Decent Day
Topic: This and That
(This was taken in June. My Mom got Ryan a modular "Play Hut." Ryan loves it!)
The last couple of days have been pretty good. It always takes me a couple of days to adjust when Larry leaves. Now I feel like Ryan and I are starting to get back on an even keel.
It helps so much that I know people here now. It feel so good to me that I can run into people I know while walking down my street, or running errands at MHS. It also feels good to have friends to socialize with.
Last night I watched my friend Susan's daughter, Hannah. That was fun! She's five months old and a sweetie. I can't believe how long ago it seems that Ryan was that little. Time seriously flies, especially with kiddos.
Susan and I got together this morning and went to IKEA. That was fun. She needed to return something and I needed sheets for our new bed (well, and pillows, and a duvet, and a duvet cover, and pillow cases...). Susan was a big help, helping me figure out what the heck I needed to get! Sometimes I go into brain failure in IKEA. There's just so much to choose from.
Susan very kindly treated us to lunch afterwards at an Italian place. That was really nice. I hadn't "done lunch" in quite a while.
I am really proud of myself: this afternoon I had a conversation in German, and I think I said everything right and I understood everything that was said to me. YAY!!! :D I am very pleased, considering that I haven't spoken German in over a year. (I was trying to call a friend of mine from the States who is visiting German family right now.)
Tomorrow I'm going to a baby shower, and Monday night there's a spouse's coffee that I'll be attending. I'm very much looking forward to both.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Topic: This and That
"Tippecanoe and Ryan, Too." (Ok, I realize that canoes have nothing to do with it, but I thought it sounded cool!) Ryan was sitting in this box (couldn't get a picture of him actually sitting though), and Larry and I thought it looked like Ryan was in a canoe.
Today is the one year anniversary of the London bombings. It was all over the news, and church bells seemed to be ringing all day. I went shopping with my friend Aimee and we stumbled into a moment of silence that was being held at a local shopping center. Apparently at noon all over the country there were two minutes of silence for those who lost their lives in the bombing.
On a happier note, Ryan is on a learning hot streak! On the 4th he said his first sentence, "I got you!" Larry was tickling Ryan and said, "I got you!" and Ryan repeated it. Today, Ryan drew some circles and said, "Circle." YAY!!! He's using intelligible words a lot more, which is exciting.
Yesterday he was tired and threw a fit. We were going for a walk and he wanted to go one way and I needed us to go another. I wound up carrying him all the way up our street (a gradual incline). Once home, he kept up his fit. He was pitching one of epic proportions and just would not calm down completely. I thought I was going to have to put him to bed early. I started looking around for his blankie, and asked him, "Ryan, where's your blankie?" He looked at me and said, "Upstairs." I was completely astonished because I wasn't expecting an answer, let alone a clear and correct one. I said, "Do you want to go get it?" and he took off for the stairs. As soon as he had his blankie, he was all happy again. Go figure.
I forgot to mention that when I was driving home from dropping Larry off at the airport, I saw a sign on the M62 that read, "England's Highest Motorway." I'd never driven on a motorway (the equivalent of our freeways) before. So on my first time, I was on the highest one!
In the Small Triumphs Dept., I opened a bottle of wine by myself for the first time ever last night. :P It's the little things. I just couldn't work the wine opener we had. We bought an easier to use one at IKEA, and now I am set!
In the One Of Us Should Have Said Something A Long Time Ago Dept., a week or so ago I suggested heating up a frozen pizza for dinner. Larry told me he didn't really like that pizza - this was after months, possibly years, of getting this pizza. I told him I didn't like it either, but I got it because I thought he liked it. He said, "Nope!" We both laughed. Oh well. At least now I know!

Birthdays
Topic: This and That
Happy birthday to Jenn and Gillie! Great big hugs to you both, and I hope all your birthday wishes come true!
Much love,
~Holly

Larry
Topic: This and That
Today's been sort of a long day. Ryan was up around 3:30am. I have no idea why. He wasn't crying or upset, but was "talking" and making noise. I tried to get back to sleep (while wondering if I ought to go check on him). At 4:30am Larry's work called. We we're going to get up around 5am anyway, so at that point we went ahead and got up.
This morning Larry left from Manchester for his TDY in Maryland. He's at the Global Language Center in Linthicum (near BWI). He'll be there until the middle of August. (He got in just fine and has called me.)
Traffic getting home from the airport was rough. I felt wired and tired when Ryan and I got home. We got a nap later, but I'm still tired right now. I'm going to try to get into bed soon.
It's always a bit lonely when Larry first leaves. Luckily, I've got a busy next few days, so it won't seem so bad.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Independence Day
Topic: Holidays
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." (Excerpt from The Declaration of Independence, courtesy of www.thedeclarationofindependence.org.)

Last year was the first time since the year 2000 that I'd been in the U.S. on the 4th of July. (The above photo of Ryan was taken at my friends' parents' 4th of July BBQ last year. What a difference a year makes!) This year finds us in the very place we declared independence from! (It's not the first time, though. In 2004, I was in London on the 4th, with my friends Heather and Sabrina. The Hard Rock Cafe there was giving free bottles of Sam Adams to American passport holders!) It was kind of funny the other day, John the Builder (the man who does a lot of the maintenance on our house) called me to let me know the plumber would be here on July 24th. He said the plumber could be here on the 4th but, "I imagine you're going to be busy!" We both had a laugh at that! All water under the bridge now, I suppose!
When we lived on post in Germany, the post always had a really good Independence Day celebration. There was of course the BBQ and games, etc., during the day. At night there would be a lot of pomp and circumstance, with the 1st ID Band (Leighton Barracks was 1st ID HQ, after all), and lots of firing of cannons, followed by a really good fireworks show. Very impressive. (Most of the time it wouldn't take place on the actual 4th, since it rarely fell on a weekend and most of the time people used the four day weekend to travel.) Menwith Hill Station had a small carnival and games, etc., along with fireworks, but as far as I know, nothing on the scale Leighton did.
In some ways, when you are an American military family living overseas, every day is an independence day. Living in a foreign country (even an English speaking one) and having a family member who is in the military (and a war veteran) makes you conscious of being an American in a way that you just normally wouldn't be back in the U.S.
Today we aren't outwardly doing much to celebrate - a simple BBQ - but the meaning of this day is clearly in our hearts and thoughts, and being American is something to be grateful for and celebrate every single day.
Today I've been thinking about how I've celebrated the 4th throughout my life. I loved the celebrations we had when I was a kid. We'd spend all day swimming at my grandma Audrey's house, then at night the party would move to my parents' house. There would be food and homemade ice cream and music and more swimming. The best was the fireworks we'd set off in the driveway and the street. We'd buy tons of fireworks from local stands, and it would take at least a couple of hours to go through them all. Afterwards, the adults would carry on and the kids would fall asleep on blankets on the living room floor watching a movie. I loved having a house filled with people and merriment.
No matter where you are or what you're doing today, be sure to give a thought to the meaning behind the holiday, and be sure to celebrate!

Bolton Abbey
Topic: Day Trips
"The Bolton Abbey Estate covers 30,000 acres of beautiful countryside in the Yorkshire Dales.There are medieval buildings to explore and 80 miles of moorland, woodland and riverside footpaths." (From the Bolton Abbey website.) Here is the album from our trip on Sunday. Bolton Abbey We had a really nice time. It's the sort of place you could come back to again and again, since there's so much to explore. It's also a nice place to just have a picnic. Lots of people were picnicing between cars in the grass parking lot!
(ps - I seem to be getting e-mail alerts from comments made on my photo albums, but still not on comments made on this blog.)

Yesterday Afternoon and Today
(I took this a couple of days ago. Ryan started yawning right when I took it. I thought it was a funny picture!)
Yesterday in the morning Larry went to IKEA and bought a bed. Unfortunately, he needed two of something and only had one, so we needed to go back later.
In the afternoon I went over to my friend Sarah's house for an Independence Day weekend BBQ. It was a very relaxing, enjoyable time with friends. There were lots of fun things in the back yard for Ryan to play with, so he ran around and played the whole time.
In the evening, Larry and Ryan and I went to the shopping center near Leeds, but IKEA was closed. We missed it by fifteen minutes. :( We stopped by Borders and picked up some Starbucks though.
Today we went to Bolton Abbey. (I will post a photo album at some point soon, but in the meantime here's the website: Bolton Abbey ) It was really neat. There's a church, ruins, and it's also a bit of a recreational area. There were lots of people there enjoying the warm weather.
When we got back, Ryan took a mondo nap. Larry and I did, too! When we all got up, we barbecued.
All through the evening, a slow moving thunderstorm has been passing through. That's been fun.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Catching Up
Topic: This and That
The weather is gorgeous here today. I had a very nice morning, taking Ryan out with me (in the jogging stroller) for a run. I wound up talking to a couple of fellow runners along the way. In general, runners are such nice people. I would like to join the local running club at some point.
Last Sunday, Larry and Ryan and I went to the shopping center near Leeds. There were several things we wanted to get. We went to Toys'r'us to find Ryan a new red train. (The one he had broke.) Ryan always has such a good time zooming around that store. We also wound up getting him a big bouncy ball, and a yellow truck. When it comes to toys, Ryan's Daddy is definitely the indulgent one!
From there, we went to WHSmith, and Borders. I had my own mission in those two places: to get the paperback, adult editions of the last two Harry Potter books. (I only had copies of those in hard cover, and they aren't even mine!) I think the adult editions only come from the UK publisher. I know you can get them online at Amazon, but it's more fun (and probably less expensive) just to get them locally - especially when they're on sale! (Which they were.) Of course we picked up drinks from the Starbucks at Borders.
While at WHSmith, Larry and I had some fun looking up a couple of words in the dictionary: git, and prat. I had come across them in the Harry Potter books, and from context figured they were fairly tame insults. Larry's curiosity was piqued when he heard them used in the tv show, "Blackadder." (A very funny British comedy from the 80's, starring Rowan Atkinson. Season 2 is my personal favorite so far.) I was surprised those words were in the dictionary (British), since they are slang. Larry wasn't though. So now we know that "prat" is basically a babbling idiot (as in, prattling on), and "git" is similar to bastard, or jerk. Ya learn something new every day! :D
Our final stop was IKEA. We were bed shopping. We'd been needing one for guests for a while, and with my friend JoAnna coming to visit soon (Hi Jo!), we thought now was a good time to finally get one. We couldn't fit one in the car with the three of us though, so this morning Larry went to get it. Unfortunately, he needed two of something he only bought one of, so we might go back later tonight. Luckily, it's not too far away.
This whole week has been a blur for both me and Larry. Larry's been working long hours, and I've just been busy with Ryan and daily life. Thursday was my turn to host the babysitting co-op meeting. I thought it would be nice to have it at Valley Gardens. It turned out to be a good day for it, weather wise. Not too hot, not too cold. It was fun to let the kiddos run around while we moms got to socialize. There is a paddling pool there, but the water was really cold. I put Ryan in a swim diaper, but as soon as his feet touched the water, he let me know it was too cold for him.
Ryan particularly enjoyed the slide. (At first I hovered right close, afraid he'd fall off the steps. Later I was able to stand farther away. Ryan's perfectly capable of climbing the steps up the slide on his own, but I can't help being a bit overprotective!) Ryan also enjoyed the round about (I have no idea what we call them in the States - you know the circular platform that spins around that has bars you hang onto?). He doesn't have a concept of things belonging to other people, so sometimes he'd play with things that weren't his. Mostly people were pretty good about it. I tried intervene as best I could, but it's hard to chase a little one around a park for two hours straight! At one point, he started kicking a soccer ball. The man who had the ball said, "The next David Beckham!" :P
After a couple of hours, everyone from the co-op headed out. I headed back home via the shopping center. A new sports stored just opened, so I checked that out. I got Ryan the most adorable little English World Cup Team uniform! It was on sale, down to 7.49 pounds fro 24.99. He's wearing it today (England plays today) and it fits him perfectly. I've been trying to get a decent picture of him in it, but so far no dice.
Today we're possibly going on post. A friend is having a BBQ, and MHS is celebrating Independence Day today, since July 4 is on a Tuesday.
Agassi is playing Wimbledon right now. It's his last hurrah, so I hope he wins!
ps - For some reason, I am still not getting e-mail alerts when people post comments on my blog, so please bear with me if I don't see them right away. Thanks!

Topic: This and That
Please excuse yesterday's rant. I have taken a deep breath, and am now over my snit. (I discovered all is not lost with Tripod, so my blog will stay here, at least for now.)
I know things have been really sparse lately. I will try to rectify that. Time seems to have gotten away from me lately, and I don't ever seem to have enough of it.
Before I forget, I would like to add something I forgot to put in my recount of our trip to Edinburgh (at least I think I forgot to mention it). While Ryan and I were walking around Edinburgh waiting for Larry to finish the marathon, two people at different times asked me for directions. This begs two questions: do I look like a local? and do I look like I know where I'm going? (Both highly doubtful! *grin*) Maybe it's just that a woman with a small child seems approachable.
I do plan on writing about our day Sunday, as well as the nice time Ryan and I had at Valley Gardens today. Stay tuned, I will be back!

The Greatest Play
Topic: Featured Link
Larry's Mom sent him this, and Larry passed it on to me. It's definitely worth a watch. Very patriotic. Greatest Play Ever In Baseball