Saturday 20 April 2013

Mums gone :-(

As the title suggests, my mum went last thursday.  We had an enjoyable few days, just doing normal run of the mill stuff: parks, the zoo, she even got to meet some of my friends which was nice.  Dropping her at the airport was, hard as i knew it would be.  The boys were good on the journey there and back.  It only really hit me the next morning, after I had dropped the boys at school.  Seb and I came home, I walked through the door and burst into tears.  Bless Seb, he gave me a huge cuddle, then proceeded to look up the stairs for mum, and say 'nanna' quite a few times.....

Enjoying the baseball



We had a relaxing weekend.  Oliver had his baseball team photo on saturday, then a game straight after which we all went to.  Every one seemed to really enjoy it.  Does help that the weather was really. really good.  Sunday we dossed around the house.








This week has been a bit mad, it seems.

Monday was an average day.

Tuesday we went to our neighbor for a play and chat, lovely as usual and Seb managed to lose his shoe in the play room.

Oliver as an Acolyte
Wednesday was going to be my hectic day.  Oliver was off school, as it was his conference day (like a parents evening type thing).  It was going to be: shopping, conference, zoo, birthday party, baseball.  Fate had other plans.......  The shopping was successful.  The conference was good.  Oliver is doing really well, he has come on in leaps and bounds.  He was recently an acolyte  in Chapel.  So proud.  As we were leaving the conference, I got a call from Isaacs school to say he had been sick and could I come and get him.  He did not look good, but brightened up quite quickly once he got home.  Because of his sickness we did not want to risk the zoo.  Paul was already coming home early to take care of Isaac and Seb while I took Oliver to the birthday Party at The Moutain Goat.  This is a bouldering/rock climbing place in Greenville.  The birthday boy had obviously been here a few times.  Oliver wasn't too keen, and after a few bad jumps off the big boulder just wanted to run around, like most of the other kids.  While at the party, the thunder and lightning started, and then the rain came.  So baseball ended up being cancelled......

Oliver whacking it, he has not missed once in a game yet (touch wood...)
Thursday Isaac was still off school.  Despite the fact he had not been sick since the previous day, he needs to be free of illness for at least 24 hours.  I had a diabetic appointment which I had to drag him to.  Bless his heart, he was good as gold. As was Seb.  It was nice to see my diabetic nurse.  She is pleased with how I am doing.  She was even more pleased with my HbA1c result.  Last time I had this done in December, it was 11.  Yesterday I was down to 8.2%.  Not a bad drop in 4 months.  Ideally it wants to be below 7% (this has only happened to me once in the 3 1/2 years I have had diabetes, and that was just before I got pregnant with Sebastian, it was 6.5%, rest of the time it has been around the 7.5% range).  I just need to refine a few things, and I should be there.  Going on an insulin pump was very briefly discussed, but I think she knows I can control it how things are.  I was very happy.  Think it is one of the only times I have high-fived an adult while sober.  Isaac fell asleep in the car on the way home, at 10.45am.  Think he was still fighting something.  Seb went for a sleep as soon as we got home.  Isaac woke 5 minutes later.  Oliver had another baseball game last night, in iffy weather.  As we arrived at the park it started to spatter with rain, then stopped, so the game was played.  Once it was over, the heavens opened.

Today we went round to my friend Donna's new house.  It is a 10 minute drive, so she is nice and close now.  It is very lovely, and her hubby has done an awesome job painting.  I am so happy they have found somewhere, and the sooner they get the furniture in to stop the kids reverb the better!!!! Man, our kids are noisy together, good job the older 2 were still at school, or Donna and I would probably have run away.....

This weekend is going to be a quiet one.  Money is tight, so don't think we will be up to much.  I have an exam next week that I am desperately trying to revise for.  It is a re-sit of the exam I took shortly after we arrived here, you know, the one I failed as I had just moved my family xxxx miles across the world, been told a month before they couldn't find somewhere for me to do it, found somewhere with 2 weeks to spare, cue me not revising.... Yes, that exam.  This time I have been revising since January.  I even did some tonight, and most who know me know that  I DO NOT work on a friday night.  I want to pass this time.  I am very determined.

So next week..... We are seeing some English friends on Monday.  They are going home for a visit on wednesday.  Exam on wednesday, followed by baseball. More baseball on thursday. Possibly seeing a new friend at some point, and hoping to see some others too!!!

Oliver is being an acolyte again on wednesday, but this time he will be reading.  Hoping Paul can take the day off (he is already off in the afternoon), so I can go and listen to him.  About time I made it to Chapel at school, I think a lot of parents do it.

Due to exam revision, I will probably not post again till at least next thursday, so wish me luck, I hope to get out of it in one piece....

Monday 8 April 2013

Mums here

So much to say....

I got my mum from the airport.  That was a mad dash.  After running around picking boys up from school, and having lunch I jumped in the car as quick as I could.  A flight tracker app had alerted me to the fact her plane was going to be in an hour early!!! And it was.  She was there waiting for me at Charlotte airport.  It was so good to see her.  We drove home, to some very happy boys.

Paul had managed to get a car from work that had seven seats in it.  So the next day we all set off for Tybee Island.  I had managed to get a last minute booking on a house which turned out to be in a prime locate.  Right near a broad walk that took us directly onto the beach, and a 15 minute walk from the downtown area.  We were also just over the road from the supermarket.  We got some pizza, chips and garlic bread for dinner, and the essentials (beer).  We had a walk on the beach, which was lovely, then went home for some dinner.

The next morning dawned beautifully.  The boys did not wake too early, hurrah. We had a leisurely breakfast, and decided to go for a drive and explore the island.  It is a small place, full of really cool houses.  The downtown area is small, but full of bars and restaurants.  We drove to the north of the island and stopped at the lighthouse.  We got out of the car and took a little walk around the fort, then headed on to the beach.  This beach was beautiful, in fact they all are.  Paul spotted something in the water.  There was a couple of dolphins swimming along the shore line.  Amazing, as were the pelicans, so big, yet so graceful.  We took a drive back to the house, dropped the car off, and headed to downtown for some lunch.  Fannies on the Beach was a really nice eatery, with plenty of families eating downstairs.  We all enjoyed our lunch, and the cocktails.  In fact we ordered extra for the road.  We headed down the pier so the boys could see people fishing.  It was very picturesque, and the beach was pretty busy.  It was Easter weekend and spring break, the sun was shining, but there was a bit of a nippy wind.  Paul headed into one of the beachside shops to get some beach equipment, an umbrella was essential.  We got the boys back to the house and changed into their beach gear, and headed on down there.  The boys had a great time playing with their beach toys.  Oliver and Seb even went in the water.  It was too cold for Isaac.  The wind started to pick up, so we went back to the house, where the boys had a light dinner.  We packed them off to bed a little later than usual, and headed out for an evening on Tybee.   That was interesting...............  Lots of cocktails consumed, a couple of games of pool, some strange people, a pirate.  The whole place really felt like it was buzzing.   I can probably compare it to a night in a UK seaside town, but a little warmer, with cocktails.

Our heads were pretty sore the next day.  We took it easy in the morning, then headed to The Crab Shack for lunch.  I decided (in my stupid hungover state) to try a seafood platter, Paul went for ribs and mum had a shrimp sandwich.  I will not go into too much detail, but it was a disaster.  I don't like crab, or very much seafood it would appear.  It doesn't like me much either.  By the time we left, just looking at the plate of food was making me want to hurl.  One good thing about this place, it has lots of alligators (all captive) right next to it.  The boys loved it.  From there we headed to Fort Pulaski.  This place was awesome, the boys really enjoyed walking around it, and we enjoyed learning the history.  We even got to see a musket being fired.  I thought the boys would freak out, but they were really good with the noise (did help we were covering their ears).  We stayed in for dinner and had yet more pizza, sad in the fact the next day we would have to head home.

What didn't help was the fact we were all coming down with something.  Isaac and Paul both had colds, and Oliver appeared to be getting one too.  We drove back home on the Monday, and arrived back mid afternoon.  We took it fairly easy on tuesday, just a trip to the local garden centre.  Isaac has been on spring break this week, and him and Seb have been loving having nanny to play with.  Sure beats boring old mummy!!!!

To be honest, I have been quite ill this week, so we have been taking it easy.  I took my mum to Paris Mountain State Park, which was nice, and we have been out for a meal.  But I have been feeling sooooo rubbish.  Seb also has a streaming nose too.  We are all generally under the weather.  It has been a blessing having mum here, she has helped out loads.  The weather has been improving a lot, so we had a BBQ yesterday.  I have also done loads of planting, any excuse to be out in the garden.

We did make it into Greenville today.  We went for lunch at the Carolina Alehouse.  A little earlier than usual, but we could not get over how quiet it was.  We were the only ones sitting out the front for the whole time we are there.  Never seen that before.  Then we walked over the bridge, and back down the Reedy River, to show mum some sights.  It was a lovely relaxing day.

Isaac goes back to school tomorrow, Oliver has his first baseball game on tuesday, Paul goes away on tuesday, and mum goes home thursday......


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You can fiind the link to the photos from Tybee on Facebook (if you have not already seen them!!!)

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We did make it out to eat one evening too.  In case you didn't know, I also do a foodie type blog with restaurant reviews/recipes here