Wednesday 24 December 2008

Festive greetings!


Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May 2009 be a year filled with blessings and adventure (I know it will be for us!). This time last year we had no idea we would be in the US this Christmas - there was not even a hint of it in the offing, so who knows what 2009 may bring you.....


Monday 22 December 2008

The Big Freeze

Today it is a beautiful, sunny day and yet the children and I are sheltering inside.... The temperature is 4F, -7F with windchill and it is just too cold to venture outside! The extremes of weather here are incredible - I remember writing a blog over the summer when we couldn't go out because of the heat! E is convinced that he will lose body parts due to frost bite if he ventures out which is maybe a little over-dramatic but it is flipping freezing!! I have to say that the weather isn't quite as I'd expected. The snow is beautiful but once the snow ploughs have done their business we are left with cleared roads and walls of snow on the edge of the pavement. It hasn't actually snowed for a few nights but the temperature never rises enough to melt it so it just builds up the more it snows. We are fortunate to have a garage so we don't have to dig out the car in the mornings but the snow in the alleyway behind the house is getting so deep it's not going to do the car's suspension much good.... this is just one of the many reasons why you need a 4x4 here....!

The children have layers upon layers of outerwear - padded trousers, jackets, gloves, hats, neck warmers - yet yesterday i was getting complaints about their eyes being cold!! I do sympathise, though ... I am waiting for a time unencumbered by small children when I can go and buy some fleece lined trousers as my legs are getting chapped!! We braved the conditions to buy Christmas food supplies yesterday (you should see the size of the turkey in our fridge) and just in the time it took to cross the supermarket car park and get in the car my finger tips were throbbing even through the thick gloves I was wearing. We are forecast heavy snow showers on Tuesday night so I will need to go out for supplies later on this evening once D is home from work. Annoyingly it is not currently forecast to snow on Christmas Day, thought there will be snow on the ground - but does that actually count as a White Christmas?

Friday 19 December 2008

How do we give to God?

In amidst the festive preparations, we have been having some theological discussions this afternoon... whilst on the way to pick Daddy up from work this afternoon, the children asked me how we actually give our money to God. I started off on a long explanation about how the church is God's work on earth, so we give our money to the local church, etc etc then 'E' piped up, "Don't we just give it to really old people who are about to die so that when they go to heaven they can give the money to God for us"?!!!

Earlier on we had an incident with the downstairs toilet door which 'M' managed to lock from the outside - "It's OK", she said, "Jesus can open it even if we can't" to which I replied, "Yes, but Jesus isn't here to open it just now.." Of course she then countered, "but you said Jesus is always with us!"

'Is', meanwhile, was more concerned about whether I would end up in a fight with another mum from school if she didn't believe Jesus was the only way to God.

You'll be glad to hear that they all believe unquestionably in the existence of "Farmer Christmas" (as he has become known in our family)....

Monday 15 December 2008

Guest Blogging

I have been granted the honour of guest blogging on Emma’s blog (Is there an internet moniker for this? If ‘web logging’ becomes ‘blogging’ what does ‘guest blogging become? Glogging? Globbing..? Suggestions in the comment box below...) and, whilst I’ll struggle to match her levels of erudition and wit, I hope to pop up now and again on here with my view on life in Chicago.

The week has been one of (typically) one of us chasing around trying to get the next piece of admin sorted with the other occupying the kids. Fighting the bureaucratic machine has given us a mixed level of success, particularly with the lack of the critical social security number. Responses have ranged from the helpful (the cable tv doesn’t care who you are it seems!) to the pernickety (Gas co continually insists on more ID, and are still not happy) to the downright obstructive (the Department of Motor Vehicles isn’t even going to talk to us about a driving licence until we have a SSN. See Emma's comments below on the problems with this...!)

Next up, and I suspect this is going to pop up in conversation quite a lot over the next few months, but I do have to mention the weather. Obviously this seems a terribly British thing to do, but it does also seem to be the current opening topic with the local Chicagoans. (“How are you finding the cold weather?”) We wandered out at lunchtime Friday in a nippy 19F (-7 C for European readers) but because it was a perfectly clear blue sky and snow on the ground it was actually very beautiful – as long as you were well wrapped up. I’d take that option over it being 10 degrees warmer in the UK but raining and grey. Until, that is, you walk past a junction and an icy cross wind, funnelled down a concrete canyon, blasts you to the core through all your layers of clothing. At which point we went scurrying off to buy yet more winter clothes…

Actually I will be less bullish on the weather after this morning. It was seriously colder this morning (I heard -20 C with the wind chill). Just breathing in gave you the sort of headache you get from eating ice cream too fast...

We continue to settle into the house, which is a great place to live but I would illustrate as follows. (I will illustrate with photos at some point, but have yet to track the right leads down in all the boxes!) The biggest “pro” being the the proximity of downtown from our place. (Front door to work desk in 22 minutes. Fellow commuters on the DLR: read and weep.) The biggest “con” (and one reason for the short commute) being the very close proximity to the El! We should have warned all the people we invited to stay that they will face a constant rumbling of trains 50 yards away. Emma’s solution to it was to say that she prays God would bless those who travel on it each time it goes past. I have yet to reach the same level of maturity or insight as my wife.

Our stuff has also started to arrive which really helps this house feel like so much more of a home than where we stayed in the summer. The air freight (mainly cooking stuff) arrived on Friday, and the sea container with all our furniture turned up today. It's all still in boxes, but no more sleeping on the floor from Tuesday night! Hurrah!

Lastly for now, moving house like this is always tiring and at the end of the year we are all feeling run down. However once you combine that with the plan to be part of a church plant then health is an obvious area of attack. I am on my third cold in 2 months, and on Friday Emma started throwing up and carried on until last night although we suspect this was self inflicted – as none of the rest of us are suffering, we are blaming a dodgy burrito! Anyhow, we continue to value your thoughts, prayers, and messages. We should be up and running with internet access at home by the end of this week or so, so hopefully can start to respond to them!

David

Thursday 11 December 2008

What a difference a day makes…

Well, we got the phone set up which was fabulous as we received a call to say our air freight is being delivered tomorrow (Fri) and the shipping container on Monday. This is wonderful as it means we will have furniture (5 weeks sleeping on mattresses on the floor is beginning to take its toll) and, most importantly (if you are under 7 years old) the Christmas decorations so we can go out and buy a tree. I was contemplating buying one this morning as I passed a seller next to the El stop and then dragging it home through the snow Рnot an American Christmas clich̩ at all!!

It was my turn to head downtown today to the Social Security and Driver’s Licence Offices and as I caught the El (‘elevated train’) for the few short stops to central Chicago, I actually felt really excited. Absolutely freezing, but excited all the same. As expected I ran up against problems with the paperwork – I couldn’t apply for the social security number as I didn’t have my original marriage certificate (arriving tomorrow) and you can’t apply for a driver’s licence without a social security number which is a real pain as that will take 5-6 weeks. As you can’t insure a car unless you have a US licence that means we can’t buy one either and so will have to pay through the nose for a hire car until the SSNs come through. Hey ho! At least we now have gas, electric & phone accounts set up so we have proofs of address.

We are starting to buy all the bits & pieces we need for the house (none of our electrical items will work here due to different voltage). I seem to be spending the bulk of the relocation allowance on ‘furnishing’ our bathrooms. We have 3 full ones and one cloak room so that means 4 toilet brushes, 4 bottles of hand soap, 4 hand towels, 3 bath mats, etc, etc. It made me laugh when we discovered there are 2 hoovers here – one upstairs, one in the basement. It’s obviously too much to lug one up and down the stairs (and the landlady must presumably have more at her new house if she can afford to leave 2 behind!)

We are making progress on the jet lag front – D & I managed to stay awake until 9:30pm last night and the kids woke up at 6 this morning. D goes into the office on Mon am and I have just spoken to the school about arranging for I & E to go in for a half day next week so we would appreciate your prayers for positive first impressions for them...

Touchdown

Ok – my first post from the US this time round… First of all, thank you so much to everyone who has helped us get here, either by cleaning, lending us household items, looking after the children, or just praying for us. Your help and support is so appreciated.

Despite the best attempts of a Monday morning M25 to thwart our plans, we made it to Heathrow just an hour before take-off! We were all upgraded (to the ‘comfy seats’ as my children refer to them) and, although it was a bit close to the wire, we rushed through security etc and straight on to the plane. The flight attendants then proceeded to rearrange business class for us and moved various people to accommodate us. There were lots of nervous glances towards the children – I guess the passengers thought they were safe when there were no kids in the lounge!! I have to say that all 3 were so well-behaved (which is a miracle in itself so some of you must have been praying!) that it was a really good flight.

So, we are now ensconced in our Chicago pad (still a bit echoey due to lack of furniture). I have to say David made an excellent choice – it’s a fabulous house in a great location. I would be happy just to live in our enormous ensuite bathroom for the whole 2 years, but I guess that’s not really the point! We arrived to snow on the ground which turned briefly to rain yesterday but then we had another sprinkling overnight so the children are happy (except that it’s so powdery, the initial attempts at a snowman ended in tears!)

I have to say that it has been so different arriving this time – whereas before everything seemed alien, now it’s all familiar, even comforting – and we are starting to find our feet despite all the limitations of being an alien. Trying to get utilities set up, phone, etc is proving a challenge but it’s early days yet. The first hurdle is to get the children to wake up at a more human hour – it was 2am the first morning, 4am today. Not sure when this will get posted but I thought I’d write while it’s still fresh in my mind.

Tuesday 25 November 2008

"Have I not commanded you?"

I'm sure I'm not the only mother to get her children's songs stuck in her head. CBeebies' theme tunes are some of the most annoying tunes on the planet. My children love to listen to the CD from the Bible Camp they attended over the summer in Chicago and this week I have been thankful for the truth that has constantly been in my head - God's promise to Joshua as he stands on the edge of the Promised Land: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

It's getting challenging now as we have started saying goodbyes and various problems are emerging on the front. I went to visit my grandparents, both 88 on Sat and the obvious question that comes to mind is whether or not they will still be alive in 2 years' time, then it was on to Brighton where we heard David's Dad preach at CCK on Sun morning. Not his last preach, but as he retires next year, the last time we will see him in that context and the end of an era for us.

Back in Sidcup, we still do not have any tenants lined up so we are furiously painting in order to make a better impression for both on-line and in-person viewers. As we lifted the bathroom carpet to prepare for new flooring, we discovered a leak which means re tiling and, around the same time, the central heating decided to go on the blink. The good news is that the plumber can come and fix it late next week, the bad news that we get saddled with an enormous bill and don't get to experience the benefits of the improvements as we leave first thing the following Monday! Oh, and did I mention that the container has been delayed due to loading congestion at the port?

Phew! It feels like the rubber is really beginning to hit the road. I think we always realised that such a move would be challenging - and especially where there is a church plant involved there can be real spiritual opposition. I know that God is with us and for us in this move. I certainly have no reason to doubt His faithfulness - we have seen Him sovereignly intervene on the school and house front on the US-side - so I will not be running to hide under my duvet, however much I may want to!! Stepping out on a God-adventure is always going to be stretching but I do believe that the cost is worth it. And it makes me even more passionate to seek God for what He will do in Chicago.

Watch this space.....................

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Back by popular demand.......

OK, as promised the blog is back!!!! Somehow it didn't seem right to be writing a blog entitled 'Letter from America' when I was clearly not there but as we are about to return to the US for at least 2 years, I guess it's time to start it up again.............

For those of you who are out of the loop, D has been given a 2 year contract back in Chicago and we are very excited to be going out in advance of the Newfrontiers church to be planted in the spring. It has been amazing really how God has changed my heart towards this move - many readers of this blog may be surprised at my enthusiasm given the many frustrations I have voiced here about our 3 months in the US earlier this year. To be fair, I think we just were not sure what God's plan was for us and we didn't want to commit to such a big move just for the sake of job security (if that exists in the financial sector at the moment). Coming home actually really helped us to view things more objectively (thanks, Dave Holden for your wise counsel!) and we were surprised at just how much we missed the rawness of Fusion. Returning to a large, well-established church it would be so easy just to settle into our seats and relax but we missed the glimpse of church-planting we had seen. And it was the icing on the cake when we heard about the Sweetmans' plans to come and plant in 2009.

The next piece of the jigsaw puzzle was the school. I had been worried about how it would affect our 4 year-old middle child spending the next 2 years in the American school system as the early years' education is so different, but God had that one sorted, too and we were quite miraculously offered 2 places at the British School of Chicago just the same week we had to make a final decision work-wise. The whole ex-pat thing is not really my scene but I had been very impressed by the school when I visited it and the split is actually 85% American v 15% foreign nationals so it's actually a great mix and,hopefully a ready-made community for us to get involved in. Added to this, the provision of a wonderful house (not that I've seen it yet - but I've seen the photos and trust my husband's judgement!) just 15 mins walk from the school and walking distance from the lake. I'm really excited about being downtown and closer to the action of the city - suburban life was just a little bit boring for me when such a great city was not far away!

So, we are now camping in our house and waiting for the off. The furniture went 2 weeks' ago and we leave on Mon 8th Dec. Thus begins a 3-week cycle of goodbyes which will be a bit of an emotional roller-coaster I expect. But though it will be hard, I do want to say goodbye so that we leave without unfinished business here at home. Whilst this is a 2 year contract I want to focus this time more on being in Chicago and seeking God's plan for me there rather than counting the days, weeks, months until we come home.

Please pray for us to find tenants for house and for the children to settle into their new school and make friends. This is a big adventure for all of us and I will try and post regular info to keep you all up to speed with our news - or alternatively you could just come and visit!

Tuesday 19 August 2008

So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen ..........


I have been rather slack about updating this blog in the last week. We are in the middle of saying our goodbyes and also have a visitor from the UK this week so we have been rushing around seeing the sights for one last time. We spent all day and evening on Oak Beach downtown on Friday night watching the start of the Air & Water show - lots of displays from jets and various stunt planes doing 'doopdedoops' as E calls them! Then it culminated in a fireworks display at 9pm. I can't believe the kids made it through the entire show - they played on that beach for 6 hours!! We made our way home on the 'El' (elevated train) all the way up to Linden which is right at the end of the line. The children finally made it into bed at 11 very sandy but content!!


It seems strange to be going home now we are actually almost there - to begin with the weeks went by so slowly but now time is racing by. The beaches are closing (seems mad when it's still 80 degrees) in preparation for the start of term tomorrow and summer season is officially over. I am putting off actually loading up the suitcases but we purchased a huge new one which should hopefully encompass all the new purchases from the summer. We will be going home with a lot more shoes than we arrived with for starters ...plus a basketball, a Barbie horse and various other items that individual family members deemed essential purchases.
Tonight we have a farewell meal with everyone at Fusion. We've made some really good friends during our time here and we will miss them.
I guess I now need to decide whether or not to continue this blog - the idea was to keep everyone at home up-to-date with what we were up to in Chicago so in some ways it will be redundant, though I must say I have rather enjoyed writing it so we will see..................

Saturday 9 August 2008

Rain, rain go away...........



We got caught in a ridiculously heavy downpour at Morton Arboretum, west of Chicago, this afternoon ... 10 mins after this photo was taken the rain had gone and it was bright sunshine again!!! This weather is MAD!! My contact lenses were blurred all the way home as the rain had actually gone into my eyes (mind you, I have always had rubbish eyelashes!). It really felt as if I had taken a shower with my clothes on!

Thursday 7 August 2008

Storms

oh dear! I had a look at the BBC Weather page earlier on and it really is a pants summer in the UK this year, isn't it? I suppose it won't bless you all if I mention that E, M and I spent a happy morning at the beach - tho I now have very red shoulders. Am I the only Mum who can never be bothered to put cream on herself because by the time you have plastered it on all the kids and set up all the towels, snacks, drinks, etc in the shade, it's pretty much time to come home anyhow?? Today I was fooled into leaving the shade by the nice breeze and only put cream on myself once I started to feel the burn. Oops! Needless to say I now have terrible strap marks as the aforementioned boob tube languished in the beach bag..... The water in the lake was actually pleasantly warm today - to the extent that I was seriously considering taking a dip myself but then the water was closed and swimming suspended due to 'high surf'!!! This did make me laugh - it was hardly Waikiki -sized waves - but it was actually a relief as I get a bit nervous when my children are in the water. They are far more confident than me and I don't put much faith in my ability to rescue them if they did get into trouble.

Anyway, the high surf is obviously a hangover from the severe storms we had on Monday night. I have witnessed some pretty spectacular storms in Africa but the storms here are something else. I've been woken from a deep sleep several times by enormous claps of thunder that appear to shake the house. On this occasion, the storm was earlier inthe evening and while the children slept, we watched an incredible display of forked lightning out of the window. The wind was relatively calm here but downtown there were high winds, some pretty severe storm damage and the tornado sirens were wailing! Check out the photos here http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/chi-storm-ugcpg,0,3524130.ugcphotogallery

With 2 1/2 weeks to go now, we are starting to think about packing up and winding down though we are all really looking forward to Rachel's visit next week. It will give us a great excuse to revisit some of the tourist attractions before we leave. The male members of the family are gearing up for the release of the new Star Wars cartoon next weekend (indeed, I have been accompanied by a mini Clone Trooper in full gear and helmet most of this week!).

And now I really need to pay some attention to my ironing pile. Boring, but true!

Friday 1 August 2008

Tomatoes

I completely forgot to mention a rather more light-hearted discussion that I had with E yesterday - he approached me in confidence and said, rather concerned, "Mummy, tomatoes (in American accent) aren't real, are they?" After I tried to explain a number of times that it was just another way of saying 'tomatoes', he elaborated, "No, I mean those things that spin round in the sky"..... Aahhh! Tornados! I was able to reassure him that we probably wouldn't encounter one but I did laugh for a long time first...............!!

Sacrifices

When you embark on and adventure as a family, such as we have, you expect to be stretched and challenged. The interesting thing is that it's often things that you didn't expect which turn out to be the major challenges. One of these for us has to have been the way in which we parent. It seems to be very different from the American way and it's so difficult to try and maintain some level of discipline and routine when the kids' whole world has been blown apart! They have generally had a great time (tho they are starting to ask more and more about when we go home and missing friends) but I feel we've gone backwards rather in terms of what is acceptable behaviour!!!

I've mentioned before in this blog how trips out to the supermarket have been incredibly stressful and I just feel that I am generally less in control of my children than I was!! They have definitely all become more self-confident which is great and we've been really proud of the way they have gone into completely new environments and found their feet so quickly. But is this all at the expense of the (generally) good behaviour we seem to have left behind in the UK. I'm not naive - my children are not perfect; far from it, but they do seem to have become more unruly in the last couple of months.

One of the biggest challenges has been to maintain regular bedtimes - we have always striven to have all 3 down and quiet around 7:oopm. Admittedly this is partly for our sanity, but also because they all still need 11-12 hours sleep and their general behaviour seems to deteriorate rapidly if they are up late. As church here is on a Sun evening we aren't home before 9 and then once drinks and bedtime routines are done, their heads aren't hitting the pillow before 9:30 at the earliest. Children here generally seem to stay up later and I've seen several child-focussed activities advertised which start at 7pm or later so I wonder am I just being old-fashioned and stuffy..... tonight, for example, while my husband is off seeing Radiohead (my favourite band as well as his), I am at home babysitting our 3 plus 2 of our friends' children (they are grabbing a well-deserved night on their own before the imminent arrival of number 3). The option of hiring a babysitter was mooted but I couldn't in all conscience have left them all with her - esp 2 who are away from home for the night. Whilst you may just think I'm being stuffy I just can't help feeling that, in the long run, it's worth maintaining some routines and that actually my children respond well to having clear boundaries set. Time will tell but I don't think I'll ever stop trying to keep my kids in order and as well-behaved as they can be.

I really miss the group of excellent young parents we have at NCC. It's such a blessing to have so much support from friends who are striving for the same things you are. I guess that's a real sacrifice when you are church-planting as there is inevitably a mix of attitudes and opinions when a small group of people from different backgrounds get together, albeit with the same goals.

Monday 28 July 2008

Lost in translation

I can't go any longer without drawing attention to the terrible language barriers still in existence between US and Queen's English. I have desperately tried to fit in and use the appropriate local expressions but so far with fairly disastrous consequences - I had to ask 3 times where the diapers were at the drugstore before the assistant understood what I was asking for. Same when asking for a strawberry ice cream. I was almost laughed out of town when I tried to buy a verruca sock for Is to wear when swimming - they don't exist here so I guess everyone just shares them. I thought I would summarise a few known and more unusual differences I have come across. There are a couple too rude to mention (but you probably know them already!)

sidewalk = pavement
bathroom = loo
faucet = tap
diaper = nappy
stroller = buggy
soccer = football
chips = crisps
fries = chips
bangs = fringe
candy = sweets
pants = trousers (this one makes the kids laugh every time)
wifebeaters = string vest (!!!!!!)
muffler = exhaust
'No solicitors' = no junk mail but makes me laugh when you see it written on doors!
Mom (don't even get me started but thus far my kids (aka children) haven't dared.........
And of course the ubiquitous vacation (holiday is just not understood)

The worst to stomach is when Americans teach their children to go to the loo they ask to 'go pee' which I just find too vulgar!! If my children need to blend I will just about allow them to 'go to the bathroom'.

And I think the most bizarre one I have come across was today when I was helping out at the Vineyard Summer Bible camp. They were doing the story of the 10 lepers and were referring to their sores as 'Owies' - it took me most of the day to work out what on earth they were talking about but I guess it's the equivalent of children talking about having a 'baddie' or something - ie 'Ow' because it hurts.

............Kooky!!! Or should that be goofy?!!!

Laters!

Saturday 26 July 2008

Just got back to the Windy City

It's so easy to get behind on this blogging business - amazing how out of touch with the world we felt without the laptop for 5 days in St Louis!
D and I had a fab weekend, sans enfants, and are eternally grateful to the Steinkes as it seems our children were menaces! It's good to know that after 11 years of marriage we still enjoy each other's company and it seemed we had plenty to catch up on. Actually, I read a fun article in a magazine the other day which asked couples what they considered to be the secret of a happy marriage. One couple said 'Never fight with your clothes on!' They had a rule that they only allowed themselves to argue if they had first gone home and got undressed, by which time most of the tension had naturally dispersed.... Another man who had been happily married for 35 years said, " We decided a long time ago that I would make all the big decisions and my wife would make all the small ones. So far there haven't been any big decisions"!!!
We had a very interesting meal at Charlie Trotter's on Sat night. He's supposedly the top chef in Chicago and does a 'tasting menu' inspired by international cuisine. It's definitely more a case of quality than quantity - after 7 courses we weren't exactly hungry but by breakfast on Sun we were ready for the full works!!! We also opted for the wines to match each course and for the first time actually enjoyed dessert wines ... though I was intrigued that none of the wines were American.

On Sun afternoon we headed to the Oak Park district of Chicago and went on a walking tour of some of Frank Lloyd Wright's early works. Interesting even for the architectural ignoramus, but we were glad to be free of the children for that one!

On Monday, we headed down to St Louis, Missouri where we spent the week with Bryan & Rachel Mowrey (Bryan leads Jubilee Church, the Newfrontiers offering there). It was really refreshing to get away from the city and once out of the Chicago sprawl it was a straightforward drive down Highway 55. It took us about 5 1/2 hours' driving - slightly less on the way home as I wasn't very good at respecting the 65 mph speed limit!!
We really enjoyed spending time with the Mowreys and their 20 month old certainly kept us entertained! Our children were rather challenging, esp on the food front and I think we realised that we have been asking an awful lot of them to be so adaptable to different surroundings. Is enjoyed attending the art camp Jubilee Church were running and we visited the famous St Louis arch. The weather was actually unseasonably cool and a little drizzly; really refreshing after the heat here. We really enjoyed heading for the Missouri Botanical Gardens for an open-air concert on the Wed night.


We also spent some time with John & Linda Lanferman (John leads Newfrontiers USA) which was very helpful as we consider whether or not we may come back out to Chicago for a longer stint in the future.


The journey back was fairly uneventful though after stopping for one of many loo breaks, we discovered we were metres from the old Route 66 highway. We thought it would be rude not to travel along it for a few miles as it ran parallel with our route. When googling Route 66 when we got home it just struck me how enormous the US really is - this route used to run almost 2,500 miles from Chicago to California. I worked out that I've visited 7 States which leaves so much unexplored! I hadn't realised before that the river running through St Louis was the Mississippi which was pretty awesome in itself but then when looking it up I read that the Mississippi's flow is only 9% of that of the Amazon!! Wow! Though I have to say that, having visited the Insectarium at St Louis zoo and seen some of the bugs they have in the rain forests, I think I may steer clear of South America!
I am doing Sunday School tomorrow at church (some of you will appreciate the irony of that). We will be trying not to think about the fact that we should have been in Paris watching the final of the Tour De France. It's a funny old life!

Friday 18 July 2008

Summer in the city



We have been 'holidaying at home' this week, catching up on some of the museums we haven't had a chance to see. Sun started us off well with D & I catching a great lunch while taking a break from serving at the booth at the festival. We went to a local Mexican joint and had the most delicious lunch. The restaurant was v unassuming from the outside (and inside!) but had a lovely garden out the back. The food was so fresh, really cheap and there was so much of it! A good start to the week!



On Tues we headed to the aquarium and were v grateful to be out of the sun as it was a complete scorcher of a day. We have hit an interesting quandry this week - how to find indoor solutions when it is just too hot to be outside! It hit 102 degrees F on the car's thermometer when we came out of the aquarium!! The kids really enjoyed it tho we all found the dolphin show a bit too worthy and responsible - not enough balancing balls on their noses and jumping through hoops!


Wed we started off at the local Pancake House for a late breakfast and, after chomping our way through mountains of pancakes & maple syrup, went to the Children's Museum. We had to drag the children out after 3 hours because D & I were too exhausted... Then on Thurs we headed back downtown, this time to the Museum of Science & Industry. This was absolutely fascinating and contains so many interesting exhibits we will have to head back at some point. Particularly of note was the U-505 German submarine captured by the Americans during the war. It was moved to the museum completely intact and then a special hall built around it. The tour was very interesting and even managed to keep the kids' attention for 20 mins!


Today was a quiet day closer to home. We stocked up on DVDs from the library (they are only $1 a week) and reading material for Is to keep us going for our trip to St Louis next week. I headed off for some retail therapy this afternoon and was delighted to stumble on the end-of-season sales. I bought some clothes for the girls at ridiculous prices - $24 for 7 items! Then I treated myself to a manicure & pedicure in advance of our anniversary meal out tomorrow. Really looking forward to our weekend without the children though we must make sure we don't just end up sleeping the whole time!

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Fusion in the Community




As promised, I thought I would let you know about the festival we were involved in at the weekend............. Clark Street is one of the main North/South thoroughfares in Chicago and the synagogue where Fusion meets is just off it in a district called Rogers Park. Rogers Park is the most diverse neighbourhood in Chicago and a real melting pot - it couldn't be much more different to Wilmette where we are staying. The street festival is an annual event attracting thousands from the local community, particularly the Hispanic population. We repeated the formula Fusion had used last year and ran a stall offering free fun photos and also gave out free bottles of water. Basically, people dressed up in feather boas/funky hats/wigs, etc. and had their photo taken which we then printed out and gave to them with church details printed on the back. It was certainly one of the most popular stalls, not least because it was pretty much the only one just giving things away.




We had a team of young and not so young (!) people from St Joe's, Missouri who drove 8 hours to help us and the stall was run from 11am-11pm. Throughout this time we We handed out 2, 200 bottle of chilled water with flyers, used up more than 50 bags of ice to chill the water! We took, printed and distributed exactly 738 photographs and saw between 2,000 and 3,000 people come through our booth! It was lots of hard work, lots of fun and I thought just such a wonderful way to bless the local community and raise the profile of the church.




Sunday 13 July 2008

Navel-gazing

Sorry! Have been a bit slack about keeping this up to date. Partly because I have to confess to rather a lot of navel-gazing and feeling homesick this week. Whilst I realise that, to a certain extent, the whole essence of blogging is navel-gazing, I thought I would spare you some of it! Suffice to say, I am missing you all and all things familiar. Fortunately this has coincided with D's two weeks' leave so we are going to do some more Chicago sight-seeing this week and then we are off to St Louis the second week after a night on our own to celebrate our anniversary next Sat. We had an amazing but tiring day today as Fusion ran a stall at the Clark St Festival just around the corner from where we meet. It was a fantastic example of community outreach and lots of fun but demands more than a few words so will try and blog about it tomorrow. Meanwhile I am off to bed for some kip............

Tuesday 8 July 2008

Procrastination

This is a bit bizarre - I am putting off writing a proper, pen-to-paper letter to my mother and have ended up blogging instead! Why is it that it is so much easier to type than commit to paper? I have to admit the delay is partly inspired by 'I told you so'-ness as I did implore Mum to at least try and use email for the sake of keeping up with her grandchildren before we left. She assured me that she would (a) write, (b) phone and, in any case, felt that 3 months wasn't very long not to be in contact......... Hmmph!! Needless to say, Isabel's 6-year old school friends have proved more regular correspondents and the phone remains silent. I really will write - I had considered emailing a letter to my sister and asking her to post it because for some reason I now find it much easier to write with the help of technology but no, I will try and write a 'nice newsy letter'!!

Of course, it is true that there is nothing like receiving a crisp, hand-written letter through the mail. Interestingly enough, when I asked at the post office, they no longer sell the pre-paid aerogrammes I remember from my student days, so I guess I am not alone in my lack of epistolary communication.

The week is going by and this week, E & M are the summer campers so we are still doing a lot of driving, but they are having great fun so it is worth it... It's so hot and sticky we are struggling to sleep and then it's so light in the morning E is waking up at 5:30. He seems to have a cough that only bothers him early in the morning (read completely fake) which is so annoying. I think this at least in part answers the question of what Chicago locals do all winter long when it's too cold to go out - I bet they sleep loads!! Tomorrow I have promised to take Is out for a girlie day with her new BFF, Masha. It's going to include lots of craft, pizza and ice cream so doesn't sound too bad at all!

I realise that probably no one is reading this as most of you are in Brighton for the Newfrontiers conference. If you are around, do say hi (I'll accept emails or Blog comments in lieu of letters!), am starting to miss home and friends a lot.

Sunday 6 July 2008

Independence Day

We really enjoyed the fireworks on Friday night - it was a lovely summer's evening and so nice to be able to sit outside and not freeze half to death like we do on Nov 5th. Such good-natured crowds, too - we all crowded into a local golf course with blankets and camp chairs and everyone behaved impeccably (and no, I'm not just talking about our group!) It was the best display I'd ever seen live and it was free which was a bonus. The fireworks were preceded by a band playing patriotic tunes and the actual display was accompanied by the likes of 'America the beautiful' and 'God bless America', 'I'm proud to be an American', etc. Initially I was quite caught up in the whole patriotic thing and thinking maybe it would be nice if we had more national pride at home. Don't worry, I'm not thinking of joining UKIP or the BNP! But actually after thinking about it I just realised how sad it is that people put their faith and meaning of life onto something ultimately so transient - the only one I pledge allegiance to is the Lord of lords and King of Kings!

We just hung out locally in Wilmette yesterday as the kids were understandably crabby after getting to bed at 10:30pm on Fri night. I'm also limited by horribly swollen ankles -an allergic reaction to nast mosquito bites. We did make a quick trip to the beach yesterday evening but the water was closed due to 'high bacteria' so the kids could play on the sand but not paddle. They didn't seem to mind too much and setteld for running in and out of the cold showers on the sand.

Hopefully back to the zoo later on today - let's see if the kids can manage to behave as we only made it for about 40 mins last time before having to take them home due to bad behaviour!

Thursday 3 July 2008

I seem to have spent most of this week driving back and forth through the Northern suburbs taking Is to summer camp and trying to squeeze in as many activities with the other two until it's collection time again - a true American mom!!! I must say, though, that I have been so proud of her going off and having a whale of a time and making new friends - she knew no one when she went for the first time on Mon. She has raved about camp all week and has done so much - swimming, sport, going to a baseball game and water park. Only trouble is she's desperate to do it again now....... It will be interesting to see how the younger two get on next week, though it is much lower-key for them - E goes 5 mornings 9-1, M just Mon, Wed, Fri from 9-12 so it will be even more ferrying around. I guess it gives me more chance to go to the gym and perfect my Step moves, though.....!!

It was whilst wasting time in-between camp drop-off and pick-up that I ended up introducing the younger two to the concept of retail therapy! We have been employing a dreadful parenting technique which I may have previously mentioned - of rewarding a day's good behaviour with a dollar. This, in turn, is followed by a trip to Target which has a $1 section perfect for the kids to buy the kind of 'toot' that builds up and gets really annoying - you know, light-up pens, mini torches and the like which always require batteries costing 4 times as much as the original purchase...... Anyway, they'd both chosen their rewards and then I stumbled upon the beachwear section and for some unexplained reason decided that I really needed a boob tube so I can tan evenly without strap marks. What was I thinking??? i don't even tan anyway because I am (a) so pale that I either burn or nothing (b) I am so paranoid about skin cancer that I always wear at least factor 25 (c) I hate being in the sun so always head for the nearest shade. Need I go on..........? So, the beaches of Chicago are in for a treat this year. I will at least have a nice tanned decolletage while my white varicose-vein ridden legs are firmly hidden under the longest skirts I can find! In any case, I digress - the point of this is that, once they had seen I had a new top, both children decided they really needed new tops too and so, by the time we hit the beach later that afternoon, we were all happily clad in our new gear, feeling cheered and trendy.

Whilst you pay for the privilege, I have to say I have been won over by the private beaches - we had such a lovely time on Wed with some friends. The grown-ups sat and chatted and the kids just ran around and we essentially had the entire beach to ourselves with 3 or 4 lifeguards keeping a watchful eye on the kids, too. Because there's barely a tide on the lake, you can sit virtually on the edge of the water and not have to move all day. It's funny how quickly we have settled into life here - tonight we had 'carry out' from a local restaurant and it was so nice not to cook after a busy day. D was the perfect boss this afternoon, sending all his team home early to enjoy the holiday (but really because he fancied the afternoon off!!) so we headed up to the Botanical gardens for ice creams after picking Is up.

Looking forward to the fireworks tomorrow night - in fact we can hear loud blasts from various public displays and the downtown Chicago display is on TV. D is engrossed in his Tour De France guide so I shan't expect to hear much from him for the next 3 weeks - except perhaps bemoaning the fact that we should have been in Paris for the finale on July 27th!

No Fusion this Sun so we thought we would check out the North shore Willow Creek church - will they walk across the room to talk to us????!

Happy 4th July to you all - we will be waving our 'Stripes & Stars' flags, as E calls them!

Sunday 29 June 2008

Blogging in the name of the Lord?

My brother-in-law, on his blog, has mentioned there is a Newfrontiers blog http://newfrontiersbloggers.blogspot.com/ (which basically lists everyone related to Newfrontiers churches who has a blog). I'm not sure whether to be flattered or dismayed to be listed here (just above John Lanferman for anyone who's interested)! I fear mine may be the least spiritual of the blogs - though maybe John, Terry et al will be interested in my tales of woe at the gym or my potty training anecdotes...Hmmm! Or perhaps I should rise to the challenge and try and post little nuggets of spiritual wisdom - no promises, ok?!!!

We had a great time at Fusion this evening featuring a live, in-person visit from Bryan & Rachel Mowrey from St Louis (as opposed to the recorded sermons we usually watch). There were 20 adults there which I think is the most we've seen, including a couple of first-time visitors which is exciting. The kids were learning about Biblical Superheroes and decided to go dressed up which seemed to cause much mirth and amusement from the other members of the congregation! We spent most of the afternoon perfecting their makeshift costumes - Maria von Trapp would be proud of me!

This morning we went to the cinema as a family and saw 'Wall-E', the new Pixar offering. I was actually quite impressed that we made it through with no trips to the loo. The girls polished off the most part of an enormous (of course!) bag of popcorn which I think was what kept M's attention more than the film! The cinema is so much cheaper here, I think we will be going quite a lot as it's so pricey at home...

We have a church BBQ tomorrow night and I'm quite excited as we actually have a babysitter booked ..woop woop!! Is goes to camp at the YMCA this week so am expecting her to be exhausted, esp after such a late night after church tonight. We are all feeling pretty tired at the moment and all had a sleep this afternoon (with the exception of E who earned a dollar by being quiet!!). Don't know if it's a bug, just all the change or the heat.... The forecast is for a cooler week which suits me just fine - as long as it's fine on Friday for all the fireworks!!

Saturday 28 June 2008

The kids have reached that lawless state that usually arrives around the middle of the summer holidays so we have decided we need a clamp-down on the discipline front, insisting on first-time obedience. It's hard work and I'm not very popular with them at the moment! They look like scruffy street urchins - constantly sandy feet and toussled, unbrushed hair - despite my best efforts to keep them respectable-looking! The American accents are coming on a treat and I expect Is to be fluent by the time she's finished summer camp next week.... We also have Independence Day celebrations to look forward to as it's July 4th next weekend. I think it should be lots of fun with kids' activities, food and fireworks.

I managed to humiliate myself in the gym once again on Thurs as I attempted a Step class for the first time in about 10 years. The class was called 'Step Surprise' and the surprise seemed to be that everyone else had been doing the same routine for years and had perfected doing it with minimal or, at some points, zero instruction from the teacher. I lost count of the times I ended up facing the entire class because we were supposed to be facing the back of the room and I hadn't caught up yet. Must point out tho that I still triumphed in the fashion stakes with my tucked-in bows!!! I think I am going to have to persist because it's the only chance for exercise I can get. I don't think I can face the only other available option which is jogging - the trend is to put your kids in a 3-wheeler buggy with the biggest front wheel you can find (we're talking Penny Farthing here) and then running behind them, pushing the buggy (sorry, stroller) out in front. My kids would be moaning after 5 mins quite apart from the hideous effort required (tho' I guess the requisite ipod would drown some of that out)!!

It's Saturday morning so I have to make pancakes in a minute, as it has become our weekend tradition. Then I think we will finally make it to Lincoln Park zoo as our attempt a few weeks back was rained off. Then Mummy gets some time out as I shall sneak off to the cinema later on for a bit of peace (I suppose I should strictly only get 36 minutes - 1 for every year of my life - but I think I've amassed enough credit over the past few weeks).

Catch you later........................ xx

Wednesday 25 June 2008

What with tornados, flash floods, West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes and now dive-bombing blackbirds, Chicago is a dangerous place to live! So far we've seen nothing of these other than the occasional mozzie (which, btw are apparently of the no-less-annoying but not disease-carrying variety. A relief after D's brush with malaria a few years back). Tonight I am a baseball widow and I fear this may be the first of many nights when my husband abandons me for Wrigley field - he is crediting the Cubs' recent and unprecedented 14-week winning stint to his presence in Chicagoland! I think this addiction to baseball may run in the family as when I asked E what he missed about England the only thing he cited was the baseball bat D brought him as a present from his recent business trip ... and it was a Cubs one, as opposed to the slightly freaky glow-in-the-dark one we have here!

I tried my first Chicago pizza last night (tho it wasn't the classic deep dish) and it was very pleasant. Extremely virtuous actually as I'd ordered the diet pizza hoping for less lard and it actually came without cheese! It turns out our local, end of the road pizza place has been written up as the best in town so we may need to experiment with further samplings...........

I took the kids to the Kohl's Children's museum this afternoon and they had an absolute blast. I had to drag them away after 4 hours so I was pleased to have found a good wet-weather option for the summer. They had so many great child-friendly activities, including a mini supermarket where they could shop with trolleys and take it in turns to scan bar codes at the till and a mock cafe where they could make sandwiches and serve 'customers'.

I've been missing home and friends a lot the past couple of days - now that we've been here a month we are definitely past the holiday mark. There are plenty of nice things to do but sometimes it would be nice to curl up in a familiar chair, sleep in my own bed, etc (oh, and send the kids to school and playgroup!!). The potty-training is rather hit-and-miss - never my favourite part or parenting - but at least it's not my furniture and floors being piddled on (hope the landlady's not reading - oops!)

I'd better go and watch the tornado warnings now............................

Monday 23 June 2008

Oh dear! This is getting far less frequent - sorry everyone!! Still it's nice to know so many of you are keeping up with our news............ please do let me know if you read the blog, it's nice to know who is dropping by (as it were). Some of you have asked about Maddy and she is fine now, thank you - I think I was overdosing her on apple juice due to the lack of squash here but now we have found a source of reasonably priced ribena she seems to be back to normal. In fact, quite excitingly, she is potty training at the moment. I am taking the brainwashing approach and borrowed a DVD entitled Elmo's potty (as in Sesame Street) and so she is watching that and making mental notes. It's a bit gross to be honest - songs about potties and its contents, etc. In fact now I think of it, it reminds me of that Come Outside episode (if you've seen it you'll know the one I mean!) Also bribing her with Skittles seems to help - it's the American way......

We have been hanging out at the beach. It was so nice to spend Sunday morning there, watching all the rich people out on their sailing boats and jet skis! We have to walk down several flights of steps to reach the beach and it reminds D of his childhood summers on Lusty Glaze beach in Cornwall (though the weather's just slightly more clement here!). On Saturday we ventured slightly further afield and went to an arboretum west of Chicago. They had so many children's activities that we barely scratched the surface of the place so we will definitely return, hopefully with slightly less eventful journeys. On the way there we failed to turn off to pay the highway toll and just sailed through recorded by the cameras which catch those who don't pay, then on the way home I took the wrong turning and we ended up in a massive traffic jam on the Chicago loop (M25 equivalent). Oops!!

I think we need to pace the kids better on Sundays as they were really hard work in Sunday school last night - all the worse for me as I got drafted in at the last minute as someone was ill. I think the beach in the morning followed by swimming in the afternoon and then a really late night (we didn't get home until 9pm) was just too much. Once again, they are grumpy as anything today and didn't much enjoy being dragged round 2 supermarkets this morning to stock up on groceries (and I still need to go to a third at some point for Coco Pops and ribena, absolute essentials as I'm sure you appreciate!!). My latest bribe technique is to give a dollar to whoever behaves well then we go to the local Target (kind of Woolworths only massive scale) and they spend them there (once I have paid the additional sales tax)! Is this bad parenting? (Rhetorical question, btw - please don't reply!!!)

The weather is so bizarre here - when we arrived at church there was a tremendous hail storm with stones as big as cherries. Now how can you get hail when it's 85 degrees? So strange. It's amazing how you can have a couple of inches of rain then the sun comes out and it's hot and dry again. The grass grows so fast it has to be mown weekly (tho fortunately we aren't responsible) but it's a point of consternation for D that everyone leaves it so long even when it's freshly cut...... Our next door neighbour was out at 7.30am on Sat mowing his.

I think we'll head to storytime in the park later on so the kids get a bit of exercise and then early to bed all round. Hope to have something more interesting to report soon! Ciao.........

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Wear those bows with pride!

When did we start tucking the bows on our trainers inside the top of the shoe? I ask because today at my gym class I realised that I was the only one who had done this as it obviously hasn't caught on as a fashion idea Stateside. It makes me laugh to think that I am the 'trendy' one. In fact I think I caused a stir last week wearing a spaghetti-strapped vest top which would be de rigueur at home - everyone else turned out to be more modestly dressed than yours truly. Whoops! Oh well, just goes to show that it's just not possible to 'blend' as, even when you don't open your mouth, you give yourself away as a foreigner. And a complete weakling - to my utter embarrassment today I could only do about half the repetitions of the arm exercises before my arms felt on fire. It's so unfair to have such weak arms when your maiden name was 'Armstrong'!!

After nipping home for a quick shower we finally made it to the beach - or at least, almost. To be exact we made it to the playpark above the beach - as you had to pay something ridiculous like $8 per adult and $7 per child to go to the beach if you don't have a pass. I think we have decided to go for the Winnetka beaches (there are 3) and buy a $100 pass tomorrow so the kids can finally get their feet wet. It seems that beaches can be closed quite a lot in the summer months due to nasty bacteria/ dirty water, etc which seems a little bizarre but I'm sure we can get over that.

Talking of 'blending', the kids have been making us laugh as they are starting to take on board the accent and local phrases. I will have to video them as it doesn't do them justice to write about but it's hysterical! We now have diapers, go to the bathroom and walk on the sidewalk. I'm actually secretly a little disappointed not to have heard much use of the 'F' word (the one that ends in 'anny') as I'd envisaged a blog on it's use but it's probably just as well!

Monday 16 June 2008

It's another beautiful sunny day in Chicagoland and all E wants to do is play on the computer! We went to the library this morning and that was all he wanted to do there, too! Fortunately we have a great library here with lots of children's facilities and you can even hire lots of children's DVDs for free. Have borrowed one for M about potty training hoping that at some point she night show some interest... I tried buying cheap nappies (aka diapers) hoping she would feel more wet but unfortunately she loves them because they have characters from a kids' tv show on them! I have a feeling she will be the only one of my children to start playgroup in pull-ups... We are struggling with home-school again this afternoon. I so couldn't be a teacher!

Tomorrow I have to go and change the car at the airport - we initially only booked it for 3 weeks hoping to find a better deal but it seems you just don't get anything off for a longer term rental. I'm really hoping we can keep the same vehicle as it would be a pain to have to get used to something else - plus we really like it. Even though it does only do a ridiculous 13 miles per gallon, it's fun chugging around town in a massive 4 x 4. I'm enjoying the driving as long as I stay clear of the expressways because there are roadworks galore and they just seem to be constantly jammed. D is working from home so that I don't have to take all the kids to change the car over which is fab as it also means I can go food shopping without them. I am gradually building up a repertoire of meals I can cook here but it is a bit frustrating not having all the equipment we have at home.

As you can see, D managed to find a photo of the Cloudgate structure. I will spare you the 100 plus photos Is and E took off the miniature railway at the Botanical gardens!

I have tired children today - church not finishing until 8 takes it's toll on them - so it's a quiet afternoon followed by storytime in the park and an early night all round!

Saturday 14 June 2008

Yesterday I was able to go and be a tourist, thanks to my lovely husband taking the afternoon off to look after the little monsters (who, naturally, turned into polite, sweet little angels for Daddy's benefit. Grrr!). I headed downtown on the double-decker train - had to sit upstairs of course due to the sheer novelty of it - and headed into Chicago proper. It was so lovely just to wander and take it all in. The only time I had previously been into the centre was on Day 2 when we took D to work and I was concentrating so hard trying to find the expressway out of town that I didn't have the chance to pay attention to the sights.

I walked down to Grant Park which houses the Art Institute of Chicago as well as some modern art structures which really turn the park into a great space used by locals and visitors alike. I must say at this point that I forgot to take both my camera and camera-phone so I will have to post some pics another time. The Art Institute houses an impressive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works and it was fun testing my knowledge of the artists as I approached each one. The inside is being remodelled so sadly most of the Van Goghs and some of the Monets weren't on display but there were still plenty of wonderful paintings to distract me from the stresses of the week. It did make me reminiscent about times spent in France and also made me realise how rarely we actually get the opportunity to go and see art - the last time was the Orangerie in Paris last summer and before that the Velasquez exhibition in London. I might actually take the kids sometime as they seem to have quite a few activities aimed at youngsters and it would be a good introduction to some culture.

Once outside, it was fun to see the Frank Geary stage and the Cloudgate structure which looks like a giant silver coffee bean and reflects the skyscrapers and clouds above. Will definitely post some pics as it's hard to describe but very, very cool!

Next I headed for the 'Magnificent Mile' which is basically a mile of shopping malls and department stores leading along Michigan Avenue down to the John Hancock Tower which is the third tallest tower in the city (the Sears tower where D works is the highest). It was just nice to take in the atmosphere - Chicago is quite an impressive place visually - and wander across the many bridges over the river as it flows into Lake Michigan. The lake is so huge it really does seem like the sea and it's hard to forget that it isn't. I guess we'll notice it more once we get our beach passes and start bathing, though I've heard it is very, very cold!!!

We had a lovely family day today - back to the Botanical Gardens and swimming in the afternoon. The children were finally good enough for us to buy them some toys (always our intention as we didn't have space to bring much) so they are now very happy bunnies, as are we thanks to the stupidly cheap prices. I'm considering buying their Christmas presents before we leave as it would save a fortune! The only thing that blighted the day is that M has not been very well the last three days. She's had horrible diarrhea (horrible for me changing her nappies!). I thought it was better yesterday but it seemed to be back today. She's not at all unwell and is still her happy self but I'm a bit concerned she's not drinking enough to rehydrate herself so I would value your prayers. I think it may be something she ate (there is a salmonella scare over tomatoes, can you believe it?!) as no one else is unwell, but it's sad for her when she's so little.

Father's Day tomorrow and the kids have various plans for Daddy. We think we will probably head down to Lincoln Park zoo in the morning with church in the evening again. Is plans to teach everyone some of the songs she sings in 'Nicks' so should be a fun time!

Wednesday 11 June 2008

You say EEther

I fear I am going to rant today so my apologies if this offends you. It really wasn't my intention to slate all things American so I will try not to but some things are really such a pain! Today I am missing random things - like ham without sugar/honey/maple syrup/anything sweet, Tesco deliveries, tinned chopped tomatoes that just contain tomatoes and not extra peppers and celery thus ruining the taste of my spag bol, Tesco Hi-Juice blackcurrant, English strawberries that taste of something and most of all my wonderful glass hob that is so easy to buff to a shine unlike this naff (not Neff!) one which I cannot seem to find a way to clean............ I carefully bought a non-stick, gentle scourer thing which appears to have scratched the surface of the hob. When I enquired of a local how I'm supposed to clean it she suggested using a terry cloth which I have tried but it just doesn't clean it so I think I will leave it dirty (thank goodness we aren't liable for the security deposit as it's covered by D's employer).

I now feel very guilty so will have to think of some things I DO like about America..........

  1. The turn right on a red light rule - would save so much time at home!
  2. The ice cream
  3. The ice cream
  4. Cheap clothes (esp at Gap)
  5. Baskin & Robbins and Haagan Dazs
  6. Sunshine and air con
  7. Chipmunks - they are very cute running around the garden
  8. Hmm!

OK, that will have to be a 'to be continued.........' My foul temper is mostly to do with the fact that the monsters were back today. We had to go and buy D some short-sleeved shirts and they ran riot in the shopping centre once again (M was screaming at the top of her voice because I had put E in the buggy instead of her - he had fallen asleep in the car so it seemed fair). It turned out that M was sickening which may partly excuse her - she seems to have a bit of a tummy bug and I changed 6 dirty nappies in an hour as a result. Now we have to wait and see if anyone else is ill. Oh dear - that's another one to add to the negative list, she's never had diarrhoea at home!!!

9. OOH - Just thought of another positive one - drive through ATMs - you don't even have to leave the car to get cash. Also drive through prescriptions sound good, too (not that I need one!)

10. No Big Brother - that's probably not strictly true, but there are so many channels here that no one programme can dominate. In fact, I'm not sure I've actually watched a TV programme as I usually get fed up of flicking through all the channels.

11. Pay per view/On demand. Quite like this - watched a v funny Will Ferell film the other night. Oh, and the movies are really cheap too (cost D $15 for him and 2 kids)

There we go, I feel that was a therapeutic rant as now feel better. In fact I think I shall go and put my feet up with a nice cup of Tetley tea (brought from home of course) and a packet of M&Ms which I just found lurking in the back of the kitchen cupboard.

So, as the sales assistant in Gap said to me - obviously trying to make me feel at home - Cheerio!

Tuesday 10 June 2008

I don’t think I’m really cut out for the home schooling thing so it’s a good job that I’m a passionate supporter of sending Christian children to state schools wherever possible! We decided that it would be good for Is to carry on doing a little schoolwork most days – to provide some structure and stop her brain from atrophy. I was expecting more enthusiasm from her especially as her teacher always goes on about what a wonderful girl she is and how much she will miss her – not as much as I am missing you, Mrs Ryans!!! Everything I do is wrong – “Why are we doing Maths on a Tuesday?”, “That’s not the right way”, “We don’t do that at school, Mummy” …. You get the picture! And she pleads exhaustion at every step even tho’ the most I ever attempt is an hour and a half with ‘play-time’ in the middle. And it’s interesting that play-time at home school still requires Mum’s involvement in every element. We just got back from an hour at the park and I think the other mums think I am some terrible parent who hasn’t bonded with her children – I wanted them to play independently so I could read my book for a little while. Fat chance……. Am hoping this will improve in time – surely the whole point of going to the park is that the kids occupy themselves????

Oh well! I am now armed with some $15 trainers and plan to hit a class at the YMCA tomorrow while the children play in ‘Kidzone’, the crèche – they have miraculously gone from thinking it the most boring place on earth to wanting to go daily so I am not complaining……. This could be my chance to counteract the inevitable effects of unhealthy American food….. Seriously, it is SO bad – I can’t even find ham that the kids will eat because it is all so sweetened. Only the icecream is good and that hardly helps the waistline!! I have even made some soup for tea tonight (I know that sounds mad in summer) so that we can have some non-processed, healthy fare…

The weather has been lovely today though there is still quite a lot of flooding around from the heavy rains of the weekend – extreme weather seems to be the thing here. We are really grateful for our 4 x 4 as the roads are full of pot-holes, all damage from the winter when the roads freeze. It’s been mid-70s temperature-wise today which I think is perfect and it’s been nice to have the windows open without worrying about the house turning into a furnace.

Sunday 8 June 2008

Sweats and the City

Friday was an interesting afternoon. We went to Michael's, a large craft store akin to Hobbycraft to buy some bits for the the kids to make ruby anniversary cards for D's parents. Around half an hour after we got back, E complained that the light wasn't working in the loo and I, rather belatedly, realised that we had no power! I once again went to find my neighbour, Jenny to check it wasn't just us and it was clearly the whole of the block which was affected and the power company weren't sure how long it would take to fix. It seems it was due to the high winds we have been having (I confess I did ask D to check there were no tornado warnings after DH!!). Rubbish timing as it was approaching tea-time for the kids and then I realised that we have a gas oven/hob, though with an electric ignition. Jenny once again came to the rescue with matches and I managed to cook some pasta. D picked up some candles on the way home and we sweltered for the rest of the evening without the air con. The power finally came on around midnight but it was certainly sticky. It reminded me of when we first moved to Australia when I was a teenager - we had a power cut after a few days and had to light our fire in sweltering heat as it was the only light source!!!

Sat morning i was dispatched to shop for some summer clothes (hardly a chore!) so Maddy and I hit Gap while D, I & E went to see 'Kung-Fu Panda' at the cinema. I really enjoyed being able to afford Gap prices but unfortunately M was less than enthusiastic so I had to bribe her with an icecream!

In the afternoon we headed downtown to one of Chicago's top tourist destinations, Navy Pier which is basically Brighton's Palace Pier on a larger and slightly less tacky scale. We took a short boat trip which was perfect timing to avoid a rain shower - a great way to see the skyscrapers from lake Michigan. The highlight for E was,however, a $2 (£1) ride on a Thomas train!!!!

This morning saw us head to the Evanston Vineyard church after pancakes for breakfast. We had a good morning and we were proud of the kids for settling so well into their Sunday school groups. It was a good morning, sound preach but somewhat lacking in contributions and demonstrations of Spiritual Gifts in the worship time (ie none!). Makes you really grateful for what we have in Newfrontiers.

We ended up heading to a restaurant for lunch and once again even the kids' portions were huge!! I had the most amazing Mexican dish which was some kind of deep-fried tortilla shell stuffed with salad and chilli, etc. The only way I can describe it is that it looked like one of those filters for old-fashioned coffee machines but crisp and much bigger (naturellement!)

Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow as heavy rain is forecast but then it's forecast to be warm and sunny for the rest of the week so maybe I will sort out a beach pass...

Friday 6 June 2008

Thirst Impressions

Last night we had friends to dinner so after D came home I rushed off to the supermarket to buy a roasting tin and pudding! I had wondered whether to change the menu completely as it has been so hot and humid the past couple of days I wasn't looking forward to having the oven on, but thankfully the air con is pretty efficient (downstairs, at least). I forgot to buy a bottle of win so ended up having to go out again a little later. When I got to 'The Bottle Shop', our local off-licence, I couldn't open the door and didn't realise that it had actually closed at 7pm until the amused manager opened the door for me and greeted me with, "Are you really thirsty?" So embarrassing that I will now be known as the local drunk!! Fortunately he was really friendly and has promised to introduce us to American wines. They do tastings most evenings so I think D may be taking the opportunity to get to know the locals by getting involved!!

I decided yesterday afternoon that the kids and myself weren't getting enough exercise as we'd been driving everywhere, so when the rain stopped we headed out on foot to the library and a park we hadn't yet visited. We were pretty much the only people on foot and, despite the fact that it was actually a relatively short distance, we were all wiped out when we got back. The heat combined with humidity is just so oppressive. It seems mad to be inside with all the doors and windows closed on a beautiful sunny day but until we get our beach pass there really aren't many other options.

I was reading through the summer camps booklet last night and discovered there is a cheer-leading one that Is could do - talk abut High School Musical! Still undecided as to whether or not to sign the children up.

I can't believe that we are almost at the end of our second week here - once we got over the first few nightmarish days, we seem to be settling in a bit more now and I feel like I am finding my feet. Still yet to see much of Chicago but there's plenty of time. I think the plan for tomorrow is for D to take the younger two to see 'Kung-Fu Panda' while I take M shopping. Our clothes are just too thick (even the summer ones) and poor D is sweltering in his suit on the way to and from the station. The trains and office are air conditioned but there's always the journey to cope with. Unfortunately this almost certainly means the dreaded chinos (many of you will be aware of my aversion to these)!

This weekend most of Fusion are at the Newfrontiers midwest regional celebration at Warrensburg so there's no Sunday meeting. We thought we would take the opportunity to visit the Evanston Vineyard led by Steve Nicholson. Fortunately for us, Sarah who does kids work for Fusion attends this church and runs the Sunday School so our children will have a familiar face looking after them. I'm hoping this means I will actually get to be in the meeting, not just checking out the kids' work.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. xxx

Thursday 5 June 2008

It's a rather sad indication of the busyness or modern life when your husband has to read your blog to find out what you've been up to!

Before I launch into my thesis for the day, I'm sure you'll all rejoice with me that my trash has just been collected! Hurrah!!

I am trying to get my head around how the whole 'at-home mum (ok, mOm)/'pre-school thing works here. I was feeling rather guilty about struggling with having all 3 of my little darlings at home, esp as my impression is that formal schooling starts later here (correct me if I'm wrong, Megan). However, yesterday's trip to the 'Y' was informative, to say the least. It seems paid babysitters in the day are the way to go, accompanied by very comprehensive summer camps to get you through the long summer months. I met a woman who had brought her son to the 'little Athletes' class E went to with Jethro. She had left her 1-year old at home with a babysitter so he could sleep while she took the 4-year old out so with babysitting fees, class fees and YMCA membership fees I make that 3 lots of money paid out for an hour's class. Ouch! babysitters are the way to go if you fancy a morning off or need to go shopping etc. Then the summer camps range from 1-8 weeks half or full days' entertainment, sports fun, etc etc but are exceedingly pricey to my thinking (some over $1k per child) then you have to add on your beach permits so summer is big-business in Chicagoland..................

Not sure whether to join the 'Y' or not - it's basically a sports centre with gym/pool/classes etc and a free creche where you can leave your kids for up to 4 hours a day. The younger 2 would probably enjoy the Kidzone but it's a bit boring for I and I can't help feeling I would just be dumping them. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a gym bunny!

E really enjoyed the little athletes class where he got to do basketball, baseball and some gym practice. As it was the last one of the course he received a medal which he is proudly sporting all day long!

Feeling rather sleep-deprived today thanks to an impressive thunder storm last night. The thunder wasn't especially loud but I have never known lightening flashes so close together - almost constant for half an hour. This may mean this afternoon's beach trip is postponed but you never know as the weather is so changeable here. Sometimes it starts off chilly then turns to blazing sunshine later on. Maybe I'll delay donning the bikini for a little while yet..........