A parenting milestone I could do without

Nit comb + sensitive heads = more tears and weeping then is really necessary or reasonable.

Sigh.

Apple, meet the tree you fell from

Sometime in the last month, Devil has undergone some kind of sea change. Even her teacher noticed - she commented after the first day of the new term "What happened to her? She's so grown up!" Umm, yes, yes she is. We're not sure exactly when or why, but it's an exciting new stage, and we're having lots of fun.

Despite the fact that she bears an almost uncanny and eerie resemblance to her father (in both the physical and personality-type ways), I am glad to report that some of my genes seem to be getting expressed as well.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

I'm not sure if I've ever admitted to her that I used to walk home from school every day reading as I went. If I did, she certainly heard me (that one time only, mind you) and remembered it. If I haven't told her about this, I can only point to genetics for this one. Finally!

London Christmas Magic, the Delayed Wrap Up

So here's the thing about having a house full of people for the holidays. It makes blogging much less of an issue. With that excuse out on the table, here's a few photos to round off the last week and a half or so.

We had a "traditional" English Christmas dinner, complete with sausages wrapped in bacon and mince pies (sadly unphotographed). There was turkey,

Stuffing,

Cranberry sauce and roasted potatoes and broccoli and brussel sprouts (for Nana).

There was a mofo big bottle of wine, courtesy of my siblings-in-law.

No, a really big bottle of wine (large red wine glass for scale).

It was the largest bottle of wine I've ever seen (note the use of milliliters, not liters. Because 3000 seemed better then 3?).

The next day, there was playing with new toys.

Scooty the scooter

Brand new (perfect) tea set from charity shop

Over the next week there was hiking in the mud on Leith Hill,

10 seconds later there was much crying and wailing as Devil took a step and left her wellie behind in the mud. I may or may not have peed myself a little bit with the laughing. Which didn't help calm the situation of course.

Have walking stick, will travel.

As well as much coming and going of visitors (at this stage mostly going). The last couple left yesterday morning from our house at 11:30 for their 4:00 pm flight. They left extra early because we got a big snow yesterday, and there was some concern about being able to get to the airport.

They needn't have worried. Their flight was delayed five and a half hours. I'm hoping duty free is still standing!

Yesterday's snow has revealed something that Londoners do not do particularly well:

Plow. Our road, while not a major thoroughfare, is relatively well used. It didn't get plowed or sanded (gritted as they like to say here) until this afternoon. This morning it was a sheet of thick glare ice. Yes, people were out driving. We saw lots of slow skids, one SUV with rugs under the rear tires (to no avail) and a lot of traffic. Thankfully no collisions of any kind, but it made me supremely glad to Edit HTMLnot have to drive to school or work.

But I won't talk about the trains. Not yet at least...

Happy New Year to you all!

London Christmas Magic, Part 3

Royal Albert Hall,

Santa, an orchestra and Christmas trees,

and two enthralled little girls.

Merry Christmas to you all!

London Christmas Magic, Part 2

7:36 am this morning...

London Christmas Magic, Part 1

Pink wellies are the footwear of choice for the four year-old ballet-going set

The London Coliseum

Goofy Devil

Devil said "Why is he scared?" Good question...

After a stellar job sitting mostly still for two hours, she was worn out.

I remember going to see the Nutcracker with my mother as a kid and loving itso it was great fun to take Dev to her first ballet. She did amazingly well, managing to a) not fall asleep, and b) not meltdown into a massive puddle of extraneous energy. It was a lovely way to start the Christmas celebrations.

My Sunday

8:45 am: wake up to Boo, clad in a pair of red and pink striped wool socks and a tutu. Nothing else. Almost fall out of bed laughing as she proudly prances around the room.

10:15 am: untangle Christmas lights as girls pull out Christmas tree decorations and scatter them all over the room. Hang said lights and decorations.

10:47 am: tell girls to leave the glass Nutcracker ornaments alone.

10:48 am: ibid.

10:53 am: ibid.

11:45 am: start making lunch.

12:13 pm: Remove Nutcracker ornaments from tree, launching wails of disapproval and regret.

1:17 pm: leave house in blinding yellow jacket to go for ride.

2:34 pm: return to house in time to eat chocolate chip cookies just out of the oven. The best post-45-degree-and-raining bike ride snack ever.

4:16 pm: pack crazed children into car because we have no milk, no bread and nothing for dinner or breakfast.

4:23 pm: realize that Boo has fallen asleep.

4:28 pm: arrive at grocery store to discover that Devil has also fallen asleep. Turn around and leave.

4:39 pm: take advantage of sleeping children to launch expletive-laden diatribe against the gentleman on Radio 4's Open Book show who holds out the fact that Dan Brown's latest book has sold over a million copies in hardback as evidence that the publishing industry is alive and well, and that new authors have nothing to worry about. Headdesk.

5:10 pm: Boo still asleep on couch. Uh oh.

5:40 pm: Boo semi-awake on my lap. Himself drags children upstairs for quick bath before we go to friend's house for last-minute dinner.

6:05 pm: arrive at friend's house. Children start to bear a striking resemblance to grizzly bears on speed. They refuse dinner and instead embark on a mission to see how high they can bounce on the couch cushions.

7:10 pm: we leave friend's house with amphetamine-crazed children. Shortest dinner date ever.

8:15 pm: put girls to bed, and flee downstairs hoping for a miracle.

8:25 pm: I go back upstairs and replace both girls in their respective beds.

8:37 pm: Himself goes upstairs for relocation assignment.

8:51 pm: I return upstairs and am greeted with "Mama, I need a drink" from all quarters. Said drink is procured. Devil has some water, but Boo, upon being offered the glass, lies down on the bed and turns her head away. I leave. Boo erupts in wails - "I need a drink!" I go downstairs and get my own drink.

9:05 pm: Boo still going.

9:13 pm: I get sick of the yelling and go upstairs. Boo finally takes a drink. I leave.

9:42 pm: The pitter patter of little feet tells me that a certain small wingnut is still awake. I go upstairs, replace Boo in her bed, consider the pros and cons of duct taping her to the mattress and leave.

10:00 pm*: all's (mostly) quiet.

10:36 pm: finally venture upstairs to go to bed. Girls are asleep. Unfortunately, they don't stay that way (2:30 am, 3:30 am, etc).

This morning: Boo managed to rouse herself enough to eat some breakfast, and then slept all the way to school. I do not envy them One. Little. Bit.

* ETA: payback is sooooo sweet. Tonight, 6:37 pm, sleeping Boo. Wiktory, but I'm not sure it was worth it!