Arizona- Everyday bits and bobs!

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Hello!

I'm actualy back dating this Blog to tell you about when I went to America.. I've actually been back about a month.. but its all still fresh in my memory so!!

I went to America for a month in October and November to see my Uncle, Aunty and their four Children. The older two children, Maia and Lance, are homeschooled by Sam, my aunty. Fiona (Nicknamed Rainbow) is the only one of the children who goes to school, and Chari is only five, so doesn't go to school but does a little bit of homeschooled work.

As the kids are all at school, or rather being schoolled, and my Uncle Richard works in Colorado, Nevarda, Utah and Arizona so we spent the majority of my time there at home living life as they usually do.. which I must say is pretty hectic, and I have no idea how Sam copes when shes by herself.

Everday starts at about 7.00, waking up getting breakfast, then getting Lance and Rainbow up for school. Lance is good with this, he just gets up and gets on with it, which makes it easier, as Rainbow, is not the fastest person in the world at waking up. This is because she refuses, point-blank, to go to bed at night!

When Rainbow is finally up, dressed and breakfasted - cookies and milk for breakfast and after halloween it was candy- she needs her hair to be brushed. She has long hair, which means lots of knots! So we spray her hair with a mix of leave in conditioner and water and comb, as quickley as possible! By this point Lance is standing by the door with his backpack on and we are going to be late. Maia is STILL in bed and Chari wants me to braid her hair, or put it in a pony tail or bunches.. which means also spraying brushing AND finding a hair band!

Now Sam finally has both Lance and Rainbow into the mini bus they call a car, through the garage, they set off to school. I went to School with them several times, but the chaos of it all beat me a few times and I decided to stay at home and watch 'Saved by the Bell' with Chari.. following 'Saved by the Bell' was several different court shows including 'Judge Judy' and 'Judge Alex'..!

Now Sam has usually just got back, but with only 40 minutes to spare as she needs to collect Lance, after his hour at school! She gets Maia off Neopets and tries to get her to do some work, but with TV and breakfast Maia comes up with many an excuse.. but finally settles down! She's really quite clever, and I'm impressed how hard she works.. I would never have had her ability to learn, whilst kind of teaching myself, in the way that she does, considering she is only!

Chari and I usually spent the next few hours of the day drawing, watching TV, playing with her 'Littlest Petshop Pets' (Wierd toys with heads twice the size of their bodies that wiggle when you move the animal!) Or we go to the park!

We spend lunch either all together at Rainbow's school- On a Wednesday, or without Rainbow at their House, with a variety of sandwich meats and salads, sandwiches, or Noodles!!

After lunch not much happens, maybe a trip to the park with Chari if we didnt go in the morning... or we sit by their pool.. but its too hot to do that too often to be honest... always over 30 degrees centigrade during the day... and too dry heat to enjoy being outside!! So i didnt get much of a tan at all!

After school Rainbow does her reading and homework, we have tea then head to Ms Darcy's house to walk her dogs, Dolce and Botche. We walk to dogs to the park thats on the corner of a few blocks and meet the rest of the 'Playground' gang..

These people are all very nice, if a little 'American'. The men seemed pretty narrow minded with comments about Iraq and Iran that can only be described as naive and brainwashed. I came to the conclusion after my trip to America that Americans who believe that all Muslims, Hindus.... hell anyone that isnt white, American (or British) and Christian, is evil and out to get them, only believe this because they know no better. This is what they see on the news, hear on the radio and are told their whole lives by parents, grandparents, friends and teachers... So when i said to one man, who was well educated, and politically minded, that had he ever thought that the Iraqies may hate the west because their parents, friends, grandparents and teachers had told them that, and also with the fighting on their front door steps and backyards.. he looked at me like i was some crazy little english girl who really should have known better!!

Before the chaos of bath and bed time, we sit down watch reality television.. like survivor, or an around the world race thing, with a mug full of ice cream!

Then bed.. which is a nightmare as it always is with kids... Chari and Lance- who are in the same room, because i'm in Lances- go to sleep quickley.. Maia sits in her room, and does her own thing so they are not the nightmare.. But Rainbow.. you have to say good night to a million times to.. wrap her up in the duvet, tell her tomorrows plans..even though she'll be at school... then when you go down stairs she asks you to come up.. honestly shes up until after 10.. almost 11 everynight!!

Even though we did this almost every week day while I was in Arizona, i loved every minute of the chaos and mania! It was fantastic to get to know my cousins and live their everyday life! It gave me a persepective on my life... I loved my childhood and going to school. Its sad to see how much my cousins are missing out by not going to school, and having very few friends their own ages..! Each to their own and all that, but i now appreciate my life so much more!

And I do not want to have children of my own until I'm about 30! Too much stress and organising!!!

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