3rd Culture Mum

Well not really but you may have wondered why its been so quiet around here. Well other than the mad XMAS rush which is complicated if you have friends worldwide and don’t plan your presents until late november (Bad mama!), I’ve been creating a new private blog.

The family has decided it is time to go private so we don’t have to use acronyms and we can protect the girls.  And the Princess knows she is called the Princess on this and thus I must stop pronto.

I still want to blog so I’ll be doing so there, more regularily and with loads more pics, and when I can figure it out (i.e. after XMAS) with video and all sorts of fun things.

Now if I know you in real life then you’ll get a XMAS card with all the new details this week or next. If you’ve commented (or want to know whats up right now), I’ll send you a link but if you are one of those silent types, please email me or post a comment here! I’d love to have you along for the ride – I just want to know who you are!

Its been great but the time for the family blog to be private has arrived.

Someday soon I’ll be back with a gripes of my life blog but while the family is on it, we have to disappear.

Meanwhile this blog will remain alive for several months  so if you are visiting weeks post this date and do want to join the private one, feel free to continue to comment as it sends me an email.

Someone I hadn’t seen for a while died this weekend.

She fell down the stairs and went into a coma as they couldn’t get a pulse for 24minutes. A simple trip and life was over.

She has so much more to give.

Life  is truly fragile. Treasure it each and every day.

9 years ago today I walked up the aisle with my dad and married D.

Only every 7 years does our anniversary fall on Thanksgiving (the actual wedding was on a Saturday and we had a proper meal with out of town guests on Thanksgiving at my brother’s house). But Thanksgiving and our marriage are inextricably tied together for us.

Each and every Thanksgiving I give thanks that I found this wonderful man. Who is cooking me a surprise dinner tonight after a hard day at work. I am making the pumpkin pie – but only as the kids wanted it!

I give thanks my dad was still here to know I had met that special someone and he had a chance to give me away. I miss him everyday.

I give thanks for my two wonderful daughters who I love and adore even when they drive me bonkers.

And for all my family and friends.

Have a glass on me!

The Princess demanded a proper Thanksgiving today as she finally gets what it is all about. Those history books I bought 2 years ago are finally paying off. So the turkey breast is cooking as is the pie and after school and tennis we’ll do the stuffing and veg. The 2 little ones will have a proper dinner.

We’re off to an adult meal on Saturday so only my pie tonight will be a gesture to Thanksgiving!

And can I just say it is SO relaxing to cook for a 7 year old. No worries if the pie doesn’t look good – which is key as its in a baking tin as I suddenly discovered my mom doesn’t have a pie tin here – now that’s on my list for her thank you presents when we finally go!

I read the comments and emails off list and banged my head!

Idiot.

Of course he’s bored.

And of course his kongs and toys mistakenly got sent to storage.

Idiot – I repeat.

We had great fun at the pet shop yesterday and he is sated with bones and kongs and even things for his xmas stocking.

That being said he is not being left today with turkey and pie sitting on the counter!

I do not trust him no matter how busy he may be!

Yes I’m alive. Have given up the daily blogging. A goal – yes. But not in Nov. Not when I’ve a hundred and one things to do to get ready for XMAS. All those packages that must be in the mail soon! Eee gods! And the cards. You name it. Tonight I have to come up with some ideas for my mum for me. Now you would think that wouldn’t be difficult but it is.

Anyways, all you dog lovers out there, figure this one out.

Our lab is 3, nearly 31/2. Very quiet and very even tempered. But twice now in a month he has decided to help himself to food. He has never done this other than once when he was a puppy. He is fed once in the morning, a very full meal. He is in good health and for a lab is relatively thin.

First it was the cookies for the Brownie cookie sale. I could grant him that one. It was the first time in a very long time that I had left him at home all day and they were on a shelf in relatively easy access.

But today I left him as I had to do the school run and then take Miss A to an audiology appointment (just a check, all fine!). We were gone not more than 2 hours. Now we had left earlier than normal and I had left the kitchen a bit of a mess…but nothing he hasn’t seen a hundred times before.

He consumed

* A whole loaf of bread (we had just had 2 slices)..luckily it was very healthy sunflower bread!

* Half a baguette

* 1/3 of a pack of chocolate fingers

* 1/3 of a pack of ginger cookies

Now the first 2 he got off the kitchen bar but the cookies he must have jumped up and got OFF the shelf in the larder, which clearly I hadn’t closed. That won’t happen again.

Did he look sheepish..no! But he slept alot!

What do you think is up? Strange sudden change of behaviour.

Hmm…but I guess a warning to never leave my kitchen a mess and to make sure the larder is LOCKED!

Busy, busy, busy – best way to keep the blues away

More to come soon, I promise. Maybe something interesting to read!

I am attempting to redesign the site on a new platform, complete 2 extremely large photo projects for XMAS (can I just say that lulu.com is amazing for uploading photobooks!) and get all the xmas cards and inserts ordered. Creatively quite fun but killing this computer.  I would like Santa to bring me a MAC but somehow I don’t think its going to fit in his bag! Sigh. Oh well.

Nighty night…

More this weekend also on Miss A’s calamities this week & on the Princess’s first new school report…

Still alive

Jo is absolutely right..my dumps are tied to the dark. I tracked it today. Fine all morning..in fact in a really good mood. Getting outside with Miss A and the dog was exhilirating.

The sun begins to set at 3 and my mood goes downhill.

But also I need my sleep. I’m living on 5-6 right now, usually interrupted by Miss A. I need 7 minimum. Always have.

So this is the world’s most boring post as I must go to bed.

I’m down and depressed. And spiralling downwards tonight. Not forever just right now.

No other way to say this.

And the dog ate all the cookies we baked for the Brownie bake sale tomorrow – he doesn’t look good after alot of chocolate chip cookies. Its times like these that you just want to chuck everything in.

So after a long day up to London and back I had to bake another set tonight. The girls would not go down. They acted up – it was 9:15 before they were asleep.

I’ve not eaten and have no appetite other than for chocolate. D is nowhere to be seen. Somewhere on a train.

I miss my London friends.  I miss my London life.  And its interesting who doesn’t call and who does. Or who responds when you try to reach them and even say you are lonely and want to chat but they don’t call back. But I know everyone is swamped and its hard when you are effectively often a single parent to 2, 3 or 4 to think of your friends needs.

I get overwhelmened sometimes like tonight out here without any real friends without much help taking care of the house, the kids, the dog, the 3- 4 hours of commuting a day plus trying to organise a house renovation, keep in touch with friends and do the things of life like organise our XMAS. And silly me I volunteer to help out at school and the CACH Chinese New Year Party. What am I thinking??? Someone shoot me!

Am getting maudlin without alcohol. Sad isn’t it. I want to have a good ole cry.

But I’ll pull myself out of it tomorrow.

Luckily in my youth I did have alot of therapy to cope with other issues and I know what to do when I am this way.

And chocolate is not the answer which is too darn bad!

I should probably delete this post but sometimes its better to say the truth than for you all to think I’m this cheerful thing all the time.

Okay 2 weeks in I’ve failed in the daily blogging thing. Am going to keep trying as its quite a discipline but last night Miss A would NOT go to sleep (what is it right now with the no sleep thing?) and the P was up too so my blogging did not happen. At one point she sat on the bed while I was trying to iron with no toys just looking at me and refusing to go to her room (she screams and the P was asleep finally).

The P is ill. Was really off colour last night and I’m keeping her home today as I’m not sure quite what is wrong but she isn’t right! Miss A is very confused as to why she is here and daddy is at work!

More info later

Are you done with your shopping? Have you planned everything months in advance?

Not the case with me. And I’m stuck.

Miss A – dead easy. Just have to go online and get it all ordered and some is already in the basement. Lets just say it all revolves around cooking!

The Princess – dead stumped. We were thinking of a bike but she really isn’t ready to get off training wheels on her little one. Would it be a good idea or not to present the big girl bike i.e. a motivation?  Hmm. Books – no – we are totally into the library right now!  Only thing she has said she wanted was a Rubiks cube. Which is great but not quite enough. She does love her Science class and magic so was thinking of a good magicians set or a science kit. Any suggestions or ideas? She is getting a craft thing from me so this is the Santa (yes she still believes) and one big family pressie. Any other good ideas for a 7 year old – she has an American Girl doll and loads of clothes already! And we are trying to stay away from PS and Ipods for now. She’s not interested so why push it?

D – well he has a birthday coming up too and I have some ideas there but they aren’t too exciting. Any great man ideas?

In laws and my mum – totally stumped other than some craft stuff I am doing and that I need to get the kids to do.  What do you get 70 year olds who have everything they need???

Now I just have to do a stocking for Miss A as my mum (yes I’m going to out you mum) hasn’t gotten her act together to do it (we have homemade stockings). So off to figure out some appropriate things to add to it! Ours are sitting in our room (they were rescued recently from the wreck) and she is very aware that she doesn’t have one!