoon. We expect him home tonight for a night of peace and quiet. We didn't have a private room - we slept in the middle of the ward with 4 other babies and their mums. I will be glad to be in my own bed tonight. Even more glad when my baby smiles again. It's been too long since I saw the sparkle in his eyes and 6 little teeth. I just want my baby back.

How to Negotiate with a Four Year Old

For the past two years, Aiden has been waking after about three hours of sleep with "mild night terrors." It used to be he didn't know what was going on, but now he knows what is happening and it has turned into a way to get mum into the room. It really is awful to watch and hear and we are pulling our hair out trying to fix it. Tonight I think I may have found the cure.

You see, a few months ago Aiden left his beloved blankie in my room. I took it and he seemed to forget about it, but still asks every once in awhile. Tonight when he woke up I broke. I got blankie out. You should have seen his face - he went from histerical screaming to a beaming angel! One condition. I told him that blankie ran away because she got so scared when he screamed and she is only back because she wants to help him by hugging him when he wakes. He took the bait and went back to bed beautifully. Man, I'm good...I think.

Tom thinks I'm crazy and can't believe that I gave blankie back. Anyone care to place a bet on whether this works? I do have my doubts...don't tell my husband.

He Moves...Finally!

It finally happened. After establishing the rule of "abolutely no one gets anything for Jeb if he screams for it", Jeb decided it was time to move. It's not a normal crawl - it's the army crawl or what they call the "SAS crawl" here. No matter what you call it, I'm glad! Jeb gets around pretty well, but it's not unusual to find him lying in the hallway with his head down and crying - it's just too far to crawl from one side of the house to the other! He is pretty impressed with himself, as you can see in the video. He'll do anything to get to his trains and cars. Check out his cheeky little face as he stops to pose for the camera!

Memories of Scotland

Well, it's been nearly a week since we returned from Scotland and we are still thinking about the fun we had!

I'll start at the beginning - a ten hour drive in mostly rain ending up in Appin, Scotland around 8:00pm. It was pitch black as we drove down the single track road to our desitination - but the sat-map stopped. We kept going and the road ended into what looked like a driveway - 1 mile later we rounded the bend to see not only our farmhouse, but at least a hundred red deer looking at us. The stags were all gathered in our front yard. We asked the caretakers if this was a deer farm - no, they are wild. We didn't see that many deer again that week, but there were about 8 stags that were always around.

The week was full of hiking and we were always in our wellies - though it only rained one morning for us, the sunshine-filled week that we experienced was preceded by 3 weeks of straight rain. So, that leaves mud...and cow manure (we were on a working farm), deer poo, and chicken poo. Every little boy's dream. I sank up to my ankles at times, but Jacob took the brunt of it by sinking up to his knees. Boy, did Aiden think that was funny! (Jacob got the last laugh by finding a deer antler the same day near the spot where he sank!) Our hikes usually didn't last too long, but always brought great views. Our longest hike was up the glen (scottish for "valley") when we completely lost track of time and realized we had hiked for 2 hours one way and it was lunch time. Jeb was upset and Aiden was beyond tired. I ended up carrying him halfway back! In all, Aiden was a trooper hiking at the wee age of 3.

Our excursions outside our farm included a day trip to the Isle of Skye, which gave dramatic views that the kids could have cared less about and about 8 hours in the car (thank goodness for the car ferry ride!) and Loch Ness. Aiden put it best: the monster was sleeping the day we visited. It was still pretty cool to visit the 1400 year castle.

As always, we had some funny moments. How can we not, it's us after all! Here we go:

1. I read the guest book where we stayed on our first night. About 10 entries referred to a ghost that lived there and that he was nice, but loud. I was scared all week - went to bed around 8:30pm since Tom left every night to go on a walk.

2. Cows mooing like crazy! Why? The calves got taken to the market. So sad! But, the market was terrible and they didn't sell - calves back the next day and cows headed back to the hills.

3. When we booked our house, they referred to it being inspirational for the book "Kidnapped" which is about a man that was murdered. When I asked the farmer's wife about it and said, "it's a novel right?" She said, no, they brought his body right back to the house next door! I nearly flipped! (turns out it was 300 years ago!)

4. Aiden fell in the river. Funny after the fact I guess. I obviously wasn't there.

5. Jeb feeding the chickens. He loved it. All the boys did. The chicks began to sit on our kitchen window waiting for us. Hopefully we didn't overfeed them!

6. And finally, we must always have a bathroom story! Once again, 20 minutes from home, Aiden announces that he has to go. Out comes the water bottle. He was hesitant at first, but it worked like a charm with Jacob commenting that he thought maybe he needed to go too...

Beautiful trip, even better memories!

Halloween, well kind of...

Halloween isn't a big celebration around here, but we decided to still get dressed up and carve some pumpkins. As class rep for Jacob's class, I organized a trip to the local farm. The only caviat was that the kids had to dress up and carving was a must. Well, I forgot my camera! But, we did have fun. Many of the adults had either never carved a pumpkin or had done so only once. Many eyes were on Tom. We had such a nice time and it was a nice way to celebrate the holiday, even if it meant no trick or treating.

One Year in England

Well, a year ago today we flew out of the states to begin our new life in England. My, how time flies. So, as we look back at our experiences and things learned over the past year, Tom and I have put together our Top Ten List of our first year here...


10. Seeing Jacob in his school uniform for the first time
9. Experiencing a true European Christmas whilst in Belguim
8. Seeing 'Wicked' in London's West End
7. Bi-weekly grocery delivery (how did I ever live without this???)
6. East in the Lakes District with long lost cousins. We awoke to snow...complete with bunny tracks!
5. Sitting in a London Park, people watching
4. Legoland on the 4th...Tom's dream finally coming true. Would we ever get out of miniland?
3. Being okay with 3 inch spiders in my house (this has taken a bit)
2. Hanging out with our British friends and having them say, "I keep forgetting that your American" - perfect compliment and acceptance!
1. Wonderful travel memories from the top of England down to Switzerland. Thank goodness for the Eurotunnel and Leapsters! And the van...I guess!


Not bad for a move that we never thought we'd make. Ahh, the memories!

Then...

Now.

Saturday at the Trout Farm

It was a beautiful autumn Saturday this past weekend, so we decided to head to the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds are what you think of when you think of England - old stone houses with rolling hills in the back garden. We visited the town of Bibury, which is home to a Trout farm which raises over a million rainbow trout. We had so much fun! We were squealing with excitement over feeding these fish! How great to spend an afternoon outdoors with fish!

You Know You Live in a Small Town When...

Well, I always thought that growing up in Hudsonville gave me a small town experience. No, I think Beaconsfield takes the cake. You just never know who is watching as I have found out in the past few weeks.

I went to a new playgroup with Jeb a few weeks ago and starting chatting with a woman. She looked at me a few minutes into our conversation and said, "Don't you have two older boys?" Surprised, I said "Yes, how do you know that?" Her reply, "Oh, I've seen you in Sainsburys (our grocery store and the place to be seen) before with all three." I froze. Images flashed in my head of me in Sainsburys with all three boys...was I yelling at them? where they running around? why would she notice us? She said not to worry, she has 5 older brothers, so when she sees a woman with boys, it brings back good memories. I chose to believe that we looked like the perfect family when she saw us!

But it doesn't stop there! Just yesterday, at my usual playgroup, I met another American. After talking for a while and explaining that we moved almost a year ago, she said, "Oh, I've heard of you...you're the one who came with three kids when your youngest was 4 weeks old." Now, that is just crazy. I'm learning that you always act proper in this small town of our - you never know who is watching or who is talking!

Stop the Rush and Just Enjoy

Last night as I laid in bed I thought of my three, jet-lagged, boys who had to be woken each morning this week for school and how it would be just my luck that Saturday would be the day they got back on track. Do I know them or what?! Yep, 6:45am Aiden was yelling at Jacob because he thought he took his blankie. I guess it makes sense that he thought that since earlier in the week (when they couldn't sleep at bedtime due to jet-lag), Jacob tried to reach Aiden's blankie from the top bunk unsuccessfully and plummeted to the floor headfirst. After checking for no major injuries, I had a bit of sympathy, but not a whole lot. But I digress...

Back to today. With the two boys up we started the days preparations for a trip into London. Our plans centered around Buckingham Palace and the final day to visit the state rooms. We'd pair it with the changing of the guard ceremony. But, as Tom discovered late on Friday night they only do that ceremony on even days. Today is the 27th. Details, details...they seem to be my demise this week. At any rate, I went to a plan B: The Transport Museum.

Again, with the two boys up and shortly there after, three boys up, I made lunches while pushing the boys to change clothes, throwing Cheerios at Jeb and in the end helping Jacob with his homework. We sat down to breakfast after having to wake the one remaining male in the house, Tom. And we were out the door to the train by 9:00.

I never realized how peaceful a Saturday morning can be (despite my overly excited boys). It was a bit cool and foggy, but beautiful. So many spiderwebs on the hedges as we walked and for the first time, I was thankful for spiders and what beautiful creations they make OUTSIDE THE HOME!

The day went relatively smooth. The boys didn't enjoy the transport museum as much as we thought - the manequins in each train and bus scared the daylights out of them (kind of crept me out too!) And the palace was amazing to see...the recommended viewing time of 2 hours was cut down to 45 minutes for us, but it was still great!

The best part of the day was sitting in Green Park. A warm, sunny fall day is hard to find in England, but we got it. The boys played their little hearts out and then we collected leaves and chestnuts from one end of the park to the other. It's moments like these that you want to package up and keep in a box forever. Funny what kind of memories are made when you stop...

Happy First Birthday Jeb!

Where does the time go? It seems I was just holding my black haired newborn and yet here we are with a blonde, spikey haired one year old! Yesterday I had him weighed - he's sticking to the 2nd percentile at 17lbs, 9 oz! He's happy and boy does he love to eat, as long as he is doing it himself. I think we may have another stubborn one on our hands. This past month brought some changes...much more rolling around and stiffening of the legs - maybe we will skip crawling and the bum shuffle altogether. He is also very into Matchbox cars (yes, they are supposed to be for 3 year olds and above, but whatever.), he particularly likes to take them out of the box and resort them. Hmmm...not only does he look like Tom, but he acts like him too!! We were lucky to have 3 celebrations for Jeb. A very impromtu party with the family when we were home. Wow, we never dreamed that that would happen! Today, on his birthday we had his playgroup over - 8 very active babies. It was a lot of fun. Jeb is the first to turn one, but as you'll see from the picture, he is the littlest!! We followed that party up with our own family party. The boys were so excited to eat the cupcakes. I really didn't want Jeb to have two, but he sure didn't want me to take it away. Hmmm...diaper should be pretty blue tomorrow!!

Drop Everything - We're Leaving.

Well, last week Friday at 4:00 pm I got a voicemail from Tom to call him immediately. I was shocked when he told me that our visas couldn't be fixed in London and that we all needed to board a plane for Chicago the next morning so they could be fixed there. If not, we wouldn't be allowed back into the UK. So, the phone lines burned with me calling everyone that either me or the boys were involved with in the upcoming week to cancel. The first call was to Jacob's school and I was hoping the answerphone would kick in. Nope, Mrs. Zeun, the head mistress, answered. Mrs. Zeun is a very proper English woman that makes you straighten up immediately, so when she answered I was nervous. She told me quite simply to fill out the form when we returned. No words of sympathy for our misfortune, just a straight forward answer to my request to take Jacob from school. Anyway, after a hour of being on the phone, the packing began. For some reason, we were amazingly calm.

At 5:30 am we were on our way to the airport and on the plane by 8:00 am, a little over 16 hours from getting the news that we were leaving. The trip was hectic with Jeb wanting to move everywhere. I guess I should be thankful for the 2 1/2 hours of sleep he did get. The flight seemed to be taking longer and I wondered why we were circling over Traverse City. Captian Miracle (Not kidding on his name!) came on to tell us there was flooding at O'Hare. What?! We just left a summer of rain and we expected sun!! But, sure enough, it was pouring. We got our luggage, hopped in our rental van only to find the passenger seat soaked. Two cars later, we were on our way with three wide awake boys. So, we skipped the Chicago hotel and were off to Michigan. Being in an Explorer we realized we may need to rethink our car situation when we return for good. Two problems: 1. Three across the same row means more fighting, and 2. they are right behind us vs. being in the bench seat in the back. I may need to swallow my pride and drive a van. We'll cross that bridge when we get there!

We arrived at my parents at 6:00. Jacob was now going on his 13th hour of no sleep. Where does his energy come from? In the end he was up 16 hours straight and crashed into bed at last. The night was short with Jeb and Aiden ready to go at 4:30, but in a few days time we all got back on track. I think Tom and I were going simply on shock and amazement of being home!

Just Not Enough Time

Being at home was great, but being there mearly 5 days was just not enough time. We had such good times being with friends and family, but we didn't get a chance to see everyone. So, while I dread the flight back at Christmas, I can't wait to get a chance to see everyone.

Jacob saw his best bud Andy and when they saw eachother they ran towards eachother just like in the movies, only when they reached eachother they simply stood there until Andy broke the silence with "Hey, look at my backpack." It was great.

In some ways it felt as if no time had past at all. I guess that is the way it should be when you are with family and friends who now feel like family. But, you know time has past when you look at kids. My, how they have all grown up. How can a year change so much and yet it doesn't seem that long ago since we were home. Crazy.

Back in the UK

It's so bittersweet to be back. The sad feeling of leaving everyone behind, yet wanting to get back into the swing of things. I struggle with that everytime we have someone visit or when its us visiting.

The flight back was spent with everyone sleeping (yeah!!) and it went very fast. Before we knew it we were back home with cookies on the table and fresh milk in the fridge. It's so nice to have good friends here too.

It wasn't too long before I killed my first spider, so it really does feel like home. Naps for all of us except Jacob and Aiden who were just too busy playing. Aiden feel asleep at the dinner table instead. So, showers were taken early and all boys were sleeping by 7:00. Let's hope it stays that way!

So, what seemed like a huge pain has turned out to be a blessing. The visas did get fixed and it took only 45 minutes to do so, but we lucked out because of it. Oh, it's one thing to see family on a computer screen each week, but to be able to reach out and hug them - it's the best feeling in the world.

Meet The Teacher

Well, tonight I went to school to meet Mrs. Nesser (or as Jacob says Mrs. Nessa!). The room is filled with tables with all the kids names on them and, of course, we had to sit at our child's place. So, while feeling rather large for the table and chair, I did as I was told. Looking around I saw the artwork and found Jacob's easily. A self portrait. He has done one in Preschool, reception, and now Year 1. They have improved, but they are always orange. This year he drew his family - all five of our heads...mine had some eyelashes (at least I think that was me!). He wrote his hobbies - just one: swimming. Good thing I booked him in lessons. Mrs. Nesser seems very nice and it seems Year 1 will be a bit more work and less play. Hmmm...maybe that will tire out Jacob?

Spider Convention?

Well, for the second night in a row, I've managed to kill another, 3 inch in diameter, spider. I'm not exaggerating either. It's been raining non-stop, so maybe the rain is like powerade for spiders? These suckers are huge! Of course, they choose to appear when Tom is out of town. What they don't know is that I'm no longer scared...I'm mad. Out comes my vaccuum and they get sucked up through the hose. I'm hoping they die once they are in there, or maybe one will eat the rest and I'll have an even bigger problem when it climbs on out.

It's not just spiders, we are being invaded by slugs. Huge, slimey slugs. The boys love them. Thank goodness they have the decency to stay outside (unless brought in by J or A). When I run at night I have to side step in order to keep a slug slime from the bottom of my shoe.

It's unbelievable how I have become used to all this. Maybe God is just preparing me for a lifetime of boys. Snips, and snails and puppy dog tails, right?

School? Already?

Well, I don't think that I've ever experienced a faster 6 weeks in my life! Tomorrow school starts and I find myself feeling a little low tonight. It was a great "summer" if you can call it that since it was so short. Don't get me wrong, we had our trying times when I looked at the calendar to count how many days I had left with these boys, but all in all it was great. I don't think I've ever had to make so many art projects in my life. Today was a cardboard clock. Sometimes it took more time to set up and clean up than it did to make the darn thing! But, whatever makes little Jacob happy.

So many memories were made in these short six week between trips away and staying at home. I watched Jacob finally master his bike and he is now able to get on and off alone. Aiden is never far behind on his trike with the bent wheel that daddy ran over and then tried to fix. It still works and Aiden doesn't care.

Tomorrow the chaos begins. School run at 8:40, followed by preschool drop off, then to Jeb's playgroup and back home for his lunch. Walk to pick up Aiden, home again for lunch and Jeb's nap. Wake Jeb up at 2:55 to pick up Jacob. Thank goodness no football this week! And to think that today we eased into the day with Jeb having 2 full naps. A walk into town was the most ambitious we got. I'll miss days like this.

On a side note, Tom's brother just called with news of the birth of their third boy. It seems all the Koops boys can make is more boys! Hopefully Pam can look back at these blog entries and think that maybe her day with three boys isn't so bad...she could be me!

Isle of Wight

Last week took a short, 5 day break to the Isle of Wight - a small island off the southern coast of England. We were a bit nervous packing since we have had absolutely no sun and it's been a bit chilly, but it turned out to be really nice and we saw a lot of sun. I guess the weather is on our side. The Isle of Wight is known for it's fossils and being the top place in the world to find dinosaur bones. So, of course, Jacob was ecstatic! We went to a museum and got to hold 65 million year old bones. Jacob loved it. We also did tons of fossil hunting on the stony beaches (found a few too!). But, mostly we hung out at the beach. The boys loved building sand castles and running in the water. Jeb got his first taste of the beach - literally! It was a great relaxing time before we start school next week.

The Olympics

We are having fun watching the Olympics this year. Last week was swimming, which had the boys jumping up and down yelling, "Go America!" They know where their roots lie! This week we are watching track and field (or Athletics, as they call them here). This morning was women's long jump. I wish that we hadn't watched it. Aiden is adamant that daddy's can run around the track, but not mummies. I told him that mummies can run around the track just like daddies. The reply I got was priceless..."no they can't, they just fall in the sand." Get it...the long jump?! :)

Jeb's First Haircut

Well, after getting our vacation pictures back, we decided that Jeb's hair was a bit out of control. Actually, Tom has been saying it for awhile, but I just couldn't snip my baby's hair! So, I finally took the plunge on Monday. Me and the boys walked to town and went to the trendest place to get it done. He just sat and let the girl do her thing. He never took his eyes off her though. He is a curious little man. It looked very "English" when done - not the way that my friend Kim normally buzzes the boys. So, I took the clippers out at home and buzzed around his ears and back of his head. He looks pretty good almost chunky! He is still the happy baby he always was - minus the combover and a little bit fuzzier!

Our Trip to Central Europe

We just returned from a 9 day roadtrip to Central Europe. We drove through 6 countries: England, France, Switzerland, Leichenstein, Austria, and Germany. Our main stay was in Lucerne, where we enjoyed walks through the old town and across the chapel bridge. The kids enjoyed the trip with travels by train, boat and cable car. We ended the trip with a tour of the champagne caves in Reims, France. These date back to the 4th century when the Romans dug them out for chalk to make buildings. This was actually Aiden's favorite day. The rest of the trip is documented in the posts below. We had such a great time...here are our highlights:

*The sound of cowbells as we ascended the Shilthorn
*Watching Jeb swim for the first time with the Austrian alps as a backdrop
*Screaming at Aiden to not drop his pants and pee in the bushes at the very crowded lake
*Walking hand in hand with Jacob in Lucerne
*Tom's head whipping around in disbelief that 60 year old women do like to sunbathe topless
*Eating our dinners in outdoor cafes
*Being in a real life Cinderella castle
*Watching our boys enjoy other countries and their cultures

It was a memory making trip! We hope to go back!

High in the Swiss Alps

We had two days of traveling up mountains in Switzerland. The first was the Schilthorn. What great views of snow capped mountains and pristine valleys below. It was nice and sunny, so I sat with Jeb so he could sleep and Tom and the boys hiked around the mountain (I was a bit nervous!). They had fun...every boys dream is to play with rocks and counquer a mountain!

The next day was Mt. Pilatus. We got on a boat at 8:15am (can't believe we got out by that time!) and we enjoyed a 30 minute cruise around Lake Lucerne. We had the boat to ourselves and drank in the morning sun while listening to our children run about the boat. Thank goodness no one else was on with us! We then took a cog train (the world's steepest) to the top of Mt. Pilatus. We walked out into a cloud. Shoot, we couldn't see anything. And it was cold! Oh well, there were caves to explore with stories of dragons. We then took a gondola ride down to a playground, so everyone was happy. In all, it was a fun experience!

Back to Lucerne to walk to city and do a bit of shopping so Tom could have a true Swiss watch. Hard to shop with three rambunctious boys, so I took them for ice cream while Tom made his big purchase. I think the women helping Tom was happy I did (this place was like walking into Tiffany's...not a place for kids!).

Neuschwanstein Castle: Straight from a fairy tale!

We debated on whether or not to see this, but we are so glad that we did. It was a rainy day, but as we toured the first castle, the sun came out. Thank goodness! What great views again!!

This castle was built by Ludwig II. He was super extravegant. The outside of the castle is said to have inspired the Disneyland Castle. It takes 45 minutes to walk up a very steep hill (with stoller and buggy board attached - our legs got a workout!) and at the top sits this amazing castle. We couldn't take pictures inside, but just to give you an idea of the extravegence of this place, Ludwig's bed and bedroom is made of carved wood which took 4 men 14 years to carve!

20 minutes to run down this time. Thank goodness we didn't lose the stoller on the steep road down! Just enough time for some sausages and ice cream. Back in the car to Innsbruck!!

Austria: Our most relaxing moments

I've always said that Austria was my favorite place in Europe and now I remember why. We had such a great view right out our window. Innsbruck sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. We absolutely loved it.

The kids needed a break, so we went to a little lake 15 minutes outside of Innsbruck. It was all locals and us, but we had a great time. Jeb had his first encounter with swimming and loved it. We did feel a little out of place with our pasty white skin that hadn't seen the sun b/c of the horrible English summer! I'm sure we were blinding to the Austrians around us. Oh, and yes, it is Europe, so tops were optional. Tom seemed to be the only one who noticed! Ha!

We took a round about way back and saw some pretty stunning views. The kids slept as Tom and I enjoyed the quietness by driving to different spots and taking it all in.

Munich: Our last major day

We arrived in Munich around noon (after Tom hit the guardrail on the Autobahn...only minor damage to the van door...much less then I did last Feb)and went into the city center. It was 90 degrees! The kids were starting to whine for the first time this week, so we went back to our airconditioned hotel. A few hours later we were sitting in a beer hall listening to men play music in their lederhosen. Jeb got up close and personal! What a meal - pretzels, sausages, kraut (boys wouldn't touch it!) and a big beer for Tom. It was fun.

Next day was dreary and it was appropriate as we headed to Dachau, the first concentration camp. This was my second visit here and it still gave me chills to see what went on here. Tom got the more indepth tour as I stayed with the boys outside. I'm glad we went. At some point the boys will learn about this terrible moment in history and we'll have pics to show them they were there.

Jeb at 10 months

Jeb turned 10 months a few days ago. I can't believe it. He is such a happy boy, constantly giggling, especially if his bros or daddy are around. He is becoming a little shy when strangers speak to him and always has a cuddle for mommy. He is pretty content to just sit and watch or play. I did notice a bit of movement the other day, which makes me think that he will follow in Aiden's footsteps and do the "bum-shuffle" instead of crawling. I'm a little dissapointed, but it makes life a whole lot easier if he doesn't mover quite so much at this point. He still is toothless with two big bumps on his lower gum. Doesn't matter though, he still enjoys his food and has no problem gumming it in order to eat. Teething may be the reason for his waking up at 6:00am every morning, or he could be just like Jacob and enjoy the wee morning hours. Tom and I sure don't. Oh well, we sure wouldn't trade him. Just take a look at this giggly boy...see if you can catch him saying "bye-bye" in his own little way!

In Case You Were Wondering

Day Two of the Summer Holiday Break. Much better. Still up with Jeb at 5:00. Not all that hungry. Just wanted to have a chat and play. Boys slept in til 8:00. Thank you for that gift! Off to Odds Farm for some fun feeding goats, etc. Jacob to a friends in the afternoon. Jeb asleep. Aiden watching Thomas. Still tired, but at least I got lunch today!

Day One of Summer Holiday Break

5:15 am: Boy #3 awake, give him Tylenol, assuming it's teeth
5:30 am: Boy #3 not happy, decide to feed him and put him in bed with me
6:30 am: I am still awake as Boy #3 continues to hit my face
6:35 am: Hear legos in Boy #1 and #2 room
6:50 am: Boy #3 in crib and sleeping, I slip into bed
6:59 am: Boy #1 in my room. Bug in his bedroom. He crawls into bed with me followed by B#2.
7:30 am: Decided to get up and make french toast
8:30 am: Step into shower
8:33 am: B2 swings bathroom door open with stool and diego seat. He needs the potty. A not so sweet aroma enters the room.
8:37: B1 comes in and argues with B2 b/c he needs the toilet. Wonder what is wrong with the other two toilets in the house.
8:40: Out of shower. Hear B3 screaming for breakfast.
8:50: Trying to get all boys dressed. Referring a fight between B1 and B2. Explain that this is not a race, yet B1 continues to taunt B2 b/c he "won". Time out needed.
9:30: Head out to get babysitter. Can't find B2's shoes (he has 6 pairs!)
10:00: In hairdresser's chair with a hot coffee. Ahh, two hours of peace.
12:00: Back home. All are hungry again. Throw PBJ at B1 and B2. Feed B3. Get bread out for myself and B1 comes in. Bees. Take care of it and come back in. Get knife and Peanut Butter. B1 in again. Apples on the ground. No use in trying to eat lunch. Will try later.

This is only half the day. Will they all go like this? Must set a new precedence for summer holiday schedule tomorrow. I've forgotten what a house of 3 boys is like and I refuse to let them overtake me!

Schools Out For the Summer!

Ah, yes, we are finally on summer holiday! While I am a little misty eyed about Jacob completing his first year at school, I'm also super excited to be done with it. You see, there are two types of mums here in England. The first are those who are so excited to not have to do the school run, make the lunches, etc. The second are also excited, but their number one emotion is fear. Fear of what to do with a child who will eventually whine with boredom within three weeks. I am with the first party. As I laid in bed last night I couldn't sleep...when I picked up Jacob from school I was more exicted than him! Remember getting out of school when you were a kid and singing the Alice Cooper classic "Schools out for the summer!"? Well, that was me today in my big beast of a mini van. Shades on, windows down, and a slightly embarrassed kid in the back!

This is the beginning of 5 weeks of blissfully easing into the day (versus the usual shot gun approach) and spending some good times with the boys. Let's hope it's as blissful as I hope it will be!

Aiden's Sports Day

Sports Day is a big thing in this country and it's not just primary school, but nursery as well! So, this past Wednesday I was on the field again. This time at Aiden's school. He was VERY apprehensive about participating, so it took a lot of coaxing on my part to get him to do the race. He decided to go for it in the horsey race and the full-on running race. If only he would have run in a straight line, he would have won it. That is the great thing about Aiden - he could care less if he wins. Look how happy the ole chap is. Ah, to be 3 again!

Swim, Jacob, Swim!

Jacob has been taking swim lessons for the past 3 months and loves it! He goes every Monday after school to Ms. Maura's, who teaches out of the pool in her back garden. She is a spunky Irish woman, which is exactly what Jacob needs to get him moving. Parents got to watch at the last lesson on Monday. Here are some of his best moves, even though he forgot his goggles!

Jacob Sports Day at School

The rain stopped long enough on Tuesday so that Jacob could have sports day at school. The kids were all dressed in their "house" colors, so Jacob was representing the red house. On his first race, he ended up dead last. Then, on the relay race, he started first, but, well, it wasn't pretty. Finally, he represented the red house well by taking them from last to first on the all important EGG AND SPOON RACE!! (And I didn't get it on video!)After that was the mums race and I ended up loosing due to forgetting to wear a belt. Hard to run with your trousers falling down! Athletics just don't run in the genes!

Things Said Over and Over

Today I realized that I say the same things over and over. It's no wonder the boys don't listen to me anymore - I'm starting to tune myself out! So, I'm going to try to find new ways to say them. Here they are (in no particular order):

1. Get dressed.
2. Put the seat down.
3. Did you flush?
4. Are you dressed yet?
5. Eat your vegetables.
6. Stop burping, you'll throw up.
7. Can you hear me?
8. Just eat it!
9. Stop whining.
10. Shut the door!
11. Just say your sorry to your brother.
12. Who didn't flush?!

Legoland on the Fourth!

The Fourth of July is definitely my favorite holiday, so even though we are living in England we decided to still celebrate! We took Jacob out of school (terrible mother, I know!) and surprised the boys by going to Legoland for the day. The weather was unbelievable good, which is rare here. We had a blast riding the dino dipper rollercoaster, but Jacob wanted to go on "the big one." So, Tom and him waited 1 1/2 hours while Jeb, Aiden and I headed to Duploland to ride on some smaller rides. Jacob, surprisingly, loved the rollercoaster! We headed onwards for 'the great dig', which let the boys dig ball using an small excavator (Aiden was in his element!). A few more rides and then we ended with the Viking water ride, which we all got soaked on (except Tom and Jeb who watched and laughed!). Tom has been dreaming of going to Legoland since he was a kid, so we spent an hour in the Lego village where different parts of the world were miniturized using legos. We left the park with a bag of new Legos (they get you every time!) and 3 knackered boys (2 parents too). A fourth of July to remember. Oh, and we even saw a few fireworks at night here in town!

What Is Everyone Staring At?

Today was interesting at school drop off. As usual, the boys go to play while we wait for the school doors to open. I am immerse in conversation with a friend when I notice all the boys are laughing at something in the middle of the bushes. I then notice all the parents looking and smirking. I thought I'd take a look and get in on the fun. No. I look and see Aiden. Pants around his ankles, peeing away. Nice. I hand off Jeb to a friend and run to sheild Aiden from the crowd and me from further embarrassment. Days like these that I feel like I should be the poster child for moms who shouldn't have three kids!

Jeb at 9 Months!

 
I can barely believe it, but our baby is 9 months old! Jeb got his 9 month check on Tuesday and he is doing well. He is still small: 15 lbs, 7 oz (1st percentile! A drop from 2nd!) and 27 inches long (25th percentile). The doctor isn't too worried about it though. Jeb eats so much, so we're guessing that he has his daddy's metabolism plus the metabolism from my side that eluded me as a child, but was very apparent in my older brother (why does it always go to the men?!). Jeb is sitting up and seems to want to crawl, but every time I lay him on his stomach, one of his brothers rolls him over or puts him in sitting position. Oh well. His legs are strong, so he may just skip crawling and walk. The slower the better, I say. Three boys running around may just put me over the edge! For now, we have a very happy, little peanut!

What Happens When Your Exhausted (with kids)

Yesterday we spent the afternoon in Oxford. It wasn't so pleasant. Aiden whined about 80% of the time, so while the sights were great, the company wasn't. Although, when Aiden got in the car, he had a huge grin on his face and told Tom, "that was fun!" (Not really for us!)

Anyway, we got home in time for dinner and Tom told me to sit and he'd get the kids ready for bed (6:30, mind you!). Not long after, Jacob comes in and asks me to read him a book. I do so, but fall asleep (accidently!!) only to be awoken 15 minutes later by Tom, who looks like he has just woken up himself. Jacob and Aiden are sitting on the couch across from me and Tom says, "Joy, I put both of them down 20 minutes ago!" What?! And the two boys sit there grinning away. So, sly! It doesn't end there. I take Jeb and ask Tom what is on his face. Tom answers, "I let him play with a magazine while I was sleeping." (Yes, parenting at its best!) I freak out and ask Tom if he ate any of it and he didn't know. Tiny peices all around his mouth...Tom checks in his mouth. Oh yes, a little ball of Car and Driver stuck in the roof of his mouth. We'll find the rest in the diaper tomorrow. For now, maybe everyone needs to go to bed- especially us!

The Empty Chair at the Table

This week has been a bit quiet and at times I've felt a little lonely. Aiden is off in the states with the grandparents while Tom works in Chicago. I definitely think that God knows what He is doing when it comes to easing you into parenting. I really never noticed how much busier life got when Jeb came along, we just rolled with it. But, now that I'm down to just two boys, I realize just how much time it takes to parent two vs. three. It's nice to have a break and kind of relax this past week, but I sure miss Aiden. I miss hearing him play by himself and seeing his imagination at work, I miss his cheeky little smile, I miss his little legs that are always running, and I miss his morning hug. I'm so glad that I could share all those things with my parents and Tom's parents. But, I really want him back. So do his brothers...we need to see tractors all over the place, we need to run to try to find a toilet to make it in time, we need to hear the screams of in-fighting. We need the empty chair at the table to be filled!

Look out for next weeks blog - I'm sure it will be all about how I'm so exhausted from having three boys! Women are never happy are they?

Sunday in London

Since Daddy and Aiden went to America, we told Jacob that he could do whatever he wanted for a day. He chose to go to the Natural History Museum in London (of course!). So, yesterday we left the house at 8:30 am and were on the train by 8:50. The tube was a bit of a challenge with its endless escalators and Jeb in a stroller. But, my biceps are so ripped (yeah right!) that I had no problem lifting the whole lot!

Anyway, we got to the museum as the doors were opening and went directly to the dinosaur exhibit. Jacob had been talking about this for weeks (he had gone a few months ago with Daddy, so he wanted to show mummy). We walk into the exhibit and you could hear the robotic T-Rex. Jacob started wimpering immediately. I told him it wasn't real, but he said that he didn't want to go. Now, remember I said that I lugged the stroller up and down those long escalators? I wasn't about the turn around and go home - we were going in! So, we sped past the dinosaur, which was admittedly, a bit scary and on to the dinosaur bones. Much safer. I'm not one for reading everything in a museum, but I do like to skim. Not the case with Jacob. We were done with this pretty huge museum in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Including lunch, a baby feed, toilets and a diaper change. I felt like I was pulled through it at an alarming speed. Good thing all museums in London are free!

It was a spectacular day in London so we headed to Hyde Park, which is the size of Central Park. We sat at the Princess Dianna Memorial fountain and dipped our feet in. Jacob dipped his entire lower half in. It is such a fitting memorial for the "People's Princess". No other fountain in London allows you to put your feet in, so it was great to see the memorial surrounded by people. We then went to the playground where Jacob played with kids from all over the world. Seriously. Kids don't care what you look like or what you sound like. You don't need to speak English to play on the merry-go-round. It was very neat to watch.

At the end of the day, Jacob said he had fun. I asked if he liked the park and he said "yes, but it was just an ordinary park." Someday maybe he will think that these "ordinary" experiences were a little extraordinary!

The Coffee Can

Jacob is going to kill me someday for this, but it's so classic. Let me set it up: after 9 hours and 50 minutes of traveling home from Ireland and 10 minutes from home, Jacob screams for us to stop. I'll just give it to you as we heard it.

Jacob: 'I have to go to the toilet'
Tom: 'I'm not stopping the car, we are 10 minutes from home'
Jacob: 'I can't hold it!'
Joy: 'Here is a bag - just poop in it'
Jacob: 'What?! I can't do that in my seat'
Joy: 'Just lay on your side'
Tom: 'I'm stopping the car'on the side of the motorway, get out the coffee can'
Jacob sits and a stench fills the van: 'I have diarrehea'
Aiden (continually): 'Can I see, can I see?'

Tom and Joy are laughing histerically while it is all happening. Jacob gets up to wipe while mooning everyone on the M40 trying to get home from their holiday break. This would only happen to us. Thank goodness I was a girl scout and prepared with the Costco coffee can and Ziploc bags. With our luck, it will happen again.

Our Trip to Ireland

Well, it's been two weeks since we left Ireland, but it is still fresh in our minds as one of the best holidays we've taken! Wow, the scenary was so great and we did have the luck of the Irish as it didn't rain! (It sure did back home in England...surprise, surprise!)

We took the ferry over to Ireland. It was a fun experience for the kids, but it was a long journey - 11 hours in total. So we were glad to reach our cottage and sleep a bit before exploring the Southeast coast of Ireland. We spent Sunday driving the coast and visiting the world's oldest working lighthouse. It was extremely windy, but that didn't stop us from going to the beach and getting nice and dirty (I'm getting used to it - the boys are just draw to anything that will lead to me spending time with the washing machine!).

The next morning we took off early for the West side of Ireland, where most people say the prettiest views are. They are right! We explored the ring of Kerry all day. First we hired a horse and trap to see the Gap of Dunloe. A gap between two mountains carved by a glacier. Loads of abandoned houses from the potato famine of the 1800s when half of the Irish left for the US. The boys enjoyed it, but their favorite part was watching the horse poop. Yes, we pay good money to keep them entertained! We did a bit more sight seeing before landing in a pub for my first Guinness (YUM!!).

Tuesday was the Dingle Penisula. A rainbow invited us into the Penisula, but sadly no pot of gold was found. But, it was green and lush with sheep grazing everywhere - just as you would imagine it to be. We had to stop at a beach for the boys, but they were excited to also hike up a semi-mountain with absolutely no fencing above the high cliffs that led straight into the blue water. Yikes, was I nervous! No problems thought, so their reward was the hotel pool (probably the highlight of the trip).

Wednesday we headed back east and stopped at Blarney Castle. Tom and I kissed the Blarney stone to try to gain the gift of eloquence. Not quite sure if it worked or not, but it is one of the 99 things the Travel Channel says you should do before you die. It was pretty cool.

The rest of the time was spent at our cottage in Dunmore East relaxing and spending time at the beach. The weather was sunny and somewhat warm, so the boys had a great time. We were sad to leave on Saturday, but eager to get home to a regular routine. Ireland is one place that we hope to return to someday - it is so beautiful!

The Newest Koops Family Member

Oh, don't get excited, there are no baby announcements here. Before I tell you who this new member is, let me give you a little background.

The weather here is so great. 80 degree days and no rain! May is supposed to be one of the best months in England. That must be why the Beaconsfield Fair is held every year in May. It's bigger than the Hudsonville Fair and our town is not all that big. So, we were going to go as a family, but Jeb was sick, so I stayed back. The boys had a great time and told me so as they jumped out of the car with a fish. Yes, we now own a fish. I took it all in stride, Daddy won it while playing darts. Thanks Tom. So we put it in the water pitcher and I expected it to die within a week. Tom didn't. He came home today with an aquarium. You can imagine just how happy I was! He tried to make me feel better..."Joy, if the fish dies, the boys can use it for bugs or a hamster." That, as you can imagine, only made me more mad. But, it is now his responsibility, I'm not touching the tank and any water spilled by the boys (Tom's idea to keep it in their room) will be handled by Tom. Welcome to the family Goldie.

Oh, Tom's final remark to me..."You look like you've lost weight." Nice try Tom...

Jacob Rides a Bike!

We've been doing a bit of practice without training wheels, but tonight was the night that Jacob "got it." You can see in the video, but he improved more after that by learning to stop by himself instead of yelling "Mummy, stop!" I felt like I did when I watched him take his first step...proud, yet sad to see yet another milestone slip through the sands of time. Ahh, my little boy is growing up. How bittersweet.

Our Three Day Weekend

Another UK Bank Holiday weekend this past weekend. That means we were on the road to see some sights! This time it was all about the kids. On Saturday we went to the coast: Brighton. It's what I picture Coney Island to be - a pier full of carnival games and cotton candy (which we had to get). The boys were happy on the beach just collecting shells and rocks (no sand on this beach, just rocks). They had so much fun and the weather was actually decent. Aiden was exhausted as we drove home.

Sunday, we went to the London Zoo. Again, another fun filled day for the boys. Jeb loved the butterfly display - his eyes watched in amazement. The other boys loved the bug exhibit (mommy could have sat that one out) and the giraffes. The day was long and we were all tired by the end. So, Monday was our catch up day. We also had some English friends over for an American bbq. The kids tore the place up (4 boys in total) and we sat outside and acted like we didn't care. Ha! Now it's back to reality...

Sly as a fox

A few weeks ago, I grew tired of climbing on the top bunk to make the bed. So, I told Jacob that if he made his bed everyday, he would get a pound at the end of the week. He's really into filling his piggy bank with English money, so he did it every day. Last week he grew tired of it, but I pesterred him to do it. This week it has been great. I told him so yesterday morning. And he looked at me with a cheeky little grin and said, "I know, I haven't been sleeping in my bed. I sleep on the top with another blankie and then my bed is always made." I kind of stood there in shock and went and told Tom. Tom knew already because every night Jacob has pleaded with him to not go under the covers. What that child will do to avoid work! I hope this isn't a pattern! Tom's thought? He said, "Sounds like something you would do, Joy." WHAT?!

Aiden is Potty Trained!

Oh, it feels so good to write that title! I've waited for two weeks since I didn't want to jinx myself. But, Aiden is asking to use the toilet for both #1 and #2 (only a mom can write that and beam with pride!). This morning their was an argument at 6:25 am between the two big bros. Aiden had to "go" and Jacob told him just to "go"in his diaper (he still wears that at night - I'm not crazy enough to go all the way just yet). Anyway, Aiden wasn't having it - he wanted to keep his diaper dry and go in the toilet. We now have a rule to wake up mom or dad rather than Jacob when he has to "go."

So, now that that is over we can move on to the next drama in the Koops house: Jeb teething. When you have 3 kids, your odds are stacked against you for any kind of peace. Can't complain...we did ask for it!

Aiden turns 3!

Where does time go to? It's right what they say - time flies when you have kids. I cannot believe that Aiden is three!

We had the big celebration last Friday, the 18th. Aiden got to choose what we did that day. So, we went to the library for a music session (although he threw a fit b/c he decided at the last second he didn't want to go), went to Costa for a biscuit for Aiden and hot chocolate for Jacob, and then back home to make pizza and have blue Thomas the Tank Engine cake. It was a perfect day. He was so excited for his presents, exclaiming "tool (cool)"when he opened his Roary the Racing Car race track. Take a look at the video - it's a long one, but you can see how we celebrated.

p.s. Mid-afternoon Jacob said to me, "Mum, I don't think I'm getting enough attention today. Oh Jacob, you get the most attention 364 days a year...just give it up for one day! :)

Oui, Oui Mi Cheri !

We hopped the Eurostar this weekend for a quick getaway to Paris. Key words here are: no kids! We left very early Saturday morning and were at the Louvre by noon. We stayed for a little less than an hour, enough to see Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and some other DaVinci pieces. Next we went to the Arc de Triomphe. Climbed the 200+ stairs to the top to see some unbelievable views of Paris. The metro took us out to the Eiffel Tower. We spent a majority of our time here due to the two hour wait to get to the top. Well worth it though. Next stop was the hotel to drop off our backpack and rest before dinner (which was so great!). After dinner, a boat cruise down the Seine. So much fun...Tom was cold. Apparently he didn't get enough of the french wine b/c I was just fine! The city really is magical at night with all the lights. We topped off the night with a Nutella crepe off the street. Yum!

Sunday we slept in (yeah!) and then headed where else but to Notre Dame. We were lucky enough to sit in on a service and hear the beautiful voices of the choir. The cathedral is breathtakingly beautiful and it's so amazing that it took nearly 200 years to build! We decided to climb to the top of the bell tower (344 steps this time) where we saw the big bell and saw more stunning views of Paris. It was noon by the time we were through, so we quickly went to a cafe and got a baguette. Sat in the park and people watched while eating it. No place else does a baguette sandwich taste so good!

Back to the train station after that and we were home by 4:45. I did miss the boys, but it was nice to get away. Jeb went right to me and gave me a big cuddle. He knows how to work his mum!

Did you know...if you looked at every piece of art in the Louvre for only 3 seconds, it would take you 3 months to see it all - day and night.

A Sunday surprise!

It's taken me awhile to get this on the blog, but it is blog-worthy! Last Friday we had temps in the 60s and we were running around without coats! Saturday was spent in Cambridge where Tom's mom and I punted down the river while it got colder and colder and finally rained. So dissapointing. I didn't think it could get worse until I got up on Sunday to my boys acting like it was Christmas. I nearly fell over when I saw that it looked like it was. Remember, this is April. I'm beginning to think England's weather is crazier than Michigan's!!

Jeb is 6 months

I've always said that 6 months is my favorite age. Jeb is no exception. He is so happy, with smiles and laughs readily available from the moment he gets up until he is in bed for the night. If he is a bit unhappy, all we have to do is get Jacob in the room. He loves to look at Jacob. He looks at Aiden as if he is from another planet. (Sometimes I think he is). Jeb has rolled a few times, but for the most part he just hangs out. Food is another issue. At 13 lbs (2nd percentile), he needs his solids, but his body doesn't want to give them up. Prunes, prunes, prunes. No result. Visit to the doctor, who gave us some sugar water and bam! He was much better. I wasn't - I've never seen so much poo in my life! While on holiday...yet Tom was no where to be found!!

Six months goes too fast. I hope the next half year slows down. We are enjoying every second with Jeb!

Easter in the Lakes District

We spent a long weekend in the Lakes District - about 4 hours north of London. It was so beautiful and so relaxing! We got there Friday morning and visited the World of Beatrix Potter and then took a boat ride around one of the lakes. Then on to our cottage. The boys were super excited about one thing...the cottage had stairs (our house doesn't). They belly surfed down for the first half hour of being in the house.

On Saturday we decided to stick close to home. A nice little hike up the side of a mountian following a waterfall. Aiden loved throwing rocks in the river and Jacob led the way the whole time. Another walk in the afternoon was right out our back door, through a sheep pasture and then to a lake to skip rocks and enjoy the views.

Easter Sunday. I woke up early with Jeb to find that it had snowed. The view was even better out our window! Plus, big bunny tracks in the snow...the Easter bunny had come to visit and left eggs all over the house! The boys loved it! We had chocolate eggs for breakfast! We then traveled on to Joy's dad's cousin's house for church and Easter dinner. Not such an easy task when you are driving on single track mountain roads when it has just snowed. It took us twice as long and we literally slid down one mountain side. So scary!! But it was worth it to spent Easter with family. It was great to meet them and spend the day with them.

Monday we had to go home, but we first made a stop at what is deemed as the most beautiful spot in the Lakes. It was super cold, but we walked half way around the lake watching the sheep and once again throwing rocks in the lake. It never gets old. Aiden laughs each time he does it! We left this beautiful peice of England and trekked back down to Beaconsfield.

Loads of memories of this weekend. Loads of wash too...

Can I get another hour?

That is how it feels today and this week as we are packing to head up north to the Lakes District of England. It's a nice long Easter weekend, so we are taking advantage by renting a cottage. The weather has just turned cold and rainy, so we may end up relaxing inside.

We need a little R&R. This week has been crazy busy with helping at school, easter egg hunts, animal farms (v. fun - I'll post pics soon), and football. Plus the laundry and cleaning (didn't get done this week!) The days have me so tired! Need proof that I'm not all there? On Wednesday I was at the grocery store with the two younger boys. Jeb up on top of the trolley - you know how hard it is to see, so I have made a rule that Aiden has to stay beside me so I don't run him over. I guess other mothers haven't made that rule because I ran a little boy over. I apologized up and down, but everytime we passed them in the store both the mom and son gave me dirty looks. I was devastated. I swear I didn't see him!!!

So, onward we go in our packed-up van. I truly am so excited for this weekend. I just want to sit and not try to stretch one more hour into my day. This weekend 24 should be just right.

Spring in England

Everywhere we turn lately there are signs of spring. The biggest change is the amount of daylight we have. Instead of the sun going down at 3:45pm, it is now 6:15pm. Thank goodness! Soon, we'll have so much daylight due to the sun coming up at 3:30 am. Hopefully the boys don't think that is the time to get up.

The flowers are blooming and we have beautiful daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths blooming this week. We also have some form of a rhododendron blooming outside our bedroom window. I love opening the curtains each morning and seeing new blooms. Yesterday, we planted flowers. It brings so much life to the back garden!

This week brings Easter. They don't color eggs here. Everything seems to be centered around chocolate. Just what we need...more energy for the boys! Good Friday is traditionally started with hot cross buns. Like the song, remember: "One a penny, two a penny?" At one time little boys came out each Good Friday and yelled that. Everyone had them since they were unleavened and bore the sign of the cross. Eventually the song came out. We just need to find some without raisins or sultans. We'll let you know how they are. The crosses on top are made of frosting, so I'm sure the boys will enjoy! Oh, and they aren't a penny anymore! Figures!

Happy Spring!

Baby food stage

We started Jeb out on baby food a couple weeks ago. How confusing it is over here to figure out what to feed babies! First of all, everything is mixed. So, Jeb started out on carrots and potatoes. Next was parsnips, spinach and basil. There are a few more fruit or veg combos, but after that all there is is meat mixtures. Jars marked as cottage pie, bolognese, etc. Plus the fact that they contain cows milk. Hmmm...what to feed my 5 month old. So, I bit the bullet and made my own. Those that know me well, know that I'm no Martha Stewart. The kitchen was a mess and the vast amount of peas that I started with filled only two containers. Oh, how I miss Gerber! Maybe making squash will be easier?? Or maybe we'll just make Jeb an English baby and give him cottage pie! I think we all know what will happen...3 kids... no time...and too much mess. Yep, I'll go for the jars!

Sweet, Sweet Jacob

This weekend is Mothers Day here in England. I really didn't think that Jacob cared too much about it. He received flowers at school to give to me, but told me that they were his once he got home. However, today he asked me for a peice of paper and crayons and "not to look." He handed me his hand-made card a little while later and surprisingly it said something: I Lu Y. I was so shocked and proud at the same time. Six months ago this child wouldn't sit down to color if you bribed him with candy, now he is making me cards that say something! It makes me realize that I don't need anything from them on mothers day, just a handmade something...

...it's Tom who needs to purchase something! :)

Nomandy Visit to Le Mont St. Michele

After the D-Day visit, we went a little further west to visit Le Mont St. Michele. It is breathtakingly beautiful! Set right off the coast on a mount-island, is an abbey and a town. At high tide, it is completely surrounded by water. The abbey has over a hundred stairs to the top (well done Aiden!) and was first started in 115 AD. It was finished in 1800. The streets of the town are tiny, just like you'd imagine they'd be in Europe. After our hike to the top, Jeb and I took some time to have an expresso and pastry, while people watching. The boys and Tom went out around the beach and collected more shells and climbed the rocks. This was the relaxing day that we needed after yesterday!

Because it's a world heritage site, their were many tour buses. The Japenese tourists loved our boys. Especially Aiden and those big blue eyes and blonde hair. A Japenese couple was so happy to have their picture taken with him. :)