Simple evenings at the playground...

Simple evenings at the playground, what a treasure. We all head to the playground, the boys racing off on their scooters. The air is cool and the sky is still bright, even after dinner. The playground is filled with children of all ages. People from different backgrounds and nationalities, its such a diverse and happy place. Many children still have on their school uniforms...skirts and jumpers (sweaters) or trousers with collared shirts, sometimes ties.
Our boys enjoy the zip line, Ethan likes a good sideways push, even Tim is able to hold on and ride down the line until the bump at the end. We play a game of family chase, Ethan often lingers too long on base and needs urging to get off. Tim doesn't really understand the game but loves all the running and excitement.
We cross over a small hill dividing the play area and Ethan is pretending we are in other worlds...Buzz Lightyear world, Tarzan world, Narnia world, Cheese Moon World...its hard to keep up.
We work out a way on the teeter-totter, with Poppa and Tim on one side and Ethan with me on the other side. In this way, we're able to bounce up and down and make one another linger in the air. (After we did this I saw at least 2 other families doing the same thing!)
The boys use their scooters and race around on the pavement outside the playgound, they want me to try and catch them. It doesn't take too much effort or pretending to get them to think I am on their tail and they dash off again.
With the sun still in the sky, we head home for baths and books and beds. Springtime is wonderful!

Some unofficial sites to see in London, from Ethan's Point of View

On a recent day trip into central London, my sons had such a wonderful time. I am sure the experiences they had are not in any tour guide, so I thought I would record them here for you, from their point of view.

After taking entirely too long getting ready--packing lunches, having a mega breakfast of scrambled eggs, rashers (which is sort of like my favorite food--bacon, but not at all and its really too bad because you can't get American style bacon here in England...if anyone would send me bacon, I can eat a lot of bacon) and oatmeal we are out the door and on to the train station. I love going on ahead on my scooter, and mom let me take my scooter today!

On the train, I want to sit with the seats where there are 3 in a row, but mom says no we have to stay where we are. I sit with Poppa, and Tim sits on Poppa's lap. In front of us is our friend, Rachel, who is visiting...Tim stands on Poppa's lap and surprises Rachel from above and then laughs hysterically. So I think that must be fun, and I do it too. So we both do that over and over and over, and it is fun. You should try it too.

When we get to the train station I love to put the ticket through and grab it when it comes out. the doors open and I walk through. I didn't get to do that when I was 4, but now that I am 5 I get to have a ticket each time we travel. Tim always wants to put a ticket in. Poppa gives him a "ticket" but its not a real ticket and he doesn't get to put it in. He cries about it sometimes. He is always thinking about the boy in the Polar Express who lost the ticket...or maybe its a girl.

We find our way out, and we keep having to stop and wait while my mom looks at the map.

We make it to Buckingham Palace and we see a bunch of people with big black furry hats and red jackets go by...they have real cool uniforms, that would be fun to have in my dress up box. I sit on my scooter and watch them go by, they are all marching at the same time, I can see them from down low looking through the bars on the fence.

There is something on today because a lot of people in fancy hats with feathers and veils and funny things sticking out go by, the men have top hats and canes. A lot of them are smoking cigarettes and I get the smoke in my face, because I am still sitting on my scooter. Poppa is holding Tim and Tim keeps saying "Funny Hats" I think he's doing this, because Momma told him he would see some funny hats, though she was really meaning the guards...and now here we are with an endless parade of people wearing truly funny hats.

We make our way over to this really cool fountain. Down on the lower part there is a statue of a guy and water is flowing out of his mouth. I like that because thats what I like to do in the bath, when mom is not in the room of course. I try to sit on the edge like Rachel is doing, Mom tells me I can't because my legs aren't long enough. She gives me a 2 pence coin to throw in, Tim throws in one too. Its just like Richard Scarry's "Pip Pip goes to London" We wander around the fountain and go up top and get to sit on the wall up top. We wave to Poppa. There are so many people and some big platforms with video cameras. Poppa asks why they are there, and I guess they were there because they can't figure out who is going to be the next prime minister, and they might figure it out any time, so those people have to sit there with their cameras all day.

Next we go through St. James' park, I ride my scooter down the hill 5-10 times. So much fun. You should try this too. Be careful though because after you do it a bunch of times and then you need to keep going with your mom and dad, you might be tired and they will say something like, "you had enough energy to go down the hill."

There are some really pretty flowers in St. James's Park. Here are some of them. My mom took this picture while I was doing the scooter thing on the hill. A great way to get your mom to let you ride on the hill is if she wants to take pictures of flowers or buildings or something.

There are these elephant statues in the park and all over London I guess, they are really fun to look at too.

We go over to the Admirality, where there are some guards. Before you get to the guards you should try and make a big pile with all the little rocks. I really could have stayed here all day, and you probably could too. Its so fun to play with rocks. We have some in our garden.

When you go through the arch way you can yell real loud and hear your voice come back to you. Try it.

Then you can get your picture taken next to a guard. he stands there very serious guarding and you can go up to him and he will not smile or move or anything. But his horse will look at you and thats what happened to this horse. It would have been a great picture to put here in the blog if my mom had had the lens open on the camera, but she didn't so thats that. We went back for the another picture but it just wasn't the same.

Next you can walk toward Big Ben, and just before you get to Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives, there is a barricade. I decide to ride my scooter on the other side of the barricade. I got in trouble for this though, so make sure your mom says its okay. There were security people and people with cameras there.

We have a picnic on the other side of Westminster Abbey, the building is all covered in ivy. Though we aren't sure you are normally allowed to do this, but nobody said anything to us. Poppa thinks someone was coughing about it, whatever that means.

This is Big Ben, well actually the bell is big ben, the building is St. Stephens Tower. I see it and say "Its Big Ben" Poppa says no the bell is Big Ben, but I still think I am clever for knowing its Big Ben.

And we try to pass by Parlimant, there are some tents set up on the lawn and someone is shouting and saying things and I tell Momma, "That's not very kind" She says its just grown up stuff and not to worry. There are so many people with cameras next to the houses of parliment its hard to get by, and there are all the tents and people shouting on the other side. Momma and Poppa have to push their way through. Right after we go through, a line of motorcycles and things go by. Later we find out that it was right about the time the new prime minister was announced.

Then we go for a ride on the tube from Westminster Station, There is a man playing violin in the passage way, I love listening to the music carry down the hall. There are signs all over the walls. One is a great big picute of someones face and arms. They have long hair and glasses, and there are these letters underneath.."OZZY". I tell my mom that "She has one ring to say where she lives and one ring to say that she's married." My mom thinks this is hysterical. Rachel says she wants to personally tell Ozzy Osbourne I said that.

We go to the National Gallery next, but Tim is asleep. At first I start to groan and moan about being here, but it turns out to be really great. I recommend using the toilet at the National Gallery because they have a really cool way to dry your hands. (So you have to wash your hands too) You put your hands in this thing and cold air blows them dry from both sides. I could still be in there! I did like to sit on the benches and look at the pictures...my mom would tell me whats happening in the pictures, kind of like a story. There is one really great room in the middle with soft benches--if you run and dive on to it, thats the best way to get up on it. You can lay there for a long time while your parents look at paintings.

We pass by Trafalgar square on the way back to the train station. Look here's a statue of Aslan, and that might be Jill Pole or Lucy or someone on top of it. I have to go home with my brother and my poppa because Momma and Rachel are going to the theater to see Les Mis. I don't like this idea, but I was good for Poppa so I got a surprise book.

That was my day in London, hope you got some good tips of things to do there!

I don't know what these are, but they are all over the place. Nobody ever uses them, there is funny thing in there with a cord. Any ideas?

This is a picture of my momma in front of the theater where she saw Les Mis. I don't know about that little girl in the picture, but my mom says one day when I am bigger I will absolutely love seeing this production. She couldn't stop talking about it and singing and humming. Things like, "Master of the "ouse." and "When the beating of your heart matches the beating of the drums." All day the next day she was in sort of a trance. She also thinks it would be great for me to have some drama lessons...

Little sighs, little hoorays...daily life in the UK

Little joys and little annoyances filled my day...many hoorays and sighs...



One joy is the delivery of groceries that are ordered online. Well, its a little difficult to get it all in the tiny fridge, though I managed. I shouldn't complain, we are blessed with an additional freezer. The fridge back home was enormous compared to this!

On my fridge I have some magnets---from the National Zoo in Washington DC, from Cedar Run Cattle on the Eastern Shore in Maryland (Where I used to get my fresh eggs and meat from, farmer Lou asked us to put his magnet on the fridge here) I have some pics of my family and Todd's brother's kids. I have some phone lists, including an emergency phone list I only had the sense to make about 2 weeks ago. Hooray for online shopping and the Tesco delivery chap!




Next sigh ...left the knitting out where the 2 year old who loves swords and string can find it. I recently have been learning how to knit, have a scarf I have been working on and because I am so enthralled with the idea that this is actually making something I carelessly left it out. I may need to call in help to salvage my project. Hooray for friends who can teach me new things!



Certainly the biggest sigh of the day happened when I went to register at the GP. (For my American readers, the GP is the general practioner, with the national health system everyone has to register at their local GP) This particular GP would not let us register until we had been here for 6 months. I went in March to register our whole family and I brought all our passports plus an item of mail for the last 6 months that had our name and address on it. Turns out I needed one piece of mail for each of the last 6 months with Todd's name and address on it and one for each of the last 6 months with my name and address on it. Now, because I am not working and do not pay the bills and many places send us our stuff over email, I had to scrounge to get these papers together, and 5 weeks later I return to register at the GP. So there I am with all my papers at the reception desk of the GP's surgery (yes, americans, the surgery is the doctors office, not the O.R.) The woman at the desk oohs and aahs about my American passport. I guess American passports are really patriotic and showy compared to other countries. They all come round to look at it. "There really is a picture on every page." Right, and each page has quotes like.."We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."

There are about 7 other people politely waiting in the queue behind me. Then someone, not really sure who, comes down and asks me some questions (that I would have deemed private) in front of this queue of people. This is slightly annoying to me, after working in America in a chiropractic clinic when HIPAA was launched and everyones personal health information became super hush-hush. So, slightly embarrassed, I leave the GP surgery knowing I have ticked off one other thing from my list and assured that I still have no idea what to do in this culture! Government run health care....hooray? (By the way, you may be wondering what private questions the person asked me today, and the only answer you are going to get is that they were private, and if those 7 other people have a blog or a facebook or a twitter, they may be sharing that information on their sites.)




Hooray and sigh for the sun staying up later! My children have a really difficult time sleeping when its bright outside. I love the light, its wonderful that now in the beginning of May it already stays light until 9 pm, so...we will have to get some black out shades. Hooray for sunshine and longer days!






I saw the sweetest elderly couple walking along the high street today. She was using a cane and he was carrying the groceries in a bag. They were holding hands and smiling, their white hair blowing in the breeze and their faces beaming. Beautiful people, I thought to myself. Hope Todd and I are like that when we are old.




I popped into a charity shop (thrift shop, Americans) on the way home and found a brand new book that Ethan will love. Hooray for charity shops on the high street!



Hooray also for bank holidays! Yesterday was a bank holiday and so Todd was home, and today was his normal day off so it was a wonderfully nice break for all of us! Hooray!

Oh the things they say

So like most parents, I think my children are pretty extraordinary, but here are some sentences and phrases that have been coming out of their mouths lately...

"Poppa, Little Bo Peep has sheep legs."

"Oh really, how do you know?"

"I saw her legs on the movie (Toy Story) and she had sheep legs."

Tim, after being carried down and set at the breakfast table sits with a terrific scowl on his face. After 1 minute of people telling him good morning, he lets a deep, angry roar. Startled I laugh, and he cracks a slight grin...

Ethan says, "I am so happy, its like I am jumping a thousand feet from one mountain to another mountain and landing on a tower of pillows."

Some kids have imaginary friends, and well Ethan does have an imaginary friend named Sasa...Sasa comes complete with family and extended family. According to Ethan Sasa never gets sick, always obeys his mommy, and has completed several large building projects. Well, thats one thing and here's another...Ethan now has an imaginary plant called "Showdon" The Showdon has leaves in the winter and no leaves in the summer and when you sit in its shade in the winter you feel warm.

Tim, "Where Tim's sword is..." "Where Tim's helmet is..." "Where Tarzan is..." "Where Sir Kay is..." "Where Buzz Lightyear is..." (To this we show him his Buzz...he says no, other buzz...its in America, thats Christopher's Buzz....deep frown, and he says "Merica...")

Whenever we tell Tim something is empty or gone, or we can't have it now...he says, "Have after dinner."

Tim sits in bed saying his friends names..."Cameron, Ella, Daniel, Becca, Ethan, Hannah, Toby, Amy, Bethany, Ethan, Ella..."

For the most part they still talk like Americans, and have only picked up few British words...Tim will ask for dry trousers and Ethan says he needs to use to use the Loo....Tim seems to know if we need more bread, the place we get is Tesco. One time, Tim even called out "Cheers" as he we were leaving a place.

Ethan tells Tim as they are playing with sand, "Tim, God is always with you. Even if you can't see him, he's there."

Tim points to the air and says, "God"

Ethan, "Every day with Jesus is like 1 mile closer to heaven."

Tim, "Jesus Alive."

What unique and wonderful children I have, and how great it is to be with them all day!

I have to be honest and say that they use these same tongues and knowledge of words to say nasty things to one another, tell me a lie, whine or complain. The nasty words are as nasty as the sweet words are sweet. What a reminder to watch what comes out of my mouth!

The End of a Matter is Better than its Beginning...

Hanging up Timothy's wet nappies, my heart is lifting a hopeful song...he has begun to use the potty! Hard to believe my mischievous 2 year old has been wearing the same cloth nappies since we came home from the Birth Center in 2008.

Not to say I don't enjoy the cloth nappies, because the ones we have are so adorable, and they are soft on his bum. Besides the other bonus of how simple and happy they look all hung up in a row, or folded in a drawer. Tim likes to sit in a big pile of his clean nappies unfolding the tabs.

All the same, the idea that Tim is now using the toilet at least a few times a day is a very encouraging one. The daily tasks of mothering are repeated over and over and over. Its so easy to let them be done without love, filled instead with bitterness, resentment, annoyance, irritation, self righteousness, pride. Somehow, day after day these tasks are nurturing these little ones as they grow. Then we get to stand back and see how far they have grown, and marvel that this was happening all the while.

For "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride." Ecclesiastes 7:20

Sky News / I Hate Iceland

In case you didn't see this crazy family today....

(This is the tree Todd chased the squirrel up)


For being such a private person, today was a day full of drawing attention to ourselves, so I thought I would write about them here for all the rest of you who didn't get to witness the entertainment we provided London today.

As we are headed out for the day together, Timothy is screaming "MY SCOODER" all the way from our home to the bus stop. He is offended, of course, because though he is learning to ride his "scooder" he is not able to take it into the crowded streets and it had to stay home. Ok, so that is minor.

We walk up Richmond Hill and down into the Terrace Gardens, have an enjoyable walk and time exploring the mud, sticks, trees and rocks with the boys. We stop and have lunch on a bench where we are approached by a very aggressive gray squirrel. Todd throws a piece of bread past it and it goes and eats it and then again approaches us. At this point Todd unleashes his blue umbrella, opens it and charges at the squirrel shouting (with his mouth full of turkey sandwich) "YAH...YAH...YAH..." at which the squirrel dashes up the tree. Meanwhile a very proper, probably very upperclass, British couple rounds the corner and walks past our very strange family.

Next on the list today, we head down to a green patch in front of the statue of Old Father Thames, and Ethan picks Tim up lays him flat and tries to get him to roll down the hill. Then Ethan chases what remaining squirrels there are in the area up trees with a YAH, YAH, YAH!

Follow this up with a fairly normal afternoon walking along the Thames. Todd has to leave for the afternoon, and we head to a playground. At the playground Ethan sits in a yellow saucer that spins, and very loudly makes delighted sounds of "whoa, whoa, whoa" while I change Timothy's cow print cloth nappy. Then Ethan's sounds change to HELP, HELP, HELP. There is a chinese family nearby watching him and they begin to look uncomfortable...

For the bus ride home we are the last ones on at our stop, I get on in a bit of a huff, at this point carrying Ethan's scooter, pushing the push chair up and searching for my oyster card, I finally am able to pay for the ride and of course people are blocking the aisle with their feet. This point is very annoying to me. We can easily fit down the aisle if people keep their feet in front of them, but it is impossible if they are in the aisle and any amount of trying to get by and apologizing for bumping will only be met with coughing, eye brow raising or sighing...so I get off the bus and go through the back door. Because the bus is parked in such a caddy-whompas way, I can't get the push chair on to the bus from the curb, so I have to pick the whole thing up and carry it up to the bus. The whole time I am thinking, now everyone just relax, don't everyone get up at once to help the american with the small children. Ahhhh.....

So on the bus Timothy screams until he falls asleep, which I tell myself is what he would have done had he been in a car seat. People keep turning to stare at me, and I think what? He's a toddler, what do you expect? Once he is asleep I sit with Ethan who is looking out the window with his face pressed up against the glass. Ethan likes to write on the windows with his finger when there is condensation. Today there isn't and I get suspicious of his face pressing, I see him with a spit bubble and I say, "what are you doing?" I thought he replied, "Just licking" I say, "Don't lick." And then Ethan indignantly yells, "I didn't say LICK I said, LOOK! Why would I say LICK, don't tell me not to LICK IT, I said, LOOK!"

After a brief respite at home we take Ethan's bike and Tim's beloved scooter to the nearby park. Before we get there, Ethan falls off the bike and cuts his hand fairly badly. He of course screams and cries and we have to go home to put a plaster (band aid) on it. So there we are again, headed down Colonial Avenue with Ethan screaming and holding his hand out, Timothy screaming because we don't get to go to the park and then there's me...head held high, I am the mother of these two delightful boys, wife of this wonderful man, and I have been so blessed!

Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." I sense God has been dealing with my heart over my pride and how easily I am embarrassed. Hopefully it won't take too many more days like today to break me of it!