back into the swing of things

What a week it's been!! I cannot believe how quickly we've settled in - it feels so strange that I keep thinking to myself "did we actually LIVE in London?". It's crazy how easily we've just slipped back into life here.  When we arrived on Thursday night we were greeted with a sign and a beautiful pear-shaped gourd. The next day another friend brought a bag of breakfast goodies over. We are so thankful for the warm welcome and to have such incredible friends.

I want to say that Kaneu has done SO great.  He is such a champ through all of the changes that are going on. He did wonderfully on the flight - better than Brian and I. I was so grumpy and tired that I was being a little bit of a sourpuss. Brian was pretty cranky too. Kaneu is my hero. He has been more emotional than usual but that is to be expected, though it really makes my heart ache to see him struggle through some of these situations. Brian's mom visited over the weekend and he got really upset when she left. My mom visited this week and he sobbed when she drove away. He is so used to having visitors, especially the grandmas, stay much longer and he does not understand why they left early. During bedtime Thursday night he started to get upset again and said that he wasn't ready for Grammy Sue to leave. Thankfully she is coming back next week while Brian is in London.

School

We visited Kaneu's new school on Tuesday with the plan of having him start on Wednesday. We met his teachers and saw his classroom. Everyone was extremely friendly and we instantly felt like we made a great decision on his school. After chatting with his teachers, who were SO excited to meet him, he seemed to be really comfortable exploring the room so we left him in the classroom for about 20 minutes while we had some paperwork to complete. When we came back to get him Mr Independence decided he wanted to stay for the remainder of the day and so stay he did. When we picked him up at noon he was all smiles and told us how a fire engine came to visit. When I asked what he did at school he said "nothin" and when I probed more I got the "I don't know" and the "quit asking me so many questions" sighs.  I have learned to ask him more open-ended questions about specific things, like classmates or curriculum-specific stuff, but since I have no idea what his class is working on or his classmates name it made it a little difficult to ask anything other than closed-ended questions. Yesterday morning when I took him in his teacher told me that Kaneu sang a solo of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" during carpet-time the day before. I think my mouth hit the floor.  He did mention to me that they sang songs but he did not include the part about him singing by himself! I can't tell you happy I am that he is not only comfortable attending his new school but he really looks forward to it AND is participating. Oh, how I love that boy.

Halloween 

I've been asking the little man for a few weeks if he wants to dress up and he has consistently said "no" and that "Halloween is scary".  I haven't pushed it because, frankly, I am not really into Halloween either. However, my mom asked him if he would want to be a fireman and his face lit up with such joy. Well, while running one of a zillion errands this week I came across a fireman costume and let me just tell you that he is SO excited about it. He wants to and does wear it 24/7. Here is our little fire chief.

Dave*Matthews*Tim*Reynolds*Sheryl*Crow*Jack*Johnson*Norah*Jones*Beastie*Boys

We rolled into town at just THE right time. I love it when *things* just fall into place and before you know it you are given free tickets to attend an acoustic evening with Dave and Tim. I mean, seriously?? WHEN does that happen? It was such an incredible  show. Diana and I were SO tired (me from jet lag, her from a rock star weekend) but we went and had a great time. And to think we used to see him at college fraternity parties. My how times have changed. And Wednesday's Get Out and Vote show was fantastic.  It was more than fantastic. It took me back 20 years. The B Boys are still kickin' it and better than ever. And don't even get me started on Jack. Not only is he so mellow and laid back, friendly and chilled out, and talented ... oh, and did I mention the man is very handsome! Am I right? Oh, and on the way out of the coliseum we saw Sissy Spa*ek. Does it get any better??

Happy Halloween!!

happy 11 months!!

Our sweet girl is 11 months old today. It has been 3+ months since we received her referral and almost 2 weeks since we received our I-600 approval. I'm *thinking*hoping*praying that we get our *call* to travel next week. I don't know why but I just have a feeling.  Brian will travel back to London for work this weekend, which will be tough for all of us, but I'm trying to focus on the positive here and that is that our baby girl will be coming home soon. 

Lots of fun stuff going on since we've been in VA. Will try to post on that tomorrow. For now am having sweet thoughts for our little girl.

falling, farewells and fajitas

We are back in the U.S. of A!!! It's great to be back. We had a very long trip but we are back and in settling-in mode. More to come on that, but let's just say that 3 hours in Wa!-mart is the most I've ever spent and I am quite certain I can never ever go back there again. I wanted to post a few pictures of our last days in London ...

On Sunday we spent the morning at Primrose Hill. It was VERY cold and so of course Rosie had to wear her sweater. I know the camera adds a few pounds but I think the sweater may have shrunk?? Do you see how her neck rolls bulge out of the turtleneck? She loves wearing her sweater. She attracts attention wherever we go. While we were in the playground I noticed some women taking photos of her. I don't know why (well, I mean, other than she's an absolute beauty) but it happens a lot.

Adventures in gymnastics ... We were having so much fun, and then I did the unthinkable. Yes, I am the WORST mother ever. I dropped my kid!! It happened so quickly I didn't realize he was gonna flip so quickly. Thankfully he was fine, just a little stunned. What Brian failed to capture is that he got right back on the bar and I did not let him fall...again. The 2nd video is Brian demonstrating the art of gymnastics.

Sunday night we ate out at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Crazy Homies.

Hannah and I gave the kids these small tin boxes to keep a photo of one another in. Kaneu has been carrying his around ever since. I think one of these will be *the* one.

on the move

Well, tomorrow is our moving day. I have been a *little* stressed out over the last couple of weeks, I'll admit. BUT I really feel we are ready to go, especially now that we have received our I600 approval!!!!! Such a relief. I was really worried that we would be waiting for a much longer time. Thankfully CIS is really rockin' it and we are one step closer to meeting our baby girl. Now we are waiting for her Korean Passport and Visa and her US Visa to be issued. *If* it goes according to my plan (I'm sure the good Lord is cracking up right now) then we'll be travelling to Korea in about 3 weeks ...

Rosie was picked up by Tanya this afternoon. Tanya has been our pet sitter since we moved to London. Rosie will be staying with her until the South Africans return from their wedding. Normally Rosie leaps out the door when she sees Tanya. She LOVES going with her. Who wouldn't? She is spoiled rotten, allowed on the furniture, etc. It's like a little doggie getaway, because, ya know their lives are so hard, right? Today was so different though. We really felt like she knew we were saying goodbye. She kept eyeing the suitcases and wasn't leaving our side. This never happens. Ever. Before they left Brian was crying and then I started crying and we just couldn't stop. I knew saying goodbye to her was going to be difficult, but it was truly heartbreaking. Ugh. I'm tearing up again.

Finally, I want to document a big day in our house, but first a little background. Kaneu has become increasingly independent recently and we are *LOVING* it. He pees, brushes his teeth, changes his clothes, etc with little or no prompting. When he needs to poop he'll tell me and then go and do it and when he's done he'll call me. Well, earlier today I asked him if he wanted to try wiping his bottom all by himself. He was game and after a few tries he succeeded. I really made a big deal out of it and he was very pleased. Well, he just did it again - this time without telling us he had to go. Now, I'm a little concerned that he's not going to really get the job done (if you know what I mean) and I'll be buying stock in laundry spray cleaners but I'm just so proud of him for trying and wanting to do it himself.

Ok, well just a little bit more packing and we're ready to go! This time tomorrow we will be back in the U.S. of A!!

good news!!

Our I600 has been approved!!!!!! Paperwork has been forwarded to the National Visa Center. Here's the email we received from the CIS office in Norfolk:

Your I-600 and I-600A (Change of country) has been approved and will be mailed tomorrow. Request also has been forwarded to The National Visa Center for urgent processing/transmittal of hard copies to Seoul .

Umm, can I just give a shout-out to the man upstairs. I have been praying (like it's my job) for God to give us a sign that he is watching over our baby girl. I am completely humbled and so thankful.

baby girl

Baby girl, the first, is Rosie. We have been calling her that since she was a pup and even though she's almost 10 yrs old and getting grey she is still and will always be our first baby. She had a visit to the vet this morning to get some vaccinations and a check-up. She is healthy ... except our sweet Rosie has dental disease! She lost her 2 front bottom teeth not too long ago and have been meaning to bring her in to get a check-up. The problem is that she doesn't tolerate anyone poking or prodding around her face or paws. She basically refuses to allow it and if you are not careful she has been known to bust an anal gland. I wish I could say it's only happened once, but let's just say she has an arse-nal (no pun intended!!) of that stuff and is not afraid to use it!! She's a stubborn one! This morning was no different. The vet did get a tiny glimpse at her teeth and immediately recommended a cleaning. We've never, I repeat, NEVER had her teeth cleaned. It's shameful and I regret it. When she was a puppy we had a neighbor with 2 pubs - Ruby (no, this is not where we got our baby name from!!) and Toto. They were from Kansas. Anyways, the neighbor took the pugs in for a routine teeth cleaning and poor little Ruby never woke up. Evidently, we were told, it's not that uncommon with pugs. I guess because of their respiratory issues and abbreviated snouts. From that point on we made a mental note: do not get dog's teeth cleaned EVER. We must have also made a mental note to not attempt to clean them ourselves either. Perhaps we did try it once but the little bull (another nickname) would not have it. So, today when the vet recommended the cleaning I couldn't help but think to myself "she may not wake up". The vet assured me that she was healthy and she would be fine, and that they would do a blood test to make everything looked good before they administered the anesthesia. He also explained that it was important to do the cleaning because the plaque and bacteria could potentially lead to other more damaging issues like heart and liver disease. I was sold and asked him to also clean her ears and trim her nails while she was under. I am SO thankful and relieved to say she is awake and well. I get to pick her up at 5pm. I have to admit though that I feel silly for not having done this sooner. I mean, can you imagine not having your teeth cleaned for 10 years?? And did I mention she likes to eat her own poop? She is a beast, but we love her so!!

**update**
I picked her up and she is doing great, though she did have 4 teeth pulled - 3 in the front and one (really rotten one)in the back. The vet recommended a new food specifically for dental disease and said she'll have much fresher breath now. Hallelujah - I'll believe it when I see/smell it!

getting ready to go

crepetastic!

We have been having such beautiful weather this week. The leaves are changing colors and the air is crisp - it's been great to be able to spend time outdoors. As much as I am loving it I have a feeling all of these sun-shiny days will make it more difficult to say goodbye. I was prepared to bid farewell to London on a dark, cold, and damp day and since we don't fly out until Oct 23rd it's very possible that the weather could turn. In fact, I'm positive I've just jinxed myself!! We were supposed to fly to the US last weekend but we extended our stay so that we could visit some schools and get that ball rolling. We visited 4 schools last week and I am keeping my fingers crossed that one of them could be "the" one. We'll see ...

buds

Rosie is getting ready to turn 10 years old. I cannot believe our girl is getting so old!! She is in great health and still has a lot of energy for being almost 70!! Unfortunately because she is so old we are not taking her back to the US with us. I am really going to miss her but we don't want to risk her getting sick on the flights, plus we would have to start the whole process of getting her re-vaccinated and prepared to travel again, which is a 6 month process. Instead she will stay in our flat here and the South Africans are moving in to take care of her while we are gone. They are so excited and I am sure Rosie will be loving life. Brian will be over twice a month so he'll get to visit with her. I have decided to have this Warholized photo printed on a large canvas to have in our home in VA. We will miss our little Rosebud but we will be skyping regularly so hopefully she won't forget us!!

And speaking of the South Africans ... they are getting married on Oct 31!! We said goodbye to Elaine on Tuesday. I'm really sad we aren't able to attend their wedding. We were really looking forward to seeing their country and celebrating with them on their wedding day. Instead we will be on the other side of the world preparing for our little honey, which more than makes up for any disappointment we were feeling about not going to South Africa. Now, we just need to be ready to go by Thursday ... which means lots of cleaning and packing this weekend. And wouldn't ya know, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day. Looks like the cleaning may need to be postponed just a bit ...

elaine's hen night

If you were a rock star...

and you heard your band's song playing while in a public place - would that be strange?

I was at the gym earlier in the week and a certain guitarist (Johnny) of a certain band (Coldplay)was also working out alongside of me. Well, their new song came on and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking when this happens, because I imagine it happens all the time. I know what I was thinking ... "this is SO cool!!!". Yes, I am such a dork. But seriously, what is that like?? I wanted to ask but I didn't. Ahh, I really love living in London for so many reasons, but this was one of those moments where I so appreciate the little things that make this experience so cool.

a week's worth of fun

Here's what the little man has been up to this week ...

The suitcase is Kaneu's new favorite hangout. He LOVES it. When he's looking for some private time he closes the lid and has his flashlight to read by.

who knew a suitcase could be so much fun?!


Little Mr Attitude

doesn't enjoy having his photo taken when having "suitcase time"

making leaf prints

getting ready for the skins/eagles game

happy birthday riley!

I want to give a shoutout to our our nephew, Riley, who turned one yesterday. Isn't he sweet? It looks like the birthday boy had a lot of fun!

This is the gift we sent him ... looks like it's a big hit!

How much is too much?

I think having a little girl is gonna get me into a whole lotta trouble with my wallet.

I have been doing *some* shopping for our sweet girl lately. Some meaning a few (8 or 10) dresses, some tights, embroidered bloomers, and a few other odds and ends. A girl can really go nuts when it comes to shopping for girly stuff. Now that I know her size I have been stocking up on all of the cuteness that I've been drooling over for months. It's fun but Brian is becoming worried that I am out of control. He's so silly. Of course I'm out of control!! There is absolutely nothing I want more than to bring our girl home, and so while I wait what I really want to be doing is nesting ... but that is nearly impossible as we are basically living out of suitcases and on the verge of relocating to another country. Soon enough we'll be back in the US - we just need to finish up a little bit of business here. More on that later, but let me just say that Kaneu will be going to "reception" (aka kindergarden) next year and I could cry just thinking about it. I've spend the better part of my day researching schools to visit before we leave. Oh joy. Anyways, back to my post. I realized the other day that our sweet baby girl has no shoes! Gasp!! These little cuties are soft-soled and made especially for babies up to 18 months old. They are coming to my house very soon. My BFF has suggested I get them all, but I couldn't ... or could I?

updates in pictures

Photos from the last few weekends ...

yesterday, in holland park


kensington and notting hill


visit with the foxes from chicago

we actually toured westminster abbey for the first time - it was incredible!

Children's Literature Festival in Bath