Lizzie update

Lizzie had some immunizations yesterday, so she was weighed and measured. She is 15 lbs, 5 oz, and 26.5". She is staying at the tenth percentile (or "centile" as they say here) for weight and the 50th for height. Her pediatrician thinks she's doing fine. She did not care for the shots, but she didn't cry for long. (Though her brother was much, much tougher about shots than she is. When Lizzie hurts, she wants the whole world to hurt with her.)

We had a playdate on Thursday with Julie, Angus and Heidi. Angus and Tommy were delighted to see each other. They disappeared to Tommy's room and I just listened to the monitor to make sure that the sharing was going well (Tommy had decided before Angus arrived that Angus would not be able to play with Tommy's toys; luckily Tommy changed his mind). It was nice to have a grown up to talk to during the day.

Then yesterday, Alina came in the morning (yay!) and Lizzie and I went to get shots and go shopping. Tommy and Alina went to the pirate ship playground in Kensington Gardens. They took his scooter and we came home at the same time, but arrived from different directions, so I saw him scooting down the sidewalk and it was so adorable. His head just looks ginormous in his helmet ("like an orange on a spring") and it's almost hard to understand how he balances on it. Anyway, super cute. Then, after naptime, we went down to Gatwick to see Daddy's office and watch some planes land. The trip was a success (the kids were really good) and the highlight was a pink cupcake. (My child eats so much more junk food than I ever imagined possible, but can I tell all of you that he devours steamed broccoli now? He asks for more! "Mom, can I have more pizza and more broccoli please?" I do serve it with ketchup, but I figure a tablespoon of ketchup for 1/2 cup of broccoli is worth the price.)

We go to Seattle on Tuesday, so the focus of the weekend is trip preparation...Why does it feel like all I do is pack?

Here are some cute things that Tommy says:

"I have two thumbs!" (Then he holds them both up for you to see.)

"Did you know that sometimes lizards' tails come off their bodies? (I'm assuming he saw a lizard without a tail on his school field trip.)

"Ladybugs eat aphids." (Grandma Nancy taught him that.)

"Ketchup is made out of tomatoes and sugar."

My favorite:

Me: "We have to leave [the playground] soon because I'm really cold."

Tommy: "Let's just sit down and have a snack and talk about our lives for a while."

My second favorite:

Tommy: "Mom, I like your dress."

Me: "Thanks, honey."

Tommy: "I like your painted toenails, too."

Me: "Thanks!"

Tommy: "You're kinda like a ballerina."

We're all moved.

The move out of our temporary apartment was fairly stressful, in part because I had ordered loads of things to be delivered to the house on the same day that we moved in. (Because we had to camp in the house and I wanted to be sure we had the essentials, like a bed for Tommy and a bed for Lizzie and a bed for Eli and me.) Anyway, we rushed over to meet the inventory guy so we could go through the house bit by bit and that took a long time because he was chatty and so am I. Afterward, Eli and I jumped into the car and headed back to the apartment but I got a call from the delivery guys for Tommy's bed that they were on the way, so Eli pulled over and I jumped out of the car and ran home. So poor Eli had to finish moving us out of that place alone. After he returned, Eli had to go down to Gatwick to take some sort of test, so the kids and I just sort of hung out.

Then, on Monday, after a weekend of camping but with running water (although not hot water until we figured out how to set the boiler), three men arrived with our container and unloaded it. They also unpacked -- which means they took everything out of the boxes and put it anywhere they could find for it. So I've spent my freetime the last two weeks walking through the house moving things from place to place. It's all sorted out now, but there is still lots to do to get unpacked properly.

Tommy really likes the new house. We're still working on the proper response to the question "where are you?" He thinks it's, "I'm here!" Which is not very helpful. I'm looking for something like, "I'm in my room!"

Tommy had has last day of preschool last week. They put on a little show and I regret to inform all of you that Tommy did not do a great job. The kids sang probably ten songs, and I'm absolutely certain that he knew each of them perfectly, but he didn't sing AT ALL. Instead, he took off his party hat, folded it up, and then actually ate some of it. Really? Yes, really. He got his first report card and you'll be pleased to know that he's doing fine in preschool. Obviously, there are no grades, just a bunch of cute comments about his Montessori skills. He has mastered, for example, pouring and sticking.

Lizzie is doing very well. She is adorable and smiles at anybody but especially Tommy. He can be having a fit, and she leans over and gives him a huge grin. She absolutely loves her new crib. I shouldn't be shocked, as cribs are obviously more comfortable than pack n plays, but somehow, we were both surprised at how much better she's sleeping. She is also eating a lot of solid food these days. She loves teething biscuits, which she isn't supposed to have until she's seven months old, but I figured they're better than pretzels, which is what she seems to lunge for most frequently. She is still rather high-maintenance, but nobody reading this finds that surprising, I'm sure. Lizzie also loves having the double jogger here almost as much as I do, because she takes great naps in there. Yay. (Double joggers are not common here and so I receive a lot of feedback as I wheeze down the street pushing fifty pounds.)

We are still figuring out how to do everything. Renter's insurance has been very difficult to get, but registering to pay taxes to our council was very easy (I know, you're shocked). We still don't have the internet. Right now, I'm stealing someone else's broadband and the network is called "PRIVATE DO NOT USE." I feel guilty, but also wonder why the owner doesn't just password protect it. We have our phone NUMBER, but no phone line, and a letter from the company that they are coming to install it while we are on vacation. So that's nice. The booster thing we got to make our cellphones work in our house (a Kent family curse, apparently) needs both the broadband and phone line to work. Another impossible thing is getting a bank card for moi. Don't worry, I just use Eli's, but you would not believe what I have to do to get a bank card here (on step involved a three-way phone call with me, Eli and our utility company).

We are moving tomorrow.

That's why I haven't been blogging or emailing or even turning on the computer. I am busy, my friends. But I have some things to tell you.

First, and most important, did I tell you about the obviously pregnant lady I observed smoking outside the hospital entrance a couple of weeks ago??? (We walk by the hospital on our way to preschool.) I was so shocked that I leaned over and said to Tommy, "do you see that pregnant lady smoking?" I'm not sure how he responded -- I'm not sure he knows what smoking is, exactly. Anyway, I saw the same thing yesterday except the woman was across the street from the hospital. And as I told Eli, I can't be sure it wasn't the same woman because I didn't really look at her face either time. Just her belly and her cigarette. One point for the Americans (who at least smoke secretly if they are pregnant).

Second, and actually most important, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA SID!! Tommy called her on Skype and sang Happy Birthday, but he did it in his silly (weird) voice. Last night in the bath he looked up at me and said, "how old is Grandma Sid?" So we know he actually was thinking of her all day long.

Third, have I mentioned that I'm sad about leaving the communal garden and all our friends in it ? We've had such a good time there. And it's so lovely. Luckily, Tommy will remain friends with little Leon (there's an accent over that "e", but I don't know how to make it) and we will surely come back and play here. Leon's mom had a baby last week -- a little boy named Julian. He's cute but the hot weather is hard for him. The hot weather has also been hard for a little girl baby you are all familiar with. She must have screamed for an entire hour in her buggy yesterday over the course of all our walking -- not understanding that she was just making herself hotter.

Finally, wish us luck this weekend. We are moving into our house before our stuff arrives on Monday. We have a mattress being delivered for Tommy and all his bedding, and we bought an aerobed and bedding at Peter Jones last weekend which will also be delivered tomorrow to the house, and for Lizzie we are borrowing a pack-n-play from Karalee. Otherwise, I have ordered groceries to be delivered tomorrow. No other furniture. Doesn't that sound like fun? If this place weren't so expensive, we wouldn't do it, but it is. So we are. Eli thinks we can convince Tommy that it's fun. I think Tommy might be a little cleverer than that.

Oh, and one more thing: Eli has warned me that we won't have internet access for a while at the new house. So I imagine I will get behind on the blogging (especially as I will need to work when I do get internet access -- why did I agree to do this project, again?). Sorry, and don't give up on me, I will be back. And if something really interesting happens, I'll do the post from my phone but there will likely be typos which would be embarrassing. xox

Lizzie Sitting

A cute one, to start:

Tommy: So, Dad, how was your day?

E: It was fine.

T: So what'd you do?

E: I figured out how to build buildings.

T: And did you ride a digger with a jackhammer?

E: No, somebody else rides the digger.

T: Oh. So you all take turns on the digger.

We're doing well. Uncle Brett arrived on Tuesday which has been fun for all of us. He brought Tommy a remote controlled airplane, but it still doesn't have any batteries in it. No matter, Tommy loves the remote control. As Uncle Brett pointed out, it's not entirely clear that he understands what a remote control does.

It's been a somewhat busy week. I bought Tommy's bedding and mattress. I paid more for an organic mattress, but I read a scary article about the toxins kids breathe in from their mattresses, and the author of the article made the point that since they spend 12 or more hours on them daily, it's one of the most important organic purchases one can make. We have been unable to find a bed we want to buy for Tommy because all children's furniture in England is white, and the adult single beds are pricey. So he'll be sleeping on a mattress on the floor for a while.

Tommy went to preschool on Thursday morning and it was great. He was gone for three and a half hours PLUS he took a ginormous nap because he was so worn out. I am looking forward to the fall when we can do this daily, but by then he will probably have stopped napping.

It really feels like Lizzie is a different baby this week. She loves to sit up and play with her toys. She doesn't put them directly in her mouth now -- she likes to wave them around to see if they make noise, and she likes to pass them from one hand to the other. Today she even got the green hammer and banged it around for a while -- fixing with her brother. Tommy looooved it. They also played hide and seek. That game entails Tommy dragging Lizzie's blanket (with Lizzie on it, totally against the rules) behind the drapes, then he sits back there with her and I look for them (and pretend I don't see Lizzie's body sticking out of the drapes). I know they're mine, but they're just so cute. It's also adorable how much they love each other. Lizzie looks for Tommy and when she spots him, she gives him a huge smile.

Hide and seek:

Lizzie is crying...

and I'm on break. Eli got home about 15 minutes ago and he's started dinner and now is presumably bouncing our baby girl so that she will sleep. We have got some sleeping difficulties, my friends, but we have only 10 days until we move into our new house and begin to address them. She has no idea what's coming but after we unlearn all her bad habits, she will be well rested and an even more amazing baby than she is now. It is her six month birthday today! She is doing very well sitting up but does tip more often than not.

While I'm on my break, I'm eating Doritos. Most of you know that I NEVER EAT Doritos, but the USA - England game was on Saturday night and our friends Simon and Vivian came over to watch it. They must know that I never eat Doritos because they brought two bags, along with an apple pie, a big container of custard (must be a British thing), two pans of brownies, a thing of vanilla ice cream and more alcohol than I will drink in the remainder of this calendar year. We provided burgers, a big salad and sweet potato fries.

Oh, was it a big party, you ask? Why, no. Just the four of us. Which is why I'm eating the goddamn Doritos now.

We had a very nice weekend. We spent Saturday morning with Hanh and Brooks, then we had Simon and Vivian over. On Sunday, we met new friends in Holland Park. We met them through Jess and Sam (the guy is Sam's cousin, I think, but maybe second cousin?). It was nice.

And we did lots of jobs. I am fixated on getting all of the jobs we can do now DONE before we move into the new house and all I want to do is unpack and get settled. So I also worked on Sunday and finished a big chunk of my project -- but don't worry, I have another even bigger project already. Anyway.

We spent the morning in Kensington Gardens. For about 20 minutes, we went to a playground, but mostly we kicked the "football" around and found sticks and looked at the little trucks and lawnmowers. We also fed the swans and ducks (and pigeons, yuck), but we got out of there pretty quickly after Tommy announced his intention to touch a swan. I told him he couldn't, but with him you never know and the best course of action is to remove the temptation. Anyway, at the playground we met an American mom from Houston who was adamant that I need to get a car, and now. I think it's telling that she's from Houston, and really wanted to know if her husband works in finance and if she has the BMW SUV or the Porsche one (popular here), but I bit my tongue. A post on Americans in London is forthcoming.

Today during preschool, I purchased all of Tommy's bedding. He has an adorable duvet cover that he picked out. It has planes on it. My impulse buy of the day were some plane stickers that we can put on the wall to decorate his room. They match the duvet cover. And are about as much effort as I want to spend on a room in a rented house. He also got a pillow, a comforter, a mattress cover and a couple of plain white sheets. Tommy's Grandma Sid has already bought him some construction sheets, so I'm going to have Grandma Nancy make the topsheet from that set into the top of a duvet cover. Then, he'll have a couple of sets of bedding and when he vomits in his bed, I will be prepared. You know he will. Kids vomit in bed. They just do.

I wonder if Hanh's feelings will be hurt that she was mentioned in passing and I spent a whole paragraph on Tommy's bedding. Sorry, Hanh. It was so so so nice to see you and especially to go to Baker and Spice with you.

Uncle Brett arrives tomorrow! Tommy is excited. (Today he told me he wants to go back to Arlington and then pointed at a little girl and said, "see, there's Layla!" She's one of his friends from Arlington.)

Finally, I will tell you that Tommy will be going to preschool on Thursday mornings until the end of the term. This is so he can learn all the songs in the summer show. (Eli wants to buy a camcorder before the summer show.) I told Miss Tracy that if she sings them with him a couple of times, he'll be good to go (it's no secret that I believe Tommy is musically talented), but she said I should just bring him. So I said, thank you very much, I'd love to.

(I was just typing away, and Eli turned to me and said, "One popular phrase that people use at work here is "and then you disappear up your own asshole." I can't quite figure out what it means." Feel free to email him with your thoughts.)

14 lbs, 8 oz.

Lizzie gained weight. And the pediatrician again complimented her on her strength and just overall development. She took her shots very well and was so woozy that she let Hanh hold her for a long time and then fell asleep in the buggy (or pram, as it is also called here). Now she's sleeping and I have my heart set on walking to Baker & Spice this afternoon so I'm certain she'll sleep until five and ruin my plan. Which is not bad for the ol' waistline, I suppose, but I spend far more time than I will admit on this blog thinking about those chocolate and almond croissants, which are better than the cinnamon buns for anyone who remembers. Anyway, I love the pediatrician and I feel sort of sheepish for not using NHS but you know what? He called me last week to discuss the chickenpox and whether Lizzie would live or not (the pharmacist at Boots led me to believe there was actually a question and told me to take her to hospital immediately -- no, not THE hospital, just to hospital because that's what they say here), and then today we discussed it some more, and we also talked about a question I had about Tommy, AND he looked in Lizzie's ears because she's been tugging at them. You get what you pay for??? Or you pay for what you're used to? I think that's the real issue -- that in the US we had a pediatrician who knew the kids and me (and how neurotic I am) and I like that.

I hope you all have good weekends. When iPhoto stops acting like little jerk, I'll post the cute picture promised in my last post. I did not forget.