It looks like KiKi might get wait listed for Nursery School. Gonna look into another Nursery School just in case she doesn't make the cut at the one down the street. Who knew nursery school was so dang competitive. I mean, it isn't like we live in Manhattan.
Insomnia is killin me. Lastnight I promptly got into bed at mid-night, my normal bedtime and laid there for what felt like forever before I drifted off to the land of nod. Of course I had my normal crazy internal monologue going on as well.
Examples- If I ever have another kid and it is a girl I am gonna name her Charlotte Leigh and call her CharLeigh. Which is crazy because I am never having any more kids.
Do people in the UK eat potato salad?
What am I going to do with LaLa home for 6 weeks this summer? There better be a whole bunch of play dates arranged before we leave school. Oh wait the end of school is Friday. Better work on collecting other parents phone numbers so we can arrange play dates on the phone.
I still don't want to go to this Pampered Chef Party on Thursday.
And I wonder why it takes so long for me to get to sleep. See those were just snippets of what was going on inside my head. Really you could take each one of those topics and expand it exponentially and still not get to the level of over analysis that I do in my head.
So I am hosting some new friends on Friday for a BBQ. These are some of LaLa's school chums and their parents. They are English (hence why I was wondering about the potato salad), and it is the first time I am having non-Americans over for an event. Needless to say I am a bit worried. The customs are a bit different here and I have no idea on the finer points of a British BBQ. Any UK residents want to help me out here? Or should I make it a completely American affair?
Tomorrow is Market Day in Bury and I can't wait to go get some faboosh bread. Faboosh means fabulous. FYI. Olive Oil and Rosemary bread anyone? It makes THE BEST garlic bread.
Would my American readers enjoy pictures of a typical British Market Day?
OK, I think I am done for now. Don't forget about my giveaway. If you have no entered yet, there is plenty of time. The drawing occurs on July 28th. If anyone has suggestions on a good way to pick names out of a hat, I am open to them. I am thinking about letting KiKi do it and post a video of it.
50 comments:
Since they sell potato salad in the grocery stores, I would assume they eat potato salad. Though, in my experience, cole slaw seems more popular. Ethnic foods, especially items from Indian cuisine, are almost a regular part of their diet now. I'm speaking from my experience from the south of England.
My kids don't get out until next week and we'll need to find events to keep them busy as well. Now that my mother-in-law is in hospital, there goes the idea that they could spend a week with Nanny and Granddad.
We do have eat potato salad although it might not be exactly the same as one you would make, I use small new potatoes and lashings of mayo :) nothing too complicated you see! Good luck with the BBQ and arranging playdates, good plan, must steal the idea.
I have the exact opposite problem.. I fall asleep immediately, as soon as my head hits the pillow, it bugs me because usually I don't intend to sleep, I'm not even tired most of the time but I end up falling asleep anyway.. I've missed my deadlines because of this! But I can't help it cause I lie down whenever I breastfeed, and every time, I end up asleep. It sucks cause I can't do my job and I waste so much time..
Oh well.. I hope I get over it. So not fun.
Wow, Friday and summer vacation starts for the kids.. School just started here in our part of the world..
Happy RTT! :D
Those Pampered Chef parties...I dread them too. I hate the feeling that you have to buy something when you go to those kinds of parties too.
Nursery school admission is starting to become like college admission!
I love potato salad! New potatoes, mayonnaise and chives - simple but perfect.
And don't worry about 'American or British' just be yourself. We Birts tend to be quite reserved i.e. a lot of them are quite shy (I'm the exception to the rule of course) and find it difficult to get started but ply them with some booze and you'll be good to go :-)
I have getting invited to PC parties. I have no more room for kitchen stuff and I'm broke :)
http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2009/07/best-places-to-live-cities-with-most.html
Bed at mid-night while listening to the inner monologue? That would kill me! I have to be in bed by eleven to allow the inner monologue to tire itself out.
Melatonin. Get some, use it. It shuts the inner monologue up and is non addicting. Melatonin is what our body makes naturally to put us to sleep. One 3g pill knocks my socks off. The only thing I've noticed is that since my inner monologue doesn't wind itself out, I have the wackiest dreams. They're not bad dreams, just crazy weird. I don't mind though because I wake up incredibly rested.
I would LOVE to see photos of the market day.
I think you better have another 'cause CharLeigh is a great name. . .
I love anytime you post pics!!! I want to go to England so badly and just have to see it through your pics.
and I have been rocking insomnia lately too. no fun
We've been out of school for about 3 weeks here. It certainly hasn't been too hot here. I'd go for serving whatever you're comfortable making and serving. Have fun! I'd love to see some pictures of the market.
I'm American, and I don't eat potato salad. Can't help you there.
Can't give you any pointers on hosting a barbecue for Brits, but I CAN sympathize with the Pampered Chef thing - love their products, hate those parties. Hate feeling obligated to buy something, just because I was invited and whether or not I can afford it. My blanket policy as a result is "Sorry, I can't make it."
Never, ever, give people in the UK potato salad. You'll be instantly ostracised from polite society and to show their displeasure they'll serve you warm sherry whenever you go round to visit them.
Oh, and to really ingratiate yourself you simply MUST serve anchovy milkshake to the kids.
Nearly forgot - none of the filthy American beer that's all froth and tastes like stale urine. It has to be Dog Bolter or Old Speckled Hen - make sure you boil it first and then let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Kat- I think it's okay for you to do an American affair. They might be expecting it and would probably enjoy something different. Just be yourself and do what you would normally do.
I hate those parties so I wouldn't want to go either.
The diaper bags are adorable. They should branch out to handbags.
I so want to see a British market! And that Rosemary bread sounds kickass!
All I know is that when I spent a summer in England I had lots of beans and potatos in many different forms so I say go with it and serve the potato salad! As far as the monologue during bed time - been there done that - yeah, cannot turn it off and the worst part is when you repeat yourself over and over...yeah, not fun. But I agree on the melatonin - use it on the kids and it works!!! And I wanna see pictures of market day! I miss that about England - I loved going to town on market day, it was so cozy and perfect!
Ah, hosting the locals, always a conundrum. Hmmm. The Germans I have done this to have not always accepted it well. They really aren't an adventurous group of people. But generally I would say that the Brits come off as ready for a go at almost anything, which leads me to believe that you are safe offering some more American dishes.
I do BBQ 'American Style' complete with my mom's potato salad recipe. There's usually just enough pot salad left over for my lunch the next day, so the Brits I know seem to like it!
Good luck with pampered chef, if you go. Can you suddenly become ill or develop babysitting issues?
Re sleep--just like me. My mind is buzzing for an hour even if I'm exhausted, while husband drifts immediately off to sleep. I keep a notebook next to my bed to write down pressing issues, that usually calms me enough to sleep!
oh yes, THOSE parties. Can be any of those parties really. I feel so guilty having them...
I say just bang out the BBQ!!! Ribs, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, the whole sh-bang!
Ohh I'd love to see some british market photo's haven't been back since I was about 18, grew up in North Yorkshire. My sister just went back (she gets back today) for a month and the pics were lovely.
Great post!
Kirst
Nevermind potato salad (though don't, for it is delicious!), do they like deviled eggs?!
Think of all the things we could get done in our insomnia! Or not. After awhile of trying to save the world in my mind, all I am able to do is whine internally about how exhausted I am!
Great post! I too suffer from insomnia...sometimes till 3-4am. UGH!
I would love to see pics of a British Market.
Have a great day.
I say go American! Maybe they'll get a taste for potato salad and start a new trend in the UK!
Happy RTT!
Rosemary and Olive Oil bread sounds delicious! I have to figure out where to buy that!
I can relate to the insomnia. I have great difficulty sleeping at night too, and frequently have nights where I don't sleep at all. There are herbal remedies you can try to help you sleep, like Valerian, if you're interested.
Have a great day!
Raven
Waitrose and M&S both sell potato salad although I haven't really seen too many Brits eating it that I can recall. The only traditional Brit bbq item I can think of is sausages. If I were you I wouldn't stress, whatever you serve I'm sure will be fine
yes. I want the pics.
Yes to pictures.
No to potato salad.
Yes to hummus and tabouli! (Those were options, right?)
I vote for the pics of the British market.
yes we eat potato salad, and since you Americans sent over your troops in WWII most of the other stuff you serve up too.
As long as there is plenty of beer, plenty of wine, burgers, hotdogs and crisps (not chips) you can't go wrong really.
Oh and where are we bloggers getting an invite?
I'd bite! Show us some pics of Market Day!!
Potato salad. Hmmm, just might have to make some for tonite's meal. Thanks for the idea!
Insomnia doesn't happen in this household. Although sometimes I wished it would so I could catch up on my blogging......
Now go get some sleep, K?
Yes, please share what the Brits like for the BBQ as well as market day.
And be careful at Pampered Chef; I didn't want to go either, but then I had to have everything I saw and it's soo expensive. Works great tho.
Good luck with the sleeping.
I have the same issue with falling asleep (and same bedtime, which really needs to be earlier for the mornings I get up at 5:30am, but doesn't seem to happen). :) Hubby can fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, which can cause more delays for me falling asleep when he starts snoring loudly...it also interrupts my thought process. ;)
Do whatever kind of BBQ you would 'normally' do...just be yourself, you can't get any better than that! ;)
Absolutely YES to the market pics... :)
Happy RTT! :)
I want to see the pictures of the market!
BBQ idea (from a Brit) - make some couscous, add some green pesto, halved cherry tomatoes and chopped chestnut mushrooms! A bit different and very tasty. Lucy
You cannot lose with American food! We have taken the good things out of everyone elses cultures! HA!
My husband keeps teasing that the next kid we have (my tubes are TIED) we are naming her Unique and pronouncing it: ooo-nee-kway
I don't think ANYONE is surpried why I got my tubes tied now!
i have a raging case of insomnia right now. i'm on my face. of course, i'm not sure if it's the lack of sleep or the utter boredom of reading thousands of pages of deposition transcripts about construction defects
OMG! i totally wanted the name charlotte for one of my girls.
but my ex-husband said he wouldn't name one of our children after a spider.
what a jerkface.
andy:)
I vote you make it american 100%. Imagine how much more exciting it'll be for them to have an American BBQ than ANOTHER British BBQ.
I say you even throw a football around. (Or at them if they get too finicky about not having a British BBQ)
Ignore that last part. It's unpolite.
I fall asleep right away, but wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts of the grocery list, my unbalanced checkbook and anything else that will keep me from sleeping. I hear your pain, sista!
Oh, and I can't help you with the potato salad quandary. I live in the states but won't touch the stuff.
I remember being here this morning and now it's 12 hours later or so and I realized I didn't comment but I don't remember what I was going to say but figured I should say something because you might not talk to me at school tomorrow and then I'll have to sit all alone at lunch again...
It's 12:30 and I'm sitting here blogging instead of sleeping and even when I try it'll take me two hours to drift off. I feel your insomnia pain.
It's so damn hot here too, I can never get cool. I'm moving to Iceland, wanna come with?
I'd love market pics
yes! would love to see pics of the market! :)
yes! would love to see pics of the market! :)
I say you go all American on their asses. Ribs and slaw, baby!
I know exactly what you mean about taking so long to fall asleep. I am the same way, with every imaginable thought racing through my brain at 1:30 am. Think it's just a sign of a vivid imagination. Potato salad? Try my recipe on my Sensational Cajun Sides post of July 3. Or, try my Cajun Fourth of July Cookout. They'll love it!
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