Hitting the ground..

We're still all really tired and Esme was awake four times in the night asking me about how to find faries at the bottom of the garden. I woke up to find Guy had already gone to get the car MOT'ed - which I am delighted to say almost passed.. Only £7 if expenditure.. So luckily we didn't have to buy a new car after it had been standing for a year on a neighbours drive. 

I must admit it feels really wierd to be doing 'normal' things again, and not worrying about repackaging my bag all the time. The list of things to do is endless and everything is still in the garage - and remains remarkably unscathed by mice or rats. 

It's so lovely to see people, to talk to our neighbours, to feel we 'fit' in a funny way.. And so great to be home. I keep looking out if the window in awe. The garden is completely wild but the trees are laden to almost falling down fullness of apples, plums and more apples and the blackberries are bursting from the bushes. 

After raising us from our deep slumber at 9am, a great friend of ours bought is coffee snd croissants.. so nice! And then had a lovely breakfast with us. 

Rowan and Esme were initially shy with their little friend Marcos but within half an hour I was told that I wasn't allowed in the room as the children 'were all discussing something they didn't want me to know about'. Fine! I think. A few minutes later there were little knocks on the door.. 'Can you let is out mum? We've locked ourselves in;)'

We went to the park and then to meet more lovely friends for a cup of tea but Rowan was so tired he tried to go to sleep in the cafe. He quickly recovered when he started eating the sugar lumps;) 

Then home again to play with their toys. Esme told me on more than one occasion how delighted she is to be home.. 

And them to the boring rigmoral of letter opening and form filling in and trying to get the children's school uniform organised (can't believe they're starting school in 2 weeks!!).. And to the applying of a job for me.. It's really hard as a woman to have to keep re-inventing myself but to be honest I think I may go a bit mad if I stay at home - and I find it pretty lonely on my own. So I'm pleased to be applying for a job. 

And tomorrow and the next day.. More visitors both days.. Should be fantastic but I'd better get baking lots of my lovely lemon cake! 

I'm not sure how interesting this on-going blog will be for you few readers.. Do let me know (if there are any if you left - apart from the lovely lady in Australia!) 

Must go to bed now but will take pics tomorrow! Promise! 

Sarah x

Arrival

We all finally got home yesterday morning after a great flight home. The children were very excited to be playing as many games and watching as many films as humanly possible on the plane and they finally conked out two hours before we landed. 

Then they were so exhausted that I couldn't wake them up and Rowan had to be carried all the way to the bus as he couldn't wake up enough to walk! 

A quick trip on the bus bought us back to Oxford and back to our lovely home and found the children happily playing with their toys and delightedly riding up and down the driveway on their much missed bikes.

We met a couple of our neighbours whilst walking home  pleased to see us. 

Unfortunately we couldn't really stop to talk to them as we were carrying heavy heavy rucksacks and super tired children! A quick explore and reconnection with the house left us all feeling it had been well looked after in our absence and lost toys were found.. 

Saddles were duly raised and every time someone came over the visit Rowan whispered to me 'Can you tell them I want to show then that I can ride my bike?' So sweet.. 

My sister Charlotte came over for a quick cup of tea and had dinner with us and Toby joined us. There were squeals of delight when the children answered the door and lots of hugs for both Charlotte and Toby.. And within minutes Toby was on all fours being attacked by two very happy kids! 

Toby noticed the children have picked up mild American accents which he found very amusing! 

After finally getting the children to bed (well, Esme!), I discovered what the problem was with Rowan. 

I had put him into bed and read him a story and continued to unpack for a few minutes while they settled down. When going back into check on them about ten minutes later so noticed Rowan wasn't in his bed. He came into me pretty crossly a few minutes later. 

'Mum. I'm sleeping in the floor next to Esme and I've found a towel up cover myself in. I am NOT sleeping in a pink bed with Peppa Pig on my duvet!!' (I haven't been able to find his Buzz Lightyear cover.) I had to search around for a different duvet cover to even get him back into bed!! 

It's great to be home and see a few of our things around us. (Lots to unpack!) but what is better is the feeling that I don't have to unpack and repack my bag again every three days or worry about mozzies or where we are going to stay tonight.

In not sure I ever want to leave again!! 

Sarah xx 

Landed. Home by 1pm thursday

Not left Usa yet. 1 or 2 day delay

At the airport

Here we are again. We were at the airport in Detroit yesterday after the car was stolen.. 

Hold on.. Rewind.. You might not know the car was stolen! 

Ok yesterday morning we got up to find the car was gone from outside the house and all that remained was a shattered window pane on the road. 

Luckily we had emptied the car of all our stuff the night before and we had fully comprehensive insurance so it didn't matter too much. A replacement car was found and we got to the airport in good time for our flight. 

Then we boarded our plane to hear an announcement from our pilot to tell us that we were in hold for half an hour due to stormy skies over Chicago. We waited.. And waited.. And then the pilot told us - scrap that.. We're going back to the gate. 

We waited some more. Then our flight was cancelled. This meant we missed our flight to London. Now Singapore airlines are saying we didn't turn up for the flight because as the passenger if us your responsibility to get to the airport. Huh???

Bummer. We stayed in Detroit last night in a hotel and we're hoping to get home sometime soon!! 

Living with hope in our hearts;) 

Sarah xx

Detroit - Hire Car got stolen

Overnight. Just broken glass left in road.
Filing a policereport

At least we only lost a pair of glasses and 2 child seats.  We had full insurance. We took out camera and scooters.

So low impact overall

What happens is window is smashed. an old car is used to push the car a few blocks away. They then nick the wheels. As MOT is not required in Detroit there are a lot of cars that can push and not worry about the impact. So for 2 nights the car was with another one just behind it so it was safe from pushing. But not last night. Also if we had kerbed the wheels ie point them towards kerb then the pushing method wont work.

Oh well

60$ damage waiver was a sound investment

And we looked out the window early enough this morning to firstly file a report and secondly get another car and then get to the airport in time

Xxx

Detroit - a church

Latest fight over it craze between them is washing up

Other airbnb guests staying are a couple from NY in their mid twenties. He is a keen camera dude

So this starship enterprise offspring is a 4 rotor mobile camera he uses for going to top floors on the outside.  He was a block away with this and a passing policeman stopp3d to check he was ok and advised him to be careful. He said a car could come past and a gun would be pointed asking for the camera. 

This was somewhat surprising to me as even though this is a poor area with no other whites it has felt safe and people friendly, even if circumstances are challenging and roughly 30% empty grass lots where burnt down buildings have long since been cleared, 30% unoccupied declining buildings and 40% occupied. It was a reminder that there isn't a lot of middle ground between being a victim of serious crime and sitting in our safe house thinking all is ok

Today we packed and had some large heavy kids books we could not take. So we went a block away to find some kids we met last night to hand them over. Kids were on the steps.The mum Cinamon came out and the last word she mumbled to someone inside as she came out was 'caucasian' we chatted for a bit and she said that people iho dont really mix but she was glad we came if a little surprised . She has no car. The libraries have shut down. She cant get books. Her kids know the books she has so well that they know the words. Cinamon was 23 and renting a 2 bed for her and her 2 kids.800$ per month that she can barely afford. Its not very nice she said. She wants to leave town but cannot afford it. The kids were all playing together seamlessly. They see playmates not colours.

After 20.mins we walked back and the kids went ahead. A bloke fixing his brake pads at roadside looked sideways and offered rhe standard "How you doin' ?".  He had a serious but kind looking face. His name was Darren 44. Lived on the block all his life. He spoke about having more hurdles to overcome ...

"You mean discrimination?"

'Well yes I do'

He spoke about diet and social cohesion. He said about a shop that used to be there. An aptmt building on that corner A house in that space. All burnt down or demolished but so long ago that its just green grass and no footprint left. 

 Its really thought provoking and challenging and sad what has happened here. Its hard to explain but this place has got under my skin like no other place on our trip. How would any of our well to do streets at home look with the 30 30 40 percentages from above.  This decline has been going on since 1950 when popn was 2million. Its now 700000. Imagine how much space, empty road, abandoned schools pubs and shops this leaves?

So churches also get abandoned.

"Minister i'd like to confess. I have fantasies about renovating a house in Detroit working for myself but I wouldn't  be able to get a visa and my wife doesn't want to leave her family....Am I just getting carried away?"

'Calm down son. Think of the long winters. The crime and the fact that you would be an Englishman out of his home country. And what about the kids schooling, your job, and your counselling? You need some perspective. Go home'

"Oh ok ....actually I'm doing that tommorrow" 

I felt a bit nervous being in there as occasionally there are stories of urban explorers being cornered for their valuables once inside or it being a squatters home but it waa fine. However my first instinct inside was to learn more escape routes so I could not be cornered.

Our hosts can now train runner beans up to the second floor

We then went to Boston Edison district which used to be the homes of chief execs, presidents and bosses of car and other industries so the houses and streets are bigger than ever we have seen. Fewer  vacants and free lots but still some run down. We saw one white woman with a buggy and 2 kids in a 20 minute drive

Xxx