Week 3

In case you thought I forgot about you, here's week 3! As you can see by the pictures, this week was all about the Birthday girl. Yes, Bridget is now 13. I hope we are all ready for this :) Everyone was back into the swing of school, with reports, spelling tests, oh and fund raisers! Yes, the boys have to study and pass a math test on math facts and for each one they get right they get 5 points and then they collect money for a local charity based on their points. Just when I was relaxing about not having the magazine sale!

Bridget's classes continue to get moved around as they sort out what Math group to place her. A computer error placed her in the wrong class and she was quite bored, it took 3 trips to the school for me to track down the "head of Maths" to correct it. She has all sorts of interesting classes and projects including Technology, where they are designing toys, Science where she got to use a Bunsen burner for the first time. The groups had to decide whether their volcano was going to blow and whether they should evacuate their village. Bridget was the communications officer for their group and they decided NOT to evacuate...sadly, the villagers all perished.:( Interestingly, the only group that DID evacuate, it turns out didn't need to, so they got criticized for wasting tax payers money!!) She was elected to School Council and this weekend met with the teen Choir director and will be singing at the 5:30 Sunday night teen Mass. Sports are supposed to start over the next few weeks for her. Her classmate wants her to play Net Ball..we are told that is something like Basketball..I guess we'll find out!

The boys have been doing soccer on Thursday's and Saturdays and having lots of fun. This weekend was the Rugby open house. It is quite the thing here. Several of Matthew's classmates all play. We spent the afternoon watching various ages/levels play and Nick was thrilled that at his age it involves contact. Matthew was equally thrilled that at his age it does NOT! It seems if you can push forward with people hanging on to you and hold a ball, you are a star. And if you are willing to hang on to people and be dragged....this is also good...we haven't found a down side for Nick yet! It is all just training and learning and you pay 2 pounds each time you show up for a session...so they both wanted to try it out next weekend. It is co-ed and they need older girls(there's only a few and the coaches were eagerly trying to recruit Bridget)..we will see what she says next week.

Frank's favorite part about the whole thing is that there is a bar/barbeque/coffee/tea and really anything else you want over looking the field...so the kids are out playing and the adults wander back and forth from the bar. In fact the coach told us that they encourage everyone to hang out for an hour or so after the training is over so that the kids just run around like crazy and the adults socialize. It all closes when the last man leaves! I think Frank will start playing if the kids don't just to have a reason to go and visit!

After our Rugby outing we walked to Wimbeldon Common and then on to Richmond Park. It is all just miles and miles of walking/biking/horseback riding paths that wind around for ever...just glorious. We saw a deer just wandering and gave it a few apples.

The weather has continued to cooperate with us and it is again sunny and 70's. Frank is headed to Finland for the rest of the week, so I am sure we will have some adventures while he is gone. I have been getting involved at school and have made friends with several of the moms. I don't have a work-out buddy yet, but 1 of the mom's mentioned she's doing a 1/2 Marathon so I may try to get a run in with her. I've looked into my work options and of course with a bit of paperwork, everything is possible...it just depends on whether on not I can prove I speak English. Apparently, I need no less than 4 verifications on this. HHMMm..we will see how that all pans out.

Not too exciting otherwise, we talk of you often, think of you daily and hope for a visit soon!

She can still bounce

These are some of the tricks Bridget has perfected. It took some doing to capture the flip! Hours are now spent bouncing away. Can I just say it feels a LOT different the next morning than when I was 10!

The new trampoline..yes this was before all of the safety equipment was attached..it got late!!!

This was Bridget's B-day dinner
There weren't any 13 yo party hats...so we went for the mask!
In the morning she was greeted by an iPod..in green!
This is dinner at our "local", meaning our local Pub, kids are welcome, they have this outdoor eating area and that night there we Pig Races! Our pigs lost, it was a sad, tough lesson on the concept of chance :(
Since you saw how shiny and new everyone looked on the first day of school, here's how they look coming out !

Us on the London Eye

Some sightseeing from the top of the London Eye

Week 2

OK, I have clearly taxed my internet acumen (if that is even a phrase) and I realize that I am a MAC snob. I have newly added 3 pictures..we have dozens, but why only 3..well after about an hour of futzing around with this laptop(not a MAC) I have gone nearly insane with my inability to click and drag to the location of my choosing! So before I lose my writing mojo, I thought I would abandon for a brief update on our week and as promised...food!

School began and we started to see some sense of normalcy. After school we go to the library, do home work, use their internet and printer since ours is slow and the printer isn't here yet, come home and attempt dinner. The boys seem to be settling in nicely and like their teachers and classes seem on par with what they were doing at St. John. Nick already had a book report and Matthew is working through his times tables. Both are doing Mad Minutes. Bridget had a fun week following around a fellow student(Danielle) and on Wednesday had some testing to see which group she would be in. So far in Math and Science, it is all stuff she has done before so we shall see what happens. She likes her Science teacher and used a Bunsen burner for the first time! She also had French, graphics, Art, Comparative religion, PE(where of course she smoked everyone in the "how many laps can you run in 10 minutes"), Geography in addition to English, Math and Science. The schedule changes each day and we are eager to see where she end up. She likes the girls and now walks to school with a girl down the street.

My adventures have been in the grocery store. Again, as I have said we are still urban camping and we are pulling off dinners with 1 knife, 1 pot and 1 saute pan. This is no small feat. Move over Julia/Julie...I dare you to try this. Again, like the driving, I have taken some risks and put together "Pork Involtini with late summer tomato sauce", "Gorgeous Roasted Vegetable Curry" and a "Stir-Fry chicken with honey,soy and cashews". Thanks to Jamie Oliver, Sainsbury's free cookbook and the Waitrose grocery store! By Friday we had pizza.

You may ask why take on such projects? Well, all the usual foods and things I cook I can't find in the grocery store and we don't have a grill and remember that 1 pot problem. Things I can't find...Black beans,salsa, refried beans, kidney beans, you know where I am going..try to make a simple chili but to no avail. I have tried 3 different chains of stores, my last hope is the ASDA which Frank tells me specializes in canned foods..who knew? Other odd things I can't find; steak..for grilling and such, you know flank steak, flat iron steak, skirt steak..all perfect for fajitas, or just plain. I can find any number of roasts and "braising meat" which I am told is for stews and such, but no quick easy steaks. Hot dogs...again 3 stores, I found 1 that had something akin to a European style weiner, but otherwise it is sausages. This has had an interesting effect as right before we left Nick had decided to add hot dogs to his repertoire. When he ordered one at one of our outings and I saw the sausage come out, I held my breathe, but since we have been walking many miles a day, starvation wins out and it wasn't until the last bite that he commented "a little spicier that our hot dogs at home". Soy sauce, it took be about an hour in 1 store to finally find it, odd since this area is known for its Korean markets and restaurants. Chicken broth...I can find the little cubes to make it, but none in cans or boxes.

On the things I can find and don't know what to do with: LAMB..everywhere, lamb chops, roasts, legs, tongue, you name it . At the Costco there is a whole section dedicated to Lamb! Aubergines..I have seen this in several recipes, they are eggplant..many of you are laughing at my lack of French I am sure! Courgette....zucchini..again, I look at the pictures, look at the names and then hunt through the store and say..OOOOhhh that's what it is. Peas..they are served with everything, I never knew how little I ate peas until they turn up everywhere. and of course, pies..all sorts of meat pies..this week I am even going to attempt to make one....hey it's all in 1 pot right??

On the things that we've found and we most certainly know what to do with: Bacon..in all sorts of formats, thick, thin, smoked, cured, maple, bacon steaks..bacon sandwiches are a staple for breakfast and lunches at all the shops we seen. Cheese..oh my, I should have had my cholesterol checked before we left to compare, but ooooohhh the cheese in all shapes and sizes and origins throughout the UK..so far nothing has been anything but delicious . Cream and milk products of all sorts..yogurt, butter, and double cream...in coffee in the morning is a decadence beyond compare!

On that note, Frank has been diligently cooking in the background while I work away. Tonight is roasted turkey breast, roasted potatoes and green beans, in case you were wondering. I will go and enjoy before the next week begins. Next weeks installment..who knows..so many options....

Missing everyone, write us soon and of course, we'd love a visit!

Bus Ride to town

Nick and Matthew on the 213 Double Decker that takes us to town