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!

Happy Turkey Day!

Or as I am telling people here, "Happy day when my ancestors fled oppression by your ancestors so we could oppress other peoples' ancestors."

May your Thanksgiving be full of family, friends and good food.

How do you know you've settled in to a new city?

When you walk in to the lovely small bakery/coffee shop around the block from your daughter's school, and the lady behind the counter knows what your drink is.

A real autumn

It's been fun watching the girls experience their first real autumn. And by real, I mean with leaves and rain and cold weather and everything! They seem to be enjoying it*. A brief pictorial essay:

Off to the dinosaur museum.

That's an evil look...

Yup, pure evil.

Whee!

Leaf angels, not as satisfying as the snow variety.

Whee squared!

Miss. Diva Boo at B&Q (Home Depot equivalent)

Trip to B&Q coupled with the grocery store was too much.

Provisions. Himself was worried about the impending Guiness shortage scheduled to hit the UK Any.Minute.Now.

Now we're gearing up for an attempt to indoctrinate some British friends into the calorie consumption binge that is Thanksgiving, and the impending arrival of all grandparents and one set of uncles/aunts for Christmas time. We will have ten people in the house at one time. It's going to be amazing!

* Although Devil did say to me yesterday morning that she wanted to go back to Houston because it was warm there**.
** This from the child who refuses to wear tights*** and therefore goes to school every day with bare legs.
*** She would wear tights to school if she could wear the pink ones, but she can't so she doesn't. Sigh.