Everyday Susa

Pregnancy log: 38 weeks, 2 days. 12 days until the due date. 19 days until her final, final eviction date. I just had the happiest week of my pregnancy. Truly. When we landed in England, I was a day shy of 6 weeks pregnant. None of our family even knew I was pregnant until we heard the heartbeat three weeks later. I've spent this entire pregnancy a continent and ocean (since our families are in the western US) away from the organic support system that is family.  And there's just something about siblings. Something about those people who know precisely  how to make you squirm in five seconds and laugh in two that are essential for my ultimate mental and emotional health. For this past week, I got to have my sister. But, she didn't come alone - she brought a sweet friend whose quieter demeanor complemented our obnoxious Manthei socializing style. We are so loud. The loudest. Somehow, M. tolerated us--and even claimed to love us--and our little family of three was hon...

What's with that title, Suz? That's how I feel when the UK springs a bank holiday, ie, my child can't go to his favorite place (preschool!)  on me and dubs it a long week. Who actually celebrates May Day? Not this kid and his mother. Nope.  England, that's who. Today a dad at Landon's school told me that Brits deal with the weather by wishing they lived some place else. I laughed because it's May and the endless winter seems to have mostly ended. On to to the important updates. I drove on--what we would call the freeway--road the wrong way. And by wrong way, I mean that I entered a one lane exit ramp because I miscounted my roundabout exits. This is the Do Not Enter Because You Might Die sign. And this is the Do Not Stop/Wait/Try Not to Break Down sign.  No, they don't really look similar. Yes, I still got them confused. No, we did not die. Yes, I swore and prayed and almost cried.  We survived.  Landon has a...