The week in review

Another week flies by, action packed as usual! Last Friday I was "helper Mom" at Delsin's school which basically meant I stood around like a bump on a log not really helping at all! It was nice to see him "in action" and interesting to watch how the kids interact and what they like and don't like. Del was mighty proud to have his Mom there and kept pointing me out to everyone in his class...hehe, little darling.

Posing on the hill in the school yard

Playing in the sand
Very intently concentrating on making a clay frog!
Being his normal gorgeous self once back at home

Monday was a "bank holiday" in the U.K. so we got a blissful day off to rest and relax...ahhhhh. Tuesday was Connor's next, and last in the U.K., trip to the orthodontist to get his wires put on the brace brackets that were cemented to his teeth the week before. (I made Tim do this appointment and I headed off to the hairdresser for a couple of hours of pampering...I'm now a sultry redhead...again...hee hee) Connor was, again, an absolute star and has handled this with such grace. Gold star for my boy!

Still smiling with his cool red and black braces!
Del and Connor goofing around...is Connor trying to eat Del's head??
Delsin loves his big bruvver!

I had another wonderful soul-restoring ride out on Wednesday and was pleased to be given my fave boy Max this time! I had my best ride yet this year and a stonking canter...woo hoo. My confidence is coming back up...slowly. I really want to make sure I keep this up when we get back home, I need to keep doing things that make me feel great and this is definitely one of those things! The weather held for us in the morning despite the grey and gloom but by the time Mae arrived after school for her regular lesson it was tipping it down...yuck. And so the trend continued...yuck again.

Cam had a good week, his last in preparation for his SAT tests next week. He doesn't seem stressed at all, in fact he seems to LIKE tests! I'm sure he'll do well and it will be great to have those results for his new school in September. He finally lost his loose tooth today after taunting us all week with wiggling, twisting, lifting, poking, etc. **shudder**. Good thing he is so damn cute!

Mae has had a bit of a rough week emotionally, the realization of the move is starting to wear on her and we've had a few tears and a call from the school today to say she's been upset a few times over the last few days. Ugh. The truth is that we are breaking our daughter's heart by taking her away from England and that sucks. She was quizzing me in the car on Wednesday about whether or not I have liked living here. I told her that of course I would be upset when I had to say goodbye to people that have meant a lot for me and that led to her tearfully asking, "then why do we have to go if you'll be sad too?". Double UGH. I know she'll be fine but my Mommy heart hurts to know that she is hurting. She is my gorgeous girl, tears and all.

And...here's what happens when I try to take a picture of Tim a.k.a. "the incredible shrinking man"...he is now down 45lbs since January!

He is such a wanker...LOL

I must admit that I always feel a bit smug living in England as spring dawns several months earlier than at home. Being cocky, I stocked up on lovely quarter pound burgers and they had to be cooked up yesterday, no matter what, so I was forced to fire up the BBQ. Here is where the cocky part backfired on me...the weather had taken a turn on Wednesday and is much more typically "English" now...yuck. Rain or no rain the burgers must be cooked. No self respecting Canadian is going to let a bit of rain keep them from delicious BBQ'ed burgers so I had to improvise a bit!

Rain is no match for my fishing umbrella!
Chief helper Connor prepared with wet cloth over nose and mouth...hehe
Soggy BBQ chef Mommy!

But DAMN did those burgers taste good!! Our neighbours must think we are absolutely nuts, only Canadians would be out cooking in the pissing down rain or the dead of winter! :o)

We did NOT exchange contracts on the house sale today as promised by all the agents...bastards. A bank has apparently screwed up and delayed everything until Tuesday. We went ahead and booked the moving company last week on everyone's "word"...which apparently, in our experience, means nothing in this country. In any event we have to just keep fingers crossed and hope that we are completing our house sale on 23 May as the date everyone has agreed to. The moving crew arrives Wednesday to start packing us up regardless and we WILL be back in Canada at the end of May, hopefully with the house sale completed. Trying to stay positive. I'm having a night out on Thursday with all the lovely ladies that have befriended me over the last three years in Bicester. Chinese, beer/wine and wonderful company will be just the tonic I need after the first two days of my house being put into boxes! My Dad arrives on Tuesday to lend a hand and he'll take Con and Cam back with him on 21 May and then Tim and I will follow with Mae and Del once the house deal is completed. Thats the plan anyway. Hopefully NOT subject to change.

Counting down the days to the end of our "expat adventures" abroad.

Laura :o)