Lately

What have we been up to lately? Well, we've been hot! Really hot! Our bodies are not used to the heat and especially the humidity of the midwest! Jacob recently told me that he couldn't take the heat, followed by "bring on winter." Spoken like a true Brit!

Let's back up six weeks...We landed in Michigan a bit overwhelmed to be home. We were greeted by both sides of the family at the airport, which was so nice! But, whenever someone asked if it was good to be home, I felt the tears coming.

It's different here. For some reason, I've forgotten how big things are and how busy it is! Even the American accent has taken me off guard. Listening to the boys play with their cousins, it struck me how different the accent really is. And the boys seem to have lost theirs, although many have commented on Aiden's, which I don't hear at all (One little boy asked me if Aiden was Australian).

Aiden has asked the best questions about America:
1. Why are there so many American flags in America?
2. Why are there so many farms in America and no sheep?
3. What is that picture on the side of the road? (Answer: A billboard)
4. Do they sell flowers at that place that looks like a church playground without a church? (That was a cemetary and the answer was no!)

On to the cottage. After sending the kids off to various family members for a week so that we could house hunt, we went back up to Michigan for a week at my parent's cottage. It was great. The kids swam, tubed and even skied on the EZ ski. Even Jeb did it! You should have seen people look up when we pasted with our two year old waving with his royal wave. The rest of the week was spent going to the swamp to catch frogs and ended with a Fourth of July celebration.

Back to Chicago. Now we are back in Oakbrook at our little apartment, awaiting our closing on the house. It hasn't been pretty. While the pool has been a great distraction, even that is getting old. Besides the odd doctors appointment here and there, we've just been getting on each others nerves. It's time for a house with a yard and neighbors, who hopefully have kids!

It's all feeling real and that is ok. It's hard to move on and I think about England almost every day. But, good things await us in Elmhurst. I should enjoy my last care free moments of not owning a house. Now to focus on my biggest issue just may be: what do I rename this blog?! The name just doesn't apply anymore...

All ready for the Fourth of July Boat Parade!

Jeb "skiing"

Jump!

Back together with Andy and Matt - American best friends

Last Photos and Last Post of England. (Sniff, sniff)

Today marks one full month of being in the states and away from England. Funny, it's been rainy and humid here, while sunny and beautiful in the UK. Ironic! Anyway, I forgot to post some pics of the boys going away party with their classes. We rented a bouncy castle and ate ice lollies (popsicles). It was great!

But before that, here is a slideshow of our family photoshoot at Cliveden in May. Liezl Croft (www.liezlcroft.com) spent the day with us capturing the boys at their best and worst moments! I'm so glad we did it and that the background is one of our favorite places in England!

Aiden's class party

Jacob's class party. Somehow the 7 year olds don't listen like the 5 year olds. They just wouldn't sit!!

Jeb's last Tumble Tots class - with his best mate Health.



And our last shots in Beaconsfield...we'll miss you!

10 years on...

Wednesday was our first full day for me and the boys to be here in Chicago alone. It also happened to be my birthday and our 10th anniversary. It also happened to be 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Oh, and the boys were tired - code for "let's fight so much that mom goes nuts." You can see where this is going.

Ok, so we made it through the morning, just barely. We all took some quiet time before Tom came home early for, not what you think, but instead for Jeb's first appointment with the CF team at Children's Memorial. The appointment went well (check out his blog in the next few days), but it was 3 hours long. We were exhausted, but all the boys were troopers.

After it was time to celebrate the big 10 year marriage marker! Oh, but we don't have a babysitter! So, we decided to treat the boys to pizza. Except we don't know where a pizza place is, so we rely on the satnav. We ended up in a fancy restaurant that didn't have pizza on the menu. But, they made it for us anyway. Bless them! I always imagined Tom and I at a fancy restaurant on our 10th, but not in this scenario.

But, you know what? Isn't that what we should do to celebrate our 10 years together? It's where we are in our lives and in hindsight, I'm glad that the day went the way it did. It is pretty unforgettable and I'm thankful for every piece of pizza stuffed into Aiden's already full mouth, each doctor appointment that helps Jeb, each antagonizing act provoked by Jacob and each time the satnav brings us to a dead end road. This is our life. I'm not sure that I would have imagined it this way when I stood in front of Tom 10 years ago. But, I wouldn't want it any other way...

Rhodes, Greece!!

Our final trip while we were still classified as ex-pats was to Rhodes, Greece. Rhodes is the farthest island south and is actually closer to Turkey than to mainland Greece. It was first established in 6th century B.C., so it's the oldest place that we've been to! Plus, it's the island that gets the most sun and boy did we need the sun!! The best way to remember the 12 days spent there is through pics, so here we go! Our villa, where we spent a significant amount of time in the pool. Aiden finally ditched the swimmies and was swimming beautifully by the end of the trip. Jeb, well he just kept jumping in over and over despite having the wear an ear band due to a burst ear drum prior to leaving England. And Jacob became the world's best Uno player in between swims.

The beach. We did every other day at the beach. It was hot and the turquoise waters were so soothing. We even did a sand castle competition, which mum and Aiden won. It took some training of the eyes to look straight forward at these topless beaches. And it's not what you think, most women sporting the bottoms-only look were not 20. Tom had always dreamed of rolling over to see a DD chest, but when it's on a 250 pound women, well, then you know that the day at the beach is done.

The Acropolis (Apollo's Temple). We chose the hottest day to do this! At the very top of the cliff in Lindos, lies an ancient Greek temple, which was quite large back in 6,000 BC when it was being used. Tom and I thought it was so interesting, while the boys, Aiden in particular, hated every single minute of it. Thank goodness for the donkeys that took us up to the top of the cliff and for the shops that distracted us on the way down.

These are the tiny shells that Aiden found one night while rock pooling. Too bad that one somehow got stuck up his nose the next morning. I am an expert on getting things out by now, so if you are a mom and you need to know - simply hold the side of the nose that is clear shut and put your mouth over the childs mouth and give a good blow. The shell shot to the other end of the room. Wonder what will be the next object, Aiden!

This was amazing. Two men on a moped with a donkey colt in between. Only in Greece.

Epta Piges, or the Seven Springs. Again, in the BC time frame, the Romans found these springs and figured out how to get the fresh water all over the island. We got to walk in ankle deep water through the Roman-built tunnel that was 1 Km long with the only daylight coming from the ends. It was a bit scary, but we all did it, including Jeb all on his own. Rumor has it that doing this will make you live longer. Fingers crossed on that one.

A bit of alone time for mum and Aiden. Went into town and then stopped by St. Paul's church. This is where Paul stopped on his journey towards Ephesus on one of his three missionary journeys. That one gave me goose bumps.

And finally, the glass bottom boat ride. 2 1/2 hours of pure pleasure! No life jackets for the older boys and bow riding at 30 mph! Did I mention the waves on the way back? I was certain we'd dock and I'd have lost one of them off the bow. But, being a mother of boys, I took a deep breath and watched them laugh it off. Out in the bay, the water was so blue and the views of Rhodes were spectacular! Aiden took the wheel by himself, which I couldn't quite believe and then Jeb shared the responsibility with the captain.

What a ride...and when I say ride, I'm not just talking about the boat. Greece was great. Ok, I will share my secret of kind of running the rental car into a stone wall and needing a police report. Have you ever been to a Grecian police station? We have. 5 times. They work slow and they smoke a lot. Try not to wreck your rental. BTW, the rental agency didn't even notice. Only in Greece. Laid back, lots of sun, and just what we needed!

Don't Cry Because It's Over...

...Smile Because It Happened.

It's been nearly 2 weeks since we left England and we've been trying to get over it in Greece, totally cut off from email and the blog. I decided to go old school on the morning that I woke up for the last time in Beaconsfield, so here is what I actually wrote on paper (yikes!) that morning.

How do you say goodbye when you are not ready to leave and are still so in love with where you are? Today at 11:00 am we will get into a taxi and leave Beaconsfield for good. I'm not ready and my heart is breaking into a million pieces.

2 3/4 years really isn't a long time, but for some reason, our roots seem to have sunk a little bit deeper here than I ever would have imagined. And it's not about what we have done or what we have seen. Don't get me wrong, we have gone on some amazing trips abroad and seen just how beautiful the UK is on the weekend. But, it's not about that. My heart is breaking over what we are leaving behind - our English family.

A family that just seem to form steadily through daily school runs, weekly playgroups, and a family that held us up when Jeb got so sick. They are people I'll never forget, simply because I can't. These people have taught me so much about love and loyalty. If I ever needed anything, I always knew I'd have a group of people to choose from who wouldn't thing twice about helping. And I would do the same for them. It's taught me so much.

Kids are resilient. But, I wonder about Jacob, who is leaving his best friend Fraser. We said goodbye to them yesterday. Sarah has 4 boys, with the three oldest being the same age as mine. Poor Jeb doesn't understand that he won't see Heath again and Jacob, the poor thing, does. It was heartbreaking for me to hug Sarah goodbye and try to thank her for being like a sister to me. It was even harder to hug her boys for the last time. We walked away crying and Jacob asked why we were moving if we loved it here so much. A good question, so simple, yet so complicated.

I've cried thousands of tears over the past 4 days. First at the boys going away party, then the last day of school where I was a blubbering mess! I hope to come back to visit. I know we'll stay in touch. How can I not, after all that we have been through here? Tom and I agree that these have been the best years of our lives. Never thought I'd say that considering they were also the worst when it came to Jeb's diagnosis. It says a lot about the people who surrounded us and loved us even though we were Yanks and even though they knew we'd leave them.

So, thank you England for your beauty, for the friends, for the lessons learned, and the memories made.

God Save the Queen... God Bless America.

Miss vs. Not Miss

Hmmm... what will I miss about jolly old England?
1. School runs, even with the constant tension of getting shoes on, lunches made, and out the door by 8:38; it was my social time.
2. Friday play group with expat moms
3. A cuppa with some natter
4. My kids friends - love you boys!!
5. Online grocery shopping and the grocery man bringing them in!
6. Curry and sticky toffee pudding
7. Ready meals on a Friday night
8. Day trips
9. Running into at least one person while running to town b/c Beaconsfield is so quaint that way
10. Watching Jeb run to one of his Aunties or Mark. :)
11. And so much more.

OK, there has to be something that I WON'T MISS!!
1. Rain!!! And the damp, cold, sunless days!
2. Small parking spaces
3. The VAN!!!
4. The hospital.

Glad that this is short, but I'm sure I'm forgetting. Don't get me wrong, there will be a list of things that I forgot I loved once I reach America. In fact, I can already taste the Chilpolte!!

An Empty House

I ran from the hotel to the house last night to check on how the movers did and didn't expect to feel what I felt. Empty. As empty as the house.

Now, keep in mind, this is not the house of my dreams. Maybe if I lived in 1976. But, avacodo toilets are just not for me. Funny enough, over the past 2 1/2 years I've found that I barely notice it anymore. And now here I am, in an empty house listening to Jeb's voice echo throughout the house.

I'm actually very sad to leave here. It's not about the house, but what this empty house now holds - our memories. Aiden sleeping in a big boy bed for the first time, Jacob going to school in his uniform, disco dancing while making meals in the kitchen, many teas with various friends, watching Jeb walk for the first time, and the list goes on and on. I find something with each room that I walk in.

If these walls could speak...they would have a tale to tell. But, the next people to live here will just never know. So, we'll take the memories with us.