we represent the lollypop guild...

Today It was the same old routine with the girls and getting to and from school, however After getting rid of the little ones, Cathy and I hit the mall. There are AMAZING stores over here with great styles, and prices i don't want to talk about. When the tag says 25.99 that means 52 US dollars :o) how wonderful. But it was fun anyhow. One thing i have quickly discovered is that the trolly's (a.k.a. grocery carts) are impossible to push because they go every which way and never the way you want them to go. FUN P.S. The shoes here are better than any we could even picture in the states...be prepared.

Sophie had swimming lessons today as well so it was exciting the see the little ones attempting not to drown. I honestly find great joy in children, they are carefree and incredibly loving. You cannot get angry with them because the "i love you"s take any frustration away.

Cathy and I had an entertaining time washing dishes and preparing dinner. Sometimes you just need a good laugh with sarcasm. And who would have thought that "i will ring you on the blower" is the same thing as "i will call you on the telephone"....haha ohhh it could be a long summer if i don't learn this terminology soon. maybe I can study it while I'm playing in the garden (backyard) with the kiddies....

And i believe the funniest term i have heard here is Lollypop Man AKA Crossing guard....where they came up with that one is beyond me, but i like it.

Night loves

Exploring On my own

Woke up, got the girls ready for school. Cathy was definitely thankful to have me here because I...super nanny....saved the day due to her sleeping in and not waking up until she had 10 minutes to leave. Love you Cathy...Sleep all you want!

Once everything settled down, i strapped on my running shoes and went to adventure into town. Unlike Illinois, there are running trails all over. most people walk to and from work and school so there are paths from every neighborhood to every destination. along the way i met many young lads and lasses walking to school, as well as a sweet old man on a scooter. he ran out of gas in the middle of a road crossing, so i chatted with him until he could drive again. Quite enjoyable. there were little neighborhoods on either side of the paths, as well as parks and soccer fields. The smell of freshly cut grass was all I could ask for on the beautiful morning. Eventually i found my way back home where i freshened up and headed out with Cathy.

We gathered the children, napped, and fixed dinner for the little ones. I then got the joy of giving the girls baths (where I also seemed to get an unwanted bath as well), Braided their hair, and tucked them in.

Cathy and I stayed up after the girls were in bed and had some girl talk, watched a little television until our eyes hurt, and headed to bed before Kevin got home....

Im beginning to understand why it is so hard for the wives of these Transferred CAT employees to handle the new lives they are forced into. They are housewives all day long with no help (unless you are lucky to have a Whitney around) and their husbands are kidnapped by CAT until their work is done. They then wake up and do it all over again.

Tea Time

Today we woke up early and headed off to school. Sophie Ann (almost 4) goes to a preschool in a small town while Brittney (7) attends a primary school. She is in a class of 30 students and that is the only class for her grade. It’s interesting.

Once the children were on their way, Cathy and I drove to a nearby town to have tea with some other ladies. There I met 3 other children I will be babysitting while I’m here in London. I experienced some new culture while gossiping with the wives of all the men working for Caterpillar who had be packed up and moved from their homes in other countries.

After tea we headed to pick Sophie up from school and headed out to lunch with the ladies from Tea where everyone began marking their calendars for the days I would be babysitting for their children so the other women could not claim me.

We then took Sophie home for and a nap, which I needed more than she did. Brittney was then picked up from her school later in the afternoon, and we played in the backyard until dinner time.

Kevin and Cathy left me with the girls while they went to a meeting so I got to have a little fun with my favorites as they proved to be quite a bit of entertainment.

I then went to bed EARLY due to an incredibly need for sleep…

*Brittney Renee home from school and ready to play!!!

The first day in London.

I'm Finally in my home country searching for my long lost royal family, and of course, my prince...but I think I left him in the USA.

I left Chicago Sunday at 9:30 (Illinois time) and arrived in London Monday morning at 11:00 (England Time). There is a 6 hour difference so that has proven to challenge my ability to wake up in the morning. The sun sets at about 9:30 and rises at 4:45, so it is bright out most of the day. It is rather chilly in the evenings and mornings but when the sun comes out you feel the summer heat.

I flew Air India (Definitely cheap for a reason) which proved to be an adventure in itself. I felt like I was in Disney World while i was on the plane. The seats were bright purple and blue, and all of the flight attendants were dressed like genies (haha you know those outfits people from India wear) And i was 1 of 10 people on the plane who were not of the Indian ethnicity. BUT it was not bad. Not sure what they fed me but it looked like veggies and rice. I was lucky to sit with a kid my age and no one in between us so it was not a cramped flight. And he was pleasant and not a pain at all. BUT i could not watch movies because they were all in a different language. Quite entertaining, but I didn't sleep at all due to my new found claustrophobia issue...

Once i arrived in London i got my luggage and headed to find my loves(The Duffy Family). And to my surprise Cathy (mom) had taken my two favorite little girls (Sophie and Brittney) out of school to greet me. I have never heard so many squeals in my life. And I did not peel them off of me until bedtime.

So far, I have not tried to get into the wrong side of the car...HORRAY :o) and have quickly learned that people in this country drive like crazy people. But I was instantly in love...and their McDonald’s here is like 10 times healthier than ours. And they have an AMAZING grilled veggie sandwich let me tell you...

After making it home and unpacking in my spacious room with my own bathroom and queen size bed ;o), I showered in a shower that is about 3 feet x 3 feet (and that is a large estimate). It’s a tight fit lol. Then i decided to meet the neighbors while jumping on the trampoline with them. FUN stuff.






















*Pictures are of my room, the view out of my windows, and my bathroom...

We went to eat for dinner at a little pub called Paul Pri. It is probably the most amazing food EVER and has the coolest decorations. You sit at a table that is away from everyone and are usually seated on couches or chairs. Its quite interesting! And you don't receive silverware....it is called cutlery. how i love this place

Grocery shopping is quite the experience as well due to shopping carts bumping you constantly, British guys stopping and listening to you talk and then stalking you the rest of the shopping time, two little girls throwing everything in the cart you don't need, and the check-out-lady attempting to speak slowly enough so you could understand the conversation she was attempting to have lol. They are much friendlier than our Wal-Mart cashiers by FAR.

Food is fabulous, houses are beautiful and homey, weather’s great, I'm in love.....