Fall 2009 - Back to School, Birthdays and Great Visits!

Fall is always a great time, even more than January 1st, I feel it's a time of new beginnings...New school year, new shoes..anyway, I love the Fall, even though it's hard leaving my favorite place and season, Summer in Madison.

We came back to London and a week later Mimi and Papa arrived for a visit. This is Mimi's 4th visit and Papa's second. They had a bad flight over (seats were way too cramped and 2 hours in immigration upon arrival at LHR). Papa was over flying and threatened it was his last visit :(

So..we kept them busy, dinners at Il Portico and Sticky Fingers, breakfast with Matt, photos with Pete, visits to the Churchill War Museum, V&A and our favorite, Queens Guard Museum, Hampton Court and Imperial War Museum. We took them to the Richmond suburbs and Brighton beach and of course to proper English pubs. It was wonderful to have them with us and we all had a great visit.

Mimi and I (along with my friend Didi) snuck out to Firenza for 3 days and had a wonderful time seeing the Uffizi, Michaelangelo's David, Botticelli's Primavera and The Birth of Venus, piazza's, coffee, risotto funghi, shoes and bags..the time went by very quickly and Papa was kind enough to stay with all 5 girls so we could enjoy ourselves. And we did!! The hotel was stunning and Italians are the most welcoming and fun!

We celebrated birthdays (Rachel's 11th with friends at Holland Park and dinner at Sticky Fingers), Lauren's 15th - I can't believe - with dinner at Sticky Fingers (yes two nights in row) and then a movie and sleepover with 13 14/15 year olds.

Papa was up each morning making pancakes for everyone and Mimi had balloons and gifts for all (even Megan's Unbirthday). I celebrated my 40th birthday at my favorite restaurant with my parents and my family - and no one rushed me out before coffee- priceless.

Before we knew it, their 3 week visit had come to an end. The girls and I were very lonely for a few days but are snapping out of it and looking forward to their next visit :)

I know Dad will come back to go to Normandy Beach and Greenwich.

Sandy from Madison came to London for less than 24 hours and we snuck in breakfast and a quick house tour - hope her next visit will last longer.

Girls are busy...Lolo is helping the Drama Club, still involved in Challengers, is crewing on the Thames, learning to play the flute, kickboxing and a Book Club. Her grades are very good and she is enjoying WWI history and Science.

Rachel is taking singing lessons, and is auditioning for the Wizard of Oz. She is now taking guitar lessons and adjusting to the more rigorous requirements of being in the Senior School. Much tougher and she gets a bit overwhelmed.

Meg is well. She wants to play the clarinet and will be assessed this week to see if she is big enough and if her teeth (or lack of upper ones) will be an issue. We are going to Winchester Cathedral on Monday for a field trip and I am very much looking forward to it.

Bob's back is healing, but very slowly. He is still in a lot of discomfort and it has prevented him from running. So he is a bit grumpy and restless (fun, fun). He was very disappointed not to run the Berlin marathon, but is looking to the Spring with optimism.

Ramsay still smells like a skunk..its been over one month...other than that, all is well.

Love from London

Amy