Lake Tahoe

Tasting,

Well, as a treat for being patient with adult wine tasting, we headed off for a trip round the Jelly Belly factory, for candy tasting!!! The place was fabulous for little people, with free samples, and a tasting bar where you could try anything you liked. The carpets and elevators were all covered in candy images, and to cap it all, the pizza was shaped like a bean too!!

Tasting,

We drove on up to the Napa Valley, and decided it was faintly ridiculous to be wine tasting with kids in tow. So we just took in one vineyard which had a fun cable car ride up to a fabulous tasting area overlooking the valley. The kids had juice and crayons, while mum and dad had 5 glasses of wine........
I don't see how we could have visited more!!

San Francisco

We loved being in a big city again, and whilst we are enjoying rural scenery throughout California we have decided we miss the buzz of city life. We took tram rides, a harbour cruise around Alcatraz, meandered through China town (and ate the best food we have found since living in the Far East), we strolled on Pier 39 and found carousels, candy floss, and silly hat shops, we marvelled at skyscrapers (realised the kids had never seen one before) and generally took in the atmosphere. The best bit?
Watching Superman Returns in 3-D on a massive Imax screen!!

The Big Sur

The journey continues beyond San Simeon, the fabulous Hearst Castle, a beach full of revolting elephant seals, and on to the Big Sur. The road hugs the coastline and is a winding, undulating pass through cliff face on right and sheer drop on left. Many of the turns can only be made at 20mph, and I am sure this is where Mr Disney got his idea for a theme park from......it is white knuckle all the way. It probably would be great seen from a motorbike or convertible, but is intimidating in a 31ft truck! The coastline is very craggy and marked by abundant kelp, sea otters, pelicans, seals.
Today we visited Santa Cruz- interestingly seedy and hippyish, bustling and touristy-worth a look but good to move on.....also took a steam train up into the redwood forests which was great.
Tomorrow we head off to San Francisco for 3 nights and are really looking forward to pitching camp for a while.

King of the Grill

For Nigel's birthday last month I bought him a portable gas BBQ which folds up small and opens out into being a substantial size. He loves grilling anyway, but particularly with his new toy. I have had him making bacon, eggs, sausages, waffles, shrimp, salmon, steak........
He has had loads of fun, and I have not had to cook- now that is what I call a RESULT!!

Strawberry fields forever.....

We drove up through Santa Monica, Malibu, and beautiful Santa Barbara, along the coast, and through lush, fertile agricultural land- road side stalls selling strawberries, artichokes, avocados, and fields full of gorgeous flowers...
The highlight of the day for the kids? Driving through pungent fields of broccoli and cabbage- hours of raucous toilet humour!!!

Hmm!

Somehow, I managed to get to drive through LA as well as Phoenix- 7 lanes this time...
However, with my secret desire to have an HGV licence, and Nigel's wonderful spatial awareness we are a fabulous team, and relaxing into it. We can now back into campsites, fill up with fuel (interesting challenge...),and even negotiate a packed supermarket parking lot!
My childhood holidays were spent in a caravan, and I remember fetching water, emptying elsans, and the occasional joy of an electrical hookup. These rigs connect to running water, electricity, have full sewage outlets-and even WiFi!! We are also loving the fact that the campsites provide picnic tables and firepits for each vehicle. It is still camping- but it is definitely at the more luxurious end!

On the way...

Well, we packed everything in, and, most impressively, as it has lots of storage space inside and out -3 wardrobes, a fabulously large fridge freezer, and what they term 'a basement' which holds deckchairs, barbeque, bats, balls etc. We set off on a relaxing navigation of the 6-lane interstate through Phoenix at rush-hour, and tested out the Bernoulli effect( I knew I had studied physics for a reason!). The size of the suction seemed proportional to the size of truck overtaking us- and if there was a truck on either side then life got more interesting.....
I perfected a technique of gripping the steering wheel, taking a deep breath, and squeezing my eyes tightly shut....
After that, it was a tedious 8 hour journey to LA- made slightly more interesting for the kids as they were allowed to sit at the table for lunch whilst on the move, and for us- well, we had the luxury of hauling our own frappucinos, and our G&Ts were ready within 30 seconds of arriving at destination!

D-Day

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived.....
We picked up the RV today, and despite forgetting how enormous it is, were very excited to drive it home and pack it. We had an eventful journey- 2 minutes into it and I was attacked by a moving traffic sign, which jumped into my wing mirror and smashed it!!! Fortunately we were close enough to go back and smile, and amazingly they had a replacement in stock and we were set again!
Let's hope there are no more mischeivous road hazards along our way....
Now all we have to do is hope the kids will get some sleep before the long trip to LA tomorrow.

Duh...!

create your own visited states map


OK then, looked a little harder and found this on the same site!
New Mexico obviously needs a visit!

Fun!

create your own visited countries map



I saw this fun map on someone else's blog, and gave it a go. I thought I was reasonably well travelled, but it appears as only 15%!!

Shame countries end up all lumped together though- makes it look like you have seen more than you have!! I have only been to Hong Kong and Moscow- yet it blocks in the whole of China and the USSR!!
It would be good to differentiate the States too.....

Nothing subliminal here!

The children have been watching the Discovery Kids channel on TV this week- and it is generally quite educational. There are lots of endurance-type team games, a kids' version of Changing Rooms (which they love!), and sporty adventures (rafting, kayaking, surfing etc). They have been mesmerised by a surfer who tells of when her arm was bitten off by a shark, and suggests ways we should fight off an attack....
One young lad (about 12 yrs old) tells us the only reason he survived is because he watched a programme and knew to bash the shark in the gills! 4000 stitches later (no, that is not a misprint!) he was interviewed on a slot called 'scar tales'. He was amazingly smiley....

The downside to the Discovery channel (aside from nightmares!) is their extremely enthusiastic adverts- which are very adult (by that I mean grown-up, as opposed to x-rated!). And our kids have been totally sucked in!
I sat down with them last night and they were encouraging me to phone in for the 'once in a lifetime' offer of a one-touch can opener. (money back if it doesn't change your life!) They had obviously seen the advert before, as Emily delightedly explained that if I bought it today I would get a free 'good gripper' for my jars!!

Lazy morning (or not!!!)

I am still visiting my personal trainer 3 times a week, but with the kids off school, and Nigel in the UK, I am having to be resourceful about the practicalities!
This morning I booked an 8am appointment, and the kids thought it was hilarious to be dragged round there in their PJs!!
A few push-ups later and they were back snuggling bear on the sofa and watching TV!!
They have been great while Nigel is away, but are getting increasingly giddy about the impending RV trip- it is a bit like pre-Christmas excitement, and I am now ready for the reinforcements to arrive home! Being a single parent for 3 weeks is way too long....

Wotsat?

We went to Sam's Club today- a large, Makro type superstore, devoted to selling things in huge quantities. It is quite fun to go with the kids as there are always lots of little tasting stalls, and free snacks which they delight in. They also love to dig out the things which make kids laugh and make Daddy groan- like this enormous bottle of cheesy Wotsits!!
Of course, when Daddy is away, we don't have to hide our purchases, and if we eat them quickly he might never know they existed..........

The last series.......

One of the things we all love to do when Nigel is away is to watch Little House on the Prairie. It was a chance find- Tara was reading the book and really enjoying it, and I suggested we rent the series. Seems it was aired so long ago that the only way to watch it is to buy the boxed set!! And all three kids have been absolutely riveted.
Daniel loves the cowboy element, Emily loves that Laura was a real tomboy who climbed trees and went fishing, Tara loves Mary being a bookworm and a teacher, and I love the great morals and Christian teaching. Altogether a very wholesome watch- to the extent that we bought all 9 series!! And, in times of discipline, I have been heard to ask "What would Charles do?" !!!
This week we have started the last disc in the last series........
We are rationing ourselves to one episode a day (we have been known to do 4 or 5 on a lazy Saturday!!)
And I have started to think about what we watch next- resisting the urges from the kids to start back at the beginning again!!
So, any suggestions gratefully received....

VBS

This week the kids have been at 'vacation bible school'- a great programme run by Joy church. They have about 500 children attend for 5 mornings, and have songs, snacks, games, Bible stories and general frivolity. Last year I was a volunteer helper, and was exhausted at the end of the week, but this year Nigel took our 3 to breakfast every morning and dropped them at the church, and lovely Lizzie Robinson brought them home again- so I had from 7.30 till 1.00 to myself.......oooh yummy!!
Tara is now old enough to be a helper, and was in a group with 4yr olds and loved it, and this morning the 11.15 service was treated to a re-run of the week, with all the kids on stage performing their 'fiesta songs.'
Great stuff!!

Alone again.

Nigel is now in the UK for nearly three weeks, and so we are home alone.
I am not looking forward to the last week, but the first few days he is away I absolutely love it!! I love being able to make my own plans, watch junk on TV, lots of sudoku, lounging around, oh- and looking after the kids!! I also love not having to make real food......last night the kids had cheese toasties whilst watching TV, then when they were in bed I had olives, rosemary crackers, hummus, and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, whilst poring over maps of California....how scrummy is that??

Finally.....

Well,we have eventually made up our mind and put a deposit on an RV for rental this summer. We deliberated between many, and came out with the biggest and most luxurious (what a surprise!). It has a proper bedroom at the back, and a sofa with seatbelts (so the kids can sit at a table or lounge around whilst on the move), a bunk bed over the cab, and a 'slide-out' which means that the sofa and dining table push out 2 more feet, giving us more living room when we are parked up.
It is very roomy which is exciting, but very long (31 feet!) which is terrifying....
I will have to think back to days of driving a transit van and a mobile dental unit!!
We have 20 days and are aiming for the California coastline- San Fransisco, a bit of Napa, a few beaches, and back through Mammoth, and Lake Tahoe......
But there is always the possibility we daren't get beyond Walmart parking lot!!

Geek request

OK then, having declared yesterday that parenting was easy.......
Does anyone know how I could get a countdown going on here, of the remaining of the 84 days of school holiday?!! It would be great if I could annotate it with a mum's moodometer!!!
Having chopped their hair off this week, today I discover that I am pulling mine out.......
Still, it is way too hot for long hair!!

Here comes Summer......

This week I have taken the kids off individually for some fun, while the other two have been at Mathnasium (what a lovely mummy I am!!). Daniel loved this jeep outside Walmart and begged a photo....and we decided to do the summer haircut whilst there. The others got sucked into the shredder on their 'fun days'too. Nothing to this parenting lark is there?!!





my Hawaiian girl gets three inches removed....



and finally.......

Memorial Day

Today is a public holiday when we remember the dead. It has a military focus whilst being distinct from Veteran's Day in November (same as our Remembrance Day). But there is also a remembering of all those we know who have died. It seems families make pilgrimages back to gravestones, and Walmart sell an amazing array of colourful plastic wreaths. You can attend the services at the graveyards and hear the roll of honour as they read out the names of loved ones, and you can request a special message to be read out with their name.
Whilst I am not suggesting we forget the dead, I am slightly bemused by it all- particularly this morning when I received an animated e-card wishing me a Happy Memorial Day!!

In the country....

I used to love Dire Straits 20 something years ago, so I was excited to find a new Mark Knopfler album- All the Roadrunning. The thing about it though is that he sings with Emmylou Harris, and it is a definite country album. I had never really noticed it before, but it really is a very small step for him to take, and one that seems quite seamless, until there I am, linedancing.......
And the bigger surprise? I absolutely love it!!!

Last week of school......

Well, I know you were all wondering what the guys got as an alternative to 'muffins with mom'.....and this week we have discovered the answer- 'doughnuts with dad'!!
Their tables were laid with laminated newspapers, and they received books too- 'My Dad is great.' Unfortunately, Emily lost her book, so Nigel is still not sure how great he is!!
It is amazing to think they finish school on thursday- for a VERY long time! And it seems no work will be done in these last few days!
Concerts, plays, parties, and gifts from the teacher all appear on the rota this week, and then an endless 12 weeks of summer!
The temperature is now constantly over 40 degrees (104).The other day I had left the car outside for an hour, and when I got in, it read 47(117)!! And it is still only May!!!
Thank goodness for swimming pools.......

Loot- and lots of it!!

Emily was 7 on thursday, and had a great day (measured by her, as she received everything on her wish list!!)
Her favourite present was her Heelys- shoes with wheels in the heel. They are huge over here, and kids skate around Walmart etc with amazing skill. She is slowly acquiring the necessary balance, but her enthusiasm for shopping has increased exponentially!! (Lots of flat, open space....)

She had five friends over for a sleepover on friday (eight in total!) and had an absolute blast! Swimming, pizza, more loot, cake, DVDs, and a pancake and bacon breakfast. Theoretically there was some sleep in between- but the house was only quiet from 10.30 to 5.00am!!

Times of refreshing

Nigel and I have just had 3 days away on our own, courtesy of the wonderful babysitting grandparents, and found this gorgeous hotel with little lodges dotted throughout lush green, tropical landscape. It was in the Scottsdale area of Phoenix (30 min drive) but felt a world away from normal routine.





We sat by the pool, read books, sauntered over the road for coffee, and had plenty of long, uninterrupted reflections on the meaning of life!! It was good to make space to do that, and allow our souls to be refreshed (or at least to start the process!!)

Only in Arizona

Sunday is Mother's Day here in the US, and today I got invited in to Emily's class for 'Muffins with Mom' !
The kids had decorated the classroom yesterday, and set up all their tables with handmade china plates for each of us. There were butterfly placemats, and booklets they had made, and the whole room looked beautiful.
There was a table laden with gorgeous fresh muffins, fruit, and Starbucks coffee.
I felt a little prickle in my eye, and realised the culture is getting to me .......I am becoming soppy and sentimental!!

I loved the booklet Emily made called 'my mom wears many hats' in which mom gets to be a teacher, engineer, chauffeur etc.
The best? My mom is a nurse. She makes me feel better when......she takes cacti out of my feet!!!

things which make me say 'eek....'

1: Well, we all know Nigel can talk.......but apparently he has met his match in Steve!! They have identical personality profiles, so I guess it makes sense, but they are seemingly exhausting themselves as neither of them knows how to stop!! Add Paddy in to the mix, with Greg (two more ENTPs) and it makes me glad I am not in Seattle..............

2: At the last minute, Nigel's sermon format was changed to an 'on platform' dialogue about the Kingdom with another pastor- no notes, no structure, no boundaries.......(apparently that is why it pays not to plan too far in advance!) . Now, I may be superwoman in the making, but I am slightly freaked by the thought of 200 people watching me have no idea what I will say..

3: Realising, having actually looked at the packets, that the nutritional difference between Pop Tarts and Raisin Bran is negligible!! (There is more fibre in the bran, but identical in sugars and carbs....) Not only is that scary in terms of breakfast, but makes a mockery of Tara's project- which, of course, we were all taking sooo seriously!!

4: Paul Richards' extensive collection of photographs of millipedes and spiders, and pink woodlice!
http://www.invertebrate-images.co.uk/index.html
(though I love the groovy images of minerals, and the style section)

A case of mistaken identity

For those of you who don't know, Steve is a Myers-Briggs consultant guru and we spent a long time last night trying to unravel the conundrum which is Sue Mallon.
Nigel, in a moment of dyslexic malopropism, once took the Myra Hindley test, and turned out to be an Extraverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Psychopath!!, but I have never quite fit into a defined personality type. So, it was a shock to find I had been barking up the wrong tree - I had made assumptions I was an I.S, and looked at all the 8 possibilities of that.....but apparently I am I.N.T.J.- and if they are my right-handed preferences, I have been operating using my left hand in at least two of these, and am seriously uderpotentialised. It turns out I am a very rare specimen overlaid with complications, but I am capable of being a highly competent, turbocharged superwoman!!! (see, I knew I wasn't shallow....)
In a strange way I quite like that idea, and I like the fact I am not easy to box- I am a unique kind of gal- and after putting the guys on the plane I shall spend my evening sewing a sequinned 'S' to my underwear.........

Frozen, or on the rocks?

Nigel came back from Ohio on Tuesday, and then Steve Cockram (Lifeshapes Europe) arrived from Sheffield yesterday. They fly to Seattle tomorrow with Paddy (and seemingly all preach to separate congregations on Sunday morning!) . They are running a Lifeshapes conference there next week which will keep them all out of mischief.....
In the meantime, the boys have a little time to strategise for global domination!

Today is ' Cinco de Mayo' - Mexican May Day- so it is obligatory to drink margaritas all evening.....maybe a few tortilla chips and salsa too! The strategising could get interesting.....

After a couple of drinks fiesta turns to siesta.........

things to do in 90 minutes....

Well, yesterday I tried the Safeway trip, but didn't think too hard about the time- 90 mins is waay too long for my sort of smash and grab shopping......but as it was 100 deg (38) outside I couldn't leave the stuff in the car and move on to more frivolity, so ended up loitering in the frozen food section! Not very productive or exciting.
Today I thought I would try the pedicure option. A very lovely friend gave me some money for my birthday (just for feet!) so I splurged on a 'luxury treatment'. Not only did I get to sit in a chair which massaged my back, I also had sea salt rubbed all the way up to my knees, a twisty ankle massage and a face pack for feet.
I had often thought I had a vaguely masochistic streak (especially as my favourite pedicure to date was by a Chinese lady who spoke no English and was VERY heavy handed with a cheese grater!) so, when I was asked to put my feet in hot paraffin I complied but did wonder slightly what would happen to me!! It turns out that 'Eastern European lady' forgot the word 'wax', as in 'hot paraffin wax'. So, my feet got coated in warm deliciousness and then I sat with carrier bags on them for 10minutes...........
Then some more massage, and some nail painting, and 90minutes had totally disappeared!!
I am now quite a connoisseur of pedicures (what do you mean 'shallow life'?- c'mon, I actually read Andrew Dowsett's blog!!) and I have to rate this now as the best.......they even gave me these funky disposable flipflops.

I may have to do more research in the future, but for now am enjoying the afterglow......

the decision....

Well, after much pondering, we decide to keep the healthy breakfast and enrol in Mathnasium, a new, innovative way to help visualise math. We went for a look on Saturday and hope it will benefit all three kids. They only have four weeks left at school and then twelve weeks holiday, so this will be the summer project!!
And the best bit for me? I get to drop them off for 90mins up to five days a week, and the place is right next door to a nail salon, and Walmart.......so while they visualise math, I can visualise pedicures and shopping....