Rainy Day Thursday

Most Thursdays Hannah and I have a girl's day out - Ava is with her childminder and Kaneu is at school until 3, so we have a long chunk of time to get together and gab, knit(though we never got very far with this!), eat, shop and sometimes even educate ourselves with some English history or culture. Today we met in Notting Hill and were rained in at Stabucks. We did manage to grab lunch and walk down Portabello Rd for a bit. Next week's plans are ambitious - Bikram yoga and the Natural History Museum. Here are some pictures from last weeks visit to Hampton Court. Ever since she loaned me the book The Other Boleyn Girl we've talked of going and finally went. It was really cool to see where King Henry VIII lived with his many wives. The grounds are beautiful and I definitely want to return in the spring. We are are anxiously awaiting for the movie to come out. If you haven't read the book you should!

X Marks the Spot
The other day Kaneu and I were walking home when he started pointing up to the sky and excitedly exclaimed "there's an X in the sky!!". Sure enough he was right. We often play "I spy" on our walks and his little eye never ceases to amaze me.

I am still dreaming of a sunny get away. Thanks to Kerryanne and Chandra for their suggestions. I'm going to do some research right now on Morocco and Turkey. Sunny weather here I come ...

Complaint Free World

I was reading Kelly's blog and it reminded me of a post that I had begun back in Sept but never completed. Here it is:

Over the last few weeks I have been consciously working on being more positive, complaining less and just having a better attitude overall. It started in early September when Kaneu was going through one of his "phases". It seemed our boy was uninterested in whatever we asked him to do and we were finding ourselves repeating over and over and over, getting louder and louder each time. He also began "back talking", which left us stunned and unprepared for how to respond and parent him. We felt mentally exhausted, irritated, frustrated and worst of all - like bad parents... and did I mention helpless? I went to the bookshelf and picked up a parenting book that I purchased about a year ago during another "phase". The book is simply written and the techniques are basic with a very common sensical (I know this isn't a word but deal with it) approach. It has really empowered us to parent Kaneu through the "phase", which has thankfully passed. One of the key takeaways for me was this - if you want your kid to stop doing X behavior, then you need to praise, praise, praise him when he's not doing it. Kids want attention any way they can get it and I'd much rather spend my energy on giving positive praise than the alternative. Thus began a more positive way of speaking to Kaneu and to each other. I believe negativity breeds more negativity. Brian and I very easily can find ourselves complaining while waiting for the train or the bus, the crowds, body odor on the train or bus, etc when alternatively we could be oozing positivity about how great our life is, and what a cool opportunity living in London has been. It's easier said than done I suppose, but I am really working on this. My friend Diana sent me the bracelet. It is worn as a reminder to think positively and every time you complain, gossip (I'm terrible about this too!) or criticize the bracelet is switched to the other arm. The goal is to get to 30 days without having switched the bracelet. Brian is wearing one too, though he has opted to wear a rubberband instead of the purple. It's pretty funny if we are in a conversation where we are both switching it over back and forth, back and forth, etc. I love our awareness though, and I guess that is really the first step in making a change. Are you up to the challenge?

Reading this post is such a good reminder for me because wintertime is really, really hard for me to cope with. I want to hole up on the couch and hibernate until spring, stuffing my face and complaining all the while about the weather and how tired I am, blah blah blah. I really have so much to be thankful for and when I put it all into perspective I truly am. I haven't worn my bracelet since November, but I think it's time to start wearing it again.

Hope you're having a positively lovely day. And if you are interested check it out and get on the peacetrain! xx. dana

Bye Bye Birdy

This little fella (or little lady?) found it's way to our doorstep Sunday afternoon. Brian opened the front door to find him sitting on our doormat. They were both very startled and the birdy flew a few feet away and then just hung there for a while in our courtyard. We thought he was really cute and so I decided to take some pictures of him. We thought it was a little odd that he didn't seem scared or
startled by us or by Rosie, who so badly wanted to play with him. As I was taking his photo he decided to go to sleep and tucked his little head behind his wing. This little guy is just so cute, I seriously wanted to bring him in and see if he was okay, but I didn't. We came inside and as I began this post Brian decided to go check on him. Sadly when he went outside the bird had died. We were really bummed out and stunned. He must have been sick and I am just hoping that he wasn't in any pain. I know this was just a little bird who we didn't even know, but he was just a sweet little thing. What a strange thing to happen. I can't help but wonder what brought him to our doorstep ...

Other than losing our new little friend we had a really great weekend. The weather was decent - cold but sunny, which is such a treat. Sunday morning we went to the Columbia Road Flower Market in East London. It is such a great place to visit - very quaint. You can buy amazing flowers and plants and the vibe is just really cool. We got this beautiful basket full of flowers for "a fiver". We also got a beautiful bunch of orange tulips. There are loads of antique shops, galleries and boutiques to browse along with some amazing little eateries.

Afterwards we had a tasty Vietnamese lunch and on our walk we saw some cool graffiti. At first I thought the two on the left were done by the British graffiti artist, Banksy, but they appear to be pealing off of the wall and so I doubt they are real. Who really knows though - he's a bit of a mystery.

We walked around Hyde Park for a bit. Across from the park there is a construction site and this is the fencing that is up - pretty cool, huh? Lifesize colored pencils and boxes of crayons with some quotes. I didn't notice the quote "Good things come to those who wait" on the bottom left until after we got home and I was looking through the pictures. And waiting we are - we'll be pros by the time these adoptions are finalized! Here's hoping that all those awaiting their adoption-related paperwork, referrals and travel are keeping busy and staying positive. I hope the waiting goes by quickly for all of us.

Sunday night we met our South African friends, Elaine and JD, out for a movie and dinner. After waiting in line we learned that Atonement was sold out, so we saw The Valley of Elah, which was sad but very well acted. I'd recommend it.

xo.dana

Sew, a needle pulling thread

Kaneu loves when I sing Do-Re-Mi from the Sound of Music. He's really getting into new songs in general and I love it because we enjoy listening to the same music. I have put together some playlists for him on our iPod and he gets so excited when he hears some of his favorites, which include some songs by the Beatles - "Blackbird", "The Little Piggies" and "Octopuses Garden". He's also really into singing Carly Simon and James Taylor's version of "Mockingbird". These are slowly beginning to replace the lullabies he wants us to sing at bedtime. It makes me a little sad when he requests these over "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "You are My Sunshine", but I love his appreciation for music.

For the last week and a half I have been working on a quilt - my first! I think it will be really cool once it's complete, but I gotta be honest - it's hard and tedious work! It took a full week to iron and cut the fabric, then I had to piece it all together which nearly drove me insane. I am way too detail oriented and somewhat of a perfectionist for this kind of work. I am happy to say that I'm ready to start sewing. I am hoping that will be the easy part ... we'll see. Here are some pictures of what it currently looks like. I'll report back during the next steps. Wish me luck!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

What's Your Age?

Funny quote of the day
Kaneu: "momma, what's your age?"
Me: "well, my age has 2 numbers .... a 3 ... and a ..."
Kaneu: "whoa, that's a lot of age!"

This is Kaneu's newest question. He asks me over and over. He is learning his numbers and is really excited when he recognizes ones he knows. This afternoon we are doing a numbers puzzle and he is telling me about how he is "three" and then scribbles something on his magna doodle (did I mention he is a multi-tasker?). The scribble, he tells me, is a "3". Then he asks me, for about the 5th time today, "Momma, what's your age?". So I tell him that my age has two numbers in it. I help him write a "3" on the magna doodle. This is very exciting for him because (as if I wasn't aware) his age is three, also! Then I show him the other number the puzzle. His response - "Whoa, that's a lot of age!". I realize this is true and since then I have been struck with the thought that I am turning 35 this year! Holy crap, I'm so depressed. Where's the chocolate?

2007 Favorites

It has been raining cats and dogs for days now. Brian and I have been trying desperately to come up with someplace warm and sunny we can escape to sometime in Feb or March. We have not come up with anything firm yet. We've considered Marrakesh but don't know know much about it. Is it safe and family friendly? Any ideas? I'd love to hear suggestions or thoughts. We are open to just about anything - we don't want to travel too far and would prefer to not have to deal with a major time zone difference.

In an attempt to think warm and sunny thoughts I've put together some photo collages of my favorite moments and memories of 2007. The photo to the left was taken in Barcelona, in Placa Reial. You can see Kaneu and Brian in the background near the fountain. There was an exhibit of statues all made from recycled stuff. It was very cool ... on an incredibly hot day.

from top left: 1. "Billygoat love" - London City Farm, 2. "Duets" - Brian & Rosie, 3. "Celebrating the BIG one" - Dana & Diana in Turks & Caicos, 4. "best buds" - Simon & Kaneu, 5."Catching Snowflakes" - London, 6. "Dad's Biggest Fan" - Kaneu cheering Brian on during the London marathon, 7. "Deep Sleep" - after a long flight from the US we were all happy to be home, 8. "Beach Love" - Cornwall, 9. "Birthday Ski" - Chamonix, 10. "Sweet" - beach kisses in Croatia, 11. Dahlia in Cornwall, 12. "Quiet Wonder" - Simon & Kaneu, 13. "Beach Love" - collected rocks and shells from Bude, Cornwall on my birthday

from left to right: 1. "Spring" - Primrose Hill, London, 2. "Country Road" - Kaneu's first trip to an English farm, 3. "School Days" - walking to school, 4. "Go Explore" - Cornwall

from left to right: 1. "Wimbledon", 2. "Happy New Year" - Chinatown, London, 3. "First Snowfall" - London, 4. "I Spy" - looking for fish in Croatia

We went to see the movie lastnight and it was cute - corny and sappy, and I cried throughout the whole thing. I am not a big Hilary Swank fan and I really wanted to like her character, but I didn't. The book was great, the movie was okay. I would recommend seeing it if you're in one of those moods where you want to cry but don't really have a reason, ya know what I mean? Yesterday was one of those days. Hormones are such a bitch! Here's hoping the sun is shining wherever you are!

xx. dana

Mission Completed

Well, as of Fri afternoon the unpacking is complete! What a relief. I spent most of the afternoon cleaning and organizing my bedroom and bathroom. It is so nice to have that done. I guess the medicine cabinet is next. We just stocked up on all kinds of medicines while we were home, but with the recent warning from the FDA we will be cleaning those out as well. Here's hoping Kaneu doesn't get sick!

This weekend has been rather uneventful, which is good! We needed a low key weekend. It rained for most of the day but the temp was warm, so that was good. We did a little bit of shopping on and around Oxford St yesterday. It is the January Sales season. Everything is on sale, and I mean everything. The sales make the prices actually affordable! Amazing, I know. I am proud to say that I have not done any shopping. I simply looked and walked away. I am really working on this shopping compulsion of mine.

I got a new camera while in the US. I LOVE it. It has an incredible lense, by Leica, which would be my dream camera. While we were in Dallas I played around with our friends Lumix and was really impressed with the zoom. I had been wanting to get a new compact digital to replace my Canon Elph, which I love for it's size but the zoom has been disappointing. The Lumix is a little larger than the Elph and you cannot manually adjust the aperature or shutter speed, but I have a Canon digital SLR for taking those shots. I carry my camera with me just about everywhere, so the SLR is just too big to fit in my purse which is why I'm in love with the Lumix. If you are thinking of getting a new camera check it out!

Brian and I are heading to see P.S. I love You tonight. I don't think it's gotten great reviews, but I read the book a few years ago and loved it - cried my eyes out on an overnight flight from London and was sobbing while Brian snoozed away. I'm excited to see it. Afterwards we are going out for Korean. Yum! Time to go get ready.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

dana

Winter cleaning

One of my goals for 2008 is to become more organized. I'd also like to conquer the concept of learning to live with less. I am sure that if Brian is reading this he's grinning and perhaps even cracking up considering the shopping I did while in the US, but I seriously want to work on this. I am not there yet but I am going to try! For right now I'm focusing on organization.

I have realized a few things about myself over the years - when my house is clean and organized I am happy and when it is messy and cluttered then I can tend to get a little grumpy and irritable. I have been dreading unpacking our (many) suitcases and I am horrified to say that my suitcase, or BAS (big ass suitcase) as I like to call it, still sits unpacked. It's been a week people and I just can't bear to do it. I don't know what is wrong with me. Am I subconsciously more homesick than I realize? Do I secretly want to go back to the US and spend MORE time (as if 3 weeks wasn't enough) living in other people's homes? Do I love my BAS so much thatI can't stand to part with it until our next trans-Atlantic journey? No, no, and no. I think that what it comes down to is that I am just lazy. The unpacking of the suitcase will require a thorough decluttering of my closet, resulting in making decisions of what clothes to donate because really how many long sleeve white, black and grey t-shirts does one girl need? not to mention the buyers remorse I'll likely feel for buying too much, and then the guilt for it all. Ugh, it's a cycle - one that I'm all too familiar with. Oh, and did I mention loads and loads of laundry that I'll be doing as well? It'll be a few hours of my time that apparently I'm not ready to give up just yet. It's disturbing behavior, I know and I am sure that if Brian's suitcase was sitting there cluttering up our tiny bedroom I'd be nagging away at him. My goal is to have it unpacked and laundered by the end of the week. There, I've said it.

Ok, moving on ...
We did manage to unpack the other 5 suitcases and itwas the unpacking of the suitcase full of toys that catapulted us into an organizing frenzy. We realized we could not unpack the new toys until we gutted the playroom and cleared out the old toys - to either be stored in the shed or donated. The room was already getting very cluttered and over crowded, and Santa was very good to Kaneu this year so we needed to make some space for all his loot. We did this over the course of a few days so there was no shock to Kaneu, and honestly the toys we took out weren't ones he played with often.

I had the bright idea to take a trip to Ikea to purchase some storage bins (I am a storage bin lover!) ... and $400 dollars later we arrived home with a completely new shelving system for the room, along with the bins. We didn't go with the intention of spending so much, but now that the room is done we both agree it was well worth the cost. Our goal was to create a fun space that would stimulate creativity and imagination, while also being organized and not so much of an eye soar (our family room is connected by glass doors). The room also shares a small corner for my sewing table and computer. Take a look at the finished product. We are really happy with it.

These are some shots of the room before ...

cluttered shelves and cubes that didn't really work

and after

Hope you are having a great week!
:) dana

Happy.New.Year

We're back from our very long trip home. Three states in three weeks with a three year old. I wouldn't recommend it, but we had such a great visit and I am now relishing all of the memories of the last month and looking forward to not getting onto a plane for a while :)

We rang in the New Year in Dallas and had a fabulous visit with our friends, Jen and Jeff, and their adorable little son. I have to admit I had a lot of (ungrounded) assumptions about Dallas (big hair, big belt buckles, big hats, etc) but the city proved me wrong and we really enjoyed exploring and hanging out in our friends new town. We celebrated NYE at Hotel Zaza, which was hosting a heaven and hell party. We had too much fun - I was feeling quite terrible on Jan 1. The highlight of our night was our karaoke cab - what a hoot!! My throat was sore the next day from singing so much. We also visited the Stockyards and the Kimble Museum of Art in Fort Worth, had dinner and tableside smores at a really cool roadhouse, had a "blissful" massage, and ate way too many chips and guac. OMG, the food was just to die for. We were in heaven -- the Mexican food options in London are really few and far between. I think we had Mexican all but 2 meals (and we were there for 6 days!). My neck has a crick in it from eating so many tacos. I could go on and on. Let's just say that I MUST get to the gym asap.

Here are the highlights of our trip.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to 2008. We got some exciting news on our visit home. We are planning on staying in London another year. We're really happy about it and are relieved that we are not leaving this summer as planned. The more I live here the more I love it. It's going to be a quick year, I'm sure, so I'm hoping to take advantage of and see all that London offers. It's so easy to take where you live for granted. I want to really take this year to explore not only more of the city but also the country. England is such a gorgeous place and there is so much to see and do and I am looking forward to it.

My suitcases still sit unpacked. There is not much more I can procrastinate with - the furniture has been rearranged, this blog is updated, the photos have been uploaded. I guess it's time to get down to business.

Happy New Year!