Updates

Here's a quick update on where the girls are at:

Loves to go to the farm so she can wear her 'wellies'.

Sadly, the "choo choo train" model village closed until February. Hannah burst into tears the first time I told her. We drive by almost everyday to check to see if the gates are open or closed! The other day she was pretty frustrated that it wasn't opened--she wanted to go in anyway. I told her I didn't have the key so when we got home she went to find a key. It didn't matter to her that this key only opened a Polly Pockets castle!

Loves her baby Lizzie! And yes she is wearing a swimsuit. She is patiently waiting for her dad to find her a swimming pool somewhere in England.

Her favorite show is In the Night Garden with characters with names like Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, Tombliboos and Igglepiggle. It's pretty cute when she mimics the voices.

Loves to dance and recently learned how to ride a bike in 2 tries!

Many tears have been shed the last few months when Mom and Dad have asked her to wear warmer clothes. A skirt and short-sleeved shirt with no coat is not appropriate for weather in the 30s and 40s. She told me to just find her fuzzy tights so she can keep wearing skirts in frigid weather! Pants are like a punishment to her! We make deals like, "Wear the pants while we go ride bikes and then as soon as you come inside you can put your skirt back on."

Last week she came home from school and said, "Mrs. Blair said I have to wear 3 layers." And that's all it took! Every night her outfit is laid out and we count the layers--a short sleeved shirt over a long sleeved shirt with a jacket. I laugh every time she comes out of her room with 3 skirts on!

This has taught me who she really listens to. Next time I have any difficulties I'm emailing her teacher to sort it out!!!!!!!!!

Loves to be happy and says great phrases like "straight away", "you're a clever girl" and "when we lived in America".

Lost another tooth and learned the lesson that sometimes the Tooth Fairy is silly and forgets to look in tooth pillows for teeth!

Loves Lizzie's smiles and listening to Lizzie coo while she sings to her.

Thanksgiving Week

Our great Thanksgiving Week with great family:

We saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

Hannah and her lovely cousin visited Odds Farm with their hungry sheep, huge pigs and tractors that take you wherever you want

We went to the London Temple

We found a 1,000 year old village with this great-looking stone church

Lizzie was happy about her blessing from Jon. She was happy her uncle could be there!

The girls were happy to smile for the camera after church.

We're thankful for happy, giggly girls!

Jon was thankful we had someone to play Rook with.

Dressing up and dancing like ballerinas

Things I'm grateful for:

I was especially grateful this year to not have to make Thanksgiving dinner!

Family who will come all the way to England just to bring us peanut butter, coconut, pudding, a baby monitor, Sharpies, cardstock and a binky clip!

I am still amazed that I am living in England. Fall was absolutely beautiful here. I couldn't get enough of it. It's my favorite season! Is there anything better than the trees changing colors and everything looking so golden?

It's Fun!

Someone recently told Jon about an online radio that I am having lots of fun with! Here's what they say about themselves:

Q: What is Pandora?
Pandora is a music discovery service designed to help you enjoy music you already know, and to help you discover new music you'll love.
It's powered by the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken, the Music Genome Project: a crazy project started back in early 2000 to capture the complex musical DNA of songs using a large team of highly-trained musicians.
Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we'll launch a streaming station to explore that part of the musical universe.

I've started three stations: Ingrid Michaelson, Jack Johnson and Peter Breinholt. What are some of your favorite musicians/groups that I could explore? I love finding new things!!

Now, does anyone know a site like this that I could use for books?

Harrod's Christmas Parade

This morning the girls and I woke up early to go to the Harrod's Christmas Parade. Our neighbors, Bill and Ann (from Ireland) and their 3 girls have been going for 10 years and had the whole parade memorized. We followed them in which made parking much easier. Ann helped Emily up to the front, Rachel sat on Bill's shoulders, and Hannah was passed around until she ended up on my shoulders, Lizzie slept peacefully through the whole thing in her Snuggli.

It was a festive way to welcome in Christmas!

We waved to Father Christmas--drawing attention by yelling out Santa Claus! Mrs. Christmas was in a separate carriage.

We were lucky enough to have snow blown in just for the occasion!

We saw really tall people riding on tall bikes.

When I woke up Hannah this morning she greeted me with a great laugh that continued through the parade! It's so much fun to see a parade through a child's eyes, isn't it? She loved the big bubbles.

There were characters from Peter Pan and "Alicia Wonderland". The girls liked the silly dancing pirates, but I thought the red roses were pretty.

Is there a new Chipmunks movie coming out? Because Simon, Alvin and Theodore were greeting all the kids. They got my kids' attention!

And what's a parade without a man with a seal?

Happy Halloween!

Emily the Good Witch and Rachel the 50s Girl

Tinkerbell Hannah and a Cute (but tired) Lizzie

Halloween this year was a little different than previous years. It's not a big holiday here even though it originated here. I heard several people refer to it as the "American holiday." Outside of grocery stores I didn't see any decorations, the candy and costume selections were minimal. Thankfully, I only had to buy Emily's costume, and since I waited until Halloween Day I got it half price!!! (Procrastination pays!)

The girls were very excited to go trunk or treating at our church and collect a few cups of sugar--I mean a few kilograms of candy.

The British might not be big into a holiday for ghosts, but they are big into a holiday (on Nov. 5) where they get to burn effigies in big bonfires.