Random Thursday

We didn't celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, but Parker did make my day.  Here is our day in pictures.

After the sing-a-long in the library, I was looking for a book
 and turned around and P had run away.  I was starting to panic
until I found him trying to check out the giant, story-time, Gruffalo book.
Yeah...sorry P...that doesn't work.

"Maybe this way mom."  Sorry, still doesn't fit.

Mom, I am not tired.  My eyes just won't open
all the way because it is bright.  

Such a big guy.

Me, "P where are you driving?"
Parker, "I'm driving to Kansas...in the middle."

Notice the location of the steering wheel.  Probably looks
normal to you until you remember that this is England.
I just think it is so funny that they have a toy truck with
the steering wheel on the "wrong" side.

Me, "Parker, you can't have a pluggy until naptime."
Parker, "I'm just a tired boy." (while simultaneously lying on the floor)

After he got in trouble for going up the stairs without me.
I think he figured if he pretended to be asleep he wouldn't
get into trouble.

Thanksgiving in England

I was a little afraid of Thanksgiving this year.  Maybe it was because we wouldn't spend it with our families or maybe it was because this would be the first year that I wouldn't join the crazies at 5AM (ok so it was midnight last year) with my mom on Black Friday.  Whatever the reason, I was dreading its arrival.  However, once it was finally upon us, I wasn't as upset as I thought.  I honestly think it would have been harder if we lived in a place like New York.  Because we live here and nobody else celebrates, it just felt like another day.  Brady had to go to work, Parker and I went to our usual Thursday activities and the only reminder was talking to our families on Skype (thank you guys).

We did celebrate...on Saturday.  My friend Mandy and I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving meal and it was delicious!  We spent the whole day watching the kids play, talking and playing cards.  It was as close to home as I could have hoped.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for their friendship.  They have truly made this transition easier.

I was going to post pictures of our feast, but I forgot to take any.  Below are a few I took of just family.  I just wanted to let our families know that we missed them so much, but that we were also with good friends so not to worry.

Parker and Gracie having a tea party.

So Thankful...

I am thankful...so thankful.  We are so blessed.  Blessed to have a family who loves us enough to skype during Thanksgiving dinner (hint, hint:); blessed to have American friends to celebrate Thanksgiving (Saturday); blessed to have new friends; blessed to have old friends who are there when we need to talk.

More than anything we are blessed to have each other.  I am blessed to have a husband who completes me and understands when I am crazy, or emotional...or both.  Together,  we are so blessed to have Parker...the best little man we could have ever imagined.

Here a few pictures to help the grandparents feel grateful too:)!

Swinging with Daddy.

Awww, I'm not ready for him to use the big swing!

P's attempt to put on his own hat!

"I need a suit"

Parker: "I want to go dancing Mommy."
Me:  "Ok, dancing sounds like fun."
Parker: "I need to wear a suit."
Me: "You need to wear a suit?"
Parker: "Yes, I need to wear a suit.  You want to wear a dress Mommy?"
Me: "That sounds lovely Parker."

Oh Goodness!

We had a great trip of Falmouth, but it wasn't without the usual embarrassing occurrences and funny happenings.  I realized today that I didn't post these, but wanted to remember them (yes, they are kind of boring, but mostly for me).  Here are a few of my favorites...

1.  "Daddy!!  Stop making that noise!"  Brady didn't feel very well when we arrived.  He had caught Parker's cold and was super congested.  That being said, the first night we were there was noisy (oh man, B is going to kill me for posting this).  B was snoring...really, really snoring.  I don't think I slept more than an hour or so all night, but it was almost worth it to hear Parker wake up and say..."Daddy!! What is dat noise?  Daddy!!  Stop it! Stop making dat noise!"  hahahahahaha

2.  "He's POOOOOOPPPPPING!"  I don't know if I've told you, but we have a couple of other invisible friends now.  One is Monkey.  Usually monkey just plays hide and seek with Parker and we have to hide under the covers when "he's coming."  Well, at breakfast (where B's coworkers were also eating), Parker tells me that Monkey is with us.  I ask him what he is doing and he tells me that "Monkey is pooping."  Now, of course the only logical response is to tell P to tell him to stop and tell him that he needs to go to the bathroom.  Well, for some reason that pushes P to YELL at the top of his lungs..."Mom, he's POOOPPING!!!"  I was sooooo embarrassed!!

3.  Pluggy Problems.  When P turned one, we started only letting him have the plug at bed time so I have been telling myself that our problem is not that big...wrong.  Right before bed on the second night we were there, I could not find Parker's pluggy.  I told him he had to sleep without it and he said ok, however, he was awake for TWO hours singing every verse of Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Baa Baa Black Sheep with a little Amazing Grace here and there.  Every couple of verses he would stop and cry out at the top of his lungs..."I want my pluggy!!!"  It didn't end there...after finally getting him to sleep, he woke up at least every two hours wanting the plug.  I really had no idea how big of a problem this actually is.  We are in for a battle.

4.  Dog Fight.  Parker has been talking a lot about Piper lately.  Every time he sees a dog he says, "that's a puppy...like Piper (sniffle)...I miss Piper."  It is seriously heartbreaking.  During our trip he found a way to cope...he brought Piper with us.  Every once in a while he would pretend he was carrying something and say, "I have Piper."  Once he was "carrying" something in both arms and told me that he had Millie (my mom's dog) and Piper.  Apparently, when they are pretend, they actually get along, ha.

Christmas in Norwich

I absolutely LOVE Christmas.  I love the lights, the music, the messages at church and all of the traditions that come with this time of year.  I know that this year is going to be hard.  Yes, we will be home for Christmas, but we won't be home for a lot of the pre-Christmas traditions that get us in the spirit.  That is why we are completely embracing any and all events and traditions that Norwich has this time of year.  The first major event was the Christmas light switch-on (I got the date right this time).  Luckily, we got home from Falmouth just in time to make it downtown.  Here are some pictures of the evening.

The Norwich Canary.  I don't think either of them
knew what to think of the other, ha.

City Hall before.  They had music and entertainment as well.
Next year we will know to get there early because this was
our view.

The lights came on with fireworks, wahoo!

They also had fireworks across the square from the
top of Jarold's Department Store.

P was not too thrilled with the fireworks.

Jarold's Department Store.

This definitely helps make the 4PM sunset more bearable!

Hello Falmouth!

We made it!!  7.5 hours, 2 stops and ZERO accidents later, we arrived in Falmouth, Cornwall.  Falmouth is a gorgeous, popular holiday town, however, it is not so popular in November.  Brady had to come for work and we decided to tag along.  They have a great maritime museum, castle and a beautiful coast.   I figured we might as well ride along with Brady and see if it is somewhere we might want to visit again when the weather is nicer (and see if P could handle the car ride).

Here is an arial view of Falmouth.

Falmouth is located where the red star is...you can't
even see Norwich in this map.

Now that you know where it is...here are a few quick facts...

1.  Located on the River Fal on the southeast coast of Cornwall, England.

2. Home of the third deepest harbor in the world.

3. Florence Nightingale stayed at our hotel (Greenbank Hotel).

4. Famous for being the start or finish point for various round-the-world races.

5. Pendennis Castle was built by Henry VIII in 1540 to defend Carrick Roads.

We had a great time, but unfortunately, it rained the entire time we were there...here is our trip in pictures.

Eating at Rick Stein's...such a big boy!

I can not wait to get a new camera...

It was sooooo windy and super cold.  P was so excited to go see the water,
but then wanted to go right back to the car.

Yet another reason why I need a haircut.

Looking at all of the model boats at the Maritime Museum.

Trying to play scrabble in the "lighthouse."

Inside the life raft.

Loving the Coast Guard exhibit because he could play.

Parker and his sad face after walking a half mile in the
rain only to find out it is only open on Saturdays
and Sundays.  Good thing for the walk though...P had to
"go" on the way back to the car.

Another view..

You can see the doors at the end.  Much of the castle is covered with ground.

So...we went back to the museum.  P playing with the boats.

A view from the lookout point.

We had a wonderful time, but I do hope that we can go back again when the weather is nice (for England anyway).

How quickly things change...

Friday...
P "Mommy, you're my best friend" (yeah, no idea where the term 'best friend' came from)
I can't lie, my heart melted.

Today...
P "Mommy, I'm your best friend"
Me "You are my best friend.  Am I your best friend?"
P "No, Ki Ki is my best friend."

Haha, I've been replaced by an imaginary friend.  Sadly, I think he was more right than he realizes.

I'm sorry, I don't speak English

We are so blessed to have been placed in a country where they speak the same language.  However, sometimes I just plain feel like an idiot when I seriously cannot understand a word someone just said.  I realize that a lot of this has to do with the fact that I can't hear worth anything (Brady is constantly frustrated by the volume level on the tv), and the rest is vocabulary confusion.  Here are some examples of what an idiot I am...

This morning the receptionist at the gym told me she found a store where they sold pumpkin puree (that much I heard after asking twice).  She then went on to tell me details for at least the next three minutes, but I have no idea what she said.  Needless to say, I smiled, said thank you, and will not be having pumpkin rolls for Thanksgiving.

About a week ago I went into a local charity thrift store.  I asked the man if they took all kinds of donations, he said they took everything except "etro*&orus."  Yes, I know that is not a word, but that is how it sounded.  For a few minutes we went back and forth with me looking confused and he trying to say the word more clearly.  Finally, he decided to give me examples...robots, tv, toaster.  He was trying to say electronics, ha (oh and yes, his first example really was robot).

I would write more specific examples, but I honestly have to say "oh, right" or "uh huh" or "really" at least 5 times a day because I honestly have no idea what someone has just said.  I know I shouldn't be that shocked that I am embarrassing myself daily, but this is getting kind of ridiculous!

Oh my...

Parker is pretty easy.  He slept well from birth, is easygoing and usually listens so yes, I realize that we have been very blessed.  We do, however, have a couple of issues that have recently come to our attention and I'm not really sure how to handle them....

1.  Word World...this is both a blessing and a curse.  I thought Parker like Mickey Mouse, but Mickey does not hold a candle to the characters of Word World.   He wakes up wanting to watch it and goes to sleep talking about it.  Sometimes (like when I'm cooking) this is awesome, but lately he has become slightly obsessed.  You'll see what I mean in the pictures.

Sitting in the kitchen (the blanket is for the chair's protection, ha) with
socks up, shoes on, and pretty much nothing else.

We were on our way to church and he managed to reach it on the
cabinet where it was charging.

I had gone downstairs to get my phone and came up to find this...I'm
honestly not even sure where the iPad was when he found it.

Again, I had taken it away and turned around and he had climbed
up to the desk and started it again.  Here he was even willing to
go to timeout in order to get a little extra time in with his show.

2.  Socks up.  This obsession (coupled with "pants up") is a daily battle and is completely exhausting. 

I tried to take a picture to show him that his socks
were high enough, but he didn't buy it.

3.  Out of the bed...for four months now, P has remained in his bed without getting up out of bed...ever.  Considering that was one of my biggest fears about moving to a house with so many stairs while simultaneously moving him to a big boy bed, it was awesome.  If he needed something, he always just yelled.  Today, however, he apparently gained the courage to come out of his room on his own...and down the stairs.  Shoot.

He even brought his blanket and pillow down with him.

Yes, we also still have the plug, but that is an entirely
new post.  Lets just put it this way...try moving
to a new country and then traveling back and forth
twice in a month (while potty-training) before you judge.
Don't worry, we're working on it.