30Dec2008: Day 218: A Mouthful

Today Makenna and I, along with my brother Josh went to visit my grandmother in the nursing home. She was happy to see us and we were glad to see her. Her short term memory is definitely not what it used to be. She kept asking if Makenna was born in England.

After, Chris, Makenna, and I went to lunch and during lunch Makenna had quite a bit to say. She talked about the plants and about how the light is hot and not to touch it. She also commented on her drink of water and how it was cold and even said, "brrr," and how she liked her pizza, and that it was good. She was picking up everything that we said and was repeating it back.

In the evening, we went to dinner with my dad and we finally got her something that she would eat, a hamburger. She enjoyed it more after we gave her A1 Sauce for it. She also enjoyed the dessert that we shared between three of us. Makenna is also singing songs more. You can hear her start to say, "happy, clap hands," (for if you're happy and you know it clap your hands). Also you hear, "jingle bells, jingle bells, oh fun..." Plus bits of twinkle twinkle star and itsy bitsy spider. Chris got a digital recorder for Christmas and tried taping her tonight on the car ride home, but of course, it was as if a camera was on her and she quit performing. How's a parent supposed to save those cute moments if a child stops when being filmed, photographed, or recorded?

One other thing that's been nice since we've been home is to be able to catch up on some movies that were released since we've been gone. Since we can't really get out to see movies over in England, and/or they don't all come over, we have been able to rent and we've bought a few used and are now trying to see some of the hit films of the past six months. I do have to say, I see why Heath Ledger is being highly talked about for his part in "Dark Knight."

29Dec2008: Day 217: Returns

After my aunt and uncle from RI left to go back, my sister-in-law Jessica and I took the kids and went and returned some Christmas gifts. Makenna had received a really nice pink coat that I wanted to return for the next size up so that she'd have something for next year. Luckily, they still had some and I was able to get one. I also received a really nice dress from my mom but I wanted it in another size so we went to the mall to return that. Unfortunately, they didn't have the size I was looking for.

While at JC Penny's doing the return, Makenna took it upon herself to take off just as I was able to get to the counter after waiting in line. So I asked Jessica to go look for her but was distressed when I saw she had to look and look and look for her. Luckily she found her and I made her sit on the counter while I finished. Since she was playing with all the equipment for the cash register, I put her down again, and she took off yet again. Since I was done, it was my turn to look and look for her. I finally found her under a clothes rack in the back corner of the store. Needless to say, I was not too happy and made sure that she knew it. Since it was obviously going to be a chase and run type of day, we decided to go grocery shopping and then call it a day. It's too hard to chase after a child and worry frantically about them when you don't have a stroller, as we left it in England.

Chris spent ALL day at church and finally came home at night when we had some friends come over, who graciously brought us dinner. We played a newer version of Cranium and also played Scattergories into the a.m. hours. Nothing like arguing over if someone can really be afraid of a "purple-people-eater" or if polka-dots are considered to be "things with spots".

28Dec2008: Day 216: Another Family Day

After church we went over to my brother Josh's house to watch some football. I had to also bring our rotisserie to cook a roast for Chris's brother Mark's birthday. We went over to Chris's parents to celebrate and enjoyed the roast and some angel food cake for dessert.

Makenna knew it was someones birthday and she kept saying "Happy Buday" and wanting ice cream. She finally gave in to eating the roast when she realized she could have A1 sauce with it. Maybe we will have to bring all nine bottles to England with us and explain that our daughter has a penchant for it. She then waited patiently for her ice cream. She also had some chocolate angel food cake which she thought was a brownie. She enjoyed playing with her cousin Stephanie and picked up a new phrase of "stinky feet" from her.

We went back home and got Makenna into bed and then played....SkipBo...bet you thought I was going to say poker didn't you?

27Dec2008: Day 215: White Elephant Gift Exchange

In the morning we just tried to clean up the mess from the past couple of days and hung out for a bit. In the afternoon we went over to my sister-in-law's parents house to have a White Elephant Gift Exchange. This is where you buy a relatively inexpensive gift and wrap it and people pick out a gift from the pile. Then the next person can either take another gift or take a gift someone else has already opened. We made a rule that a gift can only be stolen four times and then it's a "dead gift" meaning that no one else can steal it again.

This worked in our advantage as Chris had a good idea of printing out an ITunes gift certificate as a gift and we were able to end up with it after all the steals. My sister-in-law Autumn said that this year there were to be no gag gifts as last year she ended up with a bed liner for a truck. Even though, she was able to sell it on Craig's list for $30 - I said that was a good gift then as she got $30 for a $5 gift. We then played some other games and had some yummy cookies. Makenna enjoyed playing with Autumn's brother's and other family members.

In the evening, it was off to another poker game. We brought my aunt and uncle and Makenna along with her portable DVD player. We ended up leaving earlier then we had planned because Makenna wouldn't sleep and was getting cranky but that was probably a good thing as most of us were up in money (except my uncle).

26Dec2008: Day 214: Day After Christmas Sales

Can we just say how much we love the day after Christmas sales. Chris and I went to Kohl's and then to Sam's and to JC Penny's. The best deal that we got was a suit coat Kohl's for Chris. It was half off (even though it wasn't supposed to as they forgot to take the sign down). A big Thank You to my brother Jared for watching Makenna (and who had to change a messy diaper that he won't let me forget), and his wife Jessica. And no, we didn't buy any more A1 sauce at Sam's club. We did take back a present that Chris got me, which was a CD that I had already bought for myself last year on ITunes. I also ran to Barnes & Noble to take back a duplicate gift as he bought me the new Enya CD and I bought it for him. Unfortunately, I bought his gift on-line from England to be shipped here so it was much easier just to take the one he bought for me back.

My side of the family came over in the afternoon to open gifts and have some more turkey and play games. My aunt and uncle from RI came down too so they could see all the nieces and nephew. We also enjoyed a Skype session with my brother Jake who is out in Seattle and couldn't make it in for Christmas.

We were supposed to go out for more poker at a friends house again, but as well all piled into the car (my aunt & uncle, Chris, and I), it started to rain and freeze. So we went back in and just played poker at the house.

25Dec2008: Day 213: Merry Christmas To All

Woke up and we opened presents. Makenna was more into it this year and enjoyed ripping the wrapping paper off of things. She got a lot of DVD movies from us (easy to transport back to England). A lot of them were Christmas type movies - the classics - Rudolph, Frosty, Santa is Coming to Town, etc.

We then went over to my dad's house for our usual Cinnabon and hot cocoa. I am really glad we only eat them once a year. They are way too addictive! Makenna got a really nice coat and a mini tea set that she really enjoyed playing with. One of the things we got was another three bottles of A1. Now we have six to take back to England as we bought three ourselves.

Went back to our house so Makenna could take a nap before going to grandma and grandpa Jones. When we got to their house, we opened more gifts. As there was more people, Makenna was not shy about trying to open any gift she got her hands on. She got another beautiful coat and we got...three more bottles of A1. We had to laugh at that. We're keeping them all, just not taking them all back. Customs will think we're trying to sell them if we took them all. We had a great dinner that included turkey and ham. Makenna's grandma Jones was sympathetic to our pleas for some turkey as we didn't have any for Thanksgiving.

Then it was off to Christmas Poker. I know, not to religious or "keeping with the spirit" of Christmas, but it's a good way to get together with our friends and show them how much we care by taking some of their money. Makenna was fairly well behaved as we took her DVD's and she got to watch a movie or two while we played. Then it was back to home where we could lay our heads down for a cold winter's night.

Unfortunately, when we got home, my brother Jared told me to call my other brother Josh. Josh informed me that my grandmother (who is almost 99) had her arm broken at the nursing home. She just moved in about two weeks ago and now this happened. I guess the aide was trying to get her into bed and must of done it by lifting her arms, is what we're guessing. It's a complete break and she'll have to see a specialist on Monday to see whether to just let it heal by itself, which would probably take a very long time, or to have surgery to repair it, which I can't see being a good option. The nursing home looked and saw in the record that there was supposed to be at least two people assisting in getting her in and out of bed so why the breakdown that led to this is beyond me. It's just amazes me that the many years that she was in my brother's care and then you put her in a place for her betterment and this happens.

24Dec2008: Day 212: Time to Pray

Tonight we went to Chris's church for their usual Christmas Eve services. They've changed it over the years and they no longer have a midnight mass (thank goodness). They have a cute little play that the kids do about the birth of Christ. Makenna was fairly well behaved during it, but then when the actual service started she started to get antsy. I ended up taking her downstairs where the toys are. Before that though, she would hear the people singing and after they stopped singing, she would say, "time to pray." It was really cute to hear. I guess she's used to that from my services. After I thought about it, we typically sing three songs on a Sunday and after each song, there's a prayer.


People came up to us after and were shocked to see how much she's grown in six months. I was surprised at how out-going, for the most part, that Makenna was. She was running up and saying "hi" to kids and saying "goodbye" to other people. We did have one little incident that happened while there. Chris picked up Makenna to show someone how she's grown and as he was holding her he turned to me and said, "she's getting wet." So I lifted up her dress and sure enough I could then see that his arm was getting wet. I didn't expect her to be so wet as I had just changed her a couple of hours earlier and she only had one drink, but I guess she had saved it up as she wasn't too wet after her nap.


We headed home for dinner and my sister-in-law Jessica has a tradition from her family of eating a chocolate cheesecake on Christmas Eve. Now that's a tradition I could get in to! It was really good - Makenna had it all over her hands and face, and of course, I had just given her a bath prior to that. Oh well, at least she enjoyed it.

I had to put in these two cute pictures of Makenna's cousin Elijah. He's 10 months old.

23Dec2008: Day 211: Christmas Eve's Eve Party

Today brought...more shopping. I went out to buy a few more things, mainly for Makenna and myself and some groceries for our upcoming family dinner on Friday and for a party tonight. Christmas day we usually see my dad and then go to Chris's parents. Then tradition was that usually my mom and brothers would come to my house on Christmas Eve but this year we decided to do it the day after Christmas as more family could attend. I also got all the wrapping of gifts done today. Except for those that I'm still praying show up on time that we ordered from the Internet.

We have a friend that usually holds what he calls the "Christmas Eve's Eve" party. This is a great chance for all those in town of our friends and their kids to meet. This year, another friend decided to hold the party but it was just as entertaining to say the least. We got to meet the newest addition to our group of friends...Declan Perry...if you follow the blog we wrote about him back in November when he made his appearance. He, being only a few weeks old, was able to put out a very good family Christmas letter. We got to see some other friends and catch up on all their latest happenings and tell them about some of our adventures in England. We even have a couple of people saying they'll come visit us in the new year. The night ended...well...let's just say that to protect the innocent, we'll leave it to your imagination.

Makenna fell asleep at some point at the party and we finally left after 1 A.M. It's hard to believe we can still stay out that late. Luckily I remembered to bring her pj's so that we didn't have to worry about changing her into them when we got home.

22Dec2008: Day 210: More Running Around

I'm still not quite adjusted to the time yet. I went to bed late and got up around 5am. Of course, Makenna had a small hand in that as she woke up talking around 5am but she fell back to sleep - whereas I couldn't. So After a half hour of trying to fall back to sleep, I just got up and got some things done.

Chris & I had our dentist appointments today for our cleanings, and then we finally were able to go Christmas shopping for Makenna. We had to also pick up a mailbox as the "wonderful" kids around here smash ours every few years or so. Then we picked up Makenna from Chris's parents house and took her to buy new shoes. She grew two sizes in six months! So all the hand-me-down shoes that we have will just about fit her. We found some winter boots that we've had stored here and right now they are too big for her but they'll do.

I was also to stop into work for a few minutes and say hi to a scant few who happened to be working around the holidays. It was nice to see some people and Makenna walked into one person's office as if it was her own. She picked up the phone and started talking and then got on the computer. It was as if she was a little executive in the making. I hope to stop back again with Makenna to see a few more people.

Tonight, Chris and I had the opportunity to go out to dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our steaks. It truly is an amazing difference from England. Chris and I figure it has to be that the cows over here are corn-fed and they aren't over their. The texture and taste is so much better here.

We're looking forward to tomorrow night where we'll have a chance to see a lot of our friends and their kids at a Christmas get together.

21Dec2008: Day 209: Seeing Friends & Family

We were able to go to church today and it's sooo much easier having Sacrament meeting first. Makenna was pretty well behaved and was hesitant at first about going into nursery, but then went in and had a good time. It was so very nice to see lots of friends and even some family. I talked to so many people today and I think Chris had the same experience going to his church which he also misses.

What was nice is that they had a cookie exchange and pot-luck dinner after church. So I got to stay after and see and talk to more people. I was nervous about what Makenna would eat, but someone made this rice and peas casserole that she just couldn't get enough of. She was actually picking the peas out of the rice and eating them! Now if I tried to just cook her peas, she wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. She also found the brownies up on the table and had no problem helping herself to them. In fact, someone was talking to me and my back was to her and she was just shoveling in brownies without my knowledge until I turned around and caught her. I took her back to the table for her fourth helping of rice & peas and when she finished that, she wanted more. I went up and she followed, and I found out it was more so that she could get at the brownies. I came back from looking for some more and she was now at the brownies with a fork! I ushered her away and said, "okay you're done!"

We got home and I put her down for a nap and I took one myself. I think the jet-lag is really hitting us all today. Chris came home from church after 6pm - but he went out shopping for a bit - and he was beat tired. He went to bed shortly after Makenna did. Makenna was only up from her nap about 2 hours and saying that she wanted a nap again. So she went down a bit earlier than usual for the night. I'm the only fool still up trying to get Christmas cards done. I think I'm going to call it a day though and finish them tomorrow.

20Dec2008: Day 208: Exhausted

Makenna woke up about 8am and I let her talk on and off until 8:30am. Then I decided to just get up with her as I wasn't really sleeping anyways. After a bit, we made some phone calls to let family know we made it.

After going throw a ton of mail, we went over to Chris's parents for a light lunch and to leave Makenna so we could get some shopping done. Ahh, the joys of Vestal Parkway and the Mall. Of course our first stop had to be Sam's Club. We ended up buying a lot of things on a list we made back in England of things to take back with us. We then got over to the mall and picked up some more things on our list, plus did a little Christmas shopping.

We went back to Chris's parents to get Makenna and then to meet a couple of my brother's for dinner at a proper Chinese Buffet! Ah, nothing like the fattening deep fried General Tso's and Sesame Chicken. We then ran to Staples for a couple of things and then to the grocery store. Our second trip to the grocery store as we had to stop before going to Chris's parents for some diapers for Makenna. We had brought exactly enough to get us through our trip on the plane and the morning.

Makenna went with no nap and grandma & grandpa's so needless to say, during dinner she was not too much fun but she was able to make it through the two shopping trips after but was totally crashed out by the time we got home around 9pm. She was at least agreeable for the most part as I got her dressed for bed. It was like trying to dress a zombie - I would imagine - as I obviously have never dressed a zombie - nor do I ever intend to. Of course, I'm in a zombie state myself so I'm heading off to bed and looking forward to seeing a lot of people at church tomorrow along with my 98 (almost 99) year old grandmother.

19Dec2008: Day 207: We Made It!

Let me first start off by saying that Makenna's nursery party went well. We were able to go for a little bit and she sat on the floor and was singing songs with the other kids until she saw me and realized she could get over to me. Santa came and she must be getting more used to him as she wasn't as timid to go up to him and get her gift. She still wanted me to go with her but she got closer and actually reached out for the gift.

We then raced home and finished getting everything in the car and left. Unfortunately, we left at 1pm and our flight was at 4:35 and the airport can be about 2 hours away if traffic is bad. Luckily, it wasn't too bad and we got there in good time. We had to drop off the rental car and that took way too long! They had to look at all the dings and scuff marks that, admittedly, I made most of, along the car (you have to see our driveway to understand). But we got to the airport and then had to stand in line to check in. That was nerve-wracking. We tried to see if we could cut in front of people but no one was willing. The line finally started to move fast and we then made a mad dash for the terminal. It somewhat made me think of Amazing Race, except their not carrying a 30+ lbs baby and a full backpack. We got there with about 5 minutes to spare as they called our row.

We got all settled on the plane and then for the next four hours or so (remember, that the flight is 8 hours,) Makenna put up some sort of fuss or another. She constantly was kicking the seat in front of her and we had to literally hold her feet so she wouldn't. Not to mention screaming to "walk." We brought her DVD player but didn't realize that it hadn't charged so that sent her into another fit as she thought she was going to be able to watch "Monkeys" which is really Baby Einstein video with monkeys in it. Luckily they have in-flight movies and the "Bee Movie" was playing. She didn't want to have the ear phones in so she just watched it - when she felt like it. We did walk her up and down the isles a few times but that gets old for us and hard when you're getting in the way of others walking their kids, or trying to get to the bathrooms, or the flight attendants trying to get out food and drinks. We finally just put her in her car seat about 9pm and let her have a fit for about 10 minutes and then she calmed down and around 9:30pm she finally fell asleep (well, what would've been 9:30pm England time).

We landed about 8pm (NY State time) at JFK and had to wait on the plane for about another 40-45 minutes before getting off as other planes were being de-iced and for some reason that affected us pulling up to park. We then ended up being the last ones off the plane then the last ones in customs. But it ended working well as my brother had treacherous weather to drive in to come get us and he got there about 10 minutes before we got out.

We finally got home - exhausted - about 2am. Makenna, of course, was now well rested and ready to stay up. Chris agreed to stay up with her for a bit and after a couple of hours she finally went back to sleep in her old crib. I tried sleeping but actually had a very hard time as my body clock, even though tired, said it was after 7am and it was time to get up and do things.

18Dec2008: Day 206: Broke(n) Record

Arrgghhh - stupid Binghamton weather! I'm not sure we're going to make it in or not tomorrow due to the weather. We have to wait and see tomorrow. Speaking of weather, it was actually a mild day here, in my opinion. Mild meaning it wasn't windy and cold. Just cold, and I didn't think it was too bad.

We--Makenna, myself, Hannah, her mom and sister Bethany all went to the Christmas party that was given by the Thursday group that we go to sometimes. They did most of the same songs that they usually do, they just put a Christmas twist on them. They also had a light buffet of food. Makenna just practically stood at the table and kept eating these ring-shaped chips. I know Madonna told me the name of them but I don't remember what they are, but Makenna sure enjoyed them. I finally had to drag her away and put her coat on to go to get her to stop eating them. I also ate some pretzel-looking sticks but I could tell they had a different spice on them. It was a strange taste - not bad - but not great. Madonna told me it had "Marmite" on them. Everyone says you either love it or hate it and I guess I should've tried another to really decide.

I also was able to finish (well, almost,) cleaning the house. Makenna slept in (after waking up at 6am,) so I was able to start and then when we got home from the party and after eating lunch, I tried to vacuum. Unfortunately, the hose kept popping off. After four tries or so of trying to put it back on, I just gave up and figured I'd have Chris fix it when he got home (which wasn't until 10:30pm tonight!). Anyways, as soon as the vacuum stops making noise, Makenna immediately assumes I'm all done and she tries to then come help. This time I told her it was broke and that's all I heard..."broke, broke, uh-oh, wacuum broke." That's about all she could say until I put her down for a nap and then even when she woke up from her nap, it started all over again, "broke, broke, wacuum broke."

She also counted up to nine today, just out of the blue. The I think she tried counting backwards but kept just saying, "five, three, five, three, two." What was also funny, and me wishing I had the camera handy, was she took her doll that she got for her birthday, and she started walking around with it and talking to it and telling it to "sit" (on the couch) and telling it to "hold still." She also put it on one of those punching-balloons and had it bounce. Then took it back over to the couch and was telling to sit and hold still. I just think it's so amazing to see what kids absorb and spit back out. It's almost like looking at a mirror when you hear them say the same things you tell them repeatedly. It just shows you that they hear and understand, it's just the following and doing that needs working on.

17Dec2008: Day 205: Where'd Sun Go?

Makenna had another Christmas party today at her Wednesday afternoon play group. They didn't have the usual toys out and had tables set up with different craft projects to do. So Makenna was a bit confused but then she saw she could glue and glitter and she loves to spill glitter over everything, given the chance. But she was able to make a small felt stocking ornament and a snowflake ornament. They had a lot of foods during snack time and I had to limit Makenna eating a bunch of junk food, especially since she had a really big lunch.

I tried a couple of "English" party foods. Little sausages, which taste, well, like a mini sausage. They also had "cheese foots", which was basically like a puffed cheese puff in the shape of a foot. They also had sausage rolls, but I decided to pass on that.

Santa came to give out presents and I started to get nervous as I had given them a gift last week to have for today and it seemed to be almost the very last one that he handed out. I walked up with Makenna to get it and she stayed about three feet away from Santa. She liked her gift for all of about 20 seconds and then she saw the gift that Hannah got and wanted that - figures.

While we were eating lunch, Makenna noticed that the sun "disappeared" and she said, "uh, uh, where'd sun go?" I then explained the physics behind the rotation of the earth and how that makes the sun go behind the clouds...just kidding - obviously. I just said it went behind a cloud. Later in the evening, she just started counting and she counted from one to seven all on her own.

She's also still my little drama queen. If she falls, whether on purpose or not, she always stops, and makes sure we ask her if she's alright. She'll say, "oh, you alright?" That's our indication we're supposed to ask her if she's alright. It's quite entertaining when she falls or sprawls out on the floor as though she's fallen accidentally, her way of trying to get out of trouble sometimes.
It will be interesting to see what little habits she continues as she grows.

16Dec2008: Day 204: Angel

Well, just as I predicted...Makenna didn't really stay in the play. She cried and clung to me like a vice when I first dropped her off. Then it gave me enough time (barely,) to run home, and clean the upstairs. I rushed back and the place was full of people. I went over to one side of the room and I was hoping to get a good shot of Makenna. She came out in this cute angel outfit (sans the halo literally and physically,) and she saw me, but they were able to actually get her into a seat.

Unfortunately, where they placed her was perpendicular to where I was and there was a staff person sitting on the side near me. So I had to move and I went to the other side of the room. I tried getting some shots from this position, but again, there was another adult in the seat in front of her - so she was blocked - yet again. How frustrating! Plus, when I was able to get a quick shot of her on the camera, I was shaky and the pictures came out fuzzy. I was surprised that she stayed in her seat. I was able to get a bit of her on film when they were singing. There was one song that she got into which was a version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" - they changed the words a bit but she was making some of the hand motions. I love this picture even though it's a tad fuzzy. But it's like she's looking up to heaven saying, "please save me from this."

Then....they got up to move to a different spot - more on center stage - and that was it. She ran to me and never left. I tried getting her to go back and sit with the kids and sing but all I heard was, "no, no, no." I tried coaxing her a few times but the answer was the same. After, they had some cookies and mince pies. I actually tried a mince pie - my one and only try. It was pretty different. Their version of "fruit cake" in my opinion.

After, we left and went home for lunch and Makenna somehow found some cat poop or something out in the backyard and had stepped in it before coming in. Then when she was in a chair, she had sat back on her shoe - so now it was on her jeans. Wonderful!

Here's a good idea for a Christmas gift - A few times today, Makenna started to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." I was without my camera as usual. She was singing a lot of the words - but of course, most were unintelligible but I could make out most of them. So, what I need - if they even make one, is a mini video camera that I can wear. If I wore the digital camera we have now around my neck, Makenna would constantly be grabbing for it.

Tomorrow should be another interesting day as Santa or Father Christmas as the call him over here, is coming to the playgroup to hand out gifts to the kids. I already bought Makenna a small gift for Santa to bring for her. I'm wondering if she'll be as scared since Hannah will be there too. But I assume I'll have to go up and get the gift with her. Hopefully there will be some more cute pictures.

15Dec2008: Day 203: Start of Packing

We had a typical day but in a different order. Our Mondays usually consist of going to the gym, swimming, then grocery shopping, then lunch, nap, dinner. Today since I only could get in late morning to the gym, we went grocery shopping, then to the gym and swimming. We only swam for a short time as it was after noon when we went swimming and she didn't really eat breakfast, so I knew she'd be pretty hungry.

Can I just reiterate how much more enjoyable Makenna is when she wakes up from a nap on her own. She's just happier and more agreeable. Anyways, after dinner, I started packing. I'm trying really hard to remember I'm only coming home for a couple of weeks and that I have some clothes that I left behind. I already have one suitcase packed - mostly of old clothes of Makenna's.

I found out today that my grandmother, who is 98 (will be 99 in Jan.) was moved into a Nursing Home. I applaud my brother Josh and his wife Autumn for all the care that they have given her over the years. Plus, my other brother Jared and his wife Jessica for their help and support. This was a very hard decision for Josh but he's done all he can for her and I knew that a lot of us were (are) nervous that she will pass quickly now that she's not at home around family. But from what he's said, so far, she's doing quite well and is in good spirits. I hope this can continue and she'll be able to enjoy some more time around some new people and feel comforted in that she has someone around 24 hours a day. She's lost her two remaining siblings this past year and is the last surviving member of her family.

I'm excited about tomorrow as Makenna is supposed to be in a small play of sorts at her nursery. I have no false ideas that she'll actually stay and do her part. I fully expect her to run up to me and then not want to leave and do her part. But who knows, maybe she'll surprise me. I hope to capture a picture but I'll mostly be trying to video tape it so I'm not sure how many pictures I'll get - if any.

14Dec2008: Day 202: Dead, bloated frog

We now have a household full of sick people. It's just a joyous occasion. We're praying very hard that we'll all be healthy for our trip home. Chris decided to stay home to nurse his illness and later in the day, when he was feeling better, he had to go clean out this fountain like thing that is the back yard. It's in the shape of a big vase and it has a motor that causes the water to run over it. He had told the owner that he would take out the motor to it before winter. While he was cleaning it out, he came upon a dead, bloated frog in it. So that added to our fears of new illnesses.

Makenna is exhibiting signs of being a two year old. Today, while sitting on daddy's lap, she looked at him with this sideways glance and then proceeded to pour her cup of water on him. Not sure what possessed her to do this. But I do notice that she will do this sideways glance or look straight at me and do something that she knows clearly that she shouldn't do. I also don't know how kids come out of childhood without having a misshapen head. This girl hits her head more than I can count. Whether she chooses to in frustration or anger, or if she's just being clumsy or daring.

As for yesterday and the explanation of the ferry ride...Over 15 years ago, Chris and I had gone up to RI to visit my aunt and uncle and their two little boys (now both graduated from high school). We decided to go to Block Island and had to take a ferry boat over. It was a very rainy, windy day (similar to yesterday) and the boat ride was an adventure. Actually, I think the ride over wasn't rainy but very windy. The boat rocked from side to side and many, many, many people were getting sick. There were people who stayed in their cars and were getting sick in their cars. Others were just getting ill in the cabin area. We, Chris, myself, my uncle Richard, and his son Kyle (who was about 5 I think,) all stayed outside and just watched the horizon. We made it "unscathed" so to say. As we were leaving the boat someone got sick and Kyle said, "Daddy, I'm hungry." We all laughed. We decided to pick up some Dramamine for all of us on the way back - it was definitely raining on the way back. We had to huddle under the deck, where the cars were parked (we didn't bring a car on the boat,) and you could actually see the ocean waves coming up and over the side of this huge boat. I really thought we'd tip over! Chris had to hang on to me at one point as the boat was tipping to one side, and I was starting to fall to that side. So you can now see why the idea of going on a ferry boat for this trip yesterday initially made me a bit weary. Especially since it was windy and very rainy.

I bought a couple of muffins before we got on the boat (we didn't have time for breakfast at home,) and after a few bites I realized that maybe eating before getting on the boat may not be the best idea. Makenna was quite upset that we stopped her from eating her "muffit." It wasn't until the last 10-15 minutes that the ride got a bit tipsy. Of course, that was the time I chose to change Makenna's diaper. As I got up, the boat started to rock a bit and I was carrying her and went into a pole and then I got my composure and started walking towards the bathrooms again. It started to rock again and this time I fell into the seat of someone who luckily was not there at the time. I sat there for a moment hoping the rocking of the boat would end, and the guy who's seat I was sitting in came over and helped me up and helped me walk with Makenna in my arms, to the bathroom.

Since we had stopped Makenna's "muffit" eating, and we realized this boat ride wasn't going to be so bad, we did buy her another one (the first one was still in the car and we weren't going to go down to get it.) Of course, that didn't stop her from asking throughout the day for another one.

13Dec2008: Day 201: Carisbrooke Castle & Osborne House

We were able to get up early, in fact, I felt I barely slept all night, to get to the ferry boat on time to go over to the Isle of Wight. The car trip is just a little over two hours and the ferry boat was only about an hour. I have to say I was extremely nervous about the boat ride over. See tomorrow's blog as to why I would be a bit hesitant.

Makenna really enjoyed the boat ride over and was able to sit up against a window on the third floor, looking out. She gave us a bit of trouble when she decided to throw her Cheerios all over the floor and then later spit out her drink. She's picked up the throwing of Cheerios from Hannah and I think she picked up spitting her drinks out from watching us brush our teeth. But their both habits that are extremely annoying right now.

Anyways, we got over to the island, and it was only about a 20 minute drive to the Carisbrooke Castle. Being that it was a very rainy day, we were unable to see the whole castle, as the stone steps and stone wall, or rampart, were very slippery so they closed them off. This of course would've given us a really good view of the Isle of Wight and we would've been able to see some more of the ruins and the Shell Keep. The Shell Keep was just the last place of refuge of the castle if they were being attacked and losing.

But we did see the well that was used by the castle and it's grounds. We've seen other wells at other castles but I have to say this was really impressive. It's 161 feet deep and the top part is lined with masonry, and then they had to cut through chalk as they dug down. It has a huge wheel attached to it to lower the bucket and bring it back up again. They say the wheel (imagine a huge hamster wheel), must have originally been worked by prisoners but then they started to use donkeys. So now the castle is known for the donkeys that they house and take care of. For the demonstration, they brought in an actual donkey and had it walk on the wheel to bring up the bucket. Makenna loved just watching the "horsie" and just kept saying "horsie" the whole time. One other thing they did was to actually take a scoop full of water and drop it down into the well so you could see how deep it was. You could actually count five to six seconds before you heard it splash. When I looked down into the well, it was crystal clear water.

They also had a small museum in the castle which used to be the Great Hall, We got to see some of the bedrooms that housed Charles I who was actually a prisoner at the castle in 1647-1648. He first went to the castle as a visitor but when they found that he intended to start another civil war, they kept him there as a prisoner. He tried to escape twice and the first time he was caught because he got wedged between the window bars. He was moved to another room and again tried to escape through a window, but two the guards who he thought were going to help him escape actually betrayed him, so he just stayed where he was. Charles I was eventually executed in 1649 (not at the castle though). He also had two children that were kept as prisoners here and his daughter Princess Elizabeth died at the age of 14 here from pneumonia. Her brother Henry was a prisoner for 3 years and then was released.

Princess Beatrice (daughter of Queen Victoria) then lived here as her summer residence. She was the last to use the castle as a residence. The castle has a lot of prior history to what I wrote above and some in between and after. Most of what is in ruins was from an area that was George Carey's Mansion. He was the cousin to Queen Elizabeth I. He knew he was a prominent person so in order to show that he was high in status, he built a mansion within the castle walls. I'm not sure why it's all broken down and in ruins now - you just see a shell of things that used to be.

There was also a chapel of St. Nicholas within the castle grounds and is now a memorial to the island's dead of the First World War. The guardhouse is turned into an area where you can watch a short film about the history of the castle. It had an animated donkey in it so Makenna was happy to sit and watch it. She kept asking for the "horsie" every time it stopped showing him in the movie.

We then ate the lunch I packed, in the car and went onto the Osborne House. NOT Ozzy Osbourne mind you! It was the house of Queen Victoria (the one mentioned above as mother to Princess Beatrice) and her husband Prince Albert. They wanted a private house with "beach front" away from court life in London. We went on a tour of the first floor of the house. In the winter months, you have to go on a scheduled tour and the other floors, the Swiss Cottage, summerhouse, and some of the gardens are closed. The tour guide said that they bought the house in 1845 and that the house that was there at the time didn't meet Prince Albert's needs as it only had 16 bedrooms! So they had it knocked down and rebuilt it in the style of Italian Renaissance. Prince Albert designed a lot of it himself.

There were a few interesting things to note in this house. One, they had a lot of sculptures that they had given each other as gifts. I was saying to Chris, wouldn't it be nice to just give each other these huge sculptures - but then we'd need a house big enough to put them in too. One of the sculptures was over 2000 years old. Another thing was the ceilings. They were painted in 1850 and haven't needed to be re-touched since then. They've been cleaned but not re-painted. Chris thinks it's probably the good lead paint they had back then.

Prince Albert also had certain things painted to look like marble. The hallway where the staircase was and some of the columns in a room that were actually support columns. It was pretty convincing - it did look like marble from a distance. After Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria had another wing built onto the house (which balanced it out more,) and it was done in an "Indian" theme. the "Durbar Room" was absolutely amazing. There were wooden moulds than they were plastered over and also had a material on them similar to paper mache. The whole room, including the ceiling was done this way. The ceiling was done as one big mould and it's actually a drop-ceiling. The bolts that hold the ceiling in place are hidden by lights. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the house (although I snuck a few). So this was taken off a website.

I have to say Makenna was a "dream" during this tour. Of course, it helped that she was asleep. She woke up the last 10 minutes of the tour. We then walked along the gardens outside of the house for a bit. I was taking pictures of some of the sculptures in the garden when I realized after the second or third picture, that they were all covered up and I was taking pictures of sheets on top of the statues.

Then we got in the car and we had an 1.5 hours until our scheduled ferry boat trip back. We decided to go there anyways in the hopes that maybe we could get on an earlier one. We got there about 5 minutes before it was taking off and they did let us on. Which is nice because that meant we got home earlier. The ferry trip back was fairly uneventful. She was a bit anxious at times. Chris and I had gotten Hot Chocolate and of course she wanted some. It was way to hot and she was quite upset. When it was finally cool enough (and near the end of the drink) I tried to let her drink it but by then she was too scared that it was hot. I got childish and stuck her hand in the drink to show her it wasn't hot and she then promptly dried her hand off on my hair and scarf. Chris laughed and said it served me right...it did.

12Dec2008: Day 200: Lakeside Shopping Center

This time next week, we'll be on a plane returning to NY. We're getting excited of thought of seeing family and friends.

Tonight we went to Lakeside Shopping Center which is pretty big. It's about 40 minutes away depending on traffic. We had scheduled a time for Makenna to see Santa. By scheduling, that meant we didn't have to stand in line as long as other people. We had to wait probably about 20 minute but it was better than the hour plus that others had to wait. They took you into this little house like structure they built and Santa was there in his chair with presents around him. As soon as the curtain was pulled back, Makenna started crying. I wasn't surprised. They're obviously prepared for that so they had seats wrapped up like presents for us to sit on and she sat on our laps and we got our picture taken. The first picture Makenna was obviously crying so we calmed her down enough to get a second picture and she still looks a bit upset but it was better than the first one, so we still bought it. I wouldn't have bothered but Chris convinced me since it was her first picture with Santa we had to get it. I agreed. Plus it's a rare family photo.

We were able to do a little shopping but it was mostly getting Makenna to behave and walk instead of wanting to be carried. We have to break her of the habit of wanting to be carried all the time. I admit that there are times when it is just easier - like when you're in a hurry. But, she's getting bigger and has to realize that she either has to walk, or ride in the pushcart. Plus, there will still be times when she's carried.

Well, we have a really big day tomorrow. We're going to the Isle of Wight which is a few hours away. Two by car, and one by ferry so we've got to get up early.

11Dec2008: Day 199: Monkey Bizz

Today we went to a play area of sorts called Monkey Bizz. It has jungle gyms that kids can climb in and around with ball pools and slides and things to climb in and through. There were other various toys and areas were broken up by ages. Since it was mostly little kids, we were able to take the girls into the older kids areas. In the bigger kids areas, they had these puffy, rubber
steps, for lack of a better way to explain it, that Makenna actually got the hang of. This video, which I can't turn the correct way - sorry, shows the steps I was talking about and Makenna used it as a slide. Usually, she would go up them and it would lead her up to many different areas and we would eventually get to this really big slide. I went down with her the first couple of times, but then the next couple of times, she went down next to me and she would end up flipping around and being on her stomach and backwards, but she still loved it.

There was also this other part after we climbed up and were trying to get to the slide, that has two rollers that we had to squish through. Imagine an old crank hand washer with the rollers. Makenna was trying to climb under the bottom roller and I physically showed her that she had to squish through the rollers. I didn't realize that she was going through the same time I was and as I was grunting from being squished to what seemed like a pancake, she came shooting through and we were both on the other side laughing. We went through this a couple of more times and each time, I'd be groaning and grunting and we'd come through laughing.

The only thing that drove me crazy is that she would ask to go in the pool of balls and not even two seconds later she'd say, "done, done." She did this repeatedly. I finally got in one time with her and that kept her in longer. Here she is with Hannah and her little baby sister Bethany I also am including a picture of Bethany here as it was just too cute not to post. You can see they'll have another red head on their hands. You'll also notice that the baby has on two different socks. As weird as this may seem, I think it's a good idea. Their mom is known for putting them in any two mismatched socks she can find. That would certainly make taking care of laundry much easier and solve the the issue of socks that go missing. It would just be no big deal. When it got to lunch time, the girls got very hungry so we all headed home.

Tonight, Chris had a Christmas party for work so we took Makenna over to Hannah's while we went to the dinner. It was in downtown Maidstone (the city we first lived in when we moved here). It was a Chinese restaurant and I have to say that I was actually really happy with the meal. I have found the Chinese food here to be very disappointing but this actually had flavor to it. The problem was that it took too long to be seated, even though they were expecting a party, and then the food took too long. We got there about 7:45pm and got the first appetizer about 8:45pm. They put it on a Lazy Susan which we could then spin around and sample the different foods. It was supposedly all you could eat but they didn't really seem to be filling up the dishes after the food was gone. I suppose if we asked, but I was afraid it would take to long.

It was still nice to meet some more people that Chris works with - even a lot from the states. Chris was shocked that there was so many from the plant back in the states that were here at the party. We also got in on a tradition that they have which is called "crackers". It is like a wrapped gift that you hold onto and cross hand over hand so you're holding on to one of yours and one of someone next to you, and then you both pull and it makes this snapping noise and out pops a goofy tissue paper hat and a little toy. The one guy I was sitting next to said how they think nothing of it to sit around the table with these silly hats and eat dinner.

I finally convinced Chris we had to go as it was about 20 of eleven and we had told our babysitters that we should be back around 10pm. Well, we were about an hour and fifteen minutes late. I texted them to let them know that dinner was running late and then later on, that we were on our way. When we go to their house, Makenna was still up. She didn't want to go to bed at their house. So she was up watching Mickey Mouse movie. We're very grateful to Madonna and her household for watching Makenna for us so we could enjoy an adult night out.

10Dec2008: Day 198: Hi Friend

When I was trying to get Makenna from the nursery at the gym, there was a little boy who was trying desperately to stay in the nursery. He was even crawling under a door that was cut on the bottom to get back in. Anyways, his mom took him out and I went to get Makenna. As I got Makenna and we left, she saw the little boy and ran up to him and acted all excited to see him, even though she just left him. I said, "is this your friend?" Makenna then said, "Hi friend" to the little boy. It was so very cute.

Almost every day, Makenna will ask, "Hannah, Hannah?" She wants to know if she'll see Hannah. I kept telling her that we probably wouldn't see her today at our afternoon playgroup as her grandparents were in town to visit. But Hannah did show up and Makenna, again, was very excited and ran up to her.

Luckily we had a much better day than yesterday. She ate lunch and dinner without any problems. She just was very grumpy when I woke her up from her nap. At one point, she said, "I want my daddy." Then when we were going upstairs to take a bath, she said "that's amazing". I'm not sure what she was talking about but I was amazed that she said the words.

Hopefully tomorrow we're going some place new with Hannah and family. It's supposed to be some place where they have the ball pools and other things for kids to climb on and enjoy. I'll have to try and remember my camera.

9Dec2008: Day 197: Sowski

Today was what I would call a "fragile" day. I'm not sure what was wrong with Makenna but everything seemed to set her off. If I had to guess, I would say that not seeing her daddy when she woke up had a lot to do with it. He had to leave for work early.

Needless to say, she wasn't happy when I took her to nursery. She just clung to me and cried. I felt bad but I know that when I go, she calms down pretty quickly. After lunch, she was watching "Monsters Inc." and there is a character called Mike Wyzowski (spelling it phonetically). Makenna started saying it (as you can somewhat hear in this video). At first she say "Sowski" but she got better at it. It was about the only time she was happy. Even though she did have one moment of break down. The picture at the top was during the movie, thus the beautiful smile.

We also had the dishwasher repairman finally come. It's still not fixed. He had to order a part and will hopefully be back on Friday to fix it. Makenna was excited as usual that we had a visitor but she calmed down pretty quick as she was more into the movie.

Dinner was a huge headache. Chris says I need to pick my battles and I guess this is one he felt that I should've just let go. I made spaghetti, which Makenna usually likes and eats but for some reason just didn't want any part of it tonight. We had naan bread which she did want. I kept telling her that if she ate just one bite of spaghetti she could have some bread. Well, you would've thought I said the end of the world was coming. She, after maybe a half hour, eventually gave in and ate a couple of bites and I gave her some bread. Then the process started all over again. By this time, Chris was home and I said he could take over, I was at my wits end. He gave in and gave her bread, which frustrated me to no end. I felt it went against everything I was just trying to accomplish.

I took off to work on family history and when I returned, he was not too happy. She cried the whole two hours I was gone, over bread! I guess he's right in one sense, but I know she usually eats spaghetti and there was no reason why she should just sit there and eat bread.

As for the family history thing...well, that was frustrating for me. I had ordered micro fiche films from a different area of England where some of my family history comes from. This one film was very hard to read, some of it was from the 1500's so it was smeared, smudged, faded and wrote in fancy writing that was hard to read. Sometimes, written very close together and small. It just ended up being a futile time. I guess I'm just used to being able to use a "find" feature and being able to put in criteria and having things take me to the place I need to look for what I want. This is just sitting and scanning page after page. So I just ended up sending the films back. I don't have enough patience and think I can just find some of what I want on the Internet. Dang technology - spoils us all.

8Dec2008: Day 196: We are blessed

Makenna and I went and picked up Hannah and her mom and sister and went to visit another mom in the church who has three young kids (although one is in school). Talking with her and listening to all that she's struggling with right now made me realize how truly blessed we are. I realize I complain, mostly to Chris, and occasionally in the blog, about how I wish Chris would come home earlier from work. I know he wishes he could too, and hearing this woman today, made me realize that I should be grateful for all that we have and again to be thankful for the opportunity to be over here to see this country. I'm also blessed, and I believe I've said this before, that I have this opportunity to see Makenna grow and learn. If I had stayed back in the states and worked, I would've missed out on a lot I wouldn't have even realized. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely days I wish I was at work instead of dealing with an obstinate two year old, but at the end of the day, (especially days that went well,) I'm glad and grateful to spend that time with her.

I'm also grateful that when Hannah and the little boy Xander, decided to play in the kitty litter box that Makenna decided not to. I have to say, that today, I'm truly grateful for that! Unfortunately, it was a play date of sick kids. Pretty much all five of the kids had runny noses. Makenna was probably second in the running for the worse runny nose. I was just trying to keep Makenna from mouthing all the toys. I hope this stage stops soon. I can't stand watching her put things in her mouth that are either gross or that other kids most likely had in their mouths just perpetuating the forever illness that she seems to have.

By the time we left and got Hannah and family home, we only had a half-hour to eat lunch and get ready to go to the gym. Luckily, Makenna wasn't too hungry so lunch didn't take long. After, we had to run to the grocery store - which seems like we go every other day (but that's partly because of small refrigerators). Then on the way home, she crashed. I basically carried her up to bed and put her down for her nap. It's those times where I carry her and her head is resting on my shoulder that I'm going to miss as she starts to grow.

7Dec2008: Day 195: Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

So guess who's getting sick...AGAIN~! Is this misery ever going to end? She's in fairly good spirits but I'm sure that tomorrow will be another story. Hopefully I'm wrong. She's getting a runny nose and had a slight fever tonight. I swear she just had a week's reprieve and it starts again. I think a quarantine from Hannah might be in order. I think they're just passing it back and forth between themselves.

Although, from Thursday, Hannah looked quite well today. Her and Makenna didn't hang out as much the last hour of church as they usually do. But when we got to church and put Makenna in nursery Hannah was there and she right away was saying, "Wakka, Wakka" That's what she calls Makenna because she can't say "Makenna."

Here's the video of Hannah from this past Thursday doing a little dance. This unfortunately doesn't capture enough of her dancing but you get the idea.

One thing that has been really amazing me (among many,) with Makenna is that we bought her a Nursery Rhyme book for her birthday and last couple of weeks I've been reading her different rhymes from the book. Well, this past week she will turn the page to this or that nursery rhyme and start to say it as a way to ask me to read it. So for instance, she'll turn to Humpty Dumpty and say "Humpty Dumpty." Okay well, that may not seem so amazing, but there is this one nursery rhyme which I've never heard prior to this book called, "Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be." Every night, she wants to hear this rhyme and she finds the page it's on herself and then starts to say "Oh Dear." She does this with other rhymes too. I guess it's the whole finding it on her own that's amazing me and actually remembering a few words from it. She also likes "Pop Goes the Weasel." She likes it because I'll pop out my finger from my mouth - you know what I mean and then say "pop goes the weasel."

6Dec2008: Day 194: London Aquarium, Apsley House, Wellington Arch

We had a hard time deciding where to go today, but in the end, decided to go into London. When you go by train, you get this 2 for 1 booklet and the London Aquarium is one of the places we could get into for the price of one person. The train trip in was actually better than expected. We

were able to keep Makenna calm for the first half hour. Then the next 20-30 minutes was trying to keep her calm. The last 10-15 minutes was relatively calm. The video was very early on in the train ride.


We knew Makenna would really enjoy the aquarium and she certainly did. She couldn't stop saying "fishy." They unfortunately had one section closed off that she could actually touch some aquatic life but I doubt she would have given the chance - but who knows. She probably would've liked getting her hands in the water (as she tried at another tank) but not to touch the fish. Again, who knows.

There was this one big tank that we kept looking through as we walked around it and on different levels. It had sharks, a stingray and some other odds and ends of fish. The other tanks had some interesting fish but no "Nemo" fish. One tank had very docile looking pirhanna. I'm sure if someone was stupid enough to stick their hand in the tank that would change but it was weird to see a tank full of them acting as though they were sleeping. Who knows, maybe they were - fish don't close their eyes - right?

That tour was fairly short so we decided to grab a bite to eat (or as Makenna says samMICH - the emphasis being on the later part of the word sandwich). We brought a sandwich for her that she ate, reluctantly in the aquarium. She only ate a few bites and that was through bribing her that she could have a bite of a cookie after she had a bite of her sandwich. McDonald's was right as we got out of the aquarium and we got her a happy meal. She actually ate the bun and only a little bit of the hamburger. She wasn't in the mood for fries.

We then decided to take the underground to the Apsley House as we could get into it for Free (due to us belonging to English Heritage) and that admission also gets you into The Wellington Arch.

The Apsley house is right at Hyde Park and was first built for the 1st Baron of Apsley (Henry Bathurst). Then it was purchased by Marquess Wellesley who had just come back from India. Then it was bought by Arthur Wellesley, who was the 1st Duke of Wellington. He acquired it after his victories over Napoleon especially at Waterloo. The grateful nation of Britain gave him 700,000 pounds to build a "Waterloo Palace" but he bought Apsley House and just expanded it. When the 7th Duke of Wellington lived in the house, he gave it to the nation along with the collections in it. The current Duke and his family still live in it, and it mostly looks like it did when the 1st Duke lived in it.

Besides having a lot of paintings that the 1st Duke acquired, some of which were from Napoleon's stash, there were two other things that really stood out. The first was a very big, almost nude, statue of Napoleon himself. The statue was actually commissioned by Napoleon himself who wanted to be made to be like the statues of the Gods at the time. By the time the statue was done, Napoleon was in his 40's (and obviously didn't look anything like this statue), and felt he looked too athletic in it and he had it put in the cellar of the Louvre! After Waterloo, the British Government bought the sculpture and King George the I gave it to the Duke of Wellington. He obviously couldn't refuse it and he actually admired Napoleon. There was only one place in the house where it would fit and they had to reinforce the floor where it stands, and re-do the staircase. Now, I don't know about you, but if there was a person I was repeatedly going to physical battle with, I don't think I'd want a huge, almost nude sculpture, of my foe. There was one story about how during WWII that when Britain was bombed, it was very near the Apsley House and the fig leaf fell off of the statue and when the lady of the house was found among the rubble, the first thing she wanted was to have the fig leaf put back on the statue.

The second thing that was pretty amazing was this 26ft long centerpiece for the banqueting table in the State Dining Room. It was given to the 1st Duke by the Portuguese Council to commemorate victories over Napoleon in the Peninsular War. In the middle of the pieces, there are figures that represent the four continents that pay tribute to the united armies of Portugal, Britain, & Spain, while nymphs who are dancing encircle them. The battles are named on individual plaques. I wish I could show you a picture but they don't allow pictures inside (I snuck the Napoleon statue one).

We then went across the street to the Wellington Arch. This has a long somewhat sordid history. It, along with Marble Arch (which is at the other end of Hyde Park), was built to commemorate Britain's victories over France during the Napoleon era. The Wellington Arch was in a different location than it is now and also had a gigantic equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington. The people didn't like the statue on the arch as they felt it was way too big for the arch and made it look very disproportionate. Just to give you an idea, they said that an actual man on horseback could ride underneath the statue. When the road had to be widened, the arch was moved to where it now stands and they took down the statue and put up a different one of a "quadriga" or four-horse chariot. The Duke statue went near the garrison church where it still stands. The English Heritage bought both arches and was able to repair this one so that people could go up into it and view some of the area around it.

We then had to take the underground back to a train station and we were truly blessed by getting a train that only had three to four stops before ours. Not that, that made the ride any easier, but it was much better than past train rides.

5Dec2008: Day 193: Well, That Changes Things

Makenna was supposed to go to St. Marks Nursery but when we got their, they had to cancel for the day as they had no heating. So that changed my plans of going to the gym...at that time. I called to get her into the nursery at the gym but they didn't have an opening until the afternoon. So we just went back home.

I decided to pack a few things for upcoming trip home. I have a bunch of clothes that don't fit Makenna anymore that we'll pass to cousin Katie. We gave a few things to Hannah (mostly pajamas or pyjamas as they spell it here). Plus I've picked up a few Christmas gifts to bring back with us so I got those packed. There was also about 4 or 5 dresses I wasn't sure if they'd fit Makenna any longer so we played dress-up. Well, I played dress-up while Makenna humored me. All the while, she was getting into things of mine. I guess it was a fair trade. They all fit, until I decided to keep one on her and I realized, it's really shorter than I realized. So today was the last day she wore that dress. That will be going home. I also have a pair of red boots that I love of hers and I put them back on her, trying to remember why I put them away. I know there was some reason but she wore them today so I think she can still wear them.

Then we just watched a movie. She watched, while I watched last night's "Survivor" episode on YouTube. Thank goodness for YouTube (and those diligent to post the shows pretty quickly). Then it was lunch and to the gym. We went to the grocery store after to pick up a few things. While at the store, someone stopped me and said my name. I was shocked as I had no idea who this person was. She said her name and I said, "from where?" Then she mentioned she had come to our fourth of July party. Then I remembered. She asked how we're settling in and how things were. She said she knew it was me from Makenna. She saw Makenna and knew who she was. It was probably hard to recognize me too as I had my hair back and I was all sweaty.

Got home and after her usual afternoon yogurt, she went down for a nap. She's getting more adamant about being independent. She wants to spoon the yogurt herself until she gets down to the end. She also has been fighting me on brushing her teeth. She wants to do it first. I usually do it and then let her do it. That may have to change. As long as we get it done. Chris also came home early (just before 4pm). That's only because he had a doctor's appointment. Maybe I should schedule an appointment for him every week.

Tonight, I talked to my girlfriend Katie and wished her a very happy birthday. Katie and I were in college together in Syracuse. I won't mention how old she is but we both can't believe how time has flown since college. She has 4 girls and home schools them. It's always good to talk with her and catch up. So Happy Birthday Katie!

4Dec2008: Day 192: Belly Bump

Today was our day to go to the sing/dance playgroup. I got a cute mini-video of Hannah dancing but I need to check with Hannah's mom if it's okay to post it. I never have the camera ready when I need it but this little girl is constantly dancing. The times I do have it, if Makenna notices, she just wants the camera.

We bought tickets for their Christmas party on the 18th. What was also funny was that Makenna and Hannah were into showing each other their belly's. At one point, Makenna lifted her shirt showing her belly and then Hannah lifted hers and they were coming at each other belly first. Hannah put her shirt back down but Makenna kept going. Madonna and I were just laughing. Me without my camera handy.

The rest of the day was just me going to the gym in the afternoon and waiting for daddy to come home (very late) at night. Work has just been very busy for him. I was deluded in thinking that coming here, and hearing that the people like to leave at 4:30 - 5:00pm that, that would include him.

I decided to include these couple of videos of Makenna. The first one is from this past Sunday and it's us trying to get Makenna to say "Oh dear" with her English accent - which she does eventually. The second video was from tonight and it's Makenna trying to get daddy to take her up to brush teeth. You can clearly hear her say "okay" (instead of yes). We were also trying to get her when she says, "you, you, you." Lately, when it's time to get ready for bed, she immediately goes to daddy and grabs his hand and starts saying "you, you, you." Meaning that she wants him to take her up to get ready for bed. Hopefully I'll catch that one of these times.

3Dec2008: Day 191: Fine, Fine

You know when you give up or give in and you say, "Fine, fine" in a somewhat exasperated voice? Well, guess who is saying it now. She's said it the past but this week so far, she seems to say it a few times a day. For example, we'll be sitting eating dinner and she'll ask for a fork, so I repeat, "you want a fork?" She goes, "okay, fine, fine" Remember that okay is "yes" to her, so she pauses between okay and fine, fine. But she has that exasperated sound in her voice when she says it. Hmm, no guess as to who she picked that up from.

This morning instead of play group, Makenna and I went to Hempstead Valley Shopping Center. It's only about 15 minutes away by car. I needed to pick up a couple of things as gifts for her for up coming Christmas parties. This kid has more parties planned in the next two weeks than I can keep track of. Even one on the day we're supposed to fly out, which I think we'll be able to go to as our flight isn't until 4pm or so, and the party is in the morning.

We went to our normal afternoon playgroup, where Makenna really enjoyed using glue and glitter to make a star. She was actually very upset when I got her down. She got upset one other time too, that I don't recall why. I think she was just tired.

There are times when you can tell she's getting confused by what inflection to use with words. Today I could hear her say "hot" but she was saying it like "hwat" (that's the best way I can spell how it sounds). Then she'd switch to the "hot" I'm used to hearing.

She's also always trying to "help" me by cleaning. She'll pick up washcloths or paper towels and start wiping things like the table or bathtub. Most of the time it's not hurting anything. Now we're trying to have her help us take things from the dining room into the kitchen like her cup or something to the refrigerator like the butter.

Did we mention she loves to brush her teeth? She does it usually three to four times a day. Hopefully this will be a habit she'll keep and she won't need to have whitening done. If she had her way, she'd also be in the bathtub five times a day.

2Dec2008: Day 190: I Stink

Makenna had nursery again this morning and she was not too happy that I was leaving her. I felt bad, but the worker said to just go and she'd calm down. Which, she did (from what they told me when I came back for her). Part of the reason for taking her to nursery was so that I could go to the gym and then go home and get things done. But by the time I get home and showered that leaves me about half-hour to forty-five minutes to get things done. Not as much time as I had hoped. Better than nothing though.

I picked her up and we went home for lunch. Shortly after lunch Makenna came up to me and said, "I stink." I was like, "do you?" She replied, "no." So I took a look and sure enough she had gone. I was trying to praise her for telling me but she didn't want to be changed. She didn't win that battle obviously but I was trying to reinforce how glad I was that she was telling me. I can usually tell within minutes from her going regardless but I know this is another step towards potty training. Hannah has been telling her mom this for a couple of weeks now, so I wasn't sure if she was just mimicking her. If she can keep this up, it will help daddy as he can never tell unless I tell him. Ignorance is bliss in Chris's mind in regards to this.

I tried to take her to story time at Chatham library. I knew she would be tired so I tried keeping her awake on the drive their (which is only about 10 minutes away). But, I couldn't find it. The GPS took me to the street but there was no obvious sign stating "library here" and it was on a busy street. I would've had to park in a car-park area and walk around looking. It was raining a bit and like I said she was tired. I'll have to call them and ask them next time I try. By the time we got home, she was asleep. So I just carried her up to bed and put her down. I'll miss being able to carry her in another few years. It's hard to believe how much she's grown already.

We had to pick up daddy from work and got home and I made something new. It was spinach and ricotta tortellini. Chris was shocked because I don't like spinach but these don't taste overly spinachy (if that's a word). Makenna ate it and I was happy - another way to get vegetables into her.

Makenna's also starting to put more words together for sentences. You hear her say, "what did you do?" Again, another repeat of what she hears us say to her. She usually proceeds it with an "uh-oh".

1Dec2008: Day 189: Whoops

Our little miss sunshine decided to wake up at 6am, much to our dislike. Chris tried for a half hour to get her to settle back down but she was just up and chatty, so it was time for all of us to get up. She insisted that she had to have pancakes with sauce so daddy was kind enough to do that for her.

We actually made it back to the gym today. I thought I was going to lose a lung on one machine called a cross-trainer. I absolutely hate this machine but do it because I burn more calories in 12 minutes than I do in 12 minutes on the elliptical. Everyone loved Makenna's hat. A lot of people made comments saying how they needed a hat just like hers.

After, I took Makenna swimming as it's been a couple of weeks and she keeps asking to swim. After that, we went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. It's about a 10 minute drive from the store to the house, and within those 10 minutes, she fell asleep. I figured that she wouldn't make it considering she got up early. But I thought that if I at least got her in the house and got lunch together that she would perk back up. So I brought her in put her two feet on the kitchen floor and she proceeded to lay right down on the floor and fall back asleep. My next trick was to take her up to bed as I thought once I got her down into bed and changed her diaper that would get her to wake back up. Nope. I asked her if she wanted to eat lunch and she said, "no." So I asked her if she wanted a nap, she replied "okay." I figured, might as well not fight it. She then ate a very late lunch (after 3pm) but she ate really well. She decided cereal was good enough for her dinner and I didn't really expect her to eat at all.

She did and said so many cute things today that I knew I should've written them down. One thing she did say a couple of times today was "hold still." That was when I was changing her diaper. You can tell where she picked that up from. Another thing that she has been saying is "whoops." She typically says this as she is knocking something off of something else. Like when we try to build up blocks, by the time we get to the third one, she knocks the tower over and says "whoops." Today she took her "dolly" (a little doll she got as a birthday gift), and said "poopy." I asked, "does dolly have to go poopy?" She then said, "potty." So I asked, "should dolly go on the potty?" and I proceeded to put the doll on the training potty. Makenna then smacked the doll off and said, "whoops!" I hate it when I'm going the bathroom and someone smacks me off.