Halloween party

I had 25 kids over for a small Halloween party. It was full on but fun. The kids are older now which makes it easier. It was that Victoria had some of school friends from her new school over. Great mix of kids.

 

 

I bought a few things over from America which were a little different. Have your photo taken with a ghost

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I made the pinata. Ran out of time to paint it so it became a ghost. Did not last long in the tree.

All the kiddies

Luton Hoo

Kara and Victoria playing with the next door neighbour girls. Making clay monsters. They play so nicely together. You hardly see them. They have a code name of "Echo" which they shout to get each others attention.

Saturday evening sunset

Caroline and Harold are staying with us from North Carolina. We all went for tea and cake at Luton Hoo

All tarted up for our tea

Just having a laugh

Hot apple tart

View of the gardens

I love the colours of the leaves. Not as good as New England but still very pretty

Harold helping Kara hang the spider called fang. We are having a Halloween party on Thursday. 23 kids. Crazy but the things we do for the kids. So great Victoria has some of her friends coming from her new school. Mom on a mission.

Brownies

The kids wanted some friends over for a Halloween. The rules are no skulls, shame and they tell all their friends you dont have to be scared because my mom does not like anything evil in the house.

 

I am making a pinata. I am covered in wall paper paste

 

My new art project. I bought this old painting from the Goodwill in Westport. Given it a lick of white paint and glued a piece of cork onto the painting. Looks pretty cool I think

All done - pin board for Kara

Victoria on skype with Francine in the background having a chat. Francine is one of Victoria's friends from school in America

The door sizes on some of these cottages are so small. We met Karina and Thierry for lunch at their house in Cambridge. Talked the old days in America

Had the most amazing roast dinner so a stroll to the park before dessert

Victoria will always find something to climb up

Victoria had to be enrolled for Brownies. Part of her enrollment was she had to complete her hostess badge.

Kara holding the flag for the enrollment

All the Brownies. They are all so well behaved

Victoria doing her promise

 

We went on our Friday bike ride

Our little house

Where does the name of the blog come from? Leon and I having a joke with a glass of red wine. We think it sounds rather cool. What we do on a Friday night for fun.

 

 

We landed back in the UK on the 2 August. It felt so wonderful to be back. The welcome we had from friends was amazing.

 

Our house which we own is still been rented out so we had to find another house. Been close to the schools was our major concern. My friend Melissa went and had a look at the house to make sure all four walls were still there before we signed the lease. Been so close to the high street is wonderful. I walk everywhere.

 

 

 

 

Our little house

Our new car.

I have so many pots that I needed to fill them up to get more space in the shed. I do love my pretty flowers again. No creatures wondering around to have a nibble.

Kara in her tiny box room.

Every room has a fire place, but not in working order. Not a chance in hell I would be clearing fire places out everyday.

Cheeky Victoria in her room



No built in cupboards. My clothes are in a tiny closet to the side of the bed. i refuse to buy cupboards so friends have lent us some rail till be buy again.

The guest bedroom on the third floor and Leon's study

Guest bathroom on the third floor.


 

Our lounge which looks just the same as it did in America

The joys of a washing line. No dirty looks from the neighbours while I air dry all our clothes. Off course only when the sun is shining.

Check out the crazy wall paper. Not my choice at all, but you got what you got.

The garden with our enormous American trampoline


Once a week on a Friday morning , a group of moms meet and we hit the cycle paths and disused railway lines for a bike ride. I cant tell you how amazing it feels been out in the country. No cars so a lot more relaxing.

We stopped to admire the view. Of course a chat

The bike gang

I love the trees acting as an umbrella over the cycle path.

One of the little villages we pass through on our bike ride

So what have I been doing with my time? I play tennis twice a week, which is fantastic. Loving my new racket. Work a few hours. Afternoons consumed with homework and extra activities. Kara and Victoria have done an amazing job settling back into school. Victoria has had some tough moments but hopefully that will be sorted out soon. Kara is now in grade 5/ year 5 and Victoria grade 3/year 3. We have a maths tutor which help Kara once a week. Mrs Warner is lovely and every time I see her my heart does a little jingle because she looks just like my granny. Wow all the little ticks the kids get taught now to make maths easier, really wonderful.

We had our appeal to try get the kids into the same school on Thursday. It was so scary but hopefully it will all work out well.

Victoria will be enrolling as a Brownie next week. They quite strict with uniforms but they look quite smart.

With the 7 seater car we load all the girlie's into the car for a play date. We had 5 little madams running around the house

Pesto pasta is the meal of the house