Our Merry Christmas and Happy New Year



This year we spent another Christmas here on our own and I think we are getting the hang of it. The UK does Christmas well, there are the increased crowds at the mall and commercials for the latest and gre atest toys but the focus isn’t on mad holiday shopping but more on markets, fairs and Christmas dinners.

 

Christmas markets are everywhere for a period of about 6 weeks. Each town has their market, the schools hold them and any large organization, like the NCT, has one as a fundraiser. They range from small fundraising events like the market at Kellen’s school this year. In the week leading up parents baked, put together candy packages and some things were donated. Then on a Friday morning the school was opened up and kids and parents walk from room to room spending 50p here and there. The whole place was decorated and it was both overwhelming and exciting for Kellen. Father Christmas, Santa Claus in our house, was there and the kids had a lot of fun eating candy and cupcakes. We also went to a large market in Winchesterwhich we were told was one of the best in the UK. It was like a postcard with the ice skating rink in the middle, wooden stalls with small vendors selling food, gifts and crafts. Each market was a fun to tour and felt much more like a special holiday season activity as opposed to going to the mall to check presents off the list.

Another Christmas must is the Christmas meal out with friends. This year we went out with a few other couples for a night out. As the little kids get older using a sitter is getting easier and easier so it’s nice to go out with other adults for a long meal every once and a while. The coffee group I have been going to since moving also had a Mom’s dinner out. There were 10 of us and it was a lot of fun to get to have conversations without being interrupted constantly by little kids. The next night all the dads met for a curry and beer night. I think each of them was pushed a little by their wives to go but in the end they had fun. Jamie had enough fun that the next day he had a rough morning…

Christmas eve the kids spent the day watching Christmas movies while I made a big turkey dinner. That night we sat around the table, did our Christmas crackersand wore our crowns. After dinner the kids excitedly brought all the presents down and put them under the tree. We let them open one gift each and the little ones went off to bed so that Santa could come and enjoy the cookies we left out for him. Christmas morning Jamie and I actually woke up before the little ones but as soon as he heard us Patrick was up and downstairs as fast as he could get there. We had to break it to him that we weren’t starting presents without Kellen and Ella so we actually had time to get ready before getting started on stockings and gifts. I think this was our last year not being woken up by an excited little kid. Kellen really understood what was happening this year and was ready to unwrap anything he could get his hands on. Ella was pretty much set once she got her stocking but we convinced her to keep going. Kellen did generously help her open a few of the last gifts. At 8:00am we did Skype with the entire Pelaez family to wish them a Merry Christmas, for me the most special moment of Christmas will always be midnight. We did get a kick out of the limited Skype conversation since it was mainly the kids all trying to cram their face in front of the camera with chaos behind them. That afternoon we went to the Purcell’s house for a relaxed Christmas dinner, it’s been so nice to have not only fellow Americans but people from Seattle to share this experience with. They have been here for 5 years so were invaluable especially the first year for questions and clarifications as we got settled. Normally we aren’t as industrious but this year we took everything down on the 26^th. Since we were headed to Scotland we didn’t want to have to get home on the 3^rd to a dead tree and Christmas clutter so we actually got the house fully back to normal, complete with a trip to the tip to dump all the cardboard.

On the 28^th we got the kids up early and jumped in the car to head up to Scotland. I was looking forward to the trip but didn’t have any real expectations for what Edinburgh was like or even really the Scottish countryside. We LOVED Scotland, the site of mountains and pine trees, Georgian row houses, castles, cathedrals, and endless sheep, was amazing. We rented a flat that ended up being the lower floor of a Georgian row house in the Stockbridgeneighbourhood in Edinburgh. I didn’t want to leave, it was a rental so needed some work, but it was in an area full of row houses build around circuses and crescents that formed this great neighbourhood. There were small parks for each set of homes and anything you could need was within just a few blocks walking distance. I was essentially living my dream city life for a few days. The city centre was about a 10 minute walk away and the flat was surrounded by small restaurants, bakeries, cheese shops, coffee shops and of course a Sainsbury local was very convenient. We ended up eating in every night other than New Year’s Eve because it was so easy and the kids loved all the room they had to run around up and down the long hallway in the flat. The first day we explored Edinburgh walking all the way to the Edinburgh Castle then down the Royal Mile. The city itself was beautiful, a lot more stone then the brick you see in England. We stopped at the National Gallery on our walk home so the kids could recharge with a hot chocolate and Jamie could attempt to start teaching Kellen about Degas and Monet.

One of the things we loved about Edinburgh was that while the city was great within a 20 minute drive you are out in the country. The countryside is a mix of the kind of fields you find in England and more hilly/mountainous terrain. It was refreshing to be around real trees. I guess growing up in the northwest the need to see large evergreens has somehow been programmed into me and finding myself surrounded by mountains (well mountain by UK standards, think the foothills), snow and evergreens was so nice. We saw lochs, castles and cute villages as we forced the poor kids to go on an all-day drive with us. They didn’t seem to mind too much when the breaks were running around old castles and candy was supplied generously.

We were there for 6 days and we explored around the city, visited the National Gallery of Modern Art, explored Holyrood Park, and spent a lot of time just relaxing and watching movies with the crazy kids. Edinburgh is known for the Hogmanay celebrations so the city was in full swing that night. From the sidewalk we got to watch the giant firework display and could hear the crowds cheering at midnight. If we had the opportunity to live in Edinburgh we would take it in a minute. We figure it may not happen with young kids but it was the kind of place we will add to our daydream list of retirement destinations.

Another Soap Box Moment: Gun Control Edition

I had been planning on writing a blog post about celebrating Christmas in the UK and the great Christmas markets but I just can’t stop thinking about the horrific events of last Friday. Friday morning I was at Kellen’s school going through their Christmas market so when I read the news I couldn’t help but think of all the kids who had been running around earlier in the day grabbing sweets and talking about Father Christmas. My immediate reaction was tears, which actually surprised me because you would think that by now I would be desensitized to news stories like this, it was impossible not to think of the parents and the unimaginable pain they must be in. Since then I’ve been listening to NPR, reading articles online and watching the US news we do get. I am not an expert on gun laws and I’m sure anyone indoctrinated by the NRA could debate me into a corner but here is my perspective.

I was not raised around guns and am actually extremely uncomfortable having them around. I do not know how to handle a gun and see it more as an awesome responsibly and danger that I have no interest in taking on. When I do talk to someone who has guns I always hear about the precautions they take with their guns, the locks, safes, out of reach of children, etc. If that is the case then stricter gun control should not have an impact on them. It would be naïve to think that all guns would be made illegal with no options for responsible gun owners. The problem is that there are so many irresponsible gun owners and there is a fear that I don’t understand to take the steps to prevent these people access to guns. With so many guns in circulation and with minimal oversight it seems inevitable that guns would end up in the hands of the people you least want to have them.

In the UK guns are essentially illegal; the gun laws are some of the strictest in the world. Police officers don’t even carry guns and there have been discussions to tighten their knife control laws… But there are still people who need guns or want to own guns responsibly; there is a long tradition of wild game hunting in the countryside. Those people are able to apply for a license to own a limited number of guns and the types of guns they are able to apply for is also limited.

To obtain a firearm certificate, the police must be convinced that a person has "good reason" to own each firearm, and that they can be trusted with it "without danger to the public safety or to the peace". Under Home Office guidelines, firearms licences are only issued if a person has legitimate sporting, collecting, or work-related reasons for ownership. Since 1968, self-defence has not been considered a valid reason to own a firearm. The current licensing procedure involves: positive verification of identity, two referees of verifiable good character who have known the applicant for at least two years (and who may themselves be interviewed and/or investigated as part of the certification), approval of the application by the applicant's own family doctor, an inspection of the premises and cabinet where firearms will be kept and a face-to-face interview by a Firearms Enquiry Officer (FEO) also known as a Firearms Liaison Officer (FLO). A thorough background check of the applicant is then made by Special Branch on behalf of the firearms licensing department. Only when all these stages have been satisfactorily completed will a license be issued, which must be renewed every 5 years.

Any person who has been sentenced to three years or more in prison is automatically banned for life from obtaining a firearms licence.^[34] Similarly, persons applying for licences with recent, serious mental health issues will also be refused a certificate.

Any person holding a Firearm or Shotgun Certificate must comply with strict conditions regarding such things as safe storage. These storage arrangements are checked by the police before a licence is first granted, and on every renewal of the licence. A local police force may impose additional conditions on ownership, over and above those set out by law. Failure to comply with any of these conditions can mean forfeiture of the licence and surrender of any firearms to the police, though due to the complicated laws, different forces in the UK interpret the regulations in different ways, and many conditions have been overthrown following legal proceedings against issuing Police forces.

It is hard to own a gun in the UK and I think that’s great. Laws like this have made it so that only people willing to take the needed steps to ensure responsible gun ownership are able to own a gun. How is that bad? From a US perspective I can see how the fact that self-defense is not considered a valid reason for gun ownership can be shocking, but if no one has a gun you don’t need one either. If someone breaks into your home you can be assured they will not be armed with a gun. You won’t be caught in a mall during the holidays while someone opens fire and you can be sure a gunman won’t walk into your child’s school. These laws work and the murder rates reflect that.

The United Kingdom has one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the world with 0.07 recorded intentional homicides committed with a firearm per 100,000 inhabitants in 2009 compared to the United States' 3.0 (over 40 times higher) and to Germany's 0.21 (3 times higher).

Why are we afraid to take these kinds of steps in the US? Why do we continue to believe that adding more guns is the answer? There was an interview with some security expert on NPR and the first thing he recommended what having armed police officers on school grounds at all times. Is that the world we want to live in? Is it better to have 1^st graders walk through metal detectors then to limit the number of guns in circulation? At this point I’m honestly asking the question because I cannot understand when we will reach the tipping point. Anyone who has turned on the news has seen the stats on the number of mass killings over the last 10 years, it’s horrible, and it’s shocking. But think about all of the one-off deaths caused by irresponsible gun ownership Darius Simmons, Treyvon Martin, Jesse Rainey; the list goes on and on. Do a search for accidental shooting and you will be shocked to see how many results come up. The line I seem to hear in response to this is that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Well maybe if we don’t allow those kinds of people to have guns then less will die.

Thinking again about Sandy Hook Elementary it is clear that there are a number of factors that lead to Friday’s events. When someone takes drastic actions like that there are obviously mental health issues involved and those shouldn’t be ignored. Even without guns there will be crime and people will be killed. I believe that there are more people in the US, both gun owners and non-gun owners, who believe that we need to tighten control on guns for the greater good of our country and our kids then those who believe in no regulation. The question is at what point do we stand up to the NRA and the extreme wing of the conservative party and say that enough is enough. If Friday was not bad enough to spur change then I do not want to know what it is going to take.

Happy Thanksgiving

It’s crazy to think that tomorrow is Thanksgiving for all of our family and for us it’s just Thursday. Not only is it a work and school day but Jamie is in a long day of training and we have Patrick’s parent teacher conference in the evening so it’s a busy one. Last year at this time we had only been here a few months and were headed to Disneyland Thanksgiving morning so missing the holiday didn’t seem like a big deal. This year as I hear endless stories about ways to prepare turkey on NPR’s podcasts I’m starting to feel homesick about not being there with everyone. I really try not to dwell on what we may be missing but one of the things that does make me sad about living so far away is that the kids aren’t spending these holidays with their cousins. I talk to my Mom and hear about AJ and Emma playing or about how busy Edgar is right now, I wish Kellen and Ella had more of a connection with those guys. To get in the spirit of Thanksgiving I made the full dinner last Sunday and then this Saturday we’re getting together with other expat friends and having the full Thanksgiving experience. But since this is the time of giving thanks it has made me more reflective of the things I am thankful for over the last year so here are a few that come to mind.

1.       I’m thankful for cheap long distance packages. If I couldn’t talk to my Mom regularly (almost daily) it would be miserable.

2.       I’m thankful I got my UK drivers licence. Not only was it hard to get but it’s nice to take my US license out of my wallet and store it in a drawer it makes me feel less like a visitor.

3.       I’m thankful the kids have settled in so well.

4.       I’m thankful I know where to run my errands. There were a lot of wasted trips over the last year…

5.       I’m thankful for Patrick’s braces being covered by the NHS.

6.       I’m thankful we’ve had the chance to travel. I think the pure joy of food stands will forever stick with the boys whether we are indulging in gelato, waffles, crepes or fries.

7.       I’m thankful that Jamie and I are happy here together. Talking to others who had relocated we were warned that a big change like this either brings you together or pulls you apart. There is no one I’d rather be having this adventure with.

I could go on and on as I have so many things to be thankful for.

To all of our friend and family Happy Thanksgiving! I will be thinking of you all tomorrow as you watch football and eat your way through the day.