timeline

Almost eleven years ago I met the love of my life...at a keg race get together between our greek houses...on one of my first days in Manhattan...he was the first boy I met...I was a big fan:)

For a year and a half I was kind of a b knew he was the one, but was too scared to jump into a relationship...lets just say I changed my mind a lot... 

Fifteen months after we met I sent Brady an email...I was ready to give 'us' a try...

Fifteen months and THREE DAYS later Brady responded to my email...we finally had our first kiss that night...:)

Almost nine years ago we said 'I love you'....

A little over five years ago he proposed...

Exactly four years ago we said, 'I do'...:)

This year has been one of the hardest we have ever gone through...Brady has been my rock...loving me through emotional meltdowns and personal triumphs...I am so lucky and I can't wait to add more memories to our timeline.

365

At the end of today, we will have lived in England for 365 days.  It has been a long, hard and amazing year.  I have learned a lot about myself, my marriage, and British culture.  I still stick my foot in my mouth more than I would like to admit, but we are learning as we go.  Here is a brief summary...

Favorite thing of living in the UK...walking to do all of my errands...seriously, I dread moving back and having to get in and out of the car...

Least favorite thing (besides missing family and friends)....the customer service...

Pantry staple I miss most...Rotel, or Velveeta, ooh, or ranch...people here really don't know what they are missing...

Something I buy here that I didn't at home...cheese scones...just wow...

Favorite restaurant in Norwich...Zizzi's...we are there often enough that the waitress recognizes when we get hair cuts...

Restaurant I miss most in Wichita...Bella Luna...

Fashion look I really don't understand here...shorts with panty hose...no, not tights or winter shorts...jean shorts (usually with the pockets sticking out the bottom)...with panty hose...

Parker and I's favorite weekday spot...hands-down, the library...

Our favorite coffee shop...Costa...is it sad that I catch P trying to order a 'skimmy cappucino' everywhere we go?

Favorite fish and chips pub in Norwich...Wig 'N Pen

Number of small kitchen appliances I've ruined trying to use the converter...3...I know you're thinking how I got past one, but two of them worked for a while before burning out...

Number of frequent flyer miles in the last year...69,390

And now some changes for Parker...

Number of months he's been potty-trained (big-boy underwear only during the day)...almost 9 exactly

Number of months we haven't had to buy diapers at all (big boy underwear at bedtime too)...4

Number of words he was using in a sentence when we left...6 or 7

Number of words in a sentence now...I admit, I've lost count and now I get excited when he puts multiple sentences together...

Favorite song when we left...Baby, Oh!

Favorite song now...Firework or 'I'm sexy and I know it' (shoot)

Bed he sleeps in now...queen

Favorite item of clothing before...socks...usually as mittens

Favorite item of clothing now...K-State jersey

Here are a few now and then photos...oh how things change!!

and then...

in the last 48 hours...

...P and I got lost trying to get the car to the MOT testing site (basically an annual 'roadworthiness' test for all vehicles over 3 years old...and another way to tax you...)
...I got to run outside in the rain...in the morning...seriously, one of my favorite ways to start the day.
...I took Parker to the Dinosaur Park...in the rain...I'm an idiot.  We were soaked but had a great time and luckily they have an indoor play area too (I know you're wondering why we didn't just stick to the indoor play area, but I'm just not that smart).

Apparently the dinos' roars were too loud!  Oh and they had a petting zoo too...random...but awesome!

...I ran a load of underwear through the dry cycle of our washer/dryer four times (100 minutes each) before I realized it was the same load and the dryer didn't work...shoot...

...we overflowed the shower (I know, I know) and flooded the bathroom floor...after I cleaned up I realized it was also dripping through the ceiling downstairs (ok, and down the walls)...to be exact, dripping through the actual light fixture and light bulb...it started to smoke, I freaked out to brady over the phone...lets just say that we ate dinner (and breakfast right now) in the dark because I'm still too scared to turn on the breaker.

...Parker had his first taste of whiny medicine (lemon juice) and the look on his face was priceless...even better, he stopped whining...wow, that sounds mean when I type it out, but I promise it wasn't that bad, plus, I had whiny medicine when I was little and look how I turned out, ha!

...I decided I was going to force Parker to let me buy him new casual tennis shoes...he gets really attached to shoes....he is super attached to his old converse (I've looked for the same pair in a size up, but none of the stores have the right style in the right size and right color)...I thought I had finally gotten lucky...instead he walked out of the store with these on...put with the jersey and sweats, we were a real sight...what can I say, it was after nap time and I lost the 'i want to wear my jersey' argument...

That's my boy!

Really?

Is it really Wednesday?  Oh my goodness, I'm not sure where the week has gone.  Parker is at a exhausting fun age and I feel like we are always running around town (sometimes literally) trying to keep him active and learning.  I hate staying inside the house and I'm afraid I've instilled this trait in Parker...although sometimes he just says, 'can we just go home mommy?'  Poor kid.  Here are some random pictures of the week.

Parker would rather spend his time at the park running around 'the track' than actually playing on the equipment.

One of the few times this week I was able to get out of the house without the jersey...a trip to the castle's natural history exhibit...parker was smelling a zebra in this picture.

Yep, he is wearing his jersey with plaid shorts.  I managed to get him to wear a matching shirt in the morning, but no luck after his nap.  

One of the more embarrassing events of the week.  We had just finished reading Don't Worry Douglas (at the end there are pictures of different types of hats...one is a 'potty hat' and the sheep is sitting on a hat)...I was looking for a book for myself and I turned around to see this and hear P saying, 'Look mommy!!!  A potty hat!'  Oh my goodness...I was like, 'Parker get down from there!!  Wait, let me take your picture...but then really, get down from there!  Yep, I am definitely sending mixed messages.

Feeding the swans, one of my favorite parts of the week!!

Happy Father's Day!

I have some pretty amazing men in my life.  An amazing dad who has always put up with supported me and a fantastic husband who has become a wonderful father.  Not to mention a great group of father-in-laws, grandpas, etc.  We're pretty lucky.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am for everything they do and sacrifice.  We love you all so much!!

Here is Father's Day (so far) in pictures...

A walk to church...

 Calling the swans...you didn't know there was a 'swan call'?  It goes something like this, "hey SWANS!  Where are you?")

  Trying to wait patiently to get on the green...

 Hitting the ball left-handed with a right-handed putter...

Trying on Daddy's golf glove...

Running on the putting green...

So ornery... 

Saying goodbye when we left daddy at the course...we love you daddy!!

oh geez

I sometimes amaze myself...I'm an idiot...

I have been spending a lot of time reading through my good 'ol Rick Steves' books and searching the internet for our upcoming trip to Spain and Portugal (Barcelona and Lisbon).  I've been searching for hotels, researching sites, and trying to map out our trip.  I wanted to be really prepared and wanted to get P excited so I checked out books about Spain and Portugal at the library...I also decided to use this opportunity to try and teach Parker a little Spanish before we leave so I checked out a few children's language books as well...good idea, right?  Ha.

For the record, I did know they don't speak Spanish in Portugal, however, I did not know they the main language in Barcelona is Catalan...I'm an idiot...

Hopefully a lot of the vocabulary is interchangeable ...plus I'm getting a kick out of hearing P ask to read the 'hi children' book at night (the first page says, 'buenos dias ninos')!

right now

Right now you are my little man, my baby bug, my big guy and p diddy (although yesterday you really wanted to be called Parky because you thought it was funny).

Right now you are learning to hit the baseball (left-handed)...usually inside because of the weather...often hitting the blinds or light fixture...oops.

Right now you can't go to sleep unless you're listening to 'Big Green Tractor' (on repeat) and wearing your K-State jersey. (disclaimer...I really thought it was about a 'big green tractor' until brady made me really listen to it...oops)

Right now you always have to have a bedtime story (after three books and prayers and before your last-ditch-effort potty break)...most of the time you ask, "can you tell me the story of when Parker goes to the football game?"  The short version of the story goes like this...mommy and daddy take parker to a ksu football game...coach snyder asks p to play...p runs on the field and the crowd goes wild (that was your addition)...the quarterback throws p the football and p scores a touchdown (sometimes you add in that you do a touchdown dance)...mommy and daddy run on the field and say 'we're so proud of you'...willy comes over and gives p a high five and then puts p on his shoulders and everyone cheers (again, your addition)...

Right now you always say 'no thank you' and usually say 'please' and 'thank you'...I always know when you really want something because you will sign please while you say it...I'm so glad you are such a nice boy.

Right now you are very hard to discipline because whenever I give you my serious face you say, 'can you smile mommy?'  You then proceed to give me the cheekiest grin ever...once you even said, 'high five mommy' after I tried to give you a little talk...I'm in trouble...

Right now I have a really hard time getting you to wear a coat because whenever I try to get you to put one on before we leave you say, 'no thank you coat mommy...I will tell you if I get cold,'  and you do...

Right now you you say, 'can you come join me mommy?' whenever (and wherever) you find a seat while running errands.

Right now your favorite adverb is dangerously...as in, 'mommy, that car was driving dangerously!'  Sometimes I catch you telling other kids at the playground that things are dangerous...yep, you can be a little bossy...:)

Right now, you are so great about sharing...when we're not at home...you will always give the other kid your toy when they come and either ask to have it or just take it...I've even caught you trying to negotiate with a baby by trying to give him a different truck so you could have the truck you wanted.  However, you seem to have a time limit on sharing at home...and usually with Ellie...

Right now you could eat peanut butter toast for every meal...seriously...

Right now, always, and forever, you are the biggest blessing.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be able to spend every day with you.  I love you so much!

Happy Anniversary!!

My parents met young, married young, had kids young.  Together, they always put us first and did whatever it took to make sure we had everything we needed.  Because of them I know the meaning of commitment, compromise, sacrifice and true love.  I am so blessed that I have been able to watch them continue to grow closer as we grow older.  They have set such a great example of marriage.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!  We love you so much!

my little charmer

Parker has always been a little bit of a mama's boy...I'm not going to lie...I kind of love it.  I know that some day he is going to stop thinking it is cool to hang out with his mom.  Until then, I am taking full advantage and loving every minute.  Lately, he has been quite the lovebug.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this week...

A couple of days after we had seen a wedding dress in a window...he asked me if I had a white dress and I had told him that I wore a white dress to marry daddy...
"mommy, can you wear a white dress and marry me?"  Sorry honey, I'm already taken...

During a conversation about how he is getting taller and taller and will someday be taller than mommy (funny, it was mainly him talking and me saying, 'uh huh')...
"...and when I get as tall as you will you dance with me?"  Of course!

This is an every day kind of thing, but I can't help to include it...
"mommy, you are my very best friend...I just love you so much"

And we can't forget Daddy...
"I really love playing with you daddy..."

I really wish I was doing a better job of documenting some of the things he says...he just makes my day...every day.

Cricket Ball

A few months ago Brady bought us tickets to the Wyndmonham Cricket Ball.  It is a black tie event that is held every three years and we were invited to sit at Tom and Kat's table.  I think buying tickets was really Brady's way of forcing me to call the babysitter that Tom recommended.  Apparently, he thinks 3 to 5 years is too long to go without a date night (who am I kidding 1 year was too long)....smart guy.  

Fran came over for the first time two weeks ago to meet Parker...then again last Friday while Brady and I went to Tratoria Rustica (the first place that told me they didn't have high chairs)...then again on Wednesday just for an hour (I got to go on a run mid day:)...then on Saturday night for the Cricket Ball.  Parker loves Fran and usually can't wait for us to get out the door.  It is harder on me than it is him.  I can't lie, I was so nervous to have someone else put P to bed.  That sounds silly, but it has always been either us or a grandparent and I was worried about someone else going through our routine.  I had to laugh because I had put Parker in his jersey to sleep and Fran texted me to see where his trousers were for bed.  I told her that he didn't need any (don't worry, he was wearing his boxer briefs), but when we got home, he had on sweat pants.  Apparently, trousers are important bedtime apparel:).  

Anyway, we had a great time...getting to dress up was definitely a bonus...so glad we went!

Just so you know...we had P in his suit for about 10 seconds five minutes  before this picture was taken...he stripped and put the jersey on before we could have proof!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy birthday to the best friend, confidante, role model and mother a girl could ask for.  We love and miss you so much!!

Flying

I love random walks with Parker...he just cracks me up sometimes and I need to be better about posting his comments.  Yesterday we were walking when he stopped and started making his thinking face (pictured below).  I stopped to listen and he was saying..."hmmmm, I wonder how we can make me fly."  

Ha, Parker, I have no idea.  Then, a few steps down the road..."I know how I can fly!  We can use these balloons to help me fly!"  Ha, I think he has been watching too much Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

50 shades of unproductive

I told myself I wasn't going to succumb to the facebook pressure...these are not my type of books...I am not old enough to read these books...but, wow, I am a little embarrassed to admit this... I have been engrossed in the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' trilogy for the last week and a half.  Staying up late to read and being exhausted the next day...I am such a nerd...they really are awesome...now I'm done and I'm so sad (yes, I am one of those people who get completely involved in the character's lives and pretend they are my friends)...shoot...

Jubilee weekend

 We have had an amazing Jubilee weekend.  Everywhere we go, people have been bubbling with excitement.  I love it!  Plus, Brady got Monday and Tuesday off...wahoo!  We spent Saturday at the beach in Southwold, Sunday at church and then a bbq with Matt and Mandy and their girls, Monday at the church block party, and today just relaxing around town.  Unfortunately, I only took pictures on Saturday in Southwold...shoot.

I love watching P at the beach...let's be clear, it was like 50 degrees here (beach weather in the UK:), but we still had a great time!

P with our sandcastle!  It was much more impressive in person...;)

Brady bought a kite and it was a perfect day to fly it!

Seriously, red, white and blue was everywhere! 

This was my favorite picture...Parker loves Katie and you can totally see it in his face here...precious!

Oh, and my favorite part of the day...Brady was pulled out the crowd to participate in the street show...hilarious...I thought I was going to pee my pants...seriously...

All hail King Parker!

There is a lot gong on right now...I really should add some pictures, but I am enjoying having both of my boys home for this jubilee weekend so they will just have to wait!  Anyway, here are a few to tide you over.  I just love this kid!