Not-so-Groundhog Day

Although I often feel like I live in a "Groundhog Day" atmosphere, I am forced to realize that everyday has its own little eccentricities.  Each week has its own series of moments and events that make it unique.  It is through these small happenings that the fabric of our life is woven.  I thought I would take the time to share with you some of mine.

1.  Bastian made a little girl cry.  This was by far one of the funniest.  Right before you get to the Palace Green (where he usually does his business), there is a public bathroom.  Just as Bastian was trotting by, a little girl ran out of the doorway and almost into the dog.  He looked at her and kept going.  She ran back into the bathroom, screaming in terror.  All I could here was sobbing and then her mother saying, "Que mal?  Que mal?" (What's wrong?  What's wrong?)  Then I heard her mom say, "Un perro?" (a dog?).  I thought about trying to explain the situation, but then thought better of it.  Bastian had done nothing wrong.  Plus, I was too busy laughing.

2. Ben tries to give me kisses...I think.  This was a very sweet moment.  I was holding him.  He was climbing all over me.  He kept smiling and putting his open mouth on my cheek.  It tickled, so it made me laugh, which made him laugh.  That's one to keep with you I think.

3.  Burger King with Ben.  Ahh, his first value meal.  The King would be proud.  After his first doctor's appointment of the week, I ran to the post office and checked the mail.  You could tell he was tired of being in his car seat, so I really didn't feel like putting him back in the car.  And well, I could always use a snack.  I scooped him up and we went to Burger King.  I put him in the high chair and we shared chicken tenders and onion rings.  The man behind the counter even gave him a fire truck.  It was just really nice. 

4.  Parenting Advice.  Now this one made me feel pretty good.  This morning, I met my lovely neighbors Joe and Minh for coffee.  They brought their daughter Brooke, who is about five and half months-old.  Minh was talking about giving Brooke crackers and rice cakes, an idea she got from me.  Then she said that she has gotten good parenting advice from me.  That made me feel wonderful, especially because they are a lot older than me.  I do contribute to society!  I am not a waste of space!  Though I did want to giggle when they asked me how I knew if Ben had a temperature.  (I checked it with a thermometer.)  What makes this very funny is that Joe is a PA and she used to be a dentist.  Way more medical training than me!  But of course, I freaked out the first few times I had to do it.  I am in NO way judging.  It is only funny when it is happening to someone else.

And that is my week.  Time to go rest up for this next one.

April is Here

Since I ate too many M&Ms and am wide awake from sugar (Thanks Lorre!), I thought I'd fill you in with what is going on here.  Well, first off, it's hard to believe it is now April.  It is starting to feel like spring, which is really nice after the harsh English winter.  Equally nice is the fact that Joe should be home in a few weeks.  I am really hoping for the week after Easter, but I am not getting my hopes too high.  Regardless, he will be home sooner than later and that is Good News!

On a less happier front, Ben has been under the weather this week.  I have taken him to the doctor twice, with zero results.  He had a low grade fever, but when it shot up to 102.7 I got worried.  It has since come down so no worries there.  However, he is still fussy and appears to be in pain.  I think it is his teeth.  He had two coming in as of last week.  One is definitely through now, but that second one has been just poking through for a while.  Maybe tomorrow morning will bring a happier boy and a shiny new tooth.  They do seem to appear overnight.

And lastly, Bastian had a little accident today.  I let him go ahead of me since it is hard to push the stroller and hold onto him at the same time.  He ran out onto the busy street and got nicked by a car coming to the red light.  The vet thinks he should be okay, but they are holding him overnight to be sure.   

APRIL FOOLS!!  Bastian is just fine, though he really did run off the other day.  I had no clue where he was until I saw him trotting down St Mary's Street, the busy road by our house.  He is a VERY lucky dog.

Back in Ely

Now that we are back in Ely, Benjamin and I are doing our best to keep busy.  It's been nice to see our friends again and I think Ben enjoys seeing other children.  

Benjamin is doing really well.  He finally has mastered the art of rolling from his tummy to his back.  In fact, when I tried to give him tummy time today, he started rolling over before he was all the way on the floor.  Still no progress moving forward, but I'm sure it is only a matter of time.  I try not to fuss about his motor skills.  He'll run around one day.  I was quite happy though when Sue, the woman from Early Intervention, said that he was very vocal and social.  That makes a ton of sense.  From what I understand, both Joe and I were quite verbal children, though we may not have been stars athletically.  (Yes, I still walk like a penguin.)  And Ben seems to have inherited Joe's love of the limelight.  Everytime I have brought him to a playgroup this week, he has squealed and babbled non-stop as if to say "Look at me!  Look at me!"  

Speaking of talking, Ben has started to make consonant sounds.  I never would have thought of that as a milestone until I read it in a book and realized that none of his sounds had any consonant sounds.  While we were in Lossiemouth, he started the "B" noise, but now has many more.  It probably helps that I've started making these noises when he screams.  I was getting nowhere by telling him "No", so I asked Sue for any advice.  She said to make noises at him and see if he will copy me.  He doesn't exactly copy me, but it has gotten him to stop screaming for fun.  I guess the point is that he has found a sound he can make and wants to try out his new skill.  Just give him a skill that does not give Mummy a headache.

Sorry if all of my news is Ben related.  I spend 90% of my time on him so expect lots of healthy observations of my beautiful boy.  However, I am doing my best to reclaim some Marsha time.  I am going to start attending an adult beginning ballet class.  I am actually very excited about this.  My plan is to get a babysitter, take myself to a nice dinner, and then hit my ballet class.  I took one ballet class in college.  I remember in being difficult, but I would love to increase my grace and flexibility.  Plus, my feet naturally fall into first position anyway so I am bound to be quite talented.

Additionally, I have been working on some projects here at home...namely the house itself.  We have so much stuff crammed into a small space and it simply isn't working.  I am purging and organizing.  I am hoping to have a lot done by the time Joe is done with his training.  Yesterday, I got some great motivation.  I made $25 at the base thrift store!  So I am going to continue to sort through our junk.  Let's hope I make a ton more money. :)  

Mother's Day Present

This Sunday is Mother'sDay in the UK. As you can tell by the picture, Benjamin is so sad that he was only able to get me this cookie. He said his favorite mum deserved so much more. Isn't he sweet!

Typical Wednesday

Well, today was a lovely ordinary day. Since Joe is working nights (no, the irony is not lost on me), we spent some time together this morning. That is always bittersweet since I know I won't get any time with him in the evening.

After Ben's first nap, we drove to Elgin to visit the library. The children's section of any public library has got to be one of the best inventions in modern history. (At least it is if you are a stay-at-home mum) It's free, has fun funiture to climb on, and full of books your child has not read. Ben seemed to really enjoy it. He especially enjoyed flirting with the little girl who was also there. I swear that boy truly thinks he is a ladies man. And maybe he is. What do I know...

After nap #2, I finally took him to the local park. I've been meaning to for the last week and have only now gotten around to it. He still not sure what to make of the slide or the bouncy horse, but the baby swings are a big hit. Ben seemed quite relaxed as he swinged.

When we got back, I put him on his tummy for some forced tummy time. And although he wasn't thrilled, he did put up with it for a decent amount of time. Bastian was on the floor next to him, which was perfect. Ben loves the dog and wants nothing more than to go after him. He tried to scoot towards him and even though he didn't exactly move forward, he wanted to and that is huge. He even managed to change his direction a bit. Maybe he will crawl one day...

Life in Lossie

On Friday, Joe and I will pile our little family into our big American car and head back to reality. I am not looking forward to that. I have enjoyed the last week and half so much and I hate to see it end.

Our time in Lossiemouth has been so peaceful. I'm sure a large part of that is that we are all together. But we're also together in a lovely little beach cottage in a very laid back area of the world. Everyone individually has something to make them happy about this place. Ben has both parents to dote on him. Plus, he seems to enjoy our trips to Tesco. Joe's work is painful, but I know he's happy to be flying again. And he's made some great new friends. So Family + Friends + Flying = Happy Joe. Bastian gets to run amuk on the beach every morning without a leash. As for me, well I have my family all together. But also, Bastian's walks are just as much for me. It's beautiful scenery and so relaxing. (Except, of course, when he's found a dead sea gull to play with.) I hope that when I get to heaven, there is a dog beach.

And of course, Scotland is great. I would love to bring Ben back in a few years because I'm sure he would get such a kick out of it. You can't spit without hitting a castle and what little boy wouldn't love that. To be fair, Joe and I think that's pretty cool and we're obviously much older. Plus, there is a lot to do if you enjoy the great outdoors. They have a law here that most land is available for the public to explore even if it is someone's private property. You just have to respect it. (That would never work in America) But there are lots of great hills to climb and forrests to run around. Perfect for a little boy with energy to expend.

We have enjoyed exploring too. Including the one at Loch Ness, we saw three castles last week. Of course, they are all in ruins, but it's fun to imagine what they looked like. My favorite one was Duffus Castle. It's very close by. It's also surrounded by farming fields so there weren't very many people. It felt like our own little castle to explore. Ben seemed to enjoy it, but I think the one who enjoyed it the most was Bastian. The castle is surrounded by a moat so we didn't have to worry about him running off. We just let him off the leash and let him run. Heaven!

Arival in Scotland/Loch Ness

Well, today I am writing to you from Lossiemouth, a lovely coastal village on the northern coast of Scotland. Joe and I have rented a cottage on the water for the next two weeks in hopes of having some family time together. For those of you who don't know, Lossiemouth is where Joe is doing his training course and will probably be here until sometime in May. It is also a 10-hour drive from Ely, about as far away as you can be and still be in the UK. Joe has come home twice, but it is a long trip for just a weekend visit and the weekends always seem to go too quickly. So when Joe found this cabin, we jumped on it.

We arrived here on Friday afternoon. Fortunately, my dad was still visiting so he helped me make the trip. The four of us (me, Dad, Ben, and Bastian) left Ely Thursday and stayed at a hotel just over the Scottish border. Both Ben and Bastian did much better than expected. It was a long trip for the adults so I know it awful for them. While the scenery is lovely, English roads are terrible. Friday's trip was much better since Scottish roads are better too.

The cabin is really quite lovely. It is cosy and has everything we need. The owners are very hospitable. Not only did they have portable crib and high chair we requested, but there were baby toys and books for Ben. There was also milk, eggs, bread, and bacon in the fridge so we could make breakfast the next morning. Yum!

On Saturday, we piled in the car and headed for Loch Ness. It is truly a magnificent site. No sign of Nessie the Loch Ness monster, but we had a blast all the same. We also toured Uruqurt Castle, which is on the edge of the loch. By then the rain had stopped, so we were able to really enjoy ourselves and take lots of pictures.