It Seems That When Your Children Have Lived In England...

...they spend more time drawing round-abouts on their sidewalk chalk driveway maps than they do drawing stop signs. Hmmmm....

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

Last weekend, I read "Burning Bright" by Tracy Chevalier. I was drawn to the book because it was historical fiction set in London during the time of the French Revolution. I found that I was easily drawn into the book and the lives of the characters, especially those of Jem and Maggie, the two characters around whom the book mostly centers. Having lived in London and done some travel in the English countryside, I was easily transported to the locales in the book.

Jem and his family have traveled to London from a very small town in mid-western England in order to heal wounds in their family and to make chairs for a famous circus owner, Richard Astley. As the story unfolds, it turns out that Jem's family moves in next door to the rather famous and not-so-popular (at the time) William Blake. Jem meets Maggie who is basically a city street rat whose brash and even dishonest ways irritate Jem's mother, but fascinate Jem. Maggie sets to work right away showing Jem the ropes city life. Jem and Maggie become fast friends and are often found talking with or following the Blakes. They are curious and fascinated by his lifestyle and by his courage in supporting the French Revolution. He is also interested in them, sharing poems with them and showing them his printing press.

The climax of the book is well-written, with Jem's father and Blake being ostracized in the neighborhood for their unwillingness to sign a petition supporting the crown of England. Jem and his family return home and Maggie is left behind caring for Maisie, Jem's sister, who has been taken in by the Blakes. Maggie and Jem are eventually reunited and the story ends away from London. I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it for those interested in Blake, late 1700's England, or just a good summer read.

Praed Street

I came across this site recently which is called The Way We See It and is dedicated to Londoners taking pictures of specific locations and then putting them all on a flicker stream. I was excited to see some photos of the very building we lived in when we first arrived in London. This is the building at West End Quay on Praed Street that we lived in for one month after our arrival. Here is another picture. And here is the little souvenir shop we passed each day as we walked along. Another view of the building with a deserted pub across the street, which is very near to the metro Tesco where we would get our "daily shop" in. And finally the zebra crossing from St. Mary's Hospital, whose ambulance sirens kept us up half the night until we got used to them. Thanks for taking the trip with me to Praed Street, London!

What? No Bank Holidays?

DS6 (while looking at our English calendar): "What?! Yesterday was a bank holiday and we missed it?! And dad could have stayed home for that day?!"

Then and Now

Last year, for Easter, we were just settling into our new home in London. Hubby and I reflected today on the differences between the two. Here is a comparison.

Last Year
Were in a new (to us) semi-detached home, with little to no Easter decorations.
Were worshiping here.
Took public transport to church with lots of hung-over folks who wondered why we were so dressed up.
Had lunch at McDonald's.
Played at Hyde Park -- no egg hunt.
Couldn't find Easter baskets and kids got Easter bags instead.
Couldn't find jelly beans or many Easter goodies, but the Brits sure love their large chocolate Easter eggs and have them in any theme available. Somehow the Bart Simpson egg didn't really "speak" Easter to us. Alas, we skipped the British tradition!
Had fresh hot cross buns.
Got dressed up for church only to realize that this was NOT apparently an Easter tradition in Britain.
Hubby had a four-day weekend and we spent it visiting the Broadstairs beach and Dover Castle.

This Year
"Back Home Again in Indiana"...(Sing it with me, people. Okay, so if you're not a Hoosier, you don't even know that's a song!)
Worshipped at our home church and sat beside my mama today.
Took our van to church and wondered to myself how could it be full of so much junk, yet again.
Had our traditional Easter feast at mother's -- ham, baked beans, bread, buffet salad, asparagus, cheese potatoes and chocolate pie.
Had an egg hunt in grammy's back yard.
Dug out the Easter baskets that had gone unused from last year.
Jellybeans galore!
I miss those hot cross buns, and all those yummy British bakeries.
Got dressed up for church only to be attacked by a three-year-old weilding a pink chapstick with landed right in the middle of my new dress.
Hubby has a four-day weekend and we spent it shopping for a new vacuum and doing laundry.

Since being back, we find it interesting to play the "what were we doing last year at this time" game. Thanks for reading along!

A Request for a Field Trip

DD5: "Mama, are we going anywhere today?"

Mama: "No, why?"

DD5: "Why? (said with extreme whineyness) I wanted to go somewhere!"

Mama: "Well, we were out all day yesterday. We went to a movie. We went to Target. We went to the grocery. Where did you want to go?"

DD5: "The museum."

Mama: (thinking of a museum we visit quite often) We can't go to the Children's Museum today honey. It's too far to drive.

DD5: "No, not that museum. The Natural History Museum."

Okay, so let me change my position. This museum is close. And this museum is far.

Little Things I'm Missing About London

Boden

Much better prices on organic (What is up with nearly $7 per gallon for organic milk?!)

BBC

My electric tea kettle

Digestive biscuits

Covent Garden

Museums like this one and this one and this one

The hustle and bustle of the city

Our happy little town

The accent

Lots more things, but I'm making myself sad, so I must stop.

I Guess She Forgot A Lot About Me

We were getting ready to go and get the girls hair cut today. "C,mon," I said to all of the children. "Let's get in the car so we can go and get our hair cut." Shocked beyond belief, my sweet middle daughter (4) incredulously replied, "What, mamma? You mean, you can drive?!?"

I guess having one car, walking everywhere, and taking loads of public transportation while we were living in London had convinced the dear child that mamma simply couldn't drive.

So, as that little story attests, we arrived safe and sound in America last week. Many thanks for all of your prayers. I should be around the blog more often now.

Leavin' On a Jet Plane; Don't Know When We'll Be Back Again

You've probably noticed my sparse posting lately. We're in the midst of moving home again, and all that is entailed in an overseas move. So, please pray for us as we make the transition home. And please pop in again in about a week's time for a new post.

She's Art Literate At Two

Upon seeing that I was wearing the shirt I got on our recent trip to the Louvre, emblazoned with their most famous painting, the two year old excitedly pointed, while screaming, "Mamma Wisa! Mamma Wisa!" It was a proud moment. Who knew that she was paying so much attention while we got lost...er... toured... the Louvre?

Good Friends. Good Trip Reports.

If you enjoy trip reports, hop on over to my friend, Annette's blog. She and her husband, Tony, just got back from a fabulous trip to Portugal. The photos are to-die-for and made me want to GO! With 16 days left in this part of the world, however, I don't believe we'll have time to fit that one in.

Also, my friend, Paula, has been posting about her summer in Central Asia. Some amazing photos as well. Be sure to check out their new Tajik-wear. She has some great photos of a trip to London with a certain friend as well. ;)

Enjoy!

Travel Photos - Lincolnshire, York, and Scotland Part One

The York Minster --Europe's largest Gothic cathedral. Enormous!

Shopping the "The Shambles" in York, the medieval shopping district in town. Cute!

The cannons at Stirling Castle in Scotland.


Stirling Castle as seen from below in the town of Stirling, Scotland.


Some boy bagpiping buskers in the town of Stirling, outside the shopping area. They were great!


Belton House in Lincolnshire where some of the BBC's Pride and Predjudice was filmed.


The gorgeous area where we stayed in Scotland. I've seen more sheep in the past week, than I have in my entire life. And I'm a farm girl, so that's a lot of sheep!

Home from a Wee Scottish Adventure

We just got back from our last little adventure before we prepare to depart for home. We have only 18 days left in London. It seems quite hard to believe, as it often feels as if we arrived only yesterday. I will be posting some pictures soon of our last adventures, but here is where we stayed for most of the time. Drummonie was delightful, as was the Perthshire area of Scotland. Hubby did (barely) achieve of his lifelong dream of playing golf here. The children and I tagged along one day to see the town of St. Andrews and were delighted. We also spent some time reminiscing about one of our favorite movies here. And we relaxed with a drive and some stops through this area of Scotland, finding the gravesite of the hero of another favorite story. Our last little jaunt involved a delightful stop in the
Lake District of England to visit Peter Rabbit and friends. I hope to post some photos for you in the next few days.

The Last Hurrah

I've been kind of quiet this week because we had some visitors here. Plus, things are getting a bit hectic here because of the impending move. We're really in full "going home" mode these days. We're heading off for our last holiday here in England, with hubby hopefully achieving his lifelong dream of playing at St. Andrews, plus many more adventures along the way. I'm not sure if I'll be able to post for the next 10 days or so. I will if I can. I will continue my London Lessons when I return. Thanks for reading!

A Very Special Guest

Today, during our daily tea party (today we used the Barbie china tea set), dd4 ran upstairs quickly to get something. She came down breathlessly carrying her Bible. "Mommy," she shared, "today I'm inviting Jesus!"

Oh, may she always invite Jesus into every little aspect of her life! BTW, do you think Jesus takes one lump or two?!

Typical Expat Kid

One of the things that can identify a typical expat kid is confused citizenship. Here's a recent case in point from our experience:

My two oldest children excitedly exclaim as we're walking in central London: "Look, Mommy! Look, Mommy! There's our flag!"

They were excitedly waving and pointing out the Union Jack!

Sometimes we have to wonder in awe at the things our children are experiencing and seeing at such young ages --things we never would have dreamed of doing at their ages. We pray often that their experiences here would shape the future dreams and plans that God has for each of them.

May it be so. Confused citizenship and all. ;)

We Temporarily Interrupt This Blog...

...For our last round of visitors.

Be back soon!

Yummy Chicken Dish

I found this yummy recipe at Menus4Moms in May. Our family has really been enoying it here, since it is chicken and not beef based. Enjoy!

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. bread crumbs
4-6 chicken breasts
3 T butter
1 T olive oil
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 4 oz jar pimentos (I can't find these here, so I don't use them)
1/2 c. grated parmesean
1/4 c fresh minced basil (or more!)
1 t. cornstarch (if necessary)
pasta

Preheat oven to 350. Put bread crumbs & milk in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk and then coat with crumbs. In skillet over meadium heat, brown chicken on both sides in butter and olive oil. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Add broth to skillet. Bring to boil over medium heat and stir to loosen bits on bottom of pan. Stir in cream and pimentoes. Boil and stir one minute. Reduce heat. Stir in parmesean, basil, and pepper until heated through. If needed, add cornstarch to thicken. Pour over chicken and serve over cooked pasta.

Let me know if you decide to try this recipe out. I'd love to hear what you think of it. And stay tuned for London Lesson Number Three coming up tomorrow!

London Lesson Number Two: It's Not All About Me!

This week I'm working on a series of posts that reflect on what I've learned during our time here. Go here for London Lesson Number One. But now, it's time for London Lesson Number Two:

It's Not All About Me!

Now, you might be surprised that as a mom to three young children that this was a new lesson to me. Well, to be honest, it's not a new lesson. It's one that God has been teaching me for around six years now, ever since I brought home my first little person, but I've not seemed to learn it well. So, for this particular lesson, apparently I needed the hands-on field trip experience! And hopefully after this experience I will not only have learned it, but I will live it.

One of the things I realized quickly after arriving here was that I was going to have no help with the children, at least for a while. I was used to having help with them once a week with a babysitter and then at least once a week for a date night when one of the grandparents took over. In fact, one of the things that I prayed the most about before coming here, and even had friends praying for, was a great person to watch the children for me on occasion so that I could get away. I thought perhaps that after we moved away from Central London, and into a less transient and more family friendly area of London, it would be easier to find someone. My line of thinking at the time went something like this: "As soon as we find a neighborhood and know our neighbors, I'll find someone." Or, "As soon as we get into a church, God will make clear the person He's chosen to help me out during this time." Then there was, "Perhaps there is a way to find a college girl by posting an ad at the University of East London (which is not far from us)." My most desperate attempt came when I asked a girl from the pharmacy where I might meet a girl similar in age to hers who might want to babysit. She was no help whatsoever. Desperate, I called a phone number that I had found in the library for a service that was supposed to match caregivers with families in the area. She was quite helpful and told me that what I was looking for was a (very part-time) nanny.

You might be wondering why a woman like me would need a babysitter. I don't have a "job" after all. I am a stay-at-home mom. To be honest, it's just a time when I know that I can have time away from the screaming masses. A time to recharge my mom-batteries. A time to focus on something other than changing the next diaper, refereeing the inevitible argument, and making yet one more peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I also do ministry work during this time, very often meeting with other ladies who lead in our Bible study to encourage and sharpen each other, etc. So, this time is valuable to me. One of my favorite hangouts on "my day" is Panera. Just me, my Bible, my journal and some warm broccoli cheese soup. Or many times, I end up at Barnes and Noble, pouring over the latest Leadership or Creating Keepsakes magazine, while sipping a mocha from Starbucks. And I don't have to share my mocha with anyone else! When our time here began to become a reality and not just a "what if", what I began to be most concerned about was not having any time away. Ever. No grandmas to watch children. No babysitter. Nada. What about all those places that I might want to visit without children? I dreamed of seeing great art, lunching in cafes, and people watching at Trafalger Square, while writing lots and lots of earth-shattering, life-transforming stuff that the Christian masses, or at least the Bible study girls, would praise me for.

Well, long story short, the babysitter never happened. I tried. I even considered calling the lady back about the part time nanny. But, there were some problems with that. One of which being, "Who in the world am I leaving my children with?" was a question that kept echoing in my mind. Back home, I am lucky to live around lots of family and friends, many of whom I trust implicitly with my children. All of the babysitters I've had on "my day" are friends from church. I know them. I trust them. My children love them. When faced with the prospect of leaving my children in the care of someone that I knew very little about, with the exception of references, I was more than a bit concerned. Besides, I was learning to do without, and to take them places I would rarely or never take all three of them if we were at home. Places like the grocery store. Every. Single. Day.

Yep. London Lesson Number Two for me became, "It's Not All About You." Sometimes, (okay often), I whined to God about it, especially early on. And, my husband heard more whining than any man should Have to about how very difficult it was to be around the children all. the. time. without a break. I sang him quite the martyr-song. And sometimes, I still do. I have gotten out of the house a few times. And those times have been so wonderful. I have been truly thankful for them. I certainly can't take them for granted here!

Way back before I was a mother, my own mother gave me a little book that would forever become one of my favorites. It was one of those little gifty-type books that you see in all the Christian bookstores. To be honest, on the outside, it looked like pure feel-good fluff, the kind of book that I would usually turn my nose up to! But, oh, the treasures within its pages! It was actually the text of a very old sermon by an English preacher named Henry Drummond. And it is an exposition on the love chapter in 1 Corinthians. What challenges lay in each and every sentence of this little gem. I encourage you to go here and read it through in its entirety, because recently I was reading it again and I think it applies to parenting above any other human relationship. Consider this quote mined from its riches: "What was Christ doing in the carpenter's shop? Practicing. Though perfect we read that he learned obedience. He increased in favor with God and man. Do not quarrel therefore with your lot in life. Do not complain of it's never ceasing cares, it's petty environment, the vexations you have to stand, the small and sorid souls you have to live and work with. Above all do not resent temptation; do not be perplexed because it seems to thicken round you more and more and ceases not for effort nor for agony nor prayer. That is the practice which God appoints you; and it is having its work in making you patient, and humble, and generous, and unselfish, and kind and courteous. Do not grudge the hand that is moulding the still too shapeless image within you. It is growing more beautiful though you see it not. And every touch of temptation may add to its perfection. Therefore keep in the midst of life."

I've learned what it means to "wash feet" here, to be in the "carpenter's shop", so to speak. I've often been reminded here that Jesus was a servant. What most amazes me about his servanthood is that Jesus never complained. Even when he was being crushed by the masses. Even when a woman touched him on his way to heal someone else. Even when the masses needed food. Again. He never complained but instead, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross." (Phillipians 2:6-8)

No, this experience has not been all about me. It's been about my husband and his job. It's been about my children. It's been about molding me. It's been all about Him.

Missin' My Girl

Okay, so if you're not a dog person (Cindy and Jen!), then you definitely won't get this post. But I was overwhelmed with joy to see this photo of my sweet Mitzie-Dog this afternoon. We have some wonderful friends living in our house while we're away. They are amazingly also taking care of our 13 year old epileptic, loose-bladdered, stinky and yet adorable weiner dog. Oh, we miss her so! Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. We seem to have a way of forgetting all the annoyances and looking back with fondness of her warm body sleeping under the covers and the way she runs to the door when we get home. She is definitely someone we're looking forward to getting home to!