Park, Park, Park & Park

The kids now have their own personal email addresses now! Thanks to Sergey . Let me know if you'd like them and I'll send them on. Clearly, they haven't figured out how to log on to a computer yet; we just thought it might be fun for them to check their own email once in a while. Send lots of pictures and links. No facebook accounts yet...

After the US Embassy, Bella met Adrian and Tilly (Mathilda) with the kids at the Natural History Museum . Everyone enjoyed the life-sized Dinosaurs and skeletons. A trip to the now-favorite pancake house nearby followed.

We ventured on Friday back to Grosvener Square to renew C's passport. He was well behaved and impressed with the gun-toting guards surrounding the place. In this picture, we're in the shadow of The Eisenhower Statue.

Somewhere in an earlier post, I mentioned the pronunciation C uses when saying D's name- Dorfy. Although I've heard it a thousand times, last night I heard D call for Christian, and I thought I needed to record it as well. She pronounces his name as Fristin.

Bella and I met with Miss Stanley, C's current teacher at Sheringdale, on Tuesday evening. It was the standard 15 minute Q&A, with a review of his folder beforehand (they keep a folder at school of work C has done, notes/comments, pictures of C in activities, etc). Of course, C seems to be doing fine at school- all good progress on reading, writing, numbers. And he gets along well with the other kids, leading Issac and Nicky around and building big things like sand castles and spaceships.

On our way home from Church today, we bumped into Duncan and his kids. They were just outside a friends house and the Vespa is his friends. Duncan thought it would make for a good photo op.

C had a small homework assignment last week. It was to learn a little bit about the River Wandle - a small stream which flows through our neighborhood and empties into the Thames. So, the family took a hike. C led us to the river and we crossed bridges over it, examined the banks and forests near it and tried to find interesting things around it. We then came up with this collage of our experience, which C took to school.

Gong Xi Fa Chai means, literally, wishing you enlarge your wealth. Or just Happy New Year in Chinese. We all ventured to Trafalgar Square and China Town today to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit . D had more fun than it would show in this picture. Exciting things consisted of the train ride to Waterloo and then... The Dragon Dance ! The streets were thronged with people, so Bells led us down a side street. Soon enough, The Dragon came our way, to bless the local businesses. All we had to do was get the kids on our shoulders. We did get to throw little firecrackers around to scare away the evil spirits as well. We thought we'd have dinner there, but it all just got to be a bit much. So we ended up at something at least themed for the day- Wagamama - which C has fond memories of from his last time there with these two .

On display- C is wearing a matching sweater and sock combination, perfect for those cold, rainy London days. D is wearing a red full dress, making quick trips to the potty a breeze at this age. All three hand-made by Grandma, knitting next to the fireplace, in snow-covered Chicago.

Due to my new work schedule, I now have to get up early to go running. At this time of year, that means getting up in a dark house, about 6:30am. As I snuck past the kids bedroom door this morning, I could hear D who must have just woken up. She was chatting away to herself, while C slept on. She sounded like a little bird chirping as the sun was coming up.