Living in America 2011

[MmeBucket]

We were a few messages away from being closed on the other one. Hope everyone finds me here.

PA is actually leaving the States in a few weeks so cross-purposes there! It's very exciting that you are leaving in two weeks! Nursery is daycare for children 6 weeks to 5 although 3 years and up they go to pre-school. Some elementary schools run a pre-Kindergarten programme for children in the year before they are due to start. Nothing is free though until you get to school age. I don't know anything music exams here, I'm afraid. Make sure you enjoy your last couple of weeks too. Eat a slice of cake at your favourite cafe, gossip with your best mate etc. Have fun!

oops, x-posted with PA!

Hope everyone had a lovely fourth of July weekend! The fireworks here set fire to the Butte as usual. Dh's work gave them the Tuesday off as well which was lovely. He spent it cleaning out the garage but it needed doing! grin] In the nineties here this week. Currently hanging out at home watching WordWorld. Will go before I bore anyone else to sleep!

just checking in to see what's happening.

i am ready to go home now - seen every member of the family, and i am 'done' with being a visitor.

really REALLY need to just be in my own house for a while. i would definitely prefer to do a couple of short trips each year than one long one, but it is too expensive & difficult so not going to. i don't think that either sets of family really get that we have moved & seem to still expect us to 'pop in' fairly often.

sorry, moan over.

i am torn between eating bacon & jaffa cakes, and worrying about fitting into my jeans (and plane seat) going home

Plane seat will be fine, jeans - give yourself a couple of weeks! It's always at their convenience, isn't it? No matter how far you've flown, driven, struggled to get there. Not everyone is like that, of course.

it's just that thing of always being a visitor & always trying to keep dd to her best behaviour.

we are able to slob around a bit, but you can never slob quite as slobbily in someone else's house as you can at your own, iykwim. i want to be able to pick my nose & burb without worrying that someone heard me, sorry if tmi

Hi mdavza, on the music exams, I know what you mean (I did some at school in the UK) - but my dds have learnt violin with the suzuki method, and there has never been any talk of exams, just getting to the level of each book. Middle dd also plays guitar, but again, no talk of exams. At our music school ( and at school itself) the students just seem to prepare for recitals. Orchestra at school (here in Texas) is just for strings; woodwind and brass play in the marching band, so I think there is a different way of learning for that.
On doctors - I asked neighbours/school moms for recommendations; I didn't like the first kids dentist we went to, so I just signed up with another, no questions asked.

Hi guys - this is a bit of an bizzarre one..

We're back in the UK now, but previously in Boston where I loved Trader Joe's. Anyway DH back last week and brought home a tub of Trader Joes Dark Chocolate and Roasted Pistachio Toffee - it is amazing and I just have to replicate it no chance of a US trip to replenish supplies).

So my question is, does anyone know what kind of toffee is in the middle - it isn't sticky, it is flaky, a bit like a scottish tablet but not!

Or does anyone know a good US cooking forum where I can post my request for a recipe!

Toffee is completely different, isn't it? How about looking on Martha Stewart or Allrecipes.com?

haven't had american toffee - sounds more like fudge?

thinking about it it is more like a softer dime bar!

Dime bar sounds about right!

Welcome Natasha! I had ds2 in Oregon in February and enjoyed the experience mostly. I'm not sure whether each hospital is very different or variations on a theme, but in ours everyone had a private room and delivered and recovered in the same one. The only pain relief offered was full on narcotics so I opted for without and ended up giving birth with my legs in stirrups which was not what I'd wanted. However he came into the world safely and we both went home the following day! My OB was really nice and respected my wishes entirely re non-medicalisation. (Plus I think he is a closet socialist as we both went to the same Billy Bragg concert!) My insurance was great and covered everything. How far along are you? Good luck with everything.

You are right, unless you are in one of two hospitals in the US, according to my dh! I recommend a lot of walking in labour to get things going and to let gravity help! 12 weeks leave is good though.

hi natasha, i know nothing about birth here, so can't help.

i'm also in Michigan - just arrived back last night after a trip home for 3 weeks, so a bit disorientated.

are you a brit abroad, or one of the yanks who found us by mistake, like Cheerful Yank?

I had the rudest taxi driver on the way to Heathrow yesterday - he did nothing but complain about dd, who sat in the back & played 'i spy' with me very well. apparently, though, he's known nothing like it! but then, all americans drive everywhere & weigh over 40 stone, and neither women or foreigners know how to drive. so, being a brit who lives in a foreign land, a woman AND having a child pretty much makes me satan herself.

i bet he's going to miss the news of the world.

It's a little bit of an animal.....

Sorry about the taxi driver kickass. Hope the trip gave you time to relax and catch up with some good friends too.

the taxi driver just kind of washed over me as i was in a drug induced haze from pain killers & travel sickness tablets.

i DID make a note of some of his comments, and will be sending off a letter today, listing some of them. they are actually quite funny if you're not on the receiving end. i mean how could 'my wife would never have allowed this' NOT be an insult?

we travelled over 10,000 miles in 3 weeks, and the only journey that went smoothly was a day trip to belfast with sleezyjet. dd & I are done with traffic jams & airports for now.

Natasha - there is no gas & air, you're right, but the hospital can't do ANYTHING without your permission, so if you say no to a c-section, they may get grumpy, but could only do it if you were unconscious & it was to save the life of the baby, even then you could sue them for going against your wishes. if you know what you want, then just make that clear.

does your dh have the right to make decisions for you? not sure how long you've been here, but it was two years before i knew that he had no rights as next of kin, so we have filled out the form needed & can now make decisions for each other. the forms are at the doctor's & v short, you just need to get them notarized.

do it!

I was shocked when I found out that dh has NO say at all. even if i'm unconscious, he can't say what i'd prefer.

your gp should have the forms, or you can download them - if i remember what the proper name is, i'll post up a link, but it is really important.

Hi everyone! Sorry to be away from the thread so long - Again

We finally got a puppy He;s a beautiful Phantom Chocolate Apricot Standard Poodle and I looooove him.

I am going to have to google that