I have been a blog slacker lately. I don't really have a good excuse, but I do have a very bad one. PINTEREST!
The internet is amazing. And a giant time suck!
Things are OK here in sunny old England (not joking, we actually HAVE had a few sunny days). Nothing major is really happening, which is why I haven't felt the need to blog. A few things have happened, though.
First and foremost, Martin has finished his college course. He is now the proud owner of a City and Guilds level two carpentry and joinery certificate. He also has his silly safety card that he needs in order to work. Now he is sending off resumes and such, in the hope of being gainfully employed ASAP. I'm confident. He actually got an e-mail from a company in New Zealand saying they desperately needed carpenters and pitching the concept of a "working holiday." I told him I'd be perfectly willing to go to NZ for a year--on our way back to the U.S., of course. It would be super fun!
In the meantime, though, Martin has been picking up small jobs here and there. He's loving the work, and the independence it affords him. It's just not quite enough for our family to scrape by on, so hopefully he will soon be suckling at the teat of a large corporation that pays him regularly and gives him steady employment. I'm so tired of being broke!
The kids are both doing well--winding their way toward the end of the school year in late July. They are a constant source of irritation and amusement. Oh, and love. We all went to Martin's 5-a-side football match last night, and Edith reminded me how much fun it is to roll around in the grass and just generally goof off. The kids remind me to enjoy the simple things in life, and I love them for that!
Dylan has started playing with kids from school a lot more, and we are giving him some independence in regards to walking or riding his bike to school on his own. He loves it! The days where he just wants to hang out with mom and dad are almost done, I think, and it feels like the end of an era. Edith won't be far behind him, and then we'll probably wish they wanted to just stay home with us. But we'll always have our Sundays and our Friday night movie nights. I'm glad of that!
We finished reading the Book of Mormon as a family last week. That was a pretty big deal. Now we've started over, and we look forward to reading it again. I'm thinking it may be time for everyone to read two verses every night instead of just one each. The kids are both excellent readers now. Dylan continues to exceed all expectations at school, and Edith is wicked smart as well, just totally dizzy!
I am doing ok. A bit blah, but just fine. I've been giving a lot of massages lately, which is good. Exhausting, but good. The cash for those used to be my "mad money," but lately it has been our grocery money. I still love giving massages, but it does take a lot out of you. I've re-injured my left elbow somehow, and I might need to go back in to the hospital to have another steroid injection into the joint. OUCH! But it works, and it needs doing. And because of the NHS it is free! I am also considering training in sports therapy massage in the fall. I think I would be good at it. And I know I would enjoy it. Especially since a lot of Martin's friends play football, we have a new(ish) friend who plays American football, I have a friend who runs, and Martin knows a lot of baseball people. Pretty rich potential client base! We'll see though.
Oh, and we are considering re-listing our house with a different estate agent. They cost more, but they are a lot more proactive about selling houses. We'll see how that pans out. They have suggested that we try to get legal permission for a parking space before we re-list, as it will potentially increase the value of our home by about £5,000. That's totally worth it, right? We're still trying to move over. Just not really succeeding at the minute.
But life is good. It's plodding on slowly, with very little excitement and drama. The days all blend together in a pleasant haze most of the time. If we do anything exciting, I'll be sure to update this space!
Now mom, get a new phone! PLEASE!
