Back to normal. Well, almost.

Last night I went to bed with the children around 8pm. We woke up this afternoon at 12.30! Toby missed school and swimming lessons because we slept right through them. I'm suffering with jetlag more than I ever have before. I woke up with a pounding headache, double vision and nausea. Nothing some food, coffee and paracetemol couldn't fix though.

I thought fresh air and exercise would be a good idea so we all bundled up (funny to think that Tobes was wearing a T-shirt and shorts the day before in Texas) and went into the village. It was nice to abandon the hair and make-up routine I fall into in Texas and just go out with a messy ponytail and no make-up. They were testing the Christmas lights for the big turning-on ceremony on Saturday and the village looked lovely. We spent a couple of hours running errands and stopping at Costa for a snack. We bumped into Rosie's friend Fillipa, her brother Freddy and their nanny Haley. By the time we headed home around 4.00pm it was already dark and I had fallen back in love with Blackheath which looks particularly gorgeous this time of year.

Every time we visit the States I start to feel a tug at my heart. That feeling of 'belonging' that I'm not sure I'll ever really have in England. My accent changes, my body language is more relaxed. I can really feel myself shifting into Texan mode and I enjoy it. I start to worry that our flat in London is too small, that life in England is too hard and that maybe it's time to move back. Then we come back to London and I see that our flat is tiny but it's lovely and that I fit in more than I think I do. I do find my Texan accent fading. I speak more quietly and I sit straighter and walk differently but I guess that's just me fitting in. A full-on Texan in Blackheath would be a little disruptive! We've made a lovely life for ourselves in London and I think we'll stay a bit longer.

Our trip home was one of the best ever. Mom had really prepared for us and had gotten a travel cot and double stroller from a cousin. It made things so much easier. I've also learned over the years to keep a kiddy box at Mom and Dad's with a bedguard, kiddy plates and cutlery, sippy cups, sun visors for the car, etc, etc. Having the organic grocery store for Rosie really helped too. I was able to stock up on snacks for her. We came back with some great apple cinnamon oatmeal that Rosie loves. I'm going to have to see if I can buy it online. It's really yummy. Even I like it.

I did buy another suitcase and we stuffed it full. I bought so much but I know we'll use it all. I found some peppermint and white chocolate chips that will make great Christmas cookies and I brought back some shredded coconut. The English coconut is like sawdust but the American kind is soft and sweet. Not sure what I'm going to make with it yet. Maybe a big coconut cake. That always looks festive.

I came back to some amazing news. A friend of mine had a baby over the weekend... and she didn't even know she was pregnant! I thought that kind of thing only happened in magazines or talk shows but I guess not. Thankfully she and the baby, a little girl named Sophie, are both fine. I'm looking forward to introducing them to the world of double strollers soon.

We're baaaack

Arrived back in London a few hours ago. I'm typing this with puffy, tired eyes. Got little sleep on the flight but it all went well. We did have two people ask to be moved away from us. One of them loud enough for J to hear. The guy said to the flight attendant "Do you mind if I move because... you know." He then pointed at us and made a face. Oh well, can't say I really blame him. Rosie was her usual noisy self and ended up waking half the flight once she finished her nap.

We came home and had some lunch and I asked Tobes if he was glad to be home. He said 'Well, a little bit." He was adamant that he wanted to stay in America and never come back to England. I guess that's a sign of a good vacation. After the time at Mom and Dad's we spent a few days with Jim and Kellie and Toby had a brilliant time with their boys, Jack and Benjamin. They all got on so well. Rosie got right there in the middle of the action every chance she had and they were both exhausted at the end of the day.

Lots of pics to come but I hear Rosie crying. Think it's time for naps.

Fluidity of time

I remember writing about this last year when I visited Mom and Dad. Time here is different. In England we wake up in the morning, go to bed at night, then wake up again the following morning. Not so in the Black household. One night last week J woke up at 3am and heard chopping noises. He got up to find Mom in the kitchen chopping onions. She couldn't sleep so she decided to get up and make onion quiches. If you wake up in the night, 9 times out of 10 someone else will be up too.

Mom is unique though. I'm not a big Benny Hill fan but I always hear his theme song if I watch Mom when she's busy. She moves like she's in fast forward. The woman is like the Energiser bunny. One afternoon this week I decided to lay down with Rosie during her afternoon nap. Mom was reading in her chair and said that she might lay down in her room too. After a while it became obvious that Rosie wasn't going to sleep but I was still very tired. I got up and saw that Mom's chair was empty so I went looking for J. I explained that Mom was resting and I wanted to nap so could he look after Rosie. J pointed out that Mom wasn't resting and I looked into the back field to see that she had built a bonfire and was throwing old branches onto it. I hope I have that kind of energy in 25 years. I wish I had that kind of energy now!

It seems like Mom and I have always knocked heads but really that all started in my teens. Having children of my own now I've started to remember what Mom was like when I was growing up. She was always good at things like making tents, playing cat's cradle, twirling batons, baking cookies and telling ghost stories. We would have special theme dinner nights and even 'romantic' dinners with candlelight and fancy food. When I think about it, a lot of the things that I like most about my own parenting style are straight from Mom. I think she would be very surprised to hear it but I do have a new respect for her these days. I just wish it hadn't taken me twenty years to get to this point.

Turkey induced coma

Turkey, spiral ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn bread dressing, cranberry sauce (the kind that comes out of the can and is sliced), mashed potatoes, macaroni cheese and giblet gravy then banana pudding with Nilla Wafers, Godiva chocolate cheesecake and a pecan rum cake (a Cajun tradition that Angie made). By round two I had to go take off my skinny jeans and put on something with an elastic waist. Rosie has eaten half of the turkey on her own. She's in her element here. I think there's a lot of Texan in that girl.

We watched the Macy's parade all the way to Santa at the end. Santa has trimmed his beard quite short and I swear he's had Botox but then it is New York City. The guys watched the football while Toby, Dyllin and I played Sorry! and did some jigsaw puzzles. Then it was more food.

Soon we'll put the kids to bed and then we'll open a bottle of wine, get out the cheese and crudite platters and watch HGTV or the Food Network until very late. Tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year and Nikki and I are contemplating taking part in the madness. I don't think we'll be getting up at 4am but we might just be elbowing grandmas out of the way to get that last toaster/egg poacher for a mere $9.99. How could anyone pass up a deal like that?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's not even 10.00am and the turkey is done, the cornbread dressing is in the oven and the ham is waiting on the sidelines for its time in the heat. The sweet potatoes are cooking and I'll be mashing them with butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar before adding the marshmallows on top. It's not Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. Mom cooked the turkey on a low heat all night with herbs and 7Up (yes, 7Up) and got up at 2am to check it. It's definitely Thanksgiving!

Of course, it's not about the food. Well, not all about the food anyway. It's about being thankful for family and friends and all the good things we have in our lives. I certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year. A safe, healthy and happy family, good friends and a life that I'm thankful for every single day. This year I'm giving special thought to my new little nephew who'll make his appearance in the spring, to my friend who is struggling with his health, to J's Nana who's body is getting older though her spirit is just as sharp as ever and to all the friends that I think about all the time but haven't seen in years.

Hope you all have a special day today.

I think we need a bigger suitcase

One cupcake stand, one pair of Disney Cars light-up trainers, six magazines, thirteen books, 100 mini candy canes, two bags of Hershey's kisses, two pairs of jeans, three pairs of Batman underpants, boxer shorts, undershirts, socks for the whole family, clothes, clothes, clothes, Benefit's Realness of Concealness and Some Kinda Gorgeous, Estee Lauder's Perfectionist eye pen (the closest thing to a magic wand I've ever seen), one pair of fancy 'feels like you're barefoot' Nike trainers, one T-shirt that says "Everyone loves a Southern girl", two pairs of ladies' shoes and all the other stuff that was bought, put into the suitcase and forgotten.

Plus all the stuff Mom has bought us including one T-shirt that says "Kiss my Southern roots", a jar of sweet potato butter, a jar of blueberry jam, DVDs, clothes, clothes and more clothes for the kids and the list goes on.

One item still in debate - the Bake and Fill cake pan. I really, really want it but I don't think I can get it in my luggage. I'm dreaming of the ice cream cakes I could make in this pan but I might have to buy another freezer to have space for them at home.

Howdy Ya'll

Cinnamon rolls, bacon sandwich, peppermint patties, jelly bellies, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, meatloaf, Olive Garden, Kraft cheese slices, Mrs Baird's bread (yes, Stacy you were right!), Miracle Whip, olive loaf, Dippin Dots ice cream, rainbow sherbet... that's what we've done so far.

It's been a great trip already. Toby is at that age where he's suddenly so aware of everything and remembers details from our last trip. Before now it was new everytime but he's old enough to build up a continuity and has jumped right in to life at Papa and Nana's. Rosie made herself at home as soon as we arrived and they've both been having lots of fun.

We've had a few ups and downs. Today J, Mom, Toby, Rosie and I went into Beaumont for the day to get J's hair cut, do some shopping, see Jon and go out for lunch. It was all going well until we got to the Olive Garden and Rosie threw up. I think it's just the change in her food and water and her tummy is getting used to it all. The American food is richer than what's she used to as well. We were all sitting at the table and I noticed Rosie start to gag. I instinctively put my hands out and she threw up right into my cupped palms. I was sitting there with two hands full of vomit. J had been in the loo and he came running over and whisked Rosie off to the loo to clean her up while Mom gathered napkins and we cleaned up the mess. Afterwards Mom said "I forgot what it was like going out with children. From this side of the table it's pretty funny."

The incident used up all of my baby wipes but I wasn't too worried. I thought I could get some more when we went to the mall. A few hours later we were at the mall, Rosie had diarrhea and not a single shop sold nappy wipes. Mom had bought Rosie a new outfit and we were planning to change her into it because she still had some vomit stains on her clothes. When we found a baby changing area I had to remove Rosie's dirty trousers, wet them in the sink and use them to clean her bottom. Not ideal but the wet toilet paper was useless and the paper towels were too rough on her little bottom. While all of this was going on Toby decided he needed to poo too and was sitting in a stall shouting 'Mommy, I'm finished!" Once we redressed Rosie in her new clothes, sealed the dirty ones in a plastic bag and wiped Toby's bottom things calmed down. Thank goodness Mom was there. J had gone off to buy some new trainers and I think my head would've exploded if I had been on my own.

I also heard a very funny family story for the first time today. I think it's a good example of my parents' relationship. When Mom gave birth to me Dad was in the waiting room, as was the custom in those days. After I was born they asked Dad to come in to see me and Mom. Mom was still on the table with her knees up and a bright light shining down between her legs. As Dad walked into the room he shouted, "Linda, your butt's on fire!" Mom said she was in no mood to laugh but she couldn't help herself.

Everyone send positive vibes out towards San Diego tonight. Nikki's first show as a set designer opens in about an hour. I can't wait to see the photos of her set. It sounds very dramatic. I'm sure it'll all go well but it's a big night. Good luck Nikki!

Tomorrow is the big day

24 hours from now we'll be somewhere over the northeastern US. We leave for Texas tomorrow. I've been packing like crazy since yesterday but I'm sure I'll forget something. As long as we've got the passports and Rosie's milk everything else is expendable.

Before a big trip I always like for the 'last supper' to be a little special. Today I took Tobes and Rosie out for our 'last lunch'. I let Toby choose the venue and he picked Pizza Express. Tobes had the black olive pizza and Rosie and I split a chicken salad (she ate all the chicken). I would've had a pizza but I knew I would be sharing with Rosie and, with her allergies, the salads are all she can eat at Pizza Express. Oh well, Rosie saved me a few calories.

We came home, did loads of laundry, finished the packing and now I'm going to sit and read some of the tabloid mags I bought for Jon & Angie. This time tomorrow night (well, plus the time difference and everything) I'll be sitting at my mother's kitchen table eating a pimento loaf sandwich. On white bread. With Miracle Whip. Ahhhh, home.

Yankee Doodle Rosie

It's official, Rosie is an American. We spent the afternoon at the embassy today and the Government of the United States of America now officially recognise Rosie as a fellow Yank. She has a US passport to add to our collection. When we travel to the States next week the four of us will be going with seven passports - the children each have British and American passports, J has his British passport and I have to travel with both my old and new American passports because the old one has my residency visa in it. Ah, what a diverse little group we are.

So, as I like to say, Rosie is now officially 'half and hawf'.

A bit late but...

I've loaded the pics from last weekend. We had Rosie's birthday party at The Orchard on Saturday then J helped put up the Christmas lights in the village on Sunday morning and Toby had a Halloween party Sunday night. Busy times. The rest of the pics are here:

http://futersfamily.shutterfly.com/action/?a=8AaMmbVqzcNmM0

The password is 'texas' or 'quentin'. I can never remember.

Just had to post the early pic of Rosie. Hasn't she changed!

I tried to post this yesterday for Nikki and Rosie's birthdays but blogger was playing up. Here it is now.

Ah, memories

The Japanese are big smokers and most restaurants have their own matchbooks for customers to take. When we lived in Tokyo I collected the matchbooks and put them into a pot. Over the years whenever I've needed matches I dipped into the pot. Today I decided to light a scented candle and pulled out a matchbook from La Boheme.

We used to go to the one in Omotesando and the interior is all done up to feel as if you're sitting on a roof terrace surrounded by chimneys and rooftops. Gotta love that Japanese whimsicality. I went there mainly with the girls (Annelouise, George and Nikki) for pasta and the best cream cakes ever. They do one that's layer after layer of crepes and cream and is sooo delicious. I remember J and I went there the weekend after we discovered we were expecting Tobes. We went and spent a silly amount at Baby Gap then walked across the street for coffee and cakes at La Boheme.

Enough nostalgia. Best get back to the kiddos. Typical afternoon here. Tobes has stripped down to his underpants and pulled the blue duvet off of our bed to make a 'swimming pool' on the living room floor. Apparently there are sharks in the pool because he keeps saying that Rosie is being eaten by one.

It must be love

I have to admit that I did something last night that I once read about in a book (Angela's Ashes, in case you're wondering). I read it before I had children and thought 'I know I'll love my kids but I can't imagine ever doing that.'

Poor little Rosie has a cold again and she's really congested. Last night she couldn't breathe through her nose and the decongestant, nose drops, humidifier, Vicks rub and Olbas oil were making very little difference. She was laying next to me snuffling and then taking big gasping breaths through her mouth before snuffling again. Tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable or be comforted without her dummy, which was just frustrating her when she couldn't breathe through her nose. I kept thinking about the book and finally in desperation I did it. I sucked the snot out of her nose. It actually wasn't as disgusting as I thought. I just sucked it out, spit it into a tissue and it was done. Rosie was so happy to be able to breathe freely again and she rolled over and went straight to sleep. I guess it was worth it but I hope I never have to do it again.

On this day

Twenty seven years ago today the world was blessed with my sister Nikki Rae and on this day one year ago the world was blessed with my little girl Rosie Rae.

I've never written Rosie's birth story. There was a lot of negativity that day and I guess I'd rather concentrate on the precious little bundle we got at the end of all the frustration. It's basically the story of a lot of waiting and a very fat and frustrated lady throwing her weight around (that's me). Pretty scary.

The funny thing is I can remember seeing Nikki right after she was born as clearly as I can see Rosie. Nikki looked at me and Jon with calm wide eyes. It seemed she was trying to take it all in. She still had blood in her hair and I asked the nurse to show Jon the umbilical cord just to gross him out. I was such a sweet big sister to him. Rosie, on the other hand, literally came out shouting and has been shouting ever since. My first look at her was mostly her tonsils because as J held her down for me to see she just kept shouting with her mouth open wide. She's still one of the loudest children I've ever met. I hope it means she'll have a strong personality and not be afraid to speak her mind when she's older. Lord help us all.

So, my two favourite girls born on the same day with the same middle name. I hope they'll grow to love each other as much as I love them. Though I don't think that's actually humanly possible.