Right now, it goes like this:

6 year old: thinks I’m a bit stupid because I constantly get words wrong – all the time. Especially when I call trousers pants and trainers sneakers. Well what can I say? I’m hard-wired American! He also thinks I’m sort of an alien because I hail from another ‘world’ and he can never remember what that ‘other world’ is called but likes the sound of it. He can’t recall visiting Florida or going to Disney but he loves looking at the photos. Chats non stop to his American Grandmother over the phone and Skype. Unfortunately, she can’t understand a word he says.

12 year old: Gives me pathetic looks when I say things like play clothes and other Americanisms such as Math and suppertime. Has very fond memories of Florida, especially the neighbors she made friends with, the climate and the culture. Understands many of the cultural differences between the two countries and likes to talk about it with me. Sometimes mixes up American pronunciation and spellings with her native British way of saying and spelling words. When this happens at school she is mortified and her friends laugh at her (hopefully in a friendly way). Is incredibly reserved and very British by nature but is interested in my background, her American grandparents and likes the idea of America. Loves peanut butter instead of marmite. That is definitely my fault!

Almost 14 year old (his birthday is July 2nd, Whoop whoop!): Loves all things American especially food such as Kraft Macaroni Cheese, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, Mountain Dew, iced tea, real lemonade, Cheetos and American candy. Loves America and wants to go there on his own when he’s older to travel and to work. Games with American kids online and calls me ‘retarded’ when I suggest that he tell them he’s half American. Actually he calls me ‘retarded’ quite often these days, doesn’t really matter much what I say. I think that must be a teenager thing rather than a cultural thing. Loves to shop online with me for American food-stuffs and treats. Buys me stuff when he’s out and about and sees something that I will love like Cheetos or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Fields lots of questions from his friends such as ‘why do all Americans have guns?’ and ‘Is it true that Americans eat hamburgers everyday?’ Knows who George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are and what they did, the significance of Thanksgiving and the 4th of July and can’t wait to visit America again.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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The joy of living by the sea in England really comes to light during the summer months. It’s been an incredibly busy time with work and this past weekend was jam packed both days! Didn’t get any R&R but I did manage to enjoy a few minutes on a lunch break to sit quietly and enjoy the sea view from Hove beach in Sussex. Truly spectacular.

As the children grow older, their interest in the beach and ability to love it instantly without getting bored is quickly becoming a benefit of the past. As someone who didn’t grow up near the seaside, I can never take the location of our ‘now’ home for granted. I suppose that will be different for my children who are growing up by the seaside. And an English one too! Lord, what have we done! Fish n’ Chips, tacky fairground rides and smoky archaic arcade games will all be a part of their childhood history. I’d love to interview them now as if they were adults and see what they really thought of their years of pebbly beaches, windy picnics, and ‘mandatory’ Sunday afternoon beach days. Of course we also have the countryside on our doorstep too. The beautiful Sussex Downs.

I wonder if my children will feel they missed out on city life growing up. I grew up in small cities mostly but lived in the suburbs. I remember one time as a young teenager, going out in Toronto with my much more worldly and grown up cousin. I was amazed at what existed for kids my age and couldn’t believe there was this whole other world that I had never known about before.

Here, if we did live in a city, we would probably live in the city. We are very centrally located here but Worthing is a town, not a city so much quieter and very tame (aka boring according to my eldest). However, when we go to London, my daughter comments on how big and overpowering everything is. She doesn’t like this. It’s interesting because she’s never said that about America even though it feels much bigger and everything is literally much bigger. I suppose we’ve never taken her to New York City…. yet. I’m curious to know how much our choice of location and environment will influence their choices when it comes time for them to set up house…. and where that ‘house’ will be.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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Our photo shoot with Jenny happened during the first week of October, catching the last of the summer sun (we’ve had an amazing Indian summer this year), on Shoreham beach in Sussex. It was Jenny who suggested the location and she even picked us up because I didn’t have the use of our car that day. She then spent the next hour with my children as they played around on the beach and climbed on the rocks. She had some great ideas like using the beach huts and getting some action shots.

I am absolutely blown away by the quality and beauty of these photos. We love them so much – my husband could not believe it when I showed them to him. I really could not be happier! While I was looking through them, I actually started to cry at just how beautiful they are. I love the way Jenny edited them, they are something very special indeed and my parents and Nick’s parents are in for a real treat with these photos. Here is a small selection:

Before I sign off, I want to mention why I had Jenny take professional photos. I think it is so important to make the effort and invest in professional photos. Children grow up so quickly and before you know it, they’ve grown and changed and we forget how they were, how they looked. Having photographic evidence of this isn’t just about the photos, it’s about keeping the memories and history alive forever. My daughter recently asked me what I would try and save (other than people and pets) if our house burned down and I automatically said photos of you, Sam and Jonah and Dad.

Beautiful, high quality professional photos of my children are like gold to me. And today I feel so rich. Thank you Jenny!

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Jenny of Jenny Rutterford Photography is based in Sussex and specializes in beautiful and natural wedding photography and also family portrait photography. www.jennyrutterford.com

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