Our boxes arrived today - yah! They had called Tuesday and set up for Thursday 9-12, which is when I'm home between taking and 'collecting' Addie from school. But no show during those times. Schaeffer and I just cleaned up outside, did laundry, puzzle, vacuumed, book, tried to clean their window (but so much limescale I'm going to have to get David to hold the window (as it can tilt inside on one of it's hinges) so I can rub it down with vinegar - hopefully that will work so I don't have to buy another cleaning product), etc. But when we got home, a guy in a van popped out and I'm so thankful he waited and didn't leave! He was so friendly and chatty and seemed to like being in our house with us, I felt like I should invite him for lunch and might have if David were here. But I gave him all the 'golden nuggets' I could find (that's what the taxi driver called the pound coins) for a tip. After lunch I opened the box of toys and the kids were so so so excited! I think it will help to make this place and England feel more like home now that we have a few familiar items here.
David got home with a bunch of little roses for us. Evidently Sainsbury's gives all of their past-date flowers to the Round Church, so there's always lots there. Glad I bought a vase last week at the charity shop! Then he took toys, etc. over to the Cubitts so that we can have room for our toys and they have their toys, puzzles and books back.
Let's see, I think it was last week that I wrote. Saturday, Jacky and I had a great time shopping at the charity shops! That was a really nice time! We hope to do it every month or so.
Sunday we went to Holy Trinity for church - Anglican. I do like how all the churches serve tea and coffee and biscuits after, and people stay around and chat! I knew one family there, from school.
(Schaeffer just came out of bed to tell me that Addie can't find her lovie - ha! SHE asked him to come tell me because she was afraid that she'd get in trouble if she did it herself. Cheeky little thing).
David went from church to the Round Church, and we walked home. I made sandwiches for the kids to eat on the way home so we could go straight down for naps, so we could get to the Heritage School tea at 3 pm. Well, Schaeffer slept 'til half past 3, and I hate waking the kids up at this stage of the transition. So we set out about 3:45, and tried to catch a bus but that didn't seem like it was going to be successful - so just decided to walk it. Crossing over the RR bridge, Estelle and then Rob called me and offered to pick us up in the car. I really was looking forward to walking, and part of me wants to prove to myself I can do things myself, even if it's the harder way; but since we were so late, I took the offer. Turns out I was going the wrong way anyway, so glad he came to fetch us!
The tea was nice; huge park in a suburb little town called Cherry Hinton. Thankful I knew a good handful of people there, and had the chance to chat with a few others. Schaeffer skinned his knee up pretty badly - still kind of hobbling around. Thankfully Jacky was there to help with the clean-up. I'd make a horrible nurse. I was going to walk home, but then Frederick and his family ended up taking us home b/c it was going to rain - even though I was prepared for rain. I do need to figure out the bus schedule and look into a bike and trailer.
Saturday night and Sunday nap and night I was busy making orders through Argos (maybe like JCPenney's?), Tesco Direct (they also have a huge catalog and online inventory) and a grocery order with Tesco as well. Monday I got an email from M&S giving 15% off an online order from 12-2, so made another as well. Got my orders Monday afternoon (groceries), Tuesday and Wednesday. And now boxes Thursday! We got 4 wooden fold-up chairs for the time being for the dining room; child's table and chair set (that I put together with Addie's help, except for the part at the end that required muscles and had to wait for David!), biscuit bin, 'cushions' (throw pillows) for the couch and our bed, over-the-door hooks, cream jug and sugar bowl, another front door mat that doesn't fit (this time too large; hopefully 3rd time will be a charm!), picnic blanket on sale, bread bin, a deep fitted sheet, etc. When I'm placing an order, some items take me a while to search for, because of the different terminology.
Monday night Ranald came to visit/talk again which I am so thankful for his time. And he brought me 2 indoor plants that are off-shoots from his plants! I'm very excited for those, and think I saw some planters at one of the charity shops. (I'm also trying to find a window box to put some geraniums in for the kitchen window, but no success yet). He also offered us an extra bike they have, and Susan's helmet (but David passed those on to Jon Thompson). And on Tuesday afternoon he came by with a little wooden box on legs, about 1 ft. high, 1 ft. wide, and 10 inches deep; with a lid that lifts up for a little storage area. It was his mom's sewing box and he thought Adelaide could use it to put things in it and we could use it as a little table in our living room. It's beautiful; dark wood with carved design in the front. After he left, Adelaide said she had to get busy 'sewing' with her lacing cards!
David's been busy with work, especially this week with the interns arriving. He's also busy calling and meeting with other local Cambridge ministry people, like the guy who runs Tyndale House, the guy on staff with STAG for the CICCU (which is the Anglican Christian student union group), etc. He LOVES doing this, and looks forward to following up with them, and is thankful for making these connections so quickly.
Adelaide is doing well at school, so it seems. Her teacher did tell me today that she needs to work on sharing and not being frustrated. She also said though that Adelaide is very bubbly and full of creativity, and leads others in ideas of what to play. At least with her, what you see is definitely what you get, whether at home or at school. She had French class today, and came home saying a phrase that means "That's my name. How about yours?" or something like that. Tuesday night at dinner she said that when you can't hear someone, you say "Pau-ton?" which took me a second to realize she's trying to say 'pardon' with a British accent! And there's a boy named Claude in her class, but the 'au' is much deeper on the 'u' and pronounced than how we say it. Cute! She corrected me yesterday when I called her 'jumper' a cardigan, and when I called 'biscuits' cookies.
Schaeffer is the official lunch-box carrier, both to and from school. When Adelaide comes out the school door at the end of the day, he grabs it from her! On Monday, David took Adelaide out for breakfast. Schaeffer and I set out later to go to Assembly at 8:40, but he had to go get a bag to carry to school! He loves going to the park and wants to go play with Emily and Amy every day! I need to get him some other friends! I talked to some other moms after school yesterday about a playgroup. Elizabeth sent an email out about it, so we'll see what the response is.
Well, better go unpack some boxes or catch up on CH work or figure out what expenses are tax-free! Lots to do when the kids are down. I made a Tesco grocery order earlier during their naps, but since it's 6 pounds for delivery on the weekends, I just scheduled it for Tuesday afternoon when it's 3 pounds, and will walk to Tesco with the kids tomorrow. Hopefully this time I won't forget to use my coupons to get 70% cookware - I'm hoping to get a larger skillet!
Pictures below of the kids busy at work, vacuuming and peeling carrots.
1 comment:
Loved what you wrote about Anglicans!!! HEHE. We attend an Anglican church here and yes they are TOTALLY different to the Episcopalians (they are very high-church, almost Catholic I think). Especially if you go to an Evangelical Anglican church, which I think Holy Trinity is. And the structure did sounds exactly the same as ours here. :)
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