tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39697833471548442462024-03-14T00:10:38.398-07:00The Family ProjectAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-31242545597131167642012-09-27T13:02:00.001-07:002012-09-27T13:02:28.801-07:00Lake District <br />
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When we went to the Lake District last autumn, I had no idea how much my mind would dwell on coming back here in the year to come. This means that for every long weekend we have had over the last twelve months, I have hoped to make a return to the place that absolutely enchanted me. Despite the fact that the Lakes get the most wet weather in all of England (that says an awful lot), most people who travel there do it in spite of this fact - risking rain in the hopes that a few passing clear skies will allow them to experience the charm and beauty that is so unique to this area. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a small collection of Peter Rabbit stories was waiting next to Isabella's bunk bed</td></tr>
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Driving up north, just past Manchester, it is almost immediately clear where the Lake District boundary begins because the landscape becomes a deep green color, and you leave the main motorway in favor of the treacherous single lanes. Those curvy roads wind their way between ancient stone walls and tall hedgerows, over which you can see the charming little stone cottages...and the smell of wood-burning fireplaces comes through the car windows to greet you. <i> </i>It's magical. So I was very giddy when we got to our spot: The Cuckoo Brow Inn - "muddy boots, wet dogs, and children welcome." We had a hearty and really delicious meal of locally sourced fish and pork (the fish is even traced back to The Albion fishing boat off of Blackpool - loved that!). Then I dragged the family on a little hike that took us into dusk.<br />
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Like Scotland, there seems to be water dripping everywhere. We stayed in the south part of the Lakes on this trip. We had only two full days, and the four hour drive for that amount of time is just about my limit. Because we were there for such short time, I really wanted to be out walking the countryside as much as possible - and we did!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the footpath in Sawrey leading to Beatrix Potter's cottage at the bottom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> close-up of the stone most cottages are made from here</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reaching the Moss Eccles Tarn - a little mountain lake</td></tr>
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After our long drive, we tucked in for the night. The next morning we awoke to a king's feast for breakfast - there was an astounding selection to choose from. I say "astounding" because the breakfast was included in the price and the choices went far beyond cereals and orange juice. The two mornings we stayed at the Cuckoo Brow we had smoked haddock with poached eggs, thick honeyed porridge, and of course, the fare that comes with a traditional full English breakfast (bacon, eggs, mushrooms, friend tomato, sausage, beans, and fried toast - if you were wondering).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moss Eccles Tarn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella and Peter Rabbit</td></tr>
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We did go into Beatrix Potter's cottage, of course. Isabella admired her sweet little doll house and I ogled her handmade quilt, still on the bed. It was here that Peter Rabbit himself joined our expedition.<br />
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We returned from Potter's Cottage ("Hill Top") for lunch, then borrowed a map to check out what we wanted to see next. Just by looking at the landscape on the map, I knew I wanted to head toward higher elevation - more lakes, and many promising hiking trails. We did two big walks that day, including Moss Eccles and Tom Gill - the latter being a waterfall walk that was absolutely perfect for our little family, since Isabella had to walk it all too. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yew Tree Tarn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galloway Banded Cows</td></tr>
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Isabella fell asleep in the car after our first long walk, so Pedro stayed with her while I walked around the small lake near Yew Tree. I braved my way through some dubious looking cows - curly haired, with a white band around their middles. Coming into this scene was - as I say - magical. The trees, the cows, the water, the fresh air, and the quiet - so perfect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gotta love the timed snapshot</td></tr>
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After walking for two hours that morning, Isabella was less than enthused to be going for another walk again. But once we coaxed her out of the car, there was no going back for her - walking uphill toward a lake is kind of surreal for me - it doesn't seem like it should be that way, since water flows down and lakes are usually at the bottom of a mountain. This whole area had some cool glacial movement though, that carved out these little basins at higher elevation, which of course became lakes because of all the rainfall this region gets. The walk was dreamy and by the end of it, we were ready for dinner once again.<br />
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It was a full day and so very good. We ended it by having a gourmet feast with some friends of ours (Kat & Tim) who were also vacationing up in the Lakes. We met up at a place outside of Coniston called The Drunken Duck - seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but where people flock to nonetheless. That place alone is worth making the trip - they have an adventurous menu and even a whisky tasting menu. </div>
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Our last day would only be until Sunday afternoon. We decided on walking the footpaths around Wray Castle on Lake Windermere before heading up for a last peek at Grasmere Lake. </div>
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The area isn't terribly unlike the region where we live, but the biggest difference is the lushness of the greens and the quaintness of each and every cottage you pass. Of course, this area was home to England's romantic poets - Wordsworth and Coleridge, and their poetry certainly sums up the beauty of the place. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to Beatrix Potter's home, and it took a beautiful little hike to get there. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> lovely pastoral views around every turn</td></tr>
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Even if it were raining the whole time, I would have enjoyed myself. I will patiently await the next trip to the Lakes - hopefully next time we'll have bikes!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-71598866134961938532012-08-19T02:54:00.005-07:002012-08-19T02:54:56.309-07:00Dog Days of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are back from our three week trip to Puerto Rico. It was a wonderful trip that we weren't quite ready to come back from. But now we find ourselves back in England, experiencing some of the hottest days of the year - finally! We may get only two, but they will be lovely! Living through seven English summers now, I have learned that a warm sunny day is not to be squandered. When the sun comes out, drop everything you have going on indoors and run outside!<br />
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As for our trip to Puerto Rico, I will have to make a separate post about that soon - another video, perhaps?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">old broken teeth!</td></tr>
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These last few weeks of summer are especially important to us this year. Isabella starts school the second week of September. Gone will be the days of spontaneous and frequent travel, to be replaced by a more steady and predictable schedule. We will be bound by school breaks to go and see family now, and will be able to accompany Pedro much less on his business trips in Europe.<br />
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Spartacus will probably appreciate this reduction in travel though, since he won't have to go to the kennel nearly as often. He is getting old. His allergies continue to be a plague on his skin, and the vet has now recommended continual low doses of the steroid pills he only used to take during the worst period of summer outbreaks - just because he's "an old chap" and ""we should make his last years as comfortable as we can."<br />
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My dog walking has always been inconsistent, but this talk with the vet has added some motivation to get his walks in as much as I can. In fact, last night we were attacked by a loose terrier while walking down the block. Altercations with other dogs is the biggest reason I only walk him when there are fewer dog walkers out - he is very pushy around other dogs, and that usually winds us up in trouble. Last night, the little terrier was taking the most cartoonish bites out of Spartacus's legs, while I did my best to prevent the single chomp that could take that terrier out. I was proud of Spartacus's behavior yesterday, but it certainly hasn't always been the high road with him.<br />
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He has though, always been good with Isabella. He avoided her, wisely, when she was in her little ear pulling stage. And now he lets her play house with him, lets her dress him up like a princess, and lets her and her friends put him in the playhouse and play dog groomer. Can you even imagine the cloud of hair floating around the inside of that little house?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festival of Quilts</td></tr>
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In other news, we made a girls trip to Birmingham for the Festival of Quilts this week. I've never taken Isabella, but figured this year she was finally old enough to probably enjoy looking at all of the displays and fabrics and notions for sale. It was a big hit for her and her friend Sophia - they absolutely loved looking at the quilts. It certainly helped that some quilts were featured for kids, with characters like Dora, or whimsical unicorns and dragons.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wearing a princess dress and looking at bugs in a microscope - what could be better?</td></tr>
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Appropriate to the coming start of school, I also had the good fortune to be able to borrow a microscope from one of my friends. We use it to identify unusual species we pull out of the river during our water quality monitoring. I've got it set up on the dining room table and it has been a hit with all of the kids who come around during the week. We've looked at mayfly larvae, our fingernails, and even the tiniest of one of Isabella's Russian nesting dolls. </div>
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It's the third beautiful and hot day in a row, so this is me, logging off and running outside to enjoy it! :)Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-49272405561457587902012-05-05T15:11:00.001-07:002012-05-05T15:11:42.416-07:00The Wizard of Oz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We've been talking about taking Isabella to a musical for months and months and months, but planning weekends these days isn't easy. Pedro has had three weekends free in a row (with his crazy travel schedule three weekends feels like a lot), so we're keen not to squander them! On Friday, I went online to lastminute.com and got discount tickets to see the Wizard of Oz the following day. When we showed up at the box office, I was disappointed to see that the tickets were up in the nose-bleed section. Luckily for us, the show was far from sold out, so they were offering </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;">£</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">10 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">upgrades for the most expensive seats in the house! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Armed with a big bag of Cadbury chocolate raisins, I coaxed Isabella into the theatre. Our wonderful trip to see the Wizard of Oz clouded at this point by Isabella's sudden fear of seeing the Wicked Witch of the West in real life, a fear made worse by a steadily increasing fever that threatened to derail the whole thing. The show was truly a lot of fun - the special effects and set were amazing! I was in awe of how the sets nested and rotated on the stage, as well as the ways they used the lighting. I even loved the new songs added to the classic, with fantastic special effects. While Isabella did eventually relax a little, she did cling to my arm like a treed cat for pretty much the whole performance. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In the restaurant afterwards. Poor kiddo - look at those sick eyes!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I just love that little face of hers!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">As usual, being a good sport. The glammy booth certainly helped.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>Starving, we hazarded a meal and the restaurant next door after the show. It was somewhere in the middle of the meal when Isabella's fever broke and she miraculously started to get better, instead of worse. I think it was the restaurant's massive tanks of live tropical fish that did it. This girl is destined for ichthyology. <span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Gawping at the sequin dress on the far right...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>The whole day was fun, despite the fever! I say this every time I go to London, and I'll just say it again: why don't we go into the city more often!? Oh. That's right. We're over-scheduled to the max (see previous post). I'm working on that. <span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-65399642034112866662012-04-23T08:04:00.003-07:002012-04-23T08:04:56.015-07:00Playdates and Mondays to Get You DownToday is Monday. Really, it feels like Thursday. And this is despite Pedro having a three-day weekend and a date-night-with-babysitter yesterday. Why is it that it feels so stressful today? I have a terrible time with confrontation and I've had a few awkward moments this morning, which might account for why it feels like Thursday. I also just finished plucking the quilting out of a new blanket I'm sewing - tearing out quilting that you just spent an hour putting in is also a great way to put yourself in a bad mood! Then I got a phone call from my neighbor wondering where I was. That's right - it was a scheduled playdate and she had been waiting for me for over an hour!<br />
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Isabella has been struggling at playgroup lately. She is an extremely sensitive little girl, so any altercation with another kid makes her not want to go for the following day. Matters are made worse by the fact that she is suddenly the only girl her age in the preschool now, her best friend Amelia just moved away, and her other best friend Sonny, a boy, suddenly wants to shun his girly side - which means Isabella, too. Also, she has at least two very difficult boys in her group. Boys that say naughty words to her, steal her stuff, and generally hurt her feelings. Despite the fact that the staff are very attentive and excellent in their skills, there is only so much you can do with such a dynamic. So we've decided to shop around for another setting for her to see how things go.<br />
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Anyway, I told my neighbor about her issues at the playgroup (her son also goes there a few days a week) and we decided to arrange for a playdate so that Isabella could form an alliance with another one of the boys so she is less excluded just for being a girl. And...I bungled it! So wrapped up in my quilt was I that I totally forgot about it and when she called, Isabella had just fallen fast asleep so we couldn't even rush down to road to make it right.<br />
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Also...can I just say this? There is something about the concept of a "playdate" that I really don't like. It's the formality of arranging play with each other's children...I would much rather call up my neighbor in a spare moment and have her send her kid over and let them just play in the absence of a time slot. Now that I've said that, I'll go further and just say I HATE PLAYDATES!!! But hey, despite the fact that we are all "stay at home moms" who hardly stay at home - what choice do we have? We're stuck to the schedule and the inevitable forgetfulness that happens when you have a child and a lot of things to plan for. Sigh.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-38807761220876072452012-03-18T14:44:00.002-07:002012-03-18T14:55:14.433-07:00Warsaw in December<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.15604038233868778"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been knocked down for the last two days with a whopping sore throat - so </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I've</span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> been held hostage by throat pain and a good book</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I’m taking a break from both while I wait for Pedro to skype with me from Germany (another business trip). While I’ve been waiting, I have been sifting through photos from the last three months. Last December, we found ourselves in Poland and I never blogged about it. Isabella and I were with Pedro for the entirety of his nearly two week trip, and we two girls did a lot of exploring Warsaw on our own. </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><br />
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I have to admit. I was expecting Warsaw to be bleak. Even the name in English, <i>Warsaw</i>, sounds terrible. In fact, the first neighborhood I explored kinda was. But more than that, it was interesting. Random artful graffiti, unusual film posters, and remnants of long destroyed building were in evidence. Also strange, there were nice hotels around those areas - as if they are anticipating gentrification, if such a thing even exists in Eastern Europe. </div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.15604038233868778" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We stayed at a nice hotel that caters to businessmen - obviously, we were tagging along on a work trip after all. When that happens, I always seem to notice the sharp contrast between the suited men making deals in the lobby and the hoi polloi of the streets, like me. That’s a lot what Warsaw itself was like - a contrast of hard earned public real estate scattered amongst large areas of modernity with a noticeable push toward city improvement. With all of the modern and wonderful new sites for business and pleasure, I couldn't help but wonder where the money came from. Britain has such a large influx of Polish migrant workers that I must have been expecting a dismal setting from which they were all fleeing. </span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copernicus Museum of Science - hot air balloon demonstration</td></tr>
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Isabella and I would hit one museum a day, which was easy in Warsaw. The weather was wet and cold in early December, and the museums were consistently excellent. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.15604038233868778"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We visited three museums designed with children in mind, the Chopin Museum, the Copernicus Museum and Planetarium, and, of all things, the Warsaw Uprising Museum.</span></b></span><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.15604038233868778"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span>I was blown away by their modern presentation and ingenious, touchable design - even the Warsaw Uprising Museum had a full room dedicated to a milder representation of the strong material of the rest of the exhibits - such as teddy bears and toys used by children of the period. It didn’t have that saccharine Disney flavor, nor did it have that “life is hard, deal with it” Soviet one.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A seemingly endless list of the fallen, yet another sad memorial - Uprising Museum</td></tr>
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The Copernicus Museum was ahead of its class - virtually everything could be touched by children, and the science involved was amazing and entertaining. I loved it. I also got tickets for the Planetarium where Isabella and I watched thirty minutes of science talk about the stars in Polish. Fortunately, we had a portion of the show available on headphones in English, but the most interesting part was certainly the one I couldn't understand! Isabella was afraid in the planetarium, and spent a lot of the show covering her ears while curled up in my lap.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polish dolls from wartime Warsaw</td></tr>
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We have loads of photos of great sites, but no pics of the place we had lunch and hot chocolates at almost every day. It was an inexpensive cafe, part of a Polish chain perhaps, where they served yummy mulled wine, coffees, weird-but-delicious Greek salads, and quiches. We had a lot of fun lounging around there, so I feel I have to mention it, even though I can't remember the name.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella is a bit big for a stroller, but I sure was glad we had it</td></tr>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.15604038233868778" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b> This strangely beautiful Empire State Building look-alike was a "gift" to the city of Warsaw by the Soviet union - it's actually called the <i>Palace </i>of Science and Culture. I heard that its presence remains controversial; some people even want to tear it down. Inside the building are a number of venues, including the small Museum of Evolution which houses dinosaur bones from past Polish expeditions and a room full of crazy taxidermy. The interior of this building is so cool - all of the mouldings, light fixtures, and details would make a design enthusiast get pretty excited.</div>
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After we saw all there was to see in the Museum of Evolution (it was small enough that Isabella actually asked to keep seeing more stuff : we did two rounds), then we walked outside to find a newly installed ice rink. I had around only a few zlotys left, but didn't know if I'd have enough for skating for the two of us. I didn't. But the vendor took pity on my communication skills and inability to properly count and gave us skates anyway. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impromptu ice-skating!</td></tr>
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By the end of the week, we finally made it to the Warsaw Zoo. I probably picked the worst day to do it. We were the only visitors in the park, and it was so quiet that had I not already paid for our tickets, I would have thought I wasn't supposed to be there. It rained almost the whole time and all we had was one broken umbrella between us. The zoo covered a lot of territory but there were lots of opportunities for getting out of the rain - including the hippo tank, the spider room, and the elephant shelter. Once again, I was impressed with how modern, clean, and well looked after the whole place was.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warsaw Zoo - A giant Easter Egg in December,<br />
makes me wish I understood some Polish</td></tr>
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By the time we left the zoo, the rain had died down but we were on the other side of town without a taxi or bus stop in sight, and....Isabella chose that moment to jump into a deep puddle. So we slowly made our way across the river and into the Old Town, trying to keep warm. <b id="internal-source-marker_0.15604038233868778"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Old Town was mostly rebuilt after the bombing of WWII, so it looks quaint and lovely, especially with all the Christmas markets tucked into market squares and side streets. </span></b>We were dazzled by the Christmas displays and the giant, sparkling purple tree in the town square. We managed to get something good and hot to eat at the street market: Isabella a Polish hot dog on rustic bread, and me a dose of the national dish - <i>Bigos</i>, a warming stew of sausage and sauerkraut.<br />
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Unfortunately, this was all we got to see of the pretty Old Town because I had to take Isabella back to the hotel for fresh clothes and hot chocolate. Both things not negotiable. We were leaving the following morning. The funny thing is, I spent almost ten days traipsing around the un-touristy parts of the city, enjoying myself so much that I didn't realize I was missing the prettiest bit. Ah well, certainly a good excuse to go back to Warsaw, not that I needed another one.<br />
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And now, I'm back to convalescing the weekend away. Isabella and I have been drinking strange brews of tea with this Slovenian "super honey" I bought in Ljubljana last autumn to cure our cold. Though the lady I got it from explained to me what was in it, I can't remember now - I'm hoping the magical quality of the strange language will have the placebo effect on me, if nothing else!</div>
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-72065751141307342342012-03-01T06:39:00.000-08:002012-03-01T06:39:36.112-08:00Tallinn, Estonia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are visiting Tallinn, Estonia. I must admit, I wasn't expecting much - I actually made the trip a bit reluctantly, finally deciding to follow Pedro here because of all of the back to back trips he has booked for work. I am delightfully surprised by the medieval beauty, as much of an oxymoron as that may sound. It's just that the medieval architecture and streets of the Old Town are so completely intact that it feels as if we've really stepped back in time. This is, after all, an eastern European country that directly borders Russia to the east and was dominated by Soviet rule in the not-too-distant past.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the princess with the pink eyes is our own handiwork</td></tr>
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Today we spent all morning at the Estonia Puppet Museum and Theatre - <i>NUKU</i>. Again, another pleasant surprise. The museum is home to myriad types of amazing (yes, amazing) puppets and has some pretty state-of-the-art exhibits for kids - children can actually activate the puppets by a touch-screen computer, while the puppet remains protected and properly displayed behind glass. I have to say, we could have happily spent another day at the museum alone. We also attended a proper puppet show, and despite the Estonian language barrier, the movements of the puppets told us all we needed to know. The morning was a huge success.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">puppets of all sorts- some creepy, some cool... </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">puppets from around the world...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some even bigger than me...(and can you believe Bella took this shot!?)</td></tr>
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I have an additional unexpected travel companion as well. On the plane, Isabella and I met an American ballerina from LA who was travelling alone looking for work with a new European ballet company, so we have spent some of our meandering around Tallinn making better friends between her auditions, while Pedro is hard at work.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella and our new friend, Lucy, standing at the top of the Old Town looking onto the industrial, and modern Tallinn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the Old Town walls and fortifications</td></tr>
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When we came in from our flight yesterday, the sun had the whole place illuminated in the most beautiful light. I am hoping I can get some better shots with that sort of light tomorrow. We have another two days to try!</div>
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-59160021958496963752011-11-05T03:05:00.000-07:002011-11-12T15:09:40.198-08:00Scotland<br />
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On the second day of our trip, we travelled north into glorious Scotland. We drove four hours further northwest, deep into Argyll, on the west coast. As you drive further north, the roads begin tapering off and you start to feel that startling sense of isolation the Highlands possess. The land varies from tree-lined to barren, and the peaty areas around Glen Coe are so sparse, that it feels other-worldly.<br />
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Our cottage was located on a teeny tiny, single lane, pot holed road, directly on Loch Awe (the lake that boasts the the title of longest freshwater loch in Scotland). Meeting another car on the road meant backing up, or pulling perilously close to the edges. That country isolation is cool, but as day trippers coming and going each day to see other things, it was a bit much. The cottage was a great bargain, and even had breakfast in the nearby hotel included. So we tried haggis (not good, friends) and smoked kippers (delicious but extremely bony!) and enjoyed incredible views in the conservatory dining area.</div>
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On the third day of our trip, we drove a short distance to Inverary Castle, current home of the Duke of Argyll. Of all the castles I've seen in England, I've never been in one as homey and welcoming as this one. They had all of the fireplaces going and fresh flowers were everywhere - the place was filled with yummy smells coming from the kitchen mingled with the hearthy smell of wood burning fireplaces. Half of the castle is kept private for the Duke's family, but the other half is open to nosey tourists like us. The castle caretakers were friendly and each one spoke like Sean Connery. If you love that, go to Scotland and be delighted by it daily.</div>
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On another day we traveled to Scottish Sea Life, a seal pup and turtle sanctuary and rescue center. Isabella loved it. I loved it. They had a flotsam and jetsam exhibit, artfully showcasing all of the trash that is washed onto the shores of the sanctuary alone. Sadly, all of it was cheap rubbish that we regularly buy and throw away. Despite all of the amazing animals at the rescue, I will probably remember that tiny exhibit the most.</div>
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On our way back from the sanctuary, we saw a sign for Ben Cruachan Falls. We dismounted and began to climb a very steep and windy path up a mountain searching for the Falls. We had to turn around before we could find the waterfall, but the climb wasn't a bust - I discovered that Isabella is a very good climber. I am so proud of her - she takes to heart everything I say. As I said before, we were more worried about the dog than her!</div>
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The day before we headed back south, we decided to return to Glen Coe, a place we had shortly visited on our last trip. I was so happy that we did. Glen Coe has a magical power; it's like stepping into a monastery, or some holy place, that dazzles your senses with its vastness. We hiked as far as we could safely go with the dog (a huge klutz, Isabella does far better climbing than he does). Then we decided to follow the river a ways, watching as our boots would get sucked deeply into the peat - some spots are like floating sponges.<br />
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After each excursion, we would head back to our cottage on its solitary road, get the heating started, and head over to the nearby hotel's lounge and pub. Pedro tried local ales and I sampled some whiskies while Isabella feasted on ice cream. We sat on big leather chairs, surrounded by heaving bookcases filled with an eclectic mix of abandoned books from former guests. Some of the nights, the place got so packed full of people, we wondered how on earth they all got there. It just felt like such a remote spot at the end of a treacherous little road.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">where we had to leave the dog tied to a tree!</td></tr>
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On the final morning of our time in Argyll, we packed the car back up and headed south. Only then did it begin to rain in earnest. It continued to rain until we crossed the English border and decided to keep driving down into the Lake District. Our last day of travel was one of the best.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a typical Sotomayor family scene</td></tr>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-90748783868933132182011-10-17T07:26:00.000-07:002011-10-17T07:26:11.915-07:00Hadrian's Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xti-SisohX4/Tpwn2b0rbSI/AAAAAAAACEU/pkMReTW_Qyo/s1600/DSC_0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xti-SisohX4/Tpwn2b0rbSI/AAAAAAAACEU/pkMReTW_Qyo/s320/DSC_0301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We took a full week to travel up to the Scottish Highlands this past week. Pedro is starting a new job and had a week of leave to burn from his previous employer, so we decided to take the outdoorsy trip we've been putting off for the last three years and head up to an area we fell in love with when Isabella was just starting to move in my tummy. To break up the very long eight-hour drive, we decided to stay one night at Hadrian's Wall, a third visit to the Wall for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QSEcOdqGT28/TpwqreJifmI/AAAAAAAACEc/Gw_nrE4U3Nc/s1600/DSC_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QSEcOdqGT28/TpwqreJifmI/AAAAAAAACEc/Gw_nrE4U3Nc/s320/DSC_0331.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hiking up the other side of the cliff, Steel Rigg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We drove up through the Yorkshire Dales - an area of rolling hills, grazing sheep, and crumbling fences that grid up the landscape. The further north you drive, the more out-of-time you feel; it's a place that has changed very little over the centuries. When we arrived in Corbridge (an absolutely picturesque little town; we almost didn't want to leave), a tourist centre found us a cozy B&B to stay the night. It was right across the road from the Roman ruins themselves as well as the inn where we and some of our friends from Puerto Rico had stayed over five years ago. We squeezed in a hike before it got dark, and made it up Steel Rigg but not further.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a portion of Hadrian's Wall, right</td></tr>
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The place retains such a feeling of being on the edge of civilization, like you're at a very distant outpost with little touch with the rest of the world. Imagine how the Roman soliders must have felt, being away from the balmy climate in Rome and instead roughing it in the cold, wet and windswept north of Britain. But being here again made me wonder if we shouldn't have just decided to stay the whole week and walk the Wall. After our walk, we headed over to the Twice Brewed pub and inn for a meal and the best sticky toffee pudding I've ever had. We may travel to a lot of different places, but there is something to be said for returning to the spots where you've felt most at home.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That night, Isabella excitedly climbed into her twin bed - just like the big girl she has become, still thrilled about all the little bits of the day. She was asleep within minutes, totally exhausted by all the wind and walking. I got to stay up late on the lodge's red velveteen couches, reading about the quirky and bizarre in <i>English Cottage Interiors</i>. In the morning, we breakfasted on smoked salmon and eggs and chatted with our lovely Yorkshire hostess. She let Isabella feed her chickens....and I think Isabella couldn't have been more excited had she been given a kitten to take home.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With that, we gassed up for the first time and crossed the border into Scotland. Just after leaving Carlisle, we passed under a spectacular full rainbow. It truly was a sign of good things to come...</div><br />
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</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-38500218527257999852011-10-08T02:55:00.000-07:002011-10-08T02:55:24.392-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vegan meal one: sepia spaghetti noodles and sauce - major hit with this one</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the derelict Old Mill in Elton</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the "echo" bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clumsy dog + wagon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">making her entire breakfast - scrambled eggs and nutella toast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's just been the girls at home all this past week. Pedro took a trip to the US to renew his driver's license and we anxiously await his return so that we can begin a much put-off trip back to the Scottish highlands. With him away, it always feels like the "grown-up" is gone and we get to stay up a little later and skip school. Ha. I kept her out of playgroup one beautiful day of the Indian Summer we were having and we did a long walk with El Dogo and the wagon. We also had a couple of vegan meals, which was a challenge I wanted to see if I could pull off - being a huge milk, butter, and egg fan. But it's definitely do-able and certainly makes you more conscious of what you're eating, in terms of how many animal products we use. I think I am going to incorporate more tofu into our lives!<br />
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As for next week, we have been craving a good Scottish outing - full of remote places and beautiful scenery. Even though Scotland is directly above us, the drive there is so long and painful - as driving in England just is. All of the big cities are much closer together and roads are often choked with slow trucks, caravans and commuters. Plus, when there are problems on the road, the police typically just shut everything down, which leads to incredibly long and uncomfortable waits in a cramped car with no toilet. But! We're braving it now, in the off-season, hoping for decent weather - no gale force winds or upflowing rain, please. Castles, ruins, and vast countryside await - I hope to get a bit muddy, very tired, and fill up on piping hot pub meals before tucking into our simple cabin each night.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-84012491277142223462011-09-19T02:53:00.000-07:002011-09-19T02:53:12.258-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nxFn_5C_f5o/TncN2fcxd_I/AAAAAAAACD4/4lI-kJ-uRws/s1600/DSC_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nxFn_5C_f5o/TncN2fcxd_I/AAAAAAAACD4/4lI-kJ-uRws/s320/DSC_0103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Once a month, I volunteer with the Angler's Monitoring Initiative - in short, it's just a group of fisherman who care about the quality of the local streams and do basic testing for pollution to make sure the fish thrive. When I go, I almost always take Isabella with me. The fisherman are very good with her and she loves getting her hands dirty. As a result, my three-year-old knows the names of bugs that I didn't learn until I was in college. Yesterday, we took a bucketful of bugs and small fish home with us so that she could bring it to playgroup today for a bit of "show and tell." It was a moderate success, and Isabella was certainly the most excited one of the group - she was the last one standing and put up a fight when it came time to clear up.<br />
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Playgroup this term has been going very well for her. It was only last term that I still had to promise treats and surprises for her to allow me to leave her there. But with the older four-year-olds now in reception, what the Brits call kindergarten, there are only the littlest kids left, which has been a big boost for her confidence. I also prefer it because there is more one-on-one time with the teachers/playleaders. She is also very much into art now and brings me home more drawings and pictures than I know what to do with. What do other parents do with all of the art that accumulates with kids?Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-60367063531247699172011-09-03T02:33:00.000-07:002011-09-03T02:33:57.996-07:00First Movie and Gratitude<br />
Once upon a time I kept a running list of things I wanted to blog about, and was good at putting them down on a regular basis. That ability is now gone - so either I've gotten better at living in the moment, or have lost my ability to remember things well.<br />
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It's another weekend, and the end of another full week. Pedro is down with a cold and our plans for camping seem to have gone out the window along with the forecast for good weather. No matter though, we had a good week - I took Isabella to see her first movie in a theater yesterday. We saw <i>The Smurfs</i>, and I surprised myself at how much I enjoyed it. I was bored for the whole first 30 minutes, but once the Smurfs made it to Manhattan and the double entendres started, I found something in it for me (any by the way, the set/interior designer for the New York apartment...very cool)! We bought popcorn, and true to form, Isabella dumped half of the bag while wiggling in her seat. Then she commented on how dark the theater was and how they needed to turn on the lights and kept talking about this until we were both startled to attention by the cinema's sub-woofers and lack of volume control. It was such a cool experience with her - it was another true first and I kept feeling like I was getting away with something by being at the movies in the middle of the day.<br />
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My reverie burst when we walked out of the theater, and I could see my car in the middle of the parking lot....with the driver's side door wide open. Wide open and even touching the car right next to it! Apparently, I left my door open when I ran to the other side of the car to prevent Isabella from wandering away from the car and didn't bother to close it. Nothing was missing - but nobody bothered to close the door either - it was so weird. Like the time I left my handbag on top of the car and no one stole it. Again, I felt very lucky - because as we saw during the early August riots in London - English people aren't always honest and polite. I've had a string of minor misfortune lately, dealing with an unfair parking ticket, a dog who peed on a neighbor's foot, dead appliances, and other small things that can wear away at morale.<br />
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But life is good, truly. When much of the world faces down war, natural disasters, economic collapse, corruption and injustice...I am so grateful for our spot of tranquillity. I didn't have any theater photos, but these pics I took earlier in the week of my girl feeding "Teddy Pedro" water from the dog bowl will have to do.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just a spoonful of sugar...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">feeling better already</td></tr>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-29783296681838771042011-08-29T05:15:00.000-07:002011-08-29T05:15:59.886-07:00Sunday in the Park<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y05woCqgWpw" width="420"></iframe><br />
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We had some fun with this. Ferry Meadows is a nature park we just discovered this past weekend. It's so close and so cool that it's almost a shame we didn't know about it until now. Nevermind. Though the playground is mostly featured in this video, there are a couple of small lakes and a lot of green space. If I get my way, we'll eventually have a kayak of our own to paddle around!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-9351544222740665622011-08-27T01:32:00.000-07:002011-08-27T01:32:50.705-07:00Growing Up with Grown-ups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After not having blogged for so many months, it's a lot harder to come back to it than I thought. I've been working on a post that just doesn't seem to be going anywhere - probably because I'm trying to summarize what's gone one for the last four months (it feels like way more). But as I was looking through photos on my ipod, I found a few that were worthy of a post all their own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I cannot complain that having a child has held me back from doing anything I've wanted to do - going out with friends, travelling, or even getting a coffee. If there is something going on we simply bring Isabella - living so far from family, we have no built-in babysitters. There are limitations, of course, such as trying to bring her into London needing a nap or trying to get the baby buggy up and down the steps of the Underground. And certainly, we go into the city far less than we used to because of those reasons. But Pedro and I are fortunate not to have that lost look some parents have, because Isabella is so well behaved and cool. Without a doubt, she is my sidekick and I like it this way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All of that said, Isabella spends a lot of time with grown-ups. It is starting to show, I think. When we went to see our friends Ed and Cevin, who just moved to London, we barbecued on their massive balcony in St. Johns Wood all day. Isabella spent her time chatting with us (alas, they are kid people with no kids), playing with their iPad (filled to the brim with kiddie games), and taking the following pictures with my ipod. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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The photos were very telling. Make no mistake, she had a blast when we were there and didn't want to come home (there was also a trip to the park that day - a big highlight). But the following week she told me, "Mama, I need more kids at my house." Man, that made me feel lacking. We see a lot of our friends with kids during the week - especially now that we are on British summer holidays - school and playgroup are out. But with the two little girlfriends she has had since birth, she is noticeably the third wheel when they're all together. It's like they're just old enough to want exclusivity. The two sisters next door even play more with each other than with Isabella when they're together. She doesn't seem to notice this quite yet, and her innocence is heartrending to us.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My good friend from college, Rebekah, and her family drove down from the Leeds area to spend some time with us this week. Her kids, Graham and Josephine (5 and 3-years-old), really hit it off with Isabella. Seeing the three of them engaged and her really involved with the activity was restorative. Of course, they live three hours away. As a parent, especially with only one child, you tend to overthink everything (this post being a prime example). The clichés make the truth no less true: all you want is the very best for your kids. But in the end they have to figure things out all on their own, especially friendships. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm off now - I hear some lovely music drifting down from her bedroom. </div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-46516045827533139572011-08-16T06:58:00.000-07:002011-08-16T06:58:16.982-07:00Come BackIsabella has been asking for a baby brother or sister (actually, pretty much demanding a new sister) so it prompted me to show her the blog from its early days....her growing in my tummy and her first day in the world. That was last Sunday and I haven't been able to shake those images, nor the feelings they brough up in me, from my mind. Looking back at the blog shook me up a little bit, but mostly made me really thankful for this chronicling of her early days, pre-Facebook. So I have decided to pick it up again - I'll still post photos and small bits to Facebook, but I would like to keep this record for all of us. Facebook is an immediate fix, but really isn't a good substitute for what this blog was to our family and friends.<br />
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I'll be back.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-68276915897457001082011-04-24T01:37:00.000-07:002011-04-30T01:02:54.065-07:00Easter 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsqqBsvtksY/TbPdOjWObzI/AAAAAAAACCY/lOuQ2s1Hy4g/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsqqBsvtksY/TbPdOjWObzI/AAAAAAAACCY/lOuQ2s1Hy4g/s320/DSC_0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Isabella woke up this morning to a little basket by her door. She stepped over it and continued on to our bedroom for her usual morning cuddle. This girl needs time to wake up, just like her parents - maybe even more so. Anyway, I had to walk her back to her room and point it out. Then, we went downstairs and the hunting began in earnest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7IqywvdAxmo/TbPdXJC-u1I/AAAAAAAACCc/xucp9jFeoPU/s1600/DSC_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7IqywvdAxmo/TbPdXJC-u1I/AAAAAAAACCc/xucp9jFeoPU/s320/DSC_0149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Easter Bunny was pretty generous this year. Two little baskets, lots of hidden eggs, little toys, and just a silly amount of sweets and chocolate. When I brought out some of the Easter stuff this year, I found almost all of last year's candy! Luckily, she doesn't have a crazy sweet tooth - the marshmallow peeps will probably become dried little toys and the jelly beans are unlikely to be touched, only played with as she hides and rehides those eggs.<br />
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After finding all sorts of goodies inside the house, we discovered that the Easter Bunny had hidden stuff out in the garden too! Such a crafty character, that bunny.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dP4DwRLPXsA/TbPdoe7f7GI/AAAAAAAACCk/yy3p-Nez4nk/s1600/DSC_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dP4DwRLPXsA/TbPdoe7f7GI/AAAAAAAACCk/yy3p-Nez4nk/s320/DSC_0158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9AAYD_5x9k/Tbu_DC6z79I/AAAAAAAACCo/aYcnExPauAA/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9AAYD_5x9k/Tbu_DC6z79I/AAAAAAAACCo/aYcnExPauAA/s320/DSC_0160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Later on today, we are headed over to some friends' for smoked beef brisket and more surprises. Happy Easter to all!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-24588702492511755912011-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:54:19.118-08:00Thomas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7RJFlwQA1as/TWaoMk_kZCI/AAAAAAAACB8/Dr0Hk91XLpE/s1600/DSC_0867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7RJFlwQA1as/TWaoMk_kZCI/AAAAAAAACB8/Dr0Hk91XLpE/s320/DSC_0867.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
My friend and I took our girls to see Thomas the Tank Engine, for his limited visit on the Nene Valley Railway today. Early on, we really encouraged her to like Thomas - kids get into what you yourself get excited about, for the most part. Anyway, I wanted her to subtly know she could like a "boy" thing. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So this early encouragement probably explains why she loves taking the train - be it the underground (subway), trolly, or tram. In fact, our trip to the London aquarium was interrupted multiple times by requests to go back the "the track." As in, "Mama, when are we going back to the track?" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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She has already learned that the journey itself is just as good (maybe better) than the destination.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cgKuO-K20vc/TWaojvBtRfI/AAAAAAAACCI/cg3QMefj1sk/s1600/DSC_0881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cgKuO-K20vc/TWaojvBtRfI/AAAAAAAACCI/cg3QMefj1sk/s320/DSC_0881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As she retold the tale of Thomas to Pedro this evening, she reminded him that Thomas is a "really useful engine." Of course, I had to tell her to stop causing "confusion and delay" this morning as we were trying to jet out of the house. She didn't get my joke.</div><br />
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It was a fun morning for all.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-24846312147238184552011-02-21T03:12:00.000-08:002011-02-21T03:12:57.381-08:003rd Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OspU0UO6EuA/TWJHEi66HLI/AAAAAAAACBc/mp6XXZcJbg8/s1600/DSC_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OspU0UO6EuA/TWJHEi66HLI/AAAAAAAACBc/mp6XXZcJbg8/s320/DSC_0736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> Isabella turned three last week! Look at her go on her new scooter! She also got a fish tank! We put it in her bedroom and she absolutely loves it. This is year she was showered with all kinds of cool toys from her friends and family - we are very fortunate for such generosity and thoughtfulness. She's got lots of new art supplies, books, and cute outfits and accessories to last her the next year.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A few days later, we had her Peppa Pig themed party at our village hall. It was a smallish affair, only eight kids (most kids parties we go to have up to 20!), but the decibel level was pretty high! I worried that the kids wouldn't have enough to do, but those worries were totally unfounded. They all went nuts. I am starting to think that Isabella may be an introvert, like me, because at one point she got into one of the tents with some stuffed animals and started playing by herself. If there is a lot going on, she does tend to withdraw from the action - I am hoping that she doesn't become super-shy like I was. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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Her party was also meant to be a dress-up party, as in re-use your Halloween costume - but Isabella didn't want to put hers on! And the rest of the kids abandoned theirs shortly after walking in the door. Isabella had a robot costume that was FUNNY! Hopefully, I can get a photo of her in it before she can no longer squeeze into it - her legs are growing miles a day.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy 3rd Birthday, my Sweet!</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-6275563687906322552011-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:002011-02-04T10:46:26.084-08:00November and DecemberWe have been so busy lately, it's hard to keep up with everything. Ever since the vacation and cruise in Puerto Rico I have been playing a big game of catch-up. Catching up with projects, catching up with Christmas, with friends, with family...and someone is always inadvertently left out. I remember hearing my mom complain that there weren't enough hours in the day and I'm afraid that I'm saying the same things now. As a "stay-at-home mom", I feel this shouldn't be so. Most days, I feel like I'm working full-time with a 15 tasks going at once. And yet, when someone asks me what I do....I never know quite what to say.<br />
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So here I am, playing a bit of catch-up from the past few months.<br />
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Our trip to the Caribbean was wonderful. We were celebrating our ten-year anniversary and decided we wanted to include as much family as could be there. We did a cruise with my mom and her partner Steve, Pedro's parents, and my cousin Dennis and his fiancée. By day we relaxed, and by night we relaxed too - so I guess it's the universe piling all the stuff on me now to balance out all the relaxation I had then. The food, the sun, the people - everything went off without a hitch and we discovered that a cruise is a really great way to get together with family. After the cruise, my mom and Steve stayed four more days in PR since she had never visited the island before. So we did all the rounds to Pedro's family, introduced them to my favorite Puerto Rican dishes, and showed them some of our favorite beaches.<br />
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There are a lot of really great things to say about this trip, but since a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words, I made you a video. Enjoy - and please leave a comment if you watch it - I'd love to hear what you think.<br />
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XO<br />
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AprilAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-85570705909797566172011-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:002011-01-02T14:39:25.229-08:00Come On-A My House<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/06XYmcyiX7w?fs=1" frameborder="0"></iframe>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-47499039331224598342010-11-06T12:10:00.000-07:002010-11-06T12:10:10.379-07:00Zoo Video<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/17pubhiQ3GU?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/17pubhiQ3GU?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-20416555148152254362010-11-05T12:21:00.000-07:002010-11-05T12:21:43.554-07:00The Zoo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TNRWOKKg8OI/AAAAAAAAB_8/03_mTZhb9_4/s1600/DSC_0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TNRWOKKg8OI/AAAAAAAAB_8/03_mTZhb9_4/s320/DSC_0925.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Today, I took my girl to the local wildlife center: the Hamerton Zoo.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TNRWWgu068I/AAAAAAAACAA/t_jhw8GcNso/s1600/DSC_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TNRWWgu068I/AAAAAAAACAA/t_jhw8GcNso/s320/DSC_0930.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">We saw belligerent tortoises, a kookaburra, meerkats, maned wolves, a Bengal tiger, and operatic gibbons. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> And she learned all of their names.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">We were the only two visitors there during the first hour!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"> We had the park to ourselves.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">And it was wonderful.</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-50395409249715362142010-11-01T12:53:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:53:11.411-07:00Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8ReGSwaDI/AAAAAAAAB_g/bpgiJ2RAtY4/s1600/DSC_0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8ReGSwaDI/AAAAAAAAB_g/bpgiJ2RAtY4/s320/DSC_0863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are officially halloweened out. Three days straight of Halloween: a party, a carnival, trick-or-treating, and village bonfire night. We even opted out of two other things we had originally planned for Sunday! Anyway, Halloween was very fun this year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8Scyv1kcI/AAAAAAAAB_k/1XREi7DCtm0/s1600/DSC_0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8Scyv1kcI/AAAAAAAAB_k/1XREi7DCtm0/s320/DSC_0827.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Isabella went as a garden gnome. I made her little skirt, the hat, and the beard. I threw in a black belt and her little boots and the look was complete. As for myself, one day I was Cyndi Lauper and the next I was a 50's teenager with a poodle skirt. Pedro was a swarthy viking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8URqmxRuI/AAAAAAAAB_0/mDxUxYIQ_OE/s1600/DSC_0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8URqmxRuI/AAAAAAAAB_0/mDxUxYIQ_OE/s320/DSC_0886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the first time in my five years living in England, I got trick-or-treaters at my house! I was unprepared and they ended up getting Isabella's candy from our special trick-or-treating on an American base the day before. But it was very exciting for me (and Isabella too).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8XaXHrAoI/AAAAAAAAB_4/X_Ph5B-pG5w/s1600/dsc_0835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8XaXHrAoI/AAAAAAAAB_4/X_Ph5B-pG5w/s320/dsc_0835.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bonfire night was great too. November 5th is the official Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes holiday), but our village decided this year to combine it with Halloween. I had originally planned to enter Isabella in the costume contest, but was feeling particularly rotten with my cough and we only made it to the actual bonfire lighting and fireworks later on in the evening. Last year it was freezing outside so we were prepared this year with hats, mittens, down coats, blankets, hot water bottles, and hot toddies for the grown ups. And the weather ended up being....very pleasant! Of course, the day I'm over-prepared is the day I don't need to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8TdgOv6HI/AAAAAAAAB_w/MKp-a6D68MQ/s1600/DSC_0892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TM8TdgOv6HI/AAAAAAAAB_w/MKp-a6D68MQ/s320/DSC_0892.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween plinko - her favorite from the carnival - she used almost all her tickets here!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, it was all good, but I am ready to pack it up. And the next holiday will be spent with family! We're getting ready for another trip and mini-family reunion with both sides of the family in two more weeks. It's going to be a good Thanksgiving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-86518206683479772302010-10-28T07:57:00.000-07:002010-10-28T07:57:34.478-07:00MORE Pumpkins? Yes, More Pumpkins.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWDr-EYJlI/AAAAAAAAB-w/XyKRJ2-LVCE/s1600/DSC_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWDr-EYJlI/AAAAAAAAB-w/XyKRJ2-LVCE/s320/DSC_0674.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We picked our own pumpkins at that same PYO farm we went to for berry picking this summer. They had a vast field full of lonely pumpkins, each of them begging to be taken home. The surrounding field also had more autumn vegetables like gourds and squash, so we picked a few of those as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWEHDJy-GI/AAAAAAAAB-8/q1f6ZyfFeH8/s1600/DSC_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWEHDJy-GI/AAAAAAAAB-8/q1f6ZyfFeH8/s320/DSC_0694.JPG" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was cold! out on those fields, but the sky was clear and the early evening was beautiful. We went with some friends and all the kids were besides themselves with pumpkin joy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWD1_gLYEI/AAAAAAAAB-0/6JXfrhfll4Y/s1600/DSC_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWD1_gLYEI/AAAAAAAAB-0/6JXfrhfll4Y/s320/DSC_0676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once we chose our pumpkins, we dropped them into these holes for measurement. Isabella kept sticking her head into the holes saying, "Where's the ladybird?" (<i>Ladybird </i>is Britspeak for ladybug.) It was a random question, but one that demonstrates what is usually on her mind - she loves ladybugs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLWD1_gLYEI/AAAAAAAAB-0/6JXfrhfll4Y/s1600/DSC_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TMmEPT1_OMI/AAAAAAAAB_U/k5BS-92UbO8/s1600/DSC_0780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TMmEPT1_OMI/AAAAAAAAB_U/k5BS-92UbO8/s320/DSC_0780.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, on a rainy day, we decided to carve this pumpkin up into something "very scary," at Isabella's request. She helped me scoop out the seeds (which we toasted with salt and sage, of course), and carved it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TMmI7bHb1gI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/yk7d_sFTDgA/s1600/DSC_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TMmI7bHb1gI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/yk7d_sFTDgA/s320/DSC_0793.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">An awesome jack-o-lantern sure to scare the goblins away from our doorstep.</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-39776651380707653962010-10-11T01:34:00.000-07:002010-10-11T14:34:52.869-07:00Onward to Halloween<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLFgXac2jI/AAAAAAAAB-E/5C7DjBcOrNA/s1600/DSC_0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLFgXac2jI/AAAAAAAAB-E/5C7DjBcOrNA/s320/DSC_0654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">candy-filled pumpkin parcels a la <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pumpkin-favor-pouches-for-halloween">MarthaStewart</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Isabella and I have spent an awful lot of time with Halloween decorations this year. I searched through every box in the shed and garage trying to find all five of my old Halloween decorations, but to no avail. So I invested in some cheap homemade versions instead. Halloween is fun and it's a pity that it's not celebrated in the same over-the-top way we do it back home. So no trick-or-treating outside the American community over here, but I'm working on a deal with my neighbors...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLGJifaHvI/AAAAAAAAB-M/qOS32EMJaw8/s1600/DSC_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLGJifaHvI/AAAAAAAAB-M/qOS32EMJaw8/s320/DSC_0659.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The garden is beginning to go to seed - my runner beans that are still left on the vine have gotten hardened outer pods and the seeds inside have turned...magical! They're purple! We have serious plans to start a beanstalk. "Bella and the Beanstalk" - it has a nice ring to it.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLGS3I-8DI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/8zRUorI0lX4/s1600/DSC_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLGS3I-8DI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/8zRUorI0lX4/s320/DSC_0664.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And of course, it is again baking season - the time of year that I get stingy with the heater but very generous with running my oven. These spooky treats were inspired by my Creative Director, Isabella Aida, who really wanted a ghost with glasses and a happy face. The glasses wouldn't fit, but he is <i>quite </i>happy as you can see.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLGbq3dGWI/AAAAAAAAB-U/l9OYg2Xkqro/s1600/DSC_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TLLGbq3dGWI/AAAAAAAAB-U/l9OYg2Xkqro/s320/DSC_0642.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
And lastly, I have been making a bigger effort to write down all the funny things Isabella says at this age. Unfortunately, most of them get missed, but here are a few (mind you, these are coming from a two-and-a-half-year-old with a cute little high-pitched elf voice, and just a tinge of baby accent left):<br />
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"I like my orange hair."<br />
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"This is AMAZING!" As said after taking her first bite of dinner, and a clue that my constant hyperbolic speech is rubbing off on her.<br />
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"That's a FINE pumpkin, Mama." Evidence of more accrued British culture and speech.<br />
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And my favorite from last week: I had gone into her room to get her out of bed and she looked to the window and said, "The sunshine is ready!" Beautifully put.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969783347154844246.post-51450147328402023122010-09-23T07:21:00.000-07:002010-09-23T07:21:06.820-07:00Hike to Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtcwUopYSI/AAAAAAAAB9E/7SC-l33P1aA/s1600/DSC_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtcwUopYSI/AAAAAAAAB9E/7SC-l33P1aA/s320/DSC_0441.JPG" /></a></div>Our neighbor's tree out front has just started turning yellow. Isabella is with her second cold in two consecutive weeks. We are using our heater twice a day now. And dinner tonight is a hearty, hearth-y moussaka. Autumn is really upon us here in England. I feel we have to spend as much daylight hours outside as possible, before the sun goes down at 4pm by the end of December, and the days begin to wane dramatically by 2pm.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtc5j8--pI/AAAAAAAAB9M/mZVvYYXTX-w/s1600/DSC_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtc5j8--pI/AAAAAAAAB9M/mZVvYYXTX-w/s320/DSC_0450.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the donkeys and horses from down the road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So Isabella and I have begun to collect even more wild berries, apples and other edibles to use such efforts as an excuse to be outside. We have even started taking the dog down to the creek for regular baths, instead of a hosing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtdCeNOvYI/AAAAAAAAB9U/DUUxPxOy9EM/s1600/DSC_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtdCeNOvYI/AAAAAAAAB9U/DUUxPxOy9EM/s320/DSC_0464.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">footpath to Southwick and the giant crabapple tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
But today I'm definitely feeling the indoorsy vibe. My attention has turned from various scattered clothing and gifting projects to projects of the house: what do I really want to look at between these four walls for the next 6-7 months before spring beckons us out again? So I am putting together a few boxes of things we no longer use or need to sell in my first car boot sale - the equivalent of a garage sale, except various people in the village get together in a parking lot and sell their wares from the trunks of their cars.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtdX-uDQEI/AAAAAAAAB9k/Gv2V3oTMr24/s1600/DSC_0521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3rROTAwg3EA/TJtdX-uDQEI/AAAAAAAAB9k/Gv2V3oTMr24/s320/DSC_0521.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">last stop at The Swan from our recent hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This weekend we are also planning a big family hike with some other friends and their kids. It will be a kid-friendly pub crawl from one village to another - with good food and drink at both ends - absolutely the best way to do it.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116130331541006085noreply@blogger.com2