Thursday Jan 18th..I LOVE London
This is dedicated to Emily..if it were not for her I would be asleep now..
I love London!! I love our house, I love the schools the girls attend, I love all the great shops and the wonderful food choices, I love that when I lock myself out of my new house twice in two days the same chap happily lets me back in and is nice about it. I love that I walk my girls to school to and fro and that we stop for a snack at a local patisserie (bakery I think that means) and have a cappuccino and some cookies and hear about the day at school. I love that we have no tv and no one seems to notice yet. We live in a small community of Kensington and there is so much to do and see. We found a great smoothly store too..yeah!
Brenda, tell Eloise I will have to bring her when you come..almost as good as Robeks. I know there is so much more outside of Kensington...but for now I am happy to figure things out here..then off to Notting Hill our neighborhood to the north.
The school update:
Lauren takes Latin (got an 83 on her first test), the art of hospitality (learned how to fold a napkin shaped like the bishops hat), is learning to sew, plays lacrosse and cricket and is making friends and feeling happy. She also helps out in the kindergarten class and washed the school van the other day. I don't hear alot about math and science..hmmm. The school only serves a vegetarian lunch so this carnivore comes home starving and craving meat.
Rachel has swimming lessons once a week, is learning the ancient language of sanskrit (her teacher told her she was a fast learner), is learning sewing, plays netball (like basketball but only passing the ball no running with it), is reading Charlotte's Web and is making lots of friends whose mom's introduce themselves to me and ask to have playdates with Rachel. The moms have been very friendly and helpful and that it makes me feel welcome.
Megan loves her preschool and has a best friend named Morgan who is American but has lived her entire 4 years in London...they are too cute together. Megan loves her teacher Ms Joy and likes to play in Regents Park and learn her letters in group. She goes until 12:30 4 days a week...just enough for now. We are trying many ways to get to her school as it is much further from home..the cab would cost about 40 pounds ($75) each way, then I tried the tube - too much walking for Megan but today we took the #27 Bus..bingo. She sits in the front seat on the top of the double decker red bus and only 3 minutes of walking...and it only costs 2 pounds each way. I think we have a winner!! I took the tube home as the bus takes 40 minutes and the tube only 15.
On the tube ride home I sat next to 3 girls from UCONN here studying..small world. We talked about how hard it is to order coffee here (they ask if you want it black or white) so we order tea to make it easier and it always comes with milk. We commented on how hard it is to wake up here even though we should not be jet lagged any more and how no one here is overweight.
I spent the morning shopping for towels and sheets (they have different size beds so different size sheets here so that was fun. They use a duvet- down blanket - with a cover and no top sheets and blankets..so that exercise took me some effort and planning..) and really filled a taxi with some nice things to get ready for Mimi's arrival tomorrow morning.
The store had a cafe on the top floor which looks out over the city skyscape..it was a wow moment, a time to pause and take it all in.
We are planning to take a jet lagged Mimi to Paris for the weekend. We are taking the Chunnel train to and flying home..She will be wiped out..from Arizona to Miami to London to Paris and London..5 time zones in 4 days...
I feel so lucky to have this chance to see and experience a new culture filled with friendly people and so much to do and see. I know I was worried, and I know I am in the honeymoon phase, but so far so great.
We sold Tanglewood lane to GE this week..it was a great house and we wish its newest family lots of fun on the Lane!
Kisses to you all...When are you coming to visit? Bon Soir
Amy
I love London!! I love our house, I love the schools the girls attend, I love all the great shops and the wonderful food choices, I love that when I lock myself out of my new house twice in two days the same chap happily lets me back in and is nice about it. I love that I walk my girls to school to and fro and that we stop for a snack at a local patisserie (bakery I think that means) and have a cappuccino and some cookies and hear about the day at school. I love that we have no tv and no one seems to notice yet. We live in a small community of Kensington and there is so much to do and see. We found a great smoothly store too..yeah!
Brenda, tell Eloise I will have to bring her when you come..almost as good as Robeks. I know there is so much more outside of Kensington...but for now I am happy to figure things out here..then off to Notting Hill our neighborhood to the north.
The school update:
Lauren takes Latin (got an 83 on her first test), the art of hospitality (learned how to fold a napkin shaped like the bishops hat), is learning to sew, plays lacrosse and cricket and is making friends and feeling happy. She also helps out in the kindergarten class and washed the school van the other day. I don't hear alot about math and science..hmmm. The school only serves a vegetarian lunch so this carnivore comes home starving and craving meat.
Rachel has swimming lessons once a week, is learning the ancient language of sanskrit (her teacher told her she was a fast learner), is learning sewing, plays netball (like basketball but only passing the ball no running with it), is reading Charlotte's Web and is making lots of friends whose mom's introduce themselves to me and ask to have playdates with Rachel. The moms have been very friendly and helpful and that it makes me feel welcome.
Megan loves her preschool and has a best friend named Morgan who is American but has lived her entire 4 years in London...they are too cute together. Megan loves her teacher Ms Joy and likes to play in Regents Park and learn her letters in group. She goes until 12:30 4 days a week...just enough for now. We are trying many ways to get to her school as it is much further from home..the cab would cost about 40 pounds ($75) each way, then I tried the tube - too much walking for Megan but today we took the #27 Bus..bingo. She sits in the front seat on the top of the double decker red bus and only 3 minutes of walking...and it only costs 2 pounds each way. I think we have a winner!! I took the tube home as the bus takes 40 minutes and the tube only 15.
On the tube ride home I sat next to 3 girls from UCONN here studying..small world. We talked about how hard it is to order coffee here (they ask if you want it black or white) so we order tea to make it easier and it always comes with milk. We commented on how hard it is to wake up here even though we should not be jet lagged any more and how no one here is overweight.
I spent the morning shopping for towels and sheets (they have different size beds so different size sheets here so that was fun. They use a duvet- down blanket - with a cover and no top sheets and blankets..so that exercise took me some effort and planning..) and really filled a taxi with some nice things to get ready for Mimi's arrival tomorrow morning.
The store had a cafe on the top floor which looks out over the city skyscape..it was a wow moment, a time to pause and take it all in.
We are planning to take a jet lagged Mimi to Paris for the weekend. We are taking the Chunnel train to and flying home..She will be wiped out..from Arizona to Miami to London to Paris and London..5 time zones in 4 days...
I feel so lucky to have this chance to see and experience a new culture filled with friendly people and so much to do and see. I know I was worried, and I know I am in the honeymoon phase, but so far so great.
We sold Tanglewood lane to GE this week..it was a great house and we wish its newest family lots of fun on the Lane!
Kisses to you all...When are you coming to visit? Bon Soir
Amy
Comments