After I signed LaLa up at the local primary school this morning, I had to go shopping to buy her a uniform. Black trousers, white shirt, black patent leather shoes, and black socks. A jumper is going to be bought tomorrow at school. I checked The Factory Shop over in the local town for uniform clothes, but they were sold out. I did score her shoes and socks there, but there were no trousers or shirts. Great.
Well you know what that means! Kat had to brave the crazy streets of England and drive about 20 miles to Bury St. Edmonds. Fun times! My mission: Trousers. My destination: Tesco. My weapons: Jeep Compass and Garmin GPS.
I made my way out of Mildenhall to the roundabout dubbed "The 5 Ways" *cue suspense music*, my first obstacle. This is not just a regular roundabout, it is a roundabout with 5 exits. The Garmin yells at me to "take the 4th exit." I take the 4th exit, pray I didn't cut anyone off and proceed as directed. 8 miles later. Double mini roundabout. Right turn right turn. Ok I think I did that well enough! I just may have the hang of this. Next round about take first exit. Well that is easy. What the...holy crap I am getting on the motorway! Crap. Alright Kat, we can do this, just stay in the slow lane. Ok which is the slow land? Left lane! Alright Kat, just stay in the left lane. "Exit in 1.8 miles." Breath Kat, breath. "Take exit then 3rd exit on roundabout." Hey I just saw the Tesco sign! We just might make it! "Take the 3rd exit on roundabout!" Oh I see the parking lot! We made it! Alright kids, you can quit clutching your car seats for dear life. No you can not use the language that you heard coming out of my mouth. Please pretend that mommy did not say that word.
Ok, Trousers. Need to find some trousers. Oh wait, need to get a trolly first. LaLa you need to keep up child or you are going to get left behind. Are you kidding me LaLa? You have to potty now? Great lets go find a toilet. Wow at least the toilets are near the kids clothing section. These Tesco people were actually thinking when they designed this store. They know that kids always have to wee when they are clothes shopping. Ok, trousers. Grey, grey, grey, black! Size 3, 8, 12, 6. No five? Well I guess the 6 is going to have to do. We are going to have to hem them tonight. Do I need anything else while I am here? Oh yes, powder bleach and limescale tablets. Ok, time to go.
Girls are you ready for the drive home*?
* I can neither confirm or deny that I may have cut someone off on the way home. I think they were trying to follow me home but I lost them somewhere in Mildenhall. Thank goodness. But I did give them "the wave" so it might have just been my imagination.
28 comments:
What are limescale tablets?
I would hate to drive over there. Well, maybe not if I got used to it, but I admire you for how well you're doing.
You put limescale tablets in your wash with your detergent to prevent your washer from getting limescale build up. I can break he washer if you don't use them, and that would suck.
Oh, I love Tesco. *And* I love a successful errands outing.
Ellie
If you didn't hit anyone, it might as well have never happened. Great job!
Kat:
When are you going to start selling the "Kat Action Figure" (Now with Special Waving Powers!)?
I want one for me, er, my Wee Lass!
Cue the theme music (something like "Fight The Power" but faster)...
I have a hard enough time remembering the kids' sizes, but to do it in another country... the degree of difficulty is now beyond my reach.
I would totally buy a Kat action figure!
and we had our first 'outing without potty stops' a little over a week ago.. it was cause for celebration! and a darn near miracle.. after all, we have 3 pottying children that run errands with us! one reason i'm not in a hurry to get the girls trained..
Geeez, they love the "roundabouts" huh?
In any case, glad ya'll survived! :)
LOL, don't you love it when you kids catch you swearing and call you on it?
I lived in England for a year and LOVED Tesco. Wow, nice flashback!
That sounds like a riot! I think the scariest driving experience for me was in Italy. I wasn't driving, but it was still terrifying. Those people are maniacs!
You said Tescos.
All I have to say is we better get a pic of the uniform on her cause I think they are the cutest thing ever!
You did better than me today -
I managed to slip, slide and twirl
my way into a ditch on the way to work.
Yeah I would lose my mind w/ those roundabouts! Glad you made it alive!
If no one got hurt, that's a good enough driving experience for me.
I am totally confused by that entire post because I didn't understand half of the lingo (they speak English in England, right?) and I've never heard of Tesco or limescare tablets. I don't know how you do it woman.
I want to move to England just so I can use the word "jumper" (isn't it just a sweater?).
I got stressed out just reading that? It's like summer traffic on the Cape!!!
You need a crash helmet next time!
Well done! Is Tesco like Target?
Good thing your Jeep is a fairly large car over there.
I know without a doubt that all the roundabouts would keep me housebound forever! Glad you made it both ways!
Oh, my Kat, I am dizzy, DIZZY from reading this. Remind me never to drive in England. Or shop with a toddler.
Excellent Adventure! Almost as good as Bill and Ted's!
Oh you are just so brave!
LMAO what would us expat's do without our Garmins!
This so took me back to when I first got here, everythings the opposite and oh boy do you ever have alot more traffic to deal with over there.
But let me tell you, that roundabout is NOTHING. You need to get yourself down to Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire and experience The Magic Roundabout. It is one huge roundabout in the middle with 12 mini ones encircling it. It even blows the Brit's minds!
Thanks for the great laugh, now just stay on the right side of the road. It took me awhile here, but gawd help you if you do that over there with all that traffic! I'm praying for you Kat.
Har-har-hehehe! Britains love their roundabouts and limescale buildup.
Oh Kat - your description was so accurate and hilarious - seeing it through your eyes really makes me wonder why we Brits blindly accept so many eccentricities - that often are illogical and unnecessary.
Yippee - we got you sorted with the driving thing then?
See what you can do when you put your mind to it!
interesting uniform.....
sounds like things may be differnt over there but yet just the same as being a mommy over here in the US.
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