The Sun is Setting....

...on 2008. We've had a great Christmas holiday. From walking and watching the deer in Richmond Park...





...to giving Christmas presents to a bemused baby who...


...seemed to prefer the wrapping! (Thanks to Yolanda and the wonderful librarians at the MV Library for one of the books in the below photo, it's just perfect!)



We taught an old codger how to play Wii Bowling...



...and visited Hampton Court Palace (home of Henry VIII).


Dad even got to see a portable bomb shelter at the Imperial War Museum. His quote: "Come over here and take a picture of me in front of this. Otherwise, nobody will believe me when I go back and tell them what I saw."


All in all, a good Christmas. Happy New Year 2009 to everyone out there! I still have some emails to follow up on, so I'll try to get some more free time in the next few days!

Christmas Eve Gift

Hah, that's right. I said it first. And you can't say it back to me because this is a blog. So nerh.

Anyhow, we've been having a good old time over here in London, taking it easy, seeing the sights. Went down to Brighton a few days ago via car. Lots of hassle, but got some good pictures.

We took Dad and Elijah down the pier in the last hours of the day. All the rides cost £1 each (end of year sale), so Bruno and I rode the bumper cars (they call them dodgems) twice. I wanted to go on the haunted house ride but it was closed due to maintenance. Anyhow, we parked the baby with Dad and gave him free rein to take pictures. Here's some of what he came up with.


Me, about to ram Bruno's car. I was laughing so hard.



Getting ready to go. In case you couldn't tell, it was outdoors and cold with all the wind from the ocean!


Dad and Bruno walking down the pier.


Dad insisted I upload this because to him it looks cool. Apparently that "coolness" outweighs my red eyes and poleaxed expression. Dad, consider this an extra Christmas present. You may pay me back in chocolate.



Elijah watching the parade of lanterns in Brighton with his grandma. We ate at a Mexican place on the parade route to get a good view with some peace and quiet.



Last, but not least, I had to do a little bit of lifeguarding. Bruno, as you can see, was simply ecstatic at being saved from a watery peril.

Quick Update

Sorry I haven't posted for ages, and hello to all the old (and new) visitors! Dad arrived here yesterday and has been busy making himself very useful (can't fault a guy who changes diapers) despite jet lag.

A few pictures while I'm here...

Elijah, wondering why his mug hasn't been plastered all over this blog lately.

"Grandpa's handing me something meant to be chewed on? Oh, hahaha, you've got to be kidding me, no way I'll bite that...."

"Mmmm.. BOOK. I eat it. Om nom nom...."

Grandpa and a wannabe 4.5 month old walker.

Quote Wall and Happy Thanksgiving

Elijah in a foam "Bumbo" chair, which allows him to sit up straight with support. In the background, our living room is still in disarray from getting new windows put in.

Just posting a few pictures while I've got time, and two Bruno-quotes (rated PG, watch out!).

Bruno: "Did... did he just... throw up on his own butt?" (The answer is yes, after some creative daddy-acrobatics exacerbated the, uh, situation.)

Bruno: "If I go into it thinking it's a bad diaper, but it actually isn't, it still counts as a bad diaper change."

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I wish they celebrated it in the UK. Right now, Elijah is "napping" in his swing, which consists of me shushing him every few minutes and playing a peaceful song in the background. Current choice: "Be Still My Soul," by Libera. Beautiful song.

More Pictures....

Okay, so, I haven't been updating the blog all that much, sorry. We went through a brief scare with B's company doing layoffs: his job got cut, but he's been moved to a new position, so all's well for now!

Here's some more pictures from Ludlow. Elijah and the four-poster bed are pictured below. This hotel was so old (centuries old!) that it had sloping floors and old pillars everywhichway in the ceiling.

More castle!


B has a knack for taking photos when I'm not quite ready. The baby and I are next to one of the many old-style houses/stores in the area. The hotel looked a lot like this, but more ornate. Elijah is in a sling - comfortable for both of us and he likes to nap against my chest while I walk around.


Baby and stroller next to a cannon near the entrance of the castle.


That's all for now. I'm tired and need to sleep, haven't been getting much lately.

We're Back

Atop a tower in Ludlow Castle, built in the 11th century. In the distance is St. Laurence Church, also built in the 11th century. (The raven was probably born in the last several years.) Both castle and church, of course, were added to/extended in later years.

Since I hail from a relatively young country, I've always been intrigued by castles, old cathedrals, etc. The Christian history of the UK is fascinating. I love going into an old cathedral, looking around at the architecture, soaking up the tranquil, holy environment. I walk along the stone floors and feel myself stepping back in time, staring down at the very surface that famous/infamous and influential people have trod upon centuries before. It's a humbling experience.
Approaching the castle. It was huge!

The way up....

View from the top.

Elijah lurked while B and I took turns going up various steps.

No time left, will post more pictures later.

City Living

Sometimes it's hard to believe we live just a few short train stops away from Central London. Our immediate area is suburb-like, residential, a bit removed from the hustle and bustle of cars and buses and loud noises, so I tend to forget there's an actual city out there.

Yesterday we met up with some friends around Waterloo. For those of you who don't know London, this is the general area that contains the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye (big old ferris wheel thing), the OXO tower, etc.


Elijah got to meet Victoria, who is about 5 weeks old. Elijah isn't that interested in other kids, and V was clearly not impressed by meeting him! But the adults got a great South American meal out of the trip. The restaurant B and I visited in Bath has opened up another one in Waterloo, and their food is definitely as good as we remember.

Walked off some of the calories afterward, saw some of the sights. Someone was in the middle of making another sand sculpture on the bank of the Thames.

Elijah's take on it all...


Random interesting monument to one of the first railway companies in England.


Met up with yet more friends at the cafe in the Tate Modern, whereupon Elijah endeared himself to one of them by conking out in her lap.

Anyhow, enough pictures for now. B and I are off to Ludlow tomorrow. Going to tour a castle, possibly visit Offa's Dyke on the border of Wales, get some R&R, walk around the countryside, etc. I'll take the camera along.

Elijah Says...

...don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

Happy Halloween!

Just a few photos while I have time...

Here's the pond we like walking to, about 20 minutes away.


Its bird denizens enjoy frequent crumb handouts by members of the public. So much so, that even if you simply pause and bend down to take a picture, they swim up, expecting to be fed. Like these two:

Swan and cygnet:


Snozzz....

Anyhow, happy Halloween, everyone. It's not as much of a big deal here as it is in the States. Less trick-or-treating, not as much dressing up, very few (if any) haunted houses.

One of my favorite Halloweens of all time was at Jenna's house watching cheesy 80's horror flicks. 3 of us girls were sitting there, all prepared to be thrilled/frightened. We had soda, chips and candy. The heroine was walking across the lawn while a shadowy fiend lurked in the bushes, waiting to pounce. We waited, breathless.

And then...

And then...

The cheesiest 80's music theme ever started playing.

It was some sort of very stilted synchronizer ditty, and it totally pulled us all out of the moment. I have rarely laughed as hard as I did that night. And honestly? I don't think any horror movie can top that cheesy 80's one!

Exercise with Elijah

Too rainy for a walk?

Too cold for a jog around the block?

Never fear! Simply grab a baby mobile, lie down on your bed, and hit "play" on the video below. With simple and easy-to-understand movements and coos, Elijah will lead you through a non-grueling yet stimulating exercise routine of about 30 seconds.

Autumn

After a pancake breakfast, we went for a walk...

It was a chilly day, but the sun kept peeking out, and the fallen leaves made the Common very pretty.


Eli was his usual chill self about it all, despite random leaves in the stroller.

On the way back, we found a house where a former Prime Minister had once lived. London is an interesting place.

It was a nice ending to a lazy Sunday.

2008

"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized."

-1984, by George Orwell

*photo taken at Brighton Station

The Score from London

Elijah: 4. Daddy's shirts: 0.