But Baby Its Cold Outside

Although we are anxious for sunshine and warmth, we finally got our white London we were hoping for.  We decided to get out and enjoy the snow since it wouldn't be around for long.  The snow was very wet- making it perfect for snowman-making.  The weather here has been quite chilly.  Another round of snow is in the forecast this week.  Brits go out for the day prepared for all 4 seasons because it is not rare that you get cold, rain, snow, warmth, cloudy, foggy, and sunshiny conditions all in the same day.

The cold breeze that blows through our flat reminds us that we live in a very old building with very old windows.  Brrrrrrrrrrrr....  Makes for a good excuse for a hot cup of tea.

One Last Goodbye

A final farewell to the horses of the St. John's Wood Barracks.  We will miss them and are sad to see them go.  It was a highlight to our day to watch them run past our flat.

My New 'Do

I got a killer deal through Groupon for full highlights, deep conditioning, and a haircut at a great salon nearby.  It was a bit rushed as we had to fit in a 3.5 hour job into 2.5 hours while Ady was in school- but oh, I desperately needed it.  Yes, I did!  I was quite the mop-head before, but now I feel like a new woman!

All Things British

I am going to start posting photos, quotes, and other "all things British" that make London a unique place to live.  Here is a first taste...

No, this is not a picture from outer space, and no, these are not MY boots.

This photo is quite good.  Not only does it show how people take some major fashion risks- like tight orange pants, but it also shows every species of wildlife that exist here: pigeons, ravens, and squirrels.

Random Quotes of British people:

* A little 5 year old girl said this to her younger brother who was running around, "Max, be sensible!"

*  "Matilda!  Don't snatch!"

*  Instead of "How are you?"  people here ask, "You alright?"  It has been a bit hard to get used to.  Your first instinct is to think you must look so tired, sick, and/or terrible, that a complete stranger has even noticed your dilapidated condition and has felt inclined to comment.  Even when I hear it now, I still feel like there has been some system error in my brain.  It just does not seem to flow well.  

A Few Recent Excursions

For those who may be looking for things to do on your visit to London, I will put a link where you can find more information: 

 http://www.offtolondon.com/littlevenice.html

http://www.kew.org/

http://www.ktcityfarm.org.uk/

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=34

Somebody that I used to Know

This youtube video is amazing.  We like to watch it over and over again to hear the song.  It is pretty cool to watch all 5 people playing on one guitar.  The guy in the middle is quite entertaining.  Thank you Salt Lake E & Y friends for passing it along to us!  

Star for a Day

A couple of weeks ago Ady drew and colored a picture that won over the hearts of her teachers.  They were so impressed by her picture that she was awarded the "Star of the School" that day and given a special sticker to wear.  She was paraded around to several other classes and to the principal to show and explain her masterpiece.  When I arrived at school to pick her up at the end of the day, one of the teachers told me I need to come in and talk with her.   I was quite sure Ady had done something naughty at that point.   She told me to sit down and to "listen to this" -then she had Ady come over.   The teacher grabbed Ady's picture and had her explain it to me.  Ady was so proud.  She told me that the picture was a game.  She said, "You start by counting the pink lines and then you go to the hawn trees(?)- (the gray circles with stems) and then you count all the other things in the game.  The instructions are from Amazon."  Her teachers were so very impressed with her that not only did she draw and color an amazing picture, but she also had a reason and a story for what she drew.  She was beaming for the rest of the day because she was so happy.  I was so proud of her.  What can I say, the girl LOVES to color.

I think the picture looks very organic- like a cell.  Grandpa said he thought it looked like a flying Earth.

Here is another one of her creations.  

Ady is loving school and looks forward to it every day.  She has made lots of cute little friends- and I have become friends with many of the parents.  Ady is the only American in her class, and, I have come to realize, she is one of only about 4-5 kids that even speaks English out of 20 or so!  Her class is very diverse.  There are kids from Turkey, Japan, Korea, Russia, France, Holland and Iran- to name only a few.  Ever since she started school, her appetite has gone through the roof.  I would dare say she eats double the amount of food she did before.  Between the long walk to and from school and all the playing she does there, she uses quite a bit of energy.  Her clothes are actually becoming smaller, which is a phenomenon I have been waiting to see for a long time.  I was beginning to think she would wear size 2T into adulthood.

We love our Ady!