Settling In

Can't believe we've been here for a week already!  Our trip over was smooth and uneventful.  This week has been a busy one to say the least... On Monday, Shelby & Harrison started school, Demi accepted the job as Managing Sales Director for the Honda dealership and I started unpacking!

School is going well, Shelby is quite the hit being from America.  Everyone has been very welcoming and all the kids want to hear her talk.  But, there are lots of differences - first one being they have to wear uniforms and get changed for PE.  Even Harrison... they time them to see how fast they can change their clothes.  They both come home for lunch and the first day Harrison said "I put on my own socks" - something he's never done for me.  But, they'd taken them off to do exercises and he had to put them back on himself.  Shelby swims once a week and Harrison will begin in January.  Shelby can stay for lunch but Harrison must come home until January.  They've both been coming home this week.  I do feel like all I do is go back & forth to school all day.  I just thought parking at Jackson was bad... OMG, it's an absolute joke here. It's faster to walk then deal with the traffic.  This morning we walked in the rain the traffic was so bad.

Harrison is in what they call Reception and last night they had an open house to explain their curriculum.  It was like Kindergarten orientation - I was amazed at all the stuff they teach them at this age mostly through play.  Earlier this week Shelby was telling us about her history lesson, they're learning about the Romans!  I mean when did we learn about the Romans?  So, US history is on hold for the moment until we get caught up and it doesn't look like there will be a California mission project in my near future, ha-ha-ha!  No homework packets either.  Just a reading log and spelling words.  Other than that, they encourage free time after school.

I'm dosing up on my Vitamin D to deal with the lack of sunshine.  We have had a few sunny days and on those days I've been out in it, jogging down little country lanes.  This weekend is suppose to be nice so we'll be soaking up the sunshine.  I laugh because the weather people on the news are so polite while delivering the awful weather report... we'll have light showers throughout the morning, sunny periods this afternoon with downpours in the evening and blustery winds with gales up to 60 mph at times...  all said with a sweet little smile ;o)  Back home we'd be buckling down the hatches and tapping up windows.

The other little thing we are learning to deal with is the lack of good TV shows. If you've ever been to a foreign land you know what I mean.  Demi is having serious withdrawals as he is pretty much the DVR king.  We do get American shows but they're a season or more behind and on at weird times.  Glad I packed all those books!

Overall things are going fine.  Demi likes his new job and is happy to be busy with more responsibility.  I've finally finished unpacking and am keeping my eye open for a part time job of some kind.  I may even put a Robin's Gourmet Meals ad in the paper to see if I get any interest.

Love & Hugs!
Keep in touch, it's so nice to hear from you.

P.S.  Don't take that California sunshine for granted one day more... soak it up and send it our way ;o)