We made it!!

This one may be long, because I have not had internet access for awhile, which, has been killing me. Even being as busy as we are, I miss my connection with the technology world. So, here is what has happened. The day we left was perfect….it was beautiful and sunny. Flights were all on time and we could not have asked for a better travel day. The kids, were on their best behavior. Bean was perfect. Happy to be traveling, curious, well behaved. Gerbie had her toddler moments, but all in all, did SO much better than we thought. The first flight was a little iffy at first. She was scared, and fussed and wanted to be held, but once we took off, she settled down and even fell asleep. So did Bean. So the little naps they had seemed to help and when we got to Newark we ate dinner and then hung out in the Continental lounge, drinking water and eating snacks until 10:15 when we took off. Because we were in Business First class, the seats were large and comfortable and actually leaned back all the way down flat. We got the kids settled into their seats with blankets, pillows, stuffed animals and snacks. Gerbie was very tired and fussed off and on for the first two hours and then passed out and slept the REST OF THE FLIGHT. Bean watched a movie, ate some snacks and then fell asleep. We woke both of them up right before the flight landed – wow. Could not have been better. The hardest part of the traveling was that we had 8 carryons and 10 suitcases. That was a lot to negotiate with a stroller and two kids. We got to the house, and my mom and I set about getting the kids rooms set up. My husband went grocery shopping with another expat who has been so nice and thoughtful. She came over with wine and flowers, took him shopping and then came back later to take us to Bean’s school interview (more on that later). Anyway, we got all the suitcases unpacked, the house picked up and cleaned and the groceries put away. The hardest part was everything in this house is different. Not just new house different, I mean new country different. And I mean different. Here comes the not so happy part, everything is NOT going ok, moment of this blog. In England, doors lock from the inside and outside of the door. So, to get OUT of the house, you need a key. And it is not just as simple as turning a key, you have to turn the handle up, down, all around while pulling it in, and moving the key around. And each door is different. So you have to know the TRICK of each door. We have 5 doors, and each have a key in them and each have a different trick. I have finally after the second day figured out two of the doors. I laid in bed last night worrying that there would be a fire and I would not be able to get everyone out of the house. Yes, truly serious people, you need a KEY to get OUT of your house from the inside. If someone leaves and takes the key with them –sorry, you are not leaving. When I mentioned this to someone at the bank today, they acted like I was crazy for thinking this was odd. This is just what they do here. I also couldn’t get any appliances to work--you have to flip a switch to the main power, usually a switch that is nearby each appliance and then figure out how to use the appliance. Then there is figuring out what to use to clean dishes, clothes and what to eat. I seriously looked at a box of cleaning tablets for about 15 minutes trying to figure out if they were for the dishwasher or the washing machine. I even had my mom look to try to figure it out. Neither of us could. The dish soap is called Fairy Pink Petals and nowhere on it does it mention it is for dishes. Packaging is all different. I have finally figured out some foods, but who would have thought yogurt was going to be called fromage frais? Cookies are biscuits. And at a restaurant for dinner tonight I ordered Bean lemonade and out came a sprite. Yep, that is what they call lemonade. So what do they call what we think of as lemonade? No idea yet. After a full day of not being able to figure anything out, being tired and majorly jet lagged, all I wanted to do was take a shower and I could not figure out how to turn the shower on so I had a minor meltdown. Ok, a major meltdown. I just wanted a shower. And I could not figure out how to turn the water on. Yes, there is a trick to that too. Push a button, then flip one knob, then adjust another knob for the water temperature. I feel like I am in a foreign country –oh wait, I am. But I feel like I am in a foreign country where they speak a different language. Again, I guess I am. There are a lot of similarities in our languages, but not enough to make this a seamless transition. Aside from the meltdown though, things are going ok. We got Bean enrolled in the school we wanted…we loved the school and they loved her. She starts on Monday. They wear little British uniforms, her school colors are green and gray. They also assign the kids to a “house”, much like in Harry Potter if you have seen it. She is in the House of Gosworth. They can tell which house each child is in from the color of their necktie. So hers is green with darker green stripes. Today is Friday as I type this, and we cleaned and organized some more. We are trying to make the house “ours”. We also found time for an outing to the park down the street, pizza night out at a restaurant, a short walk around the town we live in, and some more shopping at Tesco –which is really like the equivalent of a Target or Walmart. I could have spent more time in there, but the kids were getting tired. So we rushed around and got more of what we needed for the house. This weekend we are going to try to find our way around, view the country club nearby that some other expats have told us about and the great news - our air freight is being delivered tomorrow (Saturday) -yea! That was good timing. I also need to practice some driving. (still petrified to do this, being here and watching it has not lessened that at all). And hopefully we will get our internet connection up soon, right now I am using a wireless card. Until then, not sure how much I will be able to update this. I will also try to add some more pictures when I have all the resources available!