The Blakenheath Adventure

2 Years!!!

2011-02-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

Sheesh, I can't believe that it has been almost 2 years since I have blogged on this site. The last photos are of Max's 7th B-Day. Thursday, he is turning 9. It is just hitting me that time is really accelerated since we have been living in East Anglia. I wonder if it would be the same if we had stayed in Denton. Who knows what would have happened had we stayed there...some not good stuff, of that, I am fairly certain. As difficult as some of what we have dealt with has been, life here is beautiful and adventure filled.
As a nuclear family unit, I feel like we have taken a developmental leap lately. It seems like we are hitting a nice rhythm with each other that is allowing each of our personalities to shine. We are all making time for ourselves and each other more than in the past while sacrificing some of the other times. I am ready for more of that.
Now, we just need some Spring and some outdoor fun time with friends! The winter time here brings an odd sort of hibernation when many places shut down until March or April.
Happy Valentine's Day and my mom's 70th birthday!

The Month of April

2009-04-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71322&id=856014661&l=af3d6be41d

April has brought us much change and excitement...The link above will take you to the pictures from our month. We moved house from Greenlea's Farmhouse in the country to Main Street Hockwold-cum-Wilton and village life. Although the move was stressful and costly, we are MUCH happier in this house. I will get some pics of the house up sometime in the next couple of weeks.

It is late but I thought it was time for an update. Hopefully, the pics will speak louder than word since the priority now is to get boxes unpacked since my parents will be here next weekend.

Max's 7th Birthday

2009-03-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Aachen and Maastricht: The Double A Cities

2009-03-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Just in case you get stuck in the Eurotunnel, it is reassuring to know about the middle pedestrian tunnel.

I'm not sure what the Dutch put in their frites...but they sure are good as attested to by the FriteMan.

Carnavale Decorations in Maastricht

The Selexyz Dominicanen, an amazing bookstore.

The Puppet Doctor and a bunch of meat in a deli window.

Picturesque Maastricht

Easter in an Aachen printen bakery window

The Rathaus square in Aachen

The Lindt chocolate factory and a women's parking spot in the parking garage

KARATE!

2009-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

Sam's First Karate Class

Max Gets An Orange Belt

Scotland, the Brave

2009-01-25T14:17:00.003-08:00

Here are some long overdue photos from our trip to Scotland with the Burts...

Max and Sam chillin on the train.

Max at the Scottish Parliament House. It was designed like leaves of a tree, very eco-hip!

Max showing you the House...

All are welcome!

Sam shows you the outside next to the craggy hill.

Who's that sexy guy???

Our Dynamic Earth that we were so excited to see...but it was closed.

In theory, we went here.

Cuddling up with Auntie Sisa in our flat.

Where to go next??

There were lots of great quotations outside of the Parliament Building.

Looking over the Christmas Market and Ice Skating.

Sam leading us down the Royal Mile.

We stayed right down this road on the right side.

A Couple of Quick Vids from My Mino

2008-12-06T04:23:00.000-08:00

Finally, I figured out how to put a manageable amount of video on the Mino. I miss FiOs...our connection is a little pokey.

The first video is from September when we went across the street from our little farmhouse and down the lane that heads to the River Lark to the local wheat field. We are pretty much surrounded by farms of various sorts. The boys (and Chris and I) have learned quite a bit about agricultural and when various veg are harvested and how.
To cap off this learning experience, we went to a local windmill. The fellas there turned on the windmill and ground some wheat so that we could see how the process worked. Then, we were able to go to the windmill's bakery and bought some fresh bread.

The second video is a snippet of Sam the Sheep in the Early Year's Nativity Play from our village school, West Row Primary. Just cuteness...

We are staying in the UK for the holidays. My mom and dad came for Thanksgiving. It was a nice, laid back visit. Since they have been here so much, we did not do as much sight seeing but more visiting which was just what I needed. We went to a fun Christmas Fayre in Bury St. Edmunds.

Our friends, Kyle and Lisa, are coming on Christmas Eve. We are heading to Edinburgh on the 27th. This year, our Christmas party/gathering calendar is filling up! It is nice to have a little community around us this year.

I, and the rest of the Blake clan, wish each one of you a happy and peaceful holiday season! We miss all of you more than ever at this time of the year. We hold you close to our hearts!

2008-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

Guy Fawkes Day's Blake Pyros at Greenlea's Farmhouse

2008-11-09T14:08:00.001-08:00

Scooby and Sportacus' Lakenheath Halloween

2008-11-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Grammers and Nanny Visit the UK

2008-11-06T15:49:00.001-08:00

Max Gets a Yellow Belt

2008-11-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Sam's Harvest Festival at West Row Village Primary School

2008-11-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Seal Watching off the Norfolk Coast

2008-09-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

The whole Blake family (Yes, we got Chris out! Yea!) went seal-watching today. It was my dream day, as most of you know I have been a seal-freak for a looong time. We were hoping to see some puffins. I think we were a few weeks too late though.

So, the pictures pretty much tell the story...

The Boys' 1st Day of School and Weekend Adventures

2008-09-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

As Autumn approaches, the Blakes wish everyone well.

The school year is in full swing now. Below, you will find pictures of the boys' first days of school.

Max continued at Lakenheath Elementary School with his same, fabulous Spanish Immersion teacher in 1st grade.

Sam began nursery school at our local village school, West Row Primary School. He will begin full day Reception (equivalent to our Kindergarten) in January. So, we thought that it would be easier for him to make that transition if he had made some friends there first.

Chris is not doing so well but is improving every day. He has a string of doctors seeing him. The specialists that he is seeing are all good caregivers and has a good regime of physio. That darned Merry-Go-Round did him in for a while. He has been sweetness to me through it all. God bless him!

I have been settling into my new position and finding the rhythm of a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader in the Isles District. My first trip to the Benelux schools and Reading Recovery/Leveled Literacy Intervention teachers is next Monday. My colleague, Kim Mitchell, and I are taking the ferry over since the Channel Tunnel is still delayed after the fire last week. I am excited to go but will really miss my family. We are blessed to have some wonderful friends here that are helping Chris bear the load while I am gone and he is not feeling well.

While Chris has been at home doing his physio on the weekends, the boys and I have gone out and about hence the lack of pictures of him (home) and myself (photographer).

Sooo...on to the pics.

Thetford Forest, from last weekend (about 20 minutes from our house)

Max at Solomon's Birthday Party at the Banger Races at Mildenhall Stadium (down the Green from our house)

Great Yarmouth (cheesy...but fun seaside resort)
There was a lawn-bowling competition going on while we were there.
The boys and I played on the pier and in the Sea.

Sam's First Day at West Row Primary
Notice the cute uniform he is sporting!

Sam at Start Smart through RAF Mildenhall's Youth Program

At Bewilderwood (again), this is one of our favorite adventure playground, outdoor treehouse theme park.

Max's 1st Day of 1st Grade

On our way to the English Tea Birthday Party.
The boys played proper croquet for the first time.

The Boys in St. George's Shirts in the Back Garden

2008-08-15T02:14:00.000-07:00

Maria and Cindy's Visit

2008-08-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

My teacher buddies, Maria and Cindy, visited for 10 days. We got out for some girl time and took the boys along with us to London, too.
Poor Blakely was/is still laid up from his merry-go-round accident and held down the farmhouse.

Nelson Mandela's Statue across from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey

Anne Boleyn and St Paul's Cathedral

The moated Bishop's Palace in Wells

Do you recognize the town center from Hot Fuzz?

The Wells Cathedral

The Final Resting Place of King Arthur and Guinevere at the Glastonbury Abbey and the Tor

A Face Stone at Stonehenge

Woodhenge

Lovely Bath in the Evening

At our B&B in Bath

In the standstill traffic jam on the London Orbital on the way to El Carnaval

On the long tube ride to Epping after going to El Carnaval del Pueblo in London

Saying Good-bye at Ely Station

The Cornwall Caravan Holiday

2008-08-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

With the encroaching school year, I am feeling the urgency to get the rest of our summer pics up. So, I will go in chronological order.

In mid-July, we headed south through my old stomping grounds of Somerset with Wincanton and a drive-by of Stonehenge and, then, onward to Cornwall. At the request of zany Max, we took a caravan holiday. The thought of staying in a mobile home was a little odd to me. At the first few mentions of mold in the reviews of a couple of parks, I decided that I should carefully research where we were to go. Now I know a ton plus a little bit more of the Holiday Park experience. However, it is a quintessentially Bristish experience we found out.

Since we took the dogs with us, we had to stay in the basic model of caravan. Surprisingly, the kitsch was appealing and relaxing. We all had lots of fun options with a couple of nice pubs in the park. With a name like Looe Bay, we had our concerns despite the good reviews. We are predicting a few more holiday parks in our future.

Our Caravan

The Boys Enjoy a Spot of Crazy Golf

Looe Bay and the village, Looe

The highlight of the trip for me was a visit to the Eden Project. All of us but Sam had a great time. The heat and ants made for one unhappy little dude. It is so fast that he has forgotten the intense heat and bugs that we once experienced in Texas.

From Wikipedia...

The Eden Project is the worlds largest greenhouse.The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located 1.25 miles (2 km) from the town of St Blazey and 3 miles (5 km) from the larger town of St Austell.^[1]

The complex comprises a number of domes that house plant species from around the world, with each emulating a natural biome. The domes are made out of hundreds of hexagons plus a few pentagons that interconnect the whole construction together; each of these is a transparent cushion made of tough plastic. The first dome emulates a tropical environment, the second a warm temperate, Mediterranean environment. The Core is the latest addition to the site and opened in September 2005. It provides the Eden Project with an education facility, incorporating classrooms and exhibition spaces designed to help communicate Eden's central message about the relationship between people and plants.

The WEEE Man is made out of the estimated number of appliances and electronics that one person is estimated to use and dispose of in a lifetime. He is tall!

A Laotian home with garden, etc. inside of a biome

A Whale of a Time in Wales! heh heh

2008-08-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, I am beginning to get this blog updated from some more of our summer adventures. With the creeping up and impending school year that is just around the corner, I need to get busy while I still have the time.

Although, those of you who know me well know that I blog best to let off steam when under pressure to write and work. Hence, the lack of blogging that you have found here lately as I have been working really hard at relaxing all summer.

We started the summer with a visit from my parents and a trip to Wales. So that is where I am starting to upload pics for you guys.

It was a grand adventure for the boys, my parents and Chris & me since we are all into Dr. Who or its spin-off Torchwood (grown-ups only) or the Sarah Jane Adventures (geared to kids but loved by this grown-up). Cardiff is the home to Torchwood and the center of the main rift from where most alien beings seem to enter the earth.

Chris and I have become quite fond of a Britcom, Gavin and Stacy, which is a Wales-centered show. We went to the home of the show, Barry Island. A typical, cheesy British seaside village.

I am fascinated now by the Welsh accent and language. I like to listen to Welsh radio just to listen to the language. Even though one of my major papers in typology was on the Celtic languages, they still mystify me with their beauty and intricacies.

The Brecon Beacons and the Castle Hotel where we stayed the night after Cardiff were beautiful. Well, the hotel was not so beautiful but pretty cool on the outside.

Lastly, we went to the famous bookstore village, Hay-on-Wye. With two little guys in tow and the rain, I did not get to laze my way through the many second-hand bookstores (over 30 in the smaill village) like I would have if I had my way. Still I was able to soak up the second-hand bookstore aura and take it with me in memories.

We finished off the trip with our second visit to the Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory like, Cadbury World. Ahhh, sweet heaven!

And now for the pics....

Before the Trip at our Local, Jude's Ferry

At Cardiff Castle...Sam and I took ourselves out of the castle tour before we were kicked out. We came upon two families of ducklings. One duckling nipped my red-painted toenail. Shortly, after that we spyed a wayward duckling that was not listening to its mama. We witnessed it getting snatched by the seagull. With a little foreboding, I had warned Sam that something bad would surely happen to that little seagull ahead of that very sad event. Before that moment, Sam had the tendency to test how far away his boundaries were in crowds. It has not been a problem since then.

That silly Max and his science antics.

Outside of Torchwood Institute-Cardiff

Cardiff Bay Sights

The Doctor Who-Cardiff Exhibition

The Brecon Becon view from the Castle Hotel in Brecon and the Hotel.

The Honesty Bookstore outside of the Castle Bookstore in Hay-on-Wye

And a pheasant that was wandering in our backyard. Chris recently found that they are not so smart as one stepped out in front of the riding lawn mower. He chased it around the lawn until it ran into the bushes. Then, as he turned a corner, it popped back out of the bushes for another chase before it finally disappered for good into the bushes.

2008-07-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

There's a Monster in the Mirror

By Max Blake

There's a monster in the mirror.
It could be a Dalek or a Cyberman.
But, it couldn't be a dog.
Because a dog is not a monster.

There's a monster in the mirror.
It could be a vampire or a Wiki-tiki.
But, it really couldn't be a mouse.
Because a mouse is so small that it can't attack.

There's a monster in the mirror.
It could be the Gruffalo or the Big, Bad Mouse.
But it couldn't be me.

Because I'm not a beast and I'm right here.

But when I am sleeping...
It has vanished
Because the wolf howls at the moon.

And all of those monsters are afraid of wolves.

Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert: Our Amazing Experience!

2008-07-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

While my parents were here, Chris and I went on a grown-ups excursion into London. The first night, we went to see Avenue Q (finally!) The next morning, we walked around in the parks at a quick, but leisurely pace without little hands to hold or any precautionary measures.

We stayed at the Euro-Modern Stylotel (with cubicle rooms) where we met up with our friends, John and Vanda. From there we headed out to the 46664 sponsored b-day concert. It was amazing! Here are some highlights from a short person's perspective. We were off to the side in between the stage and the celeb bandstand. It was an inspirational night that recharged my batteries that were running low!

the set-up

Part of the Speech with a charge

Madiba on his way to the bandstand

Annie Lennox (Big & Small)
Her No. w/the Agape Choir made the cool, teen boys next to us weep)

the Soweto Gospel Choir
(Amazing!)

My Hero (Big & Small)
(He only intro'ed the impressive Emmanuel Jal b/c of his impending new baby)

John & Vanda

My Other Hero

Will Smith, the MC
(& recent Scientology convert did a great Fresh Prince themesong)

Johnny Clegg & Joan Baez sing Asimbonanga
(They gave me chills!)

It's Hard to Be 4

2008-07-10T01:54:00.001-07:00

(Transcribed from Sam Blake)

It's hard to be four.
It's hard to play without your friends.
It's hard to be alone.
It's hard to climb a tree.
It's hard not to fall off a step.
It's hard to run and not fall in the water.
It's hard to run on a log.

Scarecrows, Country Fairs, and the Rosetta Stone

2008-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

We are counting down the days until summer break at Greenlea's Farmhouse. (4 for Max and 5 for Sam and me) My parents are coming to visit as soon as school is out. They have been touring the continent since mid-April. This weekend, we went to a goodbye party for my dear friend and mentor here, Synda. It was supposed to be a swim party. However, the English weather was its predictable self and rained. Today, we went to the Barton Mills Scarecrow festival. The theme this year was recycling. The village made the Guiness Book of World Records with their scarecrow fetish. Below are some pics from that one.

Then, here are some pictures from another village just east of us, Hockham, that had their country fair last weekend. My new vocabulary word-It means dumping.
Finally, here are some pics of the boys being their silly selves.
And, a picture of Synda with the boys at the British Museum looking at the Rosetta Stone.

Brancaster, a Visit to the Seaside

2008-05-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

For a late Mother's Day Outing, I requested a seaside visit. This beach was really nice and had lots of people riding surfboards and three wheel bikes being pulled by big kites. The weather was beautiful and sunny but...really chilly. It was really fun for all of us to have an adventure with the pups, too!

Oxburgh Hall

2008-05-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

We happened to venture out to explore the Hall with our friend, Synda, on Hedgehog Day. I just love those little guys!

Legoland

2008-05-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our venture to Legoland-Windsor a few weeks ago. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, the boys or the grown-ups. I love the juxtaposition of the Tor and Stonehenge. Notice the protesting druids and the bobbies in conflict by Stonehenge. Miniland was zooper cool!

Springtime in Suffolk

2008-04-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, it is just amazing that we are in that part of the school year when it is time to wind up before the wind down.
Our Spring Break here is much later than it is in the States. My friend, Monique, came to visit us that week. I had just returned from another meeting of the Europe Literacy Plan committee (formerly known as the CLIP) with more great learning from Gay Su Pinnell and the local forecast for literacy in DoDDS-Europe and DODEA in general.
We toured around the area and, then, had a brief girl's trip to Amsterdam. It was fun but Chris was home sick with the boys which was not so good. It was fun to share my life here with another loved one from home.
Since then Max had pink eye and passed a really nasty case on to me that put me in the hospital for tests and a week out of work. It gave me some much needed time to contemplate what is to happen next year since my job as it is will be gone next year.
Greenlea's Farmhouse is hopping with lots of bunnies and hares, quail, pheasants, barn owls and muntjac deer. We have had no hedgehog sitings yet. It has been nice to have lots of sunlight and good weather to get out in our big garden and enjoy the land that we are living on!
Max had a stellar report card this quarter! Sam and he are growing like weeds. Chris is on the mend from his primary and secondary maladies.

We are ready to celebrate spring and health.

(As soon as blogger is up and running again)
Below are some pics from our local Drainage Museum (from the drainage engines that keep our land, the fens, around us from flooding thanks to the Dutch), the local Anglo-Saxon reconstructed village and Amsterdam.

Doctor Who Up Close

2008-04-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Our family has become enthralled with a central part of British culture...Doctor Who. Max already knows Doctor Who trivia and can ramble on about it in a quite amazing way. With Chris down and out, the boys and I set out to Earls Court in London to partake of Doctor Who's wares up close and personal. They even gave Chris a free ticket that he could use at a later date when I told them how sad he was that he was sick and had to miss it. Those Brits are such decent and civilized folk!! I love 'em!

Yes, we have given in a bit on what we have let the kids watch. It is only with adult supervision and discussion. They still don't watch any other violent shows of the sort. Unless, you count Scooby Doo.

So, for those of you who do not know the Doctor. Here it is 101 style in technicolor. (Well, a brief glimpse, at least.)

oooohhhh, the anticipation A true Mate Encounter
The making of the OOD The Weeping Angel: Our first episode we saw as a family The End

The Easter Sunday Snow at Greenlea's Farmhouse

2008-04-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Around the same time that you Denton, TX folk got some snow, so did we. The one and only that stuck all year. So, we hunted eggs in the house and, then, made snow angels and built a snow man.
Here are some pics. Some of the shots are the same as the very first pics of the house that I posted on this blog.

The boys and our first British snowman.
We entertained the race traffic driving home.

Sam and Luna Frolicking

The Summer House

My Lil' Skamobile in the Snow

A Snowfight

The Treehouse and Grandfather Oak
The Hedgehog and Moongazing Frog Get Cold

Our Weathervane

The View from the Kitchen

2008-02-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Currently Reading
Watching the English - The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour
By Kate Fox
see related

Valencia en fotos

From the Mercadona around the corner in search of dream juice boxes of luscious wine and sick food to comfort Kyle to...

The old town with much thanks to Max for his artistic eye and photo-taking endeavors
The OLD Mercado Central
The Land of Logan's Run is Now! Thanks to Santiago Calatrava.
Can you find the one picture of Kyle?

Sam in Time Out

2008-02-13T16:30:00.001-08:00

Currently Listening
The Village Green Preservation Society
By The Kinks
see related

The WHOLE Family at Aspal Close

Here are some pics of the pups on our little walk in Aspal Close, the local nature reserve. Don't worry, Max really didn't wake up a poor hedgehog from hibernation on his hunt. (he claimed that he found one in there for quite a while) Plus, one of the gorgeous Grandfather Oaks (note the little Sam beside it).
They arrived on Thursday at Gatwick's Cargo Terminal after six long months without them. Our buddy, Maria and her pup, Shadow, did a wonderful job of nurturing them in our absence.

2008-02-13T16:08:00.001-08:00

Currently Reading
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
see related

The Mists of Greenleas

So, for the third day this week, since the mists have settled over the Suffolk countryside, school has been called to have a two hour delay, a 10:00 start. One of my colleagues refers to us at Lakenheath Elementary as LateStarts-R-Us.
The nice part of the mists is that, with the exception of today when they never lifted, the sun has popped out in the afternoon.
There is a definite magical feel around me, especially in the mornings when the frost covers everything as well.
Here are a couple of pics from the late afternoon today when there was a little less fog.

2008-02-05T10:27:00.001-08:00

Pancake Day-A Great British Celebration

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_pancakeday.shtml
Today across the UK, rather than celebrate Mardi Gras, Britons celebrate Pancake Day on Shrove Tuesday by making, flipping and racing whilst doing the aforementioned flipping of pancakes.
Throughout Lakenheath Elementary today, one could smell the rich aroma of pancakes wafting through the hall. I was able to delight in a cinnamon and chocolate chip pancake with the traditional lemon juice and powdered sugar topping. Yummy!
So, of course, I made pancakes for dinner.
We do not want to add to the dwindling numbers of pancake flippers in the country as mentioned in The Guardian.
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2252147,00.html

Happy Boxing Day!

2007-12-26T08:37:00.001-08:00

After working through the day, I arrived home to Chris who is still a little down and out. It has taken my family a while to get used to the cold, dampness and to stay healthy here. The boys were puny even through our slowed down visit to London. That environment change is tricky for the system, I guess.

If you are a Myspace friend o' mine, I did not send out the video comments with the scantily clad women, I think that I was hacked. I have realized that it is time to take the space down. Ole' Tom does not make that process an easy one.

We are out to Warwick Castle, Birmingham and Cadbury World for the next couple of days. Then, lunch in London to meet up with a friend from Idalou that is visiting.

Then, we are going to spend some time at home to bring in the new year and relax and process all of the wonderful chaos that has been our life for the last months.

Happy Christmas to You! Sending Our Love and Good Cheer!

2007-12-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo synopsis of our Christmas season up to our double-yolked pre-deviled eggs that Chris was in the process of crafting on Chrismas Eve.

-The Harlem Globetrotters at RAF Mildenhall
-Christmas Shopping in Bury St. Edmunds
-Our Rainy Jaunt to the Lincoln Christmas Market
-Sam at the Camden Lock market (by our hotel)
-The Borough Market (lucious foods and festive brass bands)
-Pictures from our Christmas Lights Tour
-The Boys' First Theater Experience-The Gruffalo's Child

2007-11-27T13:00:00.001-08:00

Back From Our Disneyland Paree Adventure

We are back in one piece after many adventures. The first being a cancelled train once we got to France because of the transportation strikes. And, yes, it was the sort of thing that made my adrenaline rush in a happy way to have such a fly by the seat of our pants and bonding experience with the other Brits that were trying to get there with us.

My parents met us there on Thanksgiving day as we arrived. They are going home early next weekend after meeting up with us in London. My dad has a bad hip and is going back to try to get a replacement rather than stay until the end of January in pain. So, the Blake clan will be doing Christmas on our own in Ole' Blighty this year.

Chris made a scrumptious belated Thanksgiving Feast tonight. yum

Well, here are some pictures of us at Disneyland since they speak louder and clearer than my ramblings...

I hope that all of your holidays are bright and peaceful so far!

All Nestled In

2007-11-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

Well, with the days getting shorter (starting to get dark at 3:45 and earlier every day), I am finding that I am nesting in more and starting to feel cozy in our little farmhouse here.

Things at work are calming down and I am feeling more comfortable the system and culture there. I love working with the kids in FLES and, of course, Reading Recovery.
The little boys and I have been playing in Norwich and London this weekend with the big boy off in Amsterdam. We went to a science museum in a very old church and the Discover Dogs show.
He is having a much-needed respite after having two sick boys for a week while I was off at an intense learning experience in Germany working with our Comprehensive Literacy Instruction Plan group and Gay Su Pinnell. That was amazing hanging out with such inspirational folk. And, then, going to Heidelberg one night and eating in a castle the next night with the Lakenheath group (who are some super-sharp gals) and Gay and her entertaining husband, Ron! What a road trip across the Chunnel and beyond...

Our two Brit Kits are adjusting to our family. I am ready for the pups to get here in February. Things are well on the way for them to have their Puppy Passports with the PETS Scheme.

We are heading out to celebrate Thanksgiving at Disneyland Paris with my parents in 10 days. We are all so psyched!

UK Halloween with the Blake Boys

2007-11-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

On the Continent!

2007-10-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Chris needs congratulations...He was just elected to the PTSO (PTA) board of Lakenheath Elementary!

Some pics from the last couple of weeks

2007-10-18T15:13:00.001-07:00

Outside of our local pub, Jude's Ferry

The family punting on the River Cam in Cambridge

Sam climbing on the Bury St. Edmund's Abbey (where the Magna Carta was signed)

Max in Lavenham

The Boys in Lavenham

Rockin in Lavenham by another really old building

2007-09-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, this has been a weekend on the lowdown mostly. We had an adventure trying to get our stuff, to replace our broken furniture, home from the Milton Keynes Ikea.
Milton Keynes is a place that I have had a strange but minor fascination with since the 80's when the Style Council song "Come to Milton Keynes" was popular highlighting the Thatcher era mentality. Think Frisco UK style.
But, this Ikea does not have a loading dock with tarps and bungees for sale and twine and brawny help for free. So, we ended up in the handicapped area with string from the wrapping area to tie our bunks onto the car. Each time we stopped, every 5 miles with my paranoia of flipping the danged thing onto someone and killing them, it was looser. Finally, we stopped and found a place to buy bungees and my anxiety level plummeted considerably. We all arrived in one piece causing no deaths along the way.
Today, we played it safe. The boys got haircuts and we tried to go hiking at Wicken Fen this evening. Sam was running an on and off low grade fever all day but said he felt OK before we left. While out on the boardwalk, he got really hot. So, we headed home and he has a 102 fever.
We did not get to have some friends over to see the place. Ah, well.
We are now official National Trust members. That will avail all sorts of outdoor expotitions for us.
Max was not so fond of the Wicken Fen hike that follows a boardwalk along the marshy fens land, I guess. As we were leaving he was reading the map and said, "Board...walk, that sure was. I was bored on that walk!"

Some posts from my other blog to update you on the goings-ons in Blakenheath Land

2007-09-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Moving in

So, we are in Greenlea's Farmhouse!!!!! It is one of those houses that just keeps growing on me. Or stuff got here on Friday. I have been madly unpacking boxes this weekend. Chris pulled me out of my obsessive tendencies yesterday to head out to the coast. This time we hit the sandy rather than rocky beach at Hunstanton. It was a fun afternoon outing. It still amazes me that we can jaunt out to the afternoon to the coast and we live here.

The big news is that Chris is forced to do a mighty sexy Gregory House impression. As we were moving a twin bed frame down the stairs Thursday night in prep for the incoming stuff from Denton, he felt a pop in his calf and was in excruciating pain (enough to want to go to the ER). So, we headed to the hospital at RAF Lakenheath where I was told that it would be $500 just to check him in and that it would be free to go to Cambridge to Addenbrookes. So, we dropped off the kids to spend the night with our buddy, Synda, and headed out.

The wait at the ER in this NHS hospital was quick and the services were free. There were some interesting folks in there. I thought that they were giving away little cardboard hats and, then, upon seeing a gal possibly strung out with one realized why they had a notch in them. The hospital workers were Cambridge students and all really funny.

Chris ended up not having a detached Achille's tendon (whew!) but a torn muscle in his calf. He got some good painkillers and crutches and we were out. All told, it took us maybe an hour and was gratis! Amazing!

Max is going to ride the bus home for the first time today. His drop off point is the White Horse Pub in West Row. Chris was pleased with that. Max really likes his babysitter who has a pond with tadpoles in many stages in the back garden and used to own a nursery school. I explained though that by not going to the babysitter three times a week, we could fund our trip to Euro Disney.

Yes, we booked our tickets last week. We are spending Thanksgiving holiday at Disneyland Paris. It was incredibly cheap since kids stay and go to the parks for free. We are staying at the Wild West style hotel. Oma and Opa are meeting us there.

Sky Satellite has arrived at our house. The array of channels is amazing. Chris and I got glued to the choochiness of a dance game show from India that had a young girl dancing Bollywood hip-hop and old guys trying to be gangsta as they judged the show.

If you want to reach us, we have a phone number (that I will post later), my school email account (ellen.foxblake@eu.dodea.edu) and our home address...

Greenleas Farmhouse

The Green

West Row (or Bury St Edmunds)

Suffolk IP28 8QJ

House Hold Goods (HHG or our stuff) are here!

As the weekend begins, the paper, stuff and boxes are still flying. We bought a riding lawnmower for our land that arrives in six weeks. In the meantime, Chris has contacted a local farmer who might come and cut the grass and trim our massive hedges that serve as fences around the property.
He found out that the fields around our place were a flower farm. This area is the bulb and flower capitol of England. Now, the land has been transitioned to a racehorse farm. The horses are expected soon.
On the kid front, Max took his kinder DRA reading benchmark this week. He tested between a 28 and 24 (third grade). His teacher has dubbed him the miracle child. Now, his writing is another story. Not much reciprocity is happening. He got his gifted and talented referral two days later.
Sam is having a blast at Busy Bees. He is still not able to be around the baby alpacas, ducks, chicks, sheep and such with all of the hoof and mouth and bluetongue disease. Drat that lab that let it out. Otherwise, he is cooking and playing away. At the Commisary the other day, a friend from Busy Bees saw him and shouted out "Sam!".
We missed the End of the Road festival in Dorset to see our Midlake friend. With Chris torn muscle, putting up a tent and such was not a fun sounding time. However, we did hear that he gave us a shout out during the concert. Aah, my spirit was there.
Well, glad to be there with you in our "third space" together again! Love and peace to ya!

The Bizarre Bazaar

Did you ever think that Ellen C Fox-Blake would be attending a Holiday Bazaar in jet hangars at an air force base in England?
It was a fun time! The kids rode carnival rides. I got whiplash on the bumpercars. I saw new friends, students and parents.
I helped teach professional development for three days this week and had a visit and observation from the DoDDS Euro Foreign Language chief (we were commended). Plus, the climate is still heated but cooling off around the school. I am having a nice glass of vino and a little cool off period myself in our 50 F weather.
Night before last, we had a Fawlty Towers experience. First, we couldn't figure out how to get the panel heaters to work in the house. And I was freezin'. So, we lit the wood burning stove in the kitchen. While it began to get us nice and toasty, Chris consulted with a friend and got the boiler going to get the radiators going. Then, the stove started smoking. I guess that the chimney has not seen a sweep in a while. Chris tried to adjust the flue under my bad consult. Then, the smoke of the duraflame chemical log that was in the stove inundated the house. We were choking in the chemical smoke. Then, Chris discovered the the chimney led up through our airing closet (like a linen closet with the water heater to keep it toasty). So, our linens were indeed aired with toxic smoke fume. Aaahh, the life of the ignorant American is a learning experience.
Tomorrow morning, we are taking off early to drive into the 'burbs of Londontown to buy some replacements at twice the price for some of the items that did not make it over intact in the shipment at Ikea. The beauty of it is that we will get reimbursed for the purchases.
And I know have Yahoo messenger with a webcam set up. Message me and you can see the Blake clan!

Busy Bees and Lakenheath, our new schools, and Greenlea's Farmhouse, our new home

2007-09-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Max's First Day Of Kindergarten

Maestra Adams and Max

Sam's First Day at Busy Bee's Montessori Farm School

He already knew where to put his snack.

Flowers Around the House

Our First Day in the Farmhouse

How can you have a farmhouse without a weathervane?

To the Front Garden

Sam discovers that he likes plums if they are fresh off of the tree.

The Treehouse (needs a bit of work still)

A Little R&R in the Front Garden

The View from the Green

Remembering his childhood on the farm???

My Nature Boy

The Garden Shed that will be a Hideout

Our Own Football Goal

The Summerhouse, the sandpit, and the swingset

Greenlea's Farmhouse (backview)

2007-09-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Another quick one

This time from the billeting office (familiar to Kyle and Lisa). The Bob Hope Center is closed for Labor Day.
I just got a citation in the military police. Rather than just pay it, I have to report it to my supervisor. bleh. To all of you who might be on a military base....School zones are school zones 24/7 not just during school hours.
So, we signed the lease on the farmhouse. Yea! We are so happy to be moving into a home. Sam was referring to our multiple homes as a matter of fact yesterday talking about what has happened in this home, our one before that, the hotel, and in Denton. Now, I told him, we will have one for a while. The little guys have been truly amazing.
We move in on Friday. However, we have the garage door opener and access to the house. The landlords are very nice. They left that with us and have done all of the repairs on the house that we had requested.
We spent Labor Day with our Denton buddies. They had us over for burgers and fun. This weekend we went to Norwich and Cambridge. We fell in love with Cambridge. The River Cam, Colleges and old part of town are beautiful and vibrant!
At the car park, we were briefly stuck in a time/space continuum (dubbed as so by one of the other people in our predicament) when we were invalidated by the ticket machine. I love those bonding moments in odd places as frustrating as they may seem.
We purchased a king size bed. (sleeping on poo beds since the 8th of August was our inspiration) And we purchased our dream dining room set from Habitat. Those of you who know me well know that I do not spend large sums of money easily. All of these purchase are necessary but freaking me out!
Sam started school at Busy Bees today with his teacher of his same name. He loved it!
Max starts kinder tomorrow. His teacher is wonderful. I am going to have to figure out the logistics of having a kiddo at the same school as me. It hit him this weekend that after this he will be in school all day five days a week. That was a bit of a reality check for him. It kinda makes me nervous, too.
On an odd note, there were three local Brit troops killed by friendly fire in Iraq. The strangest is that it came back that the friendly fire was from a US jet from here at RAF Lakenheath. The small world has become such a reality since I have been here. The US gov't and Ministry of Defence do not allow any sort of reconciling for the pilots. That makes me sad but I could see how things could get complicated.
Well, I must go and work on lesson plans! Someday, I will have enough time and bandwidth to upload some pics...

Labor Day Weekend Ensues!!

2007-08-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have nothing profound to say really.
School has started. I teach in a building surrounded by a tall, barbed wire fence with shatterproof coating on the windows since 9-11. But kids are kids, as full of life as ever. Today, during a Spanish lesson, the jets flying around were so loud that all I could do was take the teachable moment and talk about los aviones though I still could really not be heard.
I am still awaiting the epiphany as to my calling that I have had to be here with the many "signs" along the way.
(The latest is that Sam's teacher's name is the same first and last name as his; it's all pretty entertaining.)
We are signing a lease on Greenlea's Farmhouse tomorrow in West Row. The house is a basic, but big enough for plenty of guests, farmhouse (with four bathrooms). It is surrounded by lots of trees bearing fruit, a treehouse, a little play cabin, a soccer goal, a delapidated swing set, a sand pit, lots of bunnies and hedgehogs, stinging nettles, benches placed in scenic locales, and a flowering vine-covered archway.
We have plenty of projects getting all of these features looking more renovated and about an acre to care for.
Chris bought me an old Sport Mercedes Estate (Station Wagon for you Yanks) complete with a Ska-fied interior. His car (the old Mo-Mobile) has arrived after a boat ride across the ocean and is in Brandon waiting to be picked up and get a mini-conversion tomorrow.
We are going to Norwich and Cambridge this weekend.
After Sam's first day at his Busy Bees montessori school, we are going for a nature hike at the Nature preserve that is about a mile from our temporary housing at Shakespeare Lodge.
One of the gals here calls Busy Bees the school where they get free hired hands since the kids are growing organic fruits and veg, care for many different farm animals, and learn how to make and knit the wool from the sheep and herd of alpacas.
Last weekend, we went into London to the Notting Hill Carnival to celebrate my b-day. It was a wild affair. We went to a little village carnival along the coast of Suffolk the weekend before that.
Max starts into his Spanish Immersion kinder class Tuesday. His teacher, he and I are all excited for him to be there. I really like her professionally and personally. This is her second career, like many bilingual teachers. She was an communications engineer in New York before her DoDDs career.
I have made some buddies here that are amazing in the support, soul food and advice that they have provided me. One of them is a friend from Denton that I had never met before arriving here in the UK. Almost all of our friends know us but we had never met. The latest revelation is that we were in the same Yoga class at Calhoun MS.
So, I am still without internet until we get into our house. It is about time for the Bob Hope Center at RAF Mildenhall to close down.
Peace to you all!

Limited Computer Access

2007-08-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back to work. I have been helping with professional development for the past few days. I have had lots of fun but am pooped right now. It is good to know that I will stay green and growing here with a Synda and Kim around.
Tomorrow is my first official day back to work.
We have a hold on a farmhouse with lots of land that is close to school for both boys. But, we are still looking. If the landlord will do some work on the house before we move in, we will go for it. It is on an acre and has a treehouse, playhouse, sandpit, swingset and soccer goal for the boys. It has a manhouse for Chris and lots of quiet benches around the property and some overgrown green spaces complete with bunnies and hedgehogs. It is a four bedroom (five if you count the closet they call a bedroom and four bathrooms. The only other downside is it is on the flightpath of the jets and C130s from RAF Mildenhall.
We are enquiring about a thatched roof cottage that went on the market yesterday. I just have to see it it is a drive or fairly close for us.
We are also looking for cars. Right now, we are waiting to see if an Audi Estate (station wagon to you Yanks) is available.
This past weekend, we went to Market Days at Bury St Edmunds. It is a beautiful little city nearby where the Magna Carta was signed and has a gorgeous old abbey in the middle of town. On Sunday, we drove to a Aldeburgh, a village on the coast, for their village fair. The little and big kids (Chris and me) enjoyed getting our feet in the ocean and hunting for rocks. It was good therapy after 10 intense days of acculturation and a steep learning curve.
I wish that I could upload pics!
That will have to wait until we get a place and internet, though. These moments online are few and far between for the next while. Maybe, I will get a computer when I get to school. We have been at the Bob Hope Center on base for the last few days with now time to surf the net.
I miss all of my stateside pals oodles! I hope that life is on the up and up for you all!
Cheerio!

At RAF Lakenheath

2007-08-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

We are here and I are slowly getting things done. We are giving ourselves time to acclimate and get to know the base and area. Kyle and Lisa have been a big help and nice to have some people that we know and love around. So far, so many people have reached out and been exceedingly kind and helpful with our transition.
The area is beautiful. We saw a glimpse of Sam's farm school. Today, we are finishing up some of the little bits of business that we have to take care of. Then, tomorrow, we are heading out for a weekend in London with our buddies.
It is nice and crisp here. The kind of crisp that helps me to take nice, deep breathes that keep my calm. People around here are wearing shorts and short sleeves. While the other new teacher, from Puerto Rico, was dressed in winter garb complete with the beret when I saw him.
My brain is still not quite fully functional due to jet lag. I feel like great but my processing time is slow. It has been a bunch to learn a totally new military style system of doing things and re-learn the British way. But fun!
The boys are doing really well. Sam is fascinated with the natural world around him. Max is into reading his kid magazines and talking to people around him in order to learn the new British words like coach/bus, ice cream cone/ice cream cornet, etc. Chris has his ID now and is happy that he has regained freedom (me, too). For the first while, we had access to almost nothing on base (except for fast food). :(
The flight went super smooth. There was a new touch screen system on the flight that had some glitches but was great for all of us. Of course, I was so excited that, try as I might, I couldn't sleep.
So, I am off to the school to do turn in yet more paperwork. Then, off to get our gas, alcohol, etc. rations.
After London, we are back here to find a place to live.

2007-08-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

A Visit at the Holiday Inn

My stress reliever break while packing

Twas the night before England and all through the inn,
Not a boy-o was stirring, nor the rest of my kin.
The carry-ons were stacked by the door with forethought,
In hopes that the wee ones could find what they sought.

The clothes are now snuggled tight in the suitcase.
With dreams of cool weather so soon they would face.
And I, oh so restless, and Pa with his map.
Just may not settle down for a summertime nap.

When out in the hallway there arose such a din,
I thought maybe my neighbor had been hittin' the gin.
Away to the peephole, I clumsily stumbled.
To see that my theory of embibing had crumbled.

The neon light shone down the hallway so clean.
Gave perspective to see what the raucous had been.(pronounced in Canadian)
But what to my bleary ole' eyes was the greeter,
But a wee, smiling man dressed as a beefeater.

He spoke with an accent so enchantingly British.
And guffawed that he had come to grant me just one wish.
And placing his hankie upon his red nose.
He blew and said, "Pardon, it's your weather I s'pose."

Then, he beckoned me out with a spring in his step.
To see the crescent moon where the wishes are kept.
He implored me to share what my desire might be.
As I glanced at the same view in Britain I'd see.

Much to his chagrin, he cringed and, then, sighed.
If not for his stiff upper lip, he'd have cried.
For my answer was pass the wish on to another
Who had the kindest of heart kinda like my own mother.

So, like Mary Poppins he grabbed onto his brolly.
And ran down the hall to escape this grand folly.
And I heard his brogue lilt as flew out of view,
"Cheerio, don't forget to flush the plane's loo!"

The Last Leg of our Journey in Denton

2007-08-02T20:51:00.001-07:00

We have arrived back in Denton after a harrowing drive back from Canyon country in blinding storms having bid adieu to our friends and family in the Amarillo metroplex. It was as many of our days lately have been bittersweet.

Tonight, when we got into town, we took the pups to Maria's house for their six month stay while they earn their puppy passport to the UK. They are in good hands and will be very, very missed by the Blakes.
On the way out of the door, I met up with our neighbors on either side of us on the eve of selling our house. I had hoped to see them before we depart and I did.
We have sold the my beloved wagon (to my colleague and friend, Rene), shipped the other. Chris comandeered (under the direction of St. Kyle) the boxing up and shipping of the house while we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary apart. I arrived just in time to sort and help with the unaccompanied baggage.
So much has been going on. I am sure that I will reflect and share more later.
My training in Washington DC was illuminating in many ways. I feel like I have a clearer idea of where I am going and what it might be like. I definitely have a prime position and am exceedingly blessed to be there as my beginning spot. Many people were surprised that DoDDS is still hiring new teachers at all. There was a friendly, family feel amongst the people there. And do those teachers like to chat! (I will fit right in!)
I received confirmation that Sam will be able to start at the Busy Bees Nursery School. It is in a 16th century house with a 12 acre "miniature" farm with an indoor pool. The kids grow organic veggies, fruits, herbs and flowers. They cook and eat their home grown stuff and tend to lots of farm animals. When the weather is cold or hot, they have polytunnels where they can still tend to their nurturing. It is like a little dream. Here is the link to the page about the premises. http://www.busybees-nurseryschool.co.uk/premises.php
Can I work there????
Max has a spot at my school in the kindergarten Spanish Immersion classroom.
So, we now have only five more nights at the Holiday Inn and six full days in Denton.
Oh, and I still have a wee bit of work to do for the district. :>
Oh yeah, I met Colin Hay, great singer/songwriter and past lead singer from Men At Work (think Scrubs song) when I happened upon his show during my second night in DC. (another solo adventure that I will not completely divulge to my parents but will to friends).
Here is the craptacular pic to prove it...

Walt Disney World

2007-07-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had a good practice run for the UK when we went to Disney World. A longer plane ride, a crazy, mixed-up schedule and lots of crowds to get from point a to b.
The glimmer in their eyes and smiles from ear to ear made it all worth while. Then, on top of the boys' good time, Chris and I had fun, too.
So, since we have been home, the future feels real. This is really happening. It seems like all of the many endeavors that we have taken on to get us over there are coming to a close.
I have been starting to see many of my friends for the last time. It is sad. I was getting the sads for a while there. Now that getting across the pond feels tangible. I am still sad but mixed with more excitement now.
Tonight, Maria hosted a party for the "Girl's Club". Anna and her family are moving to Houston. It was nice to see all of our pals together. This move and when Chris was sick have helped me to truly realize what a great group of friends I have in Denton.
Next week, we are going to Canyon and Amarillo to see Chris' mom and our friends there for the last time and to drop off our behemoth TV and Sedona at the Henrys' place. We are returning to sell our car, ship our other and help the dogs make the transition to Maria's. Then, I am off to DC for the FLES Spanish training for a week. During that time, the packers are coming to ship off our life. I will come home to life in the Holiday Inn for 10 days with the rest of the Blake clan until we leave on the 7th of August.

Taking the Fireplace...

2007-07-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight Max woke up in a panic saying that he wanted to stay in his cozy home. He said he wanted to keep his bed. I said he was. Then, his table, yes; his fireplace (Oh, but he loves the fireplace he told me), no; his gate, yes; the windows, no; the TV, no (I told him we would get a flatter one in England); the DVD player, no; his door, no; the Higglytown Blakes picture, yes; my belly; yes; his chin, yes; my eyes, yes;...and on and on until Sam, yes; Daddy, yes.
He seemed sufficed and satisfied with what we came up with.
Oh, what a transition it is for all of us.
Kyle and Lisa came to see us for a few days following the Police. Their presence here was a calming force, fun and enabled both Chris and I to tie up some loose ends with job and friends. They are quite a blessing in our lives.
Allison and Matt as you might have read in her blog are adopting Sedona after Maria was not able to keep her because of allergies. It is nice to have her back for a short while until Chris goes up to take her and the TV. Once again, we have amazing friends in them, too.
So, the house is under option and we are waiting.
Chris' coworkers gave him a surprise party tonight to celebrate the post mortem of his job at einstruction that finished Friday. I managed to keep the secret and get him there. Quite a feat in itself since I suck at lying and that Blakely is crafty. They are a great group.
Next things to tackle are a place for the dogs for six months since they are going to have to stay here three months longer than we thought, get our visas in order, pack, sell our cars.

The Adventure Officially Begins!

2007-06-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

The travel orders were sent today. It is official. The Blake family is relocating across the pond!