Catch up and Oliver is 7

Ok, so I have 2 weeks of activities to fill you all in on.  I will make it as quick as possible.....

We have mainly been catching up with our friends, and going to peoples houses.  It has been lovely.  The weather has been steadily improving, which has meant many trips to the pool.  I still have not taken the boys on my own yet, but the time is coming.....

Birthday cake

I had Isaac's school conference last week.  He is doing really well, his number skills are good, and he is starting to show real interest in writing and reading.  He can write most numbers, and a variety of letters.  He can write his name, and is starting to recognize words.

the best present ever

It was Oliver's birthday last week, I cant believe he is seven now.  Man, time flies.  He got a variety of presents.  His favorite is the Xbox game 'Nascar- Inside lane', he loves it.  The boy is obsessed by Nascar.  He chose to go out to TGI Fridays for dinner on his birthday (thanks mum), then to the pool afterwards. He also had a Spongebob cake, which I purchased from the local supermarket.  It was yummy, and so much less hassle than me making it.  Particularly as he had requested I make 21 cookies for him to take to school as a special snack.  Oliver also had a school trip on his birthday, how lucky is that.  They went to the happy cow creamery, and got to eat ice cream. At the weekend we went to Frankie's Fun Park, where him and Isaac played some miniature golf, then we had a meal at Johnny Rockets. Yummy milkshakes.

New hair

I had my haircut last week.  It was time to go short.  I just was not managing it in the heat.  I got an awesome hairdresser at a place in the mall.  She was very good.  It is now just below my ears, but I feel like I want to go a bit shorter, so will probably be back there before our next holiday.

We relaxed over Memorial day weekend. Aloft was on at Heritage Park, but we just wanted to stay home, and enjoy family time.  We did get to see some balloons in the evening, which was nice.

Oliver finished school on thursday.  He does not go back till 26th August.   Isaac finishes on friday, and goes back the first week of August.  This is when Sebastian starts.  We have been offered for him to do 3 days, rather than 2, so we are going with this.  I am so looking forward to having some me time, even if I will be spending it doing Uni work.  I am a little worried about how he will settle, but if I have done it with 2 already, the 3rd should be a doodle (I hope....)

I was able to go out with some friends in the week to Greenville.  I chose to drive everyone, which meant I could not drink, but I was ok with this.  We had a nice time, with yummy food at the Lazy Goat, then drinks at Greenville's newest rooftop bar, SIP.  Very nice, even is I was just on the diet coke.  Was late though, didn't get home till gone midnight.

black rat snake 

I took Oliver and Seb to the zoo on friday.  It was good.  Seb got to walk, which he loved.  As it was only us, and the boys keep a brisk pace round the zoo we were done in just over an hour.  We did see a black rat snake in the flamingo enclosure.  Nice to know what those things look like.  The boys even got the opportunity to play in Cleveland park after, which was good for them


My in laws arrive tomorrow.  So looking forward to seeing them, as are Paul and the boys.  It will be nice to have some company, and to help keep the kids amused. I hope they manage the traveling ok, it can be very tiring.....

Parks

Hellooooooo

Sorry these are becoming so infrequent.  I have a re-sit exam coming up next month, and what with the visitors about to descend on us, we have been quite busy.

So what have we been up to????  Well I survived Oliver's Spring break, with a lot of help from meeting up with friends.  We did the zoo, which he actually really enjoyed, had our neighbors over, again another success, and met up with friends in the park on another couple of days.

The park..... It wasn't just one park.  On the monday we went to Simpsonville City Park.  This is about 5 minutes drive from our house.  It has a wonderfully fenced in play park (important when there is a Seb roaming around), and also a baseball diamond, fitness route and basketball court.
Cleveland Park is by the zoo, we nearly always go there after the zoo, cos the kids just aren't tired enough already....  This has 2 separate play areas, both under cover, yet they both have some play equipment in full sun ( thats gonna be fun in July).  The only major problem with this park is the complete lack of fences.
We did Gary Pittman Park on thursday.  This has another play area, with good equipment, a walking trail, and many many football pitches.  Good for the kids to blow off some steam.

First Ice cream of the season

Friday we did Heritage Park.  This one is also in Simpsonville, and is huge.  It has a good set of play equipment, all fenced into an area inside a minature train track.  This is opening to the public again soon.  It also has a walking trail, and is the home to Simpsonville Little League.  The amphitheater is just at the other end of the park.  We are going to see the Black Keys play there in July.  I am so excited!!!!

The best thing about all the parks I have come across here???  They all have toilets conveniently located to the play parks.  No more wee-ing in bushes!!!!!  It is so nice.  The amount of times i have been caught short, particularly by Isaac, I am most grateful to have good, clean, safe facilities at all the parks we have attended so far.

These are just the parks we went to last week.  The first 2 we do quite regularly.  The other 2 not so often.  As we progress further into Spring/Summer, we will be going to more and more, particularly the ones with water parks.  I cant wait.  It has been really nice over here for the last few days.  After we did Heritage Park, we went for an ice cream, and sat outside to eat it.  The ice cream station in Simpsonville is always busy, and at their prices, I am not surprised.

Isaac doing his Ronnie O'Sullivan pose

Over the weekend we went shopping, ate out, purchased some garden furniture.  I dug over the veggie patch, which is currently getting a good soaking, as it is chucking it down tonight.  We had some friends over for lunch yesterday, which turned into the whole afternoon, which was lovely.

Got a call from Oliver's Little League coach last night.  He has his first practice on tuesday.  He is really looking forward to it.  He has mastered putting the glove on, and his catching with it is improving.  He wants to do the Reedy River Run next year, I have said I will do it with him.  So far I have managed to put off going running with him, but it is only a matter of time.  It would probably do me some good anyway, prove to me how old and achey my joints are really becoming....

Tony arrives this week!!!!  We are all looking forward to our first visitor, and showing him this wonderful little life we have here.


Almost forgot to mention Paris Mountain State Park.  We took a drive up there last sunday.  It is $2 per adult to get in, and it is amazing.  We ended up walking along the Sulphur Springs Trail to an amazing waterfall and reservoir.  So pretty.  You can swim in one of the lakes there in the summer.  We didn't even go near the play park, we just let the boys roam free.  They loved it, and brought back loads of 'gold' to clean.  We will be back here a lot

Bit somber this, sorry

Morning!!!!

Well.....Where to start???

Last week was a good week.  We had friends round on tuesday and thursday, was lovely to catch up and chat while the kids played.  Paul and I sat up and watched the 12-12-12 concert on wednesday night.  It was really good, my only moans are how late it went on, and that Dave Grohl and co should have played more than one song.

Isaac at his holiday show, he is right in the middle, under the glare of the lights

Isaac started last week being very naughty at school, to the point where I got phone calls home on tuesday.  Wednesday he went in, and it was his Christmas party.  He was good as gold!!!! I told him how happy I was that he had been good, his response ' me had bad days, but now me gonna have lots of good days'.  Thursday morning I had to drop him in Fountain Inn (the next town down) as he had a rehearsal for his Holiday Program.  Again when I picked him up, he had been good as gold, and had really enjoyed his ride in the school bus from Fountain Inn back to preschool.  That evening I took him back for his actually show.  It was really good.  It was held in a big auditorium, and all age groups, from toddler (2-3) to Grade 4 (9-10) and older performed.  Again Isaac was really good.  He was sat right in the middle of all the kids, and although he didn't sing, and wriggled like mad, I felt really proud.
He had another good day on friday, and has now finished for the year.

Friday, I had Debbie from our relocation company round in the morning to give me some intercultural training.  This was very interesting, we discussed all sorts, religion, guns, school, medical care.  She left me two books, one the company writes, and another more generic one on American culture and customs.  I have finished them both already, and they are a very good read.  A lot of it I knew already, but some startling statistics and facts.

Strange that while I am discussing American culture, that a vulgar side of it should rear its head in the North.  The news has been dominated by what happened in that school on friday morning.  So sad, so shocking.  We have not told the boys, they do not need to know.  American schools have got a lot safer in recent years, and these things don't happen in schools often.  I hope, like many others do, that the media do not become obsessed with the perpetrator, and instead focus on those victims, many of whom are the same age as Oliver.....

My boys at Heritage Park

***

We had quite a relaxing weekend.  We went out for lunch both days.  Saturday we went to Fountain
Inn to get  a proper look at it.  It is smaller than Simpsonville, but by the looks of things, they are about to redevelop the infrastructure and take it from a 4 lane road down to 2, a bit like Greenville. We stopped at Heritage Park on the way home.  Its huge!!!!! It has a bigger car park than Oliver's school.  The boys had a play in the park, then we went for a walk around.  I believe there is a hot air ballon event there on memorial day, and there is also an amphitheater where they put on shows and cinema nights through the summer.  The boys were pretty tired after this, so we came home and watched a film (I had a sleep.....).

Sunday the elves had left some arts and crafts for the boys, so we did those in the morning.  We were going to go to Cracker Barrel for lunch, but as we drove into the packed car park, we noticed people sitting outside, waiting for tables.  So we went next door to the Arizona Steakhouse. All I can say is yummy, and I am going to start another blog about our experiences of eating out in the USA.
Watch this space......

I started wrapping Christmas presents last night.  I got all the ones from relatives done, then started on the ones from Father Christmas.  Then I ran out of tape......

This week is turning out to be quite busy.  We have a relaxing day today, in fact it is raining.  Think I am going to take the boys to the library this afternoon, see what its like.  Oliver has his last day tomorrow.  He has to be at school normal time, then has his chapel service at 8.30, and finishes after that, so aboyt 9.30.  He has an event in a local park with all of the boys in his grade that we are goiing to, so that should be interesting.....  Wednesday we have a friend round, thursday we are off to another friens, then friday should be another relaxing one.  Christmas dinner and last minute present to get next weekend.  then thats it, our first Christmas in the states, and the first one we have had without any relatives around, going to be different.....

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Night of December 15th - The elves have brought some arts and crafts

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 Night of December 16th - They're trying to escape.......

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Night of December 17th - Naughty elves, playing on the stairs

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Night of December 18th - indulging in some computer time

*********************************************************************************Night of December 19th - The elves decided to sleep in Isaac's and Sebastian's room, so no photos.  Isaac was really pleased to see them in his room (at 5.30am.......)

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Night of December 20th - the elves brought some dough and cookie cutters and decorations, so the boys could make some Christmas cookies

*********************************************************************************Night of 21st December - the elves keep an eye on the time, knowing it is not long till they have to go home...

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Night of the 23rd December - the elves have to go home tonight to help Father Christmas load his sleigh.  Here are Isaac and Sebastian in the pajamas that they have left.....