Lots going on at the Baden house. We've found a house back across the pond. Mazal Tov! It's a good house and the landlord seems to be on the up and up from our first conversation. We're walking distance to the train station. We're walking distance to an elementary school. We're walking distance to a few shops and restaurants - not like here in Clapham, but we'll manage. The good news for those of you reading is that we'll have a proper guest room/office and a place for you to stay when you come visit. So - pack your bags, we'll be ready to host by the time school starts back up in the fall of 2015.
On the other hand, I'm not ready to leave London just yet. I've really loved living here. As odd as it may sound, it really feels like home. Everything from the house to the neighbors to the school to the big commons to the high street and the proximity of the tube and buses -- it's just been an absolute delight living here. I'm thrilled that we decided to take the leap of faith and come over for two years. I know the work situation has been less than ideal to put it mildly -- but everything else has just been fantastic.
I have tons more to say and tell you about -- but for the moment, I've got just over an hour till school pick up and a list a mile long of things to do.
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
12 Years Later
It's been 12 years and 4 days since Greg and I met. Hard to believe how much has changed in 12 years and 4 days.
Because we met on the 15th of February, we tend to celebrate Valentines Day on the 15th. It usually works to our advantage. This year, we went out to the OXO Tower for dinner and drinks. Our pre-dinner drinks were awesome. Greg had some smokey bourbon and rye drink. And when I say smokey -- I really mean smokey. It was crazy how much the drink smelled like you were sticking your nose inside a meat smoker. I had this funky apple cinnamon brandy & bitters drink that was really good. The starter drinks were way better than the actual starters. I had queen scallops that were most definitely not queen sized. They were tiny. And not really all that inspiring. Greg had some crab dish -- but it was sweet. And stuffed inside a weird sweet potato fruit roll up thingy. Odd. We both ordered fillet... the cuts were beautiful but they were both overcooked. Boo. Boo. Boo. The waiter even tried to convince us that it was the blue lights in the restaurant that made the steaks 'look' overcooked -- but we both still know they WERE overdone. Dessert was a four pieced chocolate delight. Yum.... And of course, the ambiance and location were great.
We finished the night at Dandelyan. That was another adventure. Unique to say the least... my drink really did taste like it had flowers inside it. Loved the bar. Think I'll order wine next time!
Regardless -- here's to our next 12 years. :)
Because we met on the 15th of February, we tend to celebrate Valentines Day on the 15th. It usually works to our advantage. This year, we went out to the OXO Tower for dinner and drinks. Our pre-dinner drinks were awesome. Greg had some smokey bourbon and rye drink. And when I say smokey -- I really mean smokey. It was crazy how much the drink smelled like you were sticking your nose inside a meat smoker. I had this funky apple cinnamon brandy & bitters drink that was really good. The starter drinks were way better than the actual starters. I had queen scallops that were most definitely not queen sized. They were tiny. And not really all that inspiring. Greg had some crab dish -- but it was sweet. And stuffed inside a weird sweet potato fruit roll up thingy. Odd. We both ordered fillet... the cuts were beautiful but they were both overcooked. Boo. Boo. Boo. The waiter even tried to convince us that it was the blue lights in the restaurant that made the steaks 'look' overcooked -- but we both still know they WERE overdone. Dessert was a four pieced chocolate delight. Yum.... And of course, the ambiance and location were great.
We finished the night at Dandelyan. That was another adventure. Unique to say the least... my drink really did taste like it had flowers inside it. Loved the bar. Think I'll order wine next time!
Regardless -- here's to our next 12 years. :)
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Ricciardo in London
So apparently the kids and I missed meeting Daniel Ricciardo. An honest to goodness current Formula 1 driver! Not by much... We saw a crew setting up for a film shoot this morning at the house around the corner. This is a pretty awesome house. We pass it going to and from school as it sits just across from Clapham Common. Ricciardo races for Red Bull Racing (which also explains why the crew were driving Infiti Q50s!
This afternoon on our way home, we could tell the crew was packing up. We watched 8 spare Pirelli tires get loaded onto the truck. Atticus and Wren were peppering one of the Red Bull guys with questions. Where is the race car? How will it get onto the truck? Was there really really a real race car driver here? Where'd he go? Why can't I meet him? How do you work the lever to get the car onto the truck? Can I watch? You get the picture. It was freaking freezing outside with crazy wind -- but the crew were really great answering all the questions. And, they told us to hold on for a few more minutes and we could watch the F1 car get loaded onto the truck. Pretty cool. The car was actually a bit of a hybrid between the 2013 and 2014 models. I'm not quite savvy enough to recognize all the nuances -- but it was really cool to see the car.
Did I mention that the pre-season testing began today?! I hope I impressed the crew by knowing that little tid bit of knowledge! I mean, come on... were they expecting a random American ex pat to know THAT? :-)
If I can figure out how to get photos back onto the blog, I'll get those posted. I know - I say that a lot. It's just that I take photos on the phone and then have to move them to iPhoto and then sync them to Picasa and then upload them from there into the blog. It's a bit of a pain. I'm sure there must be a better way...
This afternoon on our way home, we could tell the crew was packing up. We watched 8 spare Pirelli tires get loaded onto the truck. Atticus and Wren were peppering one of the Red Bull guys with questions. Where is the race car? How will it get onto the truck? Was there really really a real race car driver here? Where'd he go? Why can't I meet him? How do you work the lever to get the car onto the truck? Can I watch? You get the picture. It was freaking freezing outside with crazy wind -- but the crew were really great answering all the questions. And, they told us to hold on for a few more minutes and we could watch the F1 car get loaded onto the truck. Pretty cool. The car was actually a bit of a hybrid between the 2013 and 2014 models. I'm not quite savvy enough to recognize all the nuances -- but it was really cool to see the car.
Did I mention that the pre-season testing began today?! I hope I impressed the crew by knowing that little tid bit of knowledge! I mean, come on... were they expecting a random American ex pat to know THAT? :-)
If I can figure out how to get photos back onto the blog, I'll get those posted. I know - I say that a lot. It's just that I take photos on the phone and then have to move them to iPhoto and then sync them to Picasa and then upload them from there into the blog. It's a bit of a pain. I'm sure there must be a better way...
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Biscuits... I mean Cookies
Oh the vocabulary...
Did you know that if you want a cookie in England, you order a biscuit? Odd. But if you're looking for something that is served with cheese and/or a dip -- those are called crackers. Sometimes. Other times they're called "biscuits for cheese". Oy the confusion.
Regardless.
There's a really pretty cookie shop that just opened on our high street called Biscuiteers. They make really fancy iced cookies. Really fancy. They're also about £3 per cookie or close to $5 each. Ouch. But they're sooooo pretty. They have icing classes at the store. Right now, they're offering buy one get one free icing classes. So, I bought a voucher. I'm not sure yet who's going to go with me or if I'll just do two classes? I suppose this is a late birthday gift to myself? I don't know - it just sounded like a good idea and so I went for it.
HERE is one of my favorite tins that they do called the Vintage Traveler.
Next time I post pictures of my cookies, they're going to look amazing! At least, that's the plan....
Did you know that if you want a cookie in England, you order a biscuit? Odd. But if you're looking for something that is served with cheese and/or a dip -- those are called crackers. Sometimes. Other times they're called "biscuits for cheese". Oy the confusion.
Regardless.
There's a really pretty cookie shop that just opened on our high street called Biscuiteers. They make really fancy iced cookies. Really fancy. They're also about £3 per cookie or close to $5 each. Ouch. But they're sooooo pretty. They have icing classes at the store. Right now, they're offering buy one get one free icing classes. So, I bought a voucher. I'm not sure yet who's going to go with me or if I'll just do two classes? I suppose this is a late birthday gift to myself? I don't know - it just sounded like a good idea and so I went for it.
HERE is one of my favorite tins that they do called the Vintage Traveler.
Next time I post pictures of my cookies, they're going to look amazing! At least, that's the plan....
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Grocery Delivery
Seriously people in America. You don't know what you're missing. Remember waaaaay back when -- there was a company called WebVan that tried to get started doing grocery deliveries. You people should have listened. This is honestly the best invention EVER, especially if you have children, or live in a city where you either don't have a car or don't feel like looking for parking if you choose to move your car. There's an app for my phone. So - I'm waiting in the queue to pick up the kids at school and suddenly remember that I need pasta for the playdate later in the week. Open the app, add it to the cart. Boom. Oh look, I have $40 in my cart - I'll schedule a delivery for tomorrow morning after I get back from dropping the kids at school. Boom. Next morning - a really nice man (sometimes woman) knocks on my door, carts everything into my kitchen for me, hands me a receipt, picks up my empty shopping bags from last time for recycling and away they go. Think of something you forgot -- just open the website and add it to the trolley for the next delivery. It's brilliant. Far less impulse purchases. Far less. That means less crap hanging around the house. Goooood idea!
Ok. That's it. Just wanted to share how much I love Ocado and their brilliant delivery service and their amazing customer service.
Ok. That's it. Just wanted to share how much I love Ocado and their brilliant delivery service and their amazing customer service.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tower of London
I know... it's half term. And, it's stunningly beautiful outside. Sunny and mid 60s. I have a great idea! Let's hop on the tube and go see the poppies at the Tower of London.
Oy.
I did manage to get a few photos hopefully including one of the kids AND the poppies. That said, my photos can in no way match some of these...
Tower of London Poppies
I'll try to get my photos off the camera and online soon...
Oy.
I did manage to get a few photos hopefully including one of the kids AND the poppies. That said, my photos can in no way match some of these...
Tower of London Poppies
I'll try to get my photos off the camera and online soon...
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Kew Gardens
Last week was rather adventurous. After our day out to Battersea Zoo, we again met up with Giuliana, Aly and my friend, Jessica to head off to Kew Gardens.
Kew is gorgeous and relaxing. For the most part. You can just wander these open gardens and paths and enjoy the serene green trees and along the north side of the gardens, the Thames. I couldn't believe how quiet it was in the main section of the gardens. I would love to go back by myself with a book and a bottle of water and find a bench tucked away somewhere and just read for a bit....
But, here we were, two adults and four kids. Woo hoo. We set off at first for the Treetop Walkway. We were a little nervous about climbing 118 steps, but it was no trouble at all and completely worth it! The kids had grand fun wandering the loop and looking out across the gardens.
Then, it was off to find the Barefoot Walk. That was not at all what I was imagining in my head. Ha. I knew the point was to experience different textures with your feet - but ummmmm, OUCH! Here it is a week later and my left foot still hurts from who knows what I stepped on!! It didn't seem to bother the kids any.... but I pulled a splinter out of my foot when we got home and my other foot still is sore. Oy. Next time, adults keep their shoes on!!
We stopped after the walk to enjoy a little picnic and then it was time to continue. Next it was off to find the Climbers and Creepers area for some playground fun, a bathroom break and some more water! What started off as a cool morning was now a HOT afternoon!
The kids found this cool tree on the way to the kids area and had fun ducking under the leaves and climbing inside. It felt a little bit hobbit-esque to me!
Continued on and we had a good play and the kids got their faces painted. Atticus was a green lizard, Wren went for Batgirl and Giuliana was a fairy sprite of some kind. By this point, we were all exhausted and it was time to go home! Whew... another London adventure checked off the list!
Kew is gorgeous and relaxing. For the most part. You can just wander these open gardens and paths and enjoy the serene green trees and along the north side of the gardens, the Thames. I couldn't believe how quiet it was in the main section of the gardens. I would love to go back by myself with a book and a bottle of water and find a bench tucked away somewhere and just read for a bit....
But, here we were, two adults and four kids. Woo hoo. We set off at first for the Treetop Walkway. We were a little nervous about climbing 118 steps, but it was no trouble at all and completely worth it! The kids had grand fun wandering the loop and looking out across the gardens.
Then, it was off to find the Barefoot Walk. That was not at all what I was imagining in my head. Ha. I knew the point was to experience different textures with your feet - but ummmmm, OUCH! Here it is a week later and my left foot still hurts from who knows what I stepped on!! It didn't seem to bother the kids any.... but I pulled a splinter out of my foot when we got home and my other foot still is sore. Oy. Next time, adults keep their shoes on!!
We stopped after the walk to enjoy a little picnic and then it was time to continue. Next it was off to find the Climbers and Creepers area for some playground fun, a bathroom break and some more water! What started off as a cool morning was now a HOT afternoon!
The kids found this cool tree on the way to the kids area and had fun ducking under the leaves and climbing inside. It felt a little bit hobbit-esque to me!
Continued on and we had a good play and the kids got their faces painted. Atticus was a green lizard, Wren went for Batgirl and Giuliana was a fairy sprite of some kind. By this point, we were all exhausted and it was time to go home! Whew... another London adventure checked off the list!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Battersea Zoo
Battersea Zoo is an interesting experience. You're paying for the playground as much as you are the actual animals. Actually, you're paying more for the playground than the animals. And that's OK funny enough.
Our favorite babysitter in London has a part-time job at the zoo, but unfortunately she was off the day we decided to go.
No worries, we still had fun. We met Wren's bestie, Giules and her family along with another new Canadian friend and her two littles. We watched the otters have lunch. We peered in and learned about the meerkats. And then we played. Hours and hours of playtime in the sand/water play area as well as the jungle gyms and other climby structures. By the time we were leaving, I was exhausted and I'd been sitting on a picnic blanket for the most part! The kids were happily exhausted which was the best.
We stopped at the peace pagoda on the way out of the park....
Our favorite babysitter in London has a part-time job at the zoo, but unfortunately she was off the day we decided to go.
No worries, we still had fun. We met Wren's bestie, Giules and her family along with another new Canadian friend and her two littles. We watched the otters have lunch. We peered in and learned about the meerkats. And then we played. Hours and hours of playtime in the sand/water play area as well as the jungle gyms and other climby structures. By the time we were leaving, I was exhausted and I'd been sitting on a picnic blanket for the most part! The kids were happily exhausted which was the best.
We stopped at the peace pagoda on the way out of the park....
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Oh hi... I remember you!
It's been a while. I know. But, the school year is coming to a close and I'm feeling inspired. Let's get back to blogging, shall we? I fell into the FaceBook trap. Posting too many half hearted attempts there and ignoring the blog.
I'm back. At least in theory.
At this exact moment - I have to go pack a picnic before I go pick up the kids. It's a lovely sunny afternoon and we're headed over to the bandstand with our school friends after pick up for a picnic in the park. Bring on the blankets, frisbee, maybe some water balloons???
xx.
I'm back. At least in theory.
At this exact moment - I have to go pack a picnic before I go pick up the kids. It's a lovely sunny afternoon and we're headed over to the bandstand with our school friends after pick up for a picnic in the park. Bring on the blankets, frisbee, maybe some water balloons???
xx.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk
We've discovered that it's easier to just go with the flow and use the British vernacular while here. It causes less confusion for the kids when we (Greg and I) use the same words that they're hearing at school and from other kids, parents, at the park, etc. So... here is a short list of things we've overheard our kids saying already:
Tidy Up
Rubbish Bin
Trainers (aka Tennis Shoes)
Jumper (sweater or sweatshirt)
Straight Away
Well Done
Go Wee
Loo
Knickers
It's pretty amusing. It also cracks me up to hear Atticus especially try to imitate the accent. He has a friend, Xavier, in his class - but Atticus says his name X-A-V-AHHH. There is also a little girl named Philippa in his class but when Atticus says her name, he puts an "R" at the end because with the accent, that's what he hears. Interesting.
I wonder what other words and phrases will work their way into our day to day...
Tidy Up
Rubbish Bin
Trainers (aka Tennis Shoes)
Jumper (sweater or sweatshirt)
Straight Away
Well Done
Go Wee
Loo
Knickers
It's pretty amusing. It also cracks me up to hear Atticus especially try to imitate the accent. He has a friend, Xavier, in his class - but Atticus says his name X-A-V-AHHH. There is also a little girl named Philippa in his class but when Atticus says her name, he puts an "R" at the end because with the accent, that's what he hears. Interesting.
I wonder what other words and phrases will work their way into our day to day...
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Stress Is My Middle Name
Oy. I need a glass of wine and a masseuse.
First - a huge thank you to my brilliant new neighbor and her daughter for coming by last night and putting Atticus to bed and staying with the kids so that Greg and I could enjoy a wonderful dinner out on our 7th anniversary. This was the first time in a few years that we've been together on our actual anniversary - so it was a true treat to have a nice meal and bottle of wine on our anniversary.
Now... as to the reason of the lingering stress? Primary and Nursery school. OY VEY. Granted, it's not quite as bad (or as expensive) as it is in New York, but still.... moving countries just prior to the school year is no fun.
Once we had the neighborhood and house figured out - I began the in earnest search for the local primary schools. The terminology here is different from home. Public school in the States is "state school" here in London and private school in the States is "public school" here. Sometimes private is also called private. Sometimes Pre-Prep. Just to add to the fun...
So, now we have an address and we're just a wee bit outside the "catchment" area for the closest state school. But - based on prior years, we still had a good shot of getting in. We filled out the paperwork and sent it into the "council". Then we heard back that we needed to prove our address before we could be added to any existing wait lists. G'ahhh. So, now that we'd been in the house for a whole week -- I packed up the kids and grabbed as much proof as I could find and headed over to the council office.
Then we wait.
And now it's a few days before school is due to start and we haven't heard a THING. I started leaving messages like a crazy woman everywhere I possibly could. I actually got the direct line to the really nice bloke at the council who never could tell me where we were on the Honeywell list... We were up to 18th on the wait list for Belleville (which is further away as the crow flies from our house) but Honeywell apparently maintains their own list and their offices only reopened 48 hours prior to the start of school????? For Pete's sake... that's just nuts. But anyways ---
I got ahold of two private (public) schools and arranged for two tours. As it turned out both were full for Year 1 (based on Atticus's date of birth he should be in in Year 1) but were able to offer spots in their Reception classes for Atticus. I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect solution. Yes, he's the oldest one in his class - but coming from the States, Reception is a much closer match to our "Kindergarten". There were a bunch of pros to each school and it came down to several small but key things that made the difference.
Parkgate House School is the chosen school. To be honest, it's probably my top choice from before we even moved to London. I really enjoyed what I'd read online and it does seem to be a great choice and even more important a better choice for Atticus than drowning in a Year 1 class at a state school where there are 30 kids instead of 20. These are small classes inside a small school where he gets to do really awesome things. Like learn violin. And have swim lessons every Friday. And start taking French. And karate. And if we stay more than two years -- horseback riding! In true Atti fashion, when we arrived to tour the school, we first met up with the Headmaster. Atticus said hello, sort of shook his hand and then asked where they kept the horse. :)
Now that we'd accepted the position, it's been a scramble to get all our ducks in a row for the start of school. The kids missed the "official" first day, but they both attended today. Atticus did smashingly well at drop off and had a great day even earning two star stickers. He was quite pleased. I returned at mid day to drop off Wren who also was a champ! She put her wooby in her cubby, gave me a scowl and a hug and off I went. With both of them in class, I scooted as quickly as possible over to Harrods to purchase school uniforms! OUCH. Yes, our uniforms come from Harrods. But, I suppose on the upside it really does make mornings go smoother when there's no choice in what to wear!!
Tomorrow is Atticus's first swim lesson. I mean, really? They get to go swimming each Friday? Wren has ballet each Monday. Love it. This school does a great job with academics and yet also really encourages sports, arts and team building. I hope it lives up to my expectations!!
First - a huge thank you to my brilliant new neighbor and her daughter for coming by last night and putting Atticus to bed and staying with the kids so that Greg and I could enjoy a wonderful dinner out on our 7th anniversary. This was the first time in a few years that we've been together on our actual anniversary - so it was a true treat to have a nice meal and bottle of wine on our anniversary.
Now... as to the reason of the lingering stress? Primary and Nursery school. OY VEY. Granted, it's not quite as bad (or as expensive) as it is in New York, but still.... moving countries just prior to the school year is no fun.
Once we had the neighborhood and house figured out - I began the in earnest search for the local primary schools. The terminology here is different from home. Public school in the States is "state school" here in London and private school in the States is "public school" here. Sometimes private is also called private. Sometimes Pre-Prep. Just to add to the fun...
So, now we have an address and we're just a wee bit outside the "catchment" area for the closest state school. But - based on prior years, we still had a good shot of getting in. We filled out the paperwork and sent it into the "council". Then we heard back that we needed to prove our address before we could be added to any existing wait lists. G'ahhh. So, now that we'd been in the house for a whole week -- I packed up the kids and grabbed as much proof as I could find and headed over to the council office.
Then we wait.
And now it's a few days before school is due to start and we haven't heard a THING. I started leaving messages like a crazy woman everywhere I possibly could. I actually got the direct line to the really nice bloke at the council who never could tell me where we were on the Honeywell list... We were up to 18th on the wait list for Belleville (which is further away as the crow flies from our house) but Honeywell apparently maintains their own list and their offices only reopened 48 hours prior to the start of school????? For Pete's sake... that's just nuts. But anyways ---
I got ahold of two private (public) schools and arranged for two tours. As it turned out both were full for Year 1 (based on Atticus's date of birth he should be in in Year 1) but were able to offer spots in their Reception classes for Atticus. I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect solution. Yes, he's the oldest one in his class - but coming from the States, Reception is a much closer match to our "Kindergarten". There were a bunch of pros to each school and it came down to several small but key things that made the difference.
Parkgate House School is the chosen school. To be honest, it's probably my top choice from before we even moved to London. I really enjoyed what I'd read online and it does seem to be a great choice and even more important a better choice for Atticus than drowning in a Year 1 class at a state school where there are 30 kids instead of 20. These are small classes inside a small school where he gets to do really awesome things. Like learn violin. And have swim lessons every Friday. And start taking French. And karate. And if we stay more than two years -- horseback riding! In true Atti fashion, when we arrived to tour the school, we first met up with the Headmaster. Atticus said hello, sort of shook his hand and then asked where they kept the horse. :)
Now that we'd accepted the position, it's been a scramble to get all our ducks in a row for the start of school. The kids missed the "official" first day, but they both attended today. Atticus did smashingly well at drop off and had a great day even earning two star stickers. He was quite pleased. I returned at mid day to drop off Wren who also was a champ! She put her wooby in her cubby, gave me a scowl and a hug and off I went. With both of them in class, I scooted as quickly as possible over to Harrods to purchase school uniforms! OUCH. Yes, our uniforms come from Harrods. But, I suppose on the upside it really does make mornings go smoother when there's no choice in what to wear!!
Tomorrow is Atticus's first swim lesson. I mean, really? They get to go swimming each Friday? Wren has ballet each Monday. Love it. This school does a great job with academics and yet also really encourages sports, arts and team building. I hope it lives up to my expectations!!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
School? Eeeeek!
So, ummmm... School starts in a little over a week and I have NO clue where the kids will be going!?! It's a little unnerving. If Atticus gets into Honeywell, he'll be in Year 1 (which may be a disaster) but it means no uniform and that Wren jumps to the top of their nursery wait list. If we get into Belleville - there is a uniform and I have no idea if Wren is even in their system. Fabulous. If we go the private school route, there's a chance of starting in Reception as opposed to Year 1, but it's private school and not free and still leaves me trying to figure out where to send Wren. And there's definitely uniforms that will be needed for private schools!
Oh, and the offices reopen on September 2, which is 48 hours before school starts. I'll have at most 36 hours to sort everything out.
This is insane. It's going to require a lot of patience, some good ju ju and a few glasses of wine!!!
Oh, and the offices reopen on September 2, which is 48 hours before school starts. I'll have at most 36 hours to sort everything out.
This is insane. It's going to require a lot of patience, some good ju ju and a few glasses of wine!!!
New Friends
I somehow stumbled upon a message board thread about American moms living Between the Commons. Brilliant! We've met up twice at a local playground and am happy to report back that there are some awesome new friends to be made! Woot! A few are originally from Texas - which was kind of fun, a few are east coasters... But all in all a great group of women and kids. Maybe this London thing won't be so boring now that I'm meeting folks.
Monday, August 12, 2013
The Dust Settles?!?
There are still a LOT of boxes strewn about the house. A LOT. It's rather difficult to watch two kids, build furniture and unpack at the same time. Not that this is news... :-)
We do now have a proper living room. Thanks Greg! I must admit, the Ikea Erktorp sofa is really comfy! It would be slightly better if I could find the box with my throw pillows and blankets! Atticus's room is all put together as well. Unpacked even! Wren's bed is complete, the rest of her room is on hold until we can build her dresser. We did opt to flip her bed into the bunk like Atticus's bed. I originally wanted to keep here's low and add curtains - but when it's low, there isn't a lip on the bed frame, and we were afraid she'd roll right out! When the bed is flipped, there's a decent lip that keeps her in place. And.. if you saw the picture posted to Facebook, she's feeling pretty pleased with her big kid bed!
Greg and I have a bed and side tables, but we're still searching for clothes in random suitcases! Good thing Greg wears a suit 5 days a week! Although... The downside to suits? Dry cleaning costs a bloody fortune here! It was just over £24 for 11 shirts. That's about $36 to have 11 shirts cleaned and pressed. Good freaking grief! It's dry cleaning folks - we're not secretly funding black hole research or curing world hunger are we? I mean if we are, then sure...
I've met some cool Mums thus far. Some virtually, some in person... :-) My brand new next door neighbor is actually American and married to a Brit. They have a sweet and teensy tiny 3 week old baby boy. Ahhhh... Those were the days! Ha... Only one little screaming ball of joy.
There's also a group of American moms who live close by that are trying to organize a weekly get together just to say hi, drink coffee, and let the kids run around the playground. I'll see how that goes this Friday...
Next up on the priority list? Figure out exactly where we're sending the kids to school in a few weeks! I don't know when we'll hear from the public/state school -- and the private schools are all on holiday for another week and a half! Eeeeeeeek!!! And I haven't even started the search for nursery school. I'm really hoping that if Atticus gets into the state school it will get Wren into their nursery program. Pleaseeeeeeee.... Pretty please!!!!!!
And now... Sleep. :)
We do now have a proper living room. Thanks Greg! I must admit, the Ikea Erktorp sofa is really comfy! It would be slightly better if I could find the box with my throw pillows and blankets! Atticus's room is all put together as well. Unpacked even! Wren's bed is complete, the rest of her room is on hold until we can build her dresser. We did opt to flip her bed into the bunk like Atticus's bed. I originally wanted to keep here's low and add curtains - but when it's low, there isn't a lip on the bed frame, and we were afraid she'd roll right out! When the bed is flipped, there's a decent lip that keeps her in place. And.. if you saw the picture posted to Facebook, she's feeling pretty pleased with her big kid bed!
Greg and I have a bed and side tables, but we're still searching for clothes in random suitcases! Good thing Greg wears a suit 5 days a week! Although... The downside to suits? Dry cleaning costs a bloody fortune here! It was just over £24 for 11 shirts. That's about $36 to have 11 shirts cleaned and pressed. Good freaking grief! It's dry cleaning folks - we're not secretly funding black hole research or curing world hunger are we? I mean if we are, then sure...
I've met some cool Mums thus far. Some virtually, some in person... :-) My brand new next door neighbor is actually American and married to a Brit. They have a sweet and teensy tiny 3 week old baby boy. Ahhhh... Those were the days! Ha... Only one little screaming ball of joy.
There's also a group of American moms who live close by that are trying to organize a weekly get together just to say hi, drink coffee, and let the kids run around the playground. I'll see how that goes this Friday...
Next up on the priority list? Figure out exactly where we're sending the kids to school in a few weeks! I don't know when we'll hear from the public/state school -- and the private schools are all on holiday for another week and a half! Eeeeeeeek!!! And I haven't even started the search for nursery school. I'm really hoping that if Atticus gets into the state school it will get Wren into their nursery program. Pleaseeeeeeee.... Pretty please!!!!!!
And now... Sleep. :)
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Move In Day
We're packed up here at the apartment and expecting the van in a couple hours that will take us to the new house! This will be interesting. The only things put together at the house at this moment are Atticus's bunk bed and 3/4 of Wren's bed. Ha. The couch is still in a box, our bed is still in boxes and the mattress is in the middle of the living room floor where the unhelpful Ikea delivery folks left it. (More on that later...) We should be able to sleep there tonight and then the moving van is due to arrive tomorrow morning with all of our "stuff" which has successfully cleared customs!
Always the adventure... let's just hope the adventure allows us to have an actual home for a couple of years!!
Always the adventure... let's just hope the adventure allows us to have an actual home for a couple of years!!
Head Injury
Well, it just wouldn't be my life without a trip to the Emergency Room for one of my children. The day started out lovely... it was a bit overcast but the rain had just ended. I packed up the kids and a towel and headed out to Fortune Street Park. This is one of our favorites here in Islington. I'm a fan of Giddy Up coffee and the kids love the play equipment -- it's a good mix. To separate a few parts of the park there are these bright yellow spring loaded gates that are about 5 or 6 year old height. They are great gates that close by themselves and include a gap so little fingers don't get pinched.
However, we did learn that if you run at full speed and push the gate open, it will spring back faster than a newly 5 year old can clear the opening. I was pushing Wren in the swings when Atticus went running at full speed through one of the yellow gates. It sprung back, whacking him in the head and sending him flat on his back. My heart stopped. In the 5 seconds it took me to run over to him a HUGE knot had formed on his head over his right eye. I'm not lying when I say that I honestly thought it was going to burst and blood was going to spew everywhere. It was nasty. Thank goodness he didn't lose consciousness. I looked around at the business folks that were eating and not a single one offered to help or came over to see if we were okay. (I'm disappointed London locals....)
I threw the remains of our picnic lunch into a bag, plopped Atticus into the stroller, grabbed Wren from the swing and made a bee line to the coffee cart. Thank goodness he had a bag of ice and was able to break off a hunk for us. Using the hand towel that I'd brought with us - I wrapped up some ice and stuck it on Atti's head. He was still screaming and sobbing poor guy.
As we started walking towards the apartment, I stopped a local mum and asked her what to do. I honestly didn't know since we still don't have our private insurance cards and I wasn't sure if we were yet eligible for the nationalized health care! Thank you, thank you to the mum for suggesting that I call 1-1-1 a new service here that allows you to talk to medical professionals for a non-emergency. The guy on the other end walked me through a ton of questions and then based on my answers said that we didn't need to go immediately to the ER, but we should still be seen by a doctor. They were able to locate the closest clinic for me and let them know we were on our way.
In the midst of all this, Greg was on the phone with HR both locally and in New York trying to sort out the insurance and authentications we needed. Ahhhhhhh....
Now, I just had to walk just shy of a mile with a 3 year old and a 5 year old with a head injury with only one stroller that really is too small for the 5 year old. GREAT! Oh... and did I mention that due to all the commotion, Wren didn't get to nap so she was tired and cranky?
We headed out with the kids taking turns in the stroller. We made it to the clinic where I wrote Atticus's name on a piece of paper with our address and was told to have a seat. There were about 30 people already there at the clinic. I was fearful that it was going to take a lifetime!! (It only took about an hour...) I tried to occupy the kids and keep them relatively quiet while watching a bizarrely large electronic billboard that spit out names and what room you should go to. Apparently HIPPA laws are a tad different here in the UK!
So... we finally were summoned to Room B where we were met by both a doctor (who looked like she'd just come from chasing kids at the park herself based on her clothes???) and a nurse. Apparently they were expecting a gash or the need for sutures, because of the earlier call -- but yay -- we didn't need those. The doctor asked me a couple more questions. She looked at Atticus's eyes and then printed off a piece of paper that showed a list of things to watch for with head injuries and sent us on our way. No joke, it took less than 3 minutes. Granted... she did tell us that the threshold for any symptoms was very low and if we thought we needed the ambulance at any time over the next day -- to just call, but still -- that was it??? She left the room, the nurse printed the paper and said thanks we were free to go.
That was it. Nothing else needed. No sign here. No insurance information. No cash. Nothing...
Weird.
-- It's now 4 days post-gate and Atticus has quite the bruise on his forehead and the beginnings of a black eye near his nose, but otherwise seems "normal".
However, we did learn that if you run at full speed and push the gate open, it will spring back faster than a newly 5 year old can clear the opening. I was pushing Wren in the swings when Atticus went running at full speed through one of the yellow gates. It sprung back, whacking him in the head and sending him flat on his back. My heart stopped. In the 5 seconds it took me to run over to him a HUGE knot had formed on his head over his right eye. I'm not lying when I say that I honestly thought it was going to burst and blood was going to spew everywhere. It was nasty. Thank goodness he didn't lose consciousness. I looked around at the business folks that were eating and not a single one offered to help or came over to see if we were okay. (I'm disappointed London locals....)
I threw the remains of our picnic lunch into a bag, plopped Atticus into the stroller, grabbed Wren from the swing and made a bee line to the coffee cart. Thank goodness he had a bag of ice and was able to break off a hunk for us. Using the hand towel that I'd brought with us - I wrapped up some ice and stuck it on Atti's head. He was still screaming and sobbing poor guy.
As we started walking towards the apartment, I stopped a local mum and asked her what to do. I honestly didn't know since we still don't have our private insurance cards and I wasn't sure if we were yet eligible for the nationalized health care! Thank you, thank you to the mum for suggesting that I call 1-1-1 a new service here that allows you to talk to medical professionals for a non-emergency. The guy on the other end walked me through a ton of questions and then based on my answers said that we didn't need to go immediately to the ER, but we should still be seen by a doctor. They were able to locate the closest clinic for me and let them know we were on our way.
In the midst of all this, Greg was on the phone with HR both locally and in New York trying to sort out the insurance and authentications we needed. Ahhhhhhh....
Now, I just had to walk just shy of a mile with a 3 year old and a 5 year old with a head injury with only one stroller that really is too small for the 5 year old. GREAT! Oh... and did I mention that due to all the commotion, Wren didn't get to nap so she was tired and cranky?
We headed out with the kids taking turns in the stroller. We made it to the clinic where I wrote Atticus's name on a piece of paper with our address and was told to have a seat. There were about 30 people already there at the clinic. I was fearful that it was going to take a lifetime!! (It only took about an hour...) I tried to occupy the kids and keep them relatively quiet while watching a bizarrely large electronic billboard that spit out names and what room you should go to. Apparently HIPPA laws are a tad different here in the UK!
So... we finally were summoned to Room B where we were met by both a doctor (who looked like she'd just come from chasing kids at the park herself based on her clothes???) and a nurse. Apparently they were expecting a gash or the need for sutures, because of the earlier call -- but yay -- we didn't need those. The doctor asked me a couple more questions. She looked at Atticus's eyes and then printed off a piece of paper that showed a list of things to watch for with head injuries and sent us on our way. No joke, it took less than 3 minutes. Granted... she did tell us that the threshold for any symptoms was very low and if we thought we needed the ambulance at any time over the next day -- to just call, but still -- that was it??? She left the room, the nurse printed the paper and said thanks we were free to go.
That was it. Nothing else needed. No sign here. No insurance information. No cash. Nothing...
Weird.
-- It's now 4 days post-gate and Atticus has quite the bruise on his forehead and the beginnings of a black eye near his nose, but otherwise seems "normal".
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
UKTE
I just discovered that there's a group here called UKTE -- for Texas Exes in the UK. I'm not sure if I really want to find them or not. I think maybe so. I do want to find new friends here, but it might be nice to start with a group where you know you'll at least have one thing in common... I'm not sure if there's a London specific chapter or if the group just covers all of the UK. Guess we'll find out soon enough!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Random Observations
1. Driving here is frightening. While I see the benefit to having a car here (more needed here than NYC) -- holy moly the teensy tiny roads, occasional street signs, winding roads that make no sense whatsoever... Oy vey!
2. At least most people are relatively polite while driving like maniacs.
3. Toilet paper here feels like the napkins at a fast food joint. I even bought the kind with "shea butter" and it's marginally better.
4. Commerce actually shuts down by 7 in the evenings during the week and shops are usually closed on Sundays. At least close to the corporate apartment. It's nuts. Even the "big" grocery store that's close to us is only open from 12-6 on Sundays!
5. Even though this is still a "tea" town, there's plenty of good coffee to be found!
6. There are way too many coins in the pound system. Do you really need: a penny, a two pence, a five pence, a ten pence, a twenty pence, a fifty pence, a pound and a two pound coin? Good grief!
7. The food is bland, but not as terrible as I thought it would be. Perhaps with the exception of "black pudding". I don't even want to look it up on Wiki to see what it's really made of. It's creepy and I can't imagine ever wanting to put something that looked like that into my mouth.
8. The size of UK plugs is utterly ridiculous. They're huge.
9. Having a power switch on the wall for each outlet is kind of cool. Allows you to keep things like toasters plugged in, but allows the power to stay off -- much safer and more efficient.
10. Face to face, it's still hard to understand some of the accents. I've been blaming it for the most part on jet lag -- but that excuse will dry up very soon.
11. At least half of the country with kids must be on holiday because they don't seem to be out and about around town!
12. The lack of A/C is mind blowing. I realize it's normally not THIS hot -- but couldn't you still use it to get the moisture out of the air when it rains a bazillion times?
13. London so far feels like a much nicer NYC. It's a big city with hustle and bustle, but on a smaller and much calmer scale. It's a big city, but there are still distinct neighborhoods that feel very suburban.
14. There are a ton of really really freaking incredible cars here. I see Bentleys, Astons, Ferraris, etc on a daily basis. Just out and about.
15. From all observances, folks here don't use a top sheet on their beds. They have a light weight duvet with a cover and a fitted sheet. That's it. I suppose that will make it easier to teach the kids how to make their beds!
16. The kids hear tons of languages spoken around them constantly. I hope this sparks curiosity and a love for language.
17. How is it that more people here aren't dying of allergies? With so many freaking flowers in bloom everywhere, I'm sneezing like there's no tomorrow. And I had years of allergy shots. I haven't sneezed like this in 15 years!
18. Folks here must have invented reality TV. They seem obsessed with reality shows and tabloids!
I'm sure I could go on about a few other things... but I'll call it a night. :-) More to come!!
2. At least most people are relatively polite while driving like maniacs.
3. Toilet paper here feels like the napkins at a fast food joint. I even bought the kind with "shea butter" and it's marginally better.
4. Commerce actually shuts down by 7 in the evenings during the week and shops are usually closed on Sundays. At least close to the corporate apartment. It's nuts. Even the "big" grocery store that's close to us is only open from 12-6 on Sundays!
5. Even though this is still a "tea" town, there's plenty of good coffee to be found!
6. There are way too many coins in the pound system. Do you really need: a penny, a two pence, a five pence, a ten pence, a twenty pence, a fifty pence, a pound and a two pound coin? Good grief!
7. The food is bland, but not as terrible as I thought it would be. Perhaps with the exception of "black pudding". I don't even want to look it up on Wiki to see what it's really made of. It's creepy and I can't imagine ever wanting to put something that looked like that into my mouth.
8. The size of UK plugs is utterly ridiculous. They're huge.
9. Having a power switch on the wall for each outlet is kind of cool. Allows you to keep things like toasters plugged in, but allows the power to stay off -- much safer and more efficient.
10. Face to face, it's still hard to understand some of the accents. I've been blaming it for the most part on jet lag -- but that excuse will dry up very soon.
11. At least half of the country with kids must be on holiday because they don't seem to be out and about around town!
12. The lack of A/C is mind blowing. I realize it's normally not THIS hot -- but couldn't you still use it to get the moisture out of the air when it rains a bazillion times?
13. London so far feels like a much nicer NYC. It's a big city with hustle and bustle, but on a smaller and much calmer scale. It's a big city, but there are still distinct neighborhoods that feel very suburban.
14. There are a ton of really really freaking incredible cars here. I see Bentleys, Astons, Ferraris, etc on a daily basis. Just out and about.
15. From all observances, folks here don't use a top sheet on their beds. They have a light weight duvet with a cover and a fitted sheet. That's it. I suppose that will make it easier to teach the kids how to make their beds!
16. The kids hear tons of languages spoken around them constantly. I hope this sparks curiosity and a love for language.
17. How is it that more people here aren't dying of allergies? With so many freaking flowers in bloom everywhere, I'm sneezing like there's no tomorrow. And I had years of allergy shots. I haven't sneezed like this in 15 years!
18. Folks here must have invented reality TV. They seem obsessed with reality shows and tabloids!
I'm sure I could go on about a few other things... but I'll call it a night. :-) More to come!!
Cheerio!
The Badens have landed. I repeat, The Badens have landed. We survived our journey across the pond with 2 adults, 2 kids, 7 suitcases, 4 backpacks and a stroller. We were shuttled to our corporate apartment by a very nice gentleman who pointed out a few things here and there during the drive. He did not however know the reasoning behind the random fireworks we saw while driving. I think the Brits were just welcoming us to their great city. :) Or showing off since I'd previously mentioned that we were considering a tri-fecta of Canada Day in Toronto, Fourth of July in New York City and possibly Bastille Day in Paris! Wouldn't want to be bested by the French! I'm sure that's why we saw fireworks the night we arrived. :)
And in case I forget to mention this later, or for whatever reason I seem to forget this fact with my rose colored glasses.... it's bloody hot here. And the only place I've found with A/C is the grocery store. I'm not joking. Hell, even Princess Kate had to retreat to her parent's house in the country because at 9+ months pregnant -- she couldn't take her place in the city that was without A/C. I don't blame her in the least!! (Totally unrelated, but it would've been really nice had Prince George been born on the 20th...)
The first few days in London -- ok, the first week -- was a bit of a blur. The TUBE! We had to figure out exactly how and where to buy our initial Oyster Card. (If you're wondering why exactly it's called "oyster" you can learn about that on the Wiki page referenced earlier!!) Where and how to tap in and tap out... and of course learn all the kazillion tube lines and where they go!! On our own, before meeting up with the relocation folks, we did a bit of recon work. The four of us headed to Notting Hill and Bayswater on morning. We went to St. John's Wood another day and down to Clapham as well. We wanted to walk around and get a sense of the different neighborhoods before seeing actual flats and houses. Then -- it was time to tour with the relo agent and see some places up for rent. Looking for housing in London is a tad like it was in NYC, but much less stressful. It's true that each neighborhood has it's own feel -- pros and cons. It was just a matter of weighing current priorities. I truly loved the greenery in St. John's Wood and I loved being so close to Regent's Park. I also loved the quirkiness of a small house we saw in Notting Hill that happened to be doors away from a fantastic public primary school... But, the places in St. John's Wood and Notting Hill would have cost us way more than our ultimate choice and there wouldn't have been any place for guests! We chose a house in Clapham, specifically in an area called Between The Commons. It's close to the top primary school in the area (fingers crossed that they have a space -- we're currently on the wait list) and the exiting tenant had glowing things to say about the house, the neighborhood, the direct neighbors, the landlord... And truth be told, the high street in the area just felt a little more real than up across the river. I do have champagne tastes, but I'm not buying my kids Gucci shoes. They're doing just fine with (what I used to think were pretty fancy for kids) Stride Rite!
Our lease starts next week and we're ready to get out of the corporate flat and into the house. It's huge. Bigger than we need probably - but the kids will love it. 4 bedrooms, an office, 2 living spaces (one for the adults and a separate play area for the kids), lovely kitchen with huge sky lights, a true utility room, a small backyard and GARDEN - woot woot. There are 2 full baths and 2 additional half baths spread out over 4 floors. It's awesome. We actually have so many rooms we're not sure who will occupy which room. Not exactly a terrible problem to have! The moral of the story -- there's plenty of room for you to come visit. Really. Do come. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even catch the train from London Heathrow and end up relatively close to the house! Not too shabby!!
And in case I forget to mention this later, or for whatever reason I seem to forget this fact with my rose colored glasses.... it's bloody hot here. And the only place I've found with A/C is the grocery store. I'm not joking. Hell, even Princess Kate had to retreat to her parent's house in the country because at 9+ months pregnant -- she couldn't take her place in the city that was without A/C. I don't blame her in the least!! (Totally unrelated, but it would've been really nice had Prince George been born on the 20th...)
The first few days in London -- ok, the first week -- was a bit of a blur. The TUBE! We had to figure out exactly how and where to buy our initial Oyster Card. (If you're wondering why exactly it's called "oyster" you can learn about that on the Wiki page referenced earlier!!) Where and how to tap in and tap out... and of course learn all the kazillion tube lines and where they go!! On our own, before meeting up with the relocation folks, we did a bit of recon work. The four of us headed to Notting Hill and Bayswater on morning. We went to St. John's Wood another day and down to Clapham as well. We wanted to walk around and get a sense of the different neighborhoods before seeing actual flats and houses. Then -- it was time to tour with the relo agent and see some places up for rent. Looking for housing in London is a tad like it was in NYC, but much less stressful. It's true that each neighborhood has it's own feel -- pros and cons. It was just a matter of weighing current priorities. I truly loved the greenery in St. John's Wood and I loved being so close to Regent's Park. I also loved the quirkiness of a small house we saw in Notting Hill that happened to be doors away from a fantastic public primary school... But, the places in St. John's Wood and Notting Hill would have cost us way more than our ultimate choice and there wouldn't have been any place for guests! We chose a house in Clapham, specifically in an area called Between The Commons. It's close to the top primary school in the area (fingers crossed that they have a space -- we're currently on the wait list) and the exiting tenant had glowing things to say about the house, the neighborhood, the direct neighbors, the landlord... And truth be told, the high street in the area just felt a little more real than up across the river. I do have champagne tastes, but I'm not buying my kids Gucci shoes. They're doing just fine with (what I used to think were pretty fancy for kids) Stride Rite!
Our lease starts next week and we're ready to get out of the corporate flat and into the house. It's huge. Bigger than we need probably - but the kids will love it. 4 bedrooms, an office, 2 living spaces (one for the adults and a separate play area for the kids), lovely kitchen with huge sky lights, a true utility room, a small backyard and GARDEN - woot woot. There are 2 full baths and 2 additional half baths spread out over 4 floors. It's awesome. We actually have so many rooms we're not sure who will occupy which room. Not exactly a terrible problem to have! The moral of the story -- there's plenty of room for you to come visit. Really. Do come. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even catch the train from London Heathrow and end up relatively close to the house! Not too shabby!!
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