Sunday 31 May 2009

The Royal Windsor Horse Show

We surprised the girls one morning and told them they were not going to school. They missed a day of school (their first absence) to take the train to Windsor to the Royal Windsor Horse Show. They play "competition" all the time and were finally going to see a real one.


They made rosettes.


A highlight was checking out the stables. We came across this curious horse...


I was surprised to see the events are rather dangerous. Some of the jumps were very tall. Horses would refuse to make the jumps and riders would fall. Once a horse bucked the rider off his back then ran out of the arena. Other horses were very spirited and difficult to control. I am happy for the girls to stick with plastic horses and pretend competitions.

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Ankles

Brent to Jody: Your ankles look nice today.

At least he found something good to say.

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Monday 18 May 2009

Weekly Report Catch Up

We have not given a weekly report in about 8 weeks. So what have we been doing? Funny how life has become normal and we go about our business of school and work. Many of the things that were so different are now part of life.

This was an usual tax season and would not end. Due to tornadoes in Oklahoma back in February, our clients were given an automatic extension to May 11. This worked out great for us because the girls were off school for three weeks around Easter and April 15th. The down side is is just prolonged crunch time.

We've enjoyed two waves of company. Jennifer and Jennetta were our first visitors. They were dream house guests. Our only complaint....we would have liked to see them more! They brought us loads of goodies. Those girls took London by storm! I was tired just from watching them. Somehow they were immune to jet lag. They hit the ground running and made the most of every minute of their trip.

We welcomed my sister Lindsey and her friend Mandy with open hands. They relaxed after tough semester in the chemistry department. Mandy and I went to see Wicked. It was a great show.

Mary Kate is 7 now. With her birthday money she bought her first camera. When we went to the horse show last week she was excited to have something exciting to take pictures. For her birthday we gave her a clip-on reading light. She is a reading maniac and we've caught her staying up too late. The girls started swim lessons. Mary Kate's teacher's technique appears to be distance oriented and he runs her up and down the lane.

Caroline is finally settling. She is happier and crying much less than when we first moved. She has amazing skill at piddling. At school she is counting by tens and picking up reading quickly. Her teacher says she is a very clever girl.

We talk about the baby a lot. He finally had the hiccups and Mary Kate got a kick out of it. They have both agreed to change pee diapers but not poo and are practicing on their animals and dolls with newborn diapers. They especially like to lay down for reading to they can feel him karate them.

It is the time of year for expats to move back to the US and we've found great deals on gently used items for next to free. So far we've picked up a crock pot, fans, blender, lamps and patio furniture. We also had a grill. I say had because it went up in flames in the Great London Fire of 2009. Apparently something happened during transport to the gas line. As our chicken every Sunday was grilling, my extra sensitive smell picked up on an odd odor. I looked out the window to see flames shooting out of the front of the grill. We run outside and the water tap does not work. A couple of buckets of water later the fire was out. The girls were watching TV and never knew anything was happening.

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Ask

Caroline: We do not want the baby to come out in May or June. He is too little and would have to stay in the hospital.

Jody: That's right.

Caroline: The next time you go to the doctor please ask him which day in July he will come out.

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Sunday 17 May 2009

Paris Part II

Arc de Triumph - picture by Mary Kate.

Tourists.


View from the Sacred Heart

Bliss.

More bliss.


The Mona Lisa was much smaller than I imagined.


Batobus.

Time has slipped away and so has my memory. In summary, overall we found Paris to be expensive and covered in dog poo and cigarette butts. It is an okay destination for children. Every meal was a struggle between barely edible food and insane prices. On the positive side we ate delicious crepes across the city. Surprisingly older people smiled at the girls and would speak English to them. Sorry Paris - London is still our favorite European city!

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28 Weeks


Flip is flipping and flopping all day, everyday. At my last appoinment he measured at an average 2 lbs 11 ozs. The first picture is misleading...look at the second one for a more accurate idea of my size. I am bigger now than when I delivered Mary Kate.
As magical as hitting the 28 weeks, I am not feeling so good. Pregnancy bliss was good while it lasted. Nothing unusual, just normal aches and pains that will be cured with delivery.

Photos by Caroline.

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