Migrants

We have arrived in London. A statistics man stopped me as we went through Heathrow Airport and asked to ask me questions. When I answered how long we were staying, he said, "Oh! Well then!" and pulled out the 'Migration Record' form; so I guess I must come to terms with that. We have migrated. Temporarily. Here was our luggage:

Actually, eating "English" has been helpful to me in getting the kids to try new things, even if they are things they could have eaten in Virginia but refused. These people seem to have a thing for baked beans. We had four cans of baked beans in the cupboard. So tonight, when I made chef salad for dinner but had no protein source, I cooked up a pan of "English beans." They were a huge success with the kids. hahaha

I do admit, many among my ancestors hail from Britain. Is this why I am so excited about scones with sultanas? Or about having a tea time? Or about finding "porridge" with "golden syrup"? Or why I have been drinking so much tea alongside my coffee? 

I can't help myself. If it is "the Taste of Scotland," I'm probably going to buy it. 

Today I brought crumpets. Because I could. 

Flat Sammy enjoys his tea and scone; more than Noelle did. Probably because the sultanas are suspiciously like...raisins. But I thought they were delicious! A hint of lemon? Yes, please!

Flat Miss Lindsay appreciated the tea party also. I don't know how she felt about the sultanas.

Marky has taken to copying every single thing, every last detail, that Joel does. Including doing this with his face when there's a picture being taken.

We made an excursion to central London the other day. We rode the Underground....for quite a long while. I was very happy to have Dad back-up. We were aiming for Big Ben. We got our picture with Big Ben (sorry, you'll have to wait to see it....it wasn't taken with a phone), then we wandered into St Margarets church next to Westminster Abbey.

I actually recommend this, because it's like a miniature cathedral experience without a crowd or an admission fee. You still get to explain the "people buried under the aisle" thing; there are still cool memorial sculptures, and elaborate altar and artwork, lovely stained glass windows, and hundreds of years of history. The kids were satisfied. Of course, we intend to go back to Westminster Abbey and explore on this trip, but it's expensive and the line was long.

Plus, Joel had to use the potty.

And we didn't have 50 p. change to pay for it.

Thus ended our first excursion into the City.

Life with kids.

On Saturday, with Mark's backup, we might attempt to make it inside the British Museum before we need to turn around. I will be sure to have some coins.

We all were in fine spirits, though one wouldn't know it by looking at this picture.

Our London house is charming. Lovely winding stairsteps up to a third floor bedroom with little play nook. The best part, though, is the garden, which has a fence!

Joel: "Ah! Laying on the grass under a tree. There's nothing like it. Want to do it with me, Mom?" It was a innocent and contented moment I hope not to forget.

Another time: The lovely park down the street; and how everything is smaller here.

Things I'm Learning

Okay, enough touring for now. Besides, I don't have any more pictures available to put up at the moment, and Mark has taken the older kids back to the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier for the afternoon while I stay here supervising Marky's nap.

God's been good to me over these few weeks and has been showing me some important things. Here's the most pressing.

My heart over-compensated for the day-in-day-out-nature of being a housewife/mom. When the kids were first born, I struggled with being content in 'just' being a mom. God helped me find that contentment by helping me see the important value of what I do with my family. Good. But I've realized in the last week or two that I didn't simply accept God's calling to motherhood and rest in a relationship with Him. I also made the discontent go away--stuffed it, I think--in part by telling myself God had no 'real' great plans for me, and that I should just get over it. Enter a bit of bitterness toward Him, toward the Scripture, toward prayer, toward my husband--all lurking down in there. Not good.

Good news for me; I have been wrong.

Mark and I have been working through The Gospel Primer, which has been profitable. God's also used the last month's worth of messages at Harvest Bible Chapel here (where we've been going on Sundays) to speak to some of these issues. God's brought me to repentance about the hardness of heart I'd developed over time toward Him. Forgetting the Gospel story; not really believing that God is at work in me as He is in the rest of the world; getting confused about my true identity in Christ and as a purpose as a human being. No wonder I feel like I've been running on near-empty for months or years. I'm thankful for the grace to repent and rebuild, and for the promise that God will continue to work good in me and won't give up (Phil. 1:6).

I appreciate your prayers and know they have been effective; thanks for continuing them.

Late July Outing to Millenium Park/Cloud Gate/"The Bean"

Hi, Aunt Peggy!

Joel has not met a stranger yet in all of Chicago. There is no one of whom he will not ask a question. Marky will do anything Joel does, including try to wedge his head under the Cloud Gate.

Why is there a giant inflated rat on Michigan Ave.? I don't know. It wasn't there the next time we went by, but Joel thought it was great.

Serendipitous robot design project at the Family Fun Tent in Millenium Park.

"Show me Sammy, Mark!" 

Here is is. 

Nearby art and Flat Sammy

My favorite art of the day--this bird garden and the similarly constructed sea monster on Michigan Ave. 

It Was My Birthday...and It Was So Fun!

Lindsay told me weeks ago she had found the perfect gift for my birthday, to be delivered to Chicago! Imagine my surprise when the lady at the front desk called Friday morning and asked me to come down and pick up a delivery--and it was Lindsay and Sammy standing there! She drove 700+ miles to surprise me and hang out for the weekend!

Talk about changing my plans! I was going to stay home and do some school with Noelle--a little magnet experiment, a couple of math pages, a little spelling; and hold out hope for having a Greek restaurant cook dinner. 

Instead, here was my friend!!  YAAAAAY!!!

We decided to head down to the Bean; Noelle wanted to show Sammy the kids' room at the Art Institute. 

We set out on foot; and while we made slow progress, much kinesthetic learning was going on: 

"Come on, Joel! Come on, buddy! Come on, Joel! ['It's Stanley!'] Come on, Stanley!" I think he touched every single chain-link, building, and even some of the litter in the mile journey. 

We paused just over half-way at a large statue and fountain at the river bank. Just then some bicycling gelato peddlers came up the sidewalk. 

"Would you like some gelato? It's free!" 

Ummmmmm....yes? They handed out some tremendous dark chocolate covered ice cream bars. Whoa. I've been resisting such lovelies for months with the phrase, "It's not my birthday." 

Good thing it was my birthday. It was delicious. Yay! 

Lindsay took most of the pictures, so I just have a couple:

YAY! My friend is here!

At the drop-in art project time at the Art Institute: Joel had me "help" him make a 5-animal mask based on the computer game he had just played in the kids' room.

Noelle did an amazing job or constructing her parasol; things fell apart when I tried to help. No, I really was just trying to help. I should not have. Drama, tears, and frustration ensued--but an hour later, we almost had something she was happy with. Almost. The drama may have happened without me as I arrived at a critical moment of her comparing her work with the example, but I wonder. I think I almost handled the situation very well. Almost. 

Mark humored me about the Greek food. I now think baklava will be a fun thing to learn how to make.  He also had some very thoughtful gifts to present himself. Yay!

Saturday we went to the Navy Pier:

I wish you could hear Joel giggling and giggling while the "Lighthouse ride" bounced him up and down. Completely awesome.

We also went to the lake shore, where Lindsay made fun of me because I strongly prefer to keep my shoes on in the sand. Otherwise, it gets all over your feet?!

It was so nice to have my friend here; I am humbled and blessed that she would have gone to the expense and effort to do that. Yay!

Anyone else? I'll be happy to receive YOU too.

Not City Kids Yet

We were walking over to the Newberry Library to "pick up" Mark at the end of the workday, when Noelle gasped. "Ohh! Grass!! I've missed grass!" 

So we enjoyed this patch of grass. 

"This Is My First Time Riding a Bus!"

I got brave and figured out how to ride the bus with the kids. I do believe that Joel is right in his declaration, "This is my first time riding a bus!" 

 

See? More art appreciation! :) They liked this statue of Schiller for some reason. Who was Schiller? I don't know--I didn't read the sign because I was still trying to release all the adrenaline I had produced on account of taking children on the bus. 

Directly outside the front gate of the Lincoln Park Zoo is a very lovely garden and fountain.

More art appreciation--These statues in the fountain have fish tails for legs--but are otherwise anatomically correct! Ummm...yes, I see that! Thank you, children, for your astute observation.  

Noelle, Joel, and Flat Sammy as African termites.

We even made it home...on the bus! My excursion options just expanded significantly.

Growing Up Fast

The proud owner of a tooth hole. 

It startles me to see Noelle growing up SO quickly! In the last month, she's lost two teeth (and will be quick to tell you that four more are loose), she's gotten noticeably stronger and more capable on the playground; she's taller; and she today she was continually hungry...for cheese. If you know her, you know that's unusual. 

/Mark thinks he is hiding because he is pressed against the wall. 

Mark continues to transform into proto-preschooler before my very eyes. 

Here we are at Dad's work. 

Joel developed a strong desire to "do math" with Noelle each day, so I'm happy I brought a bunch of crayons and a variety of things for him to practice coloring, comparing, or writing on.

The clown-car stroller. 

As much as these guys know how to work my buttons, I love them and am thankful to have them as daily companions on this adventure.

Week 1, Part 2: Art Institute of Chicago

On Saturday afternoon, Mark freed me up to walk down to the Art Institute. I walked around there open-mouthed and astonished at the artwork--all these things I have seen in books, here before me! Roman statues! Medieval Bible! Renaissance armor! Impressionist paintings and lots of them! A room for corralling your children with computers, blocks, puzzles, and books! An exhibit about fashion and the Impressionists awaited also, right past American Gothic. Honestly, what astonished me most was the breadth and depth of creativity of all these artists. It reminded me that this is one of the things it means to be created in God's image--we want to make stuff that is meaningful, or beautiful, or otherwise interesting. We can't help it. 

Sunday afternoon, I brought Noelle down to share it with her. I decided that there were two ways to do this--according to her interests and attention span, or according to mine. One of these ways leads to death.  :) 

We decided that she could look at whatever caught her fancy and I could take her picture with anything she liked in particular. Katie--just let her enjoy it and don't worry about adding in any other content. (This is a difficult temptation for nerds like me.)

We stopped out front for the cool lions.

  

She really liked the Degas dancers. 

To this one, she said, "Ooo! Of course!" and posed without further comment.

Her favorite part, however, was the kids' education room, with artsy computer games and a wall full of artsy books. 

She enjoyed the paperweight collection.

She was also a fan of the miniature rooms collection--like perfectly scaled doll houses of a variety of times and places. We were both impressed how even the view out of the windows of the rooms was attended to.

This cool medieval Gospel caught my eye again. We talked briefly about how they decorated the outside of it with jewels and carved ivory because they thought the book was a treasure--so they wanted it to look like a treasure. So here it is sitting in a glass case.
Noelle's response: "Well, if it's a treasure then why don't they READ IT?!" She is her father's daughter--the day before I had this same conversation with him "Ah, yes, the age-old debate between art historians and literature scholars..." he said.

Besides the kids' room, Noelle's favorite part was the Fashion and Impressionists special exhibit because there were period dresses displayed alongside the artwork featuring them. I found the paintings WAY more interesting than she did, but we still had a great time.
"Noelle, isn't this painting beautiful?"
 "Oh yes, and where's another dress?"

We had a great mommy-daughter date out of this excursion. Holding hands waiting for the Red Line subway train to arrive; walking together, seeing what art caught her fancy and why; watching her bounce from piece to piece; trying to share a little bit about why I liked certain pieces--for me, at least, it makes a fond memory. I'm thankful for it.