Dad arrived in England today! Although his flight was a bit late, he did get his car, and managed to navigate his way to his hotel which was only about 10 min away from my house. I surprised him in the lobby when he arrived at reception to check in and I do not think he recognized me for a second! It was so good to see him!! After checking in, I helped with the bags but then I had to go home because our TV was broken again so the man was coming to fix it. Dad pulled in my drive just as the Sky man was leaving and I showed him around the flat and made him a cup of tea while he used the computer briefly. Because he was starving, I drove him into Tongham, which is a small town nearby where he ate at a little pub. I think he was dragging before the food! I then drove him into Farnham and we drove through the town and some of the roads that I like to take before going back to the town center to the main car park. Dad did not have proper walking shoes, and I had to collect the boys in just under an hour, so we made a quick stop at a cash point (ATM) and then got a coffee and juice. We sat at a table by the window and talked for a bit, as well as looked at how bad the fashion is here, before leaving to go collect the boys.
We arrived a bit early so we sat in the car park and waited before walking up to the school. We got Theo first and when I went to the door he told me how good he was all day! I then told him that my dad was behind me, so he waved and said, "Hello sir!" We went to Henry's classroom and collected him, and he told my dad that he got him chocolate! With a boy in each hand, we went back to the car to go home.
Back home I helped the boys change into comfortable clothes and then we did homework! They each read stories and Henry even read one to my dad! They are very friendly boys and had NO trouble getting to know my dad, as each one climbed on his lap several times throughout the afternoon to ask him questions. After homework, we took dad down to the super bouncy tree and the grass/stick hut we made! We stayed for just a bit because it started raining and then rained the whole walk back up the two hills to the house. We did a bit of crafts until Pernille got home, and then it was time for presents! Dad got Pernille and Andrew IU mugs. For the boys, he got Henry an IU football shirt, and a football, and Theo received an IU basketball and basketball. They also got IU pencils and cards! The boys were thrilled and played with their toys for the rest of the night. All the adults talked for a bit, and then Dad and I went to eat in Guildford at a really delicious Italian restaurant and we each ate an entire pizza. We didn't stay out long because we were both tired and when I came back, the boys had both gone to bed in their IU shirts with all their presents in their beds. It was adorable! Its bed time now though, I am exhausted!
Have a great day, cheers!
XX
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Rock and Roll and Sports Day!
Monday was a very full day. Both Henry and Theo entertained friends at the house. Henry's mate Douglass and Theo's mate Toby both came over for tea. Douglass was FULL of energy, and Toby was quite opposite as all he wanted to do was play dress up. I got Henry and Douglass occupied playing with Matchbox cars, and Theo and Toby decided to build a track for the toy trains. We also listened to the boyband McFly and then it was time for tea. Pernille was home but working, but managed to put in some pizzas and sweet corn for the boys. Oh My Gosh. They never stopped talking or yelling or being insane little boys. Fiiinally they had eaten everything so we went back to playing and this time the boys spotted the toy guitars so we had a bit of a jam session in my sitting room. The picture is above and it was absolutely the funniest thing to watch. We had a really great time!
Sports Day was Tuesday and I have to say, it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Sports Day is just like Field Day as we know it and there were many relay events such as running, skipping, hopping, carrying a tennis racket with a beanbag and of course the sack race. The determination and excitement was palpable and the children were anxious to showcase their talents. Some of the children were carefully listening to last minute instructions from tall proud fathers, dressed in smart business suits lining the sidelines. Others were sitting happily in their tracksuits (sweatpants) picking grass and humming with excitement. The event was held at the school and was on the grass track. Behind the parents was a refreshment stand with coffee, tea and juice, as well as an announcer and PA system much like we have at track meets in the States. There were no individual winners because everything was a relay, and there were some very strong athletes! There were also those like my sweet Theo who was lucky enough to be in the lane closest to the parents so when he would run or skip or hop past us, he would turn so that his face was towards us and his body was still desperately trying to still propel forwards, but this way he was able to have a huge grin and the best possible angle to appear as photogenic as possible. It was simply hilarious!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
One month down, 6 to go..My time so far
I have only been here a month, but this month has done a lot to change my perspective of almost everything. I never realized how much work goes into being a parent all hours everyday. Babysitting is not too hard and at the end you go home and leave the children with their parents, but living here really is a full time job and has been the best experience of my life.
With no one really that I know, I have been forced way outside of my comfort zone. I am living with complete strangers, looking after their children. If I didn’t know about responsibility before, it is the only thing I know now. I have people that depend on me. I HAVE to get up every morning no matter what I feel like or how late I stayed up the night before reading or chatting. And no matter how tired I am, I have to drink lots of tea so I can wake up and be pleasant and cheerful or the day will be crummy. If the boys see me in a good mood, they are more likely to be in a good mood, but if they see me at all in a bad mood, it gives them permission to be nasty as well.
Patience is a virtue. I never really had much patience, but being in charge of a 5 and 6 year old require it full time. Everything takes more time to complete and even though I know that I could have everything done in less than half the time it takes them, I have to be patient and help the boys. Theo has just begun to read and it is fun to sit with him and watch him form the sounds and then put them together and read to me. Henry is a bit more advanced and constantly pushes himself to read better but gets mixed up on words a lot. I have learned that it is ok to mess up and just take my time with things. It is much more rewarding to sit there and take the time to help the boys figure out how things work than to do it for them just to complete the task.
One thing I have never been very good about is being independent. I have always been surrounded by people, whether it was all my brothers and sisters or all the neighbor kids growing up, or all the sports teams or all my friends, I have very rarely been on my own before. Even at college I live with over 100 girls and you have to work hard to be by yourself. And if I am not at Chi Omega, then I was usually with Grant. Living here I am by myself a lot which at first was the hardest and scariest part (even worse than driving!) because all of the sudden I had all this time by myself and I didn’t know what to do. I have done a lot of reading on anything I can get my hands on as well as my Bible which has been amazing to have so much time to do. I really enjoy walking around the nearby towns by myself and just taking everything in. It is also nice to explore
While it has been the biggest thing I have ever done in my life and something that I love, it has also been so hard to deal with the homesickness. I really don’t get homesick but
I have also had to go out of my way to make friends which I have never had to do before. Ever since I was small, I was always surrounded by friends. From cousins (and the Lux’s) to neighbors (especially the Whites), I had it all. At preschool I made friends easily and had a lot of play dates and then the same with grade school. I had Kaitlin and Kate and the three of us kept adding to our group and after a few years we were solid with Colleen, Heather, Lauren and Sarabeth. We all played every sport imaginable and that is the easiest way to make friends like Lindsey Love and Annie and everyone! And then in college I joined Chi Omega and have some of the most amazing pledge sisters in the world that I know are friendships that will last me my whole life because those are girls I would do anything for. I even have dreams about Chi O while I have been here (especially about silly things like being late for rush!). But I am not trying to say that I’m so cool or anything, just that I have been so blessed with the love and friendships that I have in my life. It is exciting to meet new people but hard! I found that if you smile a lot and try not to be too awkward people like you J
One thing I love about living with this family is the way I interact with the boys. Sometimes it is unbelievably hard because they can be so cruel, but the times they are sweet make it all worth it. I love the way they melt into my body to give me cuddles or the way they study my face with such seriousness as I tell a story or explain something. That look with the slightly cocked head, wide eyes that you can tell are deep in thought and half open mouth and they take you in with such a serious expression gets me every time. Especially because usually they still have dirt in their hair which is a mess and the reddest, rosiest cheeks and are usually playing with their hands unconsciously but fully hanging on to every word I say. Watching them watch movies is hilarious. They do not watch much TV so whenever it is on, its like being in a trance and you cannot tear them away. It is so funny to see the emotion on their face as they watch shows or films because they get so into the characters and half the time I watch them instead of whatever is on. I love how at bed time most nights when I put them to bed, we read a story in bed with one boy curled up in the crook of my arm on each side. As the story winds down, I can sense them beginning to get drowsy as their bodies recognize that it is bed time. After we get settled into each bed, it is time for a lullaby where we either sing “Daisy” or “Sunshine”. The words to “Daisy” are:
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I’m half crazy over the love of you. It won’t be a stylish marriage, I can’t afford a carriage. But you’ll look sweet, upon the seat, of a bicycle made for two.
“Sunshine” goes ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”
I used to sing Sunshine with my mom so singing it with them always makes me tear up because I miss my family so much.
I love the way the boys reach their arms up for a big hug, or walk up next to me and quietly slip their hand inside of mine while we walk. The feeling I get when they pick me flowers and call me their ‘precious darling’.
It is very amusing to listen to Henry and Theo explain things like love and God and everything else to me. One of Theo’s favorite things to do is make statements beginning with ‘wouldn’t it be funny’ or ‘wouldn’t it be dangerous’ and you know that something hilarious and totally random is going to come out of him mouth. “Wouldn’t it be funny if a car went on a plane and they were flying over the ocean and then penguins jumped out and went surfing on the back of sharks?” haha most of the time I just don’t even know how to answer this so I just crack up.
Of course there are times when I want to pull my hair out, when the boys are moody or look at me and tell me they hate me because they have to go to bed are times that are hard to deal with. Every time I get a mean look or a mean word it breaks my heart and pains me to think of how many times I said the same to my parents and how I know that in their hearts they know what I was thinking but the fact that I said it is something I can never take back and that is a very bad feeling. Of course I will always have arguments with them, but parents are the two people in this world who love you no matter what. You are a part of them; half of you is from your dad, and half from mom and no matter how you look at it, its not going to change. I know I am a long time away from being a mom myself, but this is definitely a close job. But until then, it is showing me how to be a better daughter and when I get home I hope I can show that.
Well there it is so far. Most of my blogs are about the details of my life here and my adventures, but this is the other part of living here-my emotions and what it is like to basically just decide to make a life change and then go for it. I know it is a lot of reading but I just wanted to put down my thoughts and feelings so far.
I hope everyone had a great weekend and please email me with anything I should do while I am here! I am open to suggestions!
Cheers
XX
clearing things up..
Charlie is six and is Henry's friend :) Not some random boy that I know (thanks mom)
Making friends
Last week was a fun week! Monday Charlie came over and he was so much fun to have over! We went swimming and played tag (I was always it) and made stickers. He told me that I was the most gorgeous woman in the world. He is probably my favorite person right now :) Thursday was a moving party for a girl in Henry's class called Georgina who is moving to a little island off the coast of Italy. Pernille had offered to make cakes for the party but had meetings the whole week so I made them instead. I was a baking fool! I made everything from scratch and made brownies, cupcakes, chocolate cake, peanut butter and chocolate pie, and meringues and loads of icing. I had so many compliments from everyone at the party! I am a new huge fan of baking!
Friday was supposed to be Sports Day at the boy's school which is supposedly the funniest day because its like field day in the US and the events are really simple but the children take it so serious! I guess last year Theo's year did a race where they just had to jump with two feet and he ended up going backwards and everyone was laughing so hard. It was storming here though so Sport's Day was moved to Tuesday. I can't wait to see it!
Saturday I went back to London to go shopping for a bit and meet up with a girl I met over the Internet (that sounds so sketchy!). I signed up for a website that is for people to join groups and then the groups have get togethers and everyone hangs out! One of the groups I am in is for 18-30s girls in London who are new to London and most of their meetups have been on Wednesday nights so I have not been able to go yet. Anyways, I got an email from one of the girls to see if I wanted to meet up so we met up yesterday at a cute Italian restaurant and we had a great time! Her name is Courtney and she is 27 from Chicago and just moved here a few months ago. She works for an online poker company and it sounds really cool. She was really nice and we had a good time and are going to do it again!
After we ate lunch, we went to Portabello Market because I desperately needed a new handbag. All of the ones that I brought are cute and small, but I really needed something bigger because when I go into London I bring a lot with me like my wallet, my Ipod, my glasses, my phone, an umbrella, a jacket, a small stick of deodorant (the tube gets really crowded and I don't want to smell!), and then I bring a book and my maps and then I also wanted to buy sunglasses because mine broke right before I came over and my eyes are in need of some shelter from the sun. I found the perfect bag at the market and found two pairs of sunglasses (for waaaay cheap!) and I was so pleased! I also got two scarves for just a few pounds and put one around my neck and instantly felt more like I fit in! I am so American in how I dress, the trick here is to accessorize. Everyone here waaaay overdoes their accessories though; I keep things simple and what I think is tasteful!
When we were done shopping she went home and I walked around for a bit (I really just love being in London) and read my book in one of the massive parks. It started raining though so I decided that I would just head home and I needed to add more minutes to my mobile anyways so I had to get to the phone store before it closed.
I headed back and the train ride was quick and I got my phone taken care of and then was hungry again because it was nearly 6 so I went to grab a bite. The table next to me was full of guys and two girls and when they saw I was alone, they invited me to sit with them. We got to talking and then of course a million questions about how I was liking it here and America and everything like that. When we were done eating they invited me to come to the pub across the street where two of them work to hang out for a bit. When we talked about ages, they couldn't believe that I was 21! But I couldn't believe their ages either! They guys were called Chris, Nick, Mick, Jamie, Phillip, and Charles. They were all between 24-28 and hilarious. The girls were named Shaana and Gina and I thought they were maybe late 20s/early 30s and they turned out to be 39 and 44!! haha Shaana's husband was one of the owners of the club next to the pub.
I seriously had so much fun talking to them! We went over to the pub where they tried to convince me to get a job there on the weekends and I had my first Diet Coke since I have been here!!! And 'on the rocks' here means you get 2 ice cubes. It was early, only about half past 8 so we sat on couches and talked about how silly Americans are and everything I should do while I am here.
As it got later, we walked next door to the adjoining club and after the girls got their drinks and I refilled my coke, we went upstairs to dance! The drinking age here is 18 (I kind of felt like I was at Kilroys?) and there were all these young boys that kept trying to dance with us but we told them all no and had a ladies night instead. I could not believe that Shaana and Gina were twice my age, they acted and looked my age! They are best friends and welcomed me and were so nice! It was nearly midnight and I was tired so after exchanging phone numbers with them all I decided to go home.
I did some facebooking and stalked mom for a bit :) and emailing and then went to bed. Today has been pretty uneventful, except Theo and I had a very in depth conversation about God and love. God is trillions of years old and was really good friends with the dinosaurs but then wanted them in heaven so he brought them up into the sky, thats why we don't have them anymore. And he asked me, "Love is not selfish, is it?". He had gone to a wedding yesterday and apparently got a lot out of the service. He told me that when you love someone you have to tell them all the time so they know. He also told me that sometimes people are not nice and you have to give them loads of hugs anyways. Very deep insight from a nearly five year old. He told me that sometimes he feels like he is nearly 60. His new favorite words are 'fascinating' and 'charming' and has taken to calling me 'my darling'.
Well we are going on a walk, but yeah for Adrianne and Elliott moving to Virginia! And Dad comes Thursday!!!!!
Have a wonderful day :)
XX
Friday was supposed to be Sports Day at the boy's school which is supposedly the funniest day because its like field day in the US and the events are really simple but the children take it so serious! I guess last year Theo's year did a race where they just had to jump with two feet and he ended up going backwards and everyone was laughing so hard. It was storming here though so Sport's Day was moved to Tuesday. I can't wait to see it!
Saturday I went back to London to go shopping for a bit and meet up with a girl I met over the Internet (that sounds so sketchy!). I signed up for a website that is for people to join groups and then the groups have get togethers and everyone hangs out! One of the groups I am in is for 18-30s girls in London who are new to London and most of their meetups have been on Wednesday nights so I have not been able to go yet. Anyways, I got an email from one of the girls to see if I wanted to meet up so we met up yesterday at a cute Italian restaurant and we had a great time! Her name is Courtney and she is 27 from Chicago and just moved here a few months ago. She works for an online poker company and it sounds really cool. She was really nice and we had a good time and are going to do it again!
After we ate lunch, we went to Portabello Market because I desperately needed a new handbag. All of the ones that I brought are cute and small, but I really needed something bigger because when I go into London I bring a lot with me like my wallet, my Ipod, my glasses, my phone, an umbrella, a jacket, a small stick of deodorant (the tube gets really crowded and I don't want to smell!), and then I bring a book and my maps and then I also wanted to buy sunglasses because mine broke right before I came over and my eyes are in need of some shelter from the sun. I found the perfect bag at the market and found two pairs of sunglasses (for waaaay cheap!) and I was so pleased! I also got two scarves for just a few pounds and put one around my neck and instantly felt more like I fit in! I am so American in how I dress, the trick here is to accessorize. Everyone here waaaay overdoes their accessories though; I keep things simple and what I think is tasteful!
When we were done shopping she went home and I walked around for a bit (I really just love being in London) and read my book in one of the massive parks. It started raining though so I decided that I would just head home and I needed to add more minutes to my mobile anyways so I had to get to the phone store before it closed.
I headed back and the train ride was quick and I got my phone taken care of and then was hungry again because it was nearly 6 so I went to grab a bite. The table next to me was full of guys and two girls and when they saw I was alone, they invited me to sit with them. We got to talking and then of course a million questions about how I was liking it here and America and everything like that. When we were done eating they invited me to come to the pub across the street where two of them work to hang out for a bit. When we talked about ages, they couldn't believe that I was 21! But I couldn't believe their ages either! They guys were called Chris, Nick, Mick, Jamie, Phillip, and Charles. They were all between 24-28 and hilarious. The girls were named Shaana and Gina and I thought they were maybe late 20s/early 30s and they turned out to be 39 and 44!! haha Shaana's husband was one of the owners of the club next to the pub.
I seriously had so much fun talking to them! We went over to the pub where they tried to convince me to get a job there on the weekends and I had my first Diet Coke since I have been here!!! And 'on the rocks' here means you get 2 ice cubes. It was early, only about half past 8 so we sat on couches and talked about how silly Americans are and everything I should do while I am here.
As it got later, we walked next door to the adjoining club and after the girls got their drinks and I refilled my coke, we went upstairs to dance! The drinking age here is 18 (I kind of felt like I was at Kilroys?) and there were all these young boys that kept trying to dance with us but we told them all no and had a ladies night instead. I could not believe that Shaana and Gina were twice my age, they acted and looked my age! They are best friends and welcomed me and were so nice! It was nearly midnight and I was tired so after exchanging phone numbers with them all I decided to go home.
I did some facebooking and stalked mom for a bit :) and emailing and then went to bed. Today has been pretty uneventful, except Theo and I had a very in depth conversation about God and love. God is trillions of years old and was really good friends with the dinosaurs but then wanted them in heaven so he brought them up into the sky, thats why we don't have them anymore. And he asked me, "Love is not selfish, is it?". He had gone to a wedding yesterday and apparently got a lot out of the service. He told me that when you love someone you have to tell them all the time so they know. He also told me that sometimes people are not nice and you have to give them loads of hugs anyways. Very deep insight from a nearly five year old. He told me that sometimes he feels like he is nearly 60. His new favorite words are 'fascinating' and 'charming' and has taken to calling me 'my darling'.
Well we are going on a walk, but yeah for Adrianne and Elliott moving to Virginia! And Dad comes Thursday!!!!!
Have a wonderful day :)
XX
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Being a tourist in London
Last week was pretty uneventful just a lot of nannying and hanging out in the nearby towns. And watching Audrey Hepburn movies. I was getting a bit lonely in the country so I decided to go into London Saturday. I was going to try again to meet up with my cousin Nadja but last minute she couldn't. I was already on my way so I thought I would go do some sightseeing.
I did not have a plan, but I had a tourist book and a detailed map book so I was set.
As I walked out of the tube station, I was immediately greeted by the familiar sight of Big Ben! That thing was massive. I loved how big it was and how excited all the tourists got when they took pictures. Saturday was also the Queen's unofficial birthday. It must be pretty cool to have two birthdays, I was jealous. There was a huge parade as well as a ton of planes that flew overhead. It was raining really hard as I was walking over there, so I waited until the roof of the Westminster Abbey and once the planes had flown by I decided that I would be a tourist and go inside.
The place was amazing! Walking inside and looking up at how many things covered the walls and ceiling was just incredible. The nave is 10 stories high which is the tallest in England. The chandeliers are 10 feet tall but its hard to tell because of the huge space they are in. Everywhere you look is another tomb or chapel or shrine to someone. The artwork and detail, not to mention the history, thinking about how many different people had walked inside this church to pay their respects and to appreciate the handicraft was a bit overwhelming.
The Abbey was founded in 960 AD as a Benedictine monastery. It is what they call a 'living church' which means that it is a place for Christian worship as well as the burial and memorial place for many people from the last one thousand years. The name, Westminster, means Church in the West (which is west of St. Paul's Cathedral).
Walking in, you pass by huge sculptures of people and like I said before, almost every inch of wall space is either a memorial stone plaque to someone who has died or a sculpture memorial. Upon first walking in is the North Transept, or the Statesmen's Aisle where many prime ministers are memorialized. It is lined with saints in stained glass and men in carved stone. The main alter is literally straight ahead and sits on a platform. Next is the North Ambulatory, and tombs of Edward I and Henry III, as well as the Shrine of Edward the Confessor who built the Westminster Abbey after God told him to visit St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but with the Norman's thinking conquest, it was too dangerous to leave England so he built this one instead and was finished just before he died. His tomb is one of the holiest parts of the church.
The tomb of Queen Elizabeth I and (Bloody) Mary I was next, both daughters of Henry VIII. The irony of this tomb is that they are buried together but at one point Mary locked Elizabeth up in the Tower of London. Elizabeth was a strong Protestant leader who had one of the greatest reigns in English history. They are buried together with a prayer for Christians of all kinds to live peacefully together.
The Chapel of King Henry VII was next and the ceiling was amazing. The Knights of Bath meet here. There is stained glass all around and really colorful banners and everything is very festive looking. The ceiling was actually made of carved stone that was sculpted on the floor in pieces and then put together like a puzzle into place. Wooden stalls line the sides where the knights sit. Behind the alter is the tomb of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York.
The Coronation Chair was really amazing to see because it was first made in 1301 and has been used at every coronation since. The chair is painted gold and at the bottom of the legs are lions which are England's symbols. I really liked this chair!
The Poets' Corner was next and literally the walls and the floor are covered with markers commemorating around 120 writers, poets, actors, musicians and artists, some of whom are also buried here. Geoffrey Chaucer, who is considered the father of English literature (thank you Mr. Sturgeon..) is buried here and was the first artist to be buried here and that is how the Poets' Corner came to be. Some others include Lord Byron, Dylan Thomas, W.H. Auden, Lewis Carroll (Alice and Wonderland), T.S. Eliot, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, George Handel (he wrote the song "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth"), Charles Dickens, Samuel Johnson (wrote the first English dictionary), and a man named Thomas Parr who lived from 1483-1635 which is 152 years! Shakespeare is not buried here but there is a really amazing statue in him memory.
I sat for awhile by the Great Cloister which is a huge square of grass outside. It was an amazing calming feeling and I know that I will go back several times before I leave. As I was walking out, I lit a candle and said a prayer. Then I walked past the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, which is one ordinary WWI soldier buried in soil from France with a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, presented to England's WWI dead in 1921. Nearby were memorials to Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Martin Luther King Jr.
I left the Abbey and it was raining again and I didn't have a plan. I saw a sign pointing down the road for the Trafalgar Square. It was a bit of a walk but well worth it. I like walking better than buses because you get to see so much more and I think you experience it more. After walking around the fountains and the monumental column to Lord Nelson, it started pouring rain so I decided it was a good time to visit the National Gallery. I think that I probably could have spent days in this place will all the different art, but I only stayed for about an hour and looked at some of the big works. I saw da Vinci's "The Virgin of the Rocks", "Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist", Botticelli's "Venus and Mars", Michelangelo's "Entombment", Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait", and Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" just to name a few. The rooms were full of paintings and I had such a good time wandering around. There were so many pictures of naked people though, that I wondered if any women or men actually wore clothing or was it normal to have all your clothing falling off all the time? I don't know much about art, but I thought it was insane how many painting showed nude people. Aaanyways.. I was ready for another adventure so I thought I would head out.
I ended up walking along The Mall road which is a very wide road that was still set up from the Queen's parade down the street earlier. On one side of the street was St. James's Palace and the other side of the road is St. James's Park. At the end of the very very long street was Buckingham Palace. I thought I would try to say hey to the Queen and maybe wish her a happy unofficial birthday but apparently I'm not cool enough and the big men with the machine guns told me I couldn't bother her. That was a bit disappointing, and I told Lisa I would try to hook her up with the princes. Sorry girl.
After hanging out there for a bit, I decided to just kind of walk around without a purpose. As I was walking down a street that was fairly empty I heard someone walking behind me so naturally I glanced back and kept walking. But something caught my eye and I looked back again. There was a girl with the Chi Omega letters on her jacket walking behind me!!! After being alone all day, and not seeing anyone I knew for a long time, it was seriously amazing to randomly see a Chi O! She was from Oklahoma and on vacation with her family and had done some sightseeing by herself for a bit and was going back to meet up with them. We walked and talked for about a half an hour and then parted ways. You might think I'm silly for being so excited, but when you are by yourself in another country and see a girl you don't know but is your sorority sister, you get excited :)
Anyways, I kept walking and then got a call from Scott and Scottland so I went and met up with them over at a place called Sports (yes Sports, I miss Bloomington) on Regents Street. It was fun to see people that I actually knew! We talked and watched a bit of the Yankees/Mets game and I decided that I was going to stay in the city and just crash with one of the girls in their program.
A funny thing happened when I was in the bathroom, or excuse me, in the loo. There was a lady in their that handed you your towel to wipe your hands after you washed them. I smiled at her and said thank you when she handed me my towel. She asked if I was American and I said I was and she got so excited! We talked for a long time about America and how much she loved Americans. She was from Nigeria and moved to England with her husband and wants to go to America so badly. She doused me with perfume and I said goodbye. She was so nice and I really enjoyed talking to her, but I was in the bathroom for a long time and felt awkward when I walked out and met up with my friends because who knows what they were thinking haha.
We took the tube back to Nottinghill so that the boys could change into their soccer jerseys they bought and I left my tourist books and things in their room so I didn't look like a huge dork and we went over to Earle's Court where a bunch of girls in the program live in the basement flat, and one of the boys, Dan, lives above them, because they made baked ziti.
The night was fun and it was good to meet new people. Scottland called Sara K and I got to say hi!!!! Seriously so excited about that. Sunday was a very American day. After waking up, we went and got Dumb and Dumber and Ace Ventura Pet Detective and watched the movies in the common room in the basement flat and ate McDonalds, Burger King and Subway! Then Scott and Scottland and I took the tube back to Nottinghill so I could get my things and I said bye before heading back out to get on the tube to go home. I got back before dinner time and ate with my family and then talked a bit to Grant online and then also to my Dad to wish him a happy Father's Day when he got home from the race. I was exhausted and went to bed early.
Yesterday was horrible weather and poured and was pretty cold so I read a book and relaxed while the boys were at school. The weather cleared up just before I collected them so after doing homework, we played outside climbing trees and going on the bouncy tree and trying to catch bunnies. Theo cut his finger on the barbed wire he wasn't supposed to play on so we headed back up to the house which he was screaming because there was a tiny bit of blood. I let him sit on my shoulders and it was a hard workout to walk up the super steep hill to get home. Once we were back the boys stripped naked and decided it was time to go swimming the in little pool which I made tea (supper). They had ham and turkey with cheese, squash, and potato salad with shrimp and peppers.
Pernille and Andrew got home while they were finishing and we played a big game of cards and then did some puzzles. The boys got ready for bed while we ate and then watched 102 Dalmatians before bed. After they went to bed, I went downstairs and fell asleep early because I was so tired.
Today has been nice so far, but we are supposed to get some nasty weather tonight which is bad because Henry has a friend coming over after school for tea. I hope the weather is good so that we can play outside or else it will be a nightmare! Today I went to the Farnham Castle and walked around the Keep for a bit. I then sat in the Farnham park and read a book. A dog came up to me and I pet it while his owner also came over. The man and I talked for about 20 min about England the America and Farnham. More details of today another time though. I am worn out from writing and writing!
Happy Father's Day (a bit late) to all the dads, especially my dad who I get to see soon!!! A special hello to Adrianne, Sarah and Danny and Mom (who is hiking in the mountains)! Also to Jenn. Heres the blog super stalker! And Grant of course :)
Have a great day, and I will get better about writing on this!!
I did not have a plan, but I had a tourist book and a detailed map book so I was set.
As I walked out of the tube station, I was immediately greeted by the familiar sight of Big Ben! That thing was massive. I loved how big it was and how excited all the tourists got when they took pictures. Saturday was also the Queen's unofficial birthday. It must be pretty cool to have two birthdays, I was jealous. There was a huge parade as well as a ton of planes that flew overhead. It was raining really hard as I was walking over there, so I waited until the roof of the Westminster Abbey and once the planes had flown by I decided that I would be a tourist and go inside.
The place was amazing! Walking inside and looking up at how many things covered the walls and ceiling was just incredible. The nave is 10 stories high which is the tallest in England. The chandeliers are 10 feet tall but its hard to tell because of the huge space they are in. Everywhere you look is another tomb or chapel or shrine to someone. The artwork and detail, not to mention the history, thinking about how many different people had walked inside this church to pay their respects and to appreciate the handicraft was a bit overwhelming.
The Abbey was founded in 960 AD as a Benedictine monastery. It is what they call a 'living church' which means that it is a place for Christian worship as well as the burial and memorial place for many people from the last one thousand years. The name, Westminster, means Church in the West (which is west of St. Paul's Cathedral).
Walking in, you pass by huge sculptures of people and like I said before, almost every inch of wall space is either a memorial stone plaque to someone who has died or a sculpture memorial. Upon first walking in is the North Transept, or the Statesmen's Aisle where many prime ministers are memorialized. It is lined with saints in stained glass and men in carved stone. The main alter is literally straight ahead and sits on a platform. Next is the North Ambulatory, and tombs of Edward I and Henry III, as well as the Shrine of Edward the Confessor who built the Westminster Abbey after God told him to visit St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but with the Norman's thinking conquest, it was too dangerous to leave England so he built this one instead and was finished just before he died. His tomb is one of the holiest parts of the church.
The tomb of Queen Elizabeth I and (Bloody) Mary I was next, both daughters of Henry VIII. The irony of this tomb is that they are buried together but at one point Mary locked Elizabeth up in the Tower of London. Elizabeth was a strong Protestant leader who had one of the greatest reigns in English history. They are buried together with a prayer for Christians of all kinds to live peacefully together.
The Chapel of King Henry VII was next and the ceiling was amazing. The Knights of Bath meet here. There is stained glass all around and really colorful banners and everything is very festive looking. The ceiling was actually made of carved stone that was sculpted on the floor in pieces and then put together like a puzzle into place. Wooden stalls line the sides where the knights sit. Behind the alter is the tomb of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York.
The Coronation Chair was really amazing to see because it was first made in 1301 and has been used at every coronation since. The chair is painted gold and at the bottom of the legs are lions which are England's symbols. I really liked this chair!
The Poets' Corner was next and literally the walls and the floor are covered with markers commemorating around 120 writers, poets, actors, musicians and artists, some of whom are also buried here. Geoffrey Chaucer, who is considered the father of English literature (thank you Mr. Sturgeon..) is buried here and was the first artist to be buried here and that is how the Poets' Corner came to be. Some others include Lord Byron, Dylan Thomas, W.H. Auden, Lewis Carroll (Alice and Wonderland), T.S. Eliot, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, George Handel (he wrote the song "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth"), Charles Dickens, Samuel Johnson (wrote the first English dictionary), and a man named Thomas Parr who lived from 1483-1635 which is 152 years! Shakespeare is not buried here but there is a really amazing statue in him memory.
I sat for awhile by the Great Cloister which is a huge square of grass outside. It was an amazing calming feeling and I know that I will go back several times before I leave. As I was walking out, I lit a candle and said a prayer. Then I walked past the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, which is one ordinary WWI soldier buried in soil from France with a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, presented to England's WWI dead in 1921. Nearby were memorials to Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Martin Luther King Jr.
I left the Abbey and it was raining again and I didn't have a plan. I saw a sign pointing down the road for the Trafalgar Square. It was a bit of a walk but well worth it. I like walking better than buses because you get to see so much more and I think you experience it more. After walking around the fountains and the monumental column to Lord Nelson, it started pouring rain so I decided it was a good time to visit the National Gallery. I think that I probably could have spent days in this place will all the different art, but I only stayed for about an hour and looked at some of the big works. I saw da Vinci's "The Virgin of the Rocks", "Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist", Botticelli's "Venus and Mars", Michelangelo's "Entombment", Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait", and Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" just to name a few. The rooms were full of paintings and I had such a good time wandering around. There were so many pictures of naked people though, that I wondered if any women or men actually wore clothing or was it normal to have all your clothing falling off all the time? I don't know much about art, but I thought it was insane how many painting showed nude people. Aaanyways.. I was ready for another adventure so I thought I would head out.
I ended up walking along The Mall road which is a very wide road that was still set up from the Queen's parade down the street earlier. On one side of the street was St. James's Palace and the other side of the road is St. James's Park. At the end of the very very long street was Buckingham Palace. I thought I would try to say hey to the Queen and maybe wish her a happy unofficial birthday but apparently I'm not cool enough and the big men with the machine guns told me I couldn't bother her. That was a bit disappointing, and I told Lisa I would try to hook her up with the princes. Sorry girl.
After hanging out there for a bit, I decided to just kind of walk around without a purpose. As I was walking down a street that was fairly empty I heard someone walking behind me so naturally I glanced back and kept walking. But something caught my eye and I looked back again. There was a girl with the Chi Omega letters on her jacket walking behind me!!! After being alone all day, and not seeing anyone I knew for a long time, it was seriously amazing to randomly see a Chi O! She was from Oklahoma and on vacation with her family and had done some sightseeing by herself for a bit and was going back to meet up with them. We walked and talked for about a half an hour and then parted ways. You might think I'm silly for being so excited, but when you are by yourself in another country and see a girl you don't know but is your sorority sister, you get excited :)
Anyways, I kept walking and then got a call from Scott and Scottland so I went and met up with them over at a place called Sports (yes Sports, I miss Bloomington) on Regents Street. It was fun to see people that I actually knew! We talked and watched a bit of the Yankees/Mets game and I decided that I was going to stay in the city and just crash with one of the girls in their program.
A funny thing happened when I was in the bathroom, or excuse me, in the loo. There was a lady in their that handed you your towel to wipe your hands after you washed them. I smiled at her and said thank you when she handed me my towel. She asked if I was American and I said I was and she got so excited! We talked for a long time about America and how much she loved Americans. She was from Nigeria and moved to England with her husband and wants to go to America so badly. She doused me with perfume and I said goodbye. She was so nice and I really enjoyed talking to her, but I was in the bathroom for a long time and felt awkward when I walked out and met up with my friends because who knows what they were thinking haha.
We took the tube back to Nottinghill so that the boys could change into their soccer jerseys they bought and I left my tourist books and things in their room so I didn't look like a huge dork and we went over to Earle's Court where a bunch of girls in the program live in the basement flat, and one of the boys, Dan, lives above them, because they made baked ziti.
The night was fun and it was good to meet new people. Scottland called Sara K and I got to say hi!!!! Seriously so excited about that. Sunday was a very American day. After waking up, we went and got Dumb and Dumber and Ace Ventura Pet Detective and watched the movies in the common room in the basement flat and ate McDonalds, Burger King and Subway! Then Scott and Scottland and I took the tube back to Nottinghill so I could get my things and I said bye before heading back out to get on the tube to go home. I got back before dinner time and ate with my family and then talked a bit to Grant online and then also to my Dad to wish him a happy Father's Day when he got home from the race. I was exhausted and went to bed early.
Yesterday was horrible weather and poured and was pretty cold so I read a book and relaxed while the boys were at school. The weather cleared up just before I collected them so after doing homework, we played outside climbing trees and going on the bouncy tree and trying to catch bunnies. Theo cut his finger on the barbed wire he wasn't supposed to play on so we headed back up to the house which he was screaming because there was a tiny bit of blood. I let him sit on my shoulders and it was a hard workout to walk up the super steep hill to get home. Once we were back the boys stripped naked and decided it was time to go swimming the in little pool which I made tea (supper). They had ham and turkey with cheese, squash, and potato salad with shrimp and peppers.
Pernille and Andrew got home while they were finishing and we played a big game of cards and then did some puzzles. The boys got ready for bed while we ate and then watched 102 Dalmatians before bed. After they went to bed, I went downstairs and fell asleep early because I was so tired.
Today has been nice so far, but we are supposed to get some nasty weather tonight which is bad because Henry has a friend coming over after school for tea. I hope the weather is good so that we can play outside or else it will be a nightmare! Today I went to the Farnham Castle and walked around the Keep for a bit. I then sat in the Farnham park and read a book. A dog came up to me and I pet it while his owner also came over. The man and I talked for about 20 min about England the America and Farnham. More details of today another time though. I am worn out from writing and writing!
Happy Father's Day (a bit late) to all the dads, especially my dad who I get to see soon!!! A special hello to Adrianne, Sarah and Danny and Mom (who is hiking in the mountains)! Also to Jenn. Heres the blog super stalker! And Grant of course :)
Have a great day, and I will get better about writing on this!!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Fitting In
Well sorry to all my stalkers for the delay in posts, I have been busy trying to immerse myself in the British ways of living. Last week was my first week with the boys all by myself before and after school and it was hard but mostly fun. They do not always want to go to school, and they also get really easily bored so we change activities a lot. Pernille is helping teach me how to cook and I have already picked up a few things that I cannot wait to come home and show everyone!
During the day I have been going on long runs through the Surrey Hills which are truly beautiful, and I have gone into the close towns of Guildford and Farnham. There is a castle in Farnham which is really fun, and I might go back there tomorrow with the boys. I have also done a lot of reading and housekeeping and ironing. The boys love to swim in their wading pool and it is fun to watch them, except when they think it is funny to jump on top of each other because someone always ends up in tears until you convince them that they are fine.
Last weekend was Pernille's dad Jack's 80th birthday and her family came over. Her sister, and her husband and their two enormous dogs that looked like bears, her brother and his wife and three children and her aunt who LOVES to talk :). It was a really nice day and Pernille and I made a ton of food and we all ate a really lovely lunch. Jack is hilarious and loves chocolate (which everyone bought him loads of) and told some really great stories. The day was fun but it was also a lot of work cleaning up after everyone in between each stage of eating. I was exhausted by the end but I really liked meeting everyone and Pernille said that they liked me too which was really nice.
I was excited because I was going to meet up with one of my cousins after the birthday party on Saturday night in Guildford, but last minute Andrew and Pernille got tickets to the school ball, which was a SUPER fancy party for all the parents at the school. I knew how much they wanted to go so I agreed to babysit the boys. They did not want to go to bed, but after the threat of a phone call to their dad, they decided they were tired after all. I talked a bit to Grant and read a book before bed. It was nice to be able to talk for a bit and we looked up flights!
Sunday was a gorgeous day and I slept in and then went running errands with Pernille and the boys. We had to get party invites for Theo's 5th birthday which is just under a month away! We went to a card store and got Scubby Doo cards with the thought that we will do a Hawaiian theme because Theo loves that my sister lives there! I think we are getting a bouncy castle and we are inviting his WHOLE year at school which is a really big deal. We also went to their version of Walmart and Pernille got me a really trendy skirt that was cheap but I'm not really sure if I will be able to wear it. British trendy is like the American 80's and I'm not sure if I can pull this off. haha
Today I went into London to the Embassy to try to figure out my passport again and I am really sick of getting the run around. Now I have to figure out how to make an appointment to go talk to them.
The good news is that my dad is coming June 27th to July 7th to see me and have a holiday of his own! I am so excited!! And Grant is coming August 7th to the 16th I believe! Now I just have to figure out when Mom can come because I reallllllllllllllllly want her to!
Well I am exhausted, its been a long day with the boys. We went for a big hike after school and climbed trees and found a really bouncy tree that was like a ride and then built a house out of sticks and grass that we could all three get in and me and Theo laid down and almost took a nap! Then we came home and went swimming before dinner. Its just after 9pm and its bed time for me. Good night and have a wonderful day!
XX
During the day I have been going on long runs through the Surrey Hills which are truly beautiful, and I have gone into the close towns of Guildford and Farnham. There is a castle in Farnham which is really fun, and I might go back there tomorrow with the boys. I have also done a lot of reading and housekeeping and ironing. The boys love to swim in their wading pool and it is fun to watch them, except when they think it is funny to jump on top of each other because someone always ends up in tears until you convince them that they are fine.
Last weekend was Pernille's dad Jack's 80th birthday and her family came over. Her sister, and her husband and their two enormous dogs that looked like bears, her brother and his wife and three children and her aunt who LOVES to talk :). It was a really nice day and Pernille and I made a ton of food and we all ate a really lovely lunch. Jack is hilarious and loves chocolate (which everyone bought him loads of) and told some really great stories. The day was fun but it was also a lot of work cleaning up after everyone in between each stage of eating. I was exhausted by the end but I really liked meeting everyone and Pernille said that they liked me too which was really nice.
I was excited because I was going to meet up with one of my cousins after the birthday party on Saturday night in Guildford, but last minute Andrew and Pernille got tickets to the school ball, which was a SUPER fancy party for all the parents at the school. I knew how much they wanted to go so I agreed to babysit the boys. They did not want to go to bed, but after the threat of a phone call to their dad, they decided they were tired after all. I talked a bit to Grant and read a book before bed. It was nice to be able to talk for a bit and we looked up flights!
Sunday was a gorgeous day and I slept in and then went running errands with Pernille and the boys. We had to get party invites for Theo's 5th birthday which is just under a month away! We went to a card store and got Scubby Doo cards with the thought that we will do a Hawaiian theme because Theo loves that my sister lives there! I think we are getting a bouncy castle and we are inviting his WHOLE year at school which is a really big deal. We also went to their version of Walmart and Pernille got me a really trendy skirt that was cheap but I'm not really sure if I will be able to wear it. British trendy is like the American 80's and I'm not sure if I can pull this off. haha
Today I went into London to the Embassy to try to figure out my passport again and I am really sick of getting the run around. Now I have to figure out how to make an appointment to go talk to them.
The good news is that my dad is coming June 27th to July 7th to see me and have a holiday of his own! I am so excited!! And Grant is coming August 7th to the 16th I believe! Now I just have to figure out when Mom can come because I reallllllllllllllllly want her to!
Well I am exhausted, its been a long day with the boys. We went for a big hike after school and climbed trees and found a really bouncy tree that was like a ride and then built a house out of sticks and grass that we could all three get in and me and Theo laid down and almost took a nap! Then we came home and went swimming before dinner. Its just after 9pm and its bed time for me. Good night and have a wonderful day!
XX
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
London
Last Saturday I went into London to see Nicole! After Andrew dropped me off at the Guildford train station, I made my way to London Waterloo, and then took the tube to her stop at Notting Hill! I met her roommate Jayne, a DG at IU also and she was so nice! We saw Scottland and Scott as well! It was so nice to see familiar faces! Nicole, Jayne and I went to the Portabello Market which had a lot of shops with dresses, purses, antiques and fresh food. We stocked up on tomatoes, green beans and raspberries. On our way back to their place we stopped at a cute little pub and got Fruli (i don't know how to spell) and got strawberry beer that tasted like a smoothie and some chips, and some other munchies. We then picked up a bottle of wine before going home to get ready.
We went to dinner at the cutest Italian restaurant at Picadilly circus and made friends with the manager, Bax and our waiter, Fabio. Yes his name was actually Fabio. hahaaa. We had a great meal and ended up getting it half off. After eating we went to a really nice club with them which was nice because we got to cut the whole line waiting to get in and didn't pay the cover. Then we went downstairs where you had to pay again to go salsa dancing, but we just walked in with Bax and Fabio for free :) We had so much fun! The bus ride home was pretty funny also and we got back to Nicole's really late and then sat on the front steps with Scottland until the sun came up the next morning, after 6am before going to bed. We slept in late and then Nicole, Jayne and I walked all around for awhile trying to find some breakfast food; we were craving some eggs! The only all day breakfast place that we finally found was actually closed! So annoying! We went to a cute little crepe/smoothie place instead! That made me miss Grant even more because we used to eat crepes at school and he made them for me for Valentine's Day.
After we were done eating, I got back on the tube and managed to make it back home in time for dinner! It was such a lovely day :)
Monday was a bit hectic as the boys were back in school. I took them in and followed Andrew and then attempted to make it home on my own. hahahaa. Yeaaa, not so easy. The road that I live on is the A31 which is known as the Hogs Back. It is a dual carriage way which means that it is two lanes that go the same direction. It is basically like a large one way street. So I had to figure out how to get back on it going the correct way. I went the scenic route, and the trip that should have taken me literally 5 min took me just over an hour and a half. I am a lot more comfortable driving now! I got to see several of the surrounding towns and I was able to figure it! When I got home I did some housework and then read a book outside overlooking the Surrey Hills. It is simply beautiful!
Pernille came home early to help me collect the boys at 3:30. The school is adorable and the boys wear uniforms that consist of gray trousers, a white oxford collar shirt, a royal blue jumper and nice black shoes. They go to Barfield School and they are in the Little Barfield because they are Year 1 and 2. When we got home the boys played in the wading pool while I watched them and then we played games. Peter, Pernille's colleague came over for a meeting and then played football with the boys in the yard. We had bathtime and then dinner and watched a bit of tv before bed time. We read stories then it was time for bed! I get so tired!! I straightened up for a bit and then went to bed.
I did get some great news!! Grant is coming to see me at the end of July/beginning of August!!! I am so excited and we have been looking at flights! I am so happy he is coming and I will get to see him! I miss everyone so much from back home! Let me know if you want to come visit :) And I am excited because Kate is going to stay with me on June 29th and Christy moves here on June 25th! Big shoutout to all the Chi Omega girls stalking me, I love the pledge class emails..this summer is the best so far!
We went to dinner at the cutest Italian restaurant at Picadilly circus and made friends with the manager, Bax and our waiter, Fabio. Yes his name was actually Fabio. hahaaa. We had a great meal and ended up getting it half off. After eating we went to a really nice club with them which was nice because we got to cut the whole line waiting to get in and didn't pay the cover. Then we went downstairs where you had to pay again to go salsa dancing, but we just walked in with Bax and Fabio for free :) We had so much fun! The bus ride home was pretty funny also and we got back to Nicole's really late and then sat on the front steps with Scottland until the sun came up the next morning, after 6am before going to bed. We slept in late and then Nicole, Jayne and I walked all around for awhile trying to find some breakfast food; we were craving some eggs! The only all day breakfast place that we finally found was actually closed! So annoying! We went to a cute little crepe/smoothie place instead! That made me miss Grant even more because we used to eat crepes at school and he made them for me for Valentine's Day.
After we were done eating, I got back on the tube and managed to make it back home in time for dinner! It was such a lovely day :)
Monday was a bit hectic as the boys were back in school. I took them in and followed Andrew and then attempted to make it home on my own. hahahaa. Yeaaa, not so easy. The road that I live on is the A31 which is known as the Hogs Back. It is a dual carriage way which means that it is two lanes that go the same direction. It is basically like a large one way street. So I had to figure out how to get back on it going the correct way. I went the scenic route, and the trip that should have taken me literally 5 min took me just over an hour and a half. I am a lot more comfortable driving now! I got to see several of the surrounding towns and I was able to figure it! When I got home I did some housework and then read a book outside overlooking the Surrey Hills. It is simply beautiful!
Pernille came home early to help me collect the boys at 3:30. The school is adorable and the boys wear uniforms that consist of gray trousers, a white oxford collar shirt, a royal blue jumper and nice black shoes. They go to Barfield School and they are in the Little Barfield because they are Year 1 and 2. When we got home the boys played in the wading pool while I watched them and then we played games. Peter, Pernille's colleague came over for a meeting and then played football with the boys in the yard. We had bathtime and then dinner and watched a bit of tv before bed time. We read stories then it was time for bed! I get so tired!! I straightened up for a bit and then went to bed.
I did get some great news!! Grant is coming to see me at the end of July/beginning of August!!! I am so excited and we have been looking at flights! I am so happy he is coming and I will get to see him! I miss everyone so much from back home! Let me know if you want to come visit :) And I am excited because Kate is going to stay with me on June 29th and Christy moves here on June 25th! Big shoutout to all the Chi Omega girls stalking me, I love the pledge class emails..this summer is the best so far!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Becoming British
These last few days have been exhausting! I love living here so much and the boys are quite a handful! They can be precious and darling one minute and then spitting in your face the next. I have so much respect for parents after just 4 days! I don't know how my parents didn't sell me to a stranger after all the trouble I certainly caused them because I know that I was no angel. We have gone to the Guildford Spectrum everyday for bowling and playing. This is a nice break from running and yelling and climbing trees. I think I have done this for hours!! And fixed many scratches and bumps with lots of kisses.
One thing that I found shocking today is when I was talking to Andrew about how the boys eat so well. He told me that they have NEVER had fast food. They eat so healthy and they clear their plates at every meal. They also have a lot of snacks during the day of yogurt, fruit or things of that nature. There are no chips, no cookies, no sweets in the house. We did have apple cake the other day, and last night Andrew made apple crisp pie for pudding (what we call dessert, they call that portion of the meal pudding). Its all healthy and I don't know when the last time I ate this healthy for this long was!
The house is having many updates to it. Before I got here they had just started. Our house is an old 18th century house that was originally a boiler house for the Lord who owned the land. Over time, there have been many additions to the building so that it was able to become a bungalow. On the main floor there are two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. There is also a family room and they remodeled the kitchen a few months ago to double the size and modernize it, as well as put wood floors throughout the house instead of carpet. The entire back of the house is glass windows that are all being renovated to become doors and the back porch that is off the main floor will be stretched along the entire back of the house so all the rooms will open up to the amazing view. Down below is my area of the house and my bedroom used to be the garage which they converted into a room. It is really lovely and I cannot tell it used to be the garage! I have a bathroom that they just installed as well as a sitting room which is just a huge playroom that now does not have toys and has a tv and books and couches instead. Andrew's office is tucked away on the other side of the sitting room. The land is really just beautiful and most of the surrounding land still belongs to a Lord Richard I believe and is not developed. There is a small village just a short walk from the house where there is a church, some quaint buildings and a lot of animals. We have walked there several times.
Tomorrow is my first day off and I believe we are going to go to a local pub in Farnham and then I might go into London to catch up with some friends from the US! I really do miss talking to Americans! Today I talked to Grant online and it took me nearly a minute to remember how to say a phrase in American English!
Hope you enjoyed reading this, and if you have AIM or GoogleTalk, leave me your name and we can chat! Have a great day!
One thing that I found shocking today is when I was talking to Andrew about how the boys eat so well. He told me that they have NEVER had fast food. They eat so healthy and they clear their plates at every meal. They also have a lot of snacks during the day of yogurt, fruit or things of that nature. There are no chips, no cookies, no sweets in the house. We did have apple cake the other day, and last night Andrew made apple crisp pie for pudding (what we call dessert, they call that portion of the meal pudding). Its all healthy and I don't know when the last time I ate this healthy for this long was!
The house is having many updates to it. Before I got here they had just started. Our house is an old 18th century house that was originally a boiler house for the Lord who owned the land. Over time, there have been many additions to the building so that it was able to become a bungalow. On the main floor there are two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. There is also a family room and they remodeled the kitchen a few months ago to double the size and modernize it, as well as put wood floors throughout the house instead of carpet. The entire back of the house is glass windows that are all being renovated to become doors and the back porch that is off the main floor will be stretched along the entire back of the house so all the rooms will open up to the amazing view. Down below is my area of the house and my bedroom used to be the garage which they converted into a room. It is really lovely and I cannot tell it used to be the garage! I have a bathroom that they just installed as well as a sitting room which is just a huge playroom that now does not have toys and has a tv and books and couches instead. Andrew's office is tucked away on the other side of the sitting room. The land is really just beautiful and most of the surrounding land still belongs to a Lord Richard I believe and is not developed. There is a small village just a short walk from the house where there is a church, some quaint buildings and a lot of animals. We have walked there several times.
Tomorrow is my first day off and I believe we are going to go to a local pub in Farnham and then I might go into London to catch up with some friends from the US! I really do miss talking to Americans! Today I talked to Grant online and it took me nearly a minute to remember how to say a phrase in American English!
Hope you enjoyed reading this, and if you have AIM or GoogleTalk, leave me your name and we can chat! Have a great day!
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