No access...

Hello, its been a while I know! We have been staying at our "real" house since the weekend and we don't have internet access there yet. We are working on it but its taking longer than expected - a bit more involved than a phone call and a visit from the technician... Hopefully soon! We have our computer unpacked and hooked up, so we're ready.

All has been going well. Our stuff is all unpacked and I'm working on getting it put away. Susanna is enjoying school, and Ben and I are keeping busy while she's there. I am still working on pre-school for Ben, but we do have him signed up for football (soccer) classes once a week.

Hopefully I'll get to do another (longer) post soon, but I'm not sure when! Keep checking and once I get my internet access I promise to get back to regular posts! Thanks to everyone for the emails, real mail, etc. Its been nice hearing from everyone.

Susanna in uniform

Full house

Today we got our shipment - our furniture, toys, etc. It had been four weeks and a day since it left Brownstown - not bad at all. Susanna was at school all day, and Ben went off with a friend, so I was able to focus on the task at hand and it went very well.

So now our empty little house is very full of stuff. We tried to bring only what we thought would fit, but of course its hard to judge after a brief look at the house you'll be living in, along with a bunch of others. We have four bedrooms, but the smallest one is our family closet. Then there is a kitchen with dining area, a sitting room, and a playroom/office. When we got packed up in Brownstown, they wrote the name of the room on each box - when the guys here were unloading, they weren't quite sure where to go with things marked "basement" or "dining room." But we managed to get everything into the house and get most of the empty boxes back out (I did have to sort through some boxes of packing paper to find some missing toys.) The kids' bedrooms are packed with beds, dressers, shelves, etc. The playroom/office is full with a desk, kids' table, train table, and shelves. The other rooms are equally full - there won't be much empty wall space or room to run. One thing that is a bit different is the radiators - they take up a small bit of wall space and thus limit options for furniture placement. Once we finalize furniture placement we can really start getting stuff put away, and I think once we do it will feel much less crowded.

We thought we'd stay in our new house/old beds tonight, but after a hard day of work (Brad arrived back from the States around 10 this morning and had to start helping right away), we decided to return to the temp house and have dinner at the pub (The Bounty) across the river. This is our third Friday in a row having dinner there, and each time we've seen the same set of little girls (sisters) having dinner with their parents. The kids love seeing them (especially Ben.) We will certainly miss living in this nice little town on the Thames!

Driving school

Today was day three of school. So far it all seems to be going well. Of course, I get very minimal information from my child, but she certainly seems happy. She asked how long she was at school and I told her 6 hours. She said that was a long time. I asked if it was too long, if she ever wondered when it would be over, and she said "yes". Then I asked, "or do you have a lot of fun and it goes really fast?" She answered yes to that question as well. So who knows! She hasn't complained about anything and really I think its fine. She still doesn't know any names really, other than the one other American who she met before she started, but its only been a few days, and there are 30 (or very close to it) kids.

The other big thing going on this week is me driving. I was having a really good week until this evening, when I started to think about how well I was doing, then boom, I hit a curb. Sometimes I just can't shake the feeling that my car is wider than the road. Roads are narrow, and people park right along them, so there is a lot of either squeezing through or waiting and taking turns. It can be a bit challenging to figure out which of those is the better alternative - if the road is a bit wider, two cars can pass, but of course it can be hard to judge. I prefer to wait, but sometimes there are very long lines of cars parked along the sides, and bendy roads so you can't see what's coming, and then you just have to go for it and hope for the best. The other thing I've found is that you can drive for miles and miles and hardly, if ever, stop. Because there are roundabouts, there are far fewer traffic lights, so in these smaller towns, you just drive non-stop. It really seems quite efficient; however, sometimes you need a quick red light. Anyway, right now I'm just hoping I don't find a flat tire in the morning...

First day

Today was Susanna's first day at her new school. She woke up bright and early (thanks to the sun shining in the window at an unreasonably early hour) ready to get dressed and go. I had to slow her down a bit... I wanted to make sure she was done with breakfast before donning her new uniform. We all got ready - Susanna looked great in the uniform - so grown up! We set off for school and made it with plenty of time to spare.

Once at school, I was able to walk Susanna through the gates and right to the classroom door (open to the outside). This is an advantage to being in the youngest class - I think we can walk to the door again next year, but after that, I think students are left at the gates. At any rate, it was nice to be able to go that far and see the other students and moms. When the doors opened, the students all ran in (though a few seemed a bit reluctant). Susanna was ready to go. I think I could have even walked her in, but didn't because I knew I'd have trouble dragging Ben back out. She was fine, of course. She found her coat hook, left her various bags, and found the window where the students wave good bye once they are in the classroom.

Ben and I had a long, relaxing day - laundry, walk to town, lunch... it did start to get a bit long after lunch - six hours is a long time for Susanna to be in school!

A little after three, we went back to the classroom door to wait for her. They finally started letting kids out and Susanna looked as happy as she had been when I left her this morning. Ben was quite happy to see her and greeted her with a hug. I didn't get too much information out of Susanna, other than that she'd found some new friends (but couldn't recall any names!) It sounded as if it was just a regular day of school and she just fit right in.

It was a beautiful afternoon, so after Susanna changed out of her uniform and everyone had a snack, we went out to feed our duck friends and take a short walk (no stroller - can't walk too far or Ben won't walk back!)

So, things continue to go well. I do look forward to moving into our new house for good - all this back-and-forth is getting a bit tiring. I'm constantly looking for clothes and food and whatever else to drag from one place to the other - it will be nice when everything is all in the same place. But until then, we will continue to enjoy the wonderful location of our temp house.

New school

Today we visited Susanna's new school. We had to go hand in our forms, get a quick tour, and purchase the remaining bits of her uniform. We got to see her classroom (and all the kids in it), as well as some other parts of the school that she will use. We bought a cardigan, her P.E. outfit (they change clothes at school), school bags, and a tie. We also bought a school dress which she can wear instead of the uniform in warmer weather. I think she will really like being dressed like everyone else.

After that visit, we popped over to the pre-school next door. It seemed like a nice place, though a bit different than what we're used to. It was just one large room with only one class of 28 kids. There were a few smaller special purpose rooms (kitchen, computer/game/reading room), but most of the kids were in the big room, or outside. They had lots of outside options - climbing equipment, bikes, gardening, and even a big sand pit. Fortunately Ben couldn't see out the windows so we were able to avoid the sand pit today! Unfortunately the school doesn't have any openings at the moment, but we can apply for a place in September. It would certainly be nice to have them right next door to eachother.

So tomorrow is the big first day of school. We'll have to get up early (for me!), make sure Susanna is all dressed (and that her clothes are all labeled with her name), make sure she has a packed lunch, her P.E. bag, and her school bag, and then I'll have to drive to school (the hardest part!) Wish us luck!

A day at the zoo

Today we went to the zoo. We thought of going to London Zoo, but decided instead to go to Whipsnade Zoo, which is an outpost of London Zoo. Its a bit outside the city and is very big, and thus provides more comfortable accomodations for larger animals. We met some friends there - my sister-in-law's niece and nephew, along with her nephew's five-year-old daughter, and also his girlfriend. It was nice to see them - I hadn't seen them in years, and of course the kids were happy to have another kid to play with.

We all had a very nice (though chilly and a bit rainy) day. It really is a big zoo. In fact, they allow cars to enter the park, so you have the option of driving around yourself, stopping wherever you'd like to get a closer look. They also have a double-decker bus that runs through the park, stopping at various spots. We started out with a bus ride, but ended up walking (except Ben, of course!) most of the day. We saw lots of animals - rhinos, giraffes, brown bears, penguins, lemurs, reindeer, chimps, camels, and more.

We stopped for lunch at a little cafe, and when we left, there was a small elephant parade walking by. Seven or eight elephants were walking in a line right on the road, big ones and babies, each holding the tail of the one before. Very neat! There is also a small steam train through some of the animal areas, and of course we couldn't miss that.

On our way out, we asked Ben what his favorite animal was from all that we saw on our visit, and he said, "the ducks." Funny kid.

We ended up being there for six hours - it all went very fast! Unfortunately it was too cold to take many photos (I preferred to keep my hands in my cozy gloves instead!) I do have a few photos to post, however...

The kids had some fun chasing a peacock
Our new backyard

Happy Birthday Ben! We had a little birthday celebration after the zoo with this Scooby Doo cake.

I may be taking a little break from this blog next week - Brad will be away and I don't have my computer set up yet. But I promise to post as soon as I can!

Two weeks already

Today we've been here for two weeks - so far its going very fast! This is our last day of "holiday" - next week Susanna starts school. Brad is taking the day off today so that we can get a few things done and so that I can practice driving. It gets easier each time I try, but so far I've only done the route between our two houses. Fortunately the school is right along that route, so I should be all set for Monday morning. She is actually starting on Tuesday - on Monday, we will visit the school to hand in our forms and buy parts of her uniform.

Yesterday we went for a walk to check out our local park. Its a little under a mile away (I think!) and a nice walk except for crossing one major road. One thing Susanna has noticed everywhere we've played (both indoor playgrounds and outside ones) is that there are never monkey bars! That was something she was quite interested in at playgrounds in Lancaster, and she especially liked the ones at Universal since it was over the ball pit. She was getting good at them (after lots of practice) so is a bit disappointing that she can't practice them here. I guess we'll have to keep looking...

Lost and found

Today we went back to Marlow on the train to play at the fun playground there.

Getting ready for our outing, Ben insisted on wearing his favorite green hat. We picked up sandwiches for lunch and headed for the train, where we relaxed for a few minutes and ate the sandwiches (as neatly as possible). We got to the park and played a while, then went for ice cream. Ben asked for his hat. Uh oh, I didn't know where it was! We determined that it must have been left on the train, and decided that we would ask the ticket-taker when we went back. Ben had this on his mind all day and kept reminding me that we had to ask for the hat. Of course it didn't occur to him that he might never get it back. I felt so bad for not noticing it!

By the time we got back to the train (after several hours of playing and walking and a bit of shopping), Ben was asleep. So I pushed him on the train and we waited for the ticket-taker to come by. When he did, I asked if there was a Lost and Found, and he said there was, at the main station at the other end of the line. He asked what we were missing, and I said a little green hat. A kiddie hat?, he asked. Yes. Then a lightbulb came on and he took off to the other end of the train (only two cars long), and came back with Ben's hat. I couldn't believe our luck. He said that someone had thrown it away (a bit surprising actually considering how much trash people just leave!), but it had been rescued. We hid it in the stroller and washed it in our washer/dryer combo machine before Susanna surprised Ben with it. He was very pleased to have it back (see, we didn't leave it on the train after all!) and put it on his head immediately.

So another lesson learned - double and triple check all seats before departing the train. Which could prove a bit tricky with two kids, a big stroller, and quick stops, but I promise to do my best!

Lazy day

Not much to say today since we didn't do much. Ben was up much of the night because of a cough. He did seem to have a bit of troubled breathing as well. He also cried a lot (out of frustration, I suppose) and tried to wake Susanna several times, and cried more when I pulled him off her. I guess she is sleeping through it since she's worn out from all the walking I make her do!

So, we just relaxed all morning, and finally got ready to go out after lunch. We ended up going for a walk along the Thames Path that runs by our place, then leaving the path and taking a rather long way home. Ben fell asleep, as usual, and Susanna kept up well even though it wasn't "fun" at all.

By the time we got home, it was time for dinner, then a bit more play and reading before bed. No plans for tomorrow - maybe another train ride to Marlow to visit the playground there.

I have tried driving twice now, and its gone okay. I need to get a bit more practice before school starts next week, but I think I'll be okay. I will at least be able to get her to school and back, and Ben and I will just spend the days at our new house and walk anywhere we need to go. Right now we have a rental Chevy Captiva, which is a good-sized car compared to most we see on the roads, but its going okay. We don't know when we will get our keeper cars - hopefully soon but we'll see...

New town

Today we spent the morning at our new house, and the afternoon in our new town. Like a lot of towns over here, there is an "old" town and a "new" town. The old town was the original town, and the new town was built up around the rail station that was eventually built. We live less than a mile from the new town, and within the first block or so of shops, there are not one but two toy shops! How convenient : ) Actually, its fun to see how much stuff costs - no problems with temptation when I see the prices! Not to mention all the toys we already have here, more on the way, and even more that we left in Brownstown. There are also three supermarkets of varying size, an indoor playground (sort of like Universal and the other one that I wrote about in my blog), and lots of other shops ranging from basics (Woolworth's) to boutiques.

This afternoon we walked down and did a bit of shopping, then after Ben fell asleep in his buggy, Susanna and I stopped at a coffee shop for a muffin (her) and a latte (me). I figure an extra treat here or there won't hurt her since she is walking so much (and with Ben napping, I save money!) Once Ben woke up, we decided to check out the indoor playground. It was crazy - I always though Universal was crazy, but I think this place may have been worse. It was smaller (no big open space) and lots of bigger kids flying around. I actually missed the exercise machines - all you can do here is sit and watch and buy food and drinks if you are so inclined. At least I get some exercise walking there!

When we finally left there, we ran next door to the smallest grocery store in town to pick up a few items (only what I wanted to carry back!), then trekked back home again. Susanna is still doing great with the walking, and Ben is a great passenger!

We had dinner, then the kids had their first baths at their new house. They got all ready for bed, so as soon as we got back to where our beds are (for now), they climbed right in and that was it - they were worn out!

Another day in London

We had such a nice time in London that we decided to try it again today. It didn't go quite as well - you can only do so much with a three-year-old before he just goes crazy!

We took the train from the town we'll be living in since it was a slightly shorter ride. Trains go often enough that even if you don't know the schedule, you won't have to wait too long for the next one to come by. So we made it to London and decided to take the tube to Harrods. The tubes were packed today - we had to stand on most of them, occasionally getting seats for the kids (some people actually got up sothe kids could have their seats). We found Harrods easily and found our way to the toy department on the 4th floor. They had toys of all kinds on display, including some cool ride-on cars, the source of Ben's first breakdown. The cars were just to look at (and buy) of course, not to sit in. So we had to drag our child away and moved on to their kid-oriented restaurant. I know I've mentioned how expensive groceries are - compared to restaurant prices, they seem pretty cheap. We paid a lot of money for a fairly basic (but good) meal. Fortunately the kids were in the mood to eat! After that we wondered around the toy area a bit more, then found the pet shop (after a long walk through many expensive, breakable things), then on to the Food Halls for some treats from the bakery.

When we left Harrod's, it was raining a bit, but I insisted we persevere and venture on to Covent Garden, an area I loved when I was in London as a student. So back on the tube we went (we didn't take the stroller today because there are way too many stairs and escalators in the Underground) and a few stops later we were at Covent Garden, a very busy place. Since it was raining still, we hurried through the crowds to the London Transport Museum, which I figured might be of interest to the kids. Not so much, but a few things caught their eye. The big favorite was sitting in the driver's seat of a bus and pretending to steer. Ben was pretty upset (about who knows what) the entire time we were there, so unfortunately we didn't get the full experience. Maybe we'll go back in two years right before we leave - maybe the kids will appreciate it better when they're a bit older.

After the museum and a quick walk through the shops, we started our journey home, which was easy enough. Then it was time to feed the ducks, eat dinner, get baths, read stories (Sammy the Seal is the big favorite right now) and go to bed.

Tomorrow we don't plan to do much at all - I think we all need a break!

Photos!

Ben feeding the ducks by our apartment
By the gates of Buckingham Palace Enjoying a hot dog in St. James Park - Buckingham Palace in background
Taking a break to admire flowers on our long walk to Big Ben Big Ben, Little Ben
Riding the London Eye

Muddy boots, dirty dogs, and children welcome

Tonight we finally ventured to the other side of the Thames to the pub that sits right on the river. We had to travel along a little path to a railroad bridge (which we've already crossed by train) and walk across, then down the path on the other side. It was a bit muddy but that just made it more interesting - Ben actually walked the whole way there and back! Apparently there are no cars on that side of the river (in this area). People live there, but they have to take boats across to their cars.

The pub was great (I got the title for this blog entry from the sign out front - we were one of the few groups there without a dog!) There was a big garden out front with play structures for the kids, and there happened to be two little girls there the same ages as Ben and Susanna. They were so happy to have other kids to play with. They were very hungry, but filled up with just a few bites so they could play some more. At one point, the younger girl came in to tell her mum that "the little boy is scaring me". I reminded Ben to be nice, and soon afterward I saw the two of them holding hands. Its so nice how quickly little kids can make new friends. Brad and I got to relax a bit with dinner and a couple of pints. A very nice evening for all of us.

Earlier in the day we spent some time at our "new" house. Our air shipment arrived this morning so we have more of our things now. Two men brought all the boxes in and unpacked most of them, so there are lots of piles of stuff on the floor. Sheets and blankets, but no beds to put them on. Clothes, but no drawers. Books, but no shelves. We did get some racks to hang clothes on, so that helps a bit, but its not quite the same as having closets. We also did some shopping for household essentials like a trash can for the kitchen, a vacuum, and a coffee maker.

Not sure what we will do this weekend, but we are considering another train ride into London to see more sights. I also plan to work on uploading the first 400 photos from my new camera so that I can post some here... hopefully soon!

Good food

Brad suggested the topic for today's blog entry - the food!

I know I've mentioned that groceries seem a bit pricey over here, but I also have to say that the quality and selections are very good. The produce so far has been really great - strawberries, grapes, clementines - everything has great flavor (couldn't always say that about the stuff we bought at Giant...) We've been buying a lot of fresh, heat-and-eat type stuff for meals - pastas with yummy fillings, good sauces, pizzas (pepperoni is called "American" style). The kids have found Thomas yogurts (I wonder if they taste better than Dora and Diego yogurts?) and some fun cereals. I'm always eyeing up the dessert selections but haven't tried many (yet) - I guess I have some time to work on that!

We haven't eaten out at all really, except for a few quick sandwiches, and of course, ice creams. I suppose that is partly because we're not quite sure where to go (we haven't found the equivalent of Oregon Dairy yet!). There is a nice-looking pub with a big play area just across the river from where we are staying now - that is in the plans for the weekend.

Never too cold for ice cream

Today was a lot like yesterday - another train ride to Marlow and another visit to the big, fun park there. The only difference was that Ben rode in a stroller instead of in my arms! The challenges of getting on the train and fitting in shops with the stroller were totally worth it.

It was a nice day but not particularly warm. Nevertheless, we decided to have ice cream from the truck in the park. The chilly weather doesn't seem to deter anyone from having a cold treat (except me, actually - I chose hot tea instead).

This evening, we had dinner at our "new house". We had to borrow cooking things from the temp house since our things haven't arrived yet. The kids enjoyed playing in the yard a bit, and Susanna particularly enjoys running through the empty rooms.

The kids are doing very well overall. Susanna says she likes England and the only thing that she does not like is that her friends are not here. Ben talks about his friends quite a bit as well - he was just getting to the point of really caring about them. Hopefully Susanna will have a good transition into her Reception class at school, and maybe once that starts I'll start looking for a class for Ben.

Ben's new wheels

We got our new stroller today - I am so excited about it! I am probably the only person to ever order a new stroller for a 3-year-old (well, almost) who is perfectly capable of walking, but that's okay. We didn't get it until late in the afternoon so I still did a lot of carrying on our big outing today.

We took the train near our temp house to a little town called Marlow, just one stop away. Then we walked into the town center there and found a wonderful playground. It was very new and modern with lots of fun and different things and of course lots of kids. We played there for a while, then took a walk down the main street with all the shops, etc. and ended up at Starbucks for "lunch". There were many other places which all looked very good, but with just me and two little kids, I figured Starbucks was probably my best bet. So, we had some muffins and milk (and a latte for me) and continued on our way. We found a small toy shop and Ben played with the Thomas table while Susanna perused the doll clothes. Then back to the park for a couple of rides on a carousel and a bit more play, then another walk back to the train. The train ride was only about 8 minutes, but Ben managed to fall asleep, so I had to carry him most of the way home without a break. And that is when we saw that the much-needed stroller had arrived! Once we got it put together, we went for another quick walk to try it out, and of course he thought it was great. It will be nice to have a place to stash extra stuff (jackets, diapers, purchases) while we are out and about, instead of having to carry that stuff plus Ben. Susanna was anxious to try pushing the stroller herself, but she could barely see over the top!

Tonight we succeeded in getting them to bed at a more reasonable time - 8:30. They were both more than ready - I need to go to bed soon myself since they'll probably wake up extra early tomorrow. Good night!

The Long Walk

I need to start driving over here! Today Brad went to work, and the kids and I hung around the apartment in the morning, mostly watching t.v. (bad mommy, I know!) There just isn't anywhere to go in here and very few toys (not that I miss them!). So we finally got it together and headed out for an indoor playground called Jungle-mania. I think it was about a mile away and we walked. Well, Susanna and I walked and I carried Ben. Susanna has been great with the walking - no complaints there! For Ben, I ended up ordering a new stroller (one to accomodate a big 3-year-old!) and it should arrive tomorrow or the next day - I'm really looking forward to it. But back to Jungle-mania... it was sort of like the kids area at Universal with tubes and ball pits, but it also had some different stuff. The kids loved it, of course, and I even crawled through a few times to appease Ben (I said, "I'm too big!" and he said, "that little girl's dad can fit." - so he won.) After we played for quite a while, we headed home, again by foot. We took our time and stopped at the post office for stamps and ice cream (same place!) As soon as we got home, Ben laid down on the couch to watch yet another show, and promptly fell asleep.

The kids have been staying up way too late over here - they've been going to bed at 10 pretty much every night. They still get up early enough, so we need to start getting them on a better schedule to get ready for school. I also need to get myself a watch!

Day out in London

Today (despite some cold weather - we woke up to snow!) we decided to take a longer train ride and do some sightseeing in London. We walked to the train station (close for grown-ups; very far for small children!) and took a train into Paddington station. After a ride on the London Underground, then a bus, then another long walk, we arrived at Buckingham Palace. Brad had been talking to Susanna about this and was excited for her to see it. I think she wasn't quite as impressed as he expected! After looking at that for a few minutes (we missed the changing of the guards - will have to catch that another time), we walked though some nearby parks and found a cool playground. This was much better! We played for a little while, but it was just too cold. So then we set off for Big Ben, which Ben has been talking about for quite a while now. Again, not much to do but look at it and snap a few photos (which I can't post now because I don't know how to put them on Brad's computer!)

Then we took another short bus ride and another walk, and ended up at the London Eye, which is like a huge ferris wheel with big glass pods. We decided to go for it and bought tickets. That was really neat - a 30 minute ride around with birds-eye views of all of London. Certainly a bit more exciting for the kids!

We ended with another ride on the tube (Underground) and another train ride, and another long walk back to our place. Susanna was really great about all the walking - I must say that I was impressed with how she kept up and didn't complain (much). Ben, on the other hand, prefers to be carried, so Brad got an extra workout carrying him.

Tomorrow Brad starts his job here, so I'll be on my own with the kids. I'm not ready to drive yet (have yet to try! our rental car is too big!) so we'll just go for a walk in the town were in, feed the ducks, and relax a bit after our busy weekend.

Day 2

Well we've made it through another day. The kids slept well last night in their new beds and woke up at about the right time. We started out the day by driving over to the house we will be renting and meeting with the landlord for the initial walk-through. The house looked good. The kids had fun running through the back yard with their new pink soccerball and also checking out the bedrooms. Ben's favorite room was the one with the little pedestal sink, but that won't be the room he gets! Since there are no closets, we plan to use the smallest bedroom as the family closet. We'll throw in some portable clothes racks and maybe some shelves and we'll be all set. The house is heated with radiators, and the water is heated in a gas-powered boiler in the kitchen. This system is quite different from what we've had in the States and will definitely take some getting used to. I'm used to all that "stuff" being hidden away in the basement where I don't have to look at it or think about it!

After we spent a bit of time in the new house, we went to the local supermarket. This is comparable to the supermarkets in the States and it even has a Starbucks (a habit I really need to kick!) We managed to find some good stuff to eat. Everything seems much more expensive - I kept doubling the prices in my head and its crazy. The numbers of the prices are about the same, so with the exchange rate, a lot of things cost twice as much (in dollars.) When we move back to the States it will seem like everything is half-price!

We also gave into Ben's demands for a train ride. We rode from our town to the very next stop, which is near a new, big shopping center. We got a cell phone for me (pink!), some of Susanna's school uniform things, and then ate dinner at Wagamama, a Japanese noodle bar that was my favorite place to eat when I was in London for my study abroad. Our kids really don't like any sort of Asian food (especially Susanna - Ben actually does like some if he's in the mood) - a real shame because Brad and I love it all. We tried talking it up like it was a big treat, but that just doesn't work.

Now its getting late and we are relaxing in our little townhouse watching Max and Ruby - so glad they have the kids' favorite shows over here!

Here we are!

We've made it! We flew last night from BWI and arrived in London this morning. We had way too many bags - 17 in all - but somehow we managed to get them all the way here, along with two little kids! Brad's parents and their good friend Jack drove us and our stuff down to BWI last night and helped us get all the way to check in. Then we had a car service collect us at Heathrow this morning. We were dropped off at our temporary housing which is a very nice little townhouse right on the Thames. We've already spent a bit of time feeding the ducks right in back of our place.

Tomorrow we check into our permanent rental home. We won't really have much to move into it at this point, but it will be nice for the kids to see it and get used to it and excited about living there. I know they will love the big, fenced back yard.

The kids are doing as well as can be expected at this point. Susanna understands that we won't be going back to our house in Brownstown and that another family will be moving in (eventually). Ben, on the other hand, asked to go back to his house (and car) several times today. He did say that he likes this house (the temp one), so that is a start. They slept well on the plane, but of course the night was cut short when we landed. They were quite tired and a little crazy all day, and are finally both asleep.

I suppose I better go to sleep myself - another busy day awaits! Thanks to everyone for all the help the past few weeks - we will miss you all! Please keep in touch! I will do my best to keep in touch too!