Living in America....... summer 2010!

[redflipflops]

So.... new thread.... please join me

introductions:

redflipflops - California (central Coast)

One of the local shops downtown does Clarks shoes but not Clarks kids' ones, which I'm gutted about. I have bought Carter's which are well made but you have to fit them yourself. Not that easy with a 2 year old! Will check out this Zappos website...

Ooh, I just got 3 pairs of Clarks shoes a few months ago. They're so comfortable. Overall, I find them a bit, um, frumpy, but Macy's had 3 cute pairs of them, and I'm so glad I spent the money. I went all over Sea World and Legoland in them.

Did you go to San Diego? I am trying to convince my husband we should go there as I think that kind of stuff is the right age range for our dcs. Would you recommend it? Did you fly from Pdx?

I don't normally buy Clarks adult shoes because they can be a bit frumpy, but the kids ones are so well made and the staff back home seem to be able to fit even the youngest kids really well.

I would absolutely recommend it. We went 2 years ago in April, and then went the week before Memorial Day this year. My 2 will be 5 and 7 next month, and this it was a great trip last time and this time. DD is a bit small for her age, and she was tall enough to ride all the rides this time. We went for 3 full days last time, and 4 full days this time and took the in-law this time.

We've done the Zoo, Sea World and Legoland each time, one day in each, and this time we spent a day on the waterfront and in La Jolla. For us, we found one day in each place to be enough, although I guess we could have spent 2 in Legoland. I think that Legoland is a trip best enjoyed while they are under 10 or so. More rides geared for smaller children. All I would say is that when we went before school was out, we had no longer than a 10 minute wait in line anywhere, and I know someone else that went this summer, the waits on the more popular rides were closer to an hour.

We flew from PDX both times. We spent the little bit extra both times and did nonstop flights. Both times flying out of San Diego, our plane was delayed, the first time for almost 2 hours. It is a pretty easy flight, around 2 hours long.

Satin, thank you from the bottom of my daughter's sparkly pink heart: )!!

I think Zappos owes Satin a discount with all the business generated for them today.

I hope the shoe orders work out - I am on first name terms with my UPS man thanks to my shoe habit. I have only been to San Diego once but also thought if was wonderful and very child friendly. Lots to do. This year while the DC were at camp we took an adult trip to Biltmore Estate in NC. We drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway to get there and it was fabulous, but definitely one for a romantic or a girls weekend.

Hi everyone

Thanks- redflipflop for that- i have googled and found some good camp sites up on big sur now.

If any of you people who are san diego bound need to fill another day there is a brill beach on coronado island- in fact we stayed here in a little motel which was basic but very reasonable- el rancho was the nam and we could walk to the beach at coronado.
We loved the wild animal park in san diego.

Hi everyone, apologies for being a very intermittent poster but I have had my parents and then my in laws here for over a month!!!! Am loving Kansas, people think its an odd place to be but there is loads to do, the sun is shining, and people couldn;t be friendlier. I may even have made a friend who is American and is not weird!

On the holiday talk, can anyone recommend a good place to go with two four year olds and a one 18 month old? We want to see some of the country without too much expense or trauma!

just got my 3 pairs of shoes from Zappos so quick and easy!

Can I just say that I love Americans- all the peeps I have met have just been so lovely and hospitable and well just more easy going than the average Brit.

Why am I excited about other people's shoe orders?

What are they like, red?

I've never been to Kansas - I imagine it to be very flat with fields and fields or corn, like parts of Indiana

MmeLindt -- make sure it isn't 16" softball your DH is teasing his mate about. It's a Big Chicago Thing. Played by Real Men.

Hi all,

Got actually gone back and caught up, but glad to see the thread has been busy. We continue to settle in. LO has started a swimming and music sessions so DH and her are very busy now.

I had made a bus buddy, but then he made some comment about me working and not spending enough time with her [sad[, so now spend my bus journeys working out how not to sit next to him.

We're off to San Francisco in two weeks, so suggestions are welcome. We're staying in Berkley and planning to get the Bart in. I've heard of a tourist bus?

And you're supposed to turn down amazing opportunities like a post-doc in California when your dh is perfectly willing to step up as dd's father and look after her? What an idiot. Hope you have a fab time in SF - thinking of going down there around Thanksgiving so my dh can get more time off.

Thanks, He even knew DH was at home with her, grrrrr. I've decided he's an idiot and he spent the next bus journey showing me pictures of his cat[hmmm]

I don't even know when Thanksgiving is, I'm a dirty ignorant expat

Glad most of the talk is shoe related

End of November! I am rubbish at shoe shopping! You'll be impressed with my dd. She was rock climbing at the weekend outside for the first time and got half way up some tricky routes. She's only 4 and I was really proud!

Speaking of shoes, just got DD's. They're so cute for soccer shoes. Mostly because they just look so small. I have a very happy 4 year old.

My gripe for the day: Why can people not RSVP for birthday parties? I don't know if I'll have 6 coming, or 20.

That's so annoying dooney. A friend's little boy had a party in a play centre in June and no-one apart from my 2 and our neighbours 2 turned up. Except for his older sister's 3 friends, none of whom bought him a present or card. Poor thing said at the end, 'none of my friends came.' It doesn't take much to say yes or no; I hope this isn't becoming more prevalent. I hope your dd has a fab party dooney.

Well, I had a few more respond, and so I know that 2 more are coming, 2 others have told one of the people that responded that their kids are coming, so it is up to 10. I'm a bit nervous about the percentages, though, because it is a joint party for DD and DS, and DD has 7 of those coming.

I think it is just a way of life. We went to a party of DS' friend, and she said out of the people she invited, only me and one other parent said they were coming, one called to say they weren't going to be there, and 10 kids showed up.

Climber is suitably impressed with tad's DD, but wonders what climbing tad herself has been up to?

Hi there... I need help finding clothes here! Where do you shop? I used to depend on H&M, Next, TopShop. At this point I'm dangerously close to living in my running gear!!

I find it really hard 2kids, especially as US sizes are different. I live in a real outdoorsy place so can get away with t-shirts and hiking stuff a lot of the time. Have you tried Macy's? They have a range of stuff. To be honest, other than the afore-mentioned outdoors shops, there isn't much here that I could recommend to anyone. Sorry!

To be honest, climber I had an incident in the Wye Valley before dd came along that scared me and put me off climbing. My dh is not that great with novices and put the gear in horizontally away from where I was supposed to start. Unusually for climbers, the other people around (strangers) were not at all helpful and made me feel like crap for not being able to get started. Apart from a few times at the wall since, I haven't got back into it. Now I'm pregnant again, I don't have the confidence to start up again.

Don't worry about it tad, just enjoy soaking up the sunshine/outdoors weather.

I've only shopped at Old Navy so far.

Does anyone know of any good nappy liners for reusable nappies(diapers I know). All the American ones we've tried so far have been pants.

pants! love the pun