First Day(s) of School 2012

Time to get back into the school year again and all the fun it brings: the never-ending school runs, rummaging through the stinky pile of lost and found clothes, forgotten instruments, weekly trips to First Aid, fighting and tears over breakfast. . . good stuff! :)

This year we aren't the "new guys" and it's such a great thing to feel more at home!  We are looking forward to another wonderful year at St. Peters Catholic School for the girls--and really for our entire family!    Keith is a Foundation Governor--he represents our church community on what is like a school board.  I am involved in the PTA and will spend time this year helping to revamp the school library and volunteering at the school.  Hannah is in Year 4 (3rd grade) and this term she will have swimming and violin to start with.  Maggie is in Year 2 (1st grade).  She is also swimming and will hopefully start piano lessons soon.  Both girls are participating in Shelby Stars--an after school performing arts club that they have such a good time at!!  (We will see what else they can convince Mommy to sign them up for!)  Even Charlotte is getting in on the St. Peter's action--she is attending St. Peter's Church Preschool on Wednesday and Friday mornings this year.

I do have to note one complaint, however:  the kids are provided with most all of the supplies they need by the school and I miss shopping for school supplies!!  Definitely not the money involved, but checking off the list of necessities during a trip to Target and those aisles filled with beautiful fresh supplies!!  (of course I'd give just about anything for a Target run right now!)

I'm not sure where the disdain came from. . .

Charlotte's first day of preschool was the next day, and she. was. ready!!  Her preschool is in our parish center, so the building is familiar--she plays there after Mass.  The director and the teachers are faces that she knows from church and school.  She marched in and sorted her things. . .we found her name and she put it up. . .and then she sat down and promptly forgot about Mommy being there!  A little sad for me, but I am so glad that she has the strength to be independent!  And since Keith's Mom is Polish, we think it's really cool that the kids call the director "Babcia" which is Polish for Grandma!!

I think Hannah gave her the pencil she is carrying when she was packing some of her own to take to school. . .she was still holding it when I left!!

So, so ready to roll!!

For anyone who knows "the look" that Keith likes to give me when he thinks I am being ridiculous or I am being a nuisance. . .apparently here is Charlotte's version!  :)

Official report--from Charlotte--on the first day of preschool is as follows: 

"played games"

the best thing? "played with babies. . .someone pushed the pushchair"

"singed 3 songs. . .outside and inside and inside"

"someone put toys in the  _______ for school"

"trains"

"snack"

Hailstorm. . .

Apparently Noah better start building an ark here in England. . .this "summer"  has been more than a little wet!  While it has been 107 degrees back home, it's been consistently in the mid-60s here and we are wearing jeans, sweatshirts, jackets. . .I actually had the fireplace going last night because I didn't want coffee and couldn't get warm!  Ugh!

I'm a little behind the times, but we had a wild hailstorm--the local paper called it "weather of biblical proportions"--come through on June 28th.  It was during the day and just me at home. . .the hailstones were huge. . lots of damage especially on our side of town. . .broken windows & roof tiles, dented cars & broken windscreens, conservatories with collapsed roofs.  Many local businesses lost stock due to flash floods & there were reports of birds falling out of the sky.  It was so loud in my conservatory that it hurt a little to be out there during the 10-15 minutes the storm lasted.  The house we live in was pretty much okay. . our van is dented in numerous spots. . .

During the storm, the wildest thing was watching these hailstones bounce 10 feet up into the air off the road, my yard, the car. . .

I took some videos during the storm; here is Keith's Facebook post about them:

We had an interesting day on Wednesday. We had hail and severe thunderstorms. In the office it felt like a regular Illinois thunderstorm, but that's quite rare here and due to the fact that we are further north, meant that in June we got hail. Power struck a transformer outside the office, and we lost power which meant I had to work until 1 am on Thursday. I'm a little embarrassed because at home Missy saw much worse. Here's some videos:

This is the first one, watch the yard (garden) and see these things bounce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijojOlKu6xw

This one gets better, watch em bounce. I've been told this is the worst storm in 70 years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CiESbGFbJI

Watch them bounce off the patio table on the right hand side of the video, another interesting contrast is the black driveway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCt14Z67MpE

The car alarm isn't on at the beginning. The top of the car has got dents every 6-10 inches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBLbTydtNTo

All in all quite a bit of wild weather in England.

And here is how the garden, etc looked once I could get out there and snap some pictures:

broken tile in our patio table

 I left Charlotte's window open so she had a few hailstones that I discovered a little later. . .

I saved some of the hailstones to show Keith and the girls. . .it's been a long time--if ever--that I have seen hail stones that big!!  There were pictures of some that topped four inches in diameter!

On the way to pick up the girls from school.

I wouldn't want it to storm like that all the time (there was even a very rare tornado locally), but it was really a tremendous thing to witness!!

Hannah's First Holy Communion. . .

Hannah, our oldest, celebrated her First Holy Communion at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Hinckley, Leicestershire this past Saturday, 24th June after a long & thorough preparation--that girl of mine knew exactly what she was doing!!  There are 6 other girls and 7 boys in her communion class; most of them are her classmates and some are her closest friends here in the UK.

Getting her dress was an interesting process; we had gotten one that we brought home and decided was too much. . .it was fancier than my wedding dress.  The ladies at the Catholic shop very graciously exchanged the dress for something a little more like what Keith and I envisioned!  Luckily Hannah liked the new one. . .and I let her get fancier shoes than she was going to be able to get, so she was all for it!!

  

Trying it all on for Daddy.

Father Frank held a special Mass just for the Communion, so we were able to spend the morning at home relaxing.  Daddy made pancakes & eggs--we painted toenails & fingernails.  Then we got everyone dressed and got Hannah's hair and veil sorted. . and then it was off to church!  The kids had a small rehearsal with Father Frank and Mrs. Quinn (their teacher and mum to one of the boys receiving communion) and I had to set up our table for the get-together after Mass. 

Hannah wanted Subway, Doritos, and my little chocolate chip cookies for her celebration meal!!

And the nerves were setting in. . .  all of the kids were so sweet in their nervousness!

Georgia-Cailin-Hannah-Sabrina-Carys-Hannah-Holly-Kian-Jacob-Oliver-Oliver-Michael-Toby-Seamus

It was one of those tough relocation moments for all of us.  Each child was assigned a pew for their family to sit in; ours, understandably, was empty except for the five of us and Hannah's prayer partner.  Had we been in the States, we would have needed more than one pew for the 22 members of our immediate family, plus any other Brummels & Butlers that might have joined us.  (They were with us in spirit & prayer, though, I have no doubt!)  Bless Hannah, though, she is so positive. . .she just keeps talking about being surrounded by her family the first time she receives Holy Communion in the States.  I am so proud of the young lady that she is becoming; I see her Daddy's strength of character in her more and more every day!!

Hannah & her good friend, Carys

The families met in the parish hall after Mass to have a cake for all of the kids, and then some of the families stuck around and had a meal.  Each of us brought our own food & drink, etc.  It was a little chaotic at first, but it was nice to be able to share the day with friends.

Hannah with her prayer partner, Mary.  Each year, Father Frank asks older parish members to pair up with each of the kids in the communion class.  They spend some time together in the weeks leading up to First Communion, and the prayer partners pray for each other.  Mary was also standing up with Hannah and our family when she received Communion.  Hannah and Mary have gotten together a little bit and hope to spend some time together this summer--it is Father Frank's hope that friendships can bloom across the generations!

Cailin, Carys, & Hannah

Cailin, Carys, Hannah, & Neve (a friend from their class at school). . .I couldn't decide which picture I liked the best, so I put them both in!

Hannah with Father Frank

I got Hannah her own little cupcake since there was a big cake for all of the kids--which Hannah didn't get a piece of :( 

Father Frank arranged for a professional photographer and videographer to be at the Mass, so hopefully I will be able to add some pictures of Hannah during the service.

We are so proud of our girl and how full of faith she is; I am constantly reminded of just how good God is when I see the Holy Spirit in Hannah's smile!!