Episode 34 - The Tearoom moves to New England

[beanandspud]

At this time of year New England is famous for its glorious foliage as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colours. The air is crisp and cool ? perfect for hiking, biking or a drive along back roads, where farm stands are piled high with crunchy apples and orange pumpkins.

Everyone is welcome. There are tea, cakes and wine aplenty so pull up a comfortable chair and join us.

The usual rule applies - no fisticuffs please!

There appears to be some very good pre-Thanksgiving sales this year. Toys R Us had their limited Brio selection on offer for 50% off in store (or 20% off on-line). Brio is hard to find in the US (or, at least, isn't as available as we've found in the UK). Needless to say we got some for SmallBoy to take back with us to put away and ended up saving about 2/3 of what we would pay in the UK.

I do love holiday shopping when we come home.

MomScout has gone back to work today but is only working the three days up to Thanksgiving. SisterScout and DadScout are still working nights so we won't see much of them when they go to bed this morning. I'm hoping to go to the post office this morning for stamps. Might go up to the toy/party/teachers' supply store later there are a couple of things I want to pick up for presents. MrScout has had really unsocial sleep patterns since we've been here (he does at home, too, but it's been really bad/obvious this week) do you think I would be unreasonable to just leave him and go to the shops, etc., with SmallBoy? I'm tired of waiting for him and the longer I wait and SmallBoy gets wound up from being cooped up the more frustrated I get (not today, so far, but days past).

Scout, far better to tell him that you're going to do that if he's late up again - no blame attached, just that there's no point in hanging around for him and he's not actually going to be missing much, but TS will be much happier for being out and about so everyone will have a better day. TBH, if there was a potential trip to the shops involved, my DH would not try to get up particularly early either!

Thing is he likes the shops in the US. The other day I had to wake him to go to the trains and he knew what time we were leaving. He's really frustrating me with his sleeping this trip. He came to bed at almost 3:00 a.m. last night and woke both SmallBoy and me up. SmallBoy had a hard time getting back to sleep which meant I didn't get back to sleep. Grrrr.

Yes please, JM.

After being told that if he dared to wake SmallBoy up again last night that SB would be his responsibility until he got back to sleep and I'd sleep on the very comfy recliner downstairs MrScout came to bed at a fairly respectable and definitely early for this holiday midnight without waking up the child. Me, on the other hand, that's another story, but I can deal with me being awake without SB.

That sounds like progress of a sort, Scout!

Was he appropriately chastened, Scout? :o

evening all.

I've sorted Boys next bike - hurrah. And all thanks to the power of mums net. He's going to have a 24 inch wheel Beinn ( Islabike) so its much like his current bike, but bigger ( and faster) .

The pair of us spent the weekend watching the world cup track cycling in Glasgow- WOW.

So, can I interest you in Mellors new skill... the cycling coach. He is wiling to take any of tea room ids for a spin round the tea rooms very own velodrome lite. Its has the look of the velodrome with out the VERY steep banking. The perfect place to cycle as its always warm (28C) and dry. No pot holes or dogs or cars.

and now I MUST stop reading the internet and get on with some work. could Mellors come over in about 30 mins with a plate of biscuits?

I'm sure he could, UniS

And all because the lady loves milk tray....

He's a pretty dashing courier. I have achieved. Work done, brain fried. I have generated a list of cable and distro to pick and pack up tomorrow for a Christmas lighting project at a National Trust property I'm working on next week. mucho measuring of things on a 1:1000 plan.

I can officially say it's the Thanksgiving season -- I heard the Adam Sandler Thanksgiving song on the radio this morning.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Oh dear about Adam Sandler, Scout.

::not a fan emoticon::

Where's your project, UniS? Sounds exciting.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! ::pumpkin pie and turkey emoticon::

Sorry I haven't been around much, will try to catch up.

Happy Thanksgiving to those in or from the US of A.

I did my US christmas shopping today on-line. 15 books later ,( or25 books later if you count all the books in the box sets) I'm done for my nieces and nephews.

Christmas lights project... not as exciting as it sounds yet. all my makes have been boring and prosaic timer units or up lighters. The fun stuff is on site for two days next week. hoping the wind has died down a bit and the rain stops.

SmallBoy has "invented" a new game this trip -- he is now the train from one of his LeapPad games and everyone who is downstairs is a gem that he has to collect (like the in the game). He makes the noises as he runs around the house and shouts "YEE-HAW!" (American style, of course!) when he finishes catching all of the gems (just like the game). I wonder what his English friends will think of this new game.

We're enjoying our last few days/hours here and are making the most of it.

We took SmallBoy to see Santa/Father Christmas yesterday (all of the Santas in the malls around here have real beards and real round tummies so we try to visit here) and got the best picture of SB. He was so genuinely excited to see Father Christmas that you could feel the excitement radiating from his body as he bounced up-and-down "It's Father Christmas!" He told Santa he wanted "presents" for Christmas and it took a little coaxing (he had gone shy in his excitement) to tell him he wanted "train tracks presents."

We also went to see a friend of mine from back-in-the-day when I used to work at the grocery headquarters here many, many years ago. I love visiting with her -- she's a real "Italian Nonna" type who keeps hugging you and feeding you (she's around my Mom's age and has a daughter the same age as me). She loves MrScout and SB, too, and spoils SB.

And last night MrScout and I went for a late-ish dinner and to see Skyfall with BrotherScout. It was nice to be able to talk to my brother without his girlfriend around. I met her for the first time on Thanksgiving and while she seems nice enough she talked (A LOT) and often answered for my brother (which did seem to frustrate him a bit or he's so used to it he ignored her).

The ScoutTroop has spent this trip with family and only really visited my "older" friends (friends who are my mom's age and who have children my age). I haven't seen friends who are my peers/classmates this trip. It may sound horrible or mean to some but I just needed to wrap myself around my family (and one the older friends I visited with is extended family in that I've known her since I was 11, she came to my wedding in England and growing up if I had troubles I didn't feel comfortable going to Mom I'd go to her) and avoid the drama that some of my local younger friends seem to be in. I wanted calm and peace and just good conversation that didn't seem to either be a. grilling me about England or b. moaning about their lack of love-life/time/competitiveness regarding children's ability.

Do I really have to leave tomorrow?

Oh (((((((((Scout)))))))))) :(
I hate leaving too.

We're at my mum's right now, going to the Grey Cup today, have one more day to do nothing or a bit of shopping and then heading back on Tuesday morning. Early morning. Ugh.

I've had a very long week at work followed by a weekend of orchestral rehearsals. Luckily, I have tomorrow off... lots of dog walking I think.

I hate packing.

Me too.
I'm sad for you having to leave, Scout. Just sending a massive (((((((HUG))))))).

Packing is still on-going. It has to be either MrScout or me, not both together. I have retreated to my parents' laptop before I scream in frustration.

SmallBoy is being a nightmare -- he knows things are happening and that there's an airplane ride tonight but he just can't contain/control himself. (If MrScout finished packing last night like I told him to SB wouldn't be so difficult.)

JM, two packages whizzing to you. It was sooooooo much cheaper to break it up into two packages rather than one. And somehow, despite having the same things in them and the same type of package used, one weighed less than the other. Anyway, I hope they arrive to you soon (they should seeing as they went first class international post).

Have a safe trip back Scout, and thank you for the postcard - Small Bean loved it and knew immediately that it was an American train!

MT - hope you had a good day to yourself, I have a day off on Friday to do Christmas shopping and I'm rather looking forward to going to to Local-very-large-shopping-centre in peace!

and cake for everyone is on the side...

bean - if you mean the one to the south, I have been there once - and managed about 40mins and that was it.... I had a really nice walk first thing, then did some DIY then a few chores and a bit of shopping then I feel asleep after lunch for 30 mins next to the dog before going to pick up mini from school...

We're home again. That three-hour time difference e completely messes us up. Fought to stay awake until 8 or 9 last night, this morning DS was in our bed by 5:20 am.
Ugh.

Got your postcard, Scout, thank you so much! I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't posted yours or UniS' yet, will try to do it today.

Where's the coffee?