Monday, 23 February 2009

Cookies Anyone?

Sarah is enjoying being a Brownie. Over the last two weeks, we have been involved in the annual cookie sales. I guess here it is done a bit differently. Instead of the girls getting their own inventory and being asked to sale them, the troops have booths set up around the base. We were responibile for two different time slots. We just had to show up, set up and the customers came to us. It was fun for the girls and MUCH easier on the moms.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Yes, it does snow in England. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been getting more than our share. Apparently, this is the worst winter in 17 years! Moving from Utah, we didn't think much of a little snow shower, but the locals felt otherwise. The public transportation system was shut down, the schools closed and everyone just stayed home.

The kids were confused by the term "snow day" as that is unheard of in Utah. However, we made the best of it. We drug out our snow gear and headed outside. The kids had a great time playing in the snow. It did not last long and our snow friend had fallen over by the end of the day.

Since the "big" snowstorm, we have had a few school delays. The base and schools start 2 hours later, that means we get to sleep in!!

We have been seeing signs of spring. The flowers are beginning to break through the ground, the birds are singing and it is no longer dark when the kids get on the base. Hurry up Spring!!

Monday, 2 February 2009

Happy February!

I can't believe February is here. It seems like we were just taking down the Christmas trees (see prior post) and now the month of January is behind us. What did our family do all month? As I look back on the calendar I see that....

Tony made a quick trip to Spain in the middle of the month. He is getting ready for a larger TDY in March and needed to go see the base, make arrangements, meet people, etc. It was a fast trip and he did not get to do much except work. He did manage to go for a run along the beach one morning. He saw some family friendly places to stay and wants to take us back when the weather improves.

On the 17th, Sarah had her first Brownies sleepover. As a Brownie leader, I went with her and we both had a fun time. We stayed in the Girl Scout hut at RAF Feltwell. There was one other adult and four other girls. The girls laughed, danced, made pizza, ate and had a great time. While making Rice Crispy treats we managed to set off the very sensitive fire alarm and had the police, two fire trucks and several firemen stop by. Nothing was wrong and they turned off the alarm for us. Being scared it would go off again, I chose not to make pancakes as planned the next morning. The girls did not get to sleep until 2 am! Fun memories!

On the 23rd, our family traveled to London to see Cirque Du Soleil's Quidam. Although we purchased balcony seats, we were offered floor seats by a very nice usher. We sat on the front row! The show was amazing and although the story line was hard to follow and the songs were in French (we think) we all had a fun time. We also enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe London for Eric's birthday. This was the original Hard Rock and was full of valuable memorabilia. I got my picture made with Prince's cane from the Purple Rain tour, Eric stood on chair while everyone sang "Happy Birthday," Sarah got balloons and Tony got to enjoy very yummy American food. It was a fun day!

On the 24th, my baby boy turned 10! We invited some boys from school over for a Wii party. We had 5 boys come and celebrate with us. Tony arranged a treasure hunt in the nearby woods, we had a pinata, played lots of video games, ate hamburgers and hot dogs and roasted marshmallows. Eric had fun time with his new friends.

On the 28th, Sarah enjoyed celebrating the Year of the Ox at a Chinese New Year celebration at school. All week they learned about China, Chinese customs and the Chinese calendar. On Wednesday they enjoyed a catered lunch from a local Chinese take out. I was happy to go to her school, serve food and read the fortune cookies. The kids wore red for good fortune, ate with chopsticks and had a fun time. As Sarah says, "Gung Hay Fat Choy!"

I will post some pictures of our adventures soon. Looking forward to another great month and sending lots of love your way! Hope to hear from you soon!