We have internet!!

Abby is ready for ballet!

First day of school. I guess I should have faced her the other way.

Walking on the grounds of Chiswick House. Its under construction...

Sophie mowing the lawn.

Abby riding on the tube...

Cadbury Cream Egg on Easter.

Easter Girls.

Easter basket with Daddy.

The nature preserve near our house. Not meant for strollers!

Hi Everyone - once again it has been longer than I anticipated to get another post on here. However, almost exactly 2 months after we moved to Jolly Old England, we have broadband at home. The story is too boring and annoying to get in to, but we signed up for Sky Broadband while my mom was still here - back in March. Here we are, connected to you all again (though my lovely iPhone saved me daily from isolation!).

Lets see - some things that have happened over the last month...

1. Abby started at nursery and likes it, but hasn't made many friends yet. She only goes Mondays and Fridays - so this is a difficult schedule for her to settle in to, but it was the best available. She likes her teachers, who all seem very nice, and the building is very clean and niceley done. Unless I start working, she will only stay there until fall when the school year starts.

2. Abby has also started ballet classes at Chiswick Theatre Arts. She has only gone once so far but really liked it. She came away from the first class with ballet slippers, a leotard, ballet socks, a sticker book for her stickers she receives after each lesson and information about a recital in June where she has to wear a butterfly costume. Its a little more than we signed up for - especially Tim, but it will be another good place for Abby (and perhaps me) to meet friends.

3. We have made it around the city a bit more - both in the car and on the tube. Tim comes when he can (on weekends and bank holidays) but otherwise it is the girls and I hooving it or hopping on the Underground. I have to admit, I haven't driven the car by myself yet other than immediate places in the neighborhood like the grocery store... it is my goal to get better at this soon! Anyway, we have made it to Holland Park for a playdate where they have a giant playground and peacocks roaming around, we have gone to Hammersmith, new streets in Chiswick, Richmond (I liken this to Stillwater...), Westfield Mall a few times - which is the largest mall in Europe and just opened in December and Oxford Circus which is the main shopping area of central London to meet some other moms that have joined the American Womens Club.

4. I also am in the middle of applying for PUBLIC nurseries for Abby to attend in the fall. I am applying to five and not guaranteed to get into any of them. I am visiting the one (Southfield) that we are supposed to be able to get into because of where we live... but it has mixed reviews. Part of the problem is that Chiswick has two councils (counties) that exist within its boundries: Ealing (where we live and is not the preferred) and Hounslow. I am applying for four schools in Hounslow - one in particular because it is the closest and considered the best primary school, since we literally live on the border of the two councils. Even the school that we are supposed to attend (Southfield) because we live in the catchment area does not have to accept us. If there is no room, although we will get priority for living in the catchment areas, we may get sent somewhere else. The four schools that I have applied for in Hounslow council will only accept Abby if they have room after they have let in Hounslow kids and their siblings, etc... And this is all for public school! Maybe the process would be easier if we were paying for a private school. Hmmm...

Hope you enjoy some random pictures from the past few weeks. Look for a new post soon from my birthday. Tim took the day off and we had a great time!