A Day in the Life of Bonnie Rose

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Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day – this could be “a photo an hour” if you’d like)
Do not let this photo fool you, I do not spend my day sitting on bed in front of my laptop. However my life in recent months is not really that more exciting. 😉  So here is the next installment of the #BlogEveryDayInMay challenge.

My Typical Morning
S N O O Z E
Lets be honest. I set a few alarms in the morning with the plan that I will hit snooze.  Then when that plan goes to fail my husband wakes me up.  I eventually stopped setting my snooze alarms and now jut wait for Ryan.  However he has snooze alarms on his mobile phone too. But who does not love the few extra minutes under the covers.

B R E A K F A S T
The morning begins with my husband waking up the household that consists of us and our two boys.  I make my way downstairs and start on making breakfast for Ronan and Maddox.  On school days I cook them porridge on the stove.  Not being quite awake enough for conversation, I cook while checking the tweets and Instagram feed that have happened while I was sleeping.  Being that I live in England and follow quite a number of people in the USA (not to mention that my friends in Hawaii are just now going to sleep) there is usually a good amount to look back through.

W A I T I N G  F O R  T H E  T A X I 
Though close in age my sons go to different schools in opposite parts of town due to the class sizes when we applied for schools.  There are not buses here like in the US and since we do not own a car, the school system has supplied taxis to take my boys to school.  Depending on when one boy leave and when the next taxi arrives it can be a good 30 to 45 minutes of waiting on the next taxi.  Add 15 if we are outside early before the first taxi arrives.  
L A S T   M I N U T E   K I S S E S 
If I am lucky that gives me a few minutes with my husband before he has to leave for work.  My husband orders coffee online from Has Bean Coffee (www.hasbean.co.uk) and if we have time he will make me a cup to enjoy with him.  I really like the Brazil Fazenda Passeio Natural Rubi.  The description on the package says, “In the cup you get sweet milk chocolate and biscuit.  Think a Kit Kat chocolate bar with a hint of dried apricots and sultanas.”  You had me at ‘chocolate’.  
B L O  G  G I N G
If I have been a good blogger than all this means is I look over my prewritten post that is already scheduled to ‘go live’ and then maybe start looking at what I will be writing tomorrow.  But lets be honest.  My finished blog posts are really notes in a notebook or on my phone that I still need to type up into a structured post online.  I like to do this first thing in the morning.
E M A I L S & C O R R E S P O N D A N C E
Though I may have checked the emails earlier, now I sit down and reply back to everyone. That trickles down to replying back to people on my numerous social networks.  

My Typical Afternoon
I am currently not working outside of the home right now and so I do not have a typical schedule.  I could be out photographing or working inside on edits for Bonnie Rose Photography.  I am currently the one taking care of the majority of the work to make sure the household runs smoothly.  While my husband does 85% – 90% of the cooking I do 95% – 100% of the dishes. There is also the laundry that is more time consuming if its cold, wet, rainy, or any of the combination of those words outside. You can read more about this here in Laundry in the UK VS US. 
This week I am working to get ready for my son’s birthday party.  I have a thing about inviting every one in a class for birthday parties, because of someone feeling left out if you do not.  My son experienced this when we first moved here to Bath at his current school. So the party size is one of the biggest we have ever held and theres quite a bit more prep and stress to have the house ready to accomodate that many children at once. I do love to try to get outside be it to visit a friend for tea, go into the town of Bath, or a hike on my own up to Solsbury Hill. 
T W O  H O U R  W I N D O W 
Without fail from 2 – 4 every day I am the most exhausted. This is about the time I would like to sit and read but that only makes me more tired. I have started making sure I have a pot of tea ready for this time. Which is why I really enjoyed the warm sun we had a week ago.  I got to sit outside and just soak up the Vitamin D since in England we can have a deficiency of it with all the clouds and rainy skies. 
A F T E R S C H O O L 
My favourite time is when my boys get home from school.  Sometimes it is about the same time and other times I have a little one on one with one son before first.  I love hearing about their day especially from my youngest since he is just now volunteering information about what he does at school.  I have them change out of their school uniforms before after school snack and then we read together on the couch.  
A F T E R N O O N  T E A
When you live with boys you learn that the whole ‘eat you out of house and home’ does not start as teenagers but at birth and intensifies with each growth spurt.  I have recently started making these flat bread snacks with honey that the boys love because (well honey!) and they are cut with star wars cookie cutter shapes. 
D I N N E R T I M E 
My husband usually cooks dinner because he loves to cook.  I will help him and we have started getting the boys involved in the process as well. The photo below is actually the dinner that I made.  We now have one night a week where I get to cook since he plays football with the guys. 
B E D T I M E   S T O R I E S 
 If time allows we read through which ever book series we are currently reading at that time after the boys have gotten on their pyjamas and are ready for bed.  We love reading the Harry Potter series and books by J. R. R. Tolkien with my boys. 
B E D T I M E
After the boys go to bed we typically make an evening pot of tea or if its been a long day, we like to break out a glass of wine.   We like to work through a season of television that is already out watching an episode or two a night together.  The second thing I dislike more than adverts (commercials) is being ‘all caught up’ on a programme and having to wait until the next week to find out what happens.  So we are always looking for a good show to start next if you have suggestions. We are all caught up on Game of Thrones, so my solution has been to begin reading the books.  So far I am in book one. 
In Summary
So there you have it…not very exciting. But it is my typical day here in my expat life in England.  I was a lot more busy with a lot less free time last year when I was working in the salon.  So despite me feeling like I do not have a very fun to read post today, I am more than grateful to be able to be at home with my three guys on the weekend to enjoy our country walks and family time.  Last year I worked on Saturdays and my husband worked on Sundays and we basically had small increments of time together as a family.  After everything we have been through in the last several years, there is nothing more importnat to me than the time we have together as a family and as a couple. So I take the mundane daily grind with a stride and look forward to our next weekend plans.  

#BlogEveryDayInMay

*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk 

Gems of Happiness in Motherhood

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Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy for the Blog Every Day in May challenge. 

Today is my youngest son’s 6th Birthday and after abruptly waking him up with ‘Wake up birthday boy its your birthday!’ I guided him downstairs for his surprise.  We had decorated the couch with bunting and balloons with his first present waiting for him with a ‘6’ badge to wear to school.  After singing Happy Birthday we shot of confetti guns and Maddox opened his present of new Horrid Henry books. It was great morning and I look forward to the rest of our celebrations after school.  We are taking Maddox to get his first Build-A-Bear at the workshop in town and eating out for a special dinner.  My mum got him a proper sized tent thats waiting in my closet so I look forward to future camping trips with my family.  I know he is going to be really surprised. Thank you Nonna! 

My sister is five and half years younger (to the day, so we share half birthdays with actual birthdays) and I always thought that was a huge age gap. Now that Maddox, my youngest, is six years old my baby fever is worse as ever. Having two sons I still have high hopes for adding a baby girl to our family one day. It is new ground to plan a baby because we did not plan the other pregnancies. Due to the military my husband missed out on a lot of the early months of Ronan’s life and almost the entire pregnancy with Maddox. Having a more stable life as expats in England I look forward to experiencing having a child abroad. I do not know at this time when we will start trying but I am constantly reflecting on what I love about motherhood.
Enjoying country walks in England, a pastime I enjoyed with my own father, is a gem of motherhood. 

Gems of Happiness in Motherhood

  1. When they giggle in their sleep.  The sound melts my heart. I have yet to it capture on camera, but they still do it.
  2. The Lessons of Life. It can be some of the most insightful, challenging and sometimes hardest part of life growing up. Sometimes the most rewarding.  I make sure my sons realize that life is not easy. So when they accomplish something like mastering the diving board at the deep end of the pool they realize their accomplishments. I love sharing those moments with them. 
  3. When they notice things about life. Things that you would not have seen because you are a grown up.  I love viewing the world through my children’s eyes.
  4. Holidays and Birthdays.  Each one is special and count down the days till the next one.  Children  get so excited about them and they are more fun as a parent than I remember from being little.
  5. Reliving my childhood through my children.  Raising Third Culture Kids (TCKs) in a similar nomadic life as my own. Taking them to places I went to like Disneyland, having them go to school in England like I did, watching shows and films I loved as a child, etc.  Its an interesting take on the past while living in the present. 
  6. The Spontaneity. Things I dont look forward to or plan can be some of my favourite memories.  I took my boys out on an impromptu hike after school one day and we had such a great time.  Life is too short not to be lived in the moment. 
  7. The things they say. Sometimes its heartfelt and sometimes its hilarious. I honestly never know what to expect from the mouths of my sons.  I enjoy especially my one on one conversations with my sons when they come home from school.
  8. Their Growth. Watching them get older. Looking back through photos and videos. Comparing them through out the years as they grow.  Its an amazing thing about life.
  9. When the hug, kiss, or say ‘I love you’. Especially when you are least expecting it.  Especially when you really need it.  

#BlogEveryDayInMay

*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk 

TCK & Expat: Sorry I’m Not Sorry

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Day 13, Monday of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.

I have had a bad habit growing up of saying ‘I’m sorry’ too often. Yes you should be able to say you are sorry. However someone would trip in front of me and my first inclination is to hold out my hand to grab them as I am saying ‘I’m sorry’, not that it was in anyway my fault they tripped over their own two feet. Having been born and grown up in England twice in my developmental years I have realized from moving back here as an expat that I am just very ‘English’. We apologize as a default reaction to any of life’s irritants. If someone else pushes into you on the pavement (sidewalk) or is at fault for spilling your drink at the pub you respond back with ‘sorry’. It is the currency of common curtesy.

Self Portrait by Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All rights reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk

There are still many things that people apologise for in life for which I believe you should not have to apologize. This is my list of those things as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and as an Expat. They are fifteen things that I have been misunderstood for or accused of by others including family. It is personal.

Sorry I’m Not Sorry…

…for the choices of my parents or my spouse.
The majority of my father’s long career in the USAF was spent on military bases overseas. My parents chose that lifestyle. My husband became the son my father never had and he chose to enlist in USAF for several years after we were married. I stand behind the choices of those close in my life. I do not have to apologise to others for being their reason for it was their choice.

…for pursuing happiness.
Leaving jobs, transferring my kids from other schools, and moving across the globe to live an Expat life. For doing what I really want to do and living where I really feel most happy.

…for crying.
Being able to release the stress and express my self in mascara ruining tears is part of life. It is not a sign of weakness.  I would also like to add ‘grieving’ to this following the loss of my father.  I had to do it alone away from the support of family.  It is human emotion.

…for being loud.
I have in laws who do not understand the way I parent, the way I teach, or the way I react if you begin a fight with me about my family. Having spent a significant part of my childhood in Italy it is ingrained in me to get loud and passionate in the many facets of my life. It does not mean I or the culture I grew up in have anger problems. ‘I’m not yelling, I’m Italian’.

…for finding happiness.
Before we moved to back to Europe I was not fully happy nor content. I was told by many that my need to return to Europe was to connect back to my childhood. They said if I was unhappy in the United States (the country of my parents origin, not mine) that I would still be unhappy in Europe. However my husband and I both found a sense of happiness that we have not experienced in so many years anywhere else. We are complete. I am in the right to say ‘I told you so’ but I should not have to do so.

…for being frugal.
I shop for hidden gems in thrifts stores and Saturday markets. I look online on amazon or ebay for cheaper alternatives than the stores. As much as I love to shop I seldom actually buy something for myself. It does not mean I am cheap. It means I know how much is in our means and it is my way to give my family all that they want without blowing it all on something costly and materialistic.

…for demanding respect.
Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself when no one else will. I never wish on anyone to be treated the way I have been as a wife and a mother by my in laws. Stand up for yourself and request the respect you deserve. Anything less is doing yourself and your family disrespect.

…for decisions made.
Never apologise for decisions you make, even if others do not understand or agree with you. Whether they end up being good or bad ones, as we learn from our mistakes. You are the one who has to live with the consequences, not other people. Follow your heart not their judgements.

….for changing your mind.
It is your prerogative and you should not continue to think or do something if through life you find yourself changing. Evolving is a human process.

…for someone else whose having a bad day.
People tend to attack others, point fingers, or make negative judgments at others when they themselves are dealing witha lot going their life and are essentially having a ‘bad day’. Do not feel you have to take any of that personally nor make excuses for their behaviour. Go ahead and unconditionally love them back but do not make excuse or apologise for it.

…for being honest.
I am well aware that I may have much different views in certain or many aspects of life when talking to someone who grew up elsewhere in life. It is okay to be different. It is not okay to be dishonest. Standing up and being yourself is different from not accepting people of different cultures or backgrounds. You should not have to apologise for being true to who you are.

…for not tolerating bad behaviour.
If we are out my husband and I request the same behaviour and attitude of my sons that we would want in the home. I should not have to apologise for parenting when I am in public. I am raising future adults, not adult children who will be entitled and think life is easy and just.

…for being inexperienced.
We as humans are always learning and always growing. We do not automatically become the best of the best when we embark on new paths or try new things. It is okay to be a beginner and you should not have to apologise for making mistakes or not being as experienced as others in the same subject.

…for saying how you feel.
You do have to show respect and courtesy when you do. But remember that someone people just take things personally whether you are polite or not.

…for where you come from.
I cannot easily answer that question but I can start with not apologising for it or the many cultures that have made me who I am today. Yes I may think, say or doing things differently than what other Americans who sound like me would expect. But it is because of my nomadic childhood in Europe and that makes me different not wrong. Whether you are a TCK or come from a town in California you should not have to apologise for it.

‘Sorry I’m Not Sorry’ conclusion:
I end this by saying the majority of personal conflicts I have had come from interactions with my husband’s family. Minor ones come from trying to assimiliate into American culture as an American who was raised abroad. If you are a Third Culture Kid who has moved to your parents home country or culture you may feel you have to apologise for every facet of your personality and life. Be courtesy and polite but do not let others make you feel like you have to apologise for who you are. Trust me as someone who has had the majority of my personal conflicts come from my in laws you have to stand up for your identity and your family. It is too easy to just pass judgments it is harder to accept the differences in others. Differences scare people. Hopefully by being strong and giving it time those who make you feel sorry will see the beauty in you.

#BlogEveryDayInMay
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*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk 

I Miss My Daddy

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Day 12, Sunday of  the Challenge: What do you miss?

 I miss my Daddy. In August 2008 he was hit on his bicycle by a young driver, Faith Quick, under the influence of drugs with a prior record. She was never official charged for his death and spent just a few days in jail for the drug use. My father served 30+ years in the USAF, was a Veteran of Foreign Wars, and until his death was a teacher at Accelerated Learning Laboratory in Tucson, AZ.  He rode his bicycle to and from work to be eco friendly.  He is one of many who have been killed on bicycles by cars or buses.  I miss him a lot, and I really wish I could get the time back that was stolen from us, and from my sons. 

This is the last photo I had the opportunity of taking of him (July 4th, 2007) and fortunately it was with both of his grandsons. He had come to Oahu for a few weeks to visit after the birth of my son Maddox. 

At our home in Ewa Beach my dad read to my son Ronan with their long hair and in their Aloha Shirts. 

Dinner at Duke’s in Waikiki my son Maddox Charles with his namesake, Grandpa Charles aka ‘Grandpa Chuckles’. 

Two years after his funeral we returned to the USAF Academy in Colorado to visit my Dad in 2010.

It was the last time I have been able to visit his final resting place at the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs. 
Diary entry from my nine year old self back on the 6th of March, 1991 about how 
much I missed my daddy who was fighting in the Gulf War with the USAF. 

“March 6, 1991: It’s been over three months since Daddy has been in the Gulf. I really miss him. I’m not sure what I’m going to do first when Daddy comes home. Right now the time is 7:51 pm. I can’t wait! Wait! Until Daddy comes home!” 

(spelling corrected so you can read to understand)
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*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk 

10 Words They Said About Me

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Day 11, Saturday of  the Challenge: Sell yourself in 10 words or less. 

Feel free to join in and if you catch this anytime through out the month feel free to just jump right in.   

Concept: Bonnie Rose / Photography by Jacquie

I asked my friends on facebook a few months back to tell me what one word comes to their mind when they think of me.  It was part of a rebranding process for my Photography business, Bonnie Rose Photography.  So for today’s post I decided to use the 10 words  for the blog theme today.  Thank you to my friends who submitted such beautiful and kind things about me and I hope that I continue to live up to it. 

Authentic.
Empathetic.
Adventurous.
Creative.
Passionate.
Imaginative.
Driven.
Devoted.
Poetic.
Illuminating. 



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*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk 

Concussions and first kisses.

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Day 10, Friday of  the Challenge: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill. 
Feel free to join in and if you catch this anytime through out the month feel free to just jump right in.   

I like to live by the rule that if I make someone laugh or smile with me, even if its at my expense, its better to deal with embarrassment that way. I was trying to come up with the most embarrassing stories of my lifetime but they either got lost in my memories or I have honestly blocked them out. All but one.  

I met Ryan my freshman year in the traveling theatre group we both auditioned for at our University. We were friends with crushes that fall semester and started dating the week before Valentines Day that Spring semester.  Sometime between February when we started dating and May when we parted ways for the summer we had our first kiss.  Neither of us have remembered exactly when it was but that there was a lot of hype leading up to the first kiss. Which leads me to our embarrasing story we share together.

We were parked outside of my freshman girls dormitory in his car after a date.  We both had to be in before curfew and we definitely waited until the last most possible moment to return back to our dorms on campus.  It is already a little awkward and embarrassing in the beginning of our dating period because he was my first (and only) boyfriend at University.  I had been anticipating the first kiss and getting more anxious about it every time one of my friends would ask me if it happened yet.  This was not a party school.  There was only one day a semester the opposite sex could visit the other dormitories and there were strict rules enforced.  Doors had to remain open, male guests could not use the restrooms in our dorm rooms, and ‘all feet must remain on the floor’.  The later rule I assume is to discourage make out sessions or heavier happening.  Anyways I explain all that to say that my friends held pizza parties after you had your first kiss with a guy.  Having not had any pizza parties yet and really wanting to kiss Ryan you can imagine my heart was racing inside his car.  He tried to be smooth and lean over to kiss me and I obviously did not get the mental memo and instead of having my lips meet his, our heads collided so hard it hurt.  So embarrassing. Needless to say that night was not our first kiss and no pizza party followed that evening.  I remember going inside and finding my RA upset that he would ‘never try to kiss me again’.  

Before we started dating we were put into this skit in our theatre group to perform at schools and churches called ‘Pick up lines’ which is where he would try to pick me up with really bad lines.  I had a catchy one liner at the end of it that tied it back to the faith and christianity.  That skit started the crushes began to have on each other.  Ironically it was a pick up line that he used out of humour in my expense right before our first actual kiss: 

“Lets try not to have a concussion this time.”

This my husband, Ryan, and I this year at the Roman Baths in Bath, England.  
We have been married for nine years (and change) and we have entered our 30’s.  
This is also Ryan and I, eleven years ago in University back in 2002. 
He was 20 and I was 19.  I find this photograph of us very embarrassing. 
To be fair  most of our photographs from my freshman and 
sophomore year of University are quite embarrassing.
Bad Hair: 
I thought it would be great to be blond. This is pre-beauty school and so I thought I could do it myself with box colour.  I ended up with a multifaceted orange-y mess. I also thought it would be liberating to cut my hair really short.  To add to the bad hair decision I sometimes wore my hair back in tiny ‘im a six year old’ pony tails. I honestly thing I should have realised my losses, shaved my head, gotten a wig, and started the growth process there. So see even your hairstylist can have bad hair decisions in their past. 😉
Bad Accessories: 

Its not that they were bad per se, but when added to everything else in this mix they did not really help the look. My accessories included not one but two WWJD bracelets worn together for sentimental reasons at the time.  We went to a private christian university so I was all about sporting my faith in my fashion choices back then.  The hemp jewelry Ryan made which as we were newly dating I found this so sweet and special.  
Bad Fashion: 
Not that I had a lot to choose from with living in a small town in the south in the US.  At my University students tended to wear jeans and a shirt normally and my school had very strict rules on wardrobe and modesty.  Which meant my previous adventurous European style became very stagnate and non existent. Really where is an H&M when you need one? 😉 
Freshman Fifteen:
It is easy to tell from the second photo above that Ryan and I both were carrying extra weight.  I think we both weighed more my freshman year and his sophomore year then we ever have in our entire lives.  I no longer had my mum’s good cooking or even a kitchen.  I relied on pizza delivery and food on campus. I didn’t actually realise how much weight we had carried until we began losing it the months that followed that photo being taken.  I spent an entire summer backpacking in Australia and he was working outside on the farm.  I was showing my suite mate a photo of my then fiance the school year to follow and did a double take on how heavy just Ryan had been the year before. I don’t know if it was bad that I had not realised he had lost so much weight or that I didn’t realise he was so chubby before.  Love is blind where eyes are concerned.  Anyways these photos always motivate us to eat well and keep and active, and to promote healthy lives for our children. 
So yes I find a lot of photographs from my first two years at 
Uni and during our engagement to be quite embarrassing.  
Q: Do you have photos that embarrass you from the past?

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*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk 

A Moment in my Day

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Today is the ninth day of May with the Blog Every Day in May challenge.  Feel free to join in and if you catch this anytime through out the month feel free to just jump right in.   

Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words.

Today I had a friend over to catch up over some tea.  I surprised her by making a banana coffee cake to share.  I was excited to get to use my new silver cake server.  I had been eyeing one like it by +aspiringkennedy with her Four Sales and found one online.  Due to having moved so much and having relcoated to Europe, we have parted with much of our original belongings from when we got married. I honestly think we may have just one or two ‘wedding presents’ still around.  So I have decided I am going to start collecting more ‘grown up’ additions to our housewares like Silver and china.  We honestly have just enough plates and bowls for the four of us that we purchased at teh grocery store when we got to England.  It will be nice to eventually have a whole set dishes and serving items for fancy dinners and the holidays.  While the lone silver cake server may have clashed with my glass measuring cup (posing as my creamer) the banana coffee cake was delicious.  

Note to Self: Must get grown up coasters for teas so I’m not using my Dexter ‘Blood Slide’ Coasters for tea. 😉

Homemade Banana Coffee cake for tea with my friend today.
Getting ready  to sit down for a cuppa and some treats as I catch up with  my friend this afternoon.


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*photographs found here either belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk