Some wintery December photos

Some recent photos:

Rockafeller Christmas Tree

Ethan not liking the snow Part 1

Ethan finding his Christmas present (Mummy needs a better hiding place than behind the sofa!)

Ethan showing me his look of disgust at going running in sub zero temperatures

Trying to get him used to new headphones we've brought him for plane journeys

Hating the snow (part 2)

Our fake Christmas tree which Matt hates!

And finally Like Father like son..

Two months in...

Two months ago our plane touched down on the tarmac at JFK. I can't believe we've been here two months already! Before we came here (and I was worried as two years seemed like such a long time) Mum said not to think of it as two years but 24 months. On that basis we're already 1/12 through our scheduled time here!

It's been a fun two months and we're enjoying the US. Ethan and I are making lots of friends (I've recently been on two girls nights out without Ethan too!) and have a packed schedule with all the classes. We're enjoying spending more time with Matt at the weekend as the advantage of renting is not having any house or garden type chores at the weekend. Matt and I are also getting to spend more time together generally, we are filling this currently with obsessive watching of Sons of Anarchy, a great drama about a motorcycle gang and enjoying having WiFi fast enough to stream tv shows and films from Netflix. On the whole it is a very nice quality of life and one which we are very much enjoying.

We're getting to grips with the different culture. We (wrongly) assumed that the culture was very similar to the UK, but actually it is quite different, the language is probably the main common factor and this draws you into a false sense of security thinking that the US is the same as the UK. It's not a bad culture just different and therefore a great experience.

We obviously miss our family and friends. However with FaceTime and other means of communication the world is a much smaller place. Today I've FaceTimed all the Aspinall's and Matt most the Newnes'. Poor Ethan is getting a little bored of it although its interesting watching his awareness of it change. When we first moved out he seemed confused by FaceTime but now seeing the instant recognition on his face is a pleasure.

We also miss our network of (Ethan) support. For me to go out with friends, it means relying on Matt to get home which as most people know is a challenge! Matt and my date times will be restricted to when we have family to stay, I have considered getting a babysitter but would only leave him in the evening with someone who he has spent time with during the day and has a good level of familiarity. Plus at an average of $15 per hour a trip to the cinema could become very expensive! That said, I am loving all the time I am spending with him and enjoying watching him grow each day. He has settled in well to the creche at the YMCA so I am leaving him there 2-3times a week for an hour at a time so I can do classes which is good.

I can't believe we're a week away from our first trip home. When we moved Christmas seemed like a lifetime away and now its come round quickly. One of my best friends Seetal moved to California in January, when I told her we were going home for Christmas she said 'you'll find its too soon' and I didn't understand what she meant. But now I do. For the avoidance of doubt I CANNOT WAIT to see our family and friends, I've missed people like crazy, but it does feel like we're just getting into the swing of things and a two week break from it all seems like a long time. I worry about all the goodbyes and having to go through the emotional upheaval of leaving the UK again!

So overall it's been a great two months, better than we can have hoped for. We've had some fun times, Boston being a notable highlight, and now are enjoying our first proper winter snowstorm! I'm particularly looking forward to the next few months with February and March seeing the descent of the siblings with Will (Newnes) and Charlotte; Susie (Aspinall) and Matt and Lucy (Aspinall) all with reservations. Personally I'm looking forward to all the lie ins, we did tell you all that guests have early morning Ethan entertainment duties didn't we?!

Fight or Embrace... The basement

I've decided to start a new feature... 'Fight or embrace' where I take a topic/item that is different in the US culture and explain why we are embracing it or fighting it. A bit of light hearted fun and sometimes educational.

I've decided to take an easy one to start with, many of you will have heard me express my view on basements in US houses before I came over.

This is why I hate them...

The window. Yes, the window. The one where the bad guy always gets in whatever film or book you're reading. I won't deny it, I have an over active imagination. These windows freak me out. Before I came over I had no intention of ever entering the basement.

But then I unpacked Ethan's toys. And this is why I have had to embrace it:

The basement is now Ethan's playroom. A great space where he can create as much mess as he likes. And when we host play dates we have a great enclosed space for the kids to play in.

So, I have embraced the basement (well almost, when Matts away I still put a chair against the door!!!)

Thanksgiving weekend in Boston

We arrived in Boston on the afternoon of Thanksgiving, its 185 miles from our home in New York so a perfect weekend get away. We stayed in a hotel in the Back Bay area, an area famous for its Victorian type homes and architecture.

We enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner in Capitol Grill, a local steak type restaurant. During this meal we entered the 'entertain your child with an iPad club' keeping a restless Ethan happy with his favourite episode of Bugs Bunny. It became apparent on the walk to and from the restaurant that when people warned us it was going to be cold in Boston they weren't kidding! And very randomly, Matt received am email the following day from a lady from the EY London office who had been in the same restaurant that night and had seen us leaving.

On Friday we set off along 'The Freedom Trail'. This is a 2.5mile walk of Boston which is mapped out by a red brick (or paint in places) trail making it very easy to follow. It covers 16 nationally significant historic sites. It's s great way to see the city, take in some history in a very easy way. Especially if you're Ethan getting carried around by Mummy in a sling! 

About 2hours into a walk, we saw some Boston Bruins fans heading to the game. Realising we were right next to the TD Garden stadium and feeling very cold we went to the Box office and managed to get some tickets. So we watched Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers 3-2. It was our second ice hockey game and reiterated my view as being my favourite American sport (baseball - too long, basket ball - average, American football - yet to full understand), its fast and easier to understand, plus they have some full on fights which adds to the excitement levels. It was Ethan's first game and he managed to sit through it reasonably well once he understood he couldn't spend the whole game climbing the stadium stairs. He learnt to clap along to the 'lets go Bruins' chant and flirt with the girl sitting behind us. By the third session he was overtired and the noise got too much for him but on the whole we we impressed by how well he coped.

That night we went to a nice Italian restaurant close to our hotel. It is owned and run by an Indian chef which made for a good mix of flavours, I had a pasta 'Indian Fusion Masala Pasta' which was delicious, Matt and Ethan kept it traditional with spaghetti bolognaise. The night was made slightly more interesting by the man at the table behind us passing out and what can only be described as an impressive response time from the emergency services (ladies, an added advantage over here is that the fire service often attend the same calls as ambulances!).

On Saturday we went to the Aquarium. Ethan decided to take his nap in the sling five minutes before we arrived so Matt and I walked round the marina area while he slept. It was such a beautiful aspect of the city and amazing how peaceful it was. In the Aquarium we saw three different types of penguins, seals and some large rays which Ethan was able to touch. A fantastic day out that Ethan really enjoyed. We finished the day with dinner in a local pizza restaurant.

On Sunday we went for a quick drive around Harvard before setting off home. A terrible journey home, 6 hours spent in the car instead of the 3 it should take (that's the Thanksgiving traffic we were warned about!) Ethan only slept for 45 of those 360 minutes so it felt even longer! Relieved to get home and after putting Ethan to bed have just enjoyed a takeaway, well the cupboards were bare!

Some photos from the weekend are below. We had a lovely time and would recommend it as a tag on to a trip out here.

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An afternoon in the Library

Today I finally discovered what the deal is with Libraries here. This afternoon's Newcomer Club playgroup arranged to meet in the Library as the weather was damp. 'Strange I thought, not sure Ethan will be up for quiet time in a Library'.

How mistaken could I be.

They had a two storey special Children's library. Full of thousands of children's books. A small playroom at the back whether Ethan played with the trains. Some computers with special children's software. A puppet stand with puppets where some older children kindly put on a show for Ethan (he liked the Moose). Tables to do jigsaws on. Overall a very impressive set up full of children spending time on a damp afternoon and will definitely visit again.

Oh, and I forgot the highlight of the visit for Ethan. A disabled access ramp about 15m long connecting two floors which Ethan and his new friend Nolan spent most of their time crawling up and down!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, today is Thanksgiving. It's the biggest holiday in the USA, bigger than Christmas and people do as we would in the UK at Christmas, get together with families and enjoy a big meal together.

We have chosen to travel to Boston for the weekend (a 3hr drive away), apparently travel is a complete nightmare so wish us luck on the roads!

But what is the history behind Thanksgiving, in an effort to educate me and you, I did some research. I thought 'Thanksgiving history for kids' was probably pitching at the right level and after putting that into Google I discovered...

Celebrate on: Fourth Thursday in November

Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family and friends.
The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to practice their dissenting religion without interference. After a rough winter, in which about half of them died, they turned for help to neighboring Indians, who taught them how to plant corn and other crops. The next fall's bountiful harvest inspired the Pilgrims to give thanks by holding a feast.
The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition — not only because so many other Americans have found prosperity but also because the Pilgrims' sacrifices for their freedom still captivate the imagination.
To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie. Before the meal begins, families or friends usually pause to give thanks for their blessings, including the joy of being united for the occasion.

The Friday following Thanksgiving is known as 'Black Friday'. This is the biggest shopping day in the year and shops have crazy sales, often opening on the evening of Thanksgiving and staying open all night. It sounds very similar to our Boxing Day sales at home albeit on a much grander scale.

So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Will update you on our Boston trip next week.

First NY haircut for Ethan

So we've all had our haircuts in NY now. Today we took Ethan to a local kids hairdressers called 'Fun Cuts for Kids'. Children get to sit in fun cars, or watch cartoons. Their website says 'There are so many fun distractions children may not want to leave when their haircut is over'. I'll let you decide from the photos whether we had that problem with Ethan!