May 8, 2006

Good Morning!

It's a rainy morning in England. We had a few bright,
sunny days here last week. At school, the kids are
required to wear sun hats (the lower grades wearing
those safari-type hats with the panels down the back
of the neck). It cracks me up! One American woman I
spoke with commented on how optimistic it all was.
That and all the convertables they drive here!
Honestly, the sun, although warm, couldn't have coaxed
one freckle of out me and everyone is rushing about
looking for their hats and sun screen.

The boys are enjoying celebrity status due to their
keen ability to throw a ball. The kids at school are
amazed at the distance they can throw! Playing
baseball and football on our Village Green back home
has made them super stars! Siobhan is playing
Rounders which is a girls' sport that I have decided
is an insult to girls and women everywhere. It is
similar to baseball on a much smaller pitch (field).
The girls all have mini bats that look like paper
towel tubes with handles. They swing one handed at a
small ball but are allowed to run and tag the "bases"
(poles sticking out of the ground) even if they do not
make contact with the ball. What is THAT?! While I
admit that this is the one sport at which I probably
could have excelled, it really is pathetic. It seems
like just a way to keep the girls occupied while the
boys play the "real" sport: cricket.

Aidan is enjoying the cat we have "adopted". One
sunny morning last week I was being a domestic goddess
ironing shirts (Its a new hobby I've taken up since
dry cleaning one shirt here costs $6.00-I'm getting
better at it, too! Only one quarter sized burn on my
forearm this time). Aidan was out playing in our back
garden with the cat. He came in and was telling me
all about the little snail he found (there are tons of
them here). He asked, "Should I eat it?" I said,
"NO!". A little louder he said, "Should I?". I said,
"NO!" Louder and firmer still he said, "SHOULD I?".
I said, "NO!". He replied quietly, "Well, l already
did." Dear God! WE'RE NOT EVEN IN FRANCE!

I went shopping this weekend while the big kids were
at school. It was such diffferent experience than at
home. I tried a dress on and, as always, was wishing
my middle was more firm and flat and less squishy.
The sales woman was assuring me how much the dress
flattered me. I said I wasn't sure. She replied,
"Listen, you're in England now. You're not in
America. You don't need a flat stomach. Have you
seen the women around here? Have you seen what they
wear? You have a lovely figure for England!" I'm not
sure if that was a compliment or not, but I bought the
dress!

We got our bed this week. Now we're officially moved
in. The bed was the last piece of furniture Jim had
to put together. I think. It is nice to have a room
that no longer resembles a dorm room although my
college roommate, Patti, wrote to refresh my memory
just as to how bad our apartment was. She was right.
The bedroom here, at it's worst, still had heat!
Without furniture to be put together I'm hoping Jim's
language will improve and, in turn, AIDAN'S language
will improve. It's embarrassing!!!

We went for a walk up Crickley Hill, a park five
minutes from our home yesterday. How beautiful. At
the top you look out onto the green countryside dotted
with little stone cottages and can see the hills of
Wales in the distance. There is an ancient wall that
was created in 3500 BC. Amazing. To picnic on the
site of an ancient city is just unbelievable! The
kids loved all the climbing. Even Aidan held his own!
The day was sunny and clear and made for a fantastic
afternoon.

Siobhan's honeymoon is over. Two best friends that
were at first welcoming decided to try to make life
miserable for her. It is typical 12 year old girl
stuff: whispering, pointing and laughing, excluding
her, playing small tricks on her. It breaks my heart.
She has a positive attitude, but it is, of course, a
terrible thing to live through at any time let alone
when you are new to a school and country. I spoke
with the headmaster Friday afternoon and by Saturday
morning all of her teachers had been made aware. I
was impressed by his quick response and yet,
ultimately, Siobhan has to deal with it on her own.
Say a prayer for her. She'll need alot of strength
this week! My guess is that by next week she'll have
settled in with some new friends. Also, she does have
a couple of nice friends that she sees in a couple of
classes. Next weekend is an Exeat Weekend which means
they don't have school or chapel. Perfect timing.

MIssing all of you,

T