Ally in uniform

She'll only get to attend 1/6 of the school year, but it will be an unforgetable experience.

Fun in Bath

A day trip to the city of Bath.  We fell in love with this place....

The Royal Crescent, among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in the world 

Bath Abbey, site of the first king of England's coronation

 The Roman Bath

Pulteney Bridge is one of only four bridges lined with shops in the world 

The kids wanted to know why they couldn't go swimming!

After seeing all these wonderful sights, we found something NOT in the guidebook, but it should be, it is the world's greatest playground!

This place was a blast!!

Do I really live here?

We've been here two months now.   And I'm finally beginning to feel like we really live here, and here's why: 

--I finally have a UK credit card!  You know, the ones with the computer chip - no signing, I plug the card into the machine, punch in a code and voila, purchase complete!

--I've found a babysitter!  Now we are nearly out of the babysitter years, as JD is now 12 and a half, but we don't leave them long, usually an hour or so, watching a movie or something...and sometimes you need more than that!  To boot, she's une francaise - a French babysitter, who will only speak French to the kids, in the tiny hopes that they can jump back into the French immersion track when we return.

--We've become members at the London Zoo.  Just a short walk away, the London Zoo is credited with being the first in the world to use the term ZOO and the term AQUARIUM, and since they opened in 1828, well, they've certainly been around a while...

--We've obtained a "Family and Friends Railway Pass" which gives us rail discounts - and we put it to use in our first out-of-London adventure when we explored the city of Bath a few days ago.  

--We've had our first American visitor (thanks Stacey!!)...so we must really live here, huh?  Sometimes it seems like a foggy dream.

--I possess library cards, I have figured out my grocery delivery, the kids are signed up for activities, I no longer convert everything to dollars (it's way too scary expensive), we nailed pictures to the walls...we know several neighbors, hubby bikes to work in downtown London...

--I think            we                 are              nearly                         settled!!!

Family biking in London, School possibilities, the British Museum...

 

After a great deal of waiting, searching, and being patient, we finally have some school options.  AL will begin school on June 6th (I know, weird, it's when most MN schools are ending) and just attend the last 5 weeks of the year (the second half of the last term).  She'll end July 8th. The school is the sweetest school just around the corner.  I sent an email long ago and didn't hear anything and just assumed it was full!  Until one day when AL and JP and I just walked in to check it out...and learned they actually had space.  Probably because the school ends at age 7 for boys and age 11 for girls.

 

Two have places at a school this Aug/Sept and I have high hopes that Jonah will get a place as well.  However AL may fall in love with this other little school, but we'll wait and see....I'm sure they will all be enrolled somewhere, so I feel I can breathe now and enjoy this time until the fall.

 

We've enjoyed navigating London on our bikes this past week.  A bit scary with a 6 year old rider and cars zooming literally right up next to you.  We biked to church, a restaurant, the British Museum and Coram's Fields.   A great day out in London.

 

But the subway is tricky too - one day this week we thought we could all get onto a train (I knew it was cutting it close).  JP and I were holding hands....he stepped on...but then the doors closed ON MY ARM and we were all screaming as we saw poor JP on the train and the rest of us off the train and my arm in the closed door..there was no way I was letting go...there was a massive moment of deep despair (if you could have seen JP's face! he was completely freaked out & screaming) but the doors did then reopen and JP jumped off... it took us an hour for our hearts to start beating normally again.

 

I've found a babysitter who is French; she'll only speak French to the kids.  I figure I can knock off two things at once - keep up their French and get a date with hubby or a chance to run errands alone.  She'll come Wednesdays for a couple of hours and once every other weekend, so not a lot, but should help avec le francais, not to mention my sanity.

 

We discovered the British Museum this week - it's fantastic, and free.   When you visit, we will have to go.  They've got some of the greatest treasures from the ancient world.  We followed an audio tour - and spent 3-4 hours viewing some absolutely fantastic treasures of the world.

 

Looking ahead, we get to finally host our first American guests!!  My cousin will be here Sunday for a short one night stay on her way back after visiting Scotland; and D's brother will be here the following weekend Friday - Sunday, he has work in Denmark.

 

Oh, I told some of you we were interested in the house across the courtyard (American family moving home in July).  The very nice property manager met with me; they are listing it quite high and expect it to rent immediately...so, unless it sits there until October (very unlikely), which is the earliest we can get out of our lease, we won't be hopping over that way.  Oh well!!  It was worth an inquiry.

regular life stress, consumerism, settling in...

Trying to establish "regular life" here....May 14th, 2011

We really miss everyone from home, and settling in here and trying to launch our life here is not easy; but we live for being together on the weekends and exploring.  It is not always fun mon-fri (hubby at work and me at home trying to school three kids) but we are getting there and trying to be patient, and for most people that is reality right? - the weekdays are long.  We are feeling lucky to have this opportunity; and yet lots of homesickness, stress, and so much to do.  We got bikes this week (we should have brought ours but did not!).  Should be fun to try them out and begin navigating our way around our neighborhood with them.  We need to get a piano keyboard and a tv and dvd.  Not easy to search a big city for this stuff.  We finally do have most of our electronics (lamps, telephones, coffee maker, toaster, etc).   Feels like we are starting from scratch with so many things.

It sounds like the kids will have school spots in September but not before then.  Again...patience needed.

I did have to call my homeschooling sister for support this week because doing this homeschool thing with all three kids in the middle of this big life change and move and all the work of setting up life here, well, it's just a bit much.  I was glad to hear from her that she also sometimes struggles to balance things with teaching all 3 of her kids.  She's an inspiration, how she does it all, I just don't know.  Still waiting - a bit impatiently - to hear from our relocation specialist about having some tutoring paid for.  The good news is that the private school JD visited was impressed (remember he went for a day visit and assessments) and he is now on their wait list, AD is as well, and JP actually has a place for September.  I need to get more information about the likelihood that JD and AD will actually get off the wait list for this next year.  I felt a secret sense of vindication when the admissions dean called to tell me about JD's results, because they gave me such a hard time about his application and the fact that he has been homeschooled. 

We didn't make it to Paris for my milestone bday (no need to mention which one), however, hubby and I went out to a fabulous restaurant in Primrose Hill called Odettes.  It was delicious and a splurge for us. 

We hope to start traveling SOON because we have not ventured out of London yet!!

We also have been getting to know two families (both American!) in our building group.  They're wonderful and kind.  One family has 14 and 10 year old boys and the other has 10, 8, 5 and almost 3 year old boys.

The people renting our home in MN will move in first part of July.  We are happy to have it rented and they sound like a very nice family.

long live the MN summer...

We're "home"?

After five and a half weeks here, we finally have a place that we are calling "home"!! 

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

-we moved into our townhome and got our shipment on the 3rd of May.

-the boys have both had visits at a private school, we are just waiting to hear "results"

-we continue to enjoy exploring (on weekends especially)

-JD began a soccer program (Weds and Sats right behind our house at Primrose Hill)

-we're getting to know local life like where to bring dry cleaning, how to have groceries delivered, using the library, etc!

-The door to door commute for hubby seems to be about 30-40 minutes, although it is 4.5 miles.  Our neighbor bikes and he may do that eventually - we all want bikes!

 

We are located in the borough of Camden, but across the street is Westminster - we're really on the border.   It's a quiet area, pretty boring actually.  Although walking to and from swimming for AD today we couldn't help notice the two armed guards in front of a house on the way, and when we got home we googled the address, and it is the Israeli Ambassador's residence.  Hmmm.

 

Our move-in day was the first day that we saw anything from our container-surface shipment!  I know we were all very thrilled to find familiar items, especially to sleep in our own beds for the first time. 

 

Having missed our first move in date of the 21st of April because of the garage and other issues - that delay made us all the more thrilled to be here.  We've learned it was most likely our relocation agency that did not include use of the garage in the lease that they created.  However the rental agency also didn't "ask" if we as tenants were okay with them using the garage to store their furniture.  In any case, it was a miscommunication on both sides, but luckily hubby's company is going to have the items that didn't fit put into storage for us (JP's queen sized bed did not go up to the 3rd floor, neither did AD's double boxspring, and a couple chairs and small tables and a desk did not fit either, but all in all, our stuff actually works okay in this space!).  We've met some nice neighbors, and walking to school (eventually I hope!), soccer for JD, and swimming for AD all seem to work well.

 

The space is small, but being spread over three floors makes it seem a bit bigger.  The kids have the 3rd level (2 bedrooms and a bathroom)- and to be honest I can't hear them when I'm on the main/first floor!!  Could be a bonus!  Guests will take AD's room and there is plenty of room for her to sleep in the boys' room. 

 

There is a nice American family with 4 boys across from us (aged 10, 8, 5, and 2).  They have a trampoline in their patio area and our kids are over there every day!  Another American family also has two boys (14 and 10) and also have a trampoline - our kids are in heaven!

 

The 2nd level is the master and a bathroom/laundry and a WC.  Main floor we have kitchen, dining area and a living area - an open floor plan which is nice - all of the other places I saw had kitchens with doors on them (totally cut off from the house - very European like).  Our main struggle so far has been - where in the world do we put anything that was in our basement, or our entry closet, or our garage - since we have NONE of those!?  Slowly but surely, we carving out space.  It is definitely a bonus to have a patio and a bit along the side of the house (because we're an end unit) where the kids can get fresh air.  In our courtyard for the buildings, there is a big sign that says "Absolutely no bikes, scooters or ball games of ANY KIND".... yes those signs are pretty much in any area that is not a private yard or a large park.  Luckily the park is just a few blocks away!! 

 

It's weird to not have a car - we love the walking and taking the subway.  We walk EVERYWHERE.  But the challenge is, I used to fill my van up with STUFF from shopping/errands, and now I have to actually physically transport all of that - or have it delivered.  This is a very effective way to re-think consumerism.  No more, "oh I'll just throw this into the cart, it's cheap, why not?"  As far as carrying everything, I think I'll do the delivery!!

 

There really are a lot of Americans in this area because of the American School.  We're still waiting on school news, and homeschooling has been a challenge because of, well, the fact that we didn't have a home and have been living out of suitcases!  I hope it will go better starting next week when we are really settled in.  I did ask our relocation agent, "What do most people do, if you come mid-year like this, and you don't get into any schools?"  She said they just send them to far-away schools or city schools - neither of which I'd want to do.  But we've got our fingers crossed for a couple of our private school choices.  JD said he thought the academic level was nothing to brag about, after his visit today; and that the assessments they gave him were not that difficult (however he has not been known to be the most humble, so I'm not sure what to make of it - we'll wait and see!).  AND when JP had his day visit, the gal who greeted me, who is Associate Dean of Admissions, is from MN.  She's been here 12 years now.   She said they have two teachers on staff from Minnesota.   

 

Well, I'm sure that this is more than you all wanted to read, but it's been a busy, exhausting, emotional couple of weeks.  Good thing we had that little wedding in there to take our minds off of things! 

THE ROYAL WEDDING (APRIL 29TH 2011)

 Just prior to the arrival of the bride

 The Royal Carriages, on their way to pick up the newly married couple from Westminster

I believe this is the carriage for the Queen Mother

 Our location for viewing this historic event

 after the crowds dispersed

the Goring, where Catherine and her family stayed prior to the wedding

Media area just outside Westminster Abbey

We braved the crowds and headed down to Westminster Abbey about 10am on Friday April 29th, the day of the Royal Wedding.  Emerging at Victoria Station, we encountered massive crowds.  Some people had been camping out near the church for days and days!  Unsure of the best vantage point, we began maneuvering our way through the masses towards Westminter Abbey. When we finally reached a point at which we could go no further, we positioned ourselves just behind the road barricades, 2nd in line, with a not-so-bad view of the entrance the Abbey.  At approximately 10:15 the bells began to ring and they did not stop until the bride was inside the church.  With each arrival the crowds cheered wildly.  Once the service began and all calmed, the crowds dispersed.  We lingered near the church, unable to access the return route or Buckingham Palace because of overcrowding.  Eventually we made our back towards the church on a different side street to see the exit of the Royal Family from the church.  Unexpectedly, we were exactly along the route of the Royal Horse guards bringing the carriages to collect the Royal family, bride and groom of course first in the parade, to make the route through the crowded streets returning to Buckingham Palace.  Although we viewed the carriages empty, it was a gorgeous sight and we were able to see the Royal Family mounting into these Fairy Tale carriages just after the ceremony.  

Once they departed, we ventured over to Hyde Park, grabbing picnic fare on the way there, and planted ourselves among the 200,000 people on the grass just in time to view The Kiss on the enormous screens they had in the park for the public to view up close the wedding events.  The cheering and screaming were deafening!  Making our way back to our apartment around 3:30 pm, I think we all felt as though we had participated in something historic, something unusual, something very unique and dreamy.  

Congratulations Prince William and Princess Catherine!  We enjoyed celebrating with you!!

April 28th - update on housing

Today marks our one month anniversary of arrival in the UK.

I thought we'd be settled and perhaps have schools arranged.

But alas, no.  However, we're making some progress.

It looks like we'll be able to negotiate terms with the townhouse we originally had planned to rent.  We've already signed a lease, and it could be complicated to get out of.  We've learned that it is likely that it was actually our relocation agency who overlooked some things.

We should be able to get into the town house on May 3rd.