Depending on when I found the time, energy, and inclination to sit down and write this post, it would have had different flavours ranging from rapture to despair.
So profoundly relatable. I am very crunchy in most things but we have someone spray for cockroaches quarterly and I don't know exactly what he sprays, and it's either that or I cry and ask to go home ;) I have acclimated some, but blech. One came in on a damp towel the other day (hung to dry on the porch) and I had to manage my shrieking while I killed it in the drum of the washer.
I'm so glad that there are good things, but take all the time you need. These big moves come with so many feelings for everyone. I think the 6 month and 1 year marks were both big shifts into things feeling more settled. Except then I had a baby at the 6 month mark so that sort of undid it for a while lol
It’s so helpful to hear that I’m not ‘doing it wrong’. Thank you! I am going to add quarterly pest control visits to my diary right now. And I love babies very much but if I have a baby in the next year that will throw a very severe spanner in the works indeed! (Sorry, wrench. Got to learn to assimilate.)
Ah! I’ve enjoyed Henry’s American updates and was eagerly awaiting your perspective.
About cockroaches, I’m sorry: I would definitely get the landlord to pay for an exterminator; and don’t be shy about demanding it happen asap.
Comforting reads for me are always Austen, but if not her or a murder mystery, then *I Capture the Castle* or Naomi Mitchison’s *Travel Light.* Maybe Sigrid Unset’s Kristin Lavransdatter series, or Tove Janssen’s *The Summer Book.*
Amazingly the community we’re a part of here provides pest services free of charge, so poison has already been administered. But apparently it take 1-2 weeks to take effect. Eurgh. In the meantime all food items are in sealed containers and everything is obsessively, ridiculously clean. Great reading ideas. I read all of Austen and I Capture the Castle earlier this year but the other titles are new to me. Thank you!
Cockroaches could be used as a weapon in psychological warfare. I grew up with massive, flying ones around. They are awful.
Your son's claim of his tolerance cup being full after a day of playing legos in pajamas is so funny. I have a couple of kids who feel similarly.
I'm noting the Scarabya recommendation for an upcoming birthday. Thanks! On that note, I have to thank you for your recommendation of both Schonell's Spelling (which we're still going strong with a year later) and Minimus Latin. Minimus really got my son's attention, and he recently was inspired to devise an animal trading card game in Latin.
As for novel recommendations, I found Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton comforting and absorbing. The Lark by E. Nesbit and Business as Usual by Jane Oliver and Ann Stafford are both very fun and well-written. And I just finished up Gwen Raverat's Period Piece and while non-fiction, it was so charming, warmly-written, and fascinating that I think it'll be one of my favorites from the year.
We love the Edward Eager Tales of Magic books. I remember getting a couple of them out from the library as a kid. I love that they are essentially unabashed E. Nesbit fan fiction. We're reading Eve Titus's Basil of Baker Street series and that's been a big hit. They're about the same reading level as Edward Eager.
I'll be reading comments for meal planning suggestions because I'm in a meal planning rut myself...am currently reading Substack to avoid having to figure out dinner for tonight :)
It makes me so happy that some of my recommendations have fallen on fertile ground for you! Thank you for telling me :-)
I love Period Piece. Adding your other suggestions to my list immediately, I knew you’d have good ones. The never ending need for dinner is… well, never ending. If I lived alone I’d eat cereal or toast just to dispense with the need to think about it. If I came into an unexpected fortune I would definitely hire a professional chef and barely set foot in the kitchen again. Excuse me while I indulge this fantasy for a while before I go and turn the oven on…
I went the most basic route of pasta and Trader Joe's marinara. Have you experienced the glory of Trader Joe's yet? It won't make grocery shopping less overwhelming, but it is a uniquely American experience.
I realized I only suggested British authors, but to represent this side of the pond, Greenwillow by B.J. Chute is lovely if you can find it.
And yes, I always appreciate your homeschool recommendations and pass them along to others!
The last time I placed a sticky trap (while hubs was out of town), I caught three baby copperheads. God be with you!
I love your insights about UK and US. When I lived in London I experienced six months of hairdryers and “hoovers” that neither blew nor sucked. But then I returned home and missed cream tea. FYI: The Fresh Market is the only source I’ve found for clotted cream.
As for that broil setting - coat some salmon in melted butter, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of sugar, then broil on top rack for about 8-12 minutes depending on size.
Just looked up what a copperhead is! Here’s hoping I don’t wake up to any of those tomorrow morning! You may not have clotted cream here but you do have half and half, which has the benefit of being something I can and do enjoy every single morning. Thank you for the recipe ideas, they look delicious!
You’re ok! There aren’t really Copperheads in Arlington.
But yeah, we have roaches. They’re in the sewer systems; so frustrating. I’m glad your housing community has pest control. The most effective thing is to have them spray every 3 weeks, 3 or 4 times (to get them at every life cycle). Good luck!!!
"In the UK there is a prevailing ‘computer says no’ attitude, but here the attitude seems to be ‘the computer says no but we’re going to find a way to make this happen anyway’." - coming to the UK from the US, this was one of the most challenging aspects to navigate!! Nearly a decade later, I still really miss the 'can-do' attitude.
Re: bank accounts and online transactions. You might consider a Wise account, which can help with the both-sides-of-the-ocean difficulties.
Have you read E.M. Delafield's The Diary of a Provincial Lady? Hilarious! And she has a later one called "The Provincial Lady in America" that you might especially enjoy :)
I tried Wise, and maddeningly they said I already had an account, which I can’t possibly. It’s on my to-do list. Provincial Lady is one of my favourite books, I’ve read all of them and know them virtually by heart. I found a book by her daughter in our local Little Free Library and was so excited, but alas it was a poor imitation. I might have to track down the original over here as I’ve left all my books in the UK. (*All* of them! Imagine!)
Oh no! How frustrating! I had something similar happen and it was because I had, many years ago, opened an account with them (when they were Transferwise) to send someone money. The administrative paperwork of moving countries is seriously no joke.
That's good to know about Delafield's daughter's work. Other (similarly delightful) books I've enjoyed this year include Doris Langley Moore's All Done by Kindness and Not At Home; Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm; Patricia Wentworth's Grey Mask; and Barbara Pym's Excellent Women. And all of E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia!
I left all my books in the US when I moved, and have slowly brought some back... but many remain in boxes and I long for a proper reunion someday. I hope you can find some good library sales while you are there - there are a good number of picture books, especially, which I find virtually impossible to find in the UK and always try to get when I'm back. (Think: Robert McKloskey, Virginia Lee Burton, Barbara Cooney, Peter Spier, Anno, etc. Your kids are at an age where they might enjoy The Boxcar Children, another series v. popular in the US but not so much here in the UK.)
Goodness, I'm so sorry about the cockroaches! THEY are rubbish. <3 My favorite easy meal is chicken thighs + a jar of pesto + a carton of baby tomatoes in a baking dish in the oven for 45 minutes at 450 degrees F. Eat with noodles, roast potatoes, bread and butter, or served over sauteed zucchini.
Best of luck adjusting...and thank you for your kind words about us Americans! The news isn't as kind but I promise, we're trying our best.
On the choice overwhelm, so real- I use library holds and grocery pickup as much as possible to save my sanity. Hello, Beautiful was a sweet read with lots of fun book references.
I’m so sorry about the cockroaches, they are awful and I would not be sorry if they all just disappeared. Thank goodness for exterminators!
I love reading LM Montgomery when I need something cozy. The Anne and Emily books are best known, but her others are great too: Pat of Silver Bush, and the Blue Castle are personal favorites.
As for cookbooks, I love Fallon Danae! Batch is a personal favorite, and they’re digital so no big book to lug around.
I forgot: favorite basic family meal = homemade mac & cheese. I make it the lazy, one-pot way by boiling the noodles, draining the cooking water, then adding a lot of butter (even a whole stick!) and sprinkling maybe a couple tablespoons of flour over the buttery noodles. Put the pot back on very low heat and add milk, grated cheeses, and salt and pepper until incorporated and creamy. It’s good like that, or if you have extra energy you can pour into a baking dish, top with more cheese and bake for 20-30 min on 350 degrees until the top is melted and bubbly. If feeling the need for vegetables, add grated carrots or zucchini or chopped broccoli.
This is probably the first dish I taught my boys to make, and they still request it when home from college.
This is a brilliant suggestion and I want to make it right now. Adding to the list! What cheeses do you use? Cheddar and mozzarella? US cheeses are a whole different world!
Excellent! I use whatever is on hand, but generally cheddar, Gouda, havarti, and even (gasp) American cheese work well. I tend to avoid mozzarella because it doesn’t melt enough, and my kids don’t like the strong flavor of Parmesan or Asiago.
Maybe this is obvious and you’ve already done it but your landlord is responsible for pest infestation and is required to pay extermination fees as far as I know. Sorry to hear about that but glad you’re enjoying the US so far. What a fun opportunity! :)
Pest control have already been. Incredibly, I found the roaches at 10pm and the pest people turned up at 8.30 the next morning. God bless this country. Apparently the poison takes a week or two to take effect so in the meantime I am practising deep breathing and resisting the urge to check us into a hotel…!
Thank you Shannon! I read Northanger Abbey earlier this year (and all the others too, I couldn’t stop), and enjoyed it SO much. Such fun. I will stock up on my next library visit.
Ah thank you, I was thinking about boric acid and hadn’t heard of the spray. The pest people used Suspend and something else in a syringe that they ran along the cupboards, but it can take a couple of weeks to work. I feel a multi-pronged approach is warranted!
So profoundly relatable. I am very crunchy in most things but we have someone spray for cockroaches quarterly and I don't know exactly what he sprays, and it's either that or I cry and ask to go home ;) I have acclimated some, but blech. One came in on a damp towel the other day (hung to dry on the porch) and I had to manage my shrieking while I killed it in the drum of the washer.
I'm so glad that there are good things, but take all the time you need. These big moves come with so many feelings for everyone. I think the 6 month and 1 year marks were both big shifts into things feeling more settled. Except then I had a baby at the 6 month mark so that sort of undid it for a while lol
It’s so helpful to hear that I’m not ‘doing it wrong’. Thank you! I am going to add quarterly pest control visits to my diary right now. And I love babies very much but if I have a baby in the next year that will throw a very severe spanner in the works indeed! (Sorry, wrench. Got to learn to assimilate.)
Ah! I’ve enjoyed Henry’s American updates and was eagerly awaiting your perspective.
About cockroaches, I’m sorry: I would definitely get the landlord to pay for an exterminator; and don’t be shy about demanding it happen asap.
Comforting reads for me are always Austen, but if not her or a murder mystery, then *I Capture the Castle* or Naomi Mitchison’s *Travel Light.* Maybe Sigrid Unset’s Kristin Lavransdatter series, or Tove Janssen’s *The Summer Book.*
Amazingly the community we’re a part of here provides pest services free of charge, so poison has already been administered. But apparently it take 1-2 weeks to take effect. Eurgh. In the meantime all food items are in sealed containers and everything is obsessively, ridiculously clean. Great reading ideas. I read all of Austen and I Capture the Castle earlier this year but the other titles are new to me. Thank you!
Cockroaches could be used as a weapon in psychological warfare. I grew up with massive, flying ones around. They are awful.
Your son's claim of his tolerance cup being full after a day of playing legos in pajamas is so funny. I have a couple of kids who feel similarly.
I'm noting the Scarabya recommendation for an upcoming birthday. Thanks! On that note, I have to thank you for your recommendation of both Schonell's Spelling (which we're still going strong with a year later) and Minimus Latin. Minimus really got my son's attention, and he recently was inspired to devise an animal trading card game in Latin.
As for novel recommendations, I found Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton comforting and absorbing. The Lark by E. Nesbit and Business as Usual by Jane Oliver and Ann Stafford are both very fun and well-written. And I just finished up Gwen Raverat's Period Piece and while non-fiction, it was so charming, warmly-written, and fascinating that I think it'll be one of my favorites from the year.
We love the Edward Eager Tales of Magic books. I remember getting a couple of them out from the library as a kid. I love that they are essentially unabashed E. Nesbit fan fiction. We're reading Eve Titus's Basil of Baker Street series and that's been a big hit. They're about the same reading level as Edward Eager.
I'll be reading comments for meal planning suggestions because I'm in a meal planning rut myself...am currently reading Substack to avoid having to figure out dinner for tonight :)
It makes me so happy that some of my recommendations have fallen on fertile ground for you! Thank you for telling me :-)
I love Period Piece. Adding your other suggestions to my list immediately, I knew you’d have good ones. The never ending need for dinner is… well, never ending. If I lived alone I’d eat cereal or toast just to dispense with the need to think about it. If I came into an unexpected fortune I would definitely hire a professional chef and barely set foot in the kitchen again. Excuse me while I indulge this fantasy for a while before I go and turn the oven on…
I went the most basic route of pasta and Trader Joe's marinara. Have you experienced the glory of Trader Joe's yet? It won't make grocery shopping less overwhelming, but it is a uniquely American experience.
I realized I only suggested British authors, but to represent this side of the pond, Greenwillow by B.J. Chute is lovely if you can find it.
And yes, I always appreciate your homeschool recommendations and pass them along to others!
I second the recommendation of Trader Joe's. I was just there a couple hours ago, and so many of their things are staples at our house.
The last time I placed a sticky trap (while hubs was out of town), I caught three baby copperheads. God be with you!
I love your insights about UK and US. When I lived in London I experienced six months of hairdryers and “hoovers” that neither blew nor sucked. But then I returned home and missed cream tea. FYI: The Fresh Market is the only source I’ve found for clotted cream.
Easy dinner ideas my family loves:
https://thesuburbansoapbox.com/flaky-parmesan-tilapia-recipe/
https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/bbq-baked-chicken-thighs/
As for that broil setting - coat some salmon in melted butter, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of sugar, then broil on top rack for about 8-12 minutes depending on size.
Just looked up what a copperhead is! Here’s hoping I don’t wake up to any of those tomorrow morning! You may not have clotted cream here but you do have half and half, which has the benefit of being something I can and do enjoy every single morning. Thank you for the recipe ideas, they look delicious!
You’re ok! There aren’t really Copperheads in Arlington.
But yeah, we have roaches. They’re in the sewer systems; so frustrating. I’m glad your housing community has pest control. The most effective thing is to have them spray every 3 weeks, 3 or 4 times (to get them at every life cycle). Good luck!!!
Oh that’s a great tip, thank you!
Such fun to hear an update!
"In the UK there is a prevailing ‘computer says no’ attitude, but here the attitude seems to be ‘the computer says no but we’re going to find a way to make this happen anyway’." - coming to the UK from the US, this was one of the most challenging aspects to navigate!! Nearly a decade later, I still really miss the 'can-do' attitude.
Re: bank accounts and online transactions. You might consider a Wise account, which can help with the both-sides-of-the-ocean difficulties.
Have you read E.M. Delafield's The Diary of a Provincial Lady? Hilarious! And she has a later one called "The Provincial Lady in America" that you might especially enjoy :)
I tried Wise, and maddeningly they said I already had an account, which I can’t possibly. It’s on my to-do list. Provincial Lady is one of my favourite books, I’ve read all of them and know them virtually by heart. I found a book by her daughter in our local Little Free Library and was so excited, but alas it was a poor imitation. I might have to track down the original over here as I’ve left all my books in the UK. (*All* of them! Imagine!)
Oh no! How frustrating! I had something similar happen and it was because I had, many years ago, opened an account with them (when they were Transferwise) to send someone money. The administrative paperwork of moving countries is seriously no joke.
That's good to know about Delafield's daughter's work. Other (similarly delightful) books I've enjoyed this year include Doris Langley Moore's All Done by Kindness and Not At Home; Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm; Patricia Wentworth's Grey Mask; and Barbara Pym's Excellent Women. And all of E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia!
I left all my books in the US when I moved, and have slowly brought some back... but many remain in boxes and I long for a proper reunion someday. I hope you can find some good library sales while you are there - there are a good number of picture books, especially, which I find virtually impossible to find in the UK and always try to get when I'm back. (Think: Robert McKloskey, Virginia Lee Burton, Barbara Cooney, Peter Spier, Anno, etc. Your kids are at an age where they might enjoy The Boxcar Children, another series v. popular in the US but not so much here in the UK.)
And my go-to, incredibly easy one pan dinner is always: https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/cylc
Goodness, I'm so sorry about the cockroaches! THEY are rubbish. <3 My favorite easy meal is chicken thighs + a jar of pesto + a carton of baby tomatoes in a baking dish in the oven for 45 minutes at 450 degrees F. Eat with noodles, roast potatoes, bread and butter, or served over sauteed zucchini.
Best of luck adjusting...and thank you for your kind words about us Americans! The news isn't as kind but I promise, we're trying our best.
Have you read any Isabel Allende? She is magical realism at its best. ‘The House of the Spirits’ is one of my comfort reads.
On the choice overwhelm, so real- I use library holds and grocery pickup as much as possible to save my sanity. Hello, Beautiful was a sweet read with lots of fun book references.
Oh, my! Hard as it is right now (and it is) you will have a good story to tell when the kids are older.
I’m so sorry about the cockroaches, they are awful and I would not be sorry if they all just disappeared. Thank goodness for exterminators!
I love reading LM Montgomery when I need something cozy. The Anne and Emily books are best known, but her others are great too: Pat of Silver Bush, and the Blue Castle are personal favorites.
As for cookbooks, I love Fallon Danae! Batch is a personal favorite, and they’re digital so no big book to lug around.
Here is a great source for easy, healthy recipes:
https://therealfooddietitians.com
Good luck with all of it! Try Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Book for your culinary requirements.
I forgot: favorite basic family meal = homemade mac & cheese. I make it the lazy, one-pot way by boiling the noodles, draining the cooking water, then adding a lot of butter (even a whole stick!) and sprinkling maybe a couple tablespoons of flour over the buttery noodles. Put the pot back on very low heat and add milk, grated cheeses, and salt and pepper until incorporated and creamy. It’s good like that, or if you have extra energy you can pour into a baking dish, top with more cheese and bake for 20-30 min on 350 degrees until the top is melted and bubbly. If feeling the need for vegetables, add grated carrots or zucchini or chopped broccoli.
This is probably the first dish I taught my boys to make, and they still request it when home from college.
This is a brilliant suggestion and I want to make it right now. Adding to the list! What cheeses do you use? Cheddar and mozzarella? US cheeses are a whole different world!
Excellent! I use whatever is on hand, but generally cheddar, Gouda, havarti, and even (gasp) American cheese work well. I tend to avoid mozzarella because it doesn’t melt enough, and my kids don’t like the strong flavor of Parmesan or Asiago.
So helpful, thank you!
Maybe this is obvious and you’ve already done it but your landlord is responsible for pest infestation and is required to pay extermination fees as far as I know. Sorry to hear about that but glad you’re enjoying the US so far. What a fun opportunity! :)
Pest control have already been. Incredibly, I found the roaches at 10pm and the pest people turned up at 8.30 the next morning. God bless this country. Apparently the poison takes a week or two to take effect so in the meantime I am practising deep breathing and resisting the urge to check us into a hotel…!
Northanger Abbey is a truly delightful read that isn’t difficult; it might be just the thing for you right now.
Also: I’m so sorry about the roaches; may they all be exterminated quickly and completely!
Thank you Shannon! I read Northanger Abbey earlier this year (and all the others too, I couldn’t stop), and enjoyed it SO much. Such fun. I will stock up on my next library visit.
Perhaps a good detective novel is in order!
Boric acid powder and a pyrethrin-based spray in every crack and crevice will give you a high kill rate for the bugs with low toxicity for the humans.
Ah thank you, I was thinking about boric acid and hadn’t heard of the spray. The pest people used Suspend and something else in a syringe that they ran along the cupboards, but it can take a couple of weeks to work. I feel a multi-pronged approach is warranted!