Hubby and I were flipping through the telly last night and saw that my favorite show is on here! That's right...we found American Idol! I couldn't believe it. And the cool thing is that it's on all in one night. So, last night we saw the guys, girls, and the results show. Well, actually, we didn't see the guys show, because we missed that part, but we could have if we'd known it was on.
And on an American Idol note, what in the world are people thinking?!? Haley over Sabrina?!? Sanjaya over Sundance?!? Come on people! Like Randy and Paula said last night, this is a singing competition! I can't decide yet who I want to win...either Lakisha or Melinda. Both seem very down to earth and humble. And both can sing their hearts out.
American Idol on Friday nights...now that's some major excitement from this side of the pond.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Things I'll Never Forget About the Past Few Days
We've started our adventure, arriving in London Monday at around noon (7 am Indiana time). I wanted to write a list of things from the past few days that I want to remember. Hopefully, you'll find some amusing. So, here goes...
The baby found a mouse at the Indianapolis Airport. We're sitting there waiting for the plane and eating a snack, when she starts crying uncontrollably and saying, "Mouse! Mouse! Mouse!" She was not a fan of the mouse! (Nor was mommy.) She was crying so much, that I started thinking the mouse had actually bitten her.
DS5 and DD4 had interesting and opposite reactions in the plane. They don't remember their last plane ride, so this was a "first" for them. My son was scared, wanting to hold daddy's hand, remarking upon our first landing in Chicago, "I never wanted to do this. This was NOT my choice. I did not think it was a good idea and now we're going to fall out of the plane!" My daughter on the other hand, who we sometimes refer to as danger girl, was laughing uncontrollably as the plane took off. She raised her legs up in the air and kept saying, very loudly I might add, "THIS IS SO FUN!"
We had to wait one hour in the plane in Indy. Thank goodness for portable dvd players. That one hour was truly the worst of the whole trans-Atlantic experience!
We shlepped three preschoolers, five jackets, five carry-ons, two laptops, a portable dvd player, a camera with an extra lens, and a camcorder across O'Hare and Heathrow. It seems that our gates in O'Hare were on extreme opposite ends. And were trying to catch our flight after the delay in Indy, so we were practically running! We had to use the oldest to push the youngest in the stroller!
There was a grumpy business traveler in front of my middle daughter on the 8 hour overseas flight. I guess he did not find her amusing. She is a bit loud, and kept kicking the back of his seat. He obviously has no children, or clearly does NOT remember what having preschoolers was like.
The children all slept for the most part on the overseas flight. Happy Feet was on, and they wanted to see it, but couldn't stay awake.
When we got to immigration in London, we were informed that our work visa didn't actually start until the next day. They weren't going to let us in! But a very kind immigration worker was very helpful and let us in without any incident. I'm not sure what we would have done!
Next, we went to the baggage claim. (After walking for what seemed miles at Heathrow. This airport is SO spread out!) We had to pick up our 9, yes 9 pieces of large luggage. It took two very skillfully packed sky trolleys to get them out of the airport. My oldest had to be responsible once again for pushing the stroller with the baby.
They hired a huge van to get all of our family and the huge amounts of luggage into central London. I didn't know there were such large vans in England! The driver was very nice and had that great droll English sense of humor.
As we were driving through London, my middle daughter looked over at me and said very emphatically, "But mom, I thought we were going to ENGLAND!" I guess London wasn't meeting up to her preconceived notions?!?
We were so thrilled to be able to get a serviced apartment in London, rather than a hotel. It was quite nice. It's on a busy street, so I'm a paranoid weirdo about the children! We live in a small town, remember?
The children had some serious jet lag issues the first night. We went to bed at 9:30 or so, which was 5:30 home time. It took them a while to get to sleep, and then they woke up again at around midnight and stayed up for a little "jet lag party" until 2 am. Ugh!
Our second day here was spent house hunting. We were gone for 12 hours! We saw at least 10 properties. Three of them seemed best to us, with one clearly the top choice. It was a stand alone house with FIVE bedrooms and American-sized appliances. The garden was charming and had a little swing for the children. Unfortunately, by the time we went back that afternoon to see it again, it had already been swiped up. I guess all that we heard about the lettings market in London was quite true! We're now in negotiations for another property in a charming part of London, full of families and internationals.
The children loved the "tube", or subway. My oldest was very interested in reading the map and my youngest loved counting the stops. We did the tube during rush hour on the way home, which was challenging, as well as "educational" for my children's "vocabulary" -- lots of swearing by one particular gal! More ugh!
Our relocation expert was lovely. We were in her van for most of the day. At our very last stop, the tire went flat and my dear hubby had to get out and change it! He definitely did not anticipate such a job that day! It seems she had run over a nail. She was very impressed and thankful for his handy skills, since no-one would have been able to help us for THREE hours.
We're trying to learn what the products are in our local Metro Tesco, which is located just under our apartment. Many things look familiar -- lots of American products! But some things look so different. There are also lots of new products to try. We had so delicious "egg mayonaise" (egg salad) and the children love a fruit drink called "Fruit Shoot". The local McDonald's (Yes, we've eaten there!) offeredf fish fingers as well as the chicken nuggets and burgers. We're also trying to figure out our VERY DIFFERENT appliances.
We went to Hyde Park yesterday. Watching the children's amazement at the waterfowl on the Serpentine and their delight at seeing the Peter Pan statue was truly priceless. We then ventured to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground. The children ran, climbed, squealed, and discovered to their heart's delight. Afterward, we enjoyed ice cream and hot tea.
My middle daughter walked so much yesterday that she said towards the end of our journey, "I can't walk any more. My knees are too tired!"
I tried hard to remember after receiving 5 coins back yesterday, that indeed it was 7 pounds, as the clerk stated. Coins, to my American mind, are small change, and 5 of them are certainly not equal to 7 dollars, er, pounds...whatever!
Well, that's a recap of our time here, so far. Thanks to so many of you for your prayers. They've made our beginning days here truly "lovely", as they say in these parts.
The baby found a mouse at the Indianapolis Airport. We're sitting there waiting for the plane and eating a snack, when she starts crying uncontrollably and saying, "Mouse! Mouse! Mouse!" She was not a fan of the mouse! (Nor was mommy.) She was crying so much, that I started thinking the mouse had actually bitten her.
DS5 and DD4 had interesting and opposite reactions in the plane. They don't remember their last plane ride, so this was a "first" for them. My son was scared, wanting to hold daddy's hand, remarking upon our first landing in Chicago, "I never wanted to do this. This was NOT my choice. I did not think it was a good idea and now we're going to fall out of the plane!" My daughter on the other hand, who we sometimes refer to as danger girl, was laughing uncontrollably as the plane took off. She raised her legs up in the air and kept saying, very loudly I might add, "THIS IS SO FUN!"
We had to wait one hour in the plane in Indy. Thank goodness for portable dvd players. That one hour was truly the worst of the whole trans-Atlantic experience!
We shlepped three preschoolers, five jackets, five carry-ons, two laptops, a portable dvd player, a camera with an extra lens, and a camcorder across O'Hare and Heathrow. It seems that our gates in O'Hare were on extreme opposite ends. And were trying to catch our flight after the delay in Indy, so we were practically running! We had to use the oldest to push the youngest in the stroller!
There was a grumpy business traveler in front of my middle daughter on the 8 hour overseas flight. I guess he did not find her amusing. She is a bit loud, and kept kicking the back of his seat. He obviously has no children, or clearly does NOT remember what having preschoolers was like.
The children all slept for the most part on the overseas flight. Happy Feet was on, and they wanted to see it, but couldn't stay awake.
When we got to immigration in London, we were informed that our work visa didn't actually start until the next day. They weren't going to let us in! But a very kind immigration worker was very helpful and let us in without any incident. I'm not sure what we would have done!
Next, we went to the baggage claim. (After walking for what seemed miles at Heathrow. This airport is SO spread out!) We had to pick up our 9, yes 9 pieces of large luggage. It took two very skillfully packed sky trolleys to get them out of the airport. My oldest had to be responsible once again for pushing the stroller with the baby.
They hired a huge van to get all of our family and the huge amounts of luggage into central London. I didn't know there were such large vans in England! The driver was very nice and had that great droll English sense of humor.
As we were driving through London, my middle daughter looked over at me and said very emphatically, "But mom, I thought we were going to ENGLAND!" I guess London wasn't meeting up to her preconceived notions?!?
We were so thrilled to be able to get a serviced apartment in London, rather than a hotel. It was quite nice. It's on a busy street, so I'm a paranoid weirdo about the children! We live in a small town, remember?
The children had some serious jet lag issues the first night. We went to bed at 9:30 or so, which was 5:30 home time. It took them a while to get to sleep, and then they woke up again at around midnight and stayed up for a little "jet lag party" until 2 am. Ugh!
Our second day here was spent house hunting. We were gone for 12 hours! We saw at least 10 properties. Three of them seemed best to us, with one clearly the top choice. It was a stand alone house with FIVE bedrooms and American-sized appliances. The garden was charming and had a little swing for the children. Unfortunately, by the time we went back that afternoon to see it again, it had already been swiped up. I guess all that we heard about the lettings market in London was quite true! We're now in negotiations for another property in a charming part of London, full of families and internationals.
The children loved the "tube", or subway. My oldest was very interested in reading the map and my youngest loved counting the stops. We did the tube during rush hour on the way home, which was challenging, as well as "educational" for my children's "vocabulary" -- lots of swearing by one particular gal! More ugh!
Our relocation expert was lovely. We were in her van for most of the day. At our very last stop, the tire went flat and my dear hubby had to get out and change it! He definitely did not anticipate such a job that day! It seems she had run over a nail. She was very impressed and thankful for his handy skills, since no-one would have been able to help us for THREE hours.
We're trying to learn what the products are in our local Metro Tesco, which is located just under our apartment. Many things look familiar -- lots of American products! But some things look so different. There are also lots of new products to try. We had so delicious "egg mayonaise" (egg salad) and the children love a fruit drink called "Fruit Shoot". The local McDonald's (Yes, we've eaten there!) offeredf fish fingers as well as the chicken nuggets and burgers. We're also trying to figure out our VERY DIFFERENT appliances.
We went to Hyde Park yesterday. Watching the children's amazement at the waterfowl on the Serpentine and their delight at seeing the Peter Pan statue was truly priceless. We then ventured to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground. The children ran, climbed, squealed, and discovered to their heart's delight. Afterward, we enjoyed ice cream and hot tea.
My middle daughter walked so much yesterday that she said towards the end of our journey, "I can't walk any more. My knees are too tired!"
I tried hard to remember after receiving 5 coins back yesterday, that indeed it was 7 pounds, as the clerk stated. Coins, to my American mind, are small change, and 5 of them are certainly not equal to 7 dollars, er, pounds...whatever!
Well, that's a recap of our time here, so far. Thanks to so many of you for your prayers. They've made our beginning days here truly "lovely", as they say in these parts.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Move is Closer Than Ever
We're up to our eyeballs in stuff! I've definitely come to the conclusion that unorganized people should not move overseas! Trying to determine what is worthy of your suitcase space or packing allowance is difficult and leaves you asking the question: If we can do without it for a year, how important is it to us anyway?!
We've found a terrific family who will be living in our home starting next week, as we are leaving Sunday. We'll be living in temporary housing until we find a residence to our liking. We'll most likely be in the Kensington area of central London for our temp housing and outside of London for our "permanent" housing.
We had some great intercultural training last week to get us somewhat prepared for life in England. Of course, the initial trip over was a great experience for that as well. The training was excellent in that it focused on culture shock, life as an expat family, support for the expat spouse, among other things. We know our housing will be smaller, certain American things will be unavailable, friends and family will be very far away and that the adjustment will be difficult. But the trainer emphasized the wonderful things that our family would experience, including a closeness and increased confidence in our own family unit. Overall, it was a very valuable experience.
Of course, you may be wondering why we aren't in London yet, as we were supposed to be there by mid-January. Well, there is a lot of red tape in moving overseas, which we have definitely experienced! The most obvious of that would be our work visa. It has been a slow process, delaying our return. But now, all seems to be clicking along, so we should be able to leave on Sunday as planned.
Any prayers offered on behalf our family during this transition would be so appreciated.
We've found a terrific family who will be living in our home starting next week, as we are leaving Sunday. We'll be living in temporary housing until we find a residence to our liking. We'll most likely be in the Kensington area of central London for our temp housing and outside of London for our "permanent" housing.
We had some great intercultural training last week to get us somewhat prepared for life in England. Of course, the initial trip over was a great experience for that as well. The training was excellent in that it focused on culture shock, life as an expat family, support for the expat spouse, among other things. We know our housing will be smaller, certain American things will be unavailable, friends and family will be very far away and that the adjustment will be difficult. But the trainer emphasized the wonderful things that our family would experience, including a closeness and increased confidence in our own family unit. Overall, it was a very valuable experience.
Of course, you may be wondering why we aren't in London yet, as we were supposed to be there by mid-January. Well, there is a lot of red tape in moving overseas, which we have definitely experienced! The most obvious of that would be our work visa. It has been a slow process, delaying our return. But now, all seems to be clicking along, so we should be able to leave on Sunday as planned.
Any prayers offered on behalf our family during this transition would be so appreciated.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Recently Overheard in Our Kitchen
New word for you from dd4...
pricktoother....
as in the wooden pointy thing that goes into your mouth after a meal. Or the kind of instrument one might use to see if a cake is done. That's right - she meant tooothpick! She does have an interesting way of saying things!
pricktoother....
as in the wooden pointy thing that goes into your mouth after a meal. Or the kind of instrument one might use to see if a cake is done. That's right - she meant tooothpick! She does have an interesting way of saying things!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Oh, Happy Day!
I'm learning to live in the moment, to enjoy the most simple things in life, due to our currently stressful life situation. Right now, the moment goes something like this...
I hear the dishwasher humming in the background behind me. (Thank you God for the gift of a dishwasher and clean water).
My two girls are playing house. Oldest is the mommy and baby is, well...the baby! They're dressed up in fancy ball gowns and plastic shoes. Oldest has just tucked baby in with some board books and "read" each one so sweetly. Every few minutes, baby gets down from the couch to come and give me a kiss and hug, explaining it to me this way, "Wan gib you hug!" (Thank you Lord for these moments of sweet getting along between sisters.)
My oldest is behind me enjoying "My Father's Dragon". He started reading it this morning and is already on Chapter 7! He's a voracious reader. I'm enjoying listening to him laugh at the predicaments that Elmer Elevator is getting into on the wild island. (Thank you God for a boy who loves to learn.)
Living simply in these moments, I can better enjoy the gifts of God by paying attention to my life, instead of focusing on stressful situations that I cannot control.
I hear the dishwasher humming in the background behind me. (Thank you God for the gift of a dishwasher and clean water).
My two girls are playing house. Oldest is the mommy and baby is, well...the baby! They're dressed up in fancy ball gowns and plastic shoes. Oldest has just tucked baby in with some board books and "read" each one so sweetly. Every few minutes, baby gets down from the couch to come and give me a kiss and hug, explaining it to me this way, "Wan gib you hug!" (Thank you Lord for these moments of sweet getting along between sisters.)
My oldest is behind me enjoying "My Father's Dragon". He started reading it this morning and is already on Chapter 7! He's a voracious reader. I'm enjoying listening to him laugh at the predicaments that Elmer Elevator is getting into on the wild island. (Thank you God for a boy who loves to learn.)
Living simply in these moments, I can better enjoy the gifts of God by paying attention to my life, instead of focusing on stressful situations that I cannot control.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Recent I-Tunes Downloads
I love itunes. Hubby got me a new ipod for Christmas and I also got some itunes cards. So, here are some of my recent downloads:
*She Must and Shall Go Free (whole album) by Derek Webb (used to be with Caedman's Call)- edgy, provocative, and convicting lyrics
*Between the Dreaming and the Coming True (whole album) by Bebo Norman - love Bebo!
*'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (one song) by the Martins - great acapella tune
*Glory (one song) by Selah and Nicole Nordeman -- heard it on local Christian radio - had to have it!
*Come Away with Me (whole album) by Norah Jones - Do you have any Norah? If not you need some!
*Amazing (whole album) by Parachute Band -- My friend, Pam, got me into them
*If You Say Go (one song) by Rachel Milstead --Gee, wonder why I chose that one?!
*Awesome God by Sovereign Grace Ministries -- a GREAT children's CD (whole album). I love it as much as my kids do!
What do YOU have on your ipod?
*She Must and Shall Go Free (whole album) by Derek Webb (used to be with Caedman's Call)- edgy, provocative, and convicting lyrics
*Between the Dreaming and the Coming True (whole album) by Bebo Norman - love Bebo!
*'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (one song) by the Martins - great acapella tune
*Glory (one song) by Selah and Nicole Nordeman -- heard it on local Christian radio - had to have it!
*Come Away with Me (whole album) by Norah Jones - Do you have any Norah? If not you need some!
*Amazing (whole album) by Parachute Band -- My friend, Pam, got me into them
*If You Say Go (one song) by Rachel Milstead --Gee, wonder why I chose that one?!
*Awesome God by Sovereign Grace Ministries -- a GREAT children's CD (whole album). I love it as much as my kids do!
What do YOU have on your ipod?
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Surprised By Trees
I am not a fan of winter weather. It seems to me that Christmas is fine for snow, but beyond that I have no use for it. It is cold, and I crave hot. It is dark and I need light. So, imagine my surprise today when God showed up for me in the winter weather.
We've had quite a snow and ice storm these past few days in Indiana. I ventured out into it yesterday and it was nasty! Slushy, snowy, freezing rain. Then hubby called while I was sitting perusing Beth Moore's newest book and sipping my mocha at Barnes and Noble. (I have a sitter on Tuesdays.) He told me to get home because he had heard that the weather was getting worse. I bought a few books --"The Great Omission" by Dallas Willard, "Confessions of an Amateur Believer" by Patty Kirk nd the latest "Leadership" magazine and "Simple Scrapbooks" magazine-- then I dutifully obeyed my smart husband and headed home.
By this time, the rain was coming down frozen, and the roads were very slick. Actually, they were more like solid sheets of ice. Trees and power lines were being coated with ice. While traveling a tree-lined street on the way home, I heard a crack, and glanced up just in time to see an ice-covered branch smack the street in front of me. The ice was so heavy, the branch had bowed under the weight. So, needless to say, I was glad to get home and since it continued to rain and snow well into the night, I was happy to stay in all day today with my kiddos.
Hubby called before coming home this evening and offered to take the kiddos and me out for a Valentine's Day dinner. I laugh when I reminisce about our long, lingering Valentine's Day dinners of years past. Tonight we went to family-friendly Cracker Barrell and had a ball with our children. On the way to the restaurant, our family beheld the most amazing sight.
It was the time of day that photographers refer to as the magic hour. The sun was just ready to set and the light from the sun was casting a glow all over the earth. And then we saw them...the trees...ice covered and full of crystal-like brilliance. It's times like this that I wish I were a better writer, so that I could convey to you the glassy splendor of these trees. The ice was slathering the trees, tall trees that lined the highway, from bottom to top. And the sun was casting just the right light to illuminate the tops of the trees as if they were lit with millions of tiny Christmas lights! It was absolutely breathtaking. The children, their father, and I were in awe, praising God all the way to the restaurant for his creativity, and for allowing us to be surrounded by the majesty and beauty of His creation. My middle daughter, who appreciates nature to the fullest, often teaching her parents a thing or two about wonder, commented all the way to our destination. She was really appreciating God's handiwork as usual. And I was humbled because I am usually complaining about the snow and ice. My sweet Jesus amazed me with Himself. The Creator of heaven and earth reached down and touched my soul through the beauty of His glassy trees.
From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? Job 38:29
You alone, o Lord. You alone.
We've had quite a snow and ice storm these past few days in Indiana. I ventured out into it yesterday and it was nasty! Slushy, snowy, freezing rain. Then hubby called while I was sitting perusing Beth Moore's newest book and sipping my mocha at Barnes and Noble. (I have a sitter on Tuesdays.) He told me to get home because he had heard that the weather was getting worse. I bought a few books --"The Great Omission" by Dallas Willard, "Confessions of an Amateur Believer" by Patty Kirk nd the latest "Leadership" magazine and "Simple Scrapbooks" magazine-- then I dutifully obeyed my smart husband and headed home.
By this time, the rain was coming down frozen, and the roads were very slick. Actually, they were more like solid sheets of ice. Trees and power lines were being coated with ice. While traveling a tree-lined street on the way home, I heard a crack, and glanced up just in time to see an ice-covered branch smack the street in front of me. The ice was so heavy, the branch had bowed under the weight. So, needless to say, I was glad to get home and since it continued to rain and snow well into the night, I was happy to stay in all day today with my kiddos.
Hubby called before coming home this evening and offered to take the kiddos and me out for a Valentine's Day dinner. I laugh when I reminisce about our long, lingering Valentine's Day dinners of years past. Tonight we went to family-friendly Cracker Barrell and had a ball with our children. On the way to the restaurant, our family beheld the most amazing sight.
It was the time of day that photographers refer to as the magic hour. The sun was just ready to set and the light from the sun was casting a glow all over the earth. And then we saw them...the trees...ice covered and full of crystal-like brilliance. It's times like this that I wish I were a better writer, so that I could convey to you the glassy splendor of these trees. The ice was slathering the trees, tall trees that lined the highway, from bottom to top. And the sun was casting just the right light to illuminate the tops of the trees as if they were lit with millions of tiny Christmas lights! It was absolutely breathtaking. The children, their father, and I were in awe, praising God all the way to the restaurant for his creativity, and for allowing us to be surrounded by the majesty and beauty of His creation. My middle daughter, who appreciates nature to the fullest, often teaching her parents a thing or two about wonder, commented all the way to our destination. She was really appreciating God's handiwork as usual. And I was humbled because I am usually complaining about the snow and ice. My sweet Jesus amazed me with Himself. The Creator of heaven and earth reached down and touched my soul through the beauty of His glassy trees.
From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? Job 38:29
You alone, o Lord. You alone.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Little Pitchers With Big Ears
You know the Englishness is rubbling off when your four year old daughter who is playing with her two year old sister and their new cash register looks at sister and says, "That will be 186 pounds please." And we aren't even there yet! Guess all this talk of England is being heard and imitated....
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Back in the Saddle Again
We're trying to get back into a routine around here, since the Christmas season and the overseas move have really thrown things into a tizzy. So, here's what my big kids did for school yesterday:
DS - 5 Years Old
*Read two pages from "This is London". Did a narration of his favorite section.
*Learning Palette - rhyming words using picture cues and words.
*Counting to 100 with 100's chart.
*Recognizing and writing various two digit numbers to 100. Discussion of tens and ones and "digit".
*Bible journal - drew and wrote about Jesus healing the Blind beggar.
*Wrote and illustrated and page in his journal.
DD - 4 Years Old
*Practiced writing name on easel chalkboard.
*Worked in Bright Beginnings book with maze, colors, and categorizing.
*Did a flip book of categorizing rooms in the house and activities that go on in certain rooms.
*Worked on ABC's and one to one correspondence, letter sounds, and letter identification with ABC puzzle.
*Worked on spelling name with letters from puzzle.
*Bible journal - drew and narrated a sentence from the story of Jesus and the blind beggar.
DD - 2 Years Old
*Worked on puzzle with mommy. Worked on naming items in puzzle.
*Played with rolling turtle with mommy. Worked on taking turns, rolling turtle, and catching turtle.
*Colored with crayons and colored pencils.
*Played with animal mommy and babies learning cards.
*Number three bag. Lots of little things in the bag (three of each thing). Counted to three with each thing. Examples of what's in the bag: clothespins, spoons, pom-poms, three little pigs finger puppets, dixie cups, pennies, pipe cleaners.
So, that was our morning in a nutshell. The older two also did chores. And by the way, I only work with the youngest two as much as they want to. I never want to "push" learning on them. I want learning to be a natural and exciting process for all of my children as it is for me. I never want them to dread school.
Just a little picture of what we've been doing around here!
DS - 5 Years Old
*Read two pages from "This is London". Did a narration of his favorite section.
*Learning Palette - rhyming words using picture cues and words.
*Counting to 100 with 100's chart.
*Recognizing and writing various two digit numbers to 100. Discussion of tens and ones and "digit".
*Bible journal - drew and wrote about Jesus healing the Blind beggar.
*Wrote and illustrated and page in his journal.
DD - 4 Years Old
*Practiced writing name on easel chalkboard.
*Worked in Bright Beginnings book with maze, colors, and categorizing.
*Did a flip book of categorizing rooms in the house and activities that go on in certain rooms.
*Worked on ABC's and one to one correspondence, letter sounds, and letter identification with ABC puzzle.
*Worked on spelling name with letters from puzzle.
*Bible journal - drew and narrated a sentence from the story of Jesus and the blind beggar.
DD - 2 Years Old
*Worked on puzzle with mommy. Worked on naming items in puzzle.
*Played with rolling turtle with mommy. Worked on taking turns, rolling turtle, and catching turtle.
*Colored with crayons and colored pencils.
*Played with animal mommy and babies learning cards.
*Number three bag. Lots of little things in the bag (three of each thing). Counted to three with each thing. Examples of what's in the bag: clothespins, spoons, pom-poms, three little pigs finger puppets, dixie cups, pennies, pipe cleaners.
So, that was our morning in a nutshell. The older two also did chores. And by the way, I only work with the youngest two as much as they want to. I never want to "push" learning on them. I want learning to be a natural and exciting process for all of my children as it is for me. I never want them to dread school.
Just a little picture of what we've been doing around here!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
A House Divided
My Indy Colts are playing hubby's Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl! Never did we imagine such a thing. And poor hubby is in England during all of this excitement! Go Colts!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
As Promised...Trouble on London Transport
As promised in an earlier post, I'm going to share with you the harrowing tale of getting lost on public transport in London. As I mentioned earlier, this happened on our second day here, as we were trying to find our way around.
Let me just begin by saying that the transportation system in London is amazing and complex. Because of major congestion in the central part of the city, public transportation and walking are the best ways to get around. Also, we have no car right now! So, we're pretty much limited to public transportation. Not that we're itching to get out and drive in the opposite side of the car on the opposite of the road with signs we don't understand, mind you! That all being said, public transportation is our main mode of getting around this week (and honestly, probably for the next 9 months), so we needed to venture out and try it.
We went to Picadilly Circus for our transportation questions as they have a London Transportation Information Centre. We got our travel cards for the time period that we're here and were sent off with some good advice and information about tubes, trains, and buses. We caught our first bus and got down to the Kensington area south of Hyde Park. We spent the day looking around Hyde Park and the area where we'll probably be living. There are some challenges to getting around in London by foot, but we're armed with the wonderful little resource called London A-Z, which has been literally invaluable on this trip. In fact, if you're planning a trip to London, you shouldn't come without this little gem. Two of the challenges seem to be the street signs, which I mentioned earlier aren't on posts, but are on the sides of the buildings, making them more difficult to see. Second challenge? The streets tend to end abruptly and then continue on as another street, going on the diagonal at times plus there are many little "squares", like Leicester Square for example (more like circles) making the whole layout more complicated than the strict vertical and horizontal streets that we're used to.
Tired, and needing a place to look at our map without looking vulnerable, we ducked into the Hilton Paddington Hotel. While there, we decided to have afternoon tea. We spent an hour or two there and then headed out, armed (we thought) with the proper information to catch the bus back to our hotel area in Covent Garden. When we got outside, although it was only around 4:30 or 5 pm, it was dark. That alone was making me feel more vulnerable. We got to the crowded bus stop. A man, seeing our confusion, tried to help us, but I brushed him off, thinking he wanted some spare change or something. (I know, that makes me look really ugly and suspicious, but it's the truth.) As soon as he got ready to get on his bus, he asked once more with force, could he please help us. He saw that we were confused. He asked us where we were trying to go. After hearing about where we were wanting to go, he said, "That's what I thought! You need to be on the other side of the street. You need to catch the x bus." We humbly thanked him. I could tell he was irritated that we wouldn't take his help at first.
We crossed the street and waited for a few minutes for the next bus we'd need. It came fairly quickly. It was a double decker, so we went upstairs and got a front seat window for the view of the city. I wanted to go back to the hotel, but hubby kept remembering a particular route that the lady at the information centre had told us earlier where we'd see all the sights of the city. He was certain this was the bus and the route. Since it was night, the sights would be all lit up and beautiful. Why not just stay on the bus as far as it goes and then come back, he wondered? I wasn't convinced, but seeing as how my overly vilgilant personality can grate on his nerves after a while, I decided to support his sponteneity. So, we kept going. All the way down Regent Street, past Picadilly Circus, past Trafalgar Square, past the West End Theatre district, past the London Tower and Bridge. All throughout this time, I kept gently (?) reminding hubby that we didn't know exactly where we were going, and shouldn't we just get off, or shouldn't we ask someone or SOMETHING?!? He was confident that this bus was going to get to the end of it's route, turn right around, and come back the way it came. So we kept riding.
We got to see parts of London that I'm sure most tourists don't get to see. We got to parts of town I was certain I didn't want to be stranded in. Finally, we got the end of the route. And the bus lights went off. "SHOULDN'T WE GO TELL HIM WE'RE ON THE BUS?!?" I begged my husband. But there was another gentleman on the bus too. Surely he knew what he was doing. Things would be fine, he assured me. A few minutes later, the other gentleman on the bus, the man that hubby was certain knew what was going on, looked AT US and asked us a question about where the bus was going!! Bad idea to do what the other guy is doing when he doesn't seem to know where he's going either! That man went downstairs and inquired of the driver and apparently got off of the bus.
Finally, hubby conceded to asking the bus driver where we were going. When he went to ask the driver his question, he was yelled at by the bus driver. "Don't you know what it means when the lights go off?!" he screamed. Uh...no! We don't! Or we wouldn't still be on the bus! Apparently when the lights go off, the route's over. Now, if we were seasoned patrons of public transport, maybe we would know this, but we didn't. So the bus driver made us get off the bus. Right there! In the middle of the place we didn't want to be stranded. We were stranded. Oh, the horror! The only comfort I had at that moment was that the bus that we need to take back into central London was right in front of the "bad" bus. So, we ran up and began knocking wildly on the doors. Hubby motioned that we needed to get on. But that bus wouldn't let us on, because we weren't at an official stop! We were indeed stranded. Desperate by this time, because I was really ready to cry, hubby asked a kind couple who were getting ready to cross the street what we should do. They kindly told us to take the train back into town, then to take 2 tubes to get back to our hotel area. We had never taken the tube. Or the train. But we did as she said and after a few confusing things with the tube stops and exchanges, we were back in our hotel area, which at that moment, although thousands of miles from home, felt like home. Because at least it looked familiar. And clean. And tourist-y!
So, that is the story of getting lost on public transport in London. I must say that we're getting around a bit easier now. We did take a wrong exchange yesterday, but we were able to figure it out by ourselves. I was so proud of us!
Let me just begin by saying that the transportation system in London is amazing and complex. Because of major congestion in the central part of the city, public transportation and walking are the best ways to get around. Also, we have no car right now! So, we're pretty much limited to public transportation. Not that we're itching to get out and drive in the opposite side of the car on the opposite of the road with signs we don't understand, mind you! That all being said, public transportation is our main mode of getting around this week (and honestly, probably for the next 9 months), so we needed to venture out and try it.
We went to Picadilly Circus for our transportation questions as they have a London Transportation Information Centre. We got our travel cards for the time period that we're here and were sent off with some good advice and information about tubes, trains, and buses. We caught our first bus and got down to the Kensington area south of Hyde Park. We spent the day looking around Hyde Park and the area where we'll probably be living. There are some challenges to getting around in London by foot, but we're armed with the wonderful little resource called London A-Z, which has been literally invaluable on this trip. In fact, if you're planning a trip to London, you shouldn't come without this little gem. Two of the challenges seem to be the street signs, which I mentioned earlier aren't on posts, but are on the sides of the buildings, making them more difficult to see. Second challenge? The streets tend to end abruptly and then continue on as another street, going on the diagonal at times plus there are many little "squares", like Leicester Square for example (more like circles) making the whole layout more complicated than the strict vertical and horizontal streets that we're used to.
Tired, and needing a place to look at our map without looking vulnerable, we ducked into the Hilton Paddington Hotel. While there, we decided to have afternoon tea. We spent an hour or two there and then headed out, armed (we thought) with the proper information to catch the bus back to our hotel area in Covent Garden. When we got outside, although it was only around 4:30 or 5 pm, it was dark. That alone was making me feel more vulnerable. We got to the crowded bus stop. A man, seeing our confusion, tried to help us, but I brushed him off, thinking he wanted some spare change or something. (I know, that makes me look really ugly and suspicious, but it's the truth.) As soon as he got ready to get on his bus, he asked once more with force, could he please help us. He saw that we were confused. He asked us where we were trying to go. After hearing about where we were wanting to go, he said, "That's what I thought! You need to be on the other side of the street. You need to catch the x bus." We humbly thanked him. I could tell he was irritated that we wouldn't take his help at first.
We crossed the street and waited for a few minutes for the next bus we'd need. It came fairly quickly. It was a double decker, so we went upstairs and got a front seat window for the view of the city. I wanted to go back to the hotel, but hubby kept remembering a particular route that the lady at the information centre had told us earlier where we'd see all the sights of the city. He was certain this was the bus and the route. Since it was night, the sights would be all lit up and beautiful. Why not just stay on the bus as far as it goes and then come back, he wondered? I wasn't convinced, but seeing as how my overly vilgilant personality can grate on his nerves after a while, I decided to support his sponteneity. So, we kept going. All the way down Regent Street, past Picadilly Circus, past Trafalgar Square, past the West End Theatre district, past the London Tower and Bridge. All throughout this time, I kept gently (?) reminding hubby that we didn't know exactly where we were going, and shouldn't we just get off, or shouldn't we ask someone or SOMETHING?!? He was confident that this bus was going to get to the end of it's route, turn right around, and come back the way it came. So we kept riding.
We got to see parts of London that I'm sure most tourists don't get to see. We got to parts of town I was certain I didn't want to be stranded in. Finally, we got the end of the route. And the bus lights went off. "SHOULDN'T WE GO TELL HIM WE'RE ON THE BUS?!?" I begged my husband. But there was another gentleman on the bus too. Surely he knew what he was doing. Things would be fine, he assured me. A few minutes later, the other gentleman on the bus, the man that hubby was certain knew what was going on, looked AT US and asked us a question about where the bus was going!! Bad idea to do what the other guy is doing when he doesn't seem to know where he's going either! That man went downstairs and inquired of the driver and apparently got off of the bus.
Finally, hubby conceded to asking the bus driver where we were going. When he went to ask the driver his question, he was yelled at by the bus driver. "Don't you know what it means when the lights go off?!" he screamed. Uh...no! We don't! Or we wouldn't still be on the bus! Apparently when the lights go off, the route's over. Now, if we were seasoned patrons of public transport, maybe we would know this, but we didn't. So the bus driver made us get off the bus. Right there! In the middle of the place we didn't want to be stranded. We were stranded. Oh, the horror! The only comfort I had at that moment was that the bus that we need to take back into central London was right in front of the "bad" bus. So, we ran up and began knocking wildly on the doors. Hubby motioned that we needed to get on. But that bus wouldn't let us on, because we weren't at an official stop! We were indeed stranded. Desperate by this time, because I was really ready to cry, hubby asked a kind couple who were getting ready to cross the street what we should do. They kindly told us to take the train back into town, then to take 2 tubes to get back to our hotel area. We had never taken the tube. Or the train. But we did as she said and after a few confusing things with the tube stops and exchanges, we were back in our hotel area, which at that moment, although thousands of miles from home, felt like home. Because at least it looked familiar. And clean. And tourist-y!
So, that is the story of getting lost on public transport in London. I must say that we're getting around a bit easier now. We did take a wrong exchange yesterday, but we were able to figure it out by ourselves. I was so proud of us!
The Arts in London
We visited the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square a few days ago. It was gorgeous. We had time for one exhibition only, so we chose "Manet to Picasso". I'm a huge Van Gogh fan and his works were displayed alongside some other famous modern artists. I got to see Sunflowers and Van Gogh's Chair. I was able to get a matted print of Van Gogh's Chair to bring home, which will be a wonderful reminder of my first sight of the sweet, happy, little painting. I think Van Gogh's story is what draws me to him. I remember as a young child hearing the story about the depressed man who had cut off his ear and then immortalized himself through art. I felt sad and compassionate toward him. It was as a child in art class also that I began my love of his painting Starry Night, which is not in the collection at National Gallery as it is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Maybe I'll see it one day.
More arts last night as we went to see "Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty's Theatre on Haymarket. Wow! is all I can say. The level of professionalism was like nothing we'd ever witnessed. The voices of the main characters were out of this world. We love theatre and usually get to see one or two shows per year in our small town. Because it's a university town, traveling Broadway shows visit and they're usually pretty good. But as my husband and I discussed last night, nothing we've ever seen could hold a candle to this performance. The costuming, the set, the caliber of voices...all were phenomenal or as the English would say, "brilliant"!
Hubby started work this morning, so I'll be venturing out to the National Portrait Gallery and back to National Gallery today. I'm hoping to catch a guided tour today at National Gallery. They do these for free, which is great, because as we're discovering, London is expensive! I also plan to spend some time walking through the Covent Garden Market. I'll let you know what I discover. Until then...cheers!
More arts last night as we went to see "Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty's Theatre on Haymarket. Wow! is all I can say. The level of professionalism was like nothing we'd ever witnessed. The voices of the main characters were out of this world. We love theatre and usually get to see one or two shows per year in our small town. Because it's a university town, traveling Broadway shows visit and they're usually pretty good. But as my husband and I discussed last night, nothing we've ever seen could hold a candle to this performance. The costuming, the set, the caliber of voices...all were phenomenal or as the English would say, "brilliant"!
Hubby started work this morning, so I'll be venturing out to the National Portrait Gallery and back to National Gallery today. I'm hoping to catch a guided tour today at National Gallery. They do these for free, which is great, because as we're discovering, London is expensive! I also plan to spend some time walking through the Covent Garden Market. I'll let you know what I discover. Until then...cheers!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Visiting Church in London
We were able to visit a church here in London yesterday. It's called Holy Trinity Brompton. We enjoyed the services. It's an Anglican church, but the worship was quite similar to what we're used to back home. I'd had a very hard day the day before, (We got lost on public transport at night! I'll write more about that experience in my next post.) so worship service and time with the Body of Christ was indeed just what I needed.
As I lay tossing and turning the night before, I kept worrying about church the next morning. Would we find it? Would we like it? What would it be like? And since worship singing is usually my favorite part of the service, would we know the songs? We knew all but one of the songs! Both my husband and I were teary through that part of the service. For the first time, we felt so at home in this strange place. Songs we knew. A God we all loved. Worship. Home.
The pastor preached on Phillipians 4:4-9, which due to my mental state at the time, was quite appropriate. Isn't God like that? It seems no matter what's going on in my life, He's always using His Word just as it needs to be used in my heart, mind, and life. Since that horrible evening on the bus/train when we got lost, all I could do was worry. What would happen to my husband when I left? He would certainly get lost again! And this time he'd be all by himself. How in the world would little ol' fearful me get on the big jet again to fly home for eight hours? How in the world would I navigate Heathrow and Chicago O'Hare by myself? What was going on with my children? Knowing they're so far away is scary.
This whole experience has really made me see how controlling and untrusting I truly am. But this sermon reminded me..."do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6,7) Ah, there was the answer. Instead of worrying about these things in my mind, I needed to present them as requests to God. And I needed to remember who He is and what He's done in the past (thanksgiving). When those things are practiced, peace of mind will come. Not of my own efforts mind you, but supernaturally.
The pastor closed the service by guiding the congregation through a prayer of repentance and thanksgiving, and finally petition for those things about which we're worrying (things such as plane hijackings and train muggings! ) I felt renewed, refreshed, and once again reminded of how huge the God whom I call mine truly is.
It seems Jesus is determined to teach me something, even if it does involve taking me half way around the world to do it! Come back again soon for the details of the "getting lost on public transport in London" story.
As I lay tossing and turning the night before, I kept worrying about church the next morning. Would we find it? Would we like it? What would it be like? And since worship singing is usually my favorite part of the service, would we know the songs? We knew all but one of the songs! Both my husband and I were teary through that part of the service. For the first time, we felt so at home in this strange place. Songs we knew. A God we all loved. Worship. Home.
The pastor preached on Phillipians 4:4-9, which due to my mental state at the time, was quite appropriate. Isn't God like that? It seems no matter what's going on in my life, He's always using His Word just as it needs to be used in my heart, mind, and life. Since that horrible evening on the bus/train when we got lost, all I could do was worry. What would happen to my husband when I left? He would certainly get lost again! And this time he'd be all by himself. How in the world would little ol' fearful me get on the big jet again to fly home for eight hours? How in the world would I navigate Heathrow and Chicago O'Hare by myself? What was going on with my children? Knowing they're so far away is scary.
This whole experience has really made me see how controlling and untrusting I truly am. But this sermon reminded me..."do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6,7) Ah, there was the answer. Instead of worrying about these things in my mind, I needed to present them as requests to God. And I needed to remember who He is and what He's done in the past (thanksgiving). When those things are practiced, peace of mind will come. Not of my own efforts mind you, but supernaturally.
The pastor closed the service by guiding the congregation through a prayer of repentance and thanksgiving, and finally petition for those things about which we're worrying (things such as plane hijackings and train muggings! ) I felt renewed, refreshed, and once again reminded of how huge the God whom I call mine truly is.
It seems Jesus is determined to teach me something, even if it does involve taking me half way around the world to do it! Come back again soon for the details of the "getting lost on public transport in London" story.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
London Surprises
If you've been reading long, you know hubby and I are in London looking for housing for a temporary move. Here's a list of surprising things about London that this small-town, Midwestern girl has noticed:
*How teeny everything is. I had heard this, but hearing and seeing are two different things! Our hotel room is small. I mean, you can walk around the bed and that's it. The tub is very narrow. Even the waste basket is teeny.
*How many people there are. They're everywhere and really seem to know where they're going, unlike us. I'm from a small town, remember?
*The interesting mixture of old and new. Seeing large office buildings next to landmarks that are hundreds of years old seems odd.
*Seeing street signs on the sides of buildings instead of freestanding posts.
*It gets dark so early. By 4 pm here, the dark starts setting in. Seriously, we were walking around town at 4 pm today, and it seemed like it was 7 pm back home. Makes one want to go to bed earlier.
*How difficult it can be to understand someone who speaks the exact same language as you, but in such a different accent.
*Apparently there are no trash cans here. There are bags and boxes on the street in designated trash areas, but they aren't in large plastic containers. It's not dirty mind you, just looks different, and perhaps a bit untidy.
*There is a difference between tea, afternoon tea, and high tea. Today at a hotel, we thought we ordered afternoon tea and were expecting some biscuts, sandwiches, etc., only to be told we had only ordered tea --which means only...tea.
So, as you can see, I'm a fish out of water. Enjoying it all. Taking it all in. But longing (after even 2 days!)for something familiar. Keep reading for more London adventures.
*How teeny everything is. I had heard this, but hearing and seeing are two different things! Our hotel room is small. I mean, you can walk around the bed and that's it. The tub is very narrow. Even the waste basket is teeny.
*How many people there are. They're everywhere and really seem to know where they're going, unlike us. I'm from a small town, remember?
*The interesting mixture of old and new. Seeing large office buildings next to landmarks that are hundreds of years old seems odd.
*Seeing street signs on the sides of buildings instead of freestanding posts.
*It gets dark so early. By 4 pm here, the dark starts setting in. Seriously, we were walking around town at 4 pm today, and it seemed like it was 7 pm back home. Makes one want to go to bed earlier.
*How difficult it can be to understand someone who speaks the exact same language as you, but in such a different accent.
*Apparently there are no trash cans here. There are bags and boxes on the street in designated trash areas, but they aren't in large plastic containers. It's not dirty mind you, just looks different, and perhaps a bit untidy.
*There is a difference between tea, afternoon tea, and high tea. Today at a hotel, we thought we ordered afternoon tea and were expecting some biscuts, sandwiches, etc., only to be told we had only ordered tea --which means only...tea.
So, as you can see, I'm a fish out of water. Enjoying it all. Taking it all in. But longing (after even 2 days!)for something familiar. Keep reading for more London adventures.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Catching Up With You
While I promised in my last entry to post more regulary, alas, I have not. This job situation/move has been a very up and down process and this week we were in the pinnacles and depths emotionally. We have never moved before! And our first move is an international one - go figure! I am a drama queen who likes to do things big.
As it stands right now, hubby and I will be going over to look for housing in London by the middle of next week. We were thinking we would be in a "suburb" of London close to where hubby will be working. But it seems that the property locators can't find any leases for less than a year in that area, so we are now looking at central London near Hyde Park! It will definitely be a completely different experience living in the city, but I'm really looking forward to it. And, after this week, I've learned that all of this could change quickly so I'm trying not to get my heart set on any of the cute little places that they've sent us pictures of. But Hyde Park, come on! That would be very neat in so many ways.
As mentioned above, hubby and I will be leaving for a one week trip next week to look for housing. Then hubby will stay behind to work, while the kids and I ready things here for the move. So, we've been doing lots of things here like last minute doctor and dentist appointments, calling our accountant, and calling various services and utilities that we use to inquire about what to do when we're gone. LOTS of things to do before we leave!
My son and daughter are gone with Daddy right now at his first Upward basketball practice. We're not sure how many games he'll get to play, but he's excited all the same. He's really looking forward to getting his uniform this morning. Hubby was all set to coach (something he's been looking forward to since my son was 1 day old) and won't be able to do that now because of the move. But, like we keep reminding ourselves, we can do all those things next year when we're back.
We'd continue to covet any prayers you would lift up on our behalf. And hopefully (cross-fingers) I will be posting more soon. I'll definitely try to post some from London on our house-hunting adventures.
As it stands right now, hubby and I will be going over to look for housing in London by the middle of next week. We were thinking we would be in a "suburb" of London close to where hubby will be working. But it seems that the property locators can't find any leases for less than a year in that area, so we are now looking at central London near Hyde Park! It will definitely be a completely different experience living in the city, but I'm really looking forward to it. And, after this week, I've learned that all of this could change quickly so I'm trying not to get my heart set on any of the cute little places that they've sent us pictures of. But Hyde Park, come on! That would be very neat in so many ways.
As mentioned above, hubby and I will be leaving for a one week trip next week to look for housing. Then hubby will stay behind to work, while the kids and I ready things here for the move. So, we've been doing lots of things here like last minute doctor and dentist appointments, calling our accountant, and calling various services and utilities that we use to inquire about what to do when we're gone. LOTS of things to do before we leave!
My son and daughter are gone with Daddy right now at his first Upward basketball practice. We're not sure how many games he'll get to play, but he's excited all the same. He's really looking forward to getting his uniform this morning. Hubby was all set to coach (something he's been looking forward to since my son was 1 day old) and won't be able to do that now because of the move. But, like we keep reminding ourselves, we can do all those things next year when we're back.
We'd continue to covet any prayers you would lift up on our behalf. And hopefully (cross-fingers) I will be posting more soon. I'll definitely try to post some from London on our house-hunting adventures.
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