Holy Week, Part 1

 

     Just a quick post, because it's so busy around here at the moment!  It's Holy Week, and it's all go around here.  About 9 years ago now I started thinking hard about how we could celebrate Easter more meaningfully.  Some traditions have now evolved in the Hamilton-Bleakley household, but every year I'm a bit daunted by the prospect of pulling it off.  So I try to take it slowly, and thoughtfully, trying not to take on too much.  But, honestly, there is a lot going on.  Just take it day by day ...

     Before Holy Week, we do a little Easter tree.  We make paper Easter eggs to hang on the tree.  This year, I bought a little olive tree as our Easter tree.  Since Jesus suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, which was a garden of olive trees, I couldn't think of anything more appropriate:

 

     So, during Holy Week we do things to remind ourselves of the last week of Jesus' life.  On Palm Sunday, we read and discuss the account of Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  We also get out a stack of illustrations which I have detailing the events leading up to the crucifixion, and put them up in chronological order on the wall.

     On Monday, we read the account of Jesus cleansing the temple, and discuss how that can apply to our lives.  If Jesus came to our house, what would He want to cleanse?  This year the kids decided He would cleanse the criticizing and the tattle-telling that has been happening as of late.

     On Tuesday, we talk about some of the parables that Jesus taught during this week.  This year we talked about his criticisms of the scribes and Pharisees, who 'strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel'.  I asked the kids what they thought that meant, and Eleanor said, 'Umm, they have small eyes but big mouths?'  We also had some friends over this year to make Easter crafts.  We made - well, tried to make - oil lamps out of clay, from the parable of the 10 virgins.  

 

 

 

We also made homemade marshmallow eggs and decorated them.

 

 

 

 

     On Wednesday, there is more discussion of the parables.  This year we also started our Easter craft.  We are making a model of Golgotha, the Garden tomb, and the Garden of Gethsemane.  We looked up pictures on the internet of Golgotha and the tomb, and the kids got really excited about trying to replicate them.  We just use newspaper, paper mache made of flour and water, and rocks.  Super cheap and, because I am not a perfectionist when it comes to crafts, easy.  

 

 

     Now it's Thursday, and things are really speeding up.  We have a Passover meal tonight which I have to prepare for today, and lots of preparations for Good Friday and the Easter weekend.  Easter walk, dying eggs, making hot cross buns ... it's all happening.  Wish me luck.

 

    

General Conference Weekend

     This past weekend was General Conference weekend.  'General Conference' is a semi-annual event for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Over the first Saturday and Sunday of every April and every October, the leaders of our church gather in the Conference center in Salt Lake City and give talks to the general membership of the church.  These talks are very important, because we believe that we are led by inspired men and women, who receive revelation from God.  These talks therefore are messages to us from God as to how He would have us live our lives.
     As you can imagine, conference might not be very fun for little ones.  The talks are rather long and well, you know, it's church, so it isn't exactly a dog and pony show.  However, we had a fabulous family friend in England, who invited us every conference weekend to her house.  She would make the weekend special - she would cook lots of amazing food, give pedicures to the girls, let the children play, etc.  She took over child care duties as well, so I could sleep in! 
     She would also give each child a 'conference pack', which consisted of a notebook, glue stick, pencil, and small pictures of all the general leaders of the church so that the children could paste the picture of whichever leaders spoke into their books, and then take notes on what they said.
     We have been going to her house for years to conference, so my children know all about conference.  They know how important it is, and they look forward to it because we've managed to make it fun for them.
     This year, however, we didn't have the option of going to our friends' house.  I had to make conference fun myself!  I did it by buying two dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts to mark the occasion.  The response I got from the kids was incredible.  You would have thought that they were told they were going to Disneyland or back to England for a visit.  I didn't realize they were so easy to please!
     Anyway, there were two two-hour sessions on Saturday to watch, which we did.  We always try to go for a walk in between sessions, to let them let out some energy.  We went for a walk around an English riding center, which is near our house.  It really is a beautiful place.  Here are some pics:

     The track is huge, and reminds me of the Circus Maximus in Rome!

 

Here are the kids, getting out their wiggles:

 

 

     After the two Saturday sessions, we then had the rest of the day reserved to spend at the science museum at Balboa Park in San Diego.  Tim has ranted and raved about Balboa Park for months now, and I had never had a chance to see it.  Balboa Park is a complex of buildings and gardens that were built in the early 1900's as part of a sort of 'world's fair' exhibit, where San Diego could show off what it had to offer to the world.  Tim was right to rave about it; it is a beautiful place with stunning buildings.  The buildings are in a 'mission' style so the whole place has this Spanish feel to it.  Some pics:

 

 

       ..... AND what I didn't realize was that they have re-created Shakespeare's Globe Theater here!  All I can say is:  COOL!  Last February we visited the recreation of the Globe Theater in London, and having seen that, I would have to say that the one here in San Diego seems a bit smaller.  But, hey, it's Shakespeare, and I am SO EXCITED to see Othello there this summer.

 

 
     After we wandered around the Park, we finally got to the science museum.  There were tons of hands-on activities for the kids, plus we got to see an IMAX theatre production - the kids had never been to one of those.  Anyway, they built, stacked, shouted, pulled, pushed, stared, listened, and all the other things you do in a science museum:

     Sunday was two more session of conference, and then choir practice at our house with a potluck dinner afterwards.
     I always find conference to be so inspiring.  The talks this time were no exception.  Elder Jeffrey Holland talked about enduring persecution as Christians, as did Elder Lawrence Corbridge and others. 
     As church members we have experienced alot of ill-will and opposition lately - as I think many other Christians have as well  - particularly regarding our stand on same-sex marriage, but in general just regarding our belief in God, as aethism seems to be 'trending' at the moment in much of the world.  I was moved when Elder Corbridge spoke of the persecution and sufferings that Christ endured, and asked 'Why did they not leave Jesus Christ, the Son of God, alone?  Because He is the truth, and the truth will always be opposed.'  So, prepare for more opposition ...
    Another point that struck me was made by Sister Linda Reeves.  She talked about how she struggled as a mother of 4 young children.  She and her husband went to the Lord in prayer with their difficulties, and recieved that answer that what was important in raising a family was not so much whether the house was clean or other things of that nature, but that they used their time to talk with their children, listen to them, and rejoice in the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.  I love that idea!  Important reminder.
     Finally, my favorite quote from conference was by Sister Jean Stevens: 'The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a checklist of things to do; rather, it lives in our hearts.  It is not weight, it is wings. It carries us!'  Absolutely.
 



Georgie's Birthday

     It's been a big week.  It was Georgiana's birthday on Thursday.  Yes, I know it's a good thing, but it's also an exhausting thing.  The older I get, the less I can seem to handle these things with grace and dignity. 
     Georgiana's birthday is always near Easter - in fact, she was born on Easter Sunday - so we have certain traditions associated with her birthday.  At her party we always have an Easter egg hunt, and she always has a carrot cake covered in cream cheese frosting, decorated with gold Lindt chocolate miniature bunnies sitting in green-colored coconut with candy flowers and miniature chocolate eggs. The decorations are always Easter/spring decorations.
     Birthdays in our house start early.  Tim likes to open his presents first thing in the morning (which is the opposite to me - I like opening mine near the end of my birthday), so we somehow started a tradition of giving the birthday person breakfast in bed, and presenting them with all of their presents.  Georgie requested crepes with lemon, sugar and nutella, along with bacon and maple syrup.  So I was up at 5:30 getting her breakfast sorted, trying to find my happy face for when I woke the birthday girl.
     Breakfast, cards and presents:

 

     Since we have only moved here a few months ago, Georgie didn't feel she knew enough people to have a proper party, so she decided to invite a family from our church instead.  That's always the best kind for me - there's more adults to help out and to keep me company.  But it was still stressful preparing a party buffet for 14 people.
     Here's Georgie on her ninth birthday:

 

 

     Georgie has made me very proud this week, actually.  I was exhausted this past weekend, and so I hadn't done my usual brunch for the choir members after choir practice on Sunday, which takes place at our house.  I was apologizing for my sins of omission and sending the choir members out the door, when Georgie informed me that she had made brunch and it was waiting on the dining room table.  And indeed it was!  There was a big bowl of canned peaches, a bowl of nutella mixed with miniature marshmallows, and yogurts.  I loved her catering style and I was touched that she could see a need and was willing to meet it.

 

English Visitors!

     This week is rather special in that we have guests scheduled for dinner every night from Wednesday to Saturday.  Those guests run the gamut from neighbors who live just down the street to visitors from England. 
     We get to start with the English visitors first.  Tonight one of Tim's old work colleagues from his RAF days came to dinner.  She had come to San Diego on business, and Tim managed to persuade her to come eat at our house.  Brave woman!  I had never met her personally, but she had been a great support to Tim in his last job, so it was nice to meet her at last.  And it was so nice for all of us to have someone connected to our past life in England in our house. 
     She has moved to the US for a time as well, so we commiserated about the challenges of moving from Britain to the US.  At dinner we ended up taking about the royal family and the royal wedding, and the kids reminisced about what we were doing on that day (I made them a royal tea party with little canapés and cakes and tarts, etc.).  We talked about what a mistake it is for Britain to continue to cut its military forces.  And, because we're parents and the kids were there, we also talked about minions and Frozen and the Lego Movie.
     Then I had the distinct pleasure of sitting up with my sobbing seven year old while she finished off her homework for tomorrow.  This happens a lot in our house, actually.  There is a lot of sobbing over unfinished homework late at night.  There is no sobbing over unfinished homework right when they get home from school, of course.  The sobbing begins the minute they realize they are up against a wall and running away from me is no longer an option.  Aaahh, joy.

     It's been a good weekend.  It started early because Abigail was invited by some friends to go see a preview of the new movie Divergent on Thursday night.  The showing was at 9pm, so better than a midnight showing, but still it was a school night.  I racked my brains for a reason to not let her go but couldn't think of one, other than the fact that it was a late showing on a school night.  So, she went. 
     I didn't see her until Friday afternoon, when she came home from school, packed an overnight bag, and went straight back out again to attend an overnight 'youth conference' with our church.  All of the teenagers in our church between the ages of 14-18 who live in about a 30 mile radius from Poway were invited to attend this event.  It was at a campout-type place near here.  They had all sorts of activities, which included team building exercises, a dance, and religious devotionals where the teenagers had a chance to express their faith in what we call a 'testimony'.  They don't have to, of course, but it is very encouraging as a parent when you hear that your teenager gave their testimony.  Today Abigail said to me, 'I bore my testimony at youth conference.  You're welcome!' 
     Abigail came home late last night, having had VERY little sleep on both Thursday and Friday nights. She was exhausted!  This happens to her a lot, actually.  She goes to these events and she comes home with fatigue and some kind of illness.  Being a social butterfly, she just wears herself out.
     Imogen also had a big weekend. She had an all-day track meet up in Los Angeles.  I think she ran very well.  It was her first ever track meet.  I dropped her off at the school at 5am, and she didn't come home until 9pm.  Then it was off to a sleepover at friend's house. 
     We had a great blessing this weekend.  We had been looking for a double bed, but couldn't find anything in our price range.  On Saturday Tim found a double bed, a mattress, a box spring, a dresser, a bedside table, and bedding, all for 200 dollars.  Fabulous!  We also bought some bunk beds for the little girls.  So, all of the children have beds, and it no longer looks like we are camping in our new home.
     This morning we had choir practice before church.  I am the choir director, and we are working on a big Easter program, which has songs and scripture readings detailing the events of Easter from the Last Supper to the Resurrection.  I love the songs we are singing.  I've selected some songs from Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, and others from Mormon composers.
     Then it was off to church - for three hours!  Imogen gave a talk in church about the importance of choosing good friends, and being a good friend.  She did really well.

     We have moved to our new home - San Diego, CA.  If all goes well, we shall be here for a very long time.
     The kids for the most part seem happy, but it is fair to say that I didn't realize how much of an adjustment this move to the States would be for them, and in fact for me as well.  Indeed, the only one who doesn't seem to need much adjustment is Tim, the only pure-blooded Brit among us. 'I just live in the moment - I'm happy wherever I am', he says. 
     I, on the other hand, have frequent, vivid memories of the UK, which make me feel as if I'm being pulled back there.  Yet, I know that after 18 years in a foreign country, living away from my family, it was time to come home.  It's just that things here are a little bit foreign for me now, which is a very strange feeling.
     Anyway, the adjustment for the kids is in everything - the accent (even though they are used to mine), the television shows (they miss Horrible Histories SO MUCH), the food (don't even get me started!), the design of the house ('Why don't American houses have doors?'), and most especially, the schools.
     Yes, the schools.  There have been a lot of factors out of my control concerning this move - for instance, the timing of the move - and I just had to go with it.  We moved right before Abigail, our oldest, was due to embark upon her GCSE exams in England.  On the one hand, the move was a good thing, because Abigail was really struggling in school and I wasn't sure what her GCSE experience was going to be.  On the other hand, she was in a system in which she understood the expectations and was somewhat on track to at least pass her exams. 
     When we moved here, however, it was clear that, at least as high school is concerned, Britain and California have two very different approaches.  Abigail can cope somewhat with the humanities, but when it comes to math and science, unfortunately the material is completely unfamiliar.  We've had a spate of conversations and phone calls and emails this week between Abigail, her school counselor, her chemistry teacher, her math teacher, and myself.  Abigail's chemistry teacher is almost certain that she will fail the class.  Her math teacher is shocked at her lack of skill.  Her counselor, although lovely, blamed me for encouraging her to put Abigail into the wrong classes (as I really had no idea how Abigail's English education was going to match up with her California one, I just did my best).
     So, if things don't improve rapidly, Abigail could very well lose a year of high school.  The other problem is that Abigail never really takes these kinds of situations seriously.  I'm usually the one pushing for a solution to these kinds of issues, and that just makes her even more uninterested and in denial about the gravity of it all.  I think now it might be sinking in.  But whether that leads her to push herself enough academically remains to be seen - her endurance level was never very high in these matters.
     Part of me considers at times the idea that maybe I have ruined her future by having her change schools at such a critical juncture.  But I also know that God sent us here, to this particular place at this particular time, and so I have faith that things will work out.

   This new year has started out well for us.  We had a fabulous, busy Christmas, with a head count of I think 26 or 27 on Christmas day.  I made a traditional English Christmas dinner, complete with turkey, gingerbread stuffing, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, mashed carrot and swede, red cabbage, roasted brussel sprouts, sausages wrapped in bacon, and cranberry sauce.  We also had a proper Christmas pudding, with figs, dates, raisins, and currants.  I don't know how I fed 27 people, but I did!  
     The rest of Christmas was wonderful - kids waking up to open their stockings, opening presents and etc.  This was the first Christmas that I had been home since 1999, and I was soaking it up.  We did our traditional nativity play on Christmas Eve, and Mandy organized it well so that every kid seemed to have a part.  We also sang Christmas carols, and as the kids went to bed, my dad played Christmas carols on his violin in the hallway so our kids could have that great experience of anticipating Christmas morning while drifting off to sleep with the best Christmas music in the background.
     Since this was the first Christmas I had at home for a very long time, my mom spoiled me a bit!  She gave me a book which I have come to absolutely love - it's called 'How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare'.  It goes through how to teach children 25 different passages from Shakespeare, while at the same time giving background on the plays, explaining how Shakespeare is developing his characters in the passages, etc.  We have started memorizing the first passage he suggests, from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the kids love it!  We have been trying to memorize a little bit every night, and I am so inspired by the whole project.  I love Shakespeare anyway, but this book has given me a reason  - and a way - to introduce it to my kids in a really effective way.
     My mom also gave me some exercise tops, a gift card to Macy's, and a griddle for our new home!  And Tim really surprised me this year - he gave me a new KitchenAid mixer, AND a new baby grand digital piano!  I couldn't believe it!  I didn't think we had enough money to get a piano, but he managed to move some funds around get the money he needed for this piano.  It was by far the best Christmas I have had in years.
     It was also great to be with Julienne and Keith, Mandy and Dave, Heather and Matt and Brett and Raini.  Bart and Kristi came on the 26th, and it was great to see them as well.
     As far as movies ... well, Frozen and The Hobbit Part II were the best things to see this year.  The Hobbit far exceeded my expectations.  Part I of The Hobbit I thought was a bit slow, but the one this year was excellent.
     One by one everyone left, until finally Tim left on New Year's Eve.  New Year's Day was kind of fun, in that Matt had given me some goose he had shot, so I was able to use it to make a cassoulet!  I used sausage, bacon, onions, beans and goose in the cassoulet, and it was awesome!
     The day after New Year's I took the kids up to Sun Valley to go ice-skating.  The weather was perfect - sunny, no wind.  I had never been ice skating before, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. 



     We had the kids sit down and set some New Year's resolutions, but this year is different for us in that it really is a new beginning since we are moving to a new home and a new life this month.  In a way it seemed strange to set resolutions, because we don't know very much about what our lives are going to be like in our new home.  I think Abigail set a resolution to learn to drive, and I set a resolution to launch and develop my blog.  I don't remember much of the other resolutions - as the mom, I think I better look them up so I can remember what people are supposed to be working on!
     So, this week we have two birthdays:  Samuel and Eleanor.  So, that means two parties.  Yea.  Samuel had his party yesterday.  9 screaming, hyper, loud boys came to our house yesterday.  I took them swimming, and then to a pizza place.  I survived is all I have to say.  Eleanor has her part tomorrow.  I think I'm still in denial.about it.
     And then, in six days from now, we move to California!  I am getting so excited.  I can't wait to be living together as a family again!