Well, Fall is in the air. And when I say 'Fall' in London this simply means 'rain' is in the air. But, you can't have it all. Last year at this time we had just arrived and I remember saying many times how beautiful the weather was. I guess THIS is the real London Fall. Lots of wind, light drizzle, grey or quickly changing skies and temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. I admit, it's not the greatest, but we've had some beautiful days too. My biggest complaint is how fast the weather changes, walk out to blue sunny skies, return in pouring rain, all in the space of an hour or two. But despite the cold start to the new school year we are all very happy.
Josephine started FIRST grade on August 31st! It's hard to believe how fast the time is beginning to fly by. She simply LOVES school. And I can tell, not because she says this, (ie. "How was school today?"..."Fine." silence...) but because she is just so happy when she gets home. It's only when the mother's nagging begins (ie. brush your teeth, pick up your clothes, put away your toys, do you have homework?, etc.) that she ever shows any signs of irritation. But we're getting through it! Her first day she was very cute with her new haircut and her pretty Chinese dress that Chris brought her from one of his business trips.
Chris Jr. also started preschool last week and he's never seemed happier. I am SO relieved that we decided to switch his school. The new nursery, 'Ready, Steady, Go' is like a breath of fresh air. It's a beautiful converted church with amazing space for the kids to explore. He is in his element there, and after three days last week, this morning he didn't hesitate to walk right in. It's a totally different experience from our separation struggles last year. Crossing my fingers that it lasts! :)
We've also had some great London adventures as well, including exploring the Golden Hinde, a replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship, where two 'pirates' entertained a small group of lucky children, ours included, with stories, games, hide and seek, treasure chocolate coins, and a lesson on firing a cannon. What good fortune we had visiting the ship that day! And yes that's Chris Jr. above FLEXING his muscles at the pirate, which is something he does for most people he encounters these days. Very funny.
Josephine and Chris Sr. also sewed Maddie a very nice new baby blanket and are hoping to get back into that hobby. They've also gotten a beginner knitting set, so we'll see what comes of it all. I'm just hoping she'll learn to groom herself a little better so that she doesn't look like a homeless child in all the new clothes she's going to be making (see picture below).
Speaking of Maddie, she's adorable. A little whiny these days with new teeth coming in, but she's so happy and healthy (ie. fat, fat, fat). I call her 'chubalicious'. He thighs are seriously a site to behold! lol If she'd just get her act together and start crawling maybe she'd begin working off some of the 1000s of calories she seems to be eating non-stop! She fits right in with our family! ha!
As for the adults in the family, I'm busy training for the Spartan Race London, which is on October 16th. It's a 5k with 25 obstacles, done by the same people that organize the Death Race. Should be fun! Or at least let's hope it's more fun than painful! My guess is that it will be a mix of both, maybe 50/50 or 40/60, we'll see. I'm also getting into yoga and am going on a yoga retreat at the end of the month, mostly to get away from the kids, with a little exercise/organized relaxation as a bonus!
Chris will be traveling a bit for work this month and maybe next month as well, which isn't fun, but we do like that he'll be seeing some family in New York and bringing home some much needed supplies from the U.S. We've also booked a family ski trip to Switzerland for next February and are still hoping to have our first trip without the kids this December to Costa Rica to celebrate Chris' 40th birthday!! Wow... he's old!
Also, I would like to share that my Grandfather, Ted Boutwell, passed away this week, in fact on September 11th. Although we were not close, he was a great patriot, a career Marine that fought bravely for our country during World War II. He and my father remained very close over the last 20 years. He was loved and he will be missed.
Much Love, Mere
