UK: Nappy or Diaper, It’s All English, Right?

When I announced to my friends and family that I would be giving up my teaching job in Oman to get married and move to England I didn’t receive the positive, supportive response I had hoped for. They responded with everything from “You can’t take Emily away! She loves her school!” to “You’ve never been to England!”

And, my personal favorite was from a British colleague who responded with a very puzzled look on her face with “Why?” when I shared my joy of becoming engaged and moving to England. She then gave me her blessing which was, “You do realize the weather is HORRIBLE over there?” (more…)

Kids and Technology

Technology. We all have it. We all use it. Some of us more than others. I’ve recently taken an inventory of all of the gadgets that we own and have come up with the following list:

1 desktop computer, 2 laptops (1 functioning, 1 going to laptop heaven), iPad, 4 iPods and 1 iPod touch soon to be added, the Wii, Playstation 3, PSP, Nintendo DS, 3 mobile phones, 3 iPod docks, 1 TV and DVD player.

I used to be proud, back in the day, that we only had 1 TV and DVD player. Once in a while we would put a movie in and watch. That was the extent of the technology in our home. Now, of course, things have changed… (more…)

Boarding School: To Board or Not to Board?

When we moved to England, my daughter, Emily, started year 5 (equivalent to the 4th grade in the United States). She also entered her fourth school in 4 years. This didn’t make changing schools any easier for her this time though. My husband is in the Royal Navy, but all of this moving around has nothing to do with the military, just from us wanting to see the world and moving around.

Prior to moving to England I was a single, working mom, who wanted nothing but the best education for my, then, only child. I believe an education is the best gift we can give our children. With that in mind, I had to find a suitable school for my daughter. I also had to do it from abroad because we were living in Oman in the Middle East at the time.

I scoured the internet, called and asked questions, read reports, called and asked more questions, waited for and reviewed prospectus’, and finally, narrowed it down to two schools: one government school and one independent, boarding school. (more…)

Remembering All Those Forgotten

On August 7, 2008, my life changed forever. It was when I said, “I do” to the most amazing man in the world.  Unbeknownst to me, I also joined the British Navy that day.  I didn’t go into a recruiting office, sign a piece of paper, and start boot camp.  As a civilian, however, I had no idea how significantly my life would change. I had no clue that to marry someone in the military meant you were, wholeheartedly, like it or not, part of the military as well.  As a single mom who juggled a career and a family, this new life seemed like a walk in the park.

I’m writing about this new role of mine as a military wife because Remembrance Day approaches here in Britain on November 11th. as well as, Veterans Day in the United States.  These very important days draw near, and we prepare, on both sides of the Atlantic, to show support for our troops in different ways.  Here, in England, we pin red poppy flowers to our clothing to proudly show our support.  We also generously donate money to causes such as the British Legion, the American Legion, the Wounded Warrior Project and various other organizations.  Special apps are created on Facebook and plastered all over our walls.

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