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Choosing Love –Framing the New year
4 months ago
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Heading Home
Being picked up to head to the airport in about an hour. In that last two days, Maddie and I have hit her favorite store, seen Sister Act and spent a day at Lego Land. It was nice to have finished our good-byes a couple of days ago and to have her focused on all the fun waiting for her in "America".
Can't believe we're wrapping up three years abroad. We have been blessed by this opportunity and are also glad for the chance to come home. I'll have to talk with Maddie and Skip to assemble a "highlights" entry of our time here and in Germany.
On our final night in London, we got the word the Jim Mosley had died. Jim was my pastor all through my school years and had a role in our wedding. In the Arkansas Presbytery, he may have been bigger than Michael Jackson. I got to visit with him last summer and now I will make it home in time for his memorial service.
This a.m. I've got to roust Maddie to get ready to head out.
Can't believe we're wrapping up three years abroad. We have been blessed by this opportunity and are also glad for the chance to come home. I'll have to talk with Maddie and Skip to assemble a "highlights" entry of our time here and in Germany.
On our final night in London, we got the word the Jim Mosley had died. Jim was my pastor all through my school years and had a role in our wedding. In the Arkansas Presbytery, he may have been bigger than Michael Jackson. I got to visit with him last summer and now I will make it home in time for his memorial service.
This a.m. I've got to roust Maddie to get ready to head out.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hot Hot Hot
We got an extra fan in our hotel room today. It helps, but an extra window but be better!
Skip had a great time at the walk through on our house. Turns out it was an almost two-hour deal where they went through this ridiculously extensive checklist. I had asked him if he wanted Maddie and I to meet the people, and (both of us thinking it would be a quick thing), he said he would go. I'm kind of glad he did. Sorry he had to endure the long process, but after how unresponsive that same management company has been to all the problems we've had in the house, I think I really would have blown up if they had a problem with anything. I think we're in the clear on it all.
Oh, and this was his bonus. I had cleaned out the fridge, removed all the shelves and cleaned them--even put the acrylic door shelves through the dishwasher. It sparkled. In all of my efforts, I totally neglected the freezer! It was full when he arrived at the house this morning and he had to throw everything out! So he has had a super day.
Maddie and I braved the heat and the train systems and took an hour-and-a-half trip into the city. Living way out here in Teddington this week makes me so glad that we went for the smaller, closer-to-the-city house. We met Maddie's friend and her little sister and brother at the Museum of Childhood, where there is a special Roald Dahl exhibit and then we hit the Princess Diana Memorial Park. They had such a good time, in spite of the heat!
Maddie and I had to shower and change by the time we made it home after two tube lines and a train (all without air conditioning). They are making announcements and posting signs urging commuters to always travel with a bottle of water. We were so sweaty and dusty and gross by the time we made it home. We are going to arrive at my in-laws with a ton of super smelly clothes.
Skip had a great time at the walk through on our house. Turns out it was an almost two-hour deal where they went through this ridiculously extensive checklist. I had asked him if he wanted Maddie and I to meet the people, and (both of us thinking it would be a quick thing), he said he would go. I'm kind of glad he did. Sorry he had to endure the long process, but after how unresponsive that same management company has been to all the problems we've had in the house, I think I really would have blown up if they had a problem with anything. I think we're in the clear on it all.
Oh, and this was his bonus. I had cleaned out the fridge, removed all the shelves and cleaned them--even put the acrylic door shelves through the dishwasher. It sparkled. In all of my efforts, I totally neglected the freezer! It was full when he arrived at the house this morning and he had to throw everything out! So he has had a super day.
Maddie and I braved the heat and the train systems and took an hour-and-a-half trip into the city. Living way out here in Teddington this week makes me so glad that we went for the smaller, closer-to-the-city house. We met Maddie's friend and her little sister and brother at the Museum of Childhood, where there is a special Roald Dahl exhibit and then we hit the Princess Diana Memorial Park. They had such a good time, in spite of the heat!
Maddie and I had to shower and change by the time we made it home after two tube lines and a train (all without air conditioning). They are making announcements and posting signs urging commuters to always travel with a bottle of water. We were so sweaty and dusty and gross by the time we made it home. We are going to arrive at my in-laws with a ton of super smelly clothes.
Getting There
Yesterday, Maddie and I went back to the house and let the bunnies run around in the rabbit run while I cleaned out the cage and got it out to the curb for pick-up. The bunny pick-up man arrived and took them away. It was only after I got all the debris swept up that Maddie began to cry. Even though I have severe concerns about how well the bunnies will fare on this trip, I thought I had kept those from Maddie. I told her that we've been away from the bunnies for a week before, but she's smarter than that. "Not when they have to travel, too." After she calmed down and I hoovered and mopped and cleaned the one shelf in the refrigerator that I had somehow missed on my first go-round.
Skip is going back today to meet the rental folks for a final walk thru and to turn in the keys.
From the house, Maddie and I went over to see her friend Ann and my friend (Anne's mom) Fin. We ended up spending the rest of the day with them and had a lovely time. Ann's dad was working from home, so Fin and I went to see the Ham House. Not what you might think, but rather a 400-year-old country home out in Richmond. Fin's background is in interior design and the history of decorative arts, so she knew all the right questions to ask. It was really interesting and probably nowhere I ever would have just gone on my own. The most interesting story was about the ice house. The Thames River used to freeze over and they would break off big chunks and store it in the icehouse and have ice all summer long to cool the wine for parties. This was back in the 1600s. Wild.
Skip had a late phone call, so Maddie and I didn't even come back to the sweatbox hotel room until late. She's sleeping in this morning, but will have to get up in a little while as breakfast at the hotel stops at 9. Today, we're meeting her friend Kara at the Museum of Childhood where there is a Roald Dahl exhibit and then hitting a playground. It's hot here, but it's not so bad outside (especially in the shade). It's the indoors and the public transport where there is no air conditioning that are so oppressive. They have signs up all over the tube stations encouraging commuters to keep water with them at all times.
I posted the following on Facebook on a night that I couldn't sleep. Thought I'd share it here, too. I think it helped.
So I'm in an un-air-conditioned, cramped hotel room with my husband and daughter. I can't sleep because someone is snoring. I have been a total Negative Nellie since this moving process began, so in my sleep-deprived state, I decided that a song was the best way to snap out of it.
Here's a little ditty I came up with. It's to the tune of "Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.
Wicked good theater and free museum passes
Finding a good spot and watching the masses
Big Ben, St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey
These are few of my favorite things
Big, bright red buses and matching phone booth-ies
Indian, dim sum and meals at Yo Sushi
Top Shop and Boden and Olive magazine
These are a few of my favorite things
When the rain falls
When the tube strikes
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
Hitting Portobello and avoiding Hamleys
Friends from all over who treat you like family
Kennsington park on a sunny day in spring
These are a few of my favorite things
V and A blending of fashion and history
Fortnum and Mason for afternoon high tea
Natural History museum (love the building)
These are a few of my favorite things
When I can’t sleep
When the pipes leak
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
There. That should do it.
Skip is going back today to meet the rental folks for a final walk thru and to turn in the keys.
From the house, Maddie and I went over to see her friend Ann and my friend (Anne's mom) Fin. We ended up spending the rest of the day with them and had a lovely time. Ann's dad was working from home, so Fin and I went to see the Ham House. Not what you might think, but rather a 400-year-old country home out in Richmond. Fin's background is in interior design and the history of decorative arts, so she knew all the right questions to ask. It was really interesting and probably nowhere I ever would have just gone on my own. The most interesting story was about the ice house. The Thames River used to freeze over and they would break off big chunks and store it in the icehouse and have ice all summer long to cool the wine for parties. This was back in the 1600s. Wild.
Skip had a late phone call, so Maddie and I didn't even come back to the sweatbox hotel room until late. She's sleeping in this morning, but will have to get up in a little while as breakfast at the hotel stops at 9. Today, we're meeting her friend Kara at the Museum of Childhood where there is a Roald Dahl exhibit and then hitting a playground. It's hot here, but it's not so bad outside (especially in the shade). It's the indoors and the public transport where there is no air conditioning that are so oppressive. They have signs up all over the tube stations encouraging commuters to keep water with them at all times.
I posted the following on Facebook on a night that I couldn't sleep. Thought I'd share it here, too. I think it helped.
So I'm in an un-air-conditioned, cramped hotel room with my husband and daughter. I can't sleep because someone is snoring. I have been a total Negative Nellie since this moving process began, so in my sleep-deprived state, I decided that a song was the best way to snap out of it.
Here's a little ditty I came up with. It's to the tune of "Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.
Wicked good theater and free museum passes
Finding a good spot and watching the masses
Big Ben, St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey
These are few of my favorite things
Big, bright red buses and matching phone booth-ies
Indian, dim sum and meals at Yo Sushi
Top Shop and Boden and Olive magazine
These are a few of my favorite things
When the rain falls
When the tube strikes
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
Hitting Portobello and avoiding Hamleys
Friends from all over who treat you like family
Kennsington park on a sunny day in spring
These are a few of my favorite things
V and A blending of fashion and history
Fortnum and Mason for afternoon high tea
Natural History museum (love the building)
These are a few of my favorite things
When I can’t sleep
When the pipes leak
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
There. That should do it.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.
Most of the weekend didn't do much for adjusting my attitude. Every weekend the Tube has some line closures or partial line closures and this weekend, the closures were exactly on the lines that we needed to get all the places we needed to go. We employed some round-about routes that included buses, above ground trains, unfamiliar tube lines and car services. It was really ridiculous! But tomorrow, all lines should be up and running. Whew!
Saturday, we went and did some last detail things at the house and checked on the bunnies (who are being picked up tomorrow). Then Skip and Maddie headed to the Brit Oval for Skip's final cricket match.
Free Face Painting at the Oval
the pitch at the Brit Oval
Then we attempted to meet up at the Ealing Broadway station to head to the Mulgrew's house for their going away party. But two of the three tube lines that go to Ealing Broadway were closed. We eventually all three arrived. And made our way in the rain (which came up shockingly fast) to our friends' house. Fun evening with friends, and we avoided the trauma and drama on the way home by just calling up a car.
This morning, Maddie and were going to try to take a combination above ground train/bus to church, but we got the times wrong and ended up having to call another car. Ugggg. Our Ghanan friends from church gifted each of us with traditional Ghanan clothing and I even received a stole to wear with my robe. Maddie went home from church with friend Christabelle.
When they brought her back to the hotel, they stayed and visited for awhile and we learned a little more about life in Ghana. We'll have to add that to our travel list--although Skip was a little put off after hearing about all the shots required before you visit.
Maddie and her buddy Christabelle
Me and Christianne (Christabelle's mom)
Saturday, we went and did some last detail things at the house and checked on the bunnies (who are being picked up tomorrow). Then Skip and Maddie headed to the Brit Oval for Skip's final cricket match.
Free Face Painting at the Oval
the pitch at the Brit Oval
Then we attempted to meet up at the Ealing Broadway station to head to the Mulgrew's house for their going away party. But two of the three tube lines that go to Ealing Broadway were closed. We eventually all three arrived. And made our way in the rain (which came up shockingly fast) to our friends' house. Fun evening with friends, and we avoided the trauma and drama on the way home by just calling up a car.
This morning, Maddie and were going to try to take a combination above ground train/bus to church, but we got the times wrong and ended up having to call another car. Ugggg. Our Ghanan friends from church gifted each of us with traditional Ghanan clothing and I even received a stole to wear with my robe. Maddie went home from church with friend Christabelle.
When they brought her back to the hotel, they stayed and visited for awhile and we learned a little more about life in Ghana. We'll have to add that to our travel list--although Skip was a little put off after hearing about all the shots required before you visit.
Maddie and her buddy Christabelle
Me and Christianne (Christabelle's mom)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Negative Nellie
Good grief! I am in desperate need of an attitude adjustment!
The movers (who should have been done by noon) left at 4:30 p.m. They almost couldn't get everything in the truck. To my shame and mortification, they were stunned by the sheer amount of stuff we had crammed into our little house. I TOLD the estimator guy about that, but clearly, he did not believe me. Our family needs a possession overhaul in the worst way.
Then Maddie and I catch a cab with six suitcases in tow to the hotel near where Skip works. When he first booked the hotel, I objected to a seven-day stay at a hotel with no pool and no gym. He said we could change if I wanted, but that the hotel was really convenient to work. He's had such a lousy commute during his time here, I figured he deserved an easy one for a week.
So we get here and find that not only is there no gym or pool, the hotel room is small, un-air conditioned and without a refrigerator (to house Maddie snacks and drinks). Even better, the room overlooks the outdoor restaurant/bar area which means that keeping the window open (a must with no air conditioning) is quite loud. I have done well through two days of movers, cleaning out of dingy corners and cupboards, dealing with bunny arrangements and trying to figure out what to pack to bring home, but after getting to the hotel, I just had to have a good cry.
I feel like Judy Moody. "Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood." I hate being in a bad mood. It is no fun at all, and not how I want to exit this European adventure. But I am hot and tired and cranky. Thank goodness I packed the Tylenol pm. Hopefully that will let me sleep through the noise (outdoor revelers and indoor snorers) and tomorrow will be a better day!
The movers (who should have been done by noon) left at 4:30 p.m. They almost couldn't get everything in the truck. To my shame and mortification, they were stunned by the sheer amount of stuff we had crammed into our little house. I TOLD the estimator guy about that, but clearly, he did not believe me. Our family needs a possession overhaul in the worst way.
Then Maddie and I catch a cab with six suitcases in tow to the hotel near where Skip works. When he first booked the hotel, I objected to a seven-day stay at a hotel with no pool and no gym. He said we could change if I wanted, but that the hotel was really convenient to work. He's had such a lousy commute during his time here, I figured he deserved an easy one for a week.
So we get here and find that not only is there no gym or pool, the hotel room is small, un-air conditioned and without a refrigerator (to house Maddie snacks and drinks). Even better, the room overlooks the outdoor restaurant/bar area which means that keeping the window open (a must with no air conditioning) is quite loud. I have done well through two days of movers, cleaning out of dingy corners and cupboards, dealing with bunny arrangements and trying to figure out what to pack to bring home, but after getting to the hotel, I just had to have a good cry.
I feel like Judy Moody. "Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood." I hate being in a bad mood. It is no fun at all, and not how I want to exit this European adventure. But I am hot and tired and cranky. Thank goodness I packed the Tylenol pm. Hopefully that will let me sleep through the noise (outdoor revelers and indoor snorers) and tomorrow will be a better day!
It always takes longer than they say
It's one p.m. here on Friday and the movers are still moving. Yesterday, they only worked until 3:30 because they had to have the truck back in "the yard" by 5 and apparently it takes that long to get to the yard in London traffic. They showed up here at 9 a.m. today to finish packing and begin loading. They still have a couple of odds and ends that aren't truck ready, but they've started loading the truck. They say they'll be done by half-past two, but I'm really doubting it.
Zaklina is here totally scrubbing the kitchen and is then going to hit the bathrooms. I'm hoovering all the carpet and working on baseboards and window sills. Nothing too horrid emerged when the movers starting moving the big stuff. Whew!
I am taking a break because I've cleaned all the places that are clear enough for me to clean. Fortunately there is a vacuum that came with the house and we'll leave our mop and mop bucket and cleaning supplies.
It took me three calls to car services to find one who had a big enough car available to carry me and Maddie plus four suitcases and assorted bags to our hotel for late this afternoon.
We'll leave the bunnies here with plenty of food and water and hay and then come back tomorrow or Sunday to feed them again before meeting the pet pick-up people on Monday.
I liked this house much better than I liked our Germany house, but I still don't feel sad about leaving it. Will be glad to be back in a home with central air to keep the dust down and my very own bathroom counter space.
Just paid the balance on the cost of sending the bunnies over via Pet Air. Am feeling a bit queasy. Was it the pizza I ordered for the movers or the price tag of the bunny trip? Hard to say at this point.
Zaklina is here totally scrubbing the kitchen and is then going to hit the bathrooms. I'm hoovering all the carpet and working on baseboards and window sills. Nothing too horrid emerged when the movers starting moving the big stuff. Whew!
I am taking a break because I've cleaned all the places that are clear enough for me to clean. Fortunately there is a vacuum that came with the house and we'll leave our mop and mop bucket and cleaning supplies.
It took me three calls to car services to find one who had a big enough car available to carry me and Maddie plus four suitcases and assorted bags to our hotel for late this afternoon.
We'll leave the bunnies here with plenty of food and water and hay and then come back tomorrow or Sunday to feed them again before meeting the pet pick-up people on Monday.
I liked this house much better than I liked our Germany house, but I still don't feel sad about leaving it. Will be glad to be back in a home with central air to keep the dust down and my very own bathroom counter space.
Just paid the balance on the cost of sending the bunnies over via Pet Air. Am feeling a bit queasy. Was it the pizza I ordered for the movers or the price tag of the bunny trip? Hard to say at this point.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Movers are here
Holy cow! We do not have a place to put all this stuff when it arrives in the States. I am looking at the boxes and boxes and boxes and fighting the urge to panic. Actually, I don't have to fight all that hard. I really don't enjoy panicking. I do think the Interfaith Hospitality Network may need to have a U-haul ready when we arrive for the furniture we will be ready to donate.
We have three guys here wrapping, packing, taping and stacking. They will pack all day today and load up tomorrow. They are all really nice, so that makes the whole thing go more smoothly. I scored points when I ordered pizza for them. Nothing broken on my shipment!
My friend Pam was so nice to have Maddie over to her house to spend the night with friends Nick and Kate. How great is it to have friends who offer help you don't even know you need? Maddie was so excited that she could hardly be sad about the house being packed up. She does have this really big pillow that she is bummed can't make it into a suitcase and will have to go on the shipment, but I remember that being an issue when we moved to Germany as well. Other than that, she was able to fit what she wanted for the immediate future into the luggage alloted. Cool!
The movers are going to leave the bedding on our bed so that we can spend the night here tonight and then tomorrow we all head to a hotel.
We have three guys here wrapping, packing, taping and stacking. They will pack all day today and load up tomorrow. They are all really nice, so that makes the whole thing go more smoothly. I scored points when I ordered pizza for them. Nothing broken on my shipment!
My friend Pam was so nice to have Maddie over to her house to spend the night with friends Nick and Kate. How great is it to have friends who offer help you don't even know you need? Maddie was so excited that she could hardly be sad about the house being packed up. She does have this really big pillow that she is bummed can't make it into a suitcase and will have to go on the shipment, but I remember that being an issue when we moved to Germany as well. Other than that, she was able to fit what she wanted for the immediate future into the luggage alloted. Cool!
The movers are going to leave the bedding on our bed so that we can spend the night here tonight and then tomorrow we all head to a hotel.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Majorca Photos
No Dunkin Donuts here. The Spanish know what's really important!
In the capital city of Palma
Maddie and me by a really cool tree
The beach at our hotel in Illetas
Skip and Maddie in Valdemossa
The apothecary at the monastery at Valdemossa
view from the monastery at Valdamossa
the market at Palma
This flowering vine was everywhere. Who knows what it is? We want some!
Maddie holds her nose at the fish market
Skip dreams big!
Monday, June 22, 2009
I hate it when camp (or vacation) has to end
We've had a good vacation. It's been fun to be here with the Mobleys and their daughter. Sunday morning was overcast, so we hung around the hotel and the pool, but the sun came out around lunch time, so we headed down the road a bit to the public beach. We looked like something out a sit-com with all of our towels and beach pails and floaties. This was not the normal look for other people. Everyone else had a towel...period.
Monday, Skip and Maddie and I spent the morning in the mountain town of Valdemossa, about 25 minutes away. It's a beautiful little village who makes its way through agriculture and the fact that it is home to an old monastery that was privatized back in the 1830s. I didn't know this, but there was a time when something called "disentaillment" happened in Spain in 1835, and all the monks were expelled from the monasteries and the government seized the land and sold it to private interests. After this monastery was privatized, it was turned in to an artists colony and it is where Chopin and George Sand used to vacation together. Chopin wrote many of his pieces here and it is where Sand penned her account of "Winter in Majorca". Also, even after they expelled the monks they let the pharmacist remain along with the apothecary in order to serve the medicinal need of the village, and all the old jars and weights and counters are all still there. I have some great pics that I will post when I get home. The monastery, along with the unusual beauty of the village, have made Valdemossa quite a popular tourist stop, yet in spite of the many shops and restaurants, it doesn't seem tacky or over run. Apparently Michael Douglass has a house there, as well. But we didn't see him.
Another afternoon at the beach and this time we rented a paddle boat big enough for four with a slide attached. You could paddle out into the ocean and then slide off into the water, climb back in the boat and do it all again. The girls thought that was the best ever, and the grown-ups thought it was pretty fun, too.
Today we will stay around the hotel and enjoy the pools and the sun before we have to be off. Our flight isn't until 5 p.m., so we have some time. Then it's one day to do laundry and pack for the next week before the packers come on Thursday. Yikes. No easing back into life after this vacation!
My friend Katie (whose blog has a link on mine) is having surgery today. She's having her thyroid removed and will also be getting pathology results. Please keep her in your prayers. My mom is helping out with her kids today and the rest of the week. Everyone needs a Nancy Russ around!
Monday, Skip and Maddie and I spent the morning in the mountain town of Valdemossa, about 25 minutes away. It's a beautiful little village who makes its way through agriculture and the fact that it is home to an old monastery that was privatized back in the 1830s. I didn't know this, but there was a time when something called "disentaillment" happened in Spain in 1835, and all the monks were expelled from the monasteries and the government seized the land and sold it to private interests. After this monastery was privatized, it was turned in to an artists colony and it is where Chopin and George Sand used to vacation together. Chopin wrote many of his pieces here and it is where Sand penned her account of "Winter in Majorca". Also, even after they expelled the monks they let the pharmacist remain along with the apothecary in order to serve the medicinal need of the village, and all the old jars and weights and counters are all still there. I have some great pics that I will post when I get home. The monastery, along with the unusual beauty of the village, have made Valdemossa quite a popular tourist stop, yet in spite of the many shops and restaurants, it doesn't seem tacky or over run. Apparently Michael Douglass has a house there, as well. But we didn't see him.
Another afternoon at the beach and this time we rented a paddle boat big enough for four with a slide attached. You could paddle out into the ocean and then slide off into the water, climb back in the boat and do it all again. The girls thought that was the best ever, and the grown-ups thought it was pretty fun, too.
Today we will stay around the hotel and enjoy the pools and the sun before we have to be off. Our flight isn't until 5 p.m., so we have some time. Then it's one day to do laundry and pack for the next week before the packers come on Thursday. Yikes. No easing back into life after this vacation!
My friend Katie (whose blog has a link on mine) is having surgery today. She's having her thyroid removed and will also be getting pathology results. Please keep her in your prayers. My mom is helping out with her kids today and the rest of the week. Everyone needs a Nancy Russ around!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Hotel Bon Sol and Happy Father's Day
Here is a link to our hotel's web site.
Hotel Bon Sol
We are having a great time. yesterday we went into the city of Palma and did some exploring there before our friends the Mobleys arrived. Palma is an oddly beautiful city. Lots of roads that kind of wind around and buildings that are from another time. We hit the main market with the fish and meats and the beautiful produce. We picked up a few unusual things--peaches that were flat and shaped like little donuts, green plums and little tiny strawberries. It was all so inexpensive. I wonder what the health stats are for people in Spain. The wonderful fresh food that is available is amazing.
Maddie picked out a "luxury float" from one of the shops near here. The kind that has head and arm rests and a hole toward the bottom so you can stick your feet in the water. I was out floating the waves on it yesterday. It was such a perfect feeling that I decided I needed to capture it in my memory so that I can access the feeling in the future. Am going to try float a little more today to make sure that the experience is firmly planted in my brain.
Last night, the hotel set up dinner outside by the pool and had entertainment--a guitar player, a singer and a set of four flamenco dancers. Maddie and her friend Megan were completely captivated by the dancers. The weather was just perfect.
I brought my camera, but failed to bring the card reader that allows me to upload them to my computer. Will have to share when I get home.
Today, I am grateful for my father and for my daughter's father. Maddie and I both have really great dads.
Hotel Bon Sol
We are having a great time. yesterday we went into the city of Palma and did some exploring there before our friends the Mobleys arrived. Palma is an oddly beautiful city. Lots of roads that kind of wind around and buildings that are from another time. We hit the main market with the fish and meats and the beautiful produce. We picked up a few unusual things--peaches that were flat and shaped like little donuts, green plums and little tiny strawberries. It was all so inexpensive. I wonder what the health stats are for people in Spain. The wonderful fresh food that is available is amazing.
Maddie picked out a "luxury float" from one of the shops near here. The kind that has head and arm rests and a hole toward the bottom so you can stick your feet in the water. I was out floating the waves on it yesterday. It was such a perfect feeling that I decided I needed to capture it in my memory so that I can access the feeling in the future. Am going to try float a little more today to make sure that the experience is firmly planted in my brain.
Last night, the hotel set up dinner outside by the pool and had entertainment--a guitar player, a singer and a set of four flamenco dancers. Maddie and her friend Megan were completely captivated by the dancers. The weather was just perfect.
I brought my camera, but failed to bring the card reader that allows me to upload them to my computer. Will have to share when I get home.
Today, I am grateful for my father and for my daughter's father. Maddie and I both have really great dads.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Ahhhh, Majorca
Blogging from Hotel Bon Sol in Illetas, Majorca. It's beautiful and it's just one of those places that makes you feel relaxed. The Spanish are not a people in a hurry.
I've come a long way, baby. When we first starting exploring foreign countries, I would get all sorts of stressed when we got lost as strangers in a strange land. But today, we rented a car at the airport and Skip asked to include a navigation system. The woman told him that those didn't work too well here. There are too many new roads. She gave him directions to the town where we are staying and told him, "It's not hard. It is a little island." We got to the town okay, but had to stop at a pharmacy to ask for further directions. The whole thing really didn't bother me. I knew we'd get here eventually. Maybe that was because for the first vacation in a long time, my husband was doing the driving (back on the right side of the road) and I was just along for the ride.
Our hotel s a resort spread out over several stories and even across a road. You actually walk through a tunnel and go under the road to get to the beach.
We got checked in to the hotel just in time for dinner. Lots of fresh produce and fish on the menu. Almost all the other guests here are British. While we were in the dining room Maddie said something that made me laugh. Most followers of this blog know how loudly I can laugh. So when I did, Skip observed the woman at the table across from us say to her husband, "They're American," by way of an explanation for my outburst.
Tomorrow, we plan to explore the beaches and the pools. We have plenty of sunscreen and plan to take full advantage of the warm, sun shiney weather.
I've come a long way, baby. When we first starting exploring foreign countries, I would get all sorts of stressed when we got lost as strangers in a strange land. But today, we rented a car at the airport and Skip asked to include a navigation system. The woman told him that those didn't work too well here. There are too many new roads. She gave him directions to the town where we are staying and told him, "It's not hard. It is a little island." We got to the town okay, but had to stop at a pharmacy to ask for further directions. The whole thing really didn't bother me. I knew we'd get here eventually. Maybe that was because for the first vacation in a long time, my husband was doing the driving (back on the right side of the road) and I was just along for the ride.
Our hotel s a resort spread out over several stories and even across a road. You actually walk through a tunnel and go under the road to get to the beach.
We got checked in to the hotel just in time for dinner. Lots of fresh produce and fish on the menu. Almost all the other guests here are British. While we were in the dining room Maddie said something that made me laugh. Most followers of this blog know how loudly I can laugh. So when I did, Skip observed the woman at the table across from us say to her husband, "They're American," by way of an explanation for my outburst.
Tomorrow, we plan to explore the beaches and the pools. We have plenty of sunscreen and plan to take full advantage of the warm, sun shiney weather.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Details, details
Maddie had her last day of school today and came home just boo hooing about how much she is going to miss her teacher. We met some friends at the Park club, and while they were celebrating, she was lamenting. She has been so fortunate with her teachers and her classmates. I'm hoping we can continue the trend.
Have finally finished the value inventory and all the customs forms that have to be filled out of the move. Am up later than I want to be because they all have to be scanned and then e-mailed to Houston. And the process is taking much longer than I anticipated. But they have to get in before we leave for Majorca tomorrow.
I think we can get there from here, but I'm not sure.
Skip and I decided that if we leave with our swimsuits, toothbrushes and passports, everything else is extra.
Have finally finished the value inventory and all the customs forms that have to be filled out of the move. Am up later than I want to be because they all have to be scanned and then e-mailed to Houston. And the process is taking much longer than I anticipated. But they have to get in before we leave for Majorca tomorrow.
I think we can get there from here, but I'm not sure.
Skip and I decided that if we leave with our swimsuits, toothbrushes and passports, everything else is extra.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sunday
We went to church and heard the pastor's wife preach as part of her lay pastor program. She is a delightful lady and she did a really good job. There were some visiting pastors from India there, but part of their visa states that they cannot preach while in the UK. We talked to someone after the service about that and were told that visas for clergy outside the EU often include that requirement to keep extremists and hate groups from coming in and causing problems.
After service there was a potluck lunch, which included all sorts of food from India (prepared by the guests) and Ghana and other places. I made pecan pie, which is not standard fare around here. One woman came up to tell me that she had never had it before, but really enjoyed it. Actually her exact words were, "It wasn't as sickly sweet as I thought it would be, it was actually quite nice."
After church we drove out west to take Maddie to a friend's house. There are only two-and-a-half days of school left, so she is actually spending the night and going to school with her friend. We told her over and over again that this is not "normal", but I'm sure once school starts up again, she'll use this as a precedent for sleep-overs on school nights!
It was a beautiful day, so Skip and I went in to Holland Park, near Notting Hill. Beautiful park that we hadn't made it to before. We've decided if we get to live in London again some day, we'll live in one of the Holland Park Mews houses. Mews are the places where the horses used to live and in areas of London, they've been converted in to really cool living spaces.
Then we came home and Skip went to work on the computer and I went to work on the house. Movers come a week from Thursday, but we'll be in Majorca for 6 of those days, so there's not much more time to get ready. And I'm not even going to be home much in the next three days. So it should all get pretty interesting!
After service there was a potluck lunch, which included all sorts of food from India (prepared by the guests) and Ghana and other places. I made pecan pie, which is not standard fare around here. One woman came up to tell me that she had never had it before, but really enjoyed it. Actually her exact words were, "It wasn't as sickly sweet as I thought it would be, it was actually quite nice."
After church we drove out west to take Maddie to a friend's house. There are only two-and-a-half days of school left, so she is actually spending the night and going to school with her friend. We told her over and over again that this is not "normal", but I'm sure once school starts up again, she'll use this as a precedent for sleep-overs on school nights!
It was a beautiful day, so Skip and I went in to Holland Park, near Notting Hill. Beautiful park that we hadn't made it to before. We've decided if we get to live in London again some day, we'll live in one of the Holland Park Mews houses. Mews are the places where the horses used to live and in areas of London, they've been converted in to really cool living spaces.
Then we came home and Skip went to work on the computer and I went to work on the house. Movers come a week from Thursday, but we'll be in Majorca for 6 of those days, so there's not much more time to get ready. And I'm not even going to be home much in the next three days. So it should all get pretty interesting!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Britian's Got Talent and We are Tired
Skip and I picked up Maddie at school on Friday and headed to Birmingham to see the very first performance of the Britian's Got Talent Live tour. It was really good. Very much a family night out for a lot of people. The first half they had most of the finalists come out and do what they had done on the show, and that was fun. But the second half, they mixed it up and had different acts perform together. They really pulled out some surprises and made some really good match-ups. We laughed a lot. The whole thing was really well done. Susan Boyle (who was rumored to have bowed out of the whole thing) was there and did a superb job, but the other folks were much more entertaining. Great dancers. Great kid singers. All of them were really excited to be there and kind of in awe that they have this opportunity. That made it even more fun to watch.
Maddie's favorite was dancer Aidan Davis. He is amazing and even better in person.
And the big winners this year are the dance troupe Diversity.
But our family favorite is the father/son team of Stavros Flatly.
I had my cultural assumptions kicked to the curb after watching the audience. Generally when I see Islamic women who cover their hair, I think about what an oppressive and sexist culture they must live in. But last night there were several groups of young women at the show together (all wearing headscarves). They were laughing and taking pictures and screaming with all the rest of the people. The kicker was the woman who topped her hijab with a pink, fur trimmed cowboy hat. So I learned that religious Muslim women are not without a sense of whimsy!
And as all our nights out and vacations in the UK seem to end--we hit construction and traffic on the way home. What should have been less than a two-hour drive home turned in to three-and-a-half. It was 1:30 in the morning before we pulled on to our street. Fortunately, Maddie slept in the car. I, however, not only drove home, but got up this morning and got back in the car to take Maddie to a friends birthday party that was almost an hour away. Ugggg.
This evening, we went and had dinner at the Park Club and Skip got to watch a local team play cricket and Maddie played on the playground. It's been a beautiful day, although, I've been a little too tired to fully appreciate it. Just finished making two pecan pies to take to church tomorrow for a potluck. Two pastors from India will be guests at church, and the pastor's wife will be preaching as part of the lay pastor program she is doing. Tony (the pastor) asked if, for the sake of their marriage, I could be the one to offer feed back afterward. :)
Maddie's favorite was dancer Aidan Davis. He is amazing and even better in person.
And the big winners this year are the dance troupe Diversity.
But our family favorite is the father/son team of Stavros Flatly.
I had my cultural assumptions kicked to the curb after watching the audience. Generally when I see Islamic women who cover their hair, I think about what an oppressive and sexist culture they must live in. But last night there were several groups of young women at the show together (all wearing headscarves). They were laughing and taking pictures and screaming with all the rest of the people. The kicker was the woman who topped her hijab with a pink, fur trimmed cowboy hat. So I learned that religious Muslim women are not without a sense of whimsy!
And as all our nights out and vacations in the UK seem to end--we hit construction and traffic on the way home. What should have been less than a two-hour drive home turned in to three-and-a-half. It was 1:30 in the morning before we pulled on to our street. Fortunately, Maddie slept in the car. I, however, not only drove home, but got up this morning and got back in the car to take Maddie to a friends birthday party that was almost an hour away. Ugggg.
This evening, we went and had dinner at the Park Club and Skip got to watch a local team play cricket and Maddie played on the playground. It's been a beautiful day, although, I've been a little too tired to fully appreciate it. Just finished making two pecan pies to take to church tomorrow for a potluck. Two pastors from India will be guests at church, and the pastor's wife will be preaching as part of the lay pastor program she is doing. Tony (the pastor) asked if, for the sake of their marriage, I could be the one to offer feed back afterward. :)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Winding Down or Just Getting Wound Up?
Trauma and drama this morning in the household. Today, Skip and I take Georgia the Fish to her new home with Maddie's buddy from Brownies. Her friend had to leave her fish in the US when they moved here this spring, so she is happy to provide our fish with a new home. Maddie has been crying all week about having to let go of Georgia. Never mind that Georgia would be long gone if she had been depending on Maddie to feed her. But true to her nature, Maddie didn't cry for too long and got on the bus this morning happy as a clam.
I've gone old school (sort of) getting ready for all our trips today. Have one set of directions to Georgia's new home. Another set to get us from that house to Maddie's school. One more set to get us from school to Birmingham and still another to get us back home.
Yes, we are headed to Birmingham to see the live show of Britain's Got Talent. The London shows will all be on when we're in Majorca, so we're making the trip to what Skip calls the Chicago of England. I'm glad we're doing it. Maddie is so sad about leaving everyone here and about school nearly being over, so I'm glad we can do something that she's so excited about that's not tied up in saying good-bye to someone. It's something we'll all really enjoy. Just not looking forward to driving back tonight. We decided that it was easier just to come on home rather than pack and pay for an overnight stay. Plus Maddie has a birthday party tomorrow that we would need to hustle back for.
Skip just got back from his last trip to the Netherlands where the staff surprised him with a reception and some parting gifts. He was really touched. Apparently, not only is he really good at what he does, he has the ability to help other people feel good about what they are doing. Over his time in the Dutch and German offices, he has had to say and do some difficult things, but the people who work for him have thanked him (in person and in writing) for the difference that he has made in his time there. The man has skills.
Still working at getting rid of some of the stuff we don't want moved home. Am hoping some more of it will go before the movers arrive. Still haven't finished that value inventory, but I'm close!
I've gone old school (sort of) getting ready for all our trips today. Have one set of directions to Georgia's new home. Another set to get us from that house to Maddie's school. One more set to get us from school to Birmingham and still another to get us back home.
Yes, we are headed to Birmingham to see the live show of Britain's Got Talent. The London shows will all be on when we're in Majorca, so we're making the trip to what Skip calls the Chicago of England. I'm glad we're doing it. Maddie is so sad about leaving everyone here and about school nearly being over, so I'm glad we can do something that she's so excited about that's not tied up in saying good-bye to someone. It's something we'll all really enjoy. Just not looking forward to driving back tonight. We decided that it was easier just to come on home rather than pack and pay for an overnight stay. Plus Maddie has a birthday party tomorrow that we would need to hustle back for.
Skip just got back from his last trip to the Netherlands where the staff surprised him with a reception and some parting gifts. He was really touched. Apparently, not only is he really good at what he does, he has the ability to help other people feel good about what they are doing. Over his time in the Dutch and German offices, he has had to say and do some difficult things, but the people who work for him have thanked him (in person and in writing) for the difference that he has made in his time there. The man has skills.
Still working at getting rid of some of the stuff we don't want moved home. Am hoping some more of it will go before the movers arrive. Still haven't finished that value inventory, but I'm close!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good
Friends Jim and Glenn have offered to pick up Rosie and Riddles for us in Dallas. Talk about above and beyond! They say it gives them an excuse to head to Dallas, but come on! You need an international bunny arrival to justify a jaunt over to Dallas? I think they're just nice people.
The Bad
In our continued experience with the crime system in the Greater UK area, someone stole our navigation system out of the the glove compartment sometime over the last month. Don't know when it happened, but I needed it yesterday and it wasn't in the glove box AND the little arm it sits on that was stuck to the window was gone as well. The only thing we can figure is that I left the car unlocked at some point and someone just opened the car and took it. I think this is proof positive that I am not a detail person. I have no idea how long the little plastic arm that used to stick out of the windshield has been missing. Never even noticed. Friday and Saturday are going to be ugly as we have to be many different places and will have to get to them the old fashioned way (I know, you're crying me a river), but we're going to wait until we get back to the States to replace the system.
The Ugly
The weather is just cold and icky. It's June and I have on a wool cardigan today. And Maddie is crying almost daily over something, but then again, I pretty much am, too. For Maddie, today's melt-down was over having to transfer Georgia the fish to her new home on Friday. Mercifully, the crying does not last long. As I have said before, the child feels deeply but has trouble maintaining less-than-pleasant emotion for any length of time.
The Good and the Bad
The good: Here (mostly for the Grandparents) is Maddie's choir concert at school. The bad: I ordered a replacement for the video camera that was stolen from my last encounter with the local criminal element, but it's not exactly the same camera and the quality is just not as good. How long must I deal with the repercussions leaving my purse in the car to visit a cemetery????!!!!! On another good note, I finally got my replacement US driver's license.
(okay, having trouble loading the video. will try again later)
Friends Jim and Glenn have offered to pick up Rosie and Riddles for us in Dallas. Talk about above and beyond! They say it gives them an excuse to head to Dallas, but come on! You need an international bunny arrival to justify a jaunt over to Dallas? I think they're just nice people.
The Bad
In our continued experience with the crime system in the Greater UK area, someone stole our navigation system out of the the glove compartment sometime over the last month. Don't know when it happened, but I needed it yesterday and it wasn't in the glove box AND the little arm it sits on that was stuck to the window was gone as well. The only thing we can figure is that I left the car unlocked at some point and someone just opened the car and took it. I think this is proof positive that I am not a detail person. I have no idea how long the little plastic arm that used to stick out of the windshield has been missing. Never even noticed. Friday and Saturday are going to be ugly as we have to be many different places and will have to get to them the old fashioned way (I know, you're crying me a river), but we're going to wait until we get back to the States to replace the system.
The Ugly
The weather is just cold and icky. It's June and I have on a wool cardigan today. And Maddie is crying almost daily over something, but then again, I pretty much am, too. For Maddie, today's melt-down was over having to transfer Georgia the fish to her new home on Friday. Mercifully, the crying does not last long. As I have said before, the child feels deeply but has trouble maintaining less-than-pleasant emotion for any length of time.
The Good and the Bad
The good: Here (mostly for the Grandparents) is Maddie's choir concert at school. The bad: I ordered a replacement for the video camera that was stolen from my last encounter with the local criminal element, but it's not exactly the same camera and the quality is just not as good. How long must I deal with the repercussions leaving my purse in the car to visit a cemetery????!!!!! On another good note, I finally got my replacement US driver's license.
(okay, having trouble loading the video. will try again later)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Duesseldorf
It was really nice to head back to Duesseldorf to see friends--even if it was a very quick trip. And even if it rained for most of the International Festival and in to Saturday night. If the weather had been beautiful with the sun shining, it might have been harder to leave. But we were reminded of why it's not more fun to live in Northern Europe. There are lots of fun things to do and beautiful things to see, but the weather is a real barrier to enjoying these things a large portion of the time!
After a week of sun, this weekend (in Germany and in London) was cold and rainy. We're talking jacket, scarf and closed-toe shoe weather. On the first weekend of June! Ick. But we didn't go for the weather, we went to see friends.
The Robinsons are almost going native there in Duesseldorf. They are going on a local contract and have even sold their house in England. Their girls are continue to flourish at ISD and Karen is going to go back to work part-time starting in the fall. They are getting ready for a huge US vacation, and I find it kind of funny that Maddie's English friends will see the Grand Canyon before she does.
Our friend Mary is getting ready to move back to Delaware. She and her girls will be in Oklahoma quite a bit this summer, so we may get to see them again depending on everyone's schedules and when the shipment of all of our stuff arrives.
We briefly visited with a number of people. A couple of folks are looking at moving to London and are going to be in touch about info on where to live, schools, etc. Another friend and her family are getting ready to move to Brisbane, Australia. Still another is about to head out to the Philippines. There are quite a few folks who have been in Germany for as many as five years who are getting ready to make the move home. It will be interesting to see how they and their kids (who don't remember living in US) will make the transition.
Skip and I did get to go back to our favorite Italian restaurant while Maddie spent the night with the Robinson family. It was nice to see the staff and have one last really great meal there.
It's time to hit is this week to get ready for the move. Still two-and-a-half weeks before the movers arrive, but we'll be gone part of that time. So really only the next week-and-a-half. Though the packers pack it all, I still have lots of stuff to go through. I also have to complete the inventory of stuff (which really brings it home how much stuff we have), get rid of all our food (going to have some interesting meals), finalize bunny transport plans and make the transfer of Maddie's fish to her new home. And I also want to see friends and hit some of my fav London spots one last time. We'll see how it all goes.
Maddie's last day of school is a week from Wednesday. She is awfully weepy these days. Excited to go home, but sad to leave. And without a whole lot of tools on how to handle mixed emotions. So, she just cries. Which is better than screaming or being mean or throwing things.
After a week of sun, this weekend (in Germany and in London) was cold and rainy. We're talking jacket, scarf and closed-toe shoe weather. On the first weekend of June! Ick. But we didn't go for the weather, we went to see friends.
The Robinsons are almost going native there in Duesseldorf. They are going on a local contract and have even sold their house in England. Their girls are continue to flourish at ISD and Karen is going to go back to work part-time starting in the fall. They are getting ready for a huge US vacation, and I find it kind of funny that Maddie's English friends will see the Grand Canyon before she does.
Our friend Mary is getting ready to move back to Delaware. She and her girls will be in Oklahoma quite a bit this summer, so we may get to see them again depending on everyone's schedules and when the shipment of all of our stuff arrives.
We briefly visited with a number of people. A couple of folks are looking at moving to London and are going to be in touch about info on where to live, schools, etc. Another friend and her family are getting ready to move to Brisbane, Australia. Still another is about to head out to the Philippines. There are quite a few folks who have been in Germany for as many as five years who are getting ready to make the move home. It will be interesting to see how they and their kids (who don't remember living in US) will make the transition.
Skip and I did get to go back to our favorite Italian restaurant while Maddie spent the night with the Robinson family. It was nice to see the staff and have one last really great meal there.
It's time to hit is this week to get ready for the move. Still two-and-a-half weeks before the movers arrive, but we'll be gone part of that time. So really only the next week-and-a-half. Though the packers pack it all, I still have lots of stuff to go through. I also have to complete the inventory of stuff (which really brings it home how much stuff we have), get rid of all our food (going to have some interesting meals), finalize bunny transport plans and make the transfer of Maddie's fish to her new home. And I also want to see friends and hit some of my fav London spots one last time. We'll see how it all goes.
Maddie's last day of school is a week from Wednesday. She is awfully weepy these days. Excited to go home, but sad to leave. And without a whole lot of tools on how to handle mixed emotions. So, she just cries. Which is better than screaming or being mean or throwing things.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Field Tripping
Big Ben....Parlaiment
Striking a pose at Trafalgar Square
Class 2B on the London Eye
Following a Wednesday full of paying attention to detail, slogging through laundry and cleaning out closets, I hit the road with the second graders of ACS for a field trip into London to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Trafalgar Sqaure and St. James Park. It was a beautiful day. On a great day like this, when the sun is shining and a cool breeze is blowing and the crowds are not to bad, you wonder why anyone would ever leave London. Then you hit a day when it's pouring rain and cold and the Tube line you need is closed and you have to push your way through crushing crowds like a salmon swimming upstream trying to make your train, and you remember why some people opt not to stay forever. But today, was one of those perfect days when London seems kind of magical.
I was really impressed by how well all the kids did. We walked them all over down town London and they all stayed with "their adult" and no one complained about the walking or being hungry or having to go the bathroom right after we left somewhere there was a bathroom. It was a field trip miracle.
Maddie is plumb wore out. I've gotten her to sleep about 45 minutes earlier than usual without much effort.
After strolling around London with some of the other parents, I am glad we chose to live closer to the city rather than further out toward the school. Whereas I was familiar with all the places we visited, many of the parents who live further out in the burbs had never explored this part of London. Several of them had never been to the National Gallery that sits on Trafalgar Square and I've popped in there many times.
Am hoping to get most of the moving prep done before we leave for Duesseldorf tomorrow so that I can just enjoy being here next week.
Couldn't believe the coverage of the 20 year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!
you would think that after moving to two different foreign countries that moving back to the good ole US of A would be a snap. But no.
things keep popping up. We're minus some paperwork we need to sell our car back to the dealership, so that was an issue that had to be worked through. The bunnies may now have to come through Dallas instead of Memphis, so now to add to the tab, we may be paying folks to drive them to Little Rock. I've just had to let go of that one. I've been so worried about the bunnies and whether or not they will survive this trip and about the state of my marriage if they don't. (I wanted to find them a nice British home). I've just had to let it go. Too much stress over creatures that don't even seem to recognize the person who feeds them and lets them roam free on a daily basis. What will be will be. If anything happens to them, I will grieve longer than Maddie.
Wednesday is trash day and normally we have two trash barrels and one or two bags of recycling. Tomorrow, I will be putting out all three trash barrels and SIX recycling bags. have been having a great time cleaning out the closets and cupboards. Am trying to a charity that will pick up some of the furniture I don't want to bring home, but all the shops I've contacted so far are too far out of our area to make a pick up. I am being thwarted.
Have finally had some inquiries about the televisions. These tvs will only work in the states if we plug them into a converter and only use them with dvds. They won't work with American cable and satellite systems, so if we could sell them, it would be a very good thing.
Am working on our inventory for the movers. I almost just want to tell a charity shop to come in and take it all and we'll start fresh in the US, but I don't think that would be a big hit with the rest of the family. Plus, apparently, we're not in an area that qualifies for pick-ups!
Planning on doing a gratitude exercise before going to bed tonight. The details of this move tend to put me in a foul mood, and I start to forget how fortunate I am. Amazing how easy it is to start complaining and to stop being thankful.
things keep popping up. We're minus some paperwork we need to sell our car back to the dealership, so that was an issue that had to be worked through. The bunnies may now have to come through Dallas instead of Memphis, so now to add to the tab, we may be paying folks to drive them to Little Rock. I've just had to let go of that one. I've been so worried about the bunnies and whether or not they will survive this trip and about the state of my marriage if they don't. (I wanted to find them a nice British home). I've just had to let it go. Too much stress over creatures that don't even seem to recognize the person who feeds them and lets them roam free on a daily basis. What will be will be. If anything happens to them, I will grieve longer than Maddie.
Wednesday is trash day and normally we have two trash barrels and one or two bags of recycling. Tomorrow, I will be putting out all three trash barrels and SIX recycling bags. have been having a great time cleaning out the closets and cupboards. Am trying to a charity that will pick up some of the furniture I don't want to bring home, but all the shops I've contacted so far are too far out of our area to make a pick up. I am being thwarted.
Have finally had some inquiries about the televisions. These tvs will only work in the states if we plug them into a converter and only use them with dvds. They won't work with American cable and satellite systems, so if we could sell them, it would be a very good thing.
Am working on our inventory for the movers. I almost just want to tell a charity shop to come in and take it all and we'll start fresh in the US, but I don't think that would be a big hit with the rest of the family. Plus, apparently, we're not in an area that qualifies for pick-ups!
Planning on doing a gratitude exercise before going to bed tonight. The details of this move tend to put me in a foul mood, and I start to forget how fortunate I am. Amazing how easy it is to start complaining and to stop being thankful.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Perhaps I spoke too soon
While my athletic stamina has definitely improved, yesterday's yoga class caused me to wake up this morning in a world of hurt! Because you're exercising in a heated room, your muscles are warmer and you can stretch more--which seems like a good idea at the time. But I am moving a little stiffly today.
Good news! The dealership is going to buy our car for a fairly decent price. Skip is pleased with the deal and we'll turn it in to them on June 15. I tried to make the argument that since I'm the one who has driven the car (making it essentially my car), perhaps I should be the one who gets the check and decides how we should spend it. Skip said that was fine...as long as I decided to spend the money toward a new car---for him! Oh, well.
Even more good news. We've found Georgia the fish a good home. One of the girls in Maddie's Brownie troupe and her family are ready to adopt a fish.
Friend Pam has loaned us a paper shredded and we've already filled up one big recycling bag. Am starting to get a little overwhelmed. This morning, I had Maddie continue to work on her thank you notes from her birthday. I got out the list people and presents that we put together right after her party and three different sets up note cards to choose from and put it all out on our table. She waited until I got upstairs to call "what am I supposed to write with?" I came very close to yelling down, "With a #@%& pen! What else would you write with?" Instead, I took a deep breath and told her that I she was perfectly capable of finding a pen. Actually my response was probably a little more curt, but there were no curse words. Perhaps I need more yoga.
Good news! The dealership is going to buy our car for a fairly decent price. Skip is pleased with the deal and we'll turn it in to them on June 15. I tried to make the argument that since I'm the one who has driven the car (making it essentially my car), perhaps I should be the one who gets the check and decides how we should spend it. Skip said that was fine...as long as I decided to spend the money toward a new car---for him! Oh, well.
Even more good news. We've found Georgia the fish a good home. One of the girls in Maddie's Brownie troupe and her family are ready to adopt a fish.
Friend Pam has loaned us a paper shredded and we've already filled up one big recycling bag. Am starting to get a little overwhelmed. This morning, I had Maddie continue to work on her thank you notes from her birthday. I got out the list people and presents that we put together right after her party and three different sets up note cards to choose from and put it all out on our table. She waited until I got upstairs to call "what am I supposed to write with?" I came very close to yelling down, "With a #@%& pen! What else would you write with?" Instead, I took a deep breath and told her that I she was perfectly capable of finding a pen. Actually my response was probably a little more curt, but there were no curse words. Perhaps I need more yoga.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Couldn't Resist
My friend Kate, a pastor who also interned at Fourth Church in Boston, is very pregnant with her second child. I think she's due in early August. This Sunday, she's choosing to preach from the Epistle passage in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Romans 8:22-27
8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
8:23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
8:27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Could be one of the best sermons ever!
Romans 8:22-27
8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
8:23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
8:27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Could be one of the best sermons ever!
In Pretty Good Shape
Just took an hour-and-a-half class of Bikram (aka sweatbox) yoga and made it through the whole class without having to take a break or passing out. AND I didn't feel like I was going to throw up at the end. I must be in much better shape than the last time I took the class! There was a time when we were doing the Camel Pose that I though I might pass out, so I came out of the pose. It's a deep stretch toward the end of the class and it stimulates the nervous system, so it can make your heart race. Apparently I wasn't the only person who came out of the pose early because while we were recovering and about to go into the pose for a second time, the teacher said, "Try to stay with the pose this time. You may feel light headed or even slightly nauseous, but just breathe through it. It's okay to be uncomfortable. Just stay with it and breathe." I thought--that'll preach.
As I write, my egg cooker is cooking away so that I can make two dozen deviled eggs for the American booth at tomorrow's Family Fun Day at ACS.
We're going to break down and take the car into the Peugeot dealership to see what they'll give us for it. It's gotta be better than being cited for abandoning it on the side of the road. Am getting ready to post our table and chairs on Freecycle to see if someone will pick it up and haul it away. If it works well, I may post other things before the movers come. My wonderful friend Pam has offered for Maddie to come to their house and spend the night on the day the packers are coming. What a great gift!
I'm carrying around four Oyster cards (bus and tube passes) right now. We have extras for guests and some of them were hooked up to our bank account to automatically top up when the credit ran low. I've cancelled all the top ups on all the cards except the one Skip is using to get to work and back. I'm just going to use the rest until I use up all the credit on each.
Been going through the kitchen cabinets and am imagining some interesting meals in the days to come as I try to use up what we have.
As I write, my egg cooker is cooking away so that I can make two dozen deviled eggs for the American booth at tomorrow's Family Fun Day at ACS.
We're going to break down and take the car into the Peugeot dealership to see what they'll give us for it. It's gotta be better than being cited for abandoning it on the side of the road. Am getting ready to post our table and chairs on Freecycle to see if someone will pick it up and haul it away. If it works well, I may post other things before the movers come. My wonderful friend Pam has offered for Maddie to come to their house and spend the night on the day the packers are coming. What a great gift!
I'm carrying around four Oyster cards (bus and tube passes) right now. We have extras for guests and some of them were hooked up to our bank account to automatically top up when the credit ran low. I've cancelled all the top ups on all the cards except the one Skip is using to get to work and back. I'm just going to use the rest until I use up all the credit on each.
Been going through the kitchen cabinets and am imagining some interesting meals in the days to come as I try to use up what we have.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Had to record
Maddie is finally writing thank you notes for her birthday gifts. Here's one to her friend Kara.
Dear Kara,
Thank you SO much for the Game of Life. I kept waiting to play it. I waited 3 days! Finally, we played it. Dad won. I did not care.
Sincerely, Maddie
I think she has a gift for correspondence.
Dear Kara,
Thank you SO much for the Game of Life. I kept waiting to play it. I waited 3 days! Finally, we played it. Dad won. I did not care.
Sincerely, Maddie
I think she has a gift for correspondence.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Gearing Up to Go Home
Our guests had a good time on their whirlwind bus tour. Susan, who was sure that Stonehenge had not changed in 10 years, was proven wrong. It has changed. Now you have to stand even further back from the rock formations! So she way if from a whole new perspective. On Tuesday, they hit Westminster Abbey and Tower of London. When Ken came back to meet Skip for a cricket game, Susan and Hayley ventured out on their own, armed only with a tube pass and a credit card. They even found their way back. Next time, they can bring friends and become the tour guides.
Tuesday was a great day for me as the kitchen sink that has been dripping for two weeks finally got repaired. Ahhhhhhhh.
Got the Allen's off on Wednesday and have been churning out laundry ever since. Not that their visit generated a lot of laundry, I just didn't do much while they were here, so it had really piled up!
Our packers come four weeks from today. And the week before they come, we are going to Majorca (or Mallorca, depending on which country you're in), so I have three weeks to get ready. Yikes. So much to get rid of and have had no bites from the school web site on selling stuff. We also still have our car. It's a good car, but dealers have so much stock that people can get a used car from one of them that comes with a full vehicle inspection and a warranty. So there's not a lot of incentive to buy from an individual. Skip is going to take it in to the dealer to see what we can get for it. Not sure about the legalities of abandoning it on the side of the road.
Britain's Got Talent is continuing to dominate our home life. Even the Allen's got hooked on it. The semi-finals run every night this week (except for last night when the ManU/Barcelona champions league final was on). The finals will be on Saturday. For all the Americans who have been following the Cinderella story of Susan Boyle, she's not a shoe-in. She's got some serious competition. Maddie doesn't know it yet, but we've booked tickets to go see all the finalists live in June. It has been really funny how excited she has gotten about this.
Speaking of the champions league, it will be a sad day in England today as Barcelona beat them 2-0.
Tuesday was a great day for me as the kitchen sink that has been dripping for two weeks finally got repaired. Ahhhhhhhh.
Got the Allen's off on Wednesday and have been churning out laundry ever since. Not that their visit generated a lot of laundry, I just didn't do much while they were here, so it had really piled up!
Our packers come four weeks from today. And the week before they come, we are going to Majorca (or Mallorca, depending on which country you're in), so I have three weeks to get ready. Yikes. So much to get rid of and have had no bites from the school web site on selling stuff. We also still have our car. It's a good car, but dealers have so much stock that people can get a used car from one of them that comes with a full vehicle inspection and a warranty. So there's not a lot of incentive to buy from an individual. Skip is going to take it in to the dealer to see what we can get for it. Not sure about the legalities of abandoning it on the side of the road.
Britain's Got Talent is continuing to dominate our home life. Even the Allen's got hooked on it. The semi-finals run every night this week (except for last night when the ManU/Barcelona champions league final was on). The finals will be on Saturday. For all the Americans who have been following the Cinderella story of Susan Boyle, she's not a shoe-in. She's got some serious competition. Maddie doesn't know it yet, but we've booked tickets to go see all the finalists live in June. It has been really funny how excited she has gotten about this.
Speaking of the champions league, it will be a sad day in England today as Barcelona beat them 2-0.
Monday, May 25, 2009
More London Touring
Saturday we did the museum drive-by. Took the Tube to South Kennsington Station, which is the gateway to several London museums. Since entrance to the museums is free, we could duck in and duck out. We stopped by the Victoria and Albert museum, so that Haley could get her picture taken by the Rodin sculptures. It seemed a shame to pose and dash, but we had a schedule to keep. From there we went down the Natural History Museum where we saw the big dinosaur a la Night at the Museum and Maddie showed Haley, Susan and Ken the examination center where kids learn more about how to identify plans and animals. That particular museum building is just fantastic all by itself, so I wanted them to be sure and see it. Then it was off for a lunch at Le Pain Quotidian and another first for our guests--a completely organic restaurant. We have fed them lots of new and odd things, and they have been willing to try it all. Susan and Haley, however, did draw the line at sushi.
All through our museum/lunch dash, we're getting text messages from Skip, letting us know where he was on his journey back from the states. He managed to get home, shower and meet us at the theater with time to spare. Even time to grab a quick bite to eat at the train station. Wicked was, once again, fabulous. I'm not sure I would ever get tired of it. Our guests enjoyed it, too, and were particularly captivated by the elaborate costumes and the complicated set.
From there, we made our way back to Chiswick. We have learned that trying to get a table on Saturday night in Central London with a group larger than 2 is just a nightmare, so I had made reservations at an Indian restaurant near our house. It's Skip's favorite place and Susan, Ken and Haley had never had Indian. We stopped after the play at the train station and got Maddie chicken nuggets and french fries at Burger King! She's never bought in to the Indian style of eating.
Great meal. Nice walk home. Just in time for Maddie's latest obsession--Britiain's Got Talent. After that was over, we all expected Skip to be snoring on the couch, but he starts fiddling with the remote to pull up a cricket match he had recorded so that he could explain the game to Ken before they see a game on Tuesday night. I was asleep before he ever made it to bed that night.
Then on Sunday, Skip and Ken went to Skip's final Fulham game (football). And Haley, Susan, Maddie and I went to Harrod's. That place is just something else. I didn't realize that Roberto Cavalli and Dior and Betsy Johnson made designs to fit children as young as 10. Because every fifth grader needs a 300 pound skirt! Insane. Speaking of insane, Maddie and I bought the bunnies a toy at the Harrod's pet land. Okay, that's not too crazy. If we had bought one of the puppies selling for 1,500 pounds, that would have been over the top.
Today, the guests have gotten up early to catch a tour bus that will take them to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. It will be a full day. Just as in America, today is a holiday in GB. We may go see or do something, but Skip is still asleep and I could do with a little time to putter about the house. I think after being here for a week, Susan feels like she should stay longer to help me organize my cabinets and closets. I told her I'd put her to work in the US when the shipment of all this stuff arrives.
If Haley didn't have to get home and take an algebra 2 test to finish up her sophomore year, we'd just keep her here with us til time to go back. But I'm guessing her mom and dad (and maybe even her little brother) are ready for her to be home.
All through our museum/lunch dash, we're getting text messages from Skip, letting us know where he was on his journey back from the states. He managed to get home, shower and meet us at the theater with time to spare. Even time to grab a quick bite to eat at the train station. Wicked was, once again, fabulous. I'm not sure I would ever get tired of it. Our guests enjoyed it, too, and were particularly captivated by the elaborate costumes and the complicated set.
From there, we made our way back to Chiswick. We have learned that trying to get a table on Saturday night in Central London with a group larger than 2 is just a nightmare, so I had made reservations at an Indian restaurant near our house. It's Skip's favorite place and Susan, Ken and Haley had never had Indian. We stopped after the play at the train station and got Maddie chicken nuggets and french fries at Burger King! She's never bought in to the Indian style of eating.
Great meal. Nice walk home. Just in time for Maddie's latest obsession--Britiain's Got Talent. After that was over, we all expected Skip to be snoring on the couch, but he starts fiddling with the remote to pull up a cricket match he had recorded so that he could explain the game to Ken before they see a game on Tuesday night. I was asleep before he ever made it to bed that night.
Then on Sunday, Skip and Ken went to Skip's final Fulham game (football). And Haley, Susan, Maddie and I went to Harrod's. That place is just something else. I didn't realize that Roberto Cavalli and Dior and Betsy Johnson made designs to fit children as young as 10. Because every fifth grader needs a 300 pound skirt! Insane. Speaking of insane, Maddie and I bought the bunnies a toy at the Harrod's pet land. Okay, that's not too crazy. If we had bought one of the puppies selling for 1,500 pounds, that would have been over the top.
Today, the guests have gotten up early to catch a tour bus that will take them to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. It will be a full day. Just as in America, today is a holiday in GB. We may go see or do something, but Skip is still asleep and I could do with a little time to putter about the house. I think after being here for a week, Susan feels like she should stay longer to help me organize my cabinets and closets. I told her I'd put her to work in the US when the shipment of all this stuff arrives.
If Haley didn't have to get home and take an algebra 2 test to finish up her sophomore year, we'd just keep her here with us til time to go back. But I'm guessing her mom and dad (and maybe even her little brother) are ready for her to be home.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Pictures
Haley ponders a 400 pound shoe purchase at Jimmy Choo's
Ken and Haley at High Tea
Maddie and Haley at high tea
Haley leaning on the world's most photographed lion in Trafalgar Square
Maddie and Haley at Trafalgar Square
Haley at the Eiffel Tower
at the Louvre
eating dim sum with chopsticks for the first time
in front of an iconic London phone booth
Me, Susan and Haley in front of Tower Bridge by the Tower of London
Busy Touring
Hit London hard on Wednesday. Started off Haley's 16th birthday the way every girl dreams--with a second grade music concert at Maddie's school. I have video of the concert which I will post when I can. It takes a long time load and edit.
Then we sprung Maddie out of school and we all headed into London via the tube. We got off at Piccadilly Circus and headed to China town where I took everyone for dim sum (which is kind of like Chinese tapas). Ken and Susan and Haley had never had dim sum, nor had the eaten with chopsticks, so we all had a lot of fun. We enjoyed walking through China town and made our way over to the National Gallery. Haley's mom is an art teacher in Taylor, Arkansas, so we had to make sure that Haley saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Monet's bridge paintings. And we picked up a couple of things at the gift store.
From there we headed to Fortnum and Mason for tea. A department store that is older than Arkansas, Fortnum and Mason is terribly elegant and does a great tea in their fourth floor dining area. There we all dined on scones, finger sandwiches, pastries and, of course, tea. Ken told us to say that he was not there, but I believe we have pictures. Maddie did pretty well through all of this, but was beginning to fade. I just haul her little self around everywhere.
Then we walked down Bond Street where saw all the high end stores like Tiffany's, Hermes, Dolce and Gabbana, etc. Haley and I enjoyed a pop into Jimmy Choo's. Neither of us had an extra 400 pounds to pick up this seasons latest sling back. When we made it past all the high end stuff, we wound our way over to what has to be every 16-year-old girl's dream store. Top Shop. Haley was properly enamored and picked up a new pair of sunglasses. By the time the 94 bus brought us home, we were worn out and pleasantly surprised to find that the hot water had been fixed. Whew!
Thursday, I got Maddie off to school and then took the group to St. Pancras Station to catch their Eurostar train to France. I was supposed to go with them, but Skip's trip to the States made that impossible. I started to feel sorry for myself about missing Paris, and then realized that anyone who has the opportunity to be disappointed at not getting to see Paris for a FOURTH time in her life really ought to be just extremely grateful. The trip to the train station was our guests chance to experience the real London. The morning trains were packed with people. Then, a strike on the Victoria line caused us to have make a detour that put us behind schedule. Couple that with the ridiculous number of people at the Kings Cross/St. Pancras Station (we now know what salmon feel like trying to swim upstream), and we missed the train. Fortunately, the train line issued new tickets for no extra charge (because of the strike) for a train leaving about an hour later.
I've spent yesterday and today catching up and resting up from all our touring. Am hoping their time in Paris is going well. They should be arriving back in London at about 8 p.m. tonight. All Tube lines should be in working order, and I wrote down directions on how to get back. But I'm betting they'll just opt to take a cab!
Then we sprung Maddie out of school and we all headed into London via the tube. We got off at Piccadilly Circus and headed to China town where I took everyone for dim sum (which is kind of like Chinese tapas). Ken and Susan and Haley had never had dim sum, nor had the eaten with chopsticks, so we all had a lot of fun. We enjoyed walking through China town and made our way over to the National Gallery. Haley's mom is an art teacher in Taylor, Arkansas, so we had to make sure that Haley saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Monet's bridge paintings. And we picked up a couple of things at the gift store.
From there we headed to Fortnum and Mason for tea. A department store that is older than Arkansas, Fortnum and Mason is terribly elegant and does a great tea in their fourth floor dining area. There we all dined on scones, finger sandwiches, pastries and, of course, tea. Ken told us to say that he was not there, but I believe we have pictures. Maddie did pretty well through all of this, but was beginning to fade. I just haul her little self around everywhere.
Then we walked down Bond Street where saw all the high end stores like Tiffany's, Hermes, Dolce and Gabbana, etc. Haley and I enjoyed a pop into Jimmy Choo's. Neither of us had an extra 400 pounds to pick up this seasons latest sling back. When we made it past all the high end stuff, we wound our way over to what has to be every 16-year-old girl's dream store. Top Shop. Haley was properly enamored and picked up a new pair of sunglasses. By the time the 94 bus brought us home, we were worn out and pleasantly surprised to find that the hot water had been fixed. Whew!
Thursday, I got Maddie off to school and then took the group to St. Pancras Station to catch their Eurostar train to France. I was supposed to go with them, but Skip's trip to the States made that impossible. I started to feel sorry for myself about missing Paris, and then realized that anyone who has the opportunity to be disappointed at not getting to see Paris for a FOURTH time in her life really ought to be just extremely grateful. The trip to the train station was our guests chance to experience the real London. The morning trains were packed with people. Then, a strike on the Victoria line caused us to have make a detour that put us behind schedule. Couple that with the ridiculous number of people at the Kings Cross/St. Pancras Station (we now know what salmon feel like trying to swim upstream), and we missed the train. Fortunately, the train line issued new tickets for no extra charge (because of the strike) for a train leaving about an hour later.
I've spent yesterday and today catching up and resting up from all our touring. Am hoping their time in Paris is going well. They should be arriving back in London at about 8 p.m. tonight. All Tube lines should be in working order, and I wrote down directions on how to get back. But I'm betting they'll just opt to take a cab!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Lost and Found
Just got a call from the maitre'd at Calamari restaurant on Chiswick High Street where Ken and Susan and Haley were because they turned the wrong way coming out the tube stop after their adventures in London today. I had to leave them about 4 p.m. so I could make it back to pick up Maddie at the late bus stop. I think they are headed in the right direction now. Wait until they get here and learn that we have no hot water! Fun times!
The weather was off and on today. We needed sunglasses and umbrellas. Scarfs and shirt sleeves. All at various times. They got a taste of what it's really like to live in London.
Ken and Susan and Haley in front of Big Ben/Parlaiment
Waiting for the changing of the guard a Buckingham palace
In front of Buckingham Palace
The weather was off and on today. We needed sunglasses and umbrellas. Scarfs and shirt sleeves. All at various times. They got a taste of what it's really like to live in London.
Ken and Susan and Haley in front of Big Ben/Parlaiment
Waiting for the changing of the guard a Buckingham palace
In front of Buckingham Palace
Saturday, May 16, 2009
So Not Cut Out for This
Holy cow! There is nothing like five little girls spending the night to zap the energy right out of you. I would not make it through this motherhood thing if I had more than one. It will take me the next year to recuperate before I'm ready to do it again. And these are all really sweet girls. There was a jumping on the sofa incident and one of them likes to go through the cabinets (what's that about?), but all in all, they got along and played well together. And I'm still completely shattered.
The only creatures worse off than me this morning may be the bunnies. They were a big hit with the kids, but after an afternoon and then a morning of playtime, I think the bunnies may be completely traumatized.
I made a terribly tacky version of a cake shaped like an I-pod that Maddie saw on a web site. It tasted great, but I won't be showing any pictures. For dinner (per Maddie's request), we had hot dogs, mash and green peas along with cheese and onion potato chips. Then the girls busted out on Maddie's new karaoke machine. The only bump there was that one of the little girls isn't allowed to watch Hannah Montana, so she didn't know any of the songs on that disk and was feeling left out until we switched over to Lion King. For a movie, there were many good choices of things we had DVR'd, and they chose what may be the dumbest movie I have ever seen--Dudley Do Right. They laughed and laughed and laughed. Perhaps I'm just not the target audience.
Maddie's room was one big bed. with her trundle bed pulled out and two more mattresses on the floor, there was no "non-bed" space to walk on. They pulled out all these books and read to each other. Then when the lights went out, there was more talking and giggling and talking and giggling. This is a little house, so no quiet corner could be found. As Skip and I were lying in bed waiting for the silence so we could sleep, we were comforted by the fact that they just sounded like they were having so much fun. They finally went to sleep a little before midnight and were up at 6:30 this morning. Skip went off into London to pick up Krispy Kreme donuts per Maddie's request, and then I made scrambled eggs to try and slow the blood sugar spike induced by the donuts.
More karaoke, more bunny time and a trip to the park got us to parent pick-up time. Maddie is now in a coma in front of the television. Skip has gone out for a run and I am preparing for our guests to come on Monday. Skip is leaving tomorrow a.m.for the US. But first, there is Girl Scout Father/Daughter bowling out in one of the western burbs this afternoon. I imagine Maddie will fall asleep in the car on the way.
But she had a great time, and if she can recover for school on Monday, all should be right with the world.
Oh, and I just had to include this e-mail that we got from elementary school principal at Maddie's school. Bizarre!
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lentz
Dear Parents,
We had two wonderful Middle School field trips - Grade 6 just returned from Scotland and Grade 7 from France. All students returned safely, having had a stimulating and enjoyable trip. I would like to make you aware that when the Grade 7 bus arrived a parent noticed that there were two uninvited passengers under the bus. I am pleased to inform you that our Security Coordinator, Mr. Malcolm Richards, immediately responded and escorted the two young men to our transport office. The police were telephoned and they responded quickly to question and escort the two young men off campus. Apparently they were refugees who had been hanging on the undercarriage of the bus from when the bus left France.
I want to reassure you that the students were not involved and most were not even aware that there was a problem.
Ginger G. Apple
Head of School
ACS Hillingdon
The only creatures worse off than me this morning may be the bunnies. They were a big hit with the kids, but after an afternoon and then a morning of playtime, I think the bunnies may be completely traumatized.
I made a terribly tacky version of a cake shaped like an I-pod that Maddie saw on a web site. It tasted great, but I won't be showing any pictures. For dinner (per Maddie's request), we had hot dogs, mash and green peas along with cheese and onion potato chips. Then the girls busted out on Maddie's new karaoke machine. The only bump there was that one of the little girls isn't allowed to watch Hannah Montana, so she didn't know any of the songs on that disk and was feeling left out until we switched over to Lion King. For a movie, there were many good choices of things we had DVR'd, and they chose what may be the dumbest movie I have ever seen--Dudley Do Right. They laughed and laughed and laughed. Perhaps I'm just not the target audience.
Maddie's room was one big bed. with her trundle bed pulled out and two more mattresses on the floor, there was no "non-bed" space to walk on. They pulled out all these books and read to each other. Then when the lights went out, there was more talking and giggling and talking and giggling. This is a little house, so no quiet corner could be found. As Skip and I were lying in bed waiting for the silence so we could sleep, we were comforted by the fact that they just sounded like they were having so much fun. They finally went to sleep a little before midnight and were up at 6:30 this morning. Skip went off into London to pick up Krispy Kreme donuts per Maddie's request, and then I made scrambled eggs to try and slow the blood sugar spike induced by the donuts.
More karaoke, more bunny time and a trip to the park got us to parent pick-up time. Maddie is now in a coma in front of the television. Skip has gone out for a run and I am preparing for our guests to come on Monday. Skip is leaving tomorrow a.m.for the US. But first, there is Girl Scout Father/Daughter bowling out in one of the western burbs this afternoon. I imagine Maddie will fall asleep in the car on the way.
But she had a great time, and if she can recover for school on Monday, all should be right with the world.
Oh, and I just had to include this e-mail that we got from elementary school principal at Maddie's school. Bizarre!
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lentz
Dear Parents,
We had two wonderful Middle School field trips - Grade 6 just returned from Scotland and Grade 7 from France. All students returned safely, having had a stimulating and enjoyable trip. I would like to make you aware that when the Grade 7 bus arrived a parent noticed that there were two uninvited passengers under the bus. I am pleased to inform you that our Security Coordinator, Mr. Malcolm Richards, immediately responded and escorted the two young men to our transport office. The police were telephoned and they responded quickly to question and escort the two young men off campus. Apparently they were refugees who had been hanging on the undercarriage of the bus from when the bus left France.
I want to reassure you that the students were not involved and most were not even aware that there was a problem.
Ginger G. Apple
Head of School
ACS Hillingdon
Thursday, May 14, 2009
She's 8
Who can believe that 8 years have gone by since I was so huge I could barely waddle to the hospital, and they gave me and Skip this adorable little chubby baby to take home and raise?
I have to say that, while we have had no idea what we're doing, Maddie has turned out even better than we could have hoped. She is sweet and thoughtful. She is an encourager instead of a complainer or a critic. She is comfortable with herself and doesn't care if her socks match. She is bringing the most disastrous looking cupcakes (she helped decorate) to school today and says "who cares what they look like? they taste great!" She's got her own groove going, and not only does she like it, other people seem to as well. How could we ask for more?
She is a total slob, but that must be genetic as Mom has pictures of my room at that age that can rival Maddie's. Heck, Andrea Choate has pictures of our dorm room that could TOP Maddie's. She's a picky eater, but she's super healthy, so she must be getting the right stuff. And she often spends too much time thinking about what she wants instead of appreciating what she has, but I suppose that's a lesson we all struggle with.
We are very blessed indeed. I can't even begin to imagine what the next eight years will bring. I know they will not be boring!
I have to say that, while we have had no idea what we're doing, Maddie has turned out even better than we could have hoped. She is sweet and thoughtful. She is an encourager instead of a complainer or a critic. She is comfortable with herself and doesn't care if her socks match. She is bringing the most disastrous looking cupcakes (she helped decorate) to school today and says "who cares what they look like? they taste great!" She's got her own groove going, and not only does she like it, other people seem to as well. How could we ask for more?
She is a total slob, but that must be genetic as Mom has pictures of my room at that age that can rival Maddie's. Heck, Andrea Choate has pictures of our dorm room that could TOP Maddie's. She's a picky eater, but she's super healthy, so she must be getting the right stuff. And she often spends too much time thinking about what she wants instead of appreciating what she has, but I suppose that's a lesson we all struggle with.
We are very blessed indeed. I can't even begin to imagine what the next eight years will bring. I know they will not be boring!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
On Sunday, I went to one of the most poorly executed worship services I've ever attended. While I am always a champion of using new ways of expressing prayer, music and the Word in worship, I am also a fan of preparation and practice. Things can always go wrong in a worship service and you just have to roll with it, but this service had clearly not been properly thought out. Something as simply as a pre-worship sound check would have made a huge difference. I don't like being critical about worship because I think everyone has a different idea about what worship should and could be, but I think that a poorly planned service communicates to the congregation that this hour on Sunday morning is just not all that important. Okay, I'm done now.
So Cousin Olie stayed an extra night, since a problem on the Tube caused him to miss his flight. He and Skip also had a problem with a boat ride earlier in the day. London on the weekends is never without its glitches. Thanks to my mom, I know how to make dinner with whatever is on hand, so by the time they made it back to the house after a long day of site seeing, a frantic run to the airport and a frustrating re-booking experience, I was able to put out pesto pasta and shrimp. It might not have actually been that good, but as tired and hungry as they were, it was perfect.
Skip and Olie in our back garden
In the a.m., Skip worked from home so he could put Maddie on the bus and I could drive Olie to the airport. No taking any more tube chances. Skip left for Amsterdam yesterday afternoon and will be back late Wednesday. He told his office that he had to be back in London for his daughter's birthday and I made sure his daughter knew that.
Now all the focus can shift to Maddie and her birthday party. It may not be until Friday, but there are treat bags to make, food to buy, cupcakes (for the class) to bake and an I-pod cake (for the party) to assemble. Maddie has got birthday blinders on. I took her after school yesterday to get her hair trimmed. When I told her that I had an appointment to get my hair cut on Wednesday, her response was, "I hope it doesn't take too long because you have a lot of cupcakes to bake." Ahhh, the rewards of motherhood!
So these are the "treat bags" for Maddie's party. She picked out the fabrics for each girl based on each friend's likes and interests. Then I sewed them. This is a good picture since you can't see the actual "craftsmanship".
So Cousin Olie stayed an extra night, since a problem on the Tube caused him to miss his flight. He and Skip also had a problem with a boat ride earlier in the day. London on the weekends is never without its glitches. Thanks to my mom, I know how to make dinner with whatever is on hand, so by the time they made it back to the house after a long day of site seeing, a frantic run to the airport and a frustrating re-booking experience, I was able to put out pesto pasta and shrimp. It might not have actually been that good, but as tired and hungry as they were, it was perfect.
Skip and Olie in our back garden
In the a.m., Skip worked from home so he could put Maddie on the bus and I could drive Olie to the airport. No taking any more tube chances. Skip left for Amsterdam yesterday afternoon and will be back late Wednesday. He told his office that he had to be back in London for his daughter's birthday and I made sure his daughter knew that.
Now all the focus can shift to Maddie and her birthday party. It may not be until Friday, but there are treat bags to make, food to buy, cupcakes (for the class) to bake and an I-pod cake (for the party) to assemble. Maddie has got birthday blinders on. I took her after school yesterday to get her hair trimmed. When I told her that I had an appointment to get my hair cut on Wednesday, her response was, "I hope it doesn't take too long because you have a lot of cupcakes to bake." Ahhh, the rewards of motherhood!
So these are the "treat bags" for Maddie's party. She picked out the fabrics for each girl based on each friend's likes and interests. Then I sewed them. This is a good picture since you can't see the actual "craftsmanship".
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
Am up way too early and have already outlined a tour plan for Olie and Skip today--including alternative bus routes as one of the Tube lines they need to take is closed for maintenance this weekend. Not sure if they can get it all in before Olie has to catch his plane tonight, but my husband is a master at cramming the maximum amount of activity in any given time period. Then again, he also loves to sit around and do nothing. A man of extremes.
Was very impressed by how well Maddie and two of her friends (who are brother and sister) behaved at yesterday's first communion service for their friend. I was fearful at one point we would have to have a big discussion about theology and the difference between Catholics and Protestants and why we weren't taking communion there, but an assurance that Catholics, too, are Christians who just worship a bit differently than we do was all that was needed.
There was a great prayer at the end of the service that the parents of the children who were receiving communion stood and said together. It is really beautiful. Don't know if this is a standard part of this particular mass or if someone in the congregation found or wrote it. But here it is. I think it's a wonderful prayer to say every day.
Gracious God, here are our children
Reach out and touch them with your love
Help them be aware of your presence with them in their daily lives
Guide them and inspire them
Call them and strengthen them to respond to adventures you have planned for them
Help us to raise and encourage them as they undertake new ventures
Keep them from sin, but if (I change this to "when") they sin, draw them back to you
Open their hearts and minds to be loving and generous
Help them to get to know themselves and to enjoy the person you created them to be
Help them to recognize that they are gifted.
Bless them with a willingness of spirit to use their gifts for the good of others
Hold them close to your heart and deepen their love for you
As for us, help us to love them without possessiveness
Help us to be patient as they strive to find themselves
May we always respect them for what you made them to be
Be with us to guide them with our wisdom
Help us to be gracious in love and be willing to let them go
And when the work is done and they are formed and raised and gone
help us to turn back to you without children and continue the journey, wiser with more understanding of your love for us, be cause we have had children of our own.
Was very impressed by how well Maddie and two of her friends (who are brother and sister) behaved at yesterday's first communion service for their friend. I was fearful at one point we would have to have a big discussion about theology and the difference between Catholics and Protestants and why we weren't taking communion there, but an assurance that Catholics, too, are Christians who just worship a bit differently than we do was all that was needed.
There was a great prayer at the end of the service that the parents of the children who were receiving communion stood and said together. It is really beautiful. Don't know if this is a standard part of this particular mass or if someone in the congregation found or wrote it. But here it is. I think it's a wonderful prayer to say every day.
Gracious God, here are our children
Reach out and touch them with your love
Help them be aware of your presence with them in their daily lives
Guide them and inspire them
Call them and strengthen them to respond to adventures you have planned for them
Help us to raise and encourage them as they undertake new ventures
Keep them from sin, but if (I change this to "when") they sin, draw them back to you
Open their hearts and minds to be loving and generous
Help them to get to know themselves and to enjoy the person you created them to be
Help them to recognize that they are gifted.
Bless them with a willingness of spirit to use their gifts for the good of others
Hold them close to your heart and deepen their love for you
As for us, help us to love them without possessiveness
Help us to be patient as they strive to find themselves
May we always respect them for what you made them to be
Be with us to guide them with our wisdom
Help us to be gracious in love and be willing to let them go
And when the work is done and they are formed and raised and gone
help us to turn back to you without children and continue the journey, wiser with more understanding of your love for us, be cause we have had children of our own.
Cousin Olie and First Communion
Cousin Olie has come to visit from Germany--not to be confused with Baby cousin Oliver in Virginia. He and Skip are headed to a Fulham football game this afternoon. What started out as a grey day has turned into a sunny one, so it should be a great day to be in a football stadium.
Maddie and I are going to a first communion mass for a friend of hers. I think Maddie is old enough to start learning that sometimes you attend events because the events are important to people you care about. Never to early to learn that simply showing up means a lot to people. I'll also be doing a little star stalking since actor Colin Firth lives here in Chiswick and his son is receiving first communion as well.
Tonight we'll have dinner in and sit down and watch Maddie's favorite--Britain's Got Talent.
I'm writing out my standard London tour (Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Thames Boat Ride, Tower of London, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and the 94 double decker bus ride home) and Olie and Skip will take that tomorrow while I take Maddie to church and on to a birthday party at the Science Museum.
Maddie and I are going to a first communion mass for a friend of hers. I think Maddie is old enough to start learning that sometimes you attend events because the events are important to people you care about. Never to early to learn that simply showing up means a lot to people. I'll also be doing a little star stalking since actor Colin Firth lives here in Chiswick and his son is receiving first communion as well.
Tonight we'll have dinner in and sit down and watch Maddie's favorite--Britain's Got Talent.
I'm writing out my standard London tour (Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Thames Boat Ride, Tower of London, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and the 94 double decker bus ride home) and Olie and Skip will take that tomorrow while I take Maddie to church and on to a birthday party at the Science Museum.
Friday, May 8, 2009
A different View
So the news on the BBC morning show was all about the plight of Pakistani's now that the Pakistan government has declared war on the Taliban since the Taliban hasn't honored the agreement they made with the government. Now there are even more people leaving certain provinces, creating a refugee crisis. So I tried to read more about it by going to abcnews.com and couldn't find anything about it. I had to search around on CNN and finally found an article. It's interesting to see what news makes the headlines here and how that differs from what makes the news in the US.
Lot of errands today. Was actually quite productive. Ran errands in the car and then went back and ran some more on foot. Am having a little knee pain. Thinking I went too heavy on the weights for the lunges in the last body pump class.
Got eight weeks until we're back in Arkansas. Eight weeks 'til Arkansas. Sounds like a country song in the making.
Lot of errands today. Was actually quite productive. Ran errands in the car and then went back and ran some more on foot. Am having a little knee pain. Thinking I went too heavy on the weights for the lunges in the last body pump class.
Got eight weeks until we're back in Arkansas. Eight weeks 'til Arkansas. Sounds like a country song in the making.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Spiders...Ick!
Woke up this morning to spiders in both the downstairs and upstairs. Ick! It must be that there is some kind of nest that hatched somewhere because yesterday there was no sign of spiders anywhere and today there were tons of the little critters. I sucked all that I could see up with the vacuum cleaner this morning and then went back again this evening. I think I've gotten most of them. Will do one more sweep before bedtime.
I went to help my German friend Sonja with her baby today and she made a very German comment about the spiders. She said at least we know that there is nothing unhealthy like asbestos or other toxins in our walls or else the spiders couldn't survive. Spiders, according to her, indicate a healthy house. Small comfort.
Had an amazing moment today. Only had to wait five minutes at the post office. Shortest wait time I've ever had there. I wanted to commemorate the day.
When I went to get food for the bunnies, there was this horrible couple bickering at each other in the pet store. This is a really small store, so everyone in it could hear them. They were picking out a collar and leash for a dog and in the process of disagreeing about what leash to get, they were insulting each other. It was so incredibly tacky...and sad.
Cousin Ollie is coming to visit this weekend. Skip has a weekend of football and pubs planned. I need to go and wash the sheets in the guest bedroom.
I went to help my German friend Sonja with her baby today and she made a very German comment about the spiders. She said at least we know that there is nothing unhealthy like asbestos or other toxins in our walls or else the spiders couldn't survive. Spiders, according to her, indicate a healthy house. Small comfort.
Had an amazing moment today. Only had to wait five minutes at the post office. Shortest wait time I've ever had there. I wanted to commemorate the day.
When I went to get food for the bunnies, there was this horrible couple bickering at each other in the pet store. This is a really small store, so everyone in it could hear them. They were picking out a collar and leash for a dog and in the process of disagreeing about what leash to get, they were insulting each other. It was so incredibly tacky...and sad.
Cousin Ollie is coming to visit this weekend. Skip has a weekend of football and pubs planned. I need to go and wash the sheets in the guest bedroom.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Stuff Happening
Monday, we had a lazy holiday. We did make our way into Kennsington Park to get to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground that we had to miss a couple of weekends back because of the long line. Monday wasn't that nice of a day. It kept threatening to rain and did sprinkle on and off, so that kept the crowds down.
The design of the playground was inspired by the Peter Pan stories and it is also designed to accommodate children with different physical abilities. There is a great message to parents as you enter the park. It basically says that studies have shown that it is good for children to learn to take risks, so this playground was designed to encourage a certain amount of risk and parents should keep this in mind as they supervise and encourage their children on this playground. It is a neat playground, but I'm glad we went back when there wasn't a line, because it isn't a wait for an hour in line kind of playground. Living in Germany pretty much ruins you for other playgrounds. They do great ones there.
I do have to say I like our house here so much more than the one in Germany, and I didn't even realize how much until we started showing it for prospective renters. It is easier for me to keep this house picked up and "showable" because I like being in this house. It's so much more cozy. I tried to be gone most days from our house in Germany because it just didn't feel very good to be in. It was all angles and tile and the kitchen was shut off from everything else. This house has worn out carpet and baseboards that are coming loose and questionable plumbing. Clearly the other house was the better house, but this one just feels better. Nothing, however, beats our house in LR. Am looking forward to enjoying it.
Last night in our tiny bathroom here, I was getting Maddie the toothpaste down from the medicine cabinet and when I did a can of hairspray toppled off the top of the cabinet. I reached out to catch it with reflexes that surprised both Maddie and me. I'm always tossing things to Maddie for her to catch and it annoys her, so I used this as a teaching opportunity. "See," I said. "That's why I throw things to you. So if something falls, you can catch it before it knocks you in the head." Didn't work with Maddie. "Or," she said, without missing a beat. "You could just move out of the way."
I had a lovely lunch with Jeannie Alley (who is a friend of my mom's from college) and her sister and Fortnum and Mason yesterday. We had a lot of fun. Jeannie has traveled all over the world. As London is known for it's great Indian food, I asked the ladies if they were going to have Indian while they were here. Jeannie said, "Well, I've been to India twice and when you have Indian food three times a day for a couple of weeks at a time, you kind of get your fill." I think the list of countries she hasn't been to is shorter than the list of ones she has.
Today my house cleaner comes. I am so happy. Not only do I not enjoy cleaning, I'm not very good at it. So it will be nice for someone to make the mirrors and windows streak-free and actually remove all those hard water spots. I'm going to take the extra time to clean out some closets and work on treat bags for Maddie's birthday party. I'm making fabric bags for each of the girls (only four) with fabric that Maddie picked out for each individual. She was really thoughtful about the colors and patterns she chose for each friend.
The design of the playground was inspired by the Peter Pan stories and it is also designed to accommodate children with different physical abilities. There is a great message to parents as you enter the park. It basically says that studies have shown that it is good for children to learn to take risks, so this playground was designed to encourage a certain amount of risk and parents should keep this in mind as they supervise and encourage their children on this playground. It is a neat playground, but I'm glad we went back when there wasn't a line, because it isn't a wait for an hour in line kind of playground. Living in Germany pretty much ruins you for other playgrounds. They do great ones there.
I do have to say I like our house here so much more than the one in Germany, and I didn't even realize how much until we started showing it for prospective renters. It is easier for me to keep this house picked up and "showable" because I like being in this house. It's so much more cozy. I tried to be gone most days from our house in Germany because it just didn't feel very good to be in. It was all angles and tile and the kitchen was shut off from everything else. This house has worn out carpet and baseboards that are coming loose and questionable plumbing. Clearly the other house was the better house, but this one just feels better. Nothing, however, beats our house in LR. Am looking forward to enjoying it.
Last night in our tiny bathroom here, I was getting Maddie the toothpaste down from the medicine cabinet and when I did a can of hairspray toppled off the top of the cabinet. I reached out to catch it with reflexes that surprised both Maddie and me. I'm always tossing things to Maddie for her to catch and it annoys her, so I used this as a teaching opportunity. "See," I said. "That's why I throw things to you. So if something falls, you can catch it before it knocks you in the head." Didn't work with Maddie. "Or," she said, without missing a beat. "You could just move out of the way."
I had a lovely lunch with Jeannie Alley (who is a friend of my mom's from college) and her sister and Fortnum and Mason yesterday. We had a lot of fun. Jeannie has traveled all over the world. As London is known for it's great Indian food, I asked the ladies if they were going to have Indian while they were here. Jeannie said, "Well, I've been to India twice and when you have Indian food three times a day for a couple of weeks at a time, you kind of get your fill." I think the list of countries she hasn't been to is shorter than the list of ones she has.
Today my house cleaner comes. I am so happy. Not only do I not enjoy cleaning, I'm not very good at it. So it will be nice for someone to make the mirrors and windows streak-free and actually remove all those hard water spots. I'm going to take the extra time to clean out some closets and work on treat bags for Maddie's birthday party. I'm making fabric bags for each of the girls (only four) with fabric that Maddie picked out for each individual. She was really thoughtful about the colors and patterns she chose for each friend.
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