London Times

Guess what....   I got to go to LONDON for a WEEK by MYSELF!  I couldn't believe it.  How many moms with 3 children get to do anything by themselves?  I'm super spoiled and so lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive husband and friends to help care for my children and allow me this time away.  It was amazing!

I went to visit my oldest friend.  Annette and I grew up together.  We had 1 year of preschool together and our parents still live just down the street from each other.  She and her wonderful husband (and children) moved to London from Dallas just after we moved to Singapore.  It's interesting how at times it feels like we are living parallel lives.  Annette and Sakari have 3 gorgeous children ranging in age from 1 to 4.  I LOVED having the chance to read them stories and get to know them.

I've been to London before.  I was there in high school on a class excursion from Denmark, when I was on exchange.  I was there a second time after university when I back packed through Europe.  My first observation this time is that London is COLD!  Maybe it's because I've been living in the tropics too long or maybe not, but I couldn't believe how cold it is in MAY!  Actually, I don't think it's just me...  here's an article I found about the chilly spring in the northern hemisphere.

Despite the cold, spring is in bloom!

These beautiful tulips are growing in Annette's garden!

Apple blossoms!

Annette's children are gorgeous.  Here, the smallest (1) is pushing the middle child (2) on the tricycle.  So precious!

On one afternoon, Annette and I ditched the kids (we left them is very capable hands!) and went on an adventure in London.  We visited the National Gallery and went on a tour inside.  I couldn't take photos of the amazing art we saw, but it was amazing.  I find tour guides in art museums improve the experience tremendously.  I unfortunately am terribly uninformed about art.  When a guide is there to tell me something about the artist and the work and why it is interesting and important, I get so much more out of the experience.  

Directly outside of The National Gallery is Trafalgar Square.  You can see in my picture peaking out of the top of the buildings the London Eye.  I also had to pose with a red telephone booth.  I was inside at first, but the stench was quite fowl. 

A musician playing for us!  I had to take this picture for my little musicians.

I brought home a delightful book called Katie In London.  In it, this lion comes to life and takes Katie and her brother on a tour around London.  I'm so glad I got a picture of the lion to share with my kids.  

On our way home from our afternoon/evening adventure, Annette and I stopped in at her local pub for a pint of cider.  It's a lovely English tradition.  It's a nice way to end a busy day and to get out of the weather for a bit before heading home.

One of the delightful things we did in London is walk around the little neighborhoods and towns in the area where the Jaaskeleinen's live.  This photo was taken in an area nearby called Muswell Hill.  I've always loved spiral staircases.  Something about them makes me want to photograph the buildings.  

One thing that was interesting to me on this visit was how old the city is.  Some of the buildings we passed on our journeys had plaques outside that said they were built in the 1800's.  It was amazing to me, but actually, not remarkable at all for London.  Singapore is a very modern city and I've grown quite accustomed to the modern architecture; I think this made visiting London all the more remarkable.

This is a street in a suburb called Highgate.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  I loved with red brick with white trim.  We visited a beautiful park in Highgate where the children were able to run and play.  It was a beautiful day!

On another outing, Annette and I and her eldest child headed down to Kings Cross and St. Pancras station.  It's one of London's oldest tube stations and it's absolutely beautiful.  We found this man playing this piano in the hall.  The effect is lovely.

Our destination was the Champagne Bar!

Of course, if you are a Harry Potter fan, you know that King's Cross Station is where the Hogwarts Express picks up its passengers.  I had to go check it out for myself!

As it turns out, I am a muggle.  Much to Lily's great disappointment, she has non-magical parents.  Here, I photographed platforms 9 and 10, just in case the camera was able to catch something that I missed.  But, alas, no.  I cannot see platform 9 3/4.  Rest assured that an opportunity to capitalize on the situation has not been missed.  A gift shop with all kinds of Harry Potter collectibles is located directly beside the entrance to the platforms.    

I had such a nice visit with Annette and her family.  By the end of the week, I was missing my children and husband terribly and I was ready to return home.  I felt grateful for the time away and energized to give my family the love and attention that I enjoy giving them.

Lately...

I just looked at my blog this morning and I cannot believe May is nearly over and I haven't written an update.  My last post was about our last school holidays and here we are 3 weeks from the next one.  I've always heard that time moves faster the older you are, I guess I'm really feeling that now.

We've been busy this term with the normal life part of our Singapore life.  We've been doing homework and attending birthday parties.  We've been spending time with friends and trying to get out as a family too.  

Lily and Madeline are in the Junior Orchestra at school.  They performed a song called "A Little Peace Song" for ANZAC Day.  I enjoyed the ceremony and watching them perform.

For Star Wars Day (4th of May "May The Fourth Be With You!") we all dressed up and headed into town to the Singapore Philatelic Museum.  They had a Star Wars Day event and collection on display.  We even rode the MRT (subway) to get there in our full costumes.  All of us enjoyed it!

There's a little story about different cultures that I want to remember, so I'm going to write it here...

In March, we spent a day at the water park.  I was there with the kids and in full swimming attire.  At one point, I was with Wyatt at a splash/slide area that we call the Pirate Ship, but that's not what it is actually called.  Wyatt loves to play here because he can ride the slides on his own.  It's a play space for smaller children (but not babies).  I was sitting in the shade on a curb that surrounds the water, wearing my sunglasses and watching the kids play.  Near me, a dad was playing with his two small boys.  The smaller one was maybe 2 years old.  The mom was standing near the stroller on the edge of the pool.  She was wearing a full black burqa with only a slit for her eyes.    The boys and the dad were wearing what I would consider very normal swimming attire.  The small boy kept coming over to me.  He was curious and playful and was splashing me.  I laughed with him and splashed him too.  Then he got closer to me and removed my sun glasses.  I of course put them back on and he removed them again.  Then his dad called him away and I didn't interact with him again.

This small interaction was interesting to me.  I think it's interesting when interactions with different cultures change the way that you feel or think about yourself or your own culture.  When I saw the mom dressed as she was I thought and felt several things.  I thought it must be hot and uncomfortable to be under all of that fabric in the Singapore heat and humidity.  I felt naked, even though some might consider my swimmers quite conservative.  I thought it was fairly open minded of this family to bring their children to a water park.  They must have expected to see people in bathing suits there.  I was intrigued with the small boy wanted to see my eyes.  Here I was, practically naked by his family's standards but with my eyes covered.  There his mom was, totally covered but with her eyes exposed.  I don't have any big conclusions.  I just often find myself thinking about this.