Family Photos

While we were visiting with my parents in August my Mom insisted that we have our family photos done again.  After all, the last time we had them done was when Jocelyn was just two years old.  So...I guess every five years isn't asking too much.  I really appreciate that she made us do it.  I love how the pictures turned out and have had a hard time deciding which ones to print and send and hang on the wall, etc.  So let me know what you think!  My only regret is that I didn't make my parents do one with us, or on their own.  So, I will have to work on that.

August 2013

Woburn Village Festival

This last weekend Jon took us to the Woburn Village Oyster Festival.  Mostly, so that I could have oysters.  He's so sweet that way.  It was pretty busy and in a little market town that I loved.  They had an amazing flea market set up, lots of games and rides for the kids, oysters, mussels, sausages, and music.  Joci had a great time dancing to the big band music.  She told me that she'd like to play the trumpet.  Joe actually tried mussels, Joci did too, but Joe truly liked them.  Nobody tried an oyster with me.  I found a gorgeous antique platter for the kitchen.  We all had fun.  It was a good time.

I promise, Jon was having fun, that's just his picture smile.

Joci and I tried on pretty, fancy hats.

I took this picture with my phone's camera that adds action shots together to make one shot.  Pretty cool,, huh?

September 7, 2013

Joci and Memphis

Jocelyn LOVES horses.  All things horses, ponies, pegasus, unicorns, etc, etc, etc.  Any time we see a horse or drive by a pasture, she gets so excited.  So when we were back in Arizona I contacted an old colleague of mine who has a horse to see if she would be willing to let Joci meet her horse.  She said yes and so Joci and I spent a little time with my friend, Suzi, and her horse Memphis.

Suzi was very gracious in letting us, especially Joci, stroke and talk to and about Memphis, and he was such a good boy standing perfectly still, letting her pet all over him and even give him a hug.  I really enjoyed watching Joci interact with Memphis.  I feel pretty proud for making that happen for her.

August, 2013

First Day of School

Well, well, well.  This is pretty lame.  I'm posting about the first day of school when my last posting is about the last day of school and have done nothing in between.  I guess that goes to show we had a nice full summer.  I never promised that this blog would be in chronological order...did I?

I was definitely ready for school to start.  The kids and I had loads of fun, but I am certainly ready for a little alone time and to get back to our routine.

I've had a hard time coming to terms with Jocelyn starting junior school, the same that Joseph already attends, this year.  She will be in Year 3, Joe in Year 5.  My baby is no longer a baby.  She is very much her own person, with her own personality, her own likes and dislikes, her own gestures and way of speaking.  Joci still likes to cuddle and gives tons of hugs and kisses, she still has her favorite blankie (a new one that Grandma made for her), and unfortunately she still sucks her thumb whenever she can get away with it.  She looked so grown up in her dress today for school, in red, no longer yellow.  She was so excited this morning while getting ready and during our walk, but when we rounded the corner she grabbed on to me and said "it's so big and there's too many people".  She was quite clingy until we saw her friends and then she was back to her happy, sassy ways.  It did take us awhile to figure out which door to go into, where to put her lunch box and bookbag, but once that was done.  She was off and ready to go.  Bless her, my big girl.

Joseph, on the other hand, was as cool and confident as a cucumber.  He was excited to join his class, his has the biggest classroom, and really couldn't wait to leave Joci and I and join his friends and class.  He was up and raring to go quite early and was very chatty on the way to school.  I wish I could have walked in with him as well, but he was off and didn't really appear to need me at all.  Joe is growing so fast, as well.  Where did the last nine years go? 

I walked back to our house, it was so quiet when I closed the door, and immediately my mind began to race with all the things that needed to be done.  Back to the grind, back to the schedule. 

When the kids came home they excitedly told me about their day.  Joe did see Joci a couple of times during the day, though Joci did not see Joe.  They enjoyed their lunches (chicken and cheese sandwich, cucumber, apple, and a yogurt), and both seemed to have teachers suited to them.  Joe's teacher had them do a large sunflower craft based on Vincent VanGough, Joci's teacher had them play miscellaneous games including one for numeracy.  I was so happy and relieved that both of them came home with big smiles on their faces and lovely stories of their day.

Best First Day of School EVER!

On their way to school.

Add caption

I love how she and her friends were holding hands.  So sweet.

This should pretty much be captioned "Enough with the pictures!"

Finally settled in class and working on her name word search. 

September 4, 2013

Jocelyn's Leaver's Assembly

Each year at the end of school the Year 2 classes hold a Leaver's Assembly to say goodbye to the Year 2 children moving up to the junior school.  They are very often a tear-jerking experience, saying goodbye to a lovely school and teachers and the school that they've been at for 3 years. 

This year I sat and watched Jocelyn enjoy her last time in the hall, singing and reading (her favorite time at Merebrook) and looking quite adorable.  I can't believe that she is done with her school and moving up to year 3.  She suddenly seems to be growing faster than what I can keep up.  I can feel my time with her slipping through my fingers.  Soon she'll want nothing to do with me and I will wonder where all that time with her went to.  Makes me a bit sad, truthfully.

But, I'll always have the memories of her singing and laughing and having a good time at her Leaver's Assembly.

I did Joci's hair special for her, to look like a princess.

Joci had to dress up like a princess to be at a banquet.

Joci and her BFF since Foundation.

Joci with her LOVELY teacher.  We couldn't have asked for a better teacher for her.

July 17, 2013

Milton Keynes Sausage and Cider Festival

A couple of weeks ago we joined our friends at the Milton Keynes Sausage and Cider Festival.  We were really lucky that it was just up the road at our local rugby club and so an easy walk.  Unfortunately, we were a little unprepared wearing shorts and tshirts when we should have been wearing hoodies as it got a bit chilly, but luckily it did not rain.

They had a huge selection of sausages (my favorite was the stilton and grape) and ciders (my favorite was the strawberry).  I drank a bit too much cider, 2 pitchers!  Woo!

The music was pretty good, but the entertainment provided by our kids was fabulous.  A person in our party told our kids that the cider place would pay £1 for returning the good plastic cups that they handed out on premium drinks.  My kids got to work scouring the fields for discarded cups.  Let's just say, I love that my kids were working so hard to make their own money, and they made quite a bit, at least £20, if not more.  They spent most of it on tat and sweets at the donut stand, but they did save some of it.  After awhile, unfortunately, the cider people stopped paying them for the cups, which we thought was a bit unfair, since they would still give it to others...but oh well.  They had a blast, and so did we watching them run up to us with empty cider glasses excited that they made another £1.

 

July 20, 2013

A Very Thoughtful Breakfast from Jocelyn

Last Sunday I had a lovely sleep in.  When I finally decided to get up, I walked outside our bedroom to find this lovely little breakfast left from Jocelyn and such a kind note as well.  It made me feel so loved and blessed to have a kind and thoughtful daughter who thinks of and cares for others...especially Mummy.  Joci, you made my day!

July 28, 2013

This Is How We BBQ!

Seems like we have started a bit of a tradition here at the Hooge house.  For the last 3 years we have hosted a great BBQ for all our friends here in the UK. 

This year Jon made his famous pulled pork, 14 lbs of it!  10 lbs of traditional British sausages, grilled chicken legs, baked beans, coleslaw, and cornbread.  If you can believe it, it is ALL gone!  We had a bit of beans and coleslaw left over but everything else was devoured, which is a lovely testament to how good the food was.

Jon prepared a super scavenger hunt for the kids to keep them nice and busy and help the boredom stay at bay and then they later had a Xbox tournament. 

The best part, though, I think were the fireworks we set off after dusk.  Jon, Rik, and Phil had a blast (pun intended) lighting the fireworks, tripping over each other and, yes, perhaps one did land in a tree...just once.

It was a great time to be had by all.

One of 'my Ladies', Carol.  Always the joker and my fellow gardening guru.

One of 'my Ladies', Jo.  She has 4 kids and is always uber organized.

One of 'my Ladies', Helen.  She is the hostess with the mostess.  She helped and hosted my surprise birthday party with Jon.

My Ladies.  They make life here so much fun and without them I'd be lost!

Jo being a MAJOR goof.

Jo with her littlest cutie, Eva.

July 13, 2013