NOTE to READERS: THIS POST IS SOMEWHAT LONG AND RAMBLING, AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY PHOTOS BUT I WANTED TO GET ALL OF MY THOUGHTS IN ONE PLACE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. thank you for reading!
It's hard to believe that we have already been in London for a year. It has passed by very quickly. I don't miss driving and all the hassles of traffic, and I can honestly say I don't miss my big house. I do miss my big backyard and my closet, but we have learned to make the most of the space that we have, and it's just right. We use all of our house each and every day, and we spend the majority of our time in the kitchen. The kids watch a lot less TV because the TV is not right there in your face. Lauren has spent a lot more time on the computer, but then a lot of her homework is on the computer! I do miss being able to see my mom a couple of times a week and participate in all the family celebrations. And I miss being able to talk to my Miami girls on the phone every once in a while. And I miss St. John's (preschool, church, MOPS, Awana). And our great network of friends from Hillcrest and Goshen. And after baking several batches of Christmas cookies, I do miss my KitchenAid mixer.....
Driving on the other side of the road is something I expected; however, I ride in cars so infrequently that almost every time I go get into a car, I go to the wrong side. There are some aspects I didn't expect, like the paper size. Standard paper size in the US is letter and here it's A4, which is little longer and a little narrower which means that every folder and binder I have is not quite the right size all the paper sticks out the top and bottom. And I can never remember if A5 or A3 is bigger that A4.
And the currency has been a bit of a learning curve. There are SO many coins and it makes my wallet so heavy. Those £2 coins are HUGE!! There are 8 coins: £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. I will say that the value of the coins is more obvious since it's in the name; where did dime and nickel come from anyways? And all the bills are all different sizes, and they have the queen on them.
We have also had to learn some new vocabulary (I am sure there are some I have omitted):
cilantro=coriander
eggplant=aubergine
zucchini=courgette
cookies=biscuits
crackers=savoury biscuits
pickles=gherkins
powdered sugar=icing sugar
popsicle=ice lolly
candy=sweeties
stroller=pushchair/pram
elevator=lift
bathroom=toilet
trashcan=bin
trash=rubbish
calendar=diary (and the week starts on Monday on the calendars rather than Sunday)
underwear=pants (I just can't get used to this one.)
pants=trousers
shirt=top
sweater=jumper
undershirt=vest
PE clothes=PE kit
backpack=bookbag (several kids have given me a blank look when I said backpack)
trunk (car)=boot
vacation=holiday
potato chips=crisps
fries=chips
backyard=garden
grocery sack=carrier bag
parking lot=car park
Squash is a very concentrated syrup that is mixed with water to make juice. There is really no equivalent that I can think of from the US, but the first time someone said there would be biscuits and squash at the kids' playgroup, I was very perplexed about the taste of the kids in London.
And don't get me started on the spelling with the extra "u" and the "s" instead of "z". (At least my phone is set on British spelling....)
"Tea" has different meanings; not only is it the drink that is so popular here, but it's also the term of children's meal that is served around 4:30 or 5 in the evening. I was so confused for the longest time before my friend Joanna explained that terminology to me!
I still haven't figured out how to convert quickly from Farenheit to Celsius, but I need to force myself to do it so I know that when someone says it is 29 degrees, that means it's really hot because that really doesn't sound hot to me. And measuring the kids in Kilograms and centimeters makes them sound really light but super tall. I finally had to purchase a food scale so I could measure butter since all my recipes are in Tablespoons and cups and the butter is measured in grams!!
Things the kids have learned to do:
tie a tie: Lauren and Alison can both tie a tie as part of their uniform
ride a scooter: they all knew how to ride scooters but they are experts now. They start around age 2 here.
navigate public transportation: they know all about the train, the tube and the bus. (Although we do need to work on the transport etiquette at times.)
New TV shows we have discovered:
Charlie & Lola: such a cute show that all the kids love, based on the books by Lauren Child
MasterChef: a favourite of all of us. Similar to Top Chef, but much better! They have all different kinds of challenges. Lauren just may have been inspired to become a chef. I told her she needs to expand her pallet a bit to do that.
Dinner Date: A show where the contestants pick three dates based on the menus presented and then at the end, they select their favourite to go out to a nice dinner.
I do have to say that I am glad they also show Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy and Scandal here. And I have already been able to watch the entire last season of Downton Abbey (No spoilers I promise!!)
Drew still loves to watch Thomas and Friends but Sir Topham Hat is called "The Fat Controller." (Which still makes me laugh!)
Grocery delivery has definitely made my life so much easier this year. Last week, the delivery fees for my favourite place were £10, so I decided I could do the shopping for Christmas myself with my handy shopping trolley. Well, I got just as much as I could carry in my trolley and the 2 extra bags I had added at the last minute, and thank goodness Lauren was with me since she carried a bag of stuff as well as a big box of cornflakes! I haven't loaded up a cart since I have been here, so I didn't realize how much it could hold versus my shopping trolley but now I know.
Charity shops are also a great find around here. I found a costume for Lauren's Tudor Day at school at a charity shop for £3. They are so much better than goodwill and there are 5 of them all along the Broadway in Wimbledon.
All in all, I think the year has been a positive experience for all of us. We have all made friends and for that I am so grateful; I don't know how I would have made it through this year without all the wonderful friends from Garfield and our neighbors! The school has made such a huge difference for all of us: the kids made friends immediately because the kids were all very welcoming to them, and I joined the PTA and made friends instantly and then found myself as the PTA chair which helped me to meet even more wonderful people. I can't say enough great things about the Garfield community: it's so diverse, but so accepting and I am so thankful that the kids have been able to experience so many different cultures and be surrounded by people that speak different languages and have different backgrounds. And the kids have really thrived at school, socially and academically. I am impressed with Alison's reading and her maths, and Lauren has really blossomed in her writing and her maths as well. And Drew is learning about being a good friend and being a leader, as he is one of the oldest in his class.
Brad has really flourished at work. He really loves what he is doing and is definitely very well-respected by everyone at KFC. He is learning a lot and has traveled to all different parts of the UK to many different KFC restaurants. He has also made some good friends at work, and Lauren asks every once in a while "Is Daddy at the pub with his mates?" I am happy that he only travels overnight every couple of weeks rather than being gone for two weeks at a time. And the kids (especially Drew) are happy about that as well.
We have done some traveling as planned: the family has visited Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris and Valencia. Brad and I also visited Italy and I visited Poland. Next year, we plan to visit several more new places and have many more experiences. It is getting easier to travel, especially now that we don't need to bring the stroller for Drew! And the kids are more accustomed to the hustle and bustle and extra time it takes to get to the airport via public transportation. I hope that we can add some British cities to our list as well: there are several interesting places to see close to home! We also visited several major sites in London: Big Ben, London Eye, Aquarium, Natural History Museum, Science Musuem, Hampton Court, Buckingham Palace, Transport Museum, and Hyde Park.
I am so grateful for this opportunity for our family to have these wonderful experiences and to share life with all the wonderful people we have met here. I am so thankful for Skype and Facetime and the ability to communicate with our family and friends back in the US.
