Life in the USA – Page 16 – Melrose Mom-ing

All Hallows’ Eve

Stateside is just magical.

No really, it was amazing.

#1 Son had a party and parade at school. He has worn not one, not two, but three costumes today:

Pumpkin Ghost – he made this himself, consisting of his long sleeved jack o lantern t-shirt and red trousers (they had to be red)
Dinosaur costume – a National History Museum official one for the school party. They were not allowed masks, makeup, blood or weapons.
The Blue Power Ranger – for Trick or Treating with me and TT.

TT was Harley Quinn – because daddy couldn’t find “Demon Spawn From The Hell Pits” in a 2T.

The shoes didn’t make it home 😐🙃

So the city of Melrose ran a Halloween Trick or Treat event 15:30 – 17:00. So given it gets dark, and TT is still so little we did the full run. Local businesses along Main Street were handing out candy and doing activities with the kids.

So. Many. Costumes. I had dressed up as Cleopatra for the heck of it, and I wasn’t the only adult in costume. Not only that, but one of the staff from the local Mexican cantina was wearing the same costume!

So. Much. Candy.

No really, this is TT’s haul:

With a shout out to Aunty Diana for the bags, which had TT shouting “Kitty cat” a lot.

#1 Son (rather sensibly) disappeared his haul to his room as soon as he got home. He has slightly more than her, but she soon got very good at shouting “my turn” whenever she saw him get candy.

She charmed extra out of one business by saying “ta” when she was handed chocolate.

We had so much fun, honestly. It was a perfect afternoon, beautiful weather, fun activities – there were at least two haunted houses and both kids loved it.

We initially planned to go out as a family later, but #1 Son was overwhelmed after all the people and noise (and I wasn’t far behind him if I’m honest), it was very close to TT’s bedtime, and daddy had a new shoes blister; so we decided to put a pin in it for this year.

Sadly we have only had one set of house-to-house Trick or Treater’s but hey ho.

What we did at the weekend

We decided to put the new shiny (car) through his paces.

Took the kids out for lunch on Saturday where #1 Son actually ate food. TT demanded a burger then refused to eat it.

No change there then. 🙄🙄🙄

The wonderful hus-creature then dropped me off for my nail appointment.

Due to unforeseen casualties, which included breaking every nail, and actually ripping two of them (and yes that did hurt. A lot.) I had been forced to cancel and reschedule. It had therefore been three weeks since my last one.

So poor Lily had a bit of a mess to work with, but she managed these amazing Halloween nails:

She didn’t have all her brushes so the free style drawing is, to me, even more impressive! She’s actually on leave in a fortnight (how very dare she 😂🤣) so I’ve been forced to book for another 3 weeks time. Ah well, they’ll be gorgeous for thanksgiving at least.

Sunday was even better. We went to New Hampshire (first time I’ve crossed state lines) to spend the afternoon with friends at their small holding.

It. Was. Awesome.

First we stopped for lunch:

Then once we arrived I met all the animals I’ve heard so much about.

The goats:

Lib will be breeding the biggest goat soon for milk and bebbeh goats 💕💕💕

The steers:

They are being raised for meat. Faux and Lib asked us to stay for dinner (which was not expected and very generous of them) and we ate Ronald. Who was their previous beef steer. With apologies to those vegetarians and vegans who may read this, home reared meat is delicious.

I met the alpacas. Knit and Purl.

This is Knit, she hates everyone and will eat your soul given half a chance.

She definitely has resting bitch face:

This is Purl, who is slightly lighter in colour, and will tolerate humans and the very occasional pet:

There were all the chickens and ducks:

I was also given a dozen fresh eggs to take home. I’m planning yumminess with those… store bought eggs here are just not the same.

Also the next dinner:

This cockerel is being evil to the other males so at some point omnomnom.

It may seem cruel to some but honestly? I’m genuinely impressed with the set up, and it teaches where food really comes from. Could I slaughter or pluck myself? Maybe not, but knowing the animal is genuinely free range? Priceless.

There are also various house animals including a dog (who was shut away as #1 Son was nervy), two house cats we didn’t meet, and a house rabbit that TT just adored. There were also baby chicks and barn cats that stayed aloof. It’s such a wonderful setup.

All the kids had a blast, and I got some adult time 👍🏻

Our week

But not in pictures.

It was pretty normal up until Thursday.

On Wednesday I went up to my yarn shop to their “Sit ‘N Knit” class – which is $7 per session and you can pay in blocks but as the current block finishes in three weeks, I’m paying the instalments until then, then I will buy the block.

It’s been lovely to hang out with like-minded ladies. I’m hoping they will teach me the Continental style.

Now, on to Thursday.

#1 Son has been pretty stable at school for the last few weeks. His days average around 50:50 with some escapes out of the classroom but usually only into another kindergarten classroom.

Which does make me feel a little sorry for the other teachers. But they don’t seem to mind too much.

The overall actual classwork amount he completes varies day to day. But he is at least managing some per day. Although I can’t shake the feeling that he is starting to lose the advantage he had from a year in reception class.

However I think I got cocky. I was starting to feel that just maybe he was settling down. Thursday put the kibosh on that one a bit.

I missed a phone call from the school at roughly 11 o’clock. That will teach me to change the Tiny Tyrant’s nappies!!!

They then rang the husband creature who texted me in a bit of a flap. Actually that is unkind of me, as he was really very calm and controlled. (This normally doesn’t herald anything good).

The school were ringing to tell us that #1 Son had escaped out of his classroom and actually managed to escape out of the school. This has been something they have feared since he started playing this particular little trick.

They didn’t have a choice and this time had to call the police to go and find him. They apparently allowed one of the paras (which seems to be the equivalent of a teaching assistant) go with the police so that he had a familiar face. Which was a good thing as the whole “stranger danger” conversation is not one we had really been focusing on because of his tendency to focus on the exact opposite point of the conversation.

This has now been rectified.

With some urgency!!!

It was all hands on deck. Daddy raced home from work and I called the lovely J for a lift to school to collect him.

Gave TT a chance to model her new coat which is for three year olds:

So we got him home. School were apologetic and we would “start again tomorrow”

I rained hell fire on him without shouting. I never thought I could do that but it is possible.

I also docked his allowance. Which he was more upset about than losing screen privileges. (Which also happened)

It’s not been a fun day, and I am then dreading parent-teacher conference but onwards and upwards.

Friday was much better. I had to pick him up from school so as he had a very good day, we went for ice cream.

After ice cream we went to the park.

TT decided that swinging for an extended period (rather than < 30 seconds) was fun and #1 Son was playing appropriately!!!

I did find myself saying “I don’t care what the other little boy is doing, he is not my son” when I caught #1 Son trying to climb up onto the roof of a playhouse to copy one of his new little friends, and was outraged that I wouldn’t let him follow suit.

And, perhaps most importantly, we met another little boy and his older brother, who is also on the spectrum. There was only a day’s difference in their ages too.

Although he seemed further along the spectrum, they played together so nicely. Both boys played with both #1 Son and TT, and I had a lovely chat with a mom who “got it” and could advise me on Stateside services.

I’m hoping that we might catch up with them this Friday too.

The Tesla Saga

There is some background required here:

We begin, dear readers, with a car accident in 2016. An accident wherein our hero, the wonderful hus-creature and his faithful steed the Chevy Volt were stationary waiting to turn into the local rubbish dump, and got rear ended by a stupid (woman) driver in a very old Skoda.

Cue the exchanging of insurance details and immediate admission of fault from other stupid driver.

Addendum: I am completely convinced she was on her phone somehow at the time, as she never quibbled once.

But you see, our beloved steed was no longer road safe. Bits were hanging off the front, but fortunately the battery cage protected the car’s vital organs.

So the insurance company provided us with a courtesy car.

A VW diesel Passat. Which was apparently Car of the Year in 2013.

But it is Diesel. When we are used to a true hybrid.

It handled like a cow. And not a graceful one. Nico Bellic was feather light in comparison.

Your courageous author merely had a provisional licence at this time, and so was unable to drive it, and so I am therefore only able to repeat what the usual driver told me of his experience.

He drove it three.miles.

Came home, declared that we were never having a dinosaur powered car again. And how did I fancy a Tesla?

I fancied one very much thank you. But never, for a moment did I imagine that he was serious.

The next moment I am handed proof of a reservation for the upcoming Tesla Model 3.

Which is due for release in the UK late 2019.

Please note that this is for the UK.

The observant amongst you will have noted that we are no longer in the UK.

As soon as we moved, back in July, we headed to the Central Boston Tesla Store (it is not a dealership) to see if we were able to transfer our current Model 3 reservation cross-continent.

We were-assured that as production had not yet begun, and the hus-creaturehad already switched the address of the reservation to a USA based one, that there would be no problem.

He even checked with the high ups.

Their website also confirmed this in their FAQ Section*

So we muddled along under the assumption that our reservation would be brought forward to Spring 2018.

Well, that still left us car-less. So we began to consider our options.

Front runner was to use house sale profits to buy a second hand Tesla Model S.

Yes, a luxury car, with no tax breaks or state benefits, because not new, but we would be entitled to free fast charging as that was a service transferred with the vehicle and not its owner.

And, frankly the S is sexy as heck.

Then we would use the S as collateral for our new Model 3 and get some tax breaks.

But lo and behold our “easy” house sale drags on. And on. And on.

And in the meantime the resell price is used Tesla’s increases. Which means that by end of September, they are way out of budget by over $10K

😱😭🙀😰

And Tesla have not backdated our reservation. At all.

And when husband type person contacts them directly to enquire as to why this might be, is told “oh no, that cannot happen. You will need to re-reserve” But have to put down another $1,000 deposit, and lose our place in the queue.

He points out that this contravenes both the information given in person in July and what is stated on their own website FAQs. They hem and haw and bugger off for over a week. Then tell us that if we cancel our UK reservation and make a new Stateside one, they will refund the second money (as refunding £1000 into dollars will cost more) and backdate the reservation date.

Except that was over four weeks ago and none of this has been done.

Our USA reservation still shows our UK delivery date. No sign of the money.

And their customer service has been shocking. Totally non-existent.

So we started looking at options. And, frankly, I was (and am) so grumpy with Tesla that even with it being a dream car I had gone off the idea.

The Chevy Bolt is new. It is shiny. I know how to drive it. It has all the shiny gadgets, and Chevy has excellent customer service.

And we can knock $10,000 off the initial cost due to federal and state incentives.

Ok some of that money won’t be returned until tax season, but it was a big carrot.

So, I have put on my big girl grown up pants and said goodbye to Tesla for now.

We haven’t cancelled our second reservation – yet – since it may prove useful longer term. But I’m just going to forget about it for now.

And stroke our new shiny:

*And in fact it still does

A day unlucky for some

But not for us.

For today Friday the 13th October 2017 we have sold our house.

Yes that bloody Millstone that was hung around our neck’s since April yes, April finally belongs to someone else!!!!

I mean okay we have not yet actually received the funds from the sale yet. No more dealing with shitty conveyancers!!!

Please excuse me while I do a little dance in celebration. It might even be the squirmy happy puppy dance. (Which I’ve not done since I left the office).

We can buy a car!!!!!

#1 Son also had an excellent day.

He received today’s REACH Star For doing his writing work without complaint and generally being awesome.

Yes I know the shirt is too small he insisted on wearing it and quite frankly I’m not sure I’m going to bother washing it before getting rid of it.

(Ok that’s a lie, but it was fun to consider however briefly 😂🤣)

Got to speak to his teacher today because our lovely J was unable to pick him up from school due to a previous appointment. And the lovely teacher confirmed that he has improved greatly, and she is very very pleased with him.

Yes we got our normal ice cream. Yes both children were a giant mess at the end of it. They had fun. I’ve even bought some very expensive oatmeal pouches to try and tempt TT into actually eating breakfast. Standby for the results on that one dear audience.

Oh and before I forget my wonderful boy and I had a conversation about Christmas. He was explaining to me how it was very important that J, her partner, and her two children, (and especially the baby) should have Christmas presents from us this year.

(It was hilarious that he referred to J’s partner as her dad because he knew him to be the baby’s dad. I did explain)

😂🤣😂

I forgot how literal a child’s view of the world can be.

But the best part of this conversation was the discussion about him giving the baby his toys and perhaps most importantly a previous favourite toy. He explained to me how he felt it was important that toys that were less favourite should go to other children.

No I’m not crying you’re crying. Or maybe someone is cutting onions in here. Just proves what a wonderful sweet boy he really is. And finally on the way home he asked to go to the park unfortunately his sister had other ideas (in the nappy area) so we played outside once we got home. Our lovely downstairs neighbour H said that we were able to use her grandson’s outside toys as and when.

So I managed to capture this:

See Saw

They can be so gosh darned cute when they want.

💕💕💕💕💕💕

The week so far

Has been… testing.

Yesterday was an okay-ish day at school for #1 Son, but the afternoon and evening at home with me were not.

We had a disagreement which escalated through miscommunication (and a hefty dose of TT distraction) and ended with him hiding and having a full meltdown.

It was hard and painful and upsetting for us both. I ended up sobbing (but I made darn sure he did not see – he doesn’t need that on top of everything else)

It’s hard when your baby tells you he doesn’t want to love you anymore.

Today, not great at school (I now get emails from his teacher when she feels an update warranted). We have however received notification of the first meeting (I’m not optimistic enough to believe it will be the only one) of Special Educational Need provision – 05 December.

That seems a long time away, but it does give us time to see the doctors and get that side of the process going too.

I finished his room:

Well mostly, the remaining boxes contain games, DVDs or garage stuff so won’t be unpacked until our final storage solutions are in place. But not bad for a day’s work.

They are capable of playing with each other without killing each other occasionally:

Sadly, the idea of putting TT into nursery one day a week has had to be put on hold for the foreseeable.

🙁🙁🙁🙁

The only practical nursery setting a. only allows for a minimum 2 days per week and b. is fully booked and has a waiting list stretching to next summer! 🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀

While this is incredibly disheartening, it also gives me an idea of our realistic options, so I plan to get her on the waiting list as soon as my work permit is granted.

I won’t be looking for a job until #1 Son is more settled. I cannot add more stress to him right now and that level of change could be disastrous for him at themoment.

Today

Was mostly a quiet day. After yesterday’a madness we needed a bit of a break.

So I decided to take a little mosey on up to Lucky Cat Yarns.

It’s a gorgeous little yarn shop only 0.5 miles away, newly reopened and refurbished.

It’s beautiful.

They are so welcoming there, and they run classes and have “Sit ‘N Knits”. I foresee the occasional evening up there with my needles – maybe they can even teach me to knot Continental style…

And some of them are doing the same knit along as me 💕💕💕

It was Bath Night tonight.

The kidlets are no longer sharing. Ever again. Took a very long time to clear up the puddles.

#1 Son actually let me clean his ears (which I had to give up nail cutting for, but they’ll last another week).

TT has decided that having her hair blow dried is the worst thing ever – but I managed to accidentally create perfect ringlets for about 10 minutes.

Already dropping out by the time I took the photo 😰 and I doubt I’ll ever be able to replicate it sigh.

You wait a week for a blog post…

Then three come along at once!!!

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

But The Great Toy Unpacking ™, though unfinished, has gone so well, that I felt it deserves a post of its own!

Yes that is the Tiny Tyrant’s room!!

It has space to play, room for her stuff, and it’s been hoovered!

It won’t last, I give it 24 hours maximum, but stuff has a place now.

So that is two whole rooms officially cleared and sorted!

(Well the bathrooms are mostly done too, but no-one wants to see that).

Sadly the kitchen is currently a bomb site of empty cardboard boxes due to the aforementioned unpacking, and with recent rain our basement is a bitty bit damp so they will probably stay there a while.

I’m still happy. Exhausted. But happy.

Our week

Actually improved significantly.

He was not sent home from school again.

Wednesday he decided to start practicing his makeup artistry skills:

Apparently it’s just amazing what you can do with markers these days dahlink 😂🤣

And on Thursday he had a brilliant day:

I was (and am) so darn proud. He says he earned it for being great at lunchtime, which is a trigger point for him.

Apparently he felt that Friday went less well, and he did leave his class a few times without telling the teacher. But he is apparently building a hideaway of some kind in the classroom next door which is helping so it’s a work in progress.

Thursday was also the Fall Gathering for parents of Kindergarteners and parents of children new to Melrose.

So we fit on both counts.

I even tried to not embarrass my kids by dressing up a wee bit:

I was informed by my daughter that it was “pitty” even though there is a distinct lack of cats or unicorns 😂🤣

There was pizza and games and loads of his classmates. It was really fun.

TT made friends, danced a lot and gave me a heart attack. I kept an eye on her constantly, but I turned around to answer a question and she was gone – she had headed over to the pizza table in a blink of an eye. Panic didn’t cover it!!!

#1 Son had fun, though did get a bit overwhelmed.

They even played together a little:

In TT news, she turned 21 months yesterday and prior to this immense milestone has learned to jump properly, can identify the colour yellow and did her first ever poo on the potty.

She’s growing up.

Also embracing her inner cat 😂🤣

Today we have gone out for lunch after the hus-creature spent the morning assembling (yet more) Ikea furniture.

As a brief aside, he loathes Ikea, but they redeemed themselves by selling giant cuddly sharks.

Yes, the shark is bigger than the toddler 😂🤣

And no, daddy did not forget #1 Son

I am planning on Sharpie-ing a big A on the label of hers!!!!

So TT’s room now contains all relevant furniture and so this afternoon and tomorrow The Great Toy Unpacking ™ will commence.

Standby for much swearing and possible weepage.

So today’s lunch was not at a fast food joint. It is possible to get sick of burgers and chips.

I had this:

I have been craving a jacket potato and this was perfect.

Well except for TT stealing the choice bits. Well at least she ate something?

I have started my Mystery Knit Along and am up to Row 3.