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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

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

999 replies

redflipflops · 24/05/2010 16:47

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

introductions:

redflipflops - California (central Coast)

OP posts:
kickassangel · 22/08/2010 21:14

i sent out invites, so, yes, there's the possibility of people who are on holiday not getting the invites yet. i just hate having to phone people about these things - i barely know them, what if they think i'm that strange english woman who keeps pestering them?

Earlybird · 22/08/2010 21:17

They probably won't think that at all - they'll perhaps be a little embarrassed that they didn't respond before now.

TrillianAstra · 22/08/2010 23:54

Hi, I don't want to hijack your thread but if any of you would like to tell me why moving to America would be a good idea I have a thread here

dooneygirl · 23/08/2010 00:03

I'm sorry, trillian, I didn't see you posted here, and responded on your other thread.

Kickass--I so feel your pain. If it makes you feel better, I had almost everyone we invited show up at the kids' party and very few RSVP'd. I sent invites to some of the 'reserve' list, and ended up paying for a really big party. If you started calling around here, they probably would think of you as the strange english woman who keeps pestering them, but maybe it would be nice just to know who's coming and who isn't?

midtowner · 23/08/2010 00:06

Hello all, it seems weeks since I last posted. We've been off at the beach in North Carolina and had a great time. I can't believe the holidays are almost over. It's poured with rain all day here today.

kickassangel · 23/08/2010 00:20

dooney - i think i'll send round an email, explaining that 'colonial williamsburg' has no cell phone coverage & i have no idea who may have tried to contact me - hopefully that makes me less of a loon!

we have this every year, depending when we have the party, either everyone is away, or they've all got back from holiday & are desperate to keep the kids entertained for the last few days. we invite about the same number each year, and have had between 5 and 25 kids (plus some adults who stayed) turn up.

trillian - hi, have a look at this thread for someone in a similar situation.

the US is HUGE. i know we all know it, but until you get here (and i had been here loads, sometimes for months) you don't really get how big & different it is. it's like asking what europe is like, generally.

Original poster
redflipflops · 23/08/2010 01:05

Sympathies about the party invites kickass Hardly anyone replied for my DD's party a few months ago... it made the whole thing SO much more stressful and unenjoyable (even though 80% did turn up in the end). It's one of those moments when you feel more concious of being a foreigner Sad

We're back at school this week. Actually looking forward to getting back into the swing of term time!

OP posts:
kickassangel · 23/08/2010 01:15

i am also looking forward to term starting - just over 2 weeks away!! the holidays are v relaxed & we've spent a lot of time having fun, but it all feels a bit like aimless wandering, i prefer to have a job to get on with. once dd is back at school i shall be back in that garden, pulling up weeds, then on with the decorating, until i get a job, that is.

then i'll be all stressed out & moaning that i have too much to do.

Earlybird · 23/08/2010 02:37

Here in the southern part of the USA, school has been out since the end of May so it begins earlier than other regions.

DD has already gone back to school - though this is her first full week.

jabberwocky · 23/08/2010 04:11

Re: hugeness, I think I read somewhere that the UK was most similar to Oregon in size and population if that helps to give perspective.

tadjennyp · 23/08/2010 04:47

I think Oregon is about the same size as England but has only 3 million people, whereas there are around 50 million just in England. Oregon certainly feels huge! If you drive up, or climb up to one of the very tall peaks round here you can just see vast tracts of emptiness, the feeling of which you may only get somewhere like the North York Moors at home.

TrillianAstra · 23/08/2010 08:57

Doone don't apologise - you responded, that's great!

Think I will lurk here for a little bit if that's ok :)

kickassangel · 23/08/2010 12:52

trillion - i think you should gate crash the thread i linked to as someone there is getting lots of advice on the same thing.

jabberwocky · 23/08/2010 13:48

tadjenny, yes, sorry, it's size but not population that is the same Blush

TrillianAstra · 24/08/2010 09:05

Thanks kickass - situation is a little bit different but I will definitely read and learn :)

TrillianAstra · 26/08/2010 16:58

Shit, didn't mean to kill your thread! Come back!

tadjennyp · 26/08/2010 21:36

Haha - don't worry trillian, we've been really quiet over the summer. Perhaps people will have a little more time after Labor Day?

dooneygirl · 30/08/2010 02:58

I'm really hoping to have more time after Labor Day. We got home this afternoon, and after checking the messages, I've gone from having nothing to do this week to being full already, and having to call and uninvite DH's friend from coming over to dinner, because he has relatives he never sees coming over from China. I've never had a summer so busy before.

Hey, kickass, how was the party??? Did you ever call people and get the RSVP's? If that worked, next time I might try that.

tadjennyp · 30/08/2010 04:32

How did your party go, too, dooney? Did not many turn up? It's nice to have some quiet time but it must be lovely to be so in demand too! Enjoy your last week of vacation!

dooneygirl · 30/08/2010 16:30

It went really well, thanks. The "worst" thing that happened was the bakery didn't have the cake boxed up and ready to go even though we got there almost an hour after we told them we would be. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, even some of the parents who stayed. My kids had a blast, and that's really all that matters.

I didn't have an idea of who would be there beforehand, though. I had 6 parents RSVP for a total of 8 kids that said they were coming, and 3 parents for a total of 4 kids say they weren't coming, so I panicked a bit and invited some from the "reserve" list. On the day of, I had one of the yes parents call and say they were in the ER most of the night because their DS broke his arm, and they weren't coming, one of the yes parents call and ask what would be a good present for DS (and then never show up to the party) and one mom I hadn't invited call and say she heard of the party and she was wondering if her DS could come. So I ended up with 18 out of the 21 I invited there, and one I didn't invite there.

The only bad thing about that, was I was allowed 11 guests before they charged me $12 a head per extra kid. But the lady who was working there was really nice, we had a conversation about how people just don't RSVP anymore, and you never know how many you'll get at a party. There was one party going on when we got there, and they left, and we had another one going on later, and the lady was really great, and the 1st party only had 9 kids, and the 2nd only had 7, so she shoved 6 of my extra kids as guests on the other 2 parties, since they had room, and we only had to pay for 2 extra kids for ours.

tadjennyp · 30/08/2010 17:15

Wow, that was really generous of her! Glad everyone enjoyed themselves dooney!

We had an English BBQ at the weekend. English because there were only British families there, it's a bank holiday in the UK today and the weather was distinctly English - dull, overcast and we had to eat indoors! Grin It was fun though. Is it pouring in Portland too?

dooneygirl · 31/08/2010 01:54

No, it has been very overcast today, but not raining. The sun finally came out. It rained when we were in Southern Oregon this weekend, though.

Earlybird · 31/08/2010 02:56

dooney - glad the party went well. They're nervewracking, aren't they?

I gave dd's party 2 weeks ago - had 25 little girls come for a swimming party. Twenty minutes in......it thundered and began to rain. To say I was stressed was an understatement!

Everyone left 3 hours (!) later, and said they'd had a brilliant time. Not sure how though, as virtually nothing about it was how I'd planned!

dooneygirl · 31/08/2010 04:07

It was so stressful, earlybird. I never had birthdays growing up, and the kids have never wanted a big party until now (I've offered, but they've just wanted to go to the county fair with grandma and grandpa), so I wanted it to be just perfect. And it was (close enough)

It was great having it somewhere else. They had a 2 hour time limit, and kick you out, and then you leave all the mess there and go home.

SatinandTat · 01/09/2010 15:13

Hello All, I don't post here very often but as it is the first day back at school and I am all alone I thought I would pop in and post. The parties sound wonderful. I am thinking of doing something for Halloween this year as my DD had her birthday back in August and we were in England at the time. Our local "city" is also holding a "decorate-your-yard for Halloween" competition so maybe I will enter that too! I have to incorporate a piece of local history into the design. We had a wonderful trip to England and actually managed to do some fun stuff as well as all the driving and visiting of relatives. I bought back a huge bar of Cadbury's Turkish Delight to share and just realised that I have eaten the lot. I am hoping that everyone else has forgotten it! Did anyone else go to England for the summer?

Trillian if you are still reading this I did see your thread but I cannot think of much to add that has not already been said. I will think on and try to come up with something original for you.