Settling in!

So it’s been a few days, and we are all still struggling to adjust to the time difference. Even the kids are staying up until way past their normal bedtime as they are really just not tired yet. Unfortunately, this leads to sleeping in and perpetuating the cycle further. I’m hoping it will just take some time and lots of sunlight to get our circadian rhythms realigned. In the meantime, I am enjoying being able to talk to my people at home at night, as it is then only afternoon in Alabama! My sweet sister Katie has been sending me cute videos and pictures of my nieces, and getting to video chat with them is always special ♥

Yesterday and today have been mostly about getting settled in, and trying to make our house feel like home. We have put up some of our little homey things that we brought with us – a plate that my Nanny and Daddy Jim brought to us from Turkey many years ago, the dream catcher that Randall made for me when we were first married and that has been in every home we’ve had together, a wooden marquetry piece inlaid with four elephants (for our four Bama fans!), plus many Alabama themed items including blankets, a dish towel, and coasters. We even brought the tiny Christmas tree that once belonged to my great-grandmother. As it turned out, the landlord had stored a Christmas tree in the garage, along with ornaments, and told us we were free to use it!

We went yesterday to pick up our BRP cards, and the kids were pleased to find that the post office was inside of a Subway sandwich shop. They got to eat while we waited for Randall to finish the Very Important business, and Eli amused himself by referring to his Doritos as “crisps” as often as possible. We considered walking around a bit, but yesterday was very cold and very rainy. Instead, we came back to our warm and cozy home to watch Spider-Man, play with Legos, and snuggle the kitties.

Today was our first real attempt at grocery shopping. There is an Aldi about a half a mile down the road, attached to the Stretford Mall. This has turned out to be really convenient as we don’t have a car, and most things we need are available within walking distance. I wasn’t sure how we (Eli mostly) would feel about walking in the cold, but once we got moving it wasn’t bad at all. There were actually a lot of people out walking, including one lady singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to her little girl as they walked! We went to the mall first to find Abbie a coat, and to introduce the kids to the deliciousness that is Greggs. I would post a picture of our food, but we already ate it all – Abbie is definitely a fan. Eli found a gingerbread cookie shaped like a train, and with that we were all set for doing some grocery shopping at Aldi.

The trick to doing our grocery shopping without a car is that we must get only as much as we can comfortably carry home. Even so, I did manage to slip in a couple of treats, like these yummy Viennese Whirls that were recommended to me by Ernie’s lovely wife, Karen, when I was here in August. I am eating them right now as I type and have tea!

Also while at Aldi, Abbie and I found some pretty tinsel that we wanted to turn into a wreath for our front door. It’s a little crafty but I think it’s awesome!

As I promised pictures of our new house, here they are. I will attempt a virtual picture tour for you.

There are still some things I’d like to get for the house – a coat rack by the front door, a chair for the desk, a TV for the living room, and a scratching tree for the kitty room, for starters. We also need to get either a bed for the Tiniest Bedroom or a sleeper sofa, as we hope to host guests in the future!

Please feel free to ask any questions about our adventure, and thanks for reading!