Weekend

I am just about to go into the kitchen and make some soup that Eli doesn't like, but we've had a fun and full weekend.

First, this is Lulu's first Lego ship.  She may have had help on the ship parts, but she did the lights herself.  While it was nice for the kids, it was sort of a high pressure situation for me.  I'm expected to build a good ship as well as find in the tub of Lego the pieces that each person requires.  Lulu's were easy (purple lights); Tommy's are always very tricky to find.

 Tommy's ship:

 A drawing that Tommy did on Friday.  It's sideways.  The roots go toward the bottom of the picture. There trees have apples on them, and there is one apple falling off the tree (not to scale).  And then, I'm sure you can recognize all the butterflies.

 I just posted this one because I think the little outfit is cute.

 Yesterday this was outside Lulu's room.  I asked Tommy what it was for, and he said cheerfully:  "It's to keep you out of Lulu's room. But you came in anyway.  That's okay!"

 Today was the Back to School Fun Fair.  We have been looking forward to this for two weeks.  The most exciting thing was cotton candy ("candy floss") and so we started with it.  Lulu had about one bite and put it in the trash; Tommy finished it ALL.

 From there we moved on to hot dogs:

 And then tattoos:

We came home and swept up the front of the house, which was pretty much as fun as the fun fair for the kids. They got out the sidewalk chalk.  Wheeee.

Wishing you all happy weeks ahead. xo

Hi there.

Hi friends.  

We've had a big week.  A hard one for me -- my work felt stressful and on Tuesday night I was ready to quit and by Thursday I had decided to make partner one day.  (Don't you wish you could be inside my head? I mean, at the very least I make it seem exciting, right?)  The only thing I can say honestly is that the jury's out.  I listened today to a very inspiring 'This American Life" that made me think there are far more productive things I could be doing with my time.  But sometimes (decidedly not Tuesday), I really like construction law.  Also my boss realized that he'd been mean to me and bought me some chocolates which I ate all day on Thursday and which helped my perspective.  (Now I'm back off the sugar, for those curious, and the next couple of days will be painful.)

Perhaps we should now get to the cause of my angst rather than the symptoms.  Eli left today for Muscat.  It's only a 'business trip', but he'll be gone for a while and the truth is that this part of the transition to a new job is a big big bummer.  I am intentional in my choice not to talk about my marriage on this blog (because it is the cheesiest thing in the world, in my opinion, and I cringe when my favorite Mormon Mommy bloggers start gushing about their husbands), but I will tell you that when Eli is gone, I miss him.  A lot.

Of course, there are a few bright sides.  First, I get to stay in London.  And we all know that I am very comfortable gushing about London and the fact that I love it here and would stay forever.  (My enthusiasm was dampened this morning when I received an email from the chairperson of the neighborhood association letting us know that the 'rats situation' has been escalated to the housing department.  Eli offered the helpful thought that, 'at least the council will deal with them!' while I lay there deciding if I was going to actually vomit or not.  Then, I saw a mouse on the platform at Gloucester Road and decided that maybe God is trying to help me focus on the negative in London.)  Second, by the time we get through this part -- in which Eli travels all the time and never really unpacks his bags and by the end stops even bringing back presents for us -- I'll be looking very forward to actually moving.  It softens the horrible feelings that accompany departure to realize that your family will be together again.  Third, I don't feel nearly as guilty about television time (for the kids)  because how else can I possibly be expected to get things done?  (Tommy announced recently that he likes 'to watch the news on TV.  About football.'  And that made me wonder what he thinks news is?)

So a pretty important partner in my office is a really nice guy who lives near us (across the river in Putney).  And at an event last week, we were chatting and only God knows how but I started talking about how we need to make a trip to the dump.  He's such a nice man that he volunteered to drive us there because he has a van (he has six children).  Anyway, I learned that here we call the dump the 'tip.'  And when I asked why nobody could tell me but don't you think it's because you 'tip' the unwanted items into the refuse pile? Isn't that just charming? Especially compared to 'dumping' them?  And nobody comment and tell me they call it the 'transfer station' because I will know you are being untruthful.  This paragraph is already a mess, but because I'm now thinking about the word 'dump', I'll tell you that after the last partner meeting, all our guys came back talking about how there had been a snowstorm on the East Coast and the US partners kept referring to it as a 'dump' and our guys had a hard time keeping straight faces.

One more thing:  we bought Tommy a new scooter.  It has three wheels as the two-wheeled one (aka 'balance' scooter) hasn't been used.  It's for bigger kids than the old pink one though, and it is currently available in the limited edition RED version.  Friends, it has changed my life.  He now insists on scooting everywhere which means that we are now regularly on time for school!  Who knew the solution would be so easy? And please, send some positive thoughts along that this excitement lasts.

It's raining in London.  I hope it's not raining where you are!

Lulu tells her story

So, Laura, take us inside an international move

So I mentioned that we're staying in London until December.  Both kids' schools now know that (the kids do not, but they can barely understand the concept of next week, so I think it won't really matter too much to them), my job knows that (though it has been somewhat confusing for everyone that I gave my notice and then retracted it), our landlord knows and has agreed to let us stay in our house.  The only significant outstanding detail is that Mandy may have a new job.  We of course want her to do the best thing for her and if she takes a new job, we will be happy for her and grateful for all that she's done for us.  I cannot imagine the last 14 months without her, and managing the next two and a half months without her is perhaps more daunting than a move to Muscat.

The kids have had physicals, and dental appointments, they've got new running shoes, and I'm preparing to have our carpets cleaned (the area rugs).  We have been selling stuff we don't want on gumtree (which is pretty much Craig's List), gathering outgrown kid clothes to give to the appropriate people, making lists of things we want to purchase here before we move to Muscat (but not making any actual purchases in case we are sent somewhere else!), and I've been pestering a very kind woman in Muscat each time I have a question.  I have quit the gym, quit our 'Mum's Club', and made lists of other notices we need to give when our move date is final.  We have applied to schools for Tommy in Muscat, and inquired about nursery schools for Lulu.  I have written a proposal for my continued employment (from Muscat).

And this is long before the real move parts:  visas, segregating all our stuff into luggage versus shipment (which of course we will not see for weeks), etc.

***

Do I realize that this post feels incomplete and totally random? Why, yes, I do, but that's how my brain feels at the moment.  You definitely get credit for reading, but also, I've posted a movie of Lulu. To incentivise you.

Garden Party

Sometimes I don't have time to write a proper, coherent post so I bombard my sweet readers with random stories that I want to remember and news I want to share.  I realize it has been a while since I've written something coherent but can I ask you to bear with me through one more post?

First, I have to tell you about our picnic in Vivian's garden on Sunday afternoon.  Vivian (a friend since 2007, and my go-to girlfriend in London) is one of those lucky Londoners who has a flat that opens onto a communal garden.  Her parents bought a house that opens onto the same garden a long time ago so she lives around the corner from them.  Of course I have no idea of the figures, but am absolutely certain that her parents' house was a phenomenally good investment.  Anyway.  So on Sunday, Vivian invited us over for a picnic.  It was SO nice of her and we had such a lovely time. Some of her other friends also came and we had fun meeting them. But there are two stories I have to tell you about the garden, in particular:

1.  The nice thing about communal gardens is that the kids run around and you know they can't get out.  You know they can't get out because even you can't get out without a key.  So the kids just kind of ran around and we looked for them every five or ten minutes.  There were some not-super-nice kids in the garden (I heard one eight-ish looking year old say to his brother, 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?'), but Tommy likes to play with anyone and everyone.  So the kids were running around and playing, and all of a sudden Eli and I looked up, and Tommy had his arms out, in front of Lizzie (with his back toward her) and was yelling, "DON'T YOU HURT MY LITTLE SISTER!"

2.  Vivian's friends brought their little boy who is 14 months old.  And do you know who was so so so sweet  to him? Tommy.  Tommy played with him and helped him stand up when he fell and offered him toys and just generally took care of him.  It was SO very sweet.  All the people kept commenting on how nice he was with the baby.

***
I also have some news for you all.  Our move to Muscat is postponed a bit.  Eli will likely go in November sometime, and the kids and I will stay in London until the end of this term.  If you want to come visit, come by mid-November so that we are still in our house.  We would love to have you.

***
It's Autumn.  Does anyone else feel stunned by this, or is this a symptom of living in London where we didn't really have a summer?

Catching up...

Here is Lulu's first day of school.  Tommy started the following day, so he came with us to take Lulu on her first day.  This is the only picture I took of Lulu on her first day.  Horrible.  The report is that she so far loves her school.

Here's Tommy's first day.  Eli and I both took him to school.  You already know how Tommy's doing.

 This is Lulu having lunch on Tuesday.  She refused to sit in her seat.  At one point during this meal, her head was leaning against the table.

 On Tuesday afternoon we got balloons.

 Friday morning pre-preschool muffin.

 On Friday afternoon we went to the pediatrician.  Tommy is in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.  Lulu is in the 9th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for height.  They are very healthy little children.  Lulu had to have a shot and her reward for the shot were these very glamorous glasses.

 We found a fun tree but we lost Tommy:

And finally, a movie of Lulu saying 'umbrella.'

9.11

Every September 11, Eli and I have the same conversation.

One of us says, "I remember listening to Bob Edwards."  The other says, "Yep, me too."  And then I say, "I still miss Bob Edwards.  I am still mad at NPR for firing him."

And then I feel worked up for a while.  (But, as I have freely admitted to many of my readers in the past, I rather enjoy grudges.)

Also, this is worth reading.

Tommy, lately

On Thursday, Tommy started Year One in Miss Lorna's class.  (She is Scottish and twinkly.  I really like her.)  Tommy's comment about Miss Lorna:  "She is so kind."  He was happy on Friday afternoon because he was selected as the lunchroom helper, and also happy because he had completed his work and received golden choosing time (aka playtime).

And then I dropped him off yesterday and watched four boys tell him that they couldn't play Lego with him.

!!!

He didn't mind.  He went to another table -- alone -- and played with another toy.  I left with a lump in my throat and very near tears.  I was distracted only because Lizzie was trying to escape into the playground and made a run for it.

I thought about it all morning and when I picked him up, I jumped right into the conversation I had planned to have with him.  I told him what I thought I saw, and he confirmed that the boys had told him he couldn't play with him.  I asked how it made him feel and he said sad.  He said they weren't very kind, and I agreed.  And then I said that when something makes him feel worried or sad, he must tell me.  That we don't have secrets and that often just telling something like can make you feel better, and that there might even be something I can do to help him feel better.

His response:  "Mummy, I have so many secrets I could never tell them all."

"Oh?" I said.

"Yes," he confirmed.  "I am a super hero. ... (in a quieter, more secretive voice) I save bugs."

"OH!" I said.   "I'm so proud to know that my little boy is a super hero.  And what a wonderful super power."

"I am also very strong.  I can lift the dining table, and I could when I was just three years old."

"OH!"  I said again.

And I spent the rest of the walk thinking about how I need to fight against my impulse to take parenting moments too seriously.

Our hero -- see the saved ladybug on his shirt?

Yesterday

It was gorgeous yesterday so we had a picnic in Kensington Gardens.  It was really nice.

She runs everywhere and she rarely falls.  Impressive.

He still loves sticks.

If you were standing at the duck pond near Kensington Palace, would you pay attention to the gross water or to the pretty Palace view?

A very, very Tommy pose:

She takes out pigtails the second you put them in.  She therefore needs a haircut.  But, I am sad to cut off the blonde curls and so I am putting it off...

Lulu lately

Lately, Lulu tells us stories.  This is her favorite:

"[when] I was a baby, had a kitty cat on my bed.  Weawy coote."  (Our kids really want a cat.)

She also is in a Mommy-phase.  She gets really mad when I'm home and Eli tries to do anything for her (like, get her out of bed in the morning, or carry her downstairs, or rock her before bed).  We blame it on my trip to Seattle sans kids.  There was a bit of progress on this tonight and Eli was permitted to read bedtime stories.

She told us today that she likes "pink and purple doors and kitty cats."  (We had seen a pink door on our walk.)  She narrates everything, especially things she thinks her brother will like such as spiders, ladybugs, other bugs, and the advertisement on the Tube with Yoda.

Lulu got new "twainers" last Sunday and we went big as she was sort of on the line between sizes and so she looks a bit cartoonish when she wears dresses or shorts with them.

Lulu seems to really like being back at Paint Pots.  She's gone three days and on Friday afternoon her teacher called me to tell me that she loves Lulu.  As is part of Montessori, she has started to talk about her "work".  She identifies her teacher Miss Georgie as her best friend, and instead of "pouring water" (as last term) when asked what she did at school, she tells us that she "read stories".

As we listened to the "kitty on my bed" story this afternoon, Eli looked at me and said that it's amazing that she talks so much and always will...

Flashmobs

I really really really want to be one of the unknowing people in the middle of a flashmob.  It's not everybody's dream, but it's mine.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Bob!

On Friday afternoon (the day before Grandpa Bob's birthday), Lulu was sitting across the table from me and seemed to be in a decent mood, so I asked her to sing for Grandpa Bob.  And she actually did!  This is one of her best birthday videos ever...