More Parent Training

I got to experience a little more British culture this weekend. The Battle Proms...this is an event that takes place every year and is a celebration for the British. there are reenactments of jousting and battles. They hold competitions between the 'French' and 'British'. there are also Men and women dressed up in battle attire or in upper class costumes walking around the grounds. it is fun to see all of the outfits and people. I felt as if i was in another world.

We attended with the rest of the ISE families and had a camp site where we feasted and hung out together to enjoy the concerts. Cathy was unable to attend due to having the Flu, but Kevin and I managed without her (but she was greatly missed). However, this carefree time came to a sudden halt when i noticed the disappearance of Sophie. With about 25 kids running around in our group it seemed as if none of them would run off, but she decided that she could manage on her own. I along with some other families set out on a frantic search amongst the thousands of people within the crowd. After speaking with security guards we were able to locate her in the information tent. She had gone off to throw away her garbage (there was a rubbish bin on our campsite) and could not find her way back. but she was given toys and balloons so she could have cared less that i was about to have a heart attack at the young age of 21. Needless to say, after she was back i did not let her leave my side.

The rest of the evening was spent mingling and enjoying time with the new family i have found away from home, and loving every second of it. With British accents all around, I could not be happier.

Battle Proms at the Burghley House

The Burghley House....it is the mansion that Lord Burghley built a LOOOOOONG time ago. Oh to have that much money (more pictures to follow)

A shot of all the people, the stage, and the Burghley house in the distance

Sophie trying to look all innocent (this was the picture we showed to security while we were searching for her.

The British Flag....quite beautiful if you ask me

The plane that did about 20 minutes worth of fly-bys it was spectacular

The girls petting the horse with the Red Coats....How awesome

Brittney and Emily petting the horse....

The 20 cannon salute was red. how incredibly beautiful

another

Emily acting shocked that the sky is red

My Sophie after she stopped crying from the cannons

Sophie playing with her toy that she received from security after they found her when she got lost. Oh i will never be a parent


FIREWORKS....No they do not celebrate Independence Day here, but They still know how to set off fireworks and I got my fix...


This week we had quite the schedule. Brittney and Sophie have only one week left of school, so all the fun events begin now. Friday was Sports Day. This is an event that occurs at all of the grade schools here in Peterborough. The students practice during their P.E. time each day. Then the parents are invited to watch the children compete. It was entertaining, and Brittney proved to be quite the athlete...she ran three races and placed first in two and second in her third. We were all so proud. She also attended a Disco. This is like a school dance that is also popular here in the UK. She got to get a stylish new outfit and stay out late dancing with her friends...it made me realize just how quickly she is growing up.
My Brittney and her fun filled events...

Brittney in her sack race at school (she placed second)

look at her go!!!(in the pink)

Brittney Running...She got 1st in this race as well as the Jump rope race! What a star

Brittney all ready to go to her first Disco....she was being a bit sassy in this picture, but she still looked cute


My Beautiful Flowers From Micah Lee

Uhhh So i may be in a different country, but it doesn't stop Micah from sending me flowers. how sweet :o)

Definitely smell amazing and are absolutely beautiful.

Half a world away and still feeling at home.....

Wednesday Night I was able to escape the routine. Thanks to the beautiful Hannah I was introduced to a group of women my age from the church we attend here in England. Peterborough Christian Church. My first night with them was a Pamper Night with face masks, nail polish, food, and girl talk. It was a great break from the norm and I now have people to escape with regularly. I immediately felt at home with the group, and must say that one different in our culture in the States is that the British are much more welcoming and warm. Everyone is so laid back here and willing to go with the flow and meet new people. In the states people are much more entangled in their own lives to take notice to new people much less make them feel as if they have always been a part of the group. I am truly blessed to be here this summer.

Small Women's Group from PCC (Pamper Night)

"What?!?!?! She is an American???"

My new found British friends. It is wonderful to have a night out with people my own age!

Full of love and yet I just met them

Kirsty and I talking about America and Great Britain...as well as South Africa since that is where she is originally from.

face masks...and it matched my shirt :o)

painting toes....Kirsty (red hair) is a hair stylist and thinks that i should allow her to work her magic on me....hmm

Eating British food....oh joy

The Duffy's receive packages from the states every now and then. With four sets of grandparents this is made possible even with the incredibly expensive shipping costs. The most recent package was photographs just so everyone who sends items realizes just how much it is appreciated, and how much the girls enjoy getting a little taste of home. Literally....there are just some necessities that one cannot get here in the UK...such as Tootsie Rolls and Mac&Cheese.

The Long Awaited Package from the States

Every Package is a family event at the Duffy house...mostly because it is known that American foods are in the boxes that arrive from the states.....I wonder what is in this box....

Paper....I don't want paper

OHHH FOOD...Mac & Cheese and tootsie rolls

Kitchen Cooked Popcorn, cheese puffs, baked puffs, and chips...happy day

They were so excited to try them that they forgot to open the bags first

And what would an entry on here be without a little babysitting fun....this is just another reason i have a smile on my face every day....

Yogurt Fun with Gwen

"Mom Knew what i was going to look like after i ate yogurt all by myself, thats why she let Whitney do it while she was babysitting. But i don't know why mom told Whitney to take my shirt off first...i never miss my mouth"


"A spoon is just too much work, and it only holds a little bit at a time....I would much prefer to just dig in"

the loves of England.....

It has been quite a while since I have updated everyone on my England adventure. So first let me say that I am safe and well. There were some car bombs in London and in Scotland however I am not in danger and everything seems to have settled down. This was some terrorist plot but I guess you have those wherever you go. So bottom line....I'm safe and happy.

The last time i posted Cathy had headed off for the weekend in order to get a break from the kids as well as attend a conference with Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter) thus leaving me in charge. Kevin had some adventures of his own with the other families for a Wine tasting night so i stayed home with the kids. Brittney, being a typical 7 year old, was bored and her sister was not a good playmate so she invited her British friend Emily over to spend the night. Sophie too needed some entertainment, so Elise came over for a sleepover as well while her parents went to the wine tasting. Needless to say it was a late night. And it did not help that be beginning of the Duffy Plague happened the second Cathy left. Sophie decided i had enough training in the diaper changing area, so she challenged me with a 103 fever as well as puke all over the kitchen, her room, and myself. Needless to say I am well trained to take care of children and all of their bodily functions. But i survived the weekend! and we topped it off with an ISE 4th of July picnic. For some reason (hehe) this is not an observed holiday here in Great Britain, but we were sure to celebrate anyhow.

And the week then produced one sick family. From sore throats, fevers, headaches, coughs, runny noses, and just about everything else, I became the nurse of the family. I managed to remain unaffected until Thursday when it hit hard, but only lasted a day. And i babysat and pulled thought alright although today....a full week and two days later, Cathy and Kevin are still suffering.

The usual babysitting took place...of course...this including some new families with Jenny and Dan leaving me to Max and Blake. These boys are more than perfect and lovable....they are the sole reason i have changed my mind and think that boys are fabulous. Probably the easiest children to babysit thus far. They got to jump on beds and play soccer....it was a good time. Gwen and Drake got some of my attention as well with another fun filled evening, sleep over, and full day of Whitney. Marti and Steve also decided to entrust me with their 5 children. So for 5 hours I was reminded why I only want two kids :o) but they were fabulous cuddle bugs and quite the excitement at lunch and dinner. It is amazing what patience their parents have with them. It's no wonder the kids are so well behaved. And Elise also entered the realm of the babysitting world.

Other than babysitting, a ton, there have been a few adventure. The family and I attended the Peterborough festival which is designed to make a family go broke. There are tons of rides but each ride costs about $2-$8 for one child to ride. And it is hard to say no to crying children, so eventually we were able to escape after the pocket books were empty.

Thus bringing us to today...Kevin's father was supposed to arrive this morning from the states, and stay with us for a month. However this morning at 5 AM we were informed that his flight was canceled and he would be arriving tomorrow morning at 6 AM. So Cathy booked a hotel by the airport so we could spend the day in London and then get him in the morning without a 2 hour drive. But then after the bags were packed, car was loaded, and we were ready to head to London, the phone rang and we were informed that Pappy (aka Bob/Kevin's dad) had become frustrated with the wait and continued to be delayed and freaked out. So he flew back to Pensacola Florida and will now not be arriving until next Tuesday. This obviously produced two very upset young girls who were missing school and not getting to see Pappy, so Cathy and i canceled the hotel and loaded the girls up for a day of shopping. with an hour in the car and two moody children, we played at a playpark for most of the day, but were successful in purchasing a new pair of shoes for all of us, thus making everything ok. After getting home Brittney and I spent some 'sister time' riding bikes, playing in the park, playing soccer, talking, and doing gymnastics in the fields. It was a wonderful day for sure!

A Weekend On My Own....

My weekend with the girls to myself....so we had a playdate with Emily and Elise. It was a sleepover

Emily....my favorite British child

Sophie got married

Elise trying to prove it was not bedtime

My favorite bilingual child Elise...

A head of curls and a mouth full of grinning teeth

A day with Max and Blake.....

my favorite view so far....yes it is just a field, but i liked it (Jenny and Dan's house)

Blake and Max loving each other

Maxwell jumping on the bed....(sorry Jenny, it's every child's right)

Blake tackled Max while they were jumping around

Jump Jump Jump

and we all fall down

Just a little brotherly love

Too cute for words...

The Peterborough Festival.....

Sophie and the Tiger...her hair looks beautiful like always, but she swore this is how it was to be worn

Sophie and Brittney riding the dragon roller coaster...this cost 2 pounds per child = $4 which is $8 for both girls to ride. YIKES

Another money waster but smile maker.....

The Day of Shopping and The Playpark.....

A beautiful Church on the way to the mall....

More of the HUGE church. it was breathtaking and quite phenomenal

Cathy swinging with Brittney at the Play park

Sophie, as cute as ever swinging on the swing

Playing together....

Another one of my favorite pictures

Brittney testing out the slide

I'm worn out...

Another eventful week passes, but this time not many pictures :o) You will thank me later…

Saturday we went to the park with the girls and left them with Kevin so that Cathy and I could go shopping/looking. We ended up in a nearby town called Stamford. It was the most phenomenal place I have seen thus far. The brick streets were lined with stone buildings and I was immediately in love. After getting out of the car we walked the streets and went into the row of shops. There were many antique stores as well as shops with purses and clothing. Everything was quite impressive, and the shoes here are about 100 times better than those in the states. We even found a shop for children, which was full of PINK. Of course the first thing I exclaimed was “CATHY I want a little girl so I can come here and dress her in all of these pink cutie outfits…and the shoes, oh the shoes. Do they have these in my size?” After laughing for a while Cathy shut me up by showing me a price tag of a shoe that was not even 4 inches long and covered in pink beads and sequins….£120 = $241.12. I have chosen to stick with BabyGAP when I have children :o)….

We then ate at a little restaurant called Pizza Express. It was quite delightful as our table overlooked the small river/creek that flowed through the center of the town. Had we not finished our food and needed to get home, I could have stayed there for hours just looking out the window.

After shopping we headed home when I was dropped off to experience a brand new babysitting adventure. Elise happens to be the cutest little curly haired blondie I have ever seen, as well as the perfect child. However, being bilingual as a 2 year old is a challenge, because not only is it hard to understand a 2 year old, but it is much more difficult to understand a 2 year old who speaks some Dutch and some English but does not realize she is speaking both. So I read her a bedtime story in Dutch (I’m sure it was not read properly) and sent her off to sleep.

Sunday was a day of babysitting for Gwen and Drake. Drake had a fever and I learned to use my patience while trying to get him to fall asleep. Same good fun as it always is, of course, and then I slept at Andi and Holli’s house and went home in the morning.

Monday and Tuesday were school and play days….but Tuesday evening was a first for me. Ladies night out…much needed I might add…About 9 of the ISE wives gathered to play Bunko while eating junk food and chatting all evening. The conversations were quite interesting and gave us all a good laugh, and I left ….£15 = $30 richer than I arrived due to having the most ‘Bunkos’ It was a late night, but well worth the girl talk, freedom from children, and tasty wine.

Wednesday was back to Andy and Holli’s to babysit Gwen, Annaliese, Leah, Andrew, Casen, and Tristen. After a little hanging out with Holli after the troops parted, she and Andy headed off leaving me to my wee ones once again…this time Gwen and Drake were sleeping happily in their beds.

Thursday was school, swimming, and a night with me, Brittney and Sophie while Mom and Dad had small group. Movies, cereal, braiding hair….I know how to keep the wee ones happy.

Friday started out with a play date with Elise and Sophie, and then a sad goodbye as Cathy headed off for the weekend to leave me with Kevin and the kids. But of course when I am in charge, problems seem to be plentiful. So Sophie decided to get sick, and had a fever of 103 while refusing to eat. And of course as I am taking her temp, she decides to empty her stomach all over me as well as the table bench and herself. So cleaning up was fun and she ended up in the bath tub until Kevin got home. Then girls off to bed and it was time to try and relax. I definitely felt better about myself after Sophie informed her father that she didn’t want him to put her to bed she wanted Whitney. And then when she woke up getting sick to her stomach in bed, she called for me and not dad. But dad came to the rescue anyhow since it is impossible for me to hear her crying in my room. You are Welcome Kevin :o)

So today, Saturday is a day of cleaning up the mounds of laundry, dishes, toys, while juggling a sick child and play dates. Emily has been here to play with Britt, and is returning to spend the night this evening. Elise will come to play this evening as well, and I’m here alone all night with the girls. Its going to be a fun sleepover!

If it would only stop raining!!!