The three kiddos and I ventured out to the park today --Hyde Park that is. It's about a fifteen or twenty minute walk. It's a nice, sunny day and is probably around 55 degrees. We found a Subway on our way (right across from Paddington Station) and grabbed some sandwiches, then we headed off to the park. We had a picnic under a tree, then went to play on a preschool-sized playground. The playground was perfect, because it was small in size and easy to see everyone, and had lots of little things that even the two year old could enjoy. Whereas the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Park is fabulous, but also very large, with several different areas, and lots of bigger equipment. For mommy-minus-daddy, who was resposible for everyone, it was easier and much safer to be on this small playground.
After the playground, we went to the fountains and the Serpentine and saw the water birds again, and lots of pigeons, which dd4 is fascinated by. I think she'd take some home for pets if she could! She's constantly chasing them around and saying, "Here, birdy! Here, birdy!" We saw some lovely swans in the fountains and on the serpentine.
We then walked home, which after all that playing, caused a little complaining, because the kids were tired and it is quite a long walk for little people, I'm sure. So, we played a little game that I made up called, "Can you make it to _____?", because my daughter said she could definitely not make it all the way home because those knees of hers were tired again. So I said, "Well, can you make it to the hanging flower basket there?" "Yes!" she said. And then we just kept on with the next little landmark we saw until we got all the way home. My son did have trouble spotting the post box because it was red and round and not blue and square like he was used to.
All in all, a "brilliant" day, as they like to say around here!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Abiding With My Children
One of the advantages of being with your children for hours and hours and days on end without any outside help from friends, family, or hired babysitters is that you actually get to spend time with them. I mean really with them.
God has really been showing me this week how little I actually abide with my children. I love that word...abide. It's a great Bible word (epimeno in the Greek). When I think of abiding, I think of living with, really being with, not just in the same space with, but listening to, learning from, and enjoying. In Biblical Greek, the term is a literal picture of remaining on, or tarrying, or staying at a place. It means to remain at or in the same place for a period of time.
This experience is giving me an opportunity to tarry with my children, to linger with them, to play with them, to listen to them, to really see them. Has my own life gotten so choked by the cares of this world, (see the parable of the sower in Mark 4), that I've neglected to really see my own children? I'm afraid the honest answer to that question is...yes. I have so many things that take my attention at home: extended family, friends, church, our home, my ministry responsibilities. Here, I literally have nothing to do except to take care of my family. And in a way, it's quite restful -- No phone calls to return, no stuff to dust and not much to put away (Our air shipment hasn't arrived yet.), no meetings, no outside obligations or parties to attend. Just time, sweet time, to tarry with with my children and my husband. At home, I don't tarry much. I flit from this thing to that thing, never really accomplishing much to be sure. But the duties, the obligations, force me to be the great All-American, multi-tasking mother. And a multi-tasker certainly doesn't linger!
Ever since it became clear that God was calling us to this part of His Earth, I felt that one of the things He might be wanting to teach me is contentment in my calling as a wife and a mom. I love being both, don't get me wrong. But I do struggle with desires and passions to be more, to do more, to make a huge impact in the Kingdom of God. And I sometimes believe the lie that I can't do that as a wife and a mom. How impacting is a woman who wipes down the same counters over and over again, who breaks up yet another argument between two quarrelsome preschoolers, who changes yet another diaper?
But what I'm doing right now, in really abiding with my children, I do believe that I can make an impact for God's kingdom. I can listen to them, and in that listening, they'll feel truly heard and loved. I can read to them and in that reading, they'll feel valued and learn. I can serve them, and in that service, I am "doing unto the least of these" and building into their hearts a desire to serve as well. I can see them, really see them, for the unique creation that God made each of them to be, and in that seeing and knowing, they'll feel acceptance, and yet hopefully be more aware of their need for His grace.
Is the kingdom of God being built in my little tiny London apartment? Right now, you couldn't convince me that it isn't. Because one day these little people will be impacting their worlds; one life, and maybe even one diaper change, at a time.
God has really been showing me this week how little I actually abide with my children. I love that word...abide. It's a great Bible word (epimeno in the Greek). When I think of abiding, I think of living with, really being with, not just in the same space with, but listening to, learning from, and enjoying. In Biblical Greek, the term is a literal picture of remaining on, or tarrying, or staying at a place. It means to remain at or in the same place for a period of time.
This experience is giving me an opportunity to tarry with my children, to linger with them, to play with them, to listen to them, to really see them. Has my own life gotten so choked by the cares of this world, (see the parable of the sower in Mark 4), that I've neglected to really see my own children? I'm afraid the honest answer to that question is...yes. I have so many things that take my attention at home: extended family, friends, church, our home, my ministry responsibilities. Here, I literally have nothing to do except to take care of my family. And in a way, it's quite restful -- No phone calls to return, no stuff to dust and not much to put away (Our air shipment hasn't arrived yet.), no meetings, no outside obligations or parties to attend. Just time, sweet time, to tarry with with my children and my husband. At home, I don't tarry much. I flit from this thing to that thing, never really accomplishing much to be sure. But the duties, the obligations, force me to be the great All-American, multi-tasking mother. And a multi-tasker certainly doesn't linger!
Ever since it became clear that God was calling us to this part of His Earth, I felt that one of the things He might be wanting to teach me is contentment in my calling as a wife and a mom. I love being both, don't get me wrong. But I do struggle with desires and passions to be more, to do more, to make a huge impact in the Kingdom of God. And I sometimes believe the lie that I can't do that as a wife and a mom. How impacting is a woman who wipes down the same counters over and over again, who breaks up yet another argument between two quarrelsome preschoolers, who changes yet another diaper?
But what I'm doing right now, in really abiding with my children, I do believe that I can make an impact for God's kingdom. I can listen to them, and in that listening, they'll feel truly heard and loved. I can read to them and in that reading, they'll feel valued and learn. I can serve them, and in that service, I am "doing unto the least of these" and building into their hearts a desire to serve as well. I can see them, really see them, for the unique creation that God made each of them to be, and in that seeing and knowing, they'll feel acceptance, and yet hopefully be more aware of their need for His grace.
Is the kingdom of God being built in my little tiny London apartment? Right now, you couldn't convince me that it isn't. Because one day these little people will be impacting their worlds; one life, and maybe even one diaper change, at a time.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
One Stressed-Out, Culture Shocked, Terrified Mommy
Life for us right now is extremely stressful. Daddy has been gone for 12 -13 hours per day. We're in a very small apartment. The three children and I are in a completely new environment with no friends, no family, no church home around. I can't lie to you. Today, I cried. (Those who read this blog that know me personally will not be shocked by this!)
My son, who is very curious, unlocked and opened the window. We're on the 9th floor and there are no screens on windows in the UK! I lost it. I mean completely lost it. What if he had fallen out that window?! The Eric Clapton song about his son that fell from a window came to mind. You know the one..."Tears in Heaven"?
And that's when the tears came. I couldn't hold them back anymore. When you're in such a new place, with new rules, and no friends, family, etc, and the appliances and grocery stores and even the windows are different, it can become overwhelming. In your home country, you're competent and prepared. In a foreign country, even in one where they speak English, you are not. And so I broke right open, right in front of my boy, with tears. All the frustrations of the last ten days came pouring out like water flooding when the dam gives way.
I find myself being so irritable with the children. I'm not used to spending this much solitary time with them, with such little help from their father. To be honest, when I get stressed to this point at home, I call my mom or a friend and ask them to babysit for a couple of hours while I go get my bearings at Starbucks or something. But here I. can't. do. that. I know that's not necessarily a bad thing. I had even thought it through before we got here. But thinking it through and living it are two very different beasts, aren't they?
So, culture shock and mommy-with-the-kids-all-the-time shock has set in. My mom sent me this scripture to encourage me today, "He will not leave you, nor forsake you," from Deuteronomy 31:6. Today, I really needed to be reminded of that...Jehovah Shammah...the LORD is there.
My son, who is very curious, unlocked and opened the window. We're on the 9th floor and there are no screens on windows in the UK! I lost it. I mean completely lost it. What if he had fallen out that window?! The Eric Clapton song about his son that fell from a window came to mind. You know the one..."Tears in Heaven"?
And that's when the tears came. I couldn't hold them back anymore. When you're in such a new place, with new rules, and no friends, family, etc, and the appliances and grocery stores and even the windows are different, it can become overwhelming. In your home country, you're competent and prepared. In a foreign country, even in one where they speak English, you are not. And so I broke right open, right in front of my boy, with tears. All the frustrations of the last ten days came pouring out like water flooding when the dam gives way.
I find myself being so irritable with the children. I'm not used to spending this much solitary time with them, with such little help from their father. To be honest, when I get stressed to this point at home, I call my mom or a friend and ask them to babysit for a couple of hours while I go get my bearings at Starbucks or something. But here I. can't. do. that. I know that's not necessarily a bad thing. I had even thought it through before we got here. But thinking it through and living it are two very different beasts, aren't they?
So, culture shock and mommy-with-the-kids-all-the-time shock has set in. My mom sent me this scripture to encourage me today, "He will not leave you, nor forsake you," from Deuteronomy 31:6. Today, I really needed to be reminded of that...Jehovah Shammah...the LORD is there.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Making Dinner
Well, tonight I'm officially making our first homecooked meal since we arrived. We've eaten out a lot, and when eating at home, it's generally been pizza or sandwiches. I finally found a market only a few blocks away that is more what I'm used to, instead of the Metro Tesco on the first floor here., which is really more like a quick-stop convenience store. This market ,Somerfields, has a butcher and fresh baked goods. There's also a large produce department and lots of aisles.
So, my hubby is craving a homecooked meal, and wouldn't you know it, the recipe cards and books are in the boxes that will not arrive until we're at our "permanent" residence. So, I could use my brain and go with something that I know by heart. But, lately, counting on my brain to remember details is not such a reliable idea! So, what to do? Then, I remembered my favorite website for recipes and meal planning -- menus4moms.com. (Sorry, I tried to do a link, but I can't get them work lately!) You do know about this site, don't you?
I used menus4moms a lot before we got this life-changing, schedule-altering, crazy idea to move overseas, (which would be before December). Until then, I was using this great website regularly, planning my meals, banking up frozen foods to help me prepare, and saving money with the great grocery lists they provide. Now, let me tell you that those frozen meals or frozen pre-prepared ingredients for meals came in so handy when we were going through craziness with Christmas and then the move here.
Alas, here with a freezer the size of, well, a small cooler, (no joke!) I can' t bank up many frozen things, but the recipes are going to come in handy for this recipe-less girl in a new country. Tonight I'm making the Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti from this week's Monday menu. And although I've never made it before, it looks yummy! Plus, bonus...I actually have the recipe, which is more than I can say for other recipes, including family favorites, right now! But we've been over that, haven't we?
Anyway, that's my hearty endorsement for menus4moms. And my confession that I haven't been cooking. And my commitment to start again. McDonald's is getting old!
So, my hubby is craving a homecooked meal, and wouldn't you know it, the recipe cards and books are in the boxes that will not arrive until we're at our "permanent" residence. So, I could use my brain and go with something that I know by heart. But, lately, counting on my brain to remember details is not such a reliable idea! So, what to do? Then, I remembered my favorite website for recipes and meal planning -- menus4moms.com. (Sorry, I tried to do a link, but I can't get them work lately!) You do know about this site, don't you?
I used menus4moms a lot before we got this life-changing, schedule-altering, crazy idea to move overseas, (which would be before December). Until then, I was using this great website regularly, planning my meals, banking up frozen foods to help me prepare, and saving money with the great grocery lists they provide. Now, let me tell you that those frozen meals or frozen pre-prepared ingredients for meals came in so handy when we were going through craziness with Christmas and then the move here.
Alas, here with a freezer the size of, well, a small cooler, (no joke!) I can' t bank up many frozen things, but the recipes are going to come in handy for this recipe-less girl in a new country. Tonight I'm making the Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti from this week's Monday menu. And although I've never made it before, it looks yummy! Plus, bonus...I actually have the recipe, which is more than I can say for other recipes, including family favorites, right now! But we've been over that, haven't we?
Anyway, that's my hearty endorsement for menus4moms. And my confession that I haven't been cooking. And my commitment to start again. McDonald's is getting old!
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Incredible, Shrinking Apartment
Today was an interesting day. This is the first day that hubby went to work. The four of us were all alone in our little bitty apartment. And, boy, did it feel small today! I'm not brave enough just yet to use public transportation with all three by myself, so we're pretty much inside or walking down to our favorite new store, Woolworth's or perhaps frequenting a really healthy restaurant we found in London. Maybe you've heard of it? McDonalds? I must admit that the television has been on much too much today and we've eaten lots of McDonald's and I bribed my kids in Woolworth's with candy. I really broke all the responsible mom rules today, didn't I? On a funny note, my son loves watching the telly here because all his favorite US programs are dubbed over with little English accents.
My Bible Guy
Okay, I know I've been doing a lot of kid quotes lately, but this one from my son warmed my heart.
"Mom, I've been reading my whole Bible almost everyday because I've been learning a lot about the Lord (sounded more like Ward)."
When they say these sweet kinds of things I marvel at God's grace to a very ordinary and often somewhat grumpy mom like me.
"Mom, I've been reading my whole Bible almost everyday because I've been learning a lot about the Lord (sounded more like Ward)."
When they say these sweet kinds of things I marvel at God's grace to a very ordinary and often somewhat grumpy mom like me.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
A New Friend
Upon questioning my middle dd if she made any friends at church today, she happily replied, "Yes! A girl named Angelina, but it wasn't the real Angelina, mom. You know, from Angelina Ballerina?" So guess her new friend is not a white mouse in a pink tutu, but I'm sure glad she met someone nice!
Raising Tattling to a Whole New Level
My two year old, who is quite wordy, whined at dinnertime, "Daddy, Coy (how she pronounces her sister's name) himme (hit me)!"
To which Daddy replied, "No she didn't. You told her to give you five and she did."
Yes, even the two year old has learned to tempt and tattle!
To which Daddy replied, "No she didn't. You told her to give you five and she did."
Yes, even the two year old has learned to tempt and tattle!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Great Sightseeing Day
Today was our best day here by far. It was truly beautiful outside -- around 60 degrees, sunny and no wind (which is great because the wind here really makes things cold!). Our kiddos are not used to walking as much as this city requires, so when we said we were going to go somewhere today, we were met with whines. So, we decided to let them choose where to go. My son chose Big Ben. Middle dd will choose next time!
So, we caught the 15 bus to Trafalgar Square (or "Afawgar Squire", as my middle dd says it). The children were excited to see the lions at Trafalgar, because we brought them home (from our original trip in January) a book called "Katie in London", in which the lions in Trafalgar Square come to life and take the children in the book on a tour of London. Middle dd did ask if the lions were alive before we got there! Anyway, they loved the lions, the fountain, and middle dd loved chasing the pigeons.
Then we headed down Whitehall to hopefully catch the changing of the horse guards. We were able to catch the 2 o'clock change, which was very cool. The children were enamored with the swords of the guards. I must say, the solemnity and regality of the horses and the guards are beautiful. Maybe I sound tourist-y, but I loved it. And those horses are huge!
We kept going down Whitehall until we came to 10 Downing Street -- residence of the Prime Minister, currently Tony Blair, of course. Not unexpectedly, it is strongly fortified and hardly able to be seen these days due to security, but it was still neat to see (well, what could be seen of it, anyway). Let me tell you there is a major security presence there and they are packing some heat!
We continued to head south and soon saw Big Ben towering above the other buildings in the distance. My son was so excited. I think it was really important for him to be able to choose today where we went, and it really paid off in the complaining department. He was very happy to have "brought us" there. Big Ben is massive, and oh-so-pretty. The parlaiment building was lovely as well.
Kiddos (and mom, who am I kidding?) were getting hungry by this time, so we went to Tesco to pick up sandwiches for a little picnic. While sitting across from Big Ben, a kind couple told me to put my camera closer to me for fear that it would get swiped. I'm really not used to that, so I appreciated the heads-up. Despite some rather annoying, thumping music from a group of three hare krishna's close by, the lunch was relaxing and fun.
We then headed over the Westminster Bridge, in hopes of riding the London Eye. The mall area outside the London Aquarium and the Eye were packed with people today, probably because of the lovely weather. As we approached the London Eye, and my son saw it's massive height, he decided we should wait to ride the London Eye until grandma comes over! Jubilee Gardens was right there on the South Bank and the atmosphere was so festive. There are some wonderful living statues that will perform or let you take their photos for pocket change, so we did that. The kids favorite one was a grown man dressed as a baby. Yes, it was a bit weird, but very amusing! We also enjoyed some ice cream on the lawn. I was soaking in the weather, the sights, and the family time.
We crossed back over the Thames, this time on a different bridge. I think it was the Hungerford Footbridge. Absolutely breathtaking! A dream come true for this little-traveled girl. Big Ben was in the background, the Thames underneath, and the London Eye was overhead. Wow! What a gorgeous photo opportunity. And you had better believe I got the camera out for that one! The baby, who is really in the "twos" with her behavior lately insisted on walking the bridge, which was fine, because hubby and I always figure tired kids at night are best! Getting off of the bridge was a bit of a problem, as no trolley/buggy path (handicapped accessible route) was available. That's a big problem in this city. Lots of hurling the stroller over one's shoulder, or bumping it down the stairs, or mommy in front lifting the foot rest while daddy picks up the umbrella handles and carries it down. That aspect of sightseeing with three little ones in this city is trying, but it's definitely not going to stop us.
We bought a few postcards to mail, went back to Trafalgar Square, and then caught the 23 bus back home. The children love riding the buses. Truly, when we ask them their favorite parts of the days past, often they say "the double-decker bus!" Easily amused, my children are. And I love that about them.
Tomorrow it's off to Holy Trinity Brompton for church. We're hoping things go well with the children here, as it's a church hubby and I felt quite comfortable in and drawn to on our first visit. I'll let you know how things go.
So, we caught the 15 bus to Trafalgar Square (or "Afawgar Squire", as my middle dd says it). The children were excited to see the lions at Trafalgar, because we brought them home (from our original trip in January) a book called "Katie in London", in which the lions in Trafalgar Square come to life and take the children in the book on a tour of London. Middle dd did ask if the lions were alive before we got there! Anyway, they loved the lions, the fountain, and middle dd loved chasing the pigeons.
Then we headed down Whitehall to hopefully catch the changing of the horse guards. We were able to catch the 2 o'clock change, which was very cool. The children were enamored with the swords of the guards. I must say, the solemnity and regality of the horses and the guards are beautiful. Maybe I sound tourist-y, but I loved it. And those horses are huge!
We kept going down Whitehall until we came to 10 Downing Street -- residence of the Prime Minister, currently Tony Blair, of course. Not unexpectedly, it is strongly fortified and hardly able to be seen these days due to security, but it was still neat to see (well, what could be seen of it, anyway). Let me tell you there is a major security presence there and they are packing some heat!
We continued to head south and soon saw Big Ben towering above the other buildings in the distance. My son was so excited. I think it was really important for him to be able to choose today where we went, and it really paid off in the complaining department. He was very happy to have "brought us" there. Big Ben is massive, and oh-so-pretty. The parlaiment building was lovely as well.
Kiddos (and mom, who am I kidding?) were getting hungry by this time, so we went to Tesco to pick up sandwiches for a little picnic. While sitting across from Big Ben, a kind couple told me to put my camera closer to me for fear that it would get swiped. I'm really not used to that, so I appreciated the heads-up. Despite some rather annoying, thumping music from a group of three hare krishna's close by, the lunch was relaxing and fun.
We then headed over the Westminster Bridge, in hopes of riding the London Eye. The mall area outside the London Aquarium and the Eye were packed with people today, probably because of the lovely weather. As we approached the London Eye, and my son saw it's massive height, he decided we should wait to ride the London Eye until grandma comes over! Jubilee Gardens was right there on the South Bank and the atmosphere was so festive. There are some wonderful living statues that will perform or let you take their photos for pocket change, so we did that. The kids favorite one was a grown man dressed as a baby. Yes, it was a bit weird, but very amusing! We also enjoyed some ice cream on the lawn. I was soaking in the weather, the sights, and the family time.
We crossed back over the Thames, this time on a different bridge. I think it was the Hungerford Footbridge. Absolutely breathtaking! A dream come true for this little-traveled girl. Big Ben was in the background, the Thames underneath, and the London Eye was overhead. Wow! What a gorgeous photo opportunity. And you had better believe I got the camera out for that one! The baby, who is really in the "twos" with her behavior lately insisted on walking the bridge, which was fine, because hubby and I always figure tired kids at night are best! Getting off of the bridge was a bit of a problem, as no trolley/buggy path (handicapped accessible route) was available. That's a big problem in this city. Lots of hurling the stroller over one's shoulder, or bumping it down the stairs, or mommy in front lifting the foot rest while daddy picks up the umbrella handles and carries it down. That aspect of sightseeing with three little ones in this city is trying, but it's definitely not going to stop us.
We bought a few postcards to mail, went back to Trafalgar Square, and then caught the 23 bus back home. The children love riding the buses. Truly, when we ask them their favorite parts of the days past, often they say "the double-decker bus!" Easily amused, my children are. And I love that about them.
Tomorrow it's off to Holy Trinity Brompton for church. We're hoping things go well with the children here, as it's a church hubby and I felt quite comfortable in and drawn to on our first visit. I'll let you know how things go.
Yahoo!
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.
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.
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?
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