Papa's Shadow

Youngest Kiddo and my dad go together like peas and carrots.  The boys are great partners.  Youngest Kiddo is an eager helper, and my dad is a patient teacher.  It's pretty much a guarantee that if you can't find the boy, he's hanging out with my dad.  

When dad works on a project, Youngest Kiddo grabs his tool belt, safety goggles, and speed square.  Dad always gives him a job to do, and Youngest Kiddo takes it very seriously.  The boy is an expert at holding screws and shining the flashlight.  

While dad's garage (aka the laboratory) was being built, Youngest Kiddo had a blast hammering nails into scraps of wood and measuring everything in sight. 

   

When the work is done, the boys have no problem relaxing.

Peas and carrots

Weekend in Stockholm Day 2- Touring Tuesday

After Saturday's epic walking adventure, we were pretty tired on Sunday morning.  Of course not too tired to partake in breakfast.  Once we were fueled up on carbs & coffee, we were back out on the street.  The goal for our day was to visit the Vasa Museum, which was a thirty minute walk along the waterways of Stockholm.    

The Vasa Museum is all about a boat - a seriously impressive boat.  The story goes that King Gustav Adolf commissioned the building of four boats.  Hundreds of men work tirelessly for almost two years to build the first one, and everyone turned out to watch the launch of the ship in August 1628.  

The ship was delivered with 68 cannons and over one thousand trees were used on the hull alone.  It was a celebratory affair with families and friends of some of the craftsmen on board for the maiden voyage.  

As the ship was on her way out of Stockholm Harbor the supporting cables from shore were released.  To everyone's surprise the ship started to list (tip!).  Water entered the gun portholes and the darn thing sank!  It only ventured approximately 1300 meters (about 4000 feet).  It is stated that around 30 people died on the ship.  

Obviously the Swedes wanted to find out what caused the disaster.  The final verdict was that the lower hull of the ship was too small to compensate for the weight on the top; the ship had two levels of gun portholes which proved to be too much for the vessel. 

The next part of the story is quite unheard of - they forgot about the ship for the next few hundred years.  I'm sure it wasn't forgotten accidentally; the King's inner circle probably made sure no one spoke of it to avoid embarrassment for him.  Explorers attempted to locate the ship over the years, but it wasn't until 1956 that two men found the wreckage.  An immense effort was taken to release the ship from many years of silt, and it wasn't until 1961 that the team successfully reunited the ship with land.    

The brackish water where the ship rested for hundreds of years preserved it so well that only 5% of the ship's structure had to be replaced.  The overall lighting in the museum was low, I suspect, to protect the ship.  In person the detailed carvings on the ship is astonishing.

We continued to walk during our final hours in Stockholm.  It just so happens we ended up over by the cafe where Matt had his soup bowl of coffee the previous day.  I'd had my eye on the Prinsesstårta, and it did not disappoint.

I'd been pining for a piece of this cake after it was on The Great British Bake Off.  If you can get the You Tube video below to load, skip forward to the 22 minute mark to hear the master Mary Berry explain the cake.  

After that calorie-free snack we slowly made our way back to the airport for our trip back home.  

Did we see all there was to see in Stockholm?  Not a chance.  Warmer weather is definitely the time to see this country, unless you fancy time on the ski slopes.  Our short weekend in Scandinavia certainly gave us a taste for this region.  

The best part about our flight home?  We walked in just in time for the latest episode of Downton Abbey!

A4 Update - January 2015

Happy 2015!

It took us longer than expected to get over the jet lag from our Christmas trip to 'Merica.  Matt had quite a difficult time as he had to return to NYC less than a week after returning from Christmas.   

Oldest Kiddo performed a short singing solo in her class assembly.  She was nervous, but she sang beautifully.  

Youngest Kiddo signed up for two clubs this term.  He is still in football (soccer in 'Merica) and chose Spanish Club.  Oldest Kiddo did not like any of the offerings this term so we spend the time without her brother at a cafe up on the High Road.  

I quit my job.

Matt was on a roll last weekend and booked the family in for a few trips.  If our time is up in December then we must use every term break for travel!  You'll be shocked with one of travel destinations.  Stay tuned!

We got snow!!!  Well, it was really sleet that accumulated on our patio table.   I caught a little video of the snow the next day.  So happy it did not stick around.  

The good news about the end of January?  The amount of daylight we receive in London increases dramatically.  That's good news since waking the kids up for school is no fun right now.  

Weekend in Stockholm - Touring Tuesday

Matt and I went to Stockholm for the weekend in early October.  It was the perfect chance for a get away because my mom was still in London for a visit.  We got out of town and she got quality time with the Kiddos before she flew back to 'Merica.

Our weekend started off with a flight out of City Airport.  I've never flown out of City, and when we got through security I immediately figured out why.  City Airport caters to business people with flights on smaller planes to major financial destinations.  Neither one of us had ever traveled to Scandinavia so we were pumped for the weekend.

We arrived long after sundown so our first glimpse of the city had to wait until morning.  Well, maybe wait until after breakfast.  If there is one thing I can say, the Swedes know how to put on a breakfast spread. The single photo was all I took for two reasons - I was starving and it was packed!

  

Just imagine tables lined with pastries, sausages, eggs, lunch meats, cheese, cheese, cheese, and the most interesting tubes of squeezy fish pastes.  I passed on the fish although it's a traditional Scandinavian food.  After breakfast, we finally got out into the city.  Oh my goodness was it worth the wait.  

We had no destination in mind for our walk, but we covered a lot of ground.  

Stockholm City Hall was across the narrow waterway from our hotel.  The building was closed at the weekends, but the outer architecture was beautiful on the sunny morning. 

The remainder of our morning was spent meandering the streets of Stockholm.  The cathedrals were beyond gorgeous.

The Riddarholm Church

In between cathedrals we stopped for lunch.  One guess what I ate.

The highlight of my day was a tour of the Royal Palace.  Act surprised.  I have to say, the Swedish Royal Family is one beautiful group of people.  Please follow the link to see them.  If we lived in Sweden I would carefully keep tabs on their lives as I tend to of William & Catherine.    

Photos were not allowed inside the palace.  We were surprised to see that pointing and ice cream were also prohibited.  

We needed some refueling after walking the halls of the Royal Palace.  Thankfully the most adorable cafe was nearby.  Matt tried to explain to the barista the recipe for a flat white coffee. Imagine the sheepish look he gave me when his drink arrived in a soup bowl.  I guess a double shot of espresso meant a double dose of milk, too.  The apfel strudel was phenomenal.      

The break gave our feet just enough of a rest to get back to our hotel.  Along the way we stumbled upon a small cemetery in the garden of the Adolf Fredrik Church.  The arrangement and style of the headstones and markers kept us engaged longer than I expected.  

  

As you can see the fonts on the headstones are beautiful.  We talked about so many of the people who rested here and speculated about their lives.  There were couples that lived long lives together and those that lost a partner early in life.  The families that lost children at very young ages, of course, were sad to see.  We were very pleased that we found this gem in the city.  

Our feet told us it was time to call it a day.  Overall, we walked an impressive distance across Stockholm.  We had a few hours to spend in the city on Sunday before our flight back to London.  

Adiós To My Career, For Now

Upon our move to London, I had to leave my teaching career behind in America.  I did not say cheerio to my job completely as my contract allowed for a two-year leave, which guaranteed a job at the same status (full time/part time) upon my return.  Although my leave began after the start of the 2013-14 school year, the district considered that one full year of leave.  The 2014-15 school year started back in August, and a look at the calendar shows that my second year of leave is already half over.   

I know school districts plan for the next school year long before the current year is over.  While I knew it was inevitable, I was surprised at the arrival of this in the post.

Ugh.  The district needed to know if I planned to return in the fall.  One check on a line and a signature at the bottom was all that stood between me having a job and not having a job. 

I had many conversations with Matt and in my own head about what to do:

The emotional voice in my head wanted me to indicate that I would return.  Who knows what will happen in the next few months.  Keeping my part-time job at school would be a small contribution to the family if an unexpected return happened.  Then in June/July I could send in my resignation upon knowing we were good to go through December.  

The rational voice in my head wanted me to resign by the deadline so I did not cause a problem for my principals the summer.  I've seen many instances where teachers decide over the summer to not return in the fall.  Sometimes this decision happens right in June, but sometimes it happens a few weeks or even days before school starts.  You can imagine that the candidate pool can be mighty shallow when placed in a last minute hiring situation.

The title of this post tells you which voice won.

My principal let me know that the letter was safely delivered to personnel.  So, this is goodbye to my career, but I have a sneaky feeling I'll be back someday.  

Morning Routine Hell

Recently I shared what a typical day is like for me in London.  Today you will learn about the intricate dance that is getting the kids to school.  It only lasts about 90 minutes, but many days it can be the most exhausting part of my day. 

Back at The 407 we set our own pace for the morning.  I liked to leave by 7:45 so that I could drop the kids off at before school care and still have time to get my classroom ready for the day.  If we did not leave on time, it was an internal fail, and we could only blame ourselves.      

In London, the bus rules our morning routine.

Once I’m ready shortly after 7AM, I wake the kids and cajole them down to breakfast.  They are pretty easy to please for their morning meal so it usually goes quickly.  After they eat, the kids are to get dressed and brush their teeth.  This is one time when the whole morning can derail.  Youngest Kiddo can decide that he is not interested in donning his uniform and commence playing cars whilst in his undergarments.  Oldest Kiddo might decide that an impromptu concert is needed in front of the bathroom mirror instead of brushing her hair.  

By far what causes the most drama is when I check the bus status using the City MapperApp.  Our morning lives or dies by these times.  The bus typically runs every 6-8 minutes, at least that's what Transport for London hopes.  However, the bus is subject to traffic delays and diversions due to construction which impacts the frequency of the busses.  

Just before the kids make their way downstairs for shoes and coats I check the time to the next bus.  I bite my lip and squint my eyes when I type in our destination, and I prefer to see these options...

Not our real location

I like that we can zip to the stop and get a bus in 3 minutes or if we are moving slow we have 10.  Unfortunately, it's usually this....

4 minutes then 27!?!?  What the heck!?  If school starts at 9, and the time on the clock is 8:25, we aren't going to make it if we wait.  Cue the panicky, "Come on kiddos, we've got to go!"  It can either go swimmingly or Youngest Kiddo can decide that he's not interested in hustling up the street for the 4 minute bus.  

So, that means we have to walk.  Cue a pouty fit from Youngest Kiddo.  He's not opposed to walking in London, but he's pretty particular about taking the bus to school.  Additionally, he is not a rapid walker so when we only have 30 minutes to get to school, our walk is more of a speed walking event.  Let me tell you that it's no fun to walk in public while dragging a complaining and pouting child behind you.  Sometimes that pouty child even stops in the middle of the sidewalk to declare that he refuses to walk to school.  

The days when the bus isn't for 27 minutes is when I curse us for living so far away from the kids' school.  But at the end of the morning, we always make it.  The kids have only been tardy once this year and once last year so we are doing something right.  No curses necessary.  The bonus?  There is always a coffee shop on the way home.  

I Went on an Internet Date

Yes, you read that right.  I went on an internet date.  I am still married.  I’m not cheating on my husband.  He knows all about her and likes her.  He even thinks her family is pretty awesome, too!  

I met her through Instagram's explore photos feature.  I randomly clicked on a London photo on my screen, and the caption immediately drew me in.  The gal had recently moved to London, and her captions rang true of our expat adventure.  She wrote of their plight of living in a temporary apartment with kids, needing to find a house, and needing to get the kids in school.  Those dilemmas sure sounded familiar to me so I followed her feed.  As I continued to follow along with their expat adventure, I messaged her my email address to say I had just gone through the same things, and if she ever wanted help or a sounding board to let me know. 

I did not hear anything for a while as she was busy doing all of the things above (and more).  Not wanting to be an internet stalker, but I continued to follow their expat adventure.  Just a few days later she sent me a message with a nice greeting and wasted no time getting to many of the same questions and face-palm moments I had just a few months earlier.  We swapped a few emails, and after they settled into their house & got the kids in school we made a date to meet.  

That was quite an out of the box moment for me.  I was to travel to an area of town I'd never been to meet someone I befriended on the internet.  No surprise, my husband was weirded out by the whole situation.  He texted me several times during lunch to make sure I had not put myself into a dangerous situation.  

I was only nervous that lunch would be awkward if our true life personalities were not compatible for conversations longer than a three sentence Instagram caption.

It was all good.  While she has a much more exciting & adventurous back story than my little family, we easily made conversation about all things moving to London and family.  We continued to email and text through until the October half-term break when our families had the chance to meet.  We met up for an afternoon at the observation deck at The Shard.  After introductions we became engrossed in the amazing view despite the rain.  
  

Then something spectacular happened.....  

Her girl and my girl started talking, and they did not stop.  At times they talked simultaneously, but neither one cared.  It was absolutely adorable.  The rain really bummed us out so we decided to drown our sorrows in lunch at Covent Garden.  Once we sat down, the adults finally had a chance to talk.  Again, insert the concern for awkward conversation if Matt and her husband could find nothing to talk about.  Turns out the men have some similar job experiences that made conversation easy for them, too!  It was all good.  

So that's the story of my internet date.  In the months since our first meetings, we've gone out several more times with and without the children, and our girls have had a playdate.  They even text every once in a while.  We have big plans for the winter term to find and devour some of the best pastries in London while exploring the architecture and history of the city.  

I'm so happy that I took the chance to use my limited expat expertise to help someone else in the same situation.  The bonus of it all is that our family now has new friends in London.  I'll keep you abreast of the pastry hunt.  

What's In The Diary For 2015?

Our little family has some big plans for this year.  

Oldest Kiddo gets to go on a two night school trip.  She has the chance to go canoeing, climbing, mountain biking, and zip lining.  It's a right of passage for the Year 6 classes, and she's pretty pumped.  

I'd like to get my UK drivers license.  We may only have a year left in England, but our US drivers licenses are no longer valid since we've been residents for over a year.  If we'd like to rent a car for a UK trip one of us needs a license.  

Travel (of course) - Matt and I plan to sit down and map out the year.  Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Poland, and Greece are on the top of our list.  If we need a tropical getaway the Canary Islands are up there, too. 

Welcome new guests to The Manor.  The spring is turing out to be a busy time for guests.  I'm excited to show our friends and family the amazing city in which we live.  

Check in through the year to see how we are doing! 

A4 Update - December 2014

Farewell to 2014!  December was all about Christmas....

• Our family took a chilly walk through Kew Gardens to admire the Christmas lights display.
• The kids had their Christmas programs at school, and Holly helped put on an amazing outdoor Christmas Fair with the PTA. 
• We traveled back to America for two weeks to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends.  
• Matt and I snuck away from the cold holiday festivities to spend five days in Cancun