Back to School

After weeks of back to school posts on Facebook, it was finally time for our boys to head back to school. Autumn Term started on Wednesday, September 5th for James and John. Jude and Jonah both had their first days of school on Thursday. 

John is now in Year 2 and is in the classroom above his Year 1 classroom. He has two teachers this year plus a class aide. On Monday and Tuesday, his teacher is Mrs. Sloan. Then the rest of the week, he has Mrs. Fenton. Both women are excellent teachers. John seems to have settled into this school year much faster than last term. This term he is continuing with Performing Arts class and has begun taking Piano lessons. 

James is now in Year 4 and is in a classroom just down the hall from his Year 3 classroom. It's a huge room and the kids have a lot of room to spread out and learn. James' teacher is Miss Nancolas and he really likes her. This term James is continuing with Judo and has added Rock Climbing and trumpet lessons. 

Jude is in Tuskers and is having a wonderful time. He's really learning a lot in his three days of school each week. He's really come a long way with potty training. He's now recognizing when he needs to pee and goes to the potty on his own. He still hasn't made any progress with pooping in the potty but we know it will come with time. Jude tells me each day who his friends are and the list is ever growing. He even has best friends - Oliver and Felix. 

Jonah is loving nursery school. He still cries when I leave him but only for a couple of minutes. He has so much fun there and loves playing with the other children. They have all sorts of toys and he gets lots of outside play time. They even go out when it rains! He loves the food and often has two helpings of lunch and loves the pudding (dessert). He's also getting better about napping there. At first it was only 30-45 minutes but now it's getting back to his normal 2 hours. 

Overall, the school year is off to a great start!! 

Longleat Adventure and Safari Park

After all of my traveling, we had some much needed family time. We heard from several people the Longleat was a must see so we loaded up in the car and made the 90 minute drive out there. Holy cow, they were so right. It was incredible. So many things for the kids to do.

The first thing we did was the drive through safari. I remember doing one of these as a kid and feeding the giraffes from the car window. Longleat is very similar. We have yet to make the stop at the beginning to feed the giraffes but will one day. After the giraffes and zebras, you get to the monkey enclosure. The monkeys love to climb on the cars and can remove anything that isn't screwed down. We've seen them take off the windshield wipers and weather stripping off the cars in front of us. Thankfully, our car didn't sustain any damage. After the monkeys, you go through the big game park which has ostriches, rhinos, and two-hump backed camels! The next section has a variety of deer species that you can stop and feed. Along the way, they also have vultures, flamingos, an elephant, and pelicans. Next up are the big cat enclosures. Believe it or not, they let you drive through these huge enclosures where the cats are hanging out in the grass not far from your car. There is a tiger enclosure, two lion enclosures and a timberwolf enclosure. I'll have to post a photo of the warning signs they have to make sure people stay in their cars.

Besides the safari park, there are so many other activities. We ended up upgrading our day tickets to a year membership because there was just too much to see and do that we couldn't fit it in a day. That first day we did the Adventure Castle, fed the deer and did Postman Pat's village. The older boys had a great time running around in the castle. There were tons of things to climb and explore. The little boys enjoyed seeing all the Postman Pat characters while the older two were playing. One of the great things is that everything is included in the price of your ticket so you don't have to tell the kids no because something costs extra. The only thing you have to pay for is food but they let you bring in your own if you want to picnic.

We decided to call it a day after lunch and those activities since it was a long drive home. We came back the next weekend and did several more activities. We did the jungle cruise which was super cool. There are sea lions in the lake that like to swim alongside the boats. They take you out to the gorilla island and to see the hippos!! On the way back to the docks, you can buy food and feed the sea lions. During this trip we also did the mini zoo. They have all sorts of animals including red pandas and giant anteaters. We also went to the monkey temple where they have several other monkey species including the cute little monkeys that were in the movie Rio. Since it's free we also hit the Adventure Castle for a bit before heading home.

We went a third time for Jonah's birthday. We did the safari again, the Adventure Castle and took the train ride that time. We still have to explore Longleat House (residence of Lord Bath), stop at the African village to feed the giraffes, and find out way through the hedge maze. Thank goodness for our year passes as I'm sure there will be many more trips in the future.

Scentsy UK Convention 2012 - Leeds

So I landed back in the UK on Monday morning and was off again to the UK Scentsy Convention in Leeds early Friday morning. Brian dropped me off at the train station in Reading and I was off to London. After a quick trip on the tube, I was at Kings Cross Station (no, didn't have time to visit Platform 9 and 3/4) ready to board my train to Leeds. I must say, after this trip, I've become quite the fan of trains. I made it to Leeds with plenty of time to get checked in for convention. They events team did a fantastic job of picking a wonderful hotel to host us. The Queens was absolutely beautiful and as a bonus, a super short walk from the train station.  

This convention was far more intimate than the big production in Vegas. There were less than 150 consultants there and we all got lots of time to talk to Orville and Heidi. I found the speeches to be just as moving and inspirational the second time around and I was glad to be able to receive the message twice. As far as the company/products go, we didn't get either of the new brands (Velata and Grace Adele) but we did get a Personal Care line (shower cream, body lotion, and hand cream to join the solid perfume) and wonderful improvements to the warmers. All in all, things are moving in a very positive direction here in the UK and I'm so excited to be spreading the Scentsy love in my little part of the country. 

This trip was much more brief. Convention ended Saturday late afternoon and I was on a train home shortly afterwards. This time, I connected in Birmingham and it was a pretty fast trip home. AND the train had wi-fi meaning I could check e-mail and Facebook while traveling. Once I was finally home, I was done traveling for quite a while. Just ready to be home and enjoy the rest of the summer with my boys.

Scentsy Convention 2012 - Las Vegas

At the end of July, I was able to attend my very first Scentsy convention in Las Vegas. It was an incredible experience!! Brian drove me to the train station early Tuesday morning and I make the long train journey to Gatwick. The train ride was rather long but so very convenient. It took me right to the terminal and after a short walk, I was at the check in counter. I flew Virgin Atlantic which was a first for me. I've decided that I judge airlines/flights based on their entertainment system. The flight over to Vegas was great! Huge movie selection and great food. We got in a little late which worried me since I knew I had go find Jocelyn at another terminal. I got through immigration, got my bags and took the shuttle to the other terminal. Once there, I discovered that Jocelyn's flight was going to be really late. I have never been more thankful for free wi-fi!! I was able to check my e-mail, Facebook and read before she landed. We had planned to do some fun things that evening but with her flight coming in super late, all we had time to do was get to the hotel, check in and grab dinner. We met up with our director and super star director and had a FUNTASTIC dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in the Forum Shops at Caesars. I so missed American food!! After dinner we headed back to the room for a much needed good night of sleep.

Our first day there was rather relaxing. We got up when we felt like it, got dressed at a leisurely pace and walked to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. After that we got all checked in for the convention. As expected, the lines were long and it took quite a long time to get all checked in. I know I didn't blog about it before but I was having a super tough time getting registered for US convention after I transferred over to the UK. In the end, they registered me "manually" and said I was good to go. Alas, I wasn't in the computer system and after getting Jocelyn checked in, we had to go to the help desk to get me registered and all set up.

I'm certain I'm not doing the trip justice but convention was full on amazing speeches not only by the speakers brought in but especially by our President, Heidi and our CEO, Orville. I think the highlight of the whole event was the reveal of our newest Scentsy Family brand - Grace Adele. All of us consultants had been waiting on the edge of our seats to find out what it would be. While several consultants weren't excited about selling purses and jewelry, the overwhelming majority of the room was overjoyed. Of course, it didn't hurt that they (Heidi and Orville) gave everyone (over 11,000 attendees) a purse and accessories.

I had a fantastic trip. I so needed a break from life as a mother of 4. It was so great to be surrounded by my Scentsy family and getting energized for the upcoming months. It was also wonderful to spend some much needed quality time with my sister who is also a new Scentsy Family Consultant. I really look forward to going again in the future.

Finally, a HUGE thank you to Jackie Kirby for watching the boys so Brian could go to work while I was away!!

Jonah's trip to the Ophthalmologist

We definitely had our first experiences with the long waiting time for appointments when it came to getting Jonah seen by the eye doctor. His first appointment was July 19th with the Orthopic department. This is the group that focuses on kids. They did a few tests to check his overall vision and said we next had to see the ophthalmologist. Thankfully there was a cancellation for the following day and I was able to get him seen. He wasn't very cooperative and the doctor wasn't able to get an accurate prescription. Thankfully I brought his prescription from Houston with me so he was able to write him a new prescription. I asked around for the best place to get glasses made for kids. Off to the optician we went and got him all fitted for glasses. They took about a week to make and our sweet Jonah was finally starting to see better again.

Sports Day

We got lucky and had field day twice this year. At the beginning of July, James and John had their Sports Days. James' was done with the Main school (Years 3-8) and John's was done with the Lower School (Reception - Year 2). The Main School sports day was quite an experience. The mom's from each year got together and put together a picnic of sorts. The year 3 mom's put on quite the spread. I have never seen so much food before. The weather is always sketchy so we put up canopies to keep everything and everyone dry during the various rain showers. Jude, Jonah and I had a great time watching James compete in his various events. By far, the most incredible thing was the House Relay. I think I posted earlier how the school is divided up into 5 houses. Well at the end of the sports day, all the kids from each house compete in a relay race. It was just incredible to see all the kids from 5 different grades run and pass the baton to one another. In the end once all the points were tallied, Welsley house (the house James belongs to) won! You should have seen all the kids jumping up and down! They were do proud of themselves. 

John's sports day was the day after James'. Unfortunately, the boys and I got there late and had the hardest time finding a place to park. Thankfully we didn't miss John's first race. It was so great to see him running and having fun. At the end, he told he that he didn't win but there wasn't a trace of disappointment on his face. I think he was just happy he made it all the way to the finish line. It was so cute to see the young kids doing their races. There were some super cute ones for the littlest kids and the mini hurdles were hilarious. They finished all of their races just before the heavens opened and it started pouring down rain. We all headed to the Performing Arts Center for a little awards ceremony. The boys and I had to duck out early because Jonah was getting restless and both boys were getting hungry. We found John and said good-bye before heading out. 

All in all, both days were loads of fun and we can't wait for next year!  

Harry Potter Studio Tour

I must admit, I had been looking forward to the Harry Potter Studio Tour since it was first announced online back at the very beginning of the year. Alas, you have to book tickets well in advance and it was extremely hard nailing down a date when there was nothing going on. We were finally able to get tickets for the evening of June 16th. Unfortunately we later found out that James and Brian were supposed to go camping that weekend so it looked like John and I might not be able to go. Brian's grad school classes had been wearing him out so he decided to skip the campout and so I was able to go on the tour and ended up taking James with me instead of John. 

First and foremost, if you love Harry Potter and you are coming to London, this tour is a MUST. It was just incredible right from the moment you pull into the car park (what they call parking lots here). James and I collected our tickets at the window and headed inside. We then walked into the lobby. Holy cow!! There were photos of the various characters around the room and the flying car hanging from the ceiling. James and I arrived in time to grab some dinner and hit the gift shop before starting our tour. We got our little headsets and made our way into the queue. While we were queueing, we got to see the cupboard under the stairs!!! The first stop was a room showing the various movie posters for all 8 movies. We watched a little film before heading into a larger auditorium to watch another film about what we were going to experience. After that, they raised the screen and we were introduced to the doors leading to the great hall. I was on cloud nine!!! Next stop was the great hall. Only one of the house tables was set up. The rest of the room was filled with costumes of the various houses and teachers. There was another tour guide in this room asking various questions and telling us all sort of interesting facts about the films. 

After this we were allowed to wander through the remainder of the tour at our own pace. It was so great to see all of the costumes, props, and sets they used to make these incredible movies. There was so much to see and do while we were there. Once of our favorite things was trying to find 15 hidden golden snitches. There was a little book that the kids got before the tour that had various things to look out for during the tour. James and I had to ask for help on a couple but for the most part, we found them on our own. 

The only complaint I had was that I felt a little rushed. We were one of the last tours of the day and as the group progressed past certain points, the staff sort of closed off the area. James wanted to do this broom riding experience that added quite a long time to our tour. When we finally finished with that, they had closed off the Burrow. :-( Thankfully all the workers were incredibly kind and pulled aside the ropes so I could take a closer look and take photos. After that, I was sort of half looking at everything and snapping as many photos as I could. The remainder of the tour was incredible. We got to see 4 Privet Drive, the Knight Bus, the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow and most importantly, Diagon Alley. James had so much fun running up and down the street looking at the various stores. We then breezed through the model section and ended at the most incredible sight of all. The model of Hogwarts Castle. It was just awe inspiring. I was brought to tears, first because it was just the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time and second because my memory card was out of space. 

After seeing the castle, it was a quick walk through Ollivanders and back through the gift shop. We picked up just a couple more things before headed out. It was just a wonderful evening. We got home really late but it was so worth it. 

Again, photos (and loads of them) will be coming soon. 

Long overdue

It's been a very busy "summer" for the Hadley's. I put summer in quotes because there are two different summers going on. One is the traditional summer starting just at the end of May and going through the beginning of school and the second is the end of school through the start of the new school year. 

This year the traditional summer began with the boys' half term break which coincided with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Brian took James, John and Jude up to Scotland for the week. They had an absolute blast touring the western and southern part of Scotland. They even made it out to the Isle of Harris where Brian went crazy buying various Harris tweed items. While the boys were away, Jonah and I chilled at home. It poured down rain for 4 days straight so we were stuck indoors the first part of the break. After the rain let up, we got out and about a bit but didn't do anything adventurous as Brian had my Sat Nav with him and I don't like to get lost. 

After their week off, the boys still had an additional five weeks left of school. It was so hard to see all the posts on Facebook of our friends back home having their last days of school and getting ready for summer. Mainly it was just knowing that I had 5 more weeks of getting everyone up, fed, dressed, in the car, and on the road by 8:10. Thankfully they went by fairly quickly and the boys were out for summer vacation. 

Pictures of the boys' Scotland adventures coming soon. 

Here Comes the Sun...

Whoops! Looks like I forgot to finish this post and get it actually up on the blog.

After quite a lot of rain, we finally had a day of sunshine. We took full advantage of it and decided to hit Stonehenge and then we went on to Salisbury to see the cathedral. We must have had the same thought as most people as both places were packed with people enjoying the sun. I'll add some photos in a bit.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jude!!

I can hardly believe Jude is actually 3. It seems like he's been three for ages now and it's been hard to remember that he is still 2. His language has just exploded in the last 6 months and he's saying things and I swear James and John didn't say/ask until they were much older. I guess this comes from being the third child with two much older brothers. Potty training is going as well as can be expected. Some days are great, others not so great. He's still not pooping in the potty which is becoming frustrating. He's done it a handful of times but he's not consistent and I can never tell when he's going to go. He is very ready for school and thanks to CBeebies (Like PBS and Disney Junior) is learning his numbers and letters. He's already mastered colors and is pretty close to mastering shapes.

As I said in my previous post, we spent most of Jude's actual birthday in Oxford but when we got home, we spent some time celebrating. We ate some brownies I had made the day before and then opened presents. Jude received the plane from the movie Cars 2, his own Hot Wheels monster truck (he loves the one James has) and his very own three wheeled scooter. All the little British kids here seem to have scooters and he was always pointing to them while we were out shopping. He even asked us to look for them in the Argos catalog. Jude was super excited and wanted me to put it together right away. He's been zooming around the house and patio ever since.

Jude is such a great little boy and definitely my little buddy. He's always trying to help me no matter what I'm doing. He's very sweet to Jonah for the most part and loves to give him hugs and kisses. They definitely need to work on the sharing but they play well together most of the time. Jonah and I will definitely miss him when he goes to school next year but I know he'll have fun and will enjoy making new friends.

First Road Trip, Destination: York

We took our first road trip over the first weekend of May. The destination - York. The first Monday in May is a bank holiday so the boys were off school and Brian was off work. We decided to take advantage of the long weekend to take a trip up to York. We had planned to leave Friday straight from school but had to make a stop back at home and then decided to pick up McDonald's for dinner on our way out. It was about a 4.5 hour drive up to our little holiday cottage so we arrived in the dark. We got the car unloaded and let the boys burn off some energy before putting them down for the night.

The next morning we got up, ate breakfast and then headed into York. We parked just outside the old city walls and then walked into town. We were a bit early so we stopped at the York Minster and took a quick walk around the inside of the beautiful church. Then we made our way to the JORVIK Viking museum. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised when we took a cool ride through a viking village. We learned all about the different things the vikings made and how they lived during those times. Then after the ride was over, we walked through a small traditional museum before exiting back onto the main road. After that, we walked back over to the Shambles (an old medieval street where all the buildings are leading in) to do some shopping. We also went to Clifford's Tower which is the last remaining park of York Castle. James, John and Jude went up the stairs and walked around the very top of the tower while Jonah and I walked around the courtyard. After that, we got some lunch and headed to the DIG. The boys had an absolute blast there. They learned all about archaeology and even got to play in the dig pits they had set up. They each got their own trowel and got to uncover sections of ancient walls, bones, pottery, etc. Then after that, they got to spend some time sorting out artifacts and learning about the ancient civilizations that were in the area. After a very busy day, we headed back to the cottage for a late nap and then dinner in the nearby village.

Sunday morning was far more laid back. We got up, dressed and fed but not in any great hurry. It being Sunday, things open later in the morning. We decided to drive up north through the Yorkshire Moors and to the seaside town of Whitby. It was still quite chilly but we were blessed with lots of sunshine. We walked around the port and down to the beach. The boys had a great time running in the sand but we not happy when we wouldn't let them near the water. We kept trying to explain that the water was freezing and that they didn't want to get in. Next we had some lunch (hot dogs for the boys and fish and chips for Brian and I) and did a bit of window shopping. After that, we loaded back up in the car and drove out to the ruins of the Whitby Abbey. It's up on the top of this great hill with loads of grasslands around. The boys had an ABSOLUTE blast rolling down the grassy hills and running around like crazy. Brian and I took turns watching the boys and walking around the Abbey. After the boys burned off a bunch of energy, we loaded back in the car and drove down to Scarborough. We attempted to see the castle but the Sat Nav and road signs took us down to the water instead of up to the castle. It was getting late in the afternoon so we gave up and decided to head back to the cottage. We didn't really feel like eating out again so we hit the local Tesco (grocery store) and picked up some items for dinner that night.

Monday morning it was time to head home. We got all packed up and cleaned up the cottage before heading out. With the sun coming up so early, we were actually on the road pretty early and made it home in time for lunch. It was a really nice get away from it all and see a whole new area of this great island.

Oxford and Christ Church Collage

Our Saturday was filled with birthday parties so we had to wait until Sunday to hit the road and venture out again. It also happened to be Jude's birthday. Thankfully he's three and willing to spend his birthday exploring instead of insisting on a party, presents and cake. We did do all of those things (minus the party) after getting home and in pajamas.

Being Sunday, most places open later than normal and only stay open for a few hours. We had a quick visit at home from Brian's co-worker, Cam, and his wife Jackie before grabbing lunch at the Carvery. Then we hit the road again, with Jackie along for the ride (Cam had to work and Jackie was eager to get out and about). The drive up wasn't too bad, maybe an hour or so. Finding parking in a new city is tough, even with a Sat Nav. Garages are randomly closed or the directions provided don't actually get you to the garage entrance.

Once we got the car parked, we were off to find the university and more specifically Christ Church Collage. This is were several scenes from the first Harry Potter movie were filmed as well as inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Walking around the collage, I definitely felt as though we were in certain parts of Hogwarts and couldn't wait to get home to watch the movie again hoping to identity some of the places we had been that day.

After leaving the collage, we hopped on a bus tour of Oxford which took us all around the town and included several interesting facts about the history of the university. One interesting thing I learned was that Oxford is made up of several collages and that you have to apply not only to the university but also a specific collage. I thought the collages were organized by field of study as they are at home but the collage is actually like a dorm. It's the place a student lives while attending the university.

Once we finished the bus tour, it was getting close to dinner time so we found one of the few places the boys are guaranteed to eat - Pizza Hut. They actually have decent priced kids meals which include unlimited salad bar (which ironically has tortilla chips), an entree (pizza or pasta) and a drink. Then for a small charge, they can get a dessert. The boys really enjoy it and we can't complain. They have good pizza. Once we finished eating, we did a small bit of shopping and then headed back to the car for the drive home.

All in all, it was a very good outing!

Back Online...FINALLY

I had no idea why it took so long but on the 30th of April we FINALLY got a home phone and internet. The installation took almost the whole morning and some help from our landlord. I had only ever seen one phone socket in the house but for some reason that one wasn't working. Thankfully our landlord was at home that morning and helped the technician find the working outlet as well as the wiring in the attic/garage. By mid day we had a working phone line. Then later that afternoon the mailman brought us our broadband modem/router. While I had made it through the last three and a half weeks with no internet, I was definitely glad to be back online. Alas, it didn't last long. After a few hours, the internet and phone both stopped working. BT had stated everything would be working by midnight the following day so we decided to give it some time to come back online. Finally Wednesday morning I called in a outage and received a text that it could be up to two weeks for it to be resolved. ACK!!! Another two weeks without internet did not sound fun but I decided to be patient. Luck was on our side and the following day a technician came and fixed the phone and internet and we were back up and running again!! Then the next day, another technician came and though the issue had been resolved, he ran some more tests just to make sure. Thankfully we haven't been without internet or phone again since then. Once it was up and running, it was time to get all the computers, TV and Wii's all connected to the network so we could start streaming Netflix again. Jude was definitely happy to have Barney back again and I was happy to be able to watch my TV shows online again.

Our First Visitor(s)

During the second week of school, we had our first visitor(s). Brian texted me Tuesday afternoon the Darren's flight was delayed and that he would be stuck in London for the night. Brian would pick him up from the airport afterwork and then he would be spending the night with us. I would give him a ride to the airport in the morning for his flight to Houston. This was just the thing I needed to get the guest room in order. It was the one room I hadn't unpacked and was still full of boxes and random stuff. I got everything cleaned out, the bed made, and bathroom ready before they got home in the evening. We had a nice time catching up and then headed off to bed. In the morning, Darren came with me to drop the boys off at school and then we went back home to relax a bit before heading to the airport. Thanks to my trusty Tom Tom we made it there in one piece and right on time. I got out of the car to say good-bye to Darren and when I went back around to the driver's side of the car, there was my best friend, Kristen!!! I was in complete shock. I had no idea she was coming! It was the BEST SURPRISE EVER!!! Darren put his suitcase back in the trunk along with Kristen's luggage. They were staying with us the whole weekend!!!

We headed back to our neck of the woods stopping for lunch at the Toby Carvery near the Asda. It was the first time I had ever been. It was like Thanksgiving dinner. There were four different types of meats and then a bunch of different sides and gravies. We then headed home to relax before going to pick up the boys from school. Both James and John were excited to see Aunt Kristen!! It was a surprise for them as well. They had really enjoyed seeing Darren the night before and were so happy to see Kristen as well.

Thursday morning we got up and went to a coffee morning at the home of one of John's classmates. It was so nice to meet some of the mothers and chat for longer than the brief hello during drop off and pick up. After that, we made the hour drive out to Stonehenge. It was crazy windy and super cold that morning. We didn't spend much time out at the monument because of the weather. We stopped in one of the little towns on our way home for lunch. Then it was home for late afternoon naps.

Brian took off work Friday so we could spend the day all together. After dropping the big boys off at school, we loaded up in the van and headed to Windsor castle. Again, it was cold, windy and rainy but we enjoyed a nice walk through the castle and lunch at a pub across the street. Thankfully it stopped raining just after lunch so we had a pleasant walk back to the parking garage. We headed home to rest up for our big London outing the next day.

Saturday morning we were up and out the door bright and early. We made the 30 minute drive down to the train station in Farnborough to catch our train into London. The boys had a great time on the 30 minute train ride into London. Again, it was cold and rainy and for some reason, incredibly crowded. The lines to get into places were crazy long. Instead we kind of did a walking tour of some of the major sights. We first walked to Big Ben and the houses of Parliament. Right next to that is Westminster Abby. Then we were off to Buckingham Palace. We arrive just before the changing of the guard which explained the huge crowds. We got some great photos and then started walking to Trafalgar Square. There was some sort of big bicycle ride going on so they had a lot of the square closed off to traffic. This allowed us to let Jonah down to run around for a bit. We boosted the boys up onto the monument and took photos with the lions. Then we walked just down the street to The Texas Embassy for dinner. This was the first place we ate in London when we took our backpacking trip to Europe back in 2001. The food was fairly good but a bit overpriced. It was quite nice to get out of the rain for a bit and rest our feet. After lunch we did a bit of shopping and then began our walk back to the train station. It was a bit far for our tired boys so we hopped on the Tube (underground subway) which made the trip back to Victoria station a lot faster. We arrived back home mid-afternoon and everyone took a nice long nap.

Early Sunday morning we said good-bye to our friends (thankfully there were no tears this time) and Brian drove them to the airport for their flight home. It was so wonderful to see them and I can't wait to see them again when their baby is born later this year.  

Let the Clubs Begin!

The second week of school brought the beginning of after school clubs. This term James is giving Judo a try and John is doing Performing Arts. Judo is on Monday afternoon from 5-6. He goes to creche (after school care) from 3:45 to 5 and then on to Judo. Brian picks him up from school on his way home from work. John goes to Performing Arts on Thursday afternoons right after school from 3:45 to 4:45. In order to not do two pick ups one hour apart, James goes to creche for an hour and I pick them both up at 4:45. There was a bit of a mix up the first week of clubs. John was on the list for Cricket and went there instead. Thankfully we got it resolved and he started Performing Arts the next week. Thursdays are extra busy as the boys do Beavers and Cubs (scouts) just after dinner. I pick up the boys and we head straight to the scout house in Crowthorne. Brian brings us dinner from Subway and we eat in the car before Beavers starts at 5:45. After dinner, Brian takes the older boys on to scouts and the little boys and I head home for baths and bedtime. So far the boys are enjoying their after school activities. James just got his Judo uniform and white belt. I'm hoping he will stick with it over the terms and graduate to the other belts.  John is enjoying the acting and singing they do in Performing Arts. He's also started to go to Choir during the school day with some of the kids in his class. John loves to sing so I'm not surprised he wanted to join in. The boys were recently invested into their scout groups so I've gotten to break out the sewing kit again and get all of their patches sewn onto their new uniforms (sweatshirts). Both boys have camp outs and overnights coming up in the next few weeks. I know Brian can't wait to get the camping gear out again.

Our First Few Weeks in Our New Home

Our first few weeks were very busy ones. We made many, many trips to the store in order to stock our pantry and fridge as well as outfit our house with everything from trashcans to a vacuum cleaner. Poor James and John haven't run errands like that since starting school and were both worn out by all the running around. I also spent a lot of time getting boxes unpacks, clothes put away and everyone's rooms and beds ready.

Besides getting the house up and running, we also had to get the older boys ready for school. Thankfully Brian and I had gone to Jackson's while I was here looking at houses. We did well with the shorts and shirts but missed the mark on the sweaters and blazers. The sizes we chose for John fit James and thus had to make a trip to Jackson's over the weekend for some exchanges. Our last fews days before school started were spent getting school shoes and hemming up the boys' blazers and boiler suits.

The boys started Summer Term at St. Neot's Preparatory School on Wednesday, April 18th. Thankfully they were all up early so we had lots of time to eat breakfast and get dressed. I didn't know how long it would take us to get to school so we left really early and had to sit in the parking lot a while before school started. We first walked James to his class and got all of his things put away. Once he was settled in his room with his teacher, we took John to his classroom. Again, we got everything put away and him settled in with his teacher before heading back home. The first week flew by and it was the weekend again before we knew it.  

Our Journey Across the Pond

Well I left off the weekend before we left home. The monday we left was spent doing last minute laundry, packing and one last lunch at Lupe Tortilla with our friends, the Weatherwaxes. The food was so yummy and the boys had a blast playing the in sand boxes with Keira and LJ. We said good-bye to our friends and headed back to my parents house to load up the SUV. We barely fit all 6 of us and my dad along with all of our bags. I was really worried how we would get everything in the the new minivan. We arrived at the airport super early and managed to be one of very few people checking in at Terminal E. It took 3 of those luggage carts to get all 11 bags and four carseats into the terminal. I was so thankful it was empty because it meant the boys could wander around a bit without bothering anyone. We got all checked in and then headed to security. We managed to get the carry on bags and carseats through security and up to the gate area. The only disappointment was the food selection in the terminal. There was only one restaurant and a couple little stands that sold sandwiches and drinks. Again, it was fairly empty since we were early and the boys were able to run around a bit. We got the boys all changed into their pajamas and ready for bed before boarding the plane.

We were allowed to board just after First Class because we were traveling with children. We all got down the ramp and into our seats. Unfortunately Jude's carseat didn't fit in the seat and had to be checked. We managed to get Jonah's carseat installed but he was really iffy about sitting in it. He actually sat in my lap for take off and until he fell asleep for the night. James and Jude both stayed up really late and didn't sleep much during the flight. Jonah slept off and on in his carseat and cried for a little while a few times during the flight. Brian and I hardly slept as we were busy getting Jude and Jonah settled. We were all extremely glad when we landed at Heathrow. We let everyone else off the plane before us out of necessity. We couldn't get the belt unlatched from Jonah's carseat and had to wait for a flight attendant to help us.

Once off the plane, it was off to border control. We filled out our paperwork on the plane so that was taken care of. Alas, since we were the last off the plane, we were also the last in line. Poor Jonah was so tired and was not cooperating (wanting to sit in the stroller and be quiet). Thankfully an older woman who was working at the time took pity on us and moved us to the front of the line. It took quite a long time for our family to get through corder control as they had to look over the visas for the four boys as well as get fingerprints for the older two. Once that was finally done, we were able to claim our baggage and head out to the car. Again, it took 3 carts to get everything out to the car. It was definitely a challenge to get four carseats installed in the car (well two carseats and two booster seats) while in the parking lot with four boys. Thankfully everyone and everything made it safely into the car and we headed to our new home.  

Catching Up

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted a single thing to the blog since we left home almost 2 months ago. I guess that's because we've been busy getting settled in, seeing the lovely English countryside, and in general, enjoying life in our new home. Plus we didn't have internet for almost a month so that definitely impedes blogging. I guess I'll start at the beginning and get all caught up here over the next week or two.

Our Last Week in the good ole USA

Our last week at home was CRAZY BUSY!!! Monday I had my check up first thing in the morning, then we were off to the dentist for Jude to have his teeth cleaned and checked by the dentist. Then Monday afternoon we had John's 6 year check up and one last shot for Jonah. Tuesday afternoon Jonah had his ophthalmologist appointment. We found out that his right eye is turning in because he really needs glasses. His eyes are straining hard to focus which is causing the eye to turn in. We left there with a prescription for glasses. After that I taught my last Faith Formation class at our church. I've really enjoyed teaching 2nd grade and hope to continue next year when we find a new church home.

Wednesday Jude, Jonah and I were on a mission to get Jonah some glasses. We first went to Memorial City Mall to check out Lens Crafters and Eye Masters. Unfortunately, neither place had frames suitable for kids Jonah's age. So a quick call to the ophthalmologist got me the website for the frame company which then gave me a list of eye doctors in the area that sold the frames. Luckily our TSO in Katy not only sold the frames but had some in stock. So we were off to TSO in Katy to buy frames and then to the Eye Masters in Katy to have the lenses made. Thankfully they had the lenses in stock and were able to get them made by 6 pm Thursday.

Thursday was the boys last day at Rylander Elementary. James' first grade teacher, Ms. Meyer, along with the assistant principal, Ms. Fair, came to the front office to say good-bye to the boys. They gave lots of great hugs and saw us off. Then we were off to the dentist again to have the older boys' teeth checked. They got x-rays, cleanings and a touch up on their sealants. Dr. Po wasn't there but he will check the x-rays when he gets back to the office on Monday.

Friday morning we were off to pick up Jonah's glasses. He looks super cute and seems so happy to finally be able to see clearly. Granted, he takes them off often and pops one of the lenses out but I imagine that will happen less and less over time. After that we headed to the mall to eat lunch and play on the castle for a bit before heading to the airport to pick up Brian. We came home and relaxed a bit before going to pick up the van from the dealership where it was being detailed. Brian took it over to CarMax to sell. The boys and I ran a few errands and then met Brian at CarMax to sign the papers. That was a huge item checked off the to-do list.

Saturday Brian had a conference call for his graduate class group project while the boys and I watched cartoons and ate breakfast. Then I got my last massage before eating lunch with Brian's mom and step-dad. We had a nice visit with them and then relaxed a bit before headed to church for the Easter Vigil Mass where James celebrated his First Holy Eucharist. The mass lasted 2 hours so we left the other boys with our sitter so they could go to bed at a normal time.

Easter Sunday is another jam packed day. The boys opened their baskets from the Easter Bunny and then hunted for Easter eggs. I also have laundry and more packing to do today. We are going to get lunch at the County Line BBQ (most delicious bread ever) and then my mom, sister and I are headed to the Fine Arts Museum to see the King Tut exhibit. Afterwards we'll have our last Sunday dinner at and Kristen's house.

Monday will be some last minute errands and lunch with the Weatherwax family at Lupe Tortilla. Of course there will be laundry and packing to finish up before the taxi comes to get us at 4 pm. Then we are off to the airport for our 8:30 pm flight! Crazy busy but so worth it.

Rhinofest 2012

Right after John's party we headed to Rylander's spring carnival - Rhinofest. I helped with the silent auction planning but had to hand it over the week leading up to the event because I was busy with the move. I have to say that it all came together beautifully and everyone had a blast. the boys enjoyed the bouncy houses most. There was a rock climbing wall but the boys were too tired to give it a try. There was a petting zoo, pony rides, and lots of different foods to eat - burgers, hot dogs, pizza, Mission Burrito, snow cones, and cotton candy. I haven't heard any final numbers but I'm sure the event was a huge success and raised lots of money for the school.

John's 6th Birthday Party

I got home from London Thursday afternoon, had Friday to regroup and then it was time to celebrate John's 6th birthday with a party at Pump It Up. We had family friends and a few of his classmates come to jump and play with us. All of the kids had a great time and even Jonah got on the inflatables. The kids played for an hour and a half on the inflatables and then we went to the party room for cake, ice-cream and presents. John got some really great gifts from his friends. We are so glad everyone could come and celebrate with us.

Whirlwind London Trip

Well I've just arrived back in Houston from a whirlwind trip to London. I left Saturday afternoon and arrived back Thursday afternoon. It was a really fun and productive trip. Sunday we just drove around getting me acquainted with the area we will be living with as well as a quick drive by the new school. Brian also let me get behind the wheel so I could start getting used to driving on the opposite side of the car and road. The last thing we did that Sunday was to go see The Hunger Games. Man, movies are crazy expensive in the UK, even the matinee. I imagine it will be a special occasion for the family to see a movie in the theater.

Monday we visited 6 houses which was plenty enough for me. We had 9 or 10 scheduled but some we couldn't arrange a visit or they had already leased or sold. There were four houses that would work for our family and 2 that were just too small for us. Of the four, one wasn't available until May because they had tenants that required 30 days notice. So alas, that one was marked off the list. Then there was another house that had BEAUTIFUL grounds. I'm talking a HUGE yard. The main downside there was that the majority of the yard was down a hill and thus you had to take stairs to reach it. It might have been okay if there was just one set of stairs but I counted four. I just couldn't imagine trying to police four sets of stairs every day while Jude and Jonah played outside. So alas, that house was marked off the list. So we really narrowed down our selection to two houses. Once was big and bright and beautiful inside but had a large price tag. The second was a semi-detached house (think duplex) with four bedrooms. While we could fit in this house, it would have been a little too close for comfort in my opinion. Plus I'd be constantly worried that the neighbors would complain about how loud the boys were being.

Because of the abbreviated list, we were able to get into Reading to buy the boys' uniforms from Jacksons. It was definitely an experience. We went up to the floor where they sell the boys uniforms and the sales person took out the binder and found our school. Then we just worked down the list and got the boys all outfitted for Summer Term. I can't wait to see them all dressed up!!! We still have a few things to get - tie for James, hat for John and black school shoes - when we get there.

After heading back home, we debated and gave it some deep thought before deciding on which house to get. We decided to go with the large, more expensive house. There's just so much space for us to spread out in. Plus the yard is nice and fenced and there's no real "garden" to maintain. I also like that it's out in the country just not far at all from all the things you need like a grocery store. It's definitely going to be a longer drive for both Brian and me but the trip is on fairly large roads (in UK terms) so it should be a fairly smooth ride.

Tuesday was rather relaxing. We had originally planned to go see more houses but the area we were looking in that day was really too far away from the school. So we decided to cancel those viewings and focus on our two top picks. Unfortunately real estate transactions go at a snails pace over there. We put in the offer around 9 am Tuesday morning and then just kept hearing, we should get a response later this morning, later this afternoon and then tomorrow morning for sure. It was rather nerve wracking (especially for Brian) since we had lost out on another really wonderful house not two weeks before. We didn't want the negotiating process to take so long that we missed out on our back up choice. We tried our best to keep busy. We visited the bank to get me added to Brian's account. That visit ended with us needing to fill out three forms and get a letter form HR stating that I am married to Brian and that we live at said address. What a pain in the rear. We spent the rest of the morning touring the new area we hope to call home. We ate at a local restaurant called The Bull Inn. Yummy food but more expensive than we had thought it would be. We found the grocery store and a few other important places.

Tuesday afternoon we took a tour of the boys' new school. I give Brian oodles of credit for picking such and AWESOME school for our kids. They are going to LOVE this school. There is so much to do outside I worry that they will never want to come in. We got to see John's classroom and found that they are all set for his arrival on the 18th. Then when we got to James' class room, his teacher was there preparing for the upcoming term. The headmaster introduced us and she immediately knew we were James' parents. We talked to her about some of our concerns and she reassured us that all the kids are at different levels and not to worry. She seems really wonderful and we can't wait for the boys to start school.

Wednesday was somewhat stressful as it was my last day there and we still hadn't received a definite yes from the landlord. Thankfully we had other tasks to keep our mind off things. We met up with a friend of mine from Houston whose family moved to a nearby area last summer. She was a wealth of information about school and food and places to take the kids. It was so nice to pick her brain about things we were worried about. We had been chatting on Facebook for a while and it was finally nice to see her in person again. After that we headed back to the bank to turn in our paperwork and get the ball rolling toward getting a joint account. We were sorely disappointed in the number of staff they had working at the bank that day. They seem to want everyone to use the machines and thus the need for less workers. Well we had to pick the day when the machines weren't cooperating and so almost everyone had to talk to a person. Thankfully once it was our turn, it was super fast. Hopefully I will have a debit and credit card with my name on it when we arrive. Wednesday was John's 6th birthday so we hung around the apartment until we knew he would be awake and then called him using FaceTime. We got to wish him a happy birthday and see him open his presents. He also showed us the cupcakes my mom and sister baked for his class. You have to love technology these days. We got to see him on his special day in real time and for free!

Wednesday afternoon we did a second tour of the house. This time we really walked around and did a preliminary inventory (walk through). We noted the burnt out light bulbs and checked to see that all the toilets flushed and showers were in working order. We did find that what we thought was a dryer was actually a combo washer dryer unit. Thankfully there is power in the garage so we can purchase and use our own dryer. I don't know if any of you know anything about those combo units but they really suck. They take FOREVER to do a single load and those loads are about 1/4 to 1/3 of a normal load in an American machine. Needless to say a combo unit isn't going to work for a family of 6. After we were all done walking around, we headed back to the apartment and just relaxed for the rest of the day. The negotiating process went fairly well. It was mainly a list of things that needed replacing/maintenance as opposed to price and move in date.

Thursday morning we got up early and headed to the airport so I could catch my flight home. I guess I really have to get used to Heathrow airport since we will primarily be flying in and out of that airport. Shopping was quite nice but they definitely had a different style of checking people in. They definitely had an abundance of people working whereas the staff in Houston is now quite sparse. The flight home was definitely a long one. I napped a bit but I find it hard to really sleep when you are sitting next to strangers. Thankfully the movies were free so I had plenty of entertainment on the flight home.

All in all, it was a really great trip. We got a lot accomplished and had a nice visit just the two of us.

Change in plans

Like I said in my prior post, Brian has been very busy looking at schools since he arrived in the UK. Last weekend, he found the perfect school for the boys. It's called St. Neot's Preparatory and it's located just north of where Brian is working. He said the website doesn't do the school justice at all. He said there's lots for the boys to do outside - lots of sports fields, great playgrounds, and lots of trees. The inside of the school is also really nice. Big, bright classrooms with small class sizes. After his visit with the headmaster, we decided that the boys should start attending St. Neot's during their Summer Term which begins April 18th. So we've moved up our departure date to April 15th. Thankfully things are pretty well wrapped up here. I submitted all of the information for the boys' and my visas this morning. The only thing left to take care of is Whinnie's travel arrangements which I can't do until 2 weeks before our flight.

Here's a link to the school's website if you're interested in seeing more about it.

St. Neot's Preparatory School

Once he chose the school, narrowing down the house search area was next. Unfortunately there weren't many choices in the area that had the number and types of rooms we wanted. Thankfully he did find one that is less than a mile away from the school that is PERFECT for us!!! The yard is huge (great for my little outdoorsmen), there's a playscape, a trampoline and a HEATED POOL (perfect for this water loving gal)!!! On the inside there are 5 bedrooms upstairs, two of which are en-suite. Downstairs there is a fantastic kitchen (way nicer than I've ever had), a enormous conservatory (sun room), a reception room (living room with fireplace) and four other rooms one of which is a fully outfitted gym (another plus for this busy momma)!! We put in an offer and were able to come to an agreement on terms. The previous tenants left some improvement projects not quite finished when they left so thankfully the landlord has agreed to complete the work before we move in. We're hoping to get the keys and furniture moved in before Brian flies home on the 13th. Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly on that side of the pond.

Another Update

So it has been a CRAZY busy week. You know, one of those weeks that has enough activity in it to full a whole month. So Brian left on Friday, 3/2 and I spent the weekend moving the last few items we would need over the next three months up to my parents house as well as getting rid of things we wouldn't be either storing or moving. Monday morning bright and early, the packing crew arrived. There were four guys wrapping and packing all of our furniture and belongings. I wanted to be available if they had any questions and did my best to stay out of the way. Thank goodness my dad was able to work from Houston that day so the little boys hung out with him instead of being in the way while the men worked. It took them until about 6:00 to finish loading up the cargo container with all of our stuff. It was a very sad moment when they drove off with everything and our house was completely empty. The good news was that we got a showing that evening and they LOVED the house. They wanted to move in immediately so I spent the remainder of the week moving the last few things to storage or my parents' house and arranging for last minute work to be done. The house was painted Wednesday - Friday and then today I had a cleaning crew come in. Man oh man is the house CLEAN!!! It wasn't that clean when we moved in. Tomorrow the carpet cleaners come and then the inside of the house will be all ready. Sally and Jason are here to get the truck and take a few items home with them.

So that's the update on the home front. Over in the UK Brian has been super busy looking at schools and previewing houses. He's visited 6 schools - 4 British private schools and 2 international schools. The hunt for the perfect school is over!! He chose St. Neot's Preparatory school. It's set in a forest and there's lots for the boys to do outdoors. Brian said the classrooms are large and bright and the classes are all very small (15 students in a class). The whole school (ages 3 months to 13 years)is only 300 students. Brian said the website really doesn't do the school justice. It's way better in person than online. I can't wait to get over there and see it. Next on the list is finding a house near the school. Brian's already set a couple of appointments to view a few before I get there. Hopefully he'll find just the right one!

Now time to enjoy a week off of school!! We've definitely earned it.

Update on the Big Move

So much has happened in the last month. Brian and I went on a cruise to celebrate our 10th Anniversary (more on that later) and we finally got the details of our Foreign Assignment Agreement. Brian's been super busy with making travel arrangements not only for himself but for my trip at the end of March and for our relocation at the beginning of June. He's also been working on securing our Visas which will allow us to live in the UK and hopefully allow me to work as a Scentsy consultant. It's been incredibly stressful for him but hopefully there's a light at the end of the tunnel very soon.

For my part, I've been doing a endless amounts of de-cluttering. I swear every day I find an area that needs cleaning out. I'm just about done moving stuff into storage now. Just one last box or two with the items we'll need until we fly out in June. If you've never heard of Freecycle, you should definitely look into it. People list things they want to give away to anyone who can use it. I've posted more stuff on Freecycle in the last month than I have in the last year. Thankfully just about everything has been picked up and found new homes. I've also made countless trips to the local donation bins with clothes that no longer fit/are in fashion and other household items that could go to someone in need.

Brian leaves tomorrow afternoon and will be in temporary housing (hotel) for the next 30 days. Hopefully he'll get set up with a car quickly and all set on his new project. Over the next few weeks, he'll be visiting several schools and will decide which one will be the best fit for the boys. On March 23rd, I'll fly over and spend three days looking at houses with Brian. Stay tuned for photos and hopefully video of our new home and school.

While Brian is busy in the UK, things will be hectic here at home. Over the weekend, the boys and I will be relocating to my parents house up in the Copperfield area where we'll live until our June departure date. The movers will be coming Monday to pack up our furniture and get it on a boat bound for the UK. Hopefully I've done a good job of organizing and cleaning out all the things we don't need. As soon as everything is out of the house, painters will be coming to repaint all of the bedrooms and bathrooms and paint over all of the maroon accent walls. Once that's done, we'll bring in a cleaning crew to give the house a really good scrubbing. Last but not least we'll get the carpets cleaned. After that, the house will be tenant ready!!

Well that's everything we know at the moment. I'll try to do a better job of updating the blog especially with news of our move.

Big Announcement!!

It's OFFICIAL!! The Hadley's are moving to the UK!!!! Brian is going to be on a project that is based out of Mustang's London office for the next 3-5 years. He will be leaving sometime in the later half of February and the boys and I will join him once the school year ends. We are planning on coming back to Katy so we plan on keeping our house and renting it out while we are gone. We'll be moving to the "Katy" of London, ie the suburbs to the west of town. We've been looking at houses to rent online and have a few favorites. Hopefully I'll get to make a trip over in March to go looking in person and will find that perfect house for our family. The older boys had mixed reactions when we told them the news. James didn't want to go which is understandable. He's at an age where he has friends and activities he really enjoys. John was super excited about the long plane ride and living in a place that has kings, queens, and princesses. Of course Jude and Jonah have no clue what's going on other than Mommy is cleaning like a mad woman. I will keep the blog updated with all of the latest information. We are SOOOO EXCITED!!!

Photo Catch Up

Yet another photo catch up. I will get better at this.

John's class winter party:


A few shots from Sea World:


Christmas 2011!!!

Posting from my iPad

I'm giving this Blogger app a try. Maybe it will help me update the blog more often since I don't need the computer.