I didn't start potty training Toby until right after his third birthday. He had had a potty for a while but wasn't interested in using it and, being pregnant with Rosie at the time, I was in no mood to push things along. Once I explained it all to Toby and got serious about the whole process things moved fairly smoothly though it's only in the last few weeks that he's stopped wearing a Pull-Up in bed. The final straw was when Toby realised that none of his friends at school wear Pull-Ups anymore. After that he was determined to get rid of them, though judging by the number of accidents we've had I'm not totally convinced that he's ready.
Well, Rosie is now 20 months old. Tonight I undressed her and put her in the bath. After a few seconds she started hopping up and down asking me to put her nappy back on. I assumed she needed to wee or poo and tried to convince her to sit on the toilet but she was having none of that. I ran and got a fresh nappy and as soon as it was on she squatted down and did a big wee and poop! Amazing. I can't believe she not only has the awareness of when she needs to go but also the ability to hold it even for a short period of time. Next stop, the potty shop! I'm thinking something pink and flowery or maybe polka dots.
Oh my, what am I going to do when we don't have nappies in the house anymore! My babies are growing up.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
More than I can say
The last few days have been hectic. We had the school BBQ on Friday (which was lovely) then Toby had a friend's birthday party and we had his birthday party on Sunday (which was manic and exhausting but a huge success), a chance to catch my breath on Monday and then the school trip to the seaside yesterday. Whew! Still too tired to go into detail but here are some pics.
Here's Toby and his friend Edward at the school BBQ. It's photos like this that will make me weep when Tobes is about 40.
Toby and Edward again.
Red Power Ranger
Pink Power Ranger
The birthday feast
The birthday cake arrives.
The boys of summer: Toby, Max and Edward at the seaside.
Here's Toby and his friend Edward at the school BBQ. It's photos like this that will make me weep when Tobes is about 40.
Toby and Edward again.
Red Power Ranger
Pink Power Ranger
The birthday feast
The birthday cake arrives.
The boys of summer: Toby, Max and Edward at the seaside.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Our clothes dryer just died. God, it is definitely 'one of those days' today. But, the sun has come out and we're about to head off to the school summer barbecue. I made a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad with some olive oil and a lovely herby salt I bought at Borough Market.
My goal for the day is to get the kids asleep by 8.00 and curl up with Midsomer Murders at 8.30. Ah, simple pleasures.
My goal for the day is to get the kids asleep by 8.00 and curl up with Midsomer Murders at 8.30. Ah, simple pleasures.
Another downer day today. Just little frustrations mostly. Couldn't get J a hair appointment, the grocery delivery was messed up which means I'll have to go to the grocery store myself, our cleaner Karen rang to ask if she could come today so I've been trying to tidy the flat while stuffing 40 Power Ranger favour bags for the party on Sunday and put together a salad for the school BBQ tonight. It all sounds small when I type it but the cumulative effect is draining.
I think there's something wrong with me. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he recommended some blood tests. I'm just so tired ALL THE TIME. Like, really exhausted put my head down and sleep instantly tired. I was anemic when I was a teenager and I'm wondering if that's happening again. I had a funny dizzy spell one night when I was out with Nikki and that's finally made me go to the doctor. I'm hoping it's something than can be fixed easily. I'm too exhausted for some long course of treatment.
I think there's something wrong with me. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he recommended some blood tests. I'm just so tired ALL THE TIME. Like, really exhausted put my head down and sleep instantly tired. I was anemic when I was a teenager and I'm wondering if that's happening again. I had a funny dizzy spell one night when I was out with Nikki and that's finally made me go to the doctor. I'm hoping it's something than can be fixed easily. I'm too exhausted for some long course of treatment.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Homesickness and trick boobies
One of those days today that England does so well. Not sunny, not really cold, not really hot, not really raining. Just grey and damp enough to make everything feel clammy. These days make me homesick for some Texas sun, iced tea, loud voices, bright colours and big smiles.
So, what does a girl do when she's down? Go shopping, of course! I dragged my sad, tired bones out to Bluewater and bought some things I don't really need. Like a new handbag and one of those new YSL nail polish pens. Well, the sparkly nails do lift my mood a bit but the bag is still on trial.
I also bought something that I've been thinking about for a while (any guys reading this should stop now or risk embarrassment)- some of those silicon bra inserts that look like raw chicken fillets. Since Rosie arrived I've noticed a change in my chest region and thought the chicken fillets might pad things out from time to time. I tried them on when Rosie and I got home and then forgot about them because they warm up against the skin and are actually very comfortable. I remembered that I was wearing them when I was laying down with the children at bedtime. Toby seems to have an obsession with my breasts at the moment and wants to squeeze them 'because they're really soft and squishy'. I explained that breasts are private like willies and bottoms and said that if he didn't leave mine alone I would have to take them off and put them away. Of course he didn't leave them alone so I reached into my shirt and whipped out the fillets. Toby laughed so hard I seriously thought he was going to wet the bed and Rosie took one look and said "Yuck!". When Toby finally calmed down he made me promise to show J my "trick boobies" at breakfast tomorrow. Ah yes, another little story for Toby's future therapist.
So, what does a girl do when she's down? Go shopping, of course! I dragged my sad, tired bones out to Bluewater and bought some things I don't really need. Like a new handbag and one of those new YSL nail polish pens. Well, the sparkly nails do lift my mood a bit but the bag is still on trial.
I also bought something that I've been thinking about for a while (any guys reading this should stop now or risk embarrassment)- some of those silicon bra inserts that look like raw chicken fillets. Since Rosie arrived I've noticed a change in my chest region and thought the chicken fillets might pad things out from time to time. I tried them on when Rosie and I got home and then forgot about them because they warm up against the skin and are actually very comfortable. I remembered that I was wearing them when I was laying down with the children at bedtime. Toby seems to have an obsession with my breasts at the moment and wants to squeeze them 'because they're really soft and squishy'. I explained that breasts are private like willies and bottoms and said that if he didn't leave mine alone I would have to take them off and put them away. Of course he didn't leave them alone so I reached into my shirt and whipped out the fillets. Toby laughed so hard I seriously thought he was going to wet the bed and Rosie took one look and said "Yuck!". When Toby finally calmed down he made me promise to show J my "trick boobies" at breakfast tomorrow. Ah yes, another little story for Toby's future therapist.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Taken today
A couple of photos taken today at the Hayward Gallery. Finally got the camera all set up and hope to have all the Prague pics loaded soon. Downloaded 138 photos today so it's going to take a little time to sort and label them. Just wanted to post these so Mom and Dad can see that Nikki really is alive and well.
Catching my breath
Nikki is in town today doing some sightseeing and going to a show tonight so I'm home catching up on things here. You know, exciting stuff like laundry. It's been great having Nik here again. It seems so normal. In fact, the night before Nikki arrived Toby was talking about all the things he wanted to do while she was here and I had to remind him that she was just visiting for a week. Then Tobes got really upset because he had assumed that Nikki would be here for the whole summer like last year. His main concern was that Nikki meet his new friends and see his school and we've done that plus we're seeing Nikki in San Diego in March so Toby is happy.
Of course, we've been shopping and going and doing but normal life has continued too. Toby has sports day at school on Friday and we're all going to watch and have a picnic lunch with him. Nikki leaves on Thursday so at least we have something to look forward to afterwards. This morning I was talking to one of the mums at school and discovered that her husband is from Texas, Fort Worth, and was actually at UT Austin the same time I was there! Such a small world. She seems really nice and her daughter is coming to Toby's party so I'm hoping we can chat then. English girls are so hard to befriend. It takes ages but I'm willing to put in the time because when you do make a friend here it's forever.
And J is in Beijing this week. He's speaking at a conference and gets back Thursday night. Very busy week for all of us. And now I need to go make dinner and will hopefully download all of our photos tonight. I finally got a new camera but I haven't set it all up to download yet. Can't wait until the kids are down and the house is quiet. Soooo busy!
Of course, we've been shopping and going and doing but normal life has continued too. Toby has sports day at school on Friday and we're all going to watch and have a picnic lunch with him. Nikki leaves on Thursday so at least we have something to look forward to afterwards. This morning I was talking to one of the mums at school and discovered that her husband is from Texas, Fort Worth, and was actually at UT Austin the same time I was there! Such a small world. She seems really nice and her daughter is coming to Toby's party so I'm hoping we can chat then. English girls are so hard to befriend. It takes ages but I'm willing to put in the time because when you do make a friend here it's forever.
And J is in Beijing this week. He's speaking at a conference and gets back Thursday night. Very busy week for all of us. And now I need to go make dinner and will hopefully download all of our photos tonight. I finally got a new camera but I haven't set it all up to download yet. Can't wait until the kids are down and the house is quiet. Soooo busy!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Prague
OK, still no photos but thought I would update about the trip before life totally overtakes me and I forget I even went. "Prague?? What? Who? What did Rosie just put in her mouth?!...etc, etc."
J's driver picked me up at 5.30am on Friday and I have to say that just the peaceful ride to the airport, browsing the shops at Heathrow and sitting quietly reading a book on the plane were heaven. By the time I arrived I was rested and Zen-ed out. It all went very smoothly and I even had over an hour at the hotel to freshen up and read some more before Nikki arrived. Heaven, heaven, heaven.
We took it easy on Friday and just roamed around the city, which is beautiful. It's small enough to walk everywhere and has amazing architecture, lovely shops and charming little cafes around every corner. We had dinner at an Afghan restaurant called Ariana. Neither of us had eaten Afghan food before and it was delicious. Nikki had the qorma tarkari which was vegetables with Persian bread (Nik's veggie) and I had the mantu which is mutton, onion and cabbage stuffed into dough pockets a bit like ravioli with a split pea sauce. We shared some palaou rice and drank the best chai tea I've ever tasted. Afterwards we went to Ebel Cafe for dessert which is said to have the best coffee in Prague. We were not disappointed. We both had Viennese coffee with fresh whipped cream and I had a slice of Czech honey pie (which was more like a cake) and Nikki had some of their famous apple strudel. It was all wonderful.
One of the major sites in Prague is the Charles Bridge. Our hotel was about 100 yards from the bridge. Our room had two French windows which opened up overlooking the street and if we looked out to the left we could see right across the bridge. It was a fantastic location. The hotel was in the heart of the city and actually on the Royal Way which is the old royal parade route. It's now more like "Tourist Lane" and it's a 24 hour kind of party place. The hotel has a 24 hour bar/restaurant on the ground floor and various nightclubs including a strip joint in the basement which all close at 6am. It was hot in Prague and the first night Nikki and I went to bed around 1am with the windows open for some cool air (no AC of course). At 5am when people started singing football chants under the windows I reached my limit and got up and closed them.
On Saturday we slept late then crossed the river for brunch at Bohemia Bagel which was really, really good then visited St Nicholas Cathedral. We spent ages in the cathedral. It's absolutely breathtaking and I took loads of photos which will probably bore everyone but me. After the cathedral we walked up the hill, stopped for drinks at a cafe overlooking the city then visited the library at the Strahov Monastery. In the evening we met up with Nikki's friends from UC San Diego for dinner and a show. We went to see Laterna Magica which is sort of a poor man's Cirque du Soleil. Considering the fact that I actually had to stop myself giggling through half of it, and not in a good way, I'm afraid that I cannot recommend it.
We went to a bar afterwards and Nikki and some of the others tried the absinth. I don't know why I didn't join in. I just didn't fancy it. It was interesting and Nikki said it was like drinking mouth wash. As far as I know, she didn't have any hallucinations afterwards but maybe she just didn't drink enough. It was great to meet Nikki's friends who were all very nice and a lot of fun. Nik and I left early though because she had her presentation to give at 9am the following morning. Well, I say we left early. We didn't get to bed until after 1am, which is actually pretty late for these old bones.
Sunday morning we were up and out to catch a tram to the exhibition grounds for Nikki's presentation. She did really well. I was so impressed with her presentation. So relaxed and wasn't constantly saying "ummm... ummmm" like so many of the students. Some of the photos from Nikki's presentation had gone missing so she ended up using a laptop and flat screen to show them since they're available online. It worked out really well and you can take a look at them here.
Sunday afternoon we had lunch at the Ebel Cafe and then met up with Nikki's friends to explore the Jewish Quarter. We saw the little door on the Old New Synagogue where the golem of Prague is said to be stored, walked around the Jewish cemetary and visited the Spanish Synagogue. One of Nikki's friends is Jewish and she was able to explain a lot of the history which really added to the experience.
By Sunday afternoon I was happily exhausted but starting to get homesick. The journey home went smoothly and I arrived late that night and collapsed into bed. It was a really fantastic trip and so good to have some time with Nikki. She's in Croatia now on her own for some peace and recovery before she arrives in London on Thursday night. Our itenerary is already filling up for next week with a visit to Hampstead Heath, the Hayward Gallery, shopping at Primark and about a dozen other things.
Maybe I'll rest in August.
J's driver picked me up at 5.30am on Friday and I have to say that just the peaceful ride to the airport, browsing the shops at Heathrow and sitting quietly reading a book on the plane were heaven. By the time I arrived I was rested and Zen-ed out. It all went very smoothly and I even had over an hour at the hotel to freshen up and read some more before Nikki arrived. Heaven, heaven, heaven.
We took it easy on Friday and just roamed around the city, which is beautiful. It's small enough to walk everywhere and has amazing architecture, lovely shops and charming little cafes around every corner. We had dinner at an Afghan restaurant called Ariana. Neither of us had eaten Afghan food before and it was delicious. Nikki had the qorma tarkari which was vegetables with Persian bread (Nik's veggie) and I had the mantu which is mutton, onion and cabbage stuffed into dough pockets a bit like ravioli with a split pea sauce. We shared some palaou rice and drank the best chai tea I've ever tasted. Afterwards we went to Ebel Cafe for dessert which is said to have the best coffee in Prague. We were not disappointed. We both had Viennese coffee with fresh whipped cream and I had a slice of Czech honey pie (which was more like a cake) and Nikki had some of their famous apple strudel. It was all wonderful.
One of the major sites in Prague is the Charles Bridge. Our hotel was about 100 yards from the bridge. Our room had two French windows which opened up overlooking the street and if we looked out to the left we could see right across the bridge. It was a fantastic location. The hotel was in the heart of the city and actually on the Royal Way which is the old royal parade route. It's now more like "Tourist Lane" and it's a 24 hour kind of party place. The hotel has a 24 hour bar/restaurant on the ground floor and various nightclubs including a strip joint in the basement which all close at 6am. It was hot in Prague and the first night Nikki and I went to bed around 1am with the windows open for some cool air (no AC of course). At 5am when people started singing football chants under the windows I reached my limit and got up and closed them.
On Saturday we slept late then crossed the river for brunch at Bohemia Bagel which was really, really good then visited St Nicholas Cathedral. We spent ages in the cathedral. It's absolutely breathtaking and I took loads of photos which will probably bore everyone but me. After the cathedral we walked up the hill, stopped for drinks at a cafe overlooking the city then visited the library at the Strahov Monastery. In the evening we met up with Nikki's friends from UC San Diego for dinner and a show. We went to see Laterna Magica which is sort of a poor man's Cirque du Soleil. Considering the fact that I actually had to stop myself giggling through half of it, and not in a good way, I'm afraid that I cannot recommend it.
We went to a bar afterwards and Nikki and some of the others tried the absinth. I don't know why I didn't join in. I just didn't fancy it. It was interesting and Nikki said it was like drinking mouth wash. As far as I know, she didn't have any hallucinations afterwards but maybe she just didn't drink enough. It was great to meet Nikki's friends who were all very nice and a lot of fun. Nik and I left early though because she had her presentation to give at 9am the following morning. Well, I say we left early. We didn't get to bed until after 1am, which is actually pretty late for these old bones.
Sunday morning we were up and out to catch a tram to the exhibition grounds for Nikki's presentation. She did really well. I was so impressed with her presentation. So relaxed and wasn't constantly saying "ummm... ummmm" like so many of the students. Some of the photos from Nikki's presentation had gone missing so she ended up using a laptop and flat screen to show them since they're available online. It worked out really well and you can take a look at them here.
Sunday afternoon we had lunch at the Ebel Cafe and then met up with Nikki's friends to explore the Jewish Quarter. We saw the little door on the Old New Synagogue where the golem of Prague is said to be stored, walked around the Jewish cemetary and visited the Spanish Synagogue. One of Nikki's friends is Jewish and she was able to explain a lot of the history which really added to the experience.
By Sunday afternoon I was happily exhausted but starting to get homesick. The journey home went smoothly and I arrived late that night and collapsed into bed. It was a really fantastic trip and so good to have some time with Nikki. She's in Croatia now on her own for some peace and recovery before she arrives in London on Thursday night. Our itenerary is already filling up for next week with a visit to Hampstead Heath, the Hayward Gallery, shopping at Primark and about a dozen other things.
Maybe I'll rest in August.
Monday, June 25, 2007
I'm baaa-aack...
Had a really fantastic time in Prague. Did lots of walking, sight-seeing, sitting in cafes, talking, saw a show, ate some wonderful food and drank just a little bit. Did not do very much sleeping though and have had to hit the ground running today with the kiddos since J is back at work. Tobes is off school today for a teacher training day and I have a pounding headache. Feels like I've been away for ages and I can't seem to get back into the swing of things here. Hopefully a good night's sleep will sort me out.
So great to see Nikki and watch her at work. She's so talented. Gotta go kill some kids now. Loads of photos as soon as I get back to normal.
So great to see Nikki and watch her at work. She's so talented. Gotta go kill some kids now. Loads of photos as soon as I get back to normal.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Busy, busy, busy
Where has the week gone? I can't believe it's Thursday already. Jason's driver is picking me up at 5.30am to take me to Heathrow tomorrow and I am so not ready. I just got an email from Nikki in Prague warning me that it's "hot as fuck" (sorry parents!) so I need to rethink some of my clothing plans. I think I'm just going to chuck some stuff in a case and then get whatever else I need at the airport. Heathrow is so well-equipped with shops, it's like a mall, and security is so tight these days that I won't be able to carry much through anyway.
The children have been slightly more calm this week. After doing some reading and asking around among friends I think that Toby's recent craziness is down to not get enough one-to-one time with me, not getting enough priviledges for being older than Rosie, dealing with some of the more aggressive boys at school and the long daylight hours we have here at the moment. The sun comes up around 4am and doesn't set until 10pm. Thankfully today is the longest day and they'll start getting shorter again soon, so that problem will resolve itself.
As for the other things, we've started letting Toby stay up an hour later than Rosie at night so that he and I can have some regular time together once she's asleep and we've been talking about ways to deal with the boys at school. So far 'big boy time' has been a bit of a struggle because Rosie doesn't want to go to sleep. I'll persevere though because I do think it makes sense.
Last night Toby and I were chatting during our one-to-one time and had the following conversation:
Toby: I don't want Daddy to go to work anymore. I want him to be home every day.
Me: Daddy works to make money so that we all have a nice life and you can go to a nice school. One of us has to work or we wouldn't have those things anymore. Wouold you prefer for me to work and Daddy to stay home? We could try it that way.
Toby: No, I want you AND Daddy to stay home.
Me: Well, someone has to go to work to make the money.
Toby: [a long silence then...] I want Rosie to go to work!
I was telling J about this later and he said "Well, if Rosie could get paid for pooping we'd be rich!"
The children have been slightly more calm this week. After doing some reading and asking around among friends I think that Toby's recent craziness is down to not get enough one-to-one time with me, not getting enough priviledges for being older than Rosie, dealing with some of the more aggressive boys at school and the long daylight hours we have here at the moment. The sun comes up around 4am and doesn't set until 10pm. Thankfully today is the longest day and they'll start getting shorter again soon, so that problem will resolve itself.
As for the other things, we've started letting Toby stay up an hour later than Rosie at night so that he and I can have some regular time together once she's asleep and we've been talking about ways to deal with the boys at school. So far 'big boy time' has been a bit of a struggle because Rosie doesn't want to go to sleep. I'll persevere though because I do think it makes sense.
Last night Toby and I were chatting during our one-to-one time and had the following conversation:
Toby: I don't want Daddy to go to work anymore. I want him to be home every day.
Me: Daddy works to make money so that we all have a nice life and you can go to a nice school. One of us has to work or we wouldn't have those things anymore. Wouold you prefer for me to work and Daddy to stay home? We could try it that way.
Toby: No, I want you AND Daddy to stay home.
Me: Well, someone has to go to work to make the money.
Toby: [a long silence then...] I want Rosie to go to work!
I was telling J about this later and he said "Well, if Rosie could get paid for pooping we'd be rich!"
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Our little celeb
Toby has made the news! Though he seemed to be using a stage name. I'm comforted by the fact that Toby's friend's name is misspelled too. Aren't they precious.
Monday, June 18, 2007
I'm flying to Prague on Friday and today I did the thing I often do before a trip - freak out and go shopping. I'm really looking forward to seeing Nikki but I must admit that I'm feeling a little nervous about meeting her theatre friends. I feel like I'm going to stick out as the Frumpy Old Mum of the group. So, what's the best way to boost a girl's self esteem? Buy some stuff.
Today I bought the skirt above and some gorgeous sandals. The skirt is a bit Holly Hobbie in the 70s (Google her now, she's come a long way!) but I seem to be getting into the boho, vintage vibe just as it's passing out of fashion. I need to check the weather in Prague but I'm planning to pack jeans, my new skirt, T-shirts, vests and my maxi dress. I'm sure you wanted to know that.
In other news, Toby seems to have gone completely freakin' ape shit. I don't know what has gotten into the boy. He's calling everyone names, being incredibly rude and tonight he actually spat in my face! Thankfully it isn't completely constant and we still get glimpses of the sweet boy we know but he's definitely going through something. I talked to him about it tonight and he said that sometimes he doesn't like Rosie because she scribbles on his drawings so I'm guessing that sibling rivalry is at least part of the problem. I think some of his friends at school are a little on the rambunctious side and Tobes is picking up some bad habits. I would assume that he's passed on a few bad habits too and that this is just all a part of growing up. Completely exhausting.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Living the dream
Today was the Summer Fair at St Margaret's. On Thursday I went to the school to help construct a dragon out of recyclable rubbish with some other moms. The theme of the fair this year was being green and the dragon was the centrepiece. It was a lot of fun and hard work (and I have the blisters to prove it) and the dragon looked fantastic. Toby and another little boy had their photos taken with it for a local newspaper. Something for the scrapbook!
I made Coca Cola cupcakes for the cake stall. (I like to play the American card regularly.) They all sold, which I think is a good sign, but I've learned that the English prefer the familiar. Things like strawberry and jam tarts were the first to sell. Will keep that in mind next year. I worked a shift at the cake stall and it was great to meet some of the mums with children in older grades. St Margaret's is a small school with just one class per year so everyone gets to know everyone else. One of the moms is quickly becoming my role model. She always looks immaculate, has a job in the arts, is a co-chair of the Friends Committee (kind of like PTA) and makes raspberry and strawberry tarts so delicious that they were all purchased by teachers and parents before the fair even opened! What a wonderwoman.
J, though struggling with a bit of Delhi belly, took the children around the various stalls where they won some small toys and sweets. Toby's friends Max, Edward and Thierry were there so Tobes was in heaven. They had their faces painted like Power Rangers and ran around the playground with Rosie trailing behind desperately trying to keep up. Later they came in to see me at the cake stall and purchased a cupcake each. It was so much fun and totally a dream come true for me. Being a part of the school, helping out with the other moms, seeing J with the other parents and the children running around having fun and feeling a part of something positive. It's everything I've ever wanted.
With that in mind I've volunteered to join the board of the Friends Committee. Wonderwoman was encouraging me to go for Chair or Co-Chair with someone else, and I'm sure I would love to take on that role one day, but I'm going for Secretary or even Co-Secretary first. One step at a time!
I made Coca Cola cupcakes for the cake stall. (I like to play the American card regularly.) They all sold, which I think is a good sign, but I've learned that the English prefer the familiar. Things like strawberry and jam tarts were the first to sell. Will keep that in mind next year. I worked a shift at the cake stall and it was great to meet some of the mums with children in older grades. St Margaret's is a small school with just one class per year so everyone gets to know everyone else. One of the moms is quickly becoming my role model. She always looks immaculate, has a job in the arts, is a co-chair of the Friends Committee (kind of like PTA) and makes raspberry and strawberry tarts so delicious that they were all purchased by teachers and parents before the fair even opened! What a wonderwoman.
J, though struggling with a bit of Delhi belly, took the children around the various stalls where they won some small toys and sweets. Toby's friends Max, Edward and Thierry were there so Tobes was in heaven. They had their faces painted like Power Rangers and ran around the playground with Rosie trailing behind desperately trying to keep up. Later they came in to see me at the cake stall and purchased a cupcake each. It was so much fun and totally a dream come true for me. Being a part of the school, helping out with the other moms, seeing J with the other parents and the children running around having fun and feeling a part of something positive. It's everything I've ever wanted.
With that in mind I've volunteered to join the board of the Friends Committee. Wonderwoman was encouraging me to go for Chair or Co-Chair with someone else, and I'm sure I would love to take on that role one day, but I'm going for Secretary or even Co-Secretary first. One step at a time!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Butterflies - both real and social
It's amazing how Toby's social life has exploded since he started school. Virtually every afternoon is filled with play dates, parties and school events. This week we went to Max's house on Tuesday so Toby could play with Max and his brother Eddie and I could visit with their mum. Today it was Toby's friend Otto's birthday party. Tomorrow Toby's friend Thierry is coming over for the afternoon and staying for dinner then we have the school fete on Saturday. It's great and I've been surprised and pleased at how quickly we're becoming a part of the school network.
On Monday Toby took his caterpillars to school. Did I mention that we have five again this year? They were already in their cocoons and two of them emerged as lovely butterflies during class. Very good timing. Of the five, one died trying to come out of its cocoon and one had incomplete wings. Not bad, last year we only had three butterflies in total, and it's a nice, gentle way to talk about death and physical imperfections with Toby. Tobes and Thierry are planning to release the butterflies in the front garden tomorrow. They usually stay in one area so hopefully we'll see them again this summer.
On Monday Toby took his caterpillars to school. Did I mention that we have five again this year? They were already in their cocoons and two of them emerged as lovely butterflies during class. Very good timing. Of the five, one died trying to come out of its cocoon and one had incomplete wings. Not bad, last year we only had three butterflies in total, and it's a nice, gentle way to talk about death and physical imperfections with Toby. Tobes and Thierry are planning to release the butterflies in the front garden tomorrow. They usually stay in one area so hopefully we'll see them again this summer.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Our little comedienne
Here's Rosie doing her impression of Swiper on Dora the Explorer.
"Oh, man"
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"Oh, man"
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So cool!
Check out this article in the NY Times. It's about the Prague Quadrennial which is what Nikki is taking part in next week. It's described as the Olympics of stage design... and my sister is one of the participants!! So very cool. I can't wait to get out there. I've heard that Prague is wonderful but I imagine it'll be extra fun with so many theatre people there. Yay!
Continuing the hair theme...
Someone I used to work with was cleaning out the old work database and found this photo taken sometime in the mid-90s. It's me, Nikki and J in Dallas. My hair was so short! This is how I wore it for most of my 20s. Funny, I thought women were supposed to cut their hair shorter as they got older. I seem to be doing it in reverse. To be honest, I don't think my 36 year old face could handle a haircut that short but then look at Judi Dench. Hmmmm.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Back to my roots
About every 4-5 years the constant highlighting makes my hair very blonde. When I start to feel too much like a Barbie doll I have it all dyed back to my natural colour. Today was that day. Not that my natural colour is so dark, but it's just more me. Now I can start the process all over again!
Friday, June 08, 2007
International Day
"The Team" - Toby, Thierry, Edward and Max
Jack, Solar, Toby, Thierry, Edward and Max
Rosie Rae
Rosie Rae running rampant
This was Creative Week at St Margaret's culminating in International Day today. The children did special art projects all week and then had a feast day today when the parents brought in food representing the different cultures at the school.
Earlier in the week J and I were up at midnight shredding magazines for the class to use for a project and last night I was up at midnight making cornbread and biscuits for the feast today. I made a couple of key lime pies too and it was all eaten by the end of the afternoon.
Today the children went to school in various types of national dress. Toby wore Dyllin's Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman jersey that Jon sent him (and that we'll give back for baby Ian), jeans and a baseball cap. Rosie and I both wore UT Longhorn T-shirts for the special day. It was a lovely afternoon, surprisingly sunny though rain had been predicted for the whole day.
There are a real mix of cultures at Toby's school but you can tell which ones really value their food because the Jamaican and Chinese contingent were out in full force and provided some amazing dishes. All kinds of noodles, chicken, rice and things like homemade eggrolls and fried plantain. The children ate very well. I must say that the Americans were under-represented and I'm already making plans for my own table next year with chicken wings, biscuits, maybe chili...
It was a good opportunity to see Toby in his own environment. He has a nice little group of boys that he calls his 'team' and they ran wild around the playground. Rosie tried to keep up but settled in the end with another little girl of the same age. It was also good to talk to some other parents and chat with Toby's teacher. I really like the school. I'm so glad we made the right choice.
Jack, Solar, Toby, Thierry, Edward and Max
Rosie Rae
Rosie Rae running rampant
This was Creative Week at St Margaret's culminating in International Day today. The children did special art projects all week and then had a feast day today when the parents brought in food representing the different cultures at the school.
Earlier in the week J and I were up at midnight shredding magazines for the class to use for a project and last night I was up at midnight making cornbread and biscuits for the feast today. I made a couple of key lime pies too and it was all eaten by the end of the afternoon.
Today the children went to school in various types of national dress. Toby wore Dyllin's Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman jersey that Jon sent him (and that we'll give back for baby Ian), jeans and a baseball cap. Rosie and I both wore UT Longhorn T-shirts for the special day. It was a lovely afternoon, surprisingly sunny though rain had been predicted for the whole day.
There are a real mix of cultures at Toby's school but you can tell which ones really value their food because the Jamaican and Chinese contingent were out in full force and provided some amazing dishes. All kinds of noodles, chicken, rice and things like homemade eggrolls and fried plantain. The children ate very well. I must say that the Americans were under-represented and I'm already making plans for my own table next year with chicken wings, biscuits, maybe chili...
It was a good opportunity to see Toby in his own environment. He has a nice little group of boys that he calls his 'team' and they ran wild around the playground. Rosie tried to keep up but settled in the end with another little girl of the same age. It was also good to talk to some other parents and chat with Toby's teacher. I really like the school. I'm so glad we made the right choice.
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