Random Thoughts

I have been thinking lately how nice it is to move from time to time. I think back to when Charles and I lived in New York city and all the great friendships we made there, then on to London, Chicago and now back to England. Every place we have been, we have made close friends that seem like family. Friends that we spend holidays and birthdays with and friends we just hang out with and dream of living in a compound together with (perhaps a little strange but it is true). When we leave them, we miss them like crazy and long to hang out just a few more times. I think by moving around your life is richer because of the great people you meet. In fact, I almost feel sorry for those who don't move because if we keep meeting such amazing people then I am thinking we better move every two to three years so we can meet all the great people out there that have so much to offer and teach me. The people we have met have certainly enriched my life.

It is interesting to move to a new country versus just a new city in the same country. I have discovered that any American I meet here instantly becomes my best friend. That is not to say that I do not have plenty of English friends or friends of other nationalities but there is an instant bonding that takes place when people are American. I guess the other reason I have also made friends so quickly here is that my girls are now in school. When one of them wants someone to come over for a play date I am forced to get to know the mother and we become friends. It speeds up the whole friendship making process.

Another thing I have been thinking about lately is my vocabulary. When we first moved to London in 2003, I was eager and willing to use all of the English terms for things and made a huge effort to do so. Things like nappy instead of diaper; garden instead of backyard; rubbish instead of garbage; pavement instead of sidewalk. However, we then moved back to the States and I was quickly trying to change my vocabulary back to the American terms mostly so I would stop getting strange looks. Words I had a hard time changing were: pacifier instead of dummy; cell phone instead of mobile phone; crib instead of cot.

But now once again I am back in England but this time I am actually finding myself refuse to change my vocabulary yet again! Most of it is PURE laziness on my part. I just simply cannot be bothered this time. Besides I AM American after all. Why should I change? Especially if we are going to be here for the long term I have started to feel like I need to preserve the "Americanisms" for my children and myself. Besides that, living in the country versus the city, I am constantly being reminded that I am American. I ask the man in the grocery store - "Where is the molasses or black treacle?" The man responds, "you are American." "Yes," I reply, "now back to my treacle, where is it?"

At Halloween, I found myself saying, "I am American and yes we go overboard and decorate for holidays like this." At Christmas I found myself saying, "I am American and Americans decorate early for the holidays (right after Thanksgiving) and yes, we decorate the whole house." In a sense it feels liberating to be who I was born to be! I guess though if I am here long enough I may start to use the English terms just because I hear them so much or because I am now constantly being corrected by my children of what the right term to use is. It is tea not dinner; trousers not pants; motorway not freeway; boot not trunk; and post not mail, they say. They also correct me if I do not pronounce words properly. Such as the word "parcel." I say "parcel" like any American would but apparently that is unacceptable to Abby and Sammy who immediately correct and mock me and say it should be pronounced "pah sel." I am sorry but I don't even naturally use the word parcel. I mail PACKAGES!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Activities

The last weekend in November, Charles was in Germany, so I decided to take the girls on an outing. We went to a Christmas market at the Knebworth House. Santa was even there with his reindeer! Sammy asked the care-taker of the reindeer lots of questions about how they fly. The man told her it was magic pixy dust. Sammy was impressed. Santa was a bit pathetic though, his mustache was up over his nose. His sleeves were too short so they tried to hide it by throwing a bunch of cotton over his wrists. Lame! The girls didn't seem to mind, they got a bag of treats from him. What's more important than that? They did conclude that he was probably just one of Santa's helpers and not the REAL thing. I guess you can no longer sit on his lap either. Every Santa we have seen since no one has been allowed to sit on his lap.

This is the girls outside the gates of the Knebworth House.

These pictures are an attempt by me to be a bit creative with the camera. 

I found out that you can see Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol in the Knebworth House at Christmas time. We may have to do that next year.

There was a huge crater sized hole in the lawn outside the house that the girls loved to run down into. The old chapel is just beyond it.

The following week, Abby sang with her school choir at the annual village Christmas lighting carnival. They blocked off the high street and had rides and vendors and performers all night long. It was really fun and a lot bigger than we had expected. I of course had brought no money because I thought she was just going to sing and then we would go home. I had no idea it would be so fun. So the girls got no treats, no rides but they did enjoy the performances from some Glee Club singers.

This was the only free "ride" - a giant sled pulled by a tractor to play on.

We have been quite busy this Christmas season so far. We took the girls to see the Nutcracker on December 3rd. They loved it. It was really fun to watch the reactions to the beautiful, sparkly costumes. They know the story so well because we have watched it every year and read the book many, many times. I think they really enjoyed it. Charles and I certainly enjoyed taking them. I have been dreaming about taking my girls to the Nutcracker for a very long time.   Sammy had her Street Dance recital and was also in the school Nativity play. She was an angel. She was fabulous. The only one to put some extra flare into her angel dance and shake her hips a little more. (Unfortunately, much to my horror, I forgot my carmera so I got NO pictures of the performance.) I have been so happy with the girls' school. I love having them at a church of England school where it is not punishable by death to say the word "Christmas." In Chicago, Abby's school could not make any Christmas crafts or have any Christmas parties. They had to have Gingerbread parties instead. Here, the students all participated to put up and decorate the school Christmas tree. They each got to bring in an ornament and put it on the tree. Sammy was in the Nativity pageant (like I mentioned) and Abby was in the Christmas choir. The girls have both done Christmas cooking with their classes and made mince pies (not my favorite). Abby has been typing up the Christmas story in the computer lab.  Their classes have had Christmas parties where Father Christmas himself showed up and the whole school has a special Christmas dinner together. It is truly lovely! I could go on and on about it. It is such a nice change!