Priceless

Getting ready for the Christmas Pageant

Quite worryingly Lily proclaimed that Max was the husband and she was 'the girl in the party dress'!

Winterfest Boat Parade

Santa Claus came to town early!!

Yesterday morning was the first of our soon to be annual event! Next year we are going to do it not only for our children but for toys for tots too. Some of the mums we know got together and arranged to have a Santa come to a party yesterday and give all the children one gift early. The kids had so much fun and had a really great morning!

Both Lily and Max was so amazed that Santa knew their name and promised to be the on the best behaviour until Christmas!

Can anyone guess who Santa was?

Happy Holidays!!

Lily got a new haircut this weekend for the holidays, she now has a shoulder length bob! When she is old enough to brush her own hair or will let me do it....she can go back to having her curls. But having to leave the house by 7.30am we are hoping this will make everyone lives a little easier. We went to Lollipop Kids cut salon out west on Sheridan. They do a great job and you get a photo shoot afterwards!

updates

Work is going really well and the days are flying by at National, its left me a little tired in the evening....concentrating all day is really very exhausting!

We have been well, except Lily who suffered last week with a stomach bug and had to miss two days of school.

We are gearing up for the holidays and have decked the house out in lights, Lily has written her list for Santa, we went to Santa's Enchanted Forest in Miami, and Christmas on Las Olas! For all those that are local please come by the house Christmas Eve as we are having a party!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Big Changes........

Just to fill you in on the changes happening in my life..... I quit my job!

I am still at Crew Unlimited until November 16th and am working out my notice. After 3 years I just really felt it was time for a change. I have very mixed emotions about this but at the end of the day a change is as good as a vacation.

I am sad to be leaving the team, the last three years has been awesome to come to work and get to see my good friends everyday. They have supported me through the worst of times and encouraged me to grow as a person, helping me become the happier person I am today. I will miss them more than they know, but I also know that they will all still be an intricate part of my life still.

Stewardess placement had just become a little stagnant for me so I am off to seek a new challenge. I am not quite sure yet what that is going to be but I have been talking with National Marine Suppliers and it seems that they will be my new company, we are just still discussing the details of which job.

So wish me luck!

Happy Halloween

Check out my Slide Show!

Been Busy

Sorry! For not posting anything for a while. We have been absolutely slammed at work with the boat show in town. So I have two events I had wanted to write about that passed and with Halloween fast approaching I just wanted to have a bit of a catch up.

Firstly as everyone knows by now, England lost in the Rugby to South Africa......but I just wanted to say how much fun it is to be able to go somewhere and support your nation. It really brought me back to my Uni days, and of course made me very homesick. But Lily brightened my day. She had an amazing time and really got into the spirit of things, cheering standing on the table, shouting and giving everyone in the bar a "design" with her face paints.

We also have been busy getting ready for fall/Halloween. This involved our annual trip to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins to carve. Lily loves this and this year the tradition grew to involve four different families, then it was back to our house for lunch and to begin the messy job. We saved all the seeds and roasted them......delish!

The Tooth Fairy

Lily has been very apprehensive about going to the dentist, and as her best friend Max went only a month ago and loved it, we have been having lots of discussions about how when max went to the dentist the tooth fairy (or dental hygienist) was really nice and showed him how to brush his teeth properly and gave him stickers for being so good.

She cried in the car on the way there! She told me she was not feeling brave today and that she will go there when she gets big.

Kicking and screaming I carried her from the car, telling her we were just going to go inside and check everyone was nice and friendly. They were but it didn't help! When it was our turn to go in Lily changed from my beautiful little girl into a raving lunatic that kind of resembled the girl from the exorcist!

It really was like something out of a horror film and they actually had to strap her down to the chair to keep her from wriggling.....and her head spinning!! (it was more like one of those boards that they put you in if you break your neck or back!).

That unfortunately wasn't the end of it because then she refused to open her mouth, started spitting at anyone that came near her and would bite any fingers near her mouth! She went from being the exorcist girl to more like a rabid dog.

They managed to finally open her mouth and put in a plastic wedge that kept her mouth open, the dentist must have been in there for all of 30 secs, they quickly cleaned her teeth and put on a fluoride treatment and told us we were all done - no cavity's!

As Lily was getting up and quickly morphing back into my precious little girl they said, "it will be better next time! we will see you in 6 months!", to which Lily replied "I will see you when I am six!".

Although I found the whole experience very horrific, Lily was back to normal very soon. Maybe one of us should get sedated next time :)

Lily does Disney!

Aunty Sandy and Luke took Lily away for the weekend to Disney.... YEAH! Well..... for most kids it would be the trip of a lifetime but Lily actually hates the whole people dressed up like animals thing, and gets quite upset. We were very proud of her though as she hung in there and hung out with the other kids.

She had a fabulous time with Sandy and Luke's nephews and niece, and has been talking about it non stop. Her favourite part of course was Sea World, and I can't wait to take her back one day. I guess she is just not the "princess" kind of gal!

Go ENGLAND!!

I am sorry for not writing for a while. Things have been crazy since we got back from England. This weekend was my first bit of breathing space and I have spent it at the pub watching the Rugby World Cup !! England are the champions from the last world cup but nobody really expected us to make it to the final as our team hasn't been strong for the last couple of years. Which really makes it even sweeter that we made it to the final against South Africa next Saturday! Terry (South African) and I are very excited, we have our team T-shirts ready and are looking forward to a good game. I have the face paints ready for Lily and the red, white and blue ribbons for her hair.

Although we normally watch sports at Waxy O'Connors, this time we have a new spot. Bigger pub, great food, less crowded. Biddy Early's is about 10 minutes away off of Oakland park, and we thoroughly recommend going there - great atmosphere!

Lily is doing great, she started Gymnastics and T-Ball since we returned and loves being active. Aunty Sandy watched a gym class and said she thought Lily has found her forte! Its great for her to be able to excel at something size appropriate, maybe one day I'll skip out of work a little early to be able to watch her myself :)

Mark and Alecia

On Saturday we were happy to join with our Aunty La La as she married the wonderful Marky Mark at St. Georges Church, in Wolverton. It was a beautiful day and even the sun came out, which was surprising giving the days running up to the big event.

The night before I was lucky enough to stay with Alecia and Julie in her hotel room, and catch up with her during her last night as a single lady. It was a precious time as with having around 200 wedding guests, the next day our time together was limited.

I feel so lucky to be able to have been there for this wedding and last year for Mandy's. It is so hard missing all of the other important events in your friends lives. So even though I am sad at having to go back to Florida, at least I am taking back new memories that will last a lifetime.

Lily on the other hand couldn't have been happier! She was the most beautiful flower girl and was so good during the service, even crossing herself at all the right times and saying Amen! She didn't quite understand why she couldn't sit o her Aunty La La's lap at the reception....she wanted 'to be on the stage' too!!

Mini Break

After our short Mini break up north we are now back in sunny Buckinghamshire. We had a great visit with TJ and his family, even taking a day trip out to show Lily some of the English countryside - which she loves! Feeding the ducks and geese, seeing the sheeps and cows in the field, watching the large trout swim in the river and running around the fields! Lily adored the hills and rocks of the Peak District, and wished she had brought her wellies with us. Grandad had been wanting a tart so there was no where else to go but Bakewell :)

Stoke on Trent where TJ lives is an old industrial area of England most famous for the Potteries, like Wedgewood and Royal Doulton. If you go twenty minutes outside of this area you are in the most glorious countryside England has, with stone walls, romantic cottages and rolling farm land! It was great to share this side of England with Lily.

Our photos have been added to the end of the slide show to the right, so sorry if you have to look at all of the pictures to get to the new ones! I think if you click in the bottom corner of it it brings up all of the photos!

Now its the countdown to Alecia and Marks wedding next weekend. Only 6 days to go! My dress is being altered as we speak......shortened would be more accurate. And we are shoe shopping for Lily tomorrow!

The English Countryside

Lily Quotes

We were out for the day when Lily needed to go to the toilet. We found the nearest restroom, went inside and Lily became hysterical! She was crying and screaming and not making any sense at all. Finally as we were washing our hands I understood what she had been trying to tell us. She had been crying that "I have two legs..... I HAVE TWO LEGS MOMMY!"

She was upset as we had taken her into the toilets for the women with one leg!!

We spent a great day with Aunty Mandy and baby Archie today. It's really nice to be able to keep catch up with them whilst everyone else is working. So why the long face on Lily?? She wants a brother??! Yikes.....

We are going to stoke for a few days tomorrow to see T.J. so hopefully that will take her mind off of it.

Have added new pictures from today to the right!

Travelling with Lily this year was certainly very different from last year's trip. She was so much more aware of her surroundings and the process, even taking her shoes off before she was asked too at security. Our three hour wait in the airport flew by, but the flight was a little harder. Lily must have asked every ten minutes if we were landing yet, and got excited at every bit of turbulence, as this surely meant the plane was touching down!! It was a night flight but Lily would not sleep! Last year she was blissfully unaware, but this year she told me if she feel asleep she would miss England! I tried to explain that it wasn't like a bus and you can't miss your stop, but that didn't help. She was just too excited. I think we managed to catch a couple of hours rest but arrived in England very tired.
Lily's hair was all tangled from the flight so as we refreshed ourselves in the restroom I tried to get out the comb - only to be told that we were in England now and so Nanny was the only person allowed to touch her hair as she doesn't hurt!
Lily then fell asleep at 4pm, we tried to wake her a few hours later but she was obviously out for the night. A bomb could have gone off next to her and she wouldn't have known, unfortunately though she was up again by 10pm just as I wanted to crash. The next morning was funny, Lily got up and said 'Brrrrrrr' she went and got her cardigan, then asked Nanny to turn the air off?! She doesn't get that it is just COLD!

There's No Place Like Home

We are going home! Milton Keynes here we come!! Lily and I are leaving town on Friday after school and heading straight to Miami International airport. We are booked on Virgin Atlantic flight VS006 for anyone that wants to track the flight. We are leaving at 19.25 and arrive Saturday morning at 8.50am.

The flight is full and so I am sure it will not be much fun but Lily has lots of new games and coloring books to help keep her entertained. She is such a good flyer, and really has enjoyed the experience of travel so far....which is handy as she has been on more planes in her first four years than most people would go on in a life time!

Auntie La La and Uncle Marky Mark are meeting us once we get to London, and driving us the hour to get home to Nanny and Grandad.

We will keep the blog updated whilst we are away, and shall be back to Sunny Florida on October 2nd....hopefully any hurricanes that are going to hit this season will choose to do so whilst we are gone, and not as soon as we get back which is what usually happens :)

Poor Lily :(

last Thursday her school called me at work at 2.30pm, Lily was hysterical!? As she really isn't that funny there had to be a problem, so I did as every good mum would and dashed right over to school. The root of the problem........she was constipated! It had been about 4 days. The next 24 hours really wasn't the funnest either of us have ever had. We had tried everything; prune juice, fruit, water, apricots, laxatives even suppositories. All to no avail. So as the crying and screaming had been constant by 10pm we had put a call into her doctor, who helpfully suggested giving her an enema! OMG!!

As she has just passed out, I decided to wait!

But Friday was no different and so the deed had to be done. Poor Lily.

She sat on the couch and said in a very quiet voice "Mommy, never put anything up my bum ever again!"
I felt very bad, but at least she had Diego and Dora to help cheer her up!

Crew Unlimited Day Cruise to the Bahamas!!

The last weekend of summer - Labor Day

Full Moon

Kelly is maybe just realising what he has taken on with Lily and I :)

The full moon last night was so big and beautiful

that Lily and I just had to howl at it, a few times!!

It was a precious moment of madness.

Catholic School

Lily is loving Catholic school more than I could have ever imagined......don't get me wrong I am all for religion of any kind and she was christened Church of England. In English schools all children are taught a little about all religions, so that they have a basic understanding and tolerance, which I think is an awesome way to approach spirituality.

So the adjustment here is all mine, getting to grips with a religion that I am not part of and being able to understand what Lily is talking about half the time! She sits holding the gold cross necklace that she got from Gram for her birthday and has not taken off since.... and plays with it like an old lady with a rosary!

Friday night we were ready for bed and had just said her 'prayers' (she puts her hands together and we say goodnight to all the people we love). Then she did something that completely floored me......She crossed herself. Lily! It was cute and I asked her to explain to me what she was doing... she just laughed and did it again!!

Eventually she touched her head and said "the father", then paused and touched her belly and had obviously completely forgotten what came next! I waited and she blurted out "the sister!" then she quickly touched each shoulder and said "the Gram and the Papa!"

She is so cute! Of course we had to call Gram and tell her straight away :)

Lily Quotes

So everyone in Lily's class on Friday got assigned a "big brother/big sister" from 7th grade. This person will be with them for the year and every time there is a school function, they are responsible for taking them around and looking after them. They also are the people that they are to sit with in church every Thursday. Some of them even come in and read to the children. Its actually a really good system. If they don't like the person they were assigned they can change them so on Friday when Lily got home I wanted to find out....
"Did you like your big sister Lily?"
" Well....... I did, but they don't let you bring them home!" She said all pissed off!!

Lily Quotes

Question - Lily what was your favourite thing about the first day of school?
Answer - "LUNCH!"

First Day Of School

It was Lily's first day of school today, no tears just excitement. She woke up at 6.30am and when I whispered in her ear that it was a school day a big smile found her face and she started singing a cute made up song about meeting Max at school! We have to be out of the house for 7.30am which I can only hope gets easier. Little worried that she refuses to eat breakfast that early, but packed enough lunch! Go Lily! What a big girl you are now :)

My favourite thing to do with Lily!

Watching The Sunrise

OK, so its not an every day occurrence, but we have had the pleasure of watching the sun rise together on about 5 occasions now, and each time is as precious as the last. Lily loves the waiting to see the first sight of the sun, and all the different colors the sky becomes on its journey. She loves seeing the full circle appear and move its way into the sky and hearing the birds as they begin their day. Normally we drive to the beach in our PJ's and shout to the sun to come up.... but this morning in Stiltsville we were able to sit calmly on the deck and cuddle as the morning started.

Stiltsville!!

We just got back from an over night trip out to Stiltsville, and as always it didn't disappoint. No matter how stressed out you are, a short boat ride to our favourite house is all it takes to blow away those cobwebs!

Stiltsville is a group of houses in Key Biscayne about 7 miles off the shore of Miami. They have a great heritage and now is part of a national park so very few people get to go experience this magical place.

Kelly belongs to a wonderful club called The Miami Springs Power Boat Club, and this is their clubhouse. There are 75 members that can bring whoever they choose out here at any time. Lily's friend Kacey's dad is also in the process of becoming a member so this weekend we met Russ and Toby and Kacey out there, and took along Lily's friend Max and his parents Moira and Charles for their first Stiltsville experience.

We camped out over night and spent all our time fishing for snapper and swimming in the ocean. We slept out under the stars and watched a quite terrific thunderstorm off in the distance (thankfully!)

Ever thought of hiring a Rottie as a babysitter?

I am sure most of you haven't! But read on....

Our new puppy is a Rottie mix, Guinness, and is about 12 weeks old now. He is the most calm and placid puppy ever and we have been certainly enjoying the small influence he has placed over Marley!

During Lily's birthday party I was lucky enough to witness the most amazing thing. Our friends Steve and Suzi placed their daughter down on a towel on the grass for a nap. It was off to one side so that she didn't get trampled on by the pirates.

The next time we all turned around, there was Guinness. Of course my heart jumped into my throat - what if he trod on her with his big paws and scratched her.... but he just sat down next to her, put his paw onto her arm and looked out for her while she slept.

It really was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. What a guard dog he will be!!

The best Pirate party ever!

Saturday August 4th at 11am .........until well as it turned out about 8.30pm! Who knew a four year old birthday party would last that long!! Thank goodness for frozen burgers and sausages!!

It really was the best birthday party I could have ever imagined throwing for Lily and she has been talking about nothing else ever since. When we talked about her birthday a few months ago she told me exactly what she would like for her party, and as it was really the first party she has had with her own friends there, we delivered.

It was pirate themed and at Lily's request anyone not dressed like a pirate would be made to walk the plank! She had a pirate ship birthday cake, a pirate bounce house, and lots of pirate arts and crafts!

There were just under 40 people in all, and some of the costumes were very inventive! With the whole family award going to the Sue Prices family! Even the 3-6 month old babies that were there were in pirate onesies!

And Lily was blessed to have her Daddy, Amity, Gram & Papa there also, so we could all share this special day with her together alongside Kelly and his family.

Check out the pictures to the right! And a big thank you to everyone for making it such a special day!

Lily Quotes

I spoke to Lily on the phone last night, I said "I hope you are being good for your daddy" to which she replied,
"Mommy I was trying hard......but I just can't!"

What a crack up - Mike said she is being great so I have no idea where this came from :)

Introducing the new love of my life.....

I am feeling a little melancholy today. There are so many reasons why I miss living at home. Home to me will always be England. I left to go travelling after university and am so glad I did. Not everyone gets to experience the world before settling down. But I think I always thought in the back of my mind that someday I would wind up back there.....with the people that mean so much to me.

Through the path my life took though here I am living in Florida. Just for now - I used to think. But with more certainty America, for the distant future. Not my choice but certainly a more manageable one than a year ago. So why am I sat here staring at my computer not working and dreaming about "home"....

Archie Beaumont.

He is the most adorable baby, that should I still be living in the UK I would undoubtedly be spending much of my spare time cooing over. One of my oldest and dearest friends Mandy gave birth to her and Noels first baby. It was their wedding we went to last time we were home. I feel like I am missing out on being the best Aunty ever and wish I could just hold him and kiss his head, and whisper in his ear about all the mischief we will get into!

In the past when I have been home I felt a little out of place as everyone elses lives had evolved without me. And in return they too knew very little of my everyday goings on. Its a weird feeling to be a visitor where you were once so rooted. Thank goodness we live in the age of email, webcams and Skype. I will be setting up my skype account this weekend - and hope to watch Archie, and any other little ones that may appear, grow up.

See you in September Archie!

Lily Kai's 4th Birthday!

For all of those that remembered Lily's birthday a big THANK YOU! If you haven't heard back from us yet it really is because we are waiting until Saturday. Lily is having her pirate party on the 4th and so yesterday she didn't really get that it was her birthday.

In the morning when I told her she just asked me,
"If it is my birthday where are the balloons, where is the pirate cake, and where are the people!"

So she came in to have lunch with us in the office, Terry brought her some balloons and we had a little cake!

When Mike showed up in the evening I think she had begun to feel a little more "birthday girl" but I will make sure she touches base with everyone on Saturday!!

Lily and Max

Lily has a new best friend - Max. He is her age and this year they will both be in Pre-K4 together. Since meeting a few months ago they have been inseparable and have been attending summer camp together. Moira his mum lives one street over from Sandy so I really don't know why it took us so long to meet, especially when so many of our friends are the same, and Mike has known Max's dad Charles for years!

Both being only children they really seem to have bonded very strongly with each other, first introducing themselves to others as best friends, then cousins...... and more recently brother and sister. Its hard for us to explain to the new school that they are actually not related in the slightest, especially as they each have an English parent!

Lily went last week for a summer visit to Gram and Papas in Okeechobee. I dropped her off on the Saturday and by Monday had a phone call letting me know how upset Max was that Lily didn't take him to Grandmas!?!

So on the next Saturday when Kelly and I drove to get her, we took Max along as a surprise! I wish I had captured Lily's face when she saw him, it was priceless. We joined them at a Rodeo (check out Gram and Papas blog for more info on that), which the kids just loved. They each got little lassos to practise with....... and I am still not quite sure how me made it home in the car in one piece. "Not around her neck Max....!" is still ringing in my ears!

Missing Lily Kai

I have no reason to get out bed if I don't have Lily Kai..........

Actually its not what you think, and I am not at home sobbing into my pillow. But this morning something happened that I can't remember happening in a very long time.

I slept in and was 10 minutes late to work ;) I woke up and it was 8.30. I thought maybe it was one of those spring forward, fall back - days and the time must have changed. I have been up and about at 6.30am for 4 years now, and normally even when Lily is away my internal clock wakes me up - like a cruel joke.

Lily wakes up at the exact same time every morning with us, 6.30, regardless of how much sleep she got. She then announces very loudly that it is morning and it is time to get up. Any discussion that may follow is ignored and despite my protests, "it is morning - it is no longer dark!" is all I hear back.

But I had ten and a half hours sleep last night, got to sleep in and it feels GREAT! It may never happen again, but I will remember this morning forever!!

Formula One

For my friends that only talk children we are not talking about baby milk.....only the best sport on the face of the earth! My mum has been visiting from England and we just watched the European Grandprix and my love of racing has definitely been rekindled.

Especially as there is a new hotshot! Check out http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/drivers/828/
Lewis Hamilton is a new phenomenon, English guy with a Jamaican Dad!! This is his first year in F1 and he is leading the championship board!!

Apparently when he was 11 he told the Mclaren boss that one day he would be racing for him and here he is! His poor dad worked 2 jobs and re mortgaged his house twice to pay for him to make it through the junior circuits.....now I hope he has brought his dad the biggest house on the block!

Of course all the drivers now hate him......which just makes everyone cheer for him more. Anyone up for a trip to Silverstone in 2008?????

Store Brought V's Home Made

Ok, so I am in a dilemma. For all of those that know, lily is turning 4 at the start of August and is having a pirate theme birthday party.

I had found the cake I thought we were going to order from Publix, a pirate ship! Its easy, you pay your money and pick it up at the date and time specified. Every working mums dream.

But then in talking with a new friend Abby, from NZ, who's little boy Louis is just turning 2, we got to talking about how in our home countries you actually make your children's cakes and how special that was! Today she came into work with her cake cookbooks and I picked out what looked like a relatively easy to make ship.

But do I have time for this???! What if it doesn't look as good once I have decorated it. What is more important, how good it looks and tastes.....or that it was made with love??

I don't want to become a quick fix mum, I would love to be barefoot in the kitchen with an apron on baking all day with flour in my hair..... are these days gone?? I googled home made cakes online and there are tons of pictures and recipes, but my guess is these Mums don't have full time jobs :)

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/pirate-cake.html

Family Night!

The Quarterdeck on Cordova isn't what it used to be. Gone are the bucket of beer nights where you could get 5 bottles of beer for five dollars on a Thursday night. The most famous of all yachtie hangouts has new ownership and they are trying to get away from the drunken out of control crew that would hang out here being loud and obnoxious.

They came up with the idea of family night on Wednesdays with free face painting and the most amazing balloon guy ever. That should get away from the old crowd, they thought!

No! After being there for three Wednesdays now I realised its the same old crowd, we just all grew up and now have kids. Family night is no quieter than bucket night used to be, there are a lot more people running around, as much gets spilt and broken, and The Quarterdeck is still a favourite hangout for all of us old yachties... but now our kids love it too.