Garden: Then and Now

May 2010:

 December 2012:

A comparison...

Lulu, scooting in October 2012:

 Me, in February 1979 (yes, I'm quite old), before helmets were chic.

Lulu's Christmas Show (no pictures yet)

The Lula was in her Christmas show and she was awesome.  She didn't actually say her line (which was 'thank you very much') but she did sing the songs and look sweetly pleased that all the grownups were so interested in the play.  She also spent about 45 seconds with her tongue stuck out of her mouth really far.  I have a photo which I will attempt to upload later.

In other news, one of my best friends who also happens to be my brother-in-law (that's called hitting the jackpot) is visiting us.  We have been very lucky in London to have Uncle Brett visit relatively frequently and even though his visits are quick they are really, really nice.  Also, he always makes me feel comforted about my career choices somehow.  Luckily, Uncle Brett travels quite a lot to the Middle East for work so we will likely continue to see him on a somewhat regular basis.  The only bad part of Uncle Brett's visits is when Brett and Eli start reciting parts of "the Family Guy" to each other and then they both laugh so hard they can't speak and are sort of crying and then the so amazingly funny thing is finally articulated by one of them (usually Brett, to be honest) and it's totally gross.  Why don't I like that show?

Mom and Dad made it home safely.  I'm sure they're feeling especially grateful for their comfortable seating and spacious home as our temporary flat lacks both comfortable seating and space.  Also, they are probably happy to see their dog.

And that's all I've got for today.  Tomorrow is busy with Tommy's school show (he knows every word of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' and sings it with gusto) and then Tommy and I are going to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, and then Eli and I are going to a concert (Stars).  YAY.

Hello my friendly friends.

Hold on because this will be a random one.

Not in any particular order --

1.  Last night I met up with my friend John Rutter at the Royal Albert Hall.  I was accompanied by Nancy Kent (aka my mother) because Eli is still in Muscat (more on that later).  Friends.  Again, he did not disappoint.  Nancy Kent's first comment was, "he's a little elf of a man, isn't he" and I suppose she is exactly right.  He's springy and clever and funny and the 80-year-olds making up 90% of the audience thought he was every bit as charming as I did.  This concert was perhaps slightly less exciting than last year's because there was no "Candlelight Carol".  BUT, the choir did sing a sweet arrangement of "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day" and mom banged me on the leg when she recognized it because she remembered that I sang the solo in the fourth grade.  (Ah, mothers.)  Today I have found a choir to join in Muscat.  The question for all of you is:  will I really do it? Because I did not do it here.  And, as Dad's friend Ted said to me, "London would be an amazing place to sing in a choir, Laura."

2.  My children are killing me.  Lizzie doesn't sleep in a crib in our temporary flat (more on that later) and so she gets up whenever she feels like it and wanders around until she finds me (our sleeping arrangements have been odd, with Tommy and I doing the occasional bed swap in the middle of the night because of Lizzie's horrible behavior, so this isn't as nutty as it sounds) and then she whispers, "see?  My eyes aren't tired anymore!"  And then I suggest that she get in bed with me, and she says no and heads out to the living room to stare at her chocolate-filled advent calendar until I finally get out of bed and give the piece of chocolate to her.  This happened this morning at 5:30 and she woke up her brother as well and so his homework was complete by 6:30.  

3.  Our flat is somewhat horrible.  It has three bedrooms but the dining/living/kitchen space is itty bitty and while I myself could handle this it is difficult for young, energetic children to handle.  They have been in time-out for jumping on the beds.  But not consistently because that would mean they were in time out all the time.  So you can see I'm doing my best parenting on this issue.  

4.  I'm sad that we don't have our Harbledown house anymore.  Dad reminded me this morning that I should try to focus on all the horrible parts of it.  Good advice, I realize, but still, when we walked into that house we had a little tiny baby and now we have an almost three-year old and no baby.  But, this is what happens in life when things go well.  People grow.

5.  On Sunday I bought cupcakes so that we could have a little birthday party for Lulu and mom and dad could give her birthday gifts to her while they were here.  I told her that we were going to have a little party, and her eyes got really big, and she whispered, "is today my birthday?"  as though she really couldn't believe she had lived through half of it without realizing that it was her special day.  

6.  You guys.  Did any of you realize that my five-year old would accuse me of 'ruining his life' (and that's a direct quote) when I packed his paints and felt tip pens to go in the shipment? Did any of you know that five-year olds could understand the concept of ruining lives? I found it quite shocking the first time it happened (paints); obviously was a bit more aware of the possibility when it happened a second time (felt-tip pens).  The first time I gently suggested that it was in fact his daddy who was ruining his life (I am not above this), but he did not believe me.  Daddy wasn't even here when the movers packed the pens and the paints.  (Never mind that it's Daddy's job that's moving us from London.)

7.  I am feeling better about my losing streak at work.  But maybe not better about the fact that next week is my last week working here. But honestly, the jury's out on that because I have come up with this list of things I am going to focus on while in Muscat during my free time (ha!):  photography (I don't really want to learn this; this is a gift to my children so that all the photos I take of them aren't crappy); singing (a choir!  But did you just get a funny image of me wandering around my house, singing, because I did and it made me laugh.); my obsession with this website I just read about in the New York Times.  I would like also to memorize some poems and have three selected.  I think it's satisfying to know poems, somehow, but ask me how that's going in a few weeks because I'm guessing I'll say that it isn't.  And of course, the P90X obsession, but it hurts my feelings when Eli says that my hobbies are exercising and shopping, so I'm trying to be thoughtful about other ways I want to spend my time. 

You guys, I am considerably perked up from this time last week.  The move went well.  We know for absolutely sure that we are going to Muscat.  And, we are going to Egypt on the 18th to see Hanh and Eleanor.  Things are feeling so much better.

(Except that mom and dad leave tomorrow.  Ugh.)

Our last night in 23 Harbledown Road...

Hello my very sweet friends and family who are filling my inbox loyally and probably think I am not even reading the messages.

I am.  I am reading my email.

You are all so nice.

It's just that I'm so overwhelmed and busy!  Mom and Dad have been so amazingly helpful but there is just so much that is up to me and me alone.  But, here we are, Wednesday night with the packers due to arrive tomorrow between 9 and 9:30.  And mostly, I think I'm ready.  (That sentence there reminds me that Tommy admonished me last week that one never, ever begins a sentence with 'and.')  So there's that.

But can I also tell you something else? I found out on Sunday night that I lost the case I've been working on so hard.  It is killing killing killing me.   Whenever I remember, I feel physically ill.  I also feel fairly sick about leaving my job at this point.  (But I feel better when I look at the pictures Eli took of the beach in Muscat (it is looking fairly certain that we are going to Muscat).)

Also.  What about how Eli won't be home for a whole week?

Also again, how can I be out of photo space? I just got a message that I can't put any more photos onto this blog until I give google some money.  I don't know how this type of issue works in your houses, but this is solidly an Eli issue.  It would be very convenient at this moment if Eli actually read my blog because then he would know and he could put this on his to do list.  Instead, I have to remember to tell him.  What this means for you:  no photos for a while.

I had a parent-teacher conference for Lulu on Monday and one for Tommy this evening.  They are both amazing (of course), but (of course) this is a mixed thing for me at this particular moment -- as we are leaving their schools and their teachers and their friends and everything else.

Over and out.  I promise to write better posts soon.  When my brain is capable of focusing.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We are not celebrating today but we are still thankful for...

Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Bob's arrival,

Baking (see below), 

 Big Ben (and Elizabeth Tower), and

 Studying Van Gogh while we live in London and can go experience it first hand.

We are thankful for many other things as well but I don't have any other good photos on my phone so you're stuck with this list.

But you guys.  Please eat some pumpkin pie for me.  I really love pumpkin pie.

We're okay over here

I wanted you all to know that I am doing just fine.

Eli and I spent from noon until 10pm on Sunday sorting through our belongings and putting things into three categories:  throw, take, and take NOW.  You see, we'll be living with a very small percentage of our things while the rest are en route to our next destination.  We will also travel with a MOUNTAIN of luggage.  I hate doing that because I have some anxiety about accidentally leaving a bag at the airport.

Then, on Monday morning bright and early, Eli left and late on Monday night, he arrived safely in Muscat.

Work is slower this week, and I'm getting lots of jobs done.  Mom and Dad come tomorrow and I have a list of things for them to do this week already.

And hopefully, we'll be in really good shape early next week so we can go see this.