And we're off...

Tomorrow is D day. Good lord, traveling with this many people is hard work :) I have just got home and put my clothes on the bed. I am so shocked at how much weight I have eaten on in the past 12 months. Actually, past 8 months because I was doing amazingly well till just after Sandy. I put on my summer jeans and they don't fit. Not tight. Just the wrong dang size. YIKES. Good luck I always drop weight when I go to England.

Ah well, what goes up ....


I'm a bit nervous about the kids on such a long journey now they are vocal. Before, if they cried I could soothe them. Now? Not so sure.  We are keeping Mimi's Binky in reserve for take off, landing and
screaming fits. We have a secret stash of little cars for Pip. I do hope that works! For me? I would say chocolate but that strategy hasn't fared so well this year. So I downloaded soft, airy piano concerto by a fave composer of mine. If it all gets a bit loud - earplug in :)


Thanks for the pointers on how to handle the family drama.  I decided to speak to my brother face to face when I see him and then minimize my exposure to the centre of all evil - my SIL.  I sent out the time table of visits to the various feuding families. We get my nephew for half the week coz he has a school trip that he  has to go on half way through the week but that is long enough for some fun. We bought him a catchers mitt and soft ball. We'll take him to the Harry Potter train and if the weather cooperates a nice long hike on the cliffs.

We are going to Scalby, North Yorkshire - for those that asked.  Nr Scarborough. Oh yes, we are that classy. Think Conney Island in bad weather for my American friends :)

The traditional present one brings back from the seaside is called 'rock' or stick candy I think its called here? We also speak an old dialect: Na than (hello) Ey up (hello) Seethee (good bye) Ah Kid (relative).

So, Seethee then, ah kid. 

ARGHHHHHHHH FAMILY

What is it about immediate family?!?!?

So, here's the background.

We saved, plotted and planned to take my clan + friends to some cottages in the UK and meet my parents and my brother and his son to enjoy a week of hiking, swimming and seaside and celebrate my dads 80s birthday.

Well, then dad went into hospital three weeks ago with a life threatening disease.
My mother became chair bound.
Dad came out of hospital but has had major surgery and can't travel.
Mum, chair bound.

OK, we can make this work, we will shuttle between the cottages and my folks home. Four hours of driving per day but OK that's really not too bad.

My brother called today.

He has to let the school know that my nephew will be out of school and he's not sure they will let him out of the school for the week AT THIS LATE NOTICE. And even if the school agrees,  they aren't sure they want him out of school.  This holiday has been planned for 3 feckin' years. THREE???? I hired extra large people carriers, the biggest cottage so we can accommodate my nephew.

We saved for two years to pay for it (yes, we could have put it on a credit card but I hate debt).

Oh why is it never easy?

You know what. I don't care. I am taking my clan to the seaside. To sleep in old cottages where you can not only hear the sea but you are next to a wonderful national park. My kids will be on holiday and they don't notice or care about shenanigans and neither will I.  It will be cold and probably rainy and that is what an English summer holiday is all about.

Dammit. 

Electronics for kids, part two

Thank You for the great info and advice. We have opted for ....

2 old smart phones fully loaded with kid crap and in hard knock cases (there are times when it is great that your husband is a techy nerd)

Ipad which I'm hoping I can download all of Game of Thrones season 3 to take away with us. 

A nook (super nanny's) fully loaded with kids crap. 

I think we have it covered?!

Feeling very excited about the trip. Fir the first time in my life I will be away from work for a whole week. Mind you, 'work' is my company now (hence the setting up of an emergency contact system). We are going to North Yorkshire.  It's a glorious area, very beautiful. We are staying in a farm compound (have I described this before?) that also has an indoor pool (which is the height of luxury in the UK). We are also 5 mins from the seaside. The English seaside. In the north. It is going to be a hoot. My New York kid running around the quiet English countryside and taking donkey rides on the beach. If it isn't snowing. 

I still feel a bit of a fraud as a mum. I feel like I haven't quite earned the title yet. I guess its a process of having such an amazing nanny and working in an office for the past two years. Or not.  I do know that having kids has had a negative effect on my career which is infuriatingly sad. I hear men my age wax lyrical about their offspring and it is seen as great steps forward in equality. If i mention my kids people start talking about work life balance and not 'leaning in' to my work. I really hate the leaning in movement. It's a fine corporate smoke screen. Once again, its up and the responsibility of the individual to succeed. But imagine if we actually took the time to look at the structure  that runs the system? Free childcare, lets start there. 

Oh I seem to have stumbled on a soap box forgive me. 

What is your best advice for traveling with two 2.5 yr old overnight? 

electronics for toddlers

The kids love our iphones. They love the ipad also. It strikes me that on our forthcoming trip we should equip our phones and ipad with toddler approved entertainment.

However, what if they drop them. Sorry. What happens when they drop and break them.

So, is there an alternative out there? I've seen various 'ipad' like objects that are designed for toddlers but are they any good?

Your opinions and rants please. 

Sh*t kids say

So there I am. Walking back home with my two little angels after playing in the park. We whooshed down slides and wheeeeeeeeeeed back and forth on the swings.

We were all a bit bushed coz its really hot here right now.

I turned to Pip and said "hot ?"

and I swear he said

"f*cking hot"


I mean, its hard to understand him sometimes but the friend I was with looked at me and we both said  'nahhhhhh'

F*ck nahhhhhh

Quiet weekend and international travel

I know most people spend the Memorial weekend run around to BBQ's and what not but we haven't. In fact, most of the family is fast asleep for the afternoon again :) If we had a beach house this would be one of those weekends written about in novels based in Maine.

Oh daaarling, downt be gaushhhhhh. Pass the lobstah!

We went out to a 50s burger place for brunch today. We all shared one meal due to a) cost and b) HUGE portions. Then we walked home in the sunshine and when we got home Pip fell asleep snuggled up on me. Is it just me or is that the most profoundly happy feeling - little ball of life, fast asleep and totally obvious to the cares of the world.

We skype with my folks quite a bit and today they gave us wonderful news. My mum is on the mend and my dad is recovering well. They both went down like a stone at exactly the same time a few weeks ago - one hospitalised and the other immobile at home.  However, they are making speedy recoveries which is just wonderful. We were supposed to go to a seaside farm for my dads 80th next month. It's been planned, paid for and chewed over for 15 months now. However, whilst most of the party will go to the seaside farm/beach and I will drive 3 hours a day to and from my folks home so they get to see the kids.  Wouldn't it be amazing if they were well enough to come to the cottages. Mustn't get hopeful.  Or think about the petrol bill!

We are planning our travel down to the nth degree. The debate at the moment is whether or not to take strollers. When we are in the UK the kids will walk. However, we have a 12 hour flight split in two and then on the return we have a stinky 4 hour lay over. If we have the strollers the kids can sleep and I can keep them locked in when needed!!  We have one single stroller that we could take and they could share rides? Or we can take two umbrella strollers?

What do you think?

Humid with chance of terrible two tantrum

Summer is here in all its humid crappy glory. This year we have opted for the 'whatever is free' approach with the kids. I just cannot get to grips with the $800 summer class terms here. I mean, seriously - unless Picasso is teaching the class I just don't get it.

Both kids are terrible toddlers which can be fantastic and dreadful at the same time. No! Mine! I'm so MAD (foot stomp)! I love you mummy (glorious expression) Its OK (sibling) I'm here.

 Since swimming is free we may well be water babies this summer. Anything to tire them out! New York is amazing for free kids activities if you know how to find them. I go to three sites (mommiepoppins, nycgov and the library site).  Every day there are at least three classes and a handful of events we can take advantage of. It doesn't help the constant squabbling or Jekyll & Hyde toddler life but at least I have amazing help :)

Work wise...
Through a friend I have free rockin' new office space.  My new work adventure is off to a strong start. I have three avenue's of income and I am working them all to bone! We have officially been open for business a whole 4 days but I'm hopeful that our first paying clients will be landing very soon. Keep your fingers crossed :)

Well, its 830 and we are all just laying around in the heat so I should get the troupes rallied and out the door before the rain sets in.

grateful for this sweet life :)