Fall and all that!

So, it's Fall.... I have to confess I've been quite looking forward to experiencing Fall as, by all accounts, it is much more of a definite 'season' and distinct time of year in the US. It's the holiday season (as opposed to summer which is the vacation season) and, for us, it's our first fall and the only season we've yet to experience in Chicago.

We arrived to one of the most brutal winters in living memory (and that's only a slight exaggeration - everyone says it was the worst for ages!), Spring really never happened unless you count the week in May when the Park District plant the spring flowers in the city, and even Summer was not quite the heatwave we would have expected. To be honest, I loved this summer - it was warm and sunny without the intense humidity of last year and on no occasion was it too hot to go out with the children.

And so to Fall.... It seems that the 'holidays' are the coping mechanism to get through the last 3 months of the year. Halloween gives way to Thanksgiving and then, to a lesser extent, Christmas. By January, noone can bear to leave the house and everyone pines for warmer climes. The shops are completely full of holiday decorations and the well-to-do in Lincoln Park have their fall-colour garlands on their doors and their holiday table decorations out. I am so out of my element! Seriously, I try but finishing touches and interior design have never been my strong point. Carolyn Mahaney and her girls would be ashamed of me!!

I had anticipated that Halloween would be a bigger deal here and we've been discussing for months how to handle it as a family. I thought this would be a good place for me to explain why we won't be participating in any celebrations....

I just had a look on Wikipedia to see what their descriptions of Halloween and it's origins say so here goes....

"Halloween has origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain . The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. "

"The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks being worn at Halloween goes back to the Celtic traditions of attempting to copy the evil spirits or placate them, in Scotland for instance where the dead were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white....

On All Hallows’ eve, the ancient Celts would place a skeleton on their window sill to represent the departed. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body, containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the "head" of the vegetable to frighten off the embodiment of superstitions.[The name jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip.

Halloween imagery tends to involve death, evil, the occult, magic, or mythical monsters. Traditional characters include the Devil, the Grim Reaper, ghosts, ghouls, demons, witches, pumpkin-men, goblins, vampires, werewolves, martians, zombies, mummies, pirates, skeletons, black cats, spiders, bats, owls, crows, and vultures"

Now lots of people have explained to me at length that, here in America, the children only wear nice costumes and it all just a bit of fun but I just can't get away from the fact that so many of the traditions and common practices are rooted in practices of warding off evil spirits and making occult figures and practices out to be just something silly to be laughed at. As Christians we believe fully in the existence of good and evil and I don't want to blur the lines, especially where my children are concerned.

This viewpoint is presenting us with a few problems. At school all the children have been talking for weeks about what they will be wearing to go Trick-or-Treating or at the school Halloween parade. The shops are full of spooky costumes, skeletons, devil costumes and the like and houses are beginning to display gravestones and cobweb decorations. Plus we've had our first invitation to a party.

I don't want to offend anyone or judge them, but we won't be joining in. We are heading away for a couple of nights at the end of the month and we are going to have a Family Day out instead of the school parade. I have encouraged the children not to make a big deal about it, we will just quietly not observe the holiday. But everyone does think we are completely crazy!!! And cruel parents to boot for denying our children all the fun!


At this point, I really do need to praise my children. We've never participated in Halloween events and they don't want to. In fact, they have in the past been terrified by people wearing the 'Scream' masks and are very happy not to be trick-or-treating or going to parties. The problem I am having is that they are trying to convert their school friends and convince them not to celebrate it either. E refused to do an (unrelated to Halloween) activity at school because it involved a picture of a pumpkin and M likes to tell me exactly where all the Halloween decorations are in our neighbourhood so we can avoid them. Bless!

I'll let you know how it all goes............

Coffee anyone?

I know, I know - it's about time I wrote another post! I think I need to stop worrying too much about what I write and just update this more often as people want to know what we are up to...

Firstly, we are just sooooooo tired!!! It's ridiculous - especially as I now have 5 mornings a week sans children. That's 15 hours when I could be catching up on sleep, chilling out, reading, etc, etc. But it just all seems to get so manic when I try and cram in as much as possible to each 3-hour period. I am seriously considering getting M into the hot lunch program just to get myself an extra 45 minutes a day!!! It doesn't help that we have embarked on a lot more extra-curricular activities. In Blighty, Is had swimming lessons and that was it other than school. Now we have E swimming on a Monday, after school clubs (pirate & cheerleading respectively) for E and Is on a Tues and soccer practice for Is on a Wed plus a game each Saturday. Not wanting M to feel left out, I signed her up for some ridiculously cheap Tap & Ballet classes for an hour each on Tues and Thurs afternoons. Then there's homework on top of that which seems to have increased exponentially this year. It's crazy!!!!

The dance classes are incredibly amusing, not least as M insists on skipping to the lessons in full dance gear plus trainers. We park outside the zoo and walk past the tigers and lions en route to ballet so she always gets lots of endearing glances from passers-by. I doubt this will be quite as much fun in winter but for the moment it is ever so sweet. I get a whole hour to myself to read and drink tea in Starbucks though I usually sneak back a few minutes early to catch a few minutes of tap dancing. It mostly involves 10 4-year olds slipping and ending up on their bottoms then trying to help each other up and falling over again. I doubt there are any Broadway stars in the making!!

Most of my free time seems to be taken up with school meetings. For those who care, I have the dubious honour of having 2 children in 3 different Key stages which equates to triple meetings. As I am also 'class rep' for Is's class (not sure quite what I've let myself in for) I also have other meetings to attend and numerous emails to forward along with calming irate parents and negotiating with teachers and administrative staff at the school. There will no doubt be more postings to follow on those particularly joy-inspiring responsibilities...

When I am not at school meetings I am usually to be found having 'coffee' at Whole Foods with various friends and contacts. The parentheses, of course, as I am a hardened tea drinker but somehow meeting someone for a tea just doesn't run off the tongue as smoothly. I managed 3 days in a row the week before last. Last week the highlight was Friday's schedule of 'coffee' followed by a coffee morning followed by lunch with a friend.

It's a hard life here in Chi-town. No wonder I'm exhausted.........!

Come back NHS, (almost) all is forgiven...

I know I haven't written anything for absolutely ages... I keep thinking I should write a '1 year on' type update as (not counting a 3-mth trip back to the UK to pack up home) we have lived States-side for a year now. That will come. But for now I wanted to share some of my own first-hand experiences of the US healthcare vs the NHS....

As the daughter of 2 NHS professionals (a GP and a Physiotherapist), I have always been brought up to respect and appreciate the NHS. We know it has many failings but I have to say that, for me, it has always been there when I have needed it and I have many scars on my body which show testament to it's work! For the last few years since D started working in banking we were fortunate to have private healthcare - but I do say 'fortunate' with some hesitation.... Yes, that meant we could jump the queue which for D meant his gall bladder was removed swiftly without a long wait (and a wine list in the hospital - but I digress...). But I still had my appendix out at good-old Queen Mary's NHS in Sidcup. When the emergency arose I was given priority.

I also had all 3 children on the NHS and benefitted from a wonderfully supportive team of midwives who saw me through each pregnancy and birth. I know this is not every woman's experience, but it was wonderful for me to have the same midwife at the birth of my first two children and the same team throughout.

Since moving to the US, negotiating the healthcare system has been one of the things I have left near the bottom of my to-do list purely because it is so difficult to understand how it works. As it is I have gone the complete chicken's route and signed up with the same doctor as a friend as she is with the same insurance company as me and can talk me through each step of the process.

The first thing that strikes one about the healthcare here is simply how expensive it really is. We pay a large amount of money every 2 weeks for our (already highly subsidised by work) insurance. On top of that, each visit to the doctor costs us between $15-25. Prescription charges start at $25. Amazingly, the first check-up at the dentist was free. The optician costs around $50 for an eye-test. All of these costs are the same as children as for adults. So, if we had all had swine flu it would have cost us at least $40 each........

The emphasis is firmly on preventative medicine here which is good - in the UK it is very much a case of dealing with the problem presented and moving on to the next patient. Each of the children has to have an annual medical for school which proved to be a fairly traumatic experience for them - they had to undress and be thoroughly poked and prodded - and also for me as I was quizzed on their diet and exercise programs! They are given more standard vaccinations here, too - poor M had 3 on her first visit. To me, some of this seems rather OTT - especially as it is delivered with such intense sincerity. I am already anticipating a battle of wills with my doctor over whether or not to give the children flu' jabs this winter (whilst I am pro-vaccination, I don't really think this is a necessary one). She is so earnest, I don't think she really understands me at all - when she phoned to deliver my cholesterol results, I joked that since they were good I could continue eating unhealthy foods with abandon but she immediately cautioned me against it. Sense of humour failure - 100%!!

So, all-in-all we are certainly getting more attentive (I still hesitate to say 'better') care here - but at a huge cost! I have no idea how those without insurance cope - it must be terrifying to have to consider finances before seeking emergency medical help. I don't know what chance Obama has of bringing in healthcare change, but those of you who do still have the NHS, spare a thought for those who don't. With all it's strains and problems, it's something many in the world would be hugely grateful to have.

Anyone going to the Willow Creek Leadership Conference this year?

If you are, why not come and visit the Newfrontiers church plant in Chicago, Destination Church? When you are a small plant, mature (ok that may rule some out) visitors from other churches in the Newfrontiers family can be a real encouragement. You never know, you might even benefit from some free accommodation and/or a home-cooked meal!

Go on, come and visit - you know you want to!

Check out the new church plant website at http://www.destinationchurch.org or contact me via this blog, Facebook, Twitter .....

A day in the life...

... my attempt at answering the much-levelled question, "So what do you do all day?"

5:55 am: Woken out of a deep sleep by a sharp kick from husband – turns out he was dreaming of playing football. Try unsuccessfully to fall back to sleep

7:00 am: Drag myself unwillingly out of bed, take hay fever medication and go through daily frustrations of coaching 3 children through breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth etc. etc.

7:50am Quick shower then try and get Drs appt for daughter no 1 who was sent home from school yesterday with a temperature. She is coughing, has a runny nose and a very red throat. Is this the dreaded Strep Throat or just a nasty cold?? We may never know as there were no appts available and then I got put on hold and the recorded message advised me the current hold-time was 21mins. Hung up.

8:15am Hurried family out of door. Son delivered to school; husband delivered to work. Daughter complaining that she is alternately well enough for school and feeling unwell in car after such a long journey to take dad to work. Does listening to worship music in the car count as a quiet time?

9:00 am Back home, loading dishwasher, making pancakes for daughter no 1 as she won’t eat anything else. Daughter no 2 polishes off 5 pancakes (on top of the bowl of cereal and half-bagel she’s already had for breakfast)

10:30 am Carrot cake for after-Sports day picnic tomorrow in oven. Wondering what to do about parents’ evening tonight…. The learning assistants look after the children in the classrooms, but is it fair to inflict Daughter 1’s germs on the others there? Resisting temptation to log onto Facebook as need to tidy up the basement in preparation for a visitor arriving Sat. Run upstairs to get bedding, get briefly distracted by a load of washing, only to be called back down to the basement by the familiar call, “I’ve done a poo”…

11:00 am Remove carrot cake from oven – slightly burned round edges (hopefully no one will notice). Run hoover round basement and make bed. Discipline Daughter 2 for hitting Daughter 1 over the head with a Barbie!

12:00pm Friend arrives for lunch with her 2 boys. Make salad and pretend I eat this healthily every day! Chat for 2 lovely hours while the children play (mostly) happily.

2:00pm Take Daughter 1’s temperature and she finally has a real, proper fever. She has spent the afternoon in bed reading and sleeping so hasn’t really been too much trouble but this means no parents’ eve and almost certainly no sports day tomorrow for her. Email teachers to say I won’t be coming. More tidying.

2:50pm Steal a few minutes away. Try to read a devotional book but it’s too intelligent and I find my mind wandering. Pick up my bible and read some truth, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (Ja 3v17). How I long to be wise….

3:00pm Back to reality – pick up son from school and break up fights in the car. Thankfully carrot cake is well-received by 2 out of 3 children despite burned bits!

4:00pm Listen to son read, admire various craft creations by daughters and head to the kitchen to make tea (after pressure from son to get off pc asap so he can go on the Star Wars website)

5:00 pm Keep running downstairs to do some more hoovering so tea taking longer to cook than usual. Plus have to help colour in R2-D2 online and print him out

5:30 pm Teatime – so thankful I’d decided to make a safe option – pasta Bolognese all round

6:00 pm Kids running around wiggling their bottoms and getting generally more and more hyper. I hate this last hour

6:10pm Daughter no 1 to bed after hitting her brother with a large mag-lite torch.

6:25 Son goes to bathroom to perform his business – the most terrible noises fill the upstairs and am v relieved when it turns out he’s blowing raspberries into his palms. Fold washing from tumble drier while younger 2 splash in the bath

7:00 pm Kids down, tidy away toys. Open beer. Would prefer wine but hubby is out with work colleagues and it’s probably not a good idea to open a bottle just for me. Finally log in to Facebook.

8:00pm Just settling in to ironing in front of the TV when hubby arrives so feed him then selflessly head out to Borders to buy him a copy of his fave magazine … only to return and discover I’ve bought him the issue he already has. Grrr! Icecream softens the blow.

9:15pm Cup of tea, magazine, hot bath then off to bed………

So there you go.

A belated tribute

As many will know, last weekend marked a significant milestone for the Hosier family as my father-in-law, John, preached his last sermon as an elder at Church of Christ the King (CCK) in Brighton. He officially retires next month but the church honoured him on Sunday as they looked back on 23 years as an elder there and almost 40 years of ministry.

Understandably, we couldn’t be there in person (though the Poole Hosiers did an excellent job of keeping up the family end, as it were) so we have been watching a video of the event. We did send a DVD message from Chicago but I confess I pretty much hid in the background letting my husband and children do the talking.

As I watched my sister-in-law and many others pay tribute to John & Sue, I felt a little embarrassed and saddened that I hadn’t risen to the opportunity to share my own reflections. To be perfectly honest, though I confess I am a fairly emotional person, I’m actually really bad at voicing my feelings about other people – so I thought I’d take the relatively safe option of writing about it here where I can safely hide my face behind my PC screen!!

It’s funny, really, because I came across John and Sue quite a few years before I ever met them – or David. Most people don’t know anything much about their prospective in-laws except via family reputation. So that was a good start, because I always respected and admired them from a distance. I started attending CCK (then Clarendon Church) as a first year student at Sussex Uni and didn’t start dating David until shortly after the end of my final (4th) year so I really only knew them as an elder and his wife but I always particularly admired John’s preaching and, when I lived in France for the 3rd year of my degree, my friend Hannah used to send me all of John’s sermons on tape. (Gosh that makes me feel old!!) I always wished that my father could have heard John preach as I thought that he would appreciate his intelligent, thoughtful and authoritative preaching style. One day, I will have the privilege of introducing them to each other.

My first meeting with the Hosiers senior was just after David and I started seeing each other (I think Sue remarked to Grace that she didn’t think it would last!!!) and really the rest is history as I very quickly became part of the family (well, aside from it taking David nearly 3 years to pop the question - but that's another story...). As Grace mentioned in her talk on Sunday, I have felt that both John and Sue completely took both of us on board as the daughters they never had. They have also been and continue to be the most doting and wonderful grandparents to our children, always making an effort to keep in contact despite first their travels and now ours. And I have seen modelled by them a godly marriage that is an inspiration to me.

I should probably mention that living up to Sue’s high standard of home-keeping has been an interesting challenge! Thanks to her example my house is far tidier and cleaner than it would have been left to my own devices. But, joking aside, I have seen in her an excellent example of a godly wife and mother who has faithfully served her husband, children and now grandchildren for many years. She has remained a faithful and committed church member and actively sought to disciple younger women, which is an area that I am now passionate about myself.

So, sorry not to be more vocal at the time – but I want everyone to know that I am very proud to be part of a very select group of Mrs Hosiers. And if you didn’t get a chance to catch any of John Hosier’s sermons in the flesh I would encourage you to look for them on the CCK website and see if they are not well worth a listen!!

10 reasons why I am now a 'mOm'

I'm not sure quite at what point it happened - it wasn't a deliberate choice on my part - but it has struck me in recent days that I have stepped over the threshold from 'mUm' to 'mOm'. It's not just what was written on my Mother's Day card and, thankfully, the children still use the 'U' form, but at some point I seem to have morphed. See what you think......

1. I drive an SUV (4x4) on mostly short journeys through the town and my cup holder is usually filled with a beverage from Starbucks or some other coffee or fast-food joint.
2. I can order a "fat-free chai tea latte (grande, hot) and a cinnamon bagel with reduced-fat cream cheese, to go" without pausing for breath.
3. Most days I use the 'drive thru' drop-off/pick-up option at school and only park the car or, even walk a couple of times a week. And I never go on foot to an ATM (cashpoint)
4. My kids (not children) go to soccer (not football) and swim (no 'ing') lessons when they don't have playdates.
5. Instead of dropping their 't's SE-London stylie, the children have replaced 't' for 'd'. Say compuder and wader.
6. I send SMS messages from my cell (oh, and it's a blackberry, natch)
7. I go to the grocery store
8. I used to make biscuits, now I bake cookies (usually from shop-bought dough)
9. I write checks for the rent
10. And worst of all, last week I actually bought a half dozen Dunkin' donuts

I rest my case............

The power of the cross for those who believe

Thanks to the girltalk blog, I've been reading 'Jesus, Keep me near the Cross' compiled by Nancy Guthrie in my devotional times. It's a collection of essays and sermons on the cross and I'm really enjoying meditating on the last few days' of Jesus' life and the resurrection.

As Easter is approaching, A friend and I responded to a request from school to help with some Easter assemblies for the children. This seemed an opportunity too good to miss - not least as American schools are so secular and opportunities to share openly what Christians believe are rare. We began by looking at a lot of modern Easter paraphernalia from eggs to bunnies and chicks and then focused on the cross and the resurrection and the new life we have as Christians. Although it was quite scary (we must have spoken to 200 children over the two assemblies), it was actually a real privilege to be able to share truth with them.

I was rather taken aback when the teacher opened it up for questions but we got some great ones from "Is the Easter Bunny real" (I think I managed to avoid answering that directly) to "How do we know Jesus is alive if we can't see him?" to " But if Jesus was innocent, why did God punish him and not those who were really guilty?" What an excellent question from a little girl who must have been around 7.

My answer was not as eloquent as this, but I loved this explanation from JC Ryle (in above-mentioned book)

"Was he flogged? It was done so that 'by his wounds we are healed' (Is 53:5). Was he condemned, though innocent? It was done so that we might be acquitted, though guilty. Did he wear a crown of thorns? It was done so that we might wear the crown of glory. Was he stripped of his clothes? It was done so that we might be clothed in everlasting righteousness. Was he mocked and reviled? It was done so that we might be honoured and blessed. Was he reckoned a criminal, and counted among those who have done wrong? It was done so that we might be reckoned innocent, and declared free from all sin. Was he declared unable to save himself? It was so that he might be able to save others to the uttermost. Did he die at last, and that the most painful and disgraceful death? It was done so that we might live forevermore, and be exalted to the highest glory"

Amen

Parenting reality check

So, I had a mountain of washing to do on Wednesday. My 3-year old is at home every day and mostly moans constantly while I do my chores until I agree to put the TV on ... This time was different, she was helping me and really getting involved telling me, "I need to learn how to do this, Mummy because when I grow up I want to be a Mummy and I want to be a great Mummy like you!". It really was very sweet, she helped me change the sheets then sat watching the clothes whirring around in the washing machine - toploaders are so much more fun! It was one of those days when you think, "Maybe I have done something right as a parent".

But then, reality hits..... I was relating the cute story to a new friend and when I'd finished, my son piped up, "But M, if you want to be a mummy when you grow up you have to get married first then have a baby.... or you could just have a baby and not get married..." to which my friend replied, "How very open-minded of you, Ethan!"


Grrrr!!!!

The Chicago Newfrontiers Church Plant needs YOU!!

We are really excited to be entering into the next phase of the church plant in Chicago which is building momentum as we await the Sweetmans' arrival next month. They were in town this weekend and have found an apartment in Lincoln Park and we are all very excited and raring to go!

Chicago is an enormous city and at the moment we are a small group or less than 20 adults so we need help!!! And this is where you come in.... Please will you consider joining with us as a prayer partner???? We have a goal of 200 prayer partners and you can find more information on what this involves (not much, just praying!) on the new website http://churchplantchicago.com Please sign up - we need your prayers!

On the website you will also find information on the summer evangelism internship programme which is running in June/July 2009. If you have 4 weeks to spare this summer, please consider coming to join us and help us reach more people across this great city. you are warned, though - you may not want to go home afterwards!!!

Church planting in chilly Chicago

The snow has melted! In a bizarre twist, while the UK has been smothered in white, we have enjoyed a few days of balmy temperatures and sunshine here in Chicago followed yesterday by a cooler rainy day reminiscent of November in Sidcup. Yesterday I discovered the beauty of the school drop off/pick up system which I have until now failed to appreciate.... we left the house and ran the few yards from back door to garage, drove to school where I deposited Is and E with a teacher in the adjoining (covered) drop off zone and returned home where M and I arrived with barely a drop of rain on our coats. We repeated same in reverse at home time and there was not a drowned rat in sight. Genius!!!! Now, if we could have had that at Longlands School on rainy days it would have been heaven! To my mind, there is no justification other than laziness for doing this on a non-rainy day (alright, or snowy day) as it's so much quicker to take them on foot, even if you park next to the school and walk them round the corner you get them in and back to your car before the queue moves on.

Now, at this point, I have to fill you in on how Chicago copes with its extraordinarily inclement climate.... Since we arrived in December (excluding this week), the average daily temperature has been -5C. We've seen up to 6 inches of snow overnight and experienced temperatures below -20C. Every morning, without fail, we have woken up to snow-ploughed roads and the sounds of scraping as everyone clears the snow from steps and pavements in order to get to work. The buses, trains and underground run without fail and the kids have not missed a single day of school. Naturally, you need the right protective gear (NorthFace full-length coats and Ugg boots are de rigueur for the school mums - and I have to say that there is a lot more justification for them here than in SE London. Not, dear reader, that I have sunk to that level of vanity. But I digress...). The children have snow pants, thick fleece lined coats, neck warmers, hats, gloves and snow boots. You can imagine how much potential there is for my space-cadet-of-a-son to leave something at school... It gets so cold that your fingertips throb even through the thickest gloves and your nostril hairs freeze as you breathe. I once foolishly put my bare hand on the frozen metal mail box and my fingers froze to it, leaving a burning sensation!

So that, dear Brits, is a winter!!! That said, there is no novelty to snow here and everyone just ignores it's spectacular beauty. Is found 4 children in her class of 20 who'd lived in Chicago their entire lives and never made a snowman. And when we go sledding (note the Americanism), the only hill for miles is remarkably uncrowded.

In any case, my prime reason for blogging today was to update you on the situation here church-wise....

We are all getting very excited about Matt and Heather Sweetman and their boys moving to Chicago in the next month or so to start working towards the church plant proper. At the moment we are leaderless and meeting together with the group previously known as FUSION which has been around in different formats for the last 6 years or so. We are currently around 17 adults, 7 children and 2 babies and for the last month we have been meeting in our house for worship and prayer. We need to grow! Both through the addition of mature Christians and also new converts and we are really concentrating on reaching out to friends and those in the community around us.

Please pray for us! Matt needs a job and somewhere for him and the family to live, as well as a clear idea where to plant (Chicago is a big city). It's a great adventure but it's hard work, too and it would be wonderful to have some more people join us from other Newfrontiers churches world-wide. God brought us here from Sidcup - maybe you need to come and join us, too!!!

It's certainly a new experience having church in your own home. It makes Crown Woods look like a piece of cake (NCC people will know what I mean). As well as Sunday School Director (oh joy!!!) we are wearing many different hats as David is taking a lead to some of the meetings plus we find ourselves church caretakers and caterers among other things - last Sunday morning D had to run out for light bulbs as the basement where we have the kids was so gloomy!! Many of you will know how much natural affiliation I have to kids' work so you will enjoy the picture of me leading the children in cheesy worship songs with actions. Talk about being out of one's comfort zone..!

Well, that's enough for now, except to say please check out this blog which Matt has set up in part to help fund the church plant - http://www.eatjesus.com/ This is what he says about it:

"The purpose of the site is to resource all levels of church leadership so that people can become self-feeders. Our church culture unfortunately reflects our worlds culture in many ways. We have become consumeristic about church life and have lost our desire to take responsibility for our own spiritual growth. EatJesus.com will be an ongoing resource to share and promote ideas, stories, principles, techniques and much more about how to develop maturity and self leadership in the people God has called us to lead. "

Roots

This week I've felt homesick for the first time. I'm actually rather loathe to use that term because, convinced as I am that God has called us to Chicago, this is our home now until He chooses to send us somewhere else. To be more specific, what I find myself missing is that sense of familiarity, almost safety, in my usual day-to-day life. I found myself just wanting to turn up unannounced at a friend's house, plonk myself on her sofa with a nice cup of tea (served with milk, not cream, lemon or half-and-half) and just to chat about nothing in particular. That's not to say that I find myself lonely here, because I've been blessed with many opportunities to socialise and meet new people, but it's exhausting starting from scratch. I'm so bored of my story about how we came to be here, how long we are here for (don't know), etc etc.

I'm fast discovering that I don't fit neatly into the ex-pat mould. Whilst I can have as good a moan as the next person about the fatty bacon, tasteless chocolate and ridiculous bureaucracy, I don't want the quest for a supplier of digestive biscuits to define my life. Neither do I want my focus to be entirely on what's happening 'back home', when my next visit is and when we are moving back. It was interesting to have coffee with a group of British mums on Monday, quite a mixed group, our only common thread being our roots. And that's what everyone says is ultimately what you miss most and the hardest thing to replicate overseas - a sense of being uprooted from that which is so familiar you can't even define it. For some it's the food, for some it's the humour - as one mum pointed out, Blackadder quotes just don't mean anything here - but underlying it all is the ultimately false feeling that the grass was greener.

As a Christian, I need to have a sense of 'just passing through' but that is ultimately forward-looking towards my eternal inheritance, not backwards. And whilst it's not wrong for me to miss things about the UK, I don't want that to hinder me from focusing on the job in hand and to miss out on the blessings of today. So, I will henceforth try not to moan too much or make too many comparisons between life here and there. After all, we have chosen to live in the US, however long or short our stay may be.

I suppose ultimately it is all down to where our securities lie. On the face of it there is little security in D's job here. Jobs are being cut all around - he had to let someone go just last week - and with the economic climate as it is, there are no guarantees of a job either here or in the UK. But ultimately, we believe that God will provide and we can feel completely secure in not only his ability to do so but also in his willingness to bless us.

So, here we are and for the timebeing at least, we need to get on with making things work. I am working out how everything works practically - I now have a system for food shopping which seems to work, school is going well and I am just about managing to keep all 4 loos clean. I may be the only at-home mum without a cleaner, nanny or both in the vicinity, but so far I'm still surviving. My next biggie to tackle is healthcare, but from what I've said above I'm not allowed to miss the NHS, so let's see what happens... So far I have managed to wean the children off ribena (the secret bottle in the cupboard priced at a hefty $7 is for someone else in the family). The only real sticking point to my resolution is Marmite but some things are just untouchable, n'est pas?

Cookie, anyone?

I rather feel that I should have some profound comment to share on this historic day in history but this will probably disappoint! Maddy and I sat watching Obama's inauguration this morning and I did find it strangely emotional. It was fascinating watching all the living ex-presidents and their wives trooping in, stirring to see how many had thronged to Washington to witness the swearing in. We watched documentaries last night about the White House and Air Force One and it is incredible what a well-oiled machine the presidency is (and the enormous cost behind it all!) but what has really struck me is that we are just talking about ordinary human beings like you or me. I felt a bit sad for Laura Bush, leaving what has been her home for the last few years and also felt sorry (though hardly suppressing a smirk) for Dick Cheney unceremoniously being pushed in a wheelchair after injuring himself while moving into his new home - if ever someone has been dogged by his ill health, it's him!

I hope that Barack Obama will bring great changes to this country, even to the world. I celebrate the fact that he is the first African American president and this has hit home even more as I try and explain to my children just why his election is so significant. But ultimately, he is not the solution to the problems of the age and I think it is sad that so many put so much faith in a mere man. But it is surely an interesting time to be living in America, perhaps especially here in Chicago which, as Obama's home turf, has been the centre of attention for the last couple of months.

We are excited to be hosting our church group in our house for the next few weeks as we really start to pray to see God's plans for this great city and to reach out to those around us. As a family we are beginning to make contacts and the children are being invited to play dates and parties. With the first two birthdays of the year out of the way, we are beginning to feel a lot more settled in (and we are even getting used to the weather!). Now that we have our social security numbers and driving licences, D and I are feeling like 'real' people - which is good, as being an alien can be tough at times!

Here's a little glimpse of the Obama mania which has taken over ....

Happy 7th Birthday Isabel!

News from the Mid-West

I just thought I'd post an update about how we are getting on. There's nothing amazing to report (!) but we are plodding along and getting used to our new daily routine. Is and E started school on Monday and we've been very proud of them. In their own, individual ways, they seem to be getting along fine. Is came home bubbling with excitement at how many friends she had made, how she already knew some of the French they had done in her lesson and didn't stop talking for ages. E was quiet and had to have it drawn out of him but he seems to be enjoying himself, even though he can't remember the name of the boy he sits next to (or anyone else, for that matter!!!). He has been invited to a party next week so I'm really hoping this will be a good opportunity for me to meet some of the other parents.

The weather really thwarts any plans I may have had to make friends quickly - people drive everywhere, drop off and pick up the kids straight from their cars and basically stay indoors unless it's absolutely necessary venture out. I finally spoke to our next-door neighbour this morning (as oppose to waves from a distance) as we were both simultaneously clearing snow off the decks in our back gardens. She was in a rush to get to work but at least we spoke for a couple of minutes.... The morning routine is certainly a bit more rushed and I think will be a struggle once the initial novelty of new uniform has abated. I have to jump out of bed at 6:45 to breakfast the children and oversee them getting dressed as we have to be out the door by 8. I was always heard screaming, "Wees, shoes, coats" to try and hurry them along but now the list is endless - "Wees, snow boots, gloves, hats, trousers, coats (are your school shoes in your bag?)" somehow doesn't drip off the tongue as easily! Then there's the problem of clearing the snow and reminding E not to leave his shoes/gloves/hat at school and not to throw away the spoon with the yogurt pot, etc etc. I have found a spot where I can park the car and walk them up to the school door which seems nicer than flinging them out of the car door. At home-time I do the car pick-up unless there's a meter space available - $8 to park in the car park next door is a bit steep on a daily basis!

But then, after that flurry of activity, by 8:20 M and I are free agents with the whole day ahead of us. On Monday we dropped D to work after taking the older 2 to school. So we drove to the centre of the financial district on a Monday morning and got him there well before 9. That would never happen in London!!

Being January, it's birthday season so I am making a cake for Is today. M and I have spent most of the week sorting out practical matters so I haven't had a chance to feel too lonely but reality is beginning to hit as I realise it's not much fun being just the 2 of us - she really needs to be in preschool as she gets so bored when I'm doing all the mundane tasks that are necessary but not much fun, and then is distraught when I can't attend another Barbie birthday party! We joined a gym today so, once I can convince her that the kids club is fun, I am hoping to a) get a bit fitter and b) meet some people. There is a pool and a climbing wall so plenty of potential for family indoor fun and kids' swimming lessons. Who knows, I may really get into spin classes - there is one with a live DJ!

I'm still waiting for my social security number and this is holding us up as far as buying a car is concerned. We still can't decide what to go for but I think we may go looking this weekend. Our tenants move into our house this Friday so I'm really hoping that goes smoothly, it's been unsettling to think of it empty.

Right, time to make a masterpiece out of sugar fondant, watch this space for pictoral evidence!!

The joys of being a legal alien

I have to say I'm not the biggest fan of New Years Eve celebrations - not just because as a parent staying up past midnight has serious sleep deprivation issues by the 7am wake-up call. There is so much hype and then a huge fall when everyone realises that it really is just another day and that another year has gone by without much really changing. This year it was odd to be behind the UK - the only other time I've been overseas for the New Year was in Australia and so at least then we got to be ahead!! We attended via Skype several celebrations at home at the far more reasonable time of 6pm and then we were in bed by 11!! We watched the spectacular fireworks over the London Eye which a friend had uploaded for us and it was then that it really hit me that we will be away from friends and family (bar visits) for the whole of 2009 and probably the whole of 2010 too... so I have to confess that I did start the new year on a bit of a downer!

It doesn't help that we are gearing up to start school on Monday and I am struggling to work out all the practicalities as the subtle differences are mounting up. One of the frustrations is the complicated drop-off system that operates around the school. You can drop your children off on foot but it seems no one does and you still have to negotiate your way past all the queuing cars and then pay large parking fees in the adjacent multi-story. I am hoping that, at least in spring and autumn (when it's neither too hot, nor too cold) we can walk from home, however that is less than straightforward due to the way the blocks in-between are laid out, gated communities barring the way, etc, etc.

Another problem is that the PE uniforms haven't turned up yet so I may have to find some creative alternative for the first week. And did I mention that Is says her new uniform is "the most uncomfortable ever"?!!!! Grrrr

So, this week I am mostly missing the school playground, M&S (for easy uniform) or Woolworths for that matter - and in that I'm not alone - and also the NHS. I have actually always been a huge fan of the NHS despite it's evident weaknesses. It's easy to knock, but where else in the world do we have free access to medical care? Though we have been eligible for D's work healthcare plan since yesterday, we are so far not covered as we can't work out which option to sign up for. We've both read the details carefully but they make almost no sense at all. And then there will be dental and vision plans too.

Actually, there's probably more than a year's worth of admin there to be tackled, so maybe I'll catch up with you sometime next year.......!