This Old House

So in its final… er, um good riddance… our adorable rental house has decided to fall apart on us, starting  a few weeks ago with the roof.
It was the first time it had rained (and I mean REALLY rained) in several weeks and water was coming through the roof,  into the attic space on the [...]

My Fake British Accent Isn’t All Bad

So, I have another very good reason for quasi-abandoning my blog lately.
(Besides playing Santa AND holiday hostess this past week…)
The last few weeks, my laptop has been infected with a heinous virus and it’s called…
MIKE.
The power supply on his computer fizzled out or some such and now, he’s on my “evil Microsoft” laptop no less [...]

The Anglification of Mr. A

While Avery hasn’t exactly developed a British accent, he has managed to pick up hundreds of little words and nuances. Here are a few of my favorites.
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To pass the time spent waiting for trains and buses, I quiz Avery on his numbers, letters, colo(u)rs, etc…
One day, we came across this…
Me: What letter is that?
Avery: ZED!
Ah, [...]

Toddler Versus Solid Wood. Solid Wood Loses.

If I’m approximately four weeks away from moving overseas, why am I at Ikea?
I’ll tell you.
I’m a neglectful mommy and my child has the power to bend solid wood. You see this cutting board?

It used to lie flat against the counter until it tangled with Avery…
I left him in front of the TV for about…umm, [...]

Insert Mandatory Joke About The Brits and Their Dental Hygiene (Pause for Polite Laughter)

Avery is at the height of toddlerness where everything, whether it’s time for a bath or suggesting chocolate cake for breakfast, is received with a fervent “No, Mommy. NO!”
Except, with Avery it’s not just “no”. It follows with a vigorous head shake and an unyielding “anymore”.
For example, it’s not just “no trousers today”… or even [...]

It’s The Little Things That Make a Life More Bearable

With my entire family coming for the holidays, I’ve been kicking myself for leaving my favorite “family cookbooks” in the States– the ones sold to raise money for our parish or local hospital and have recipes titled “Aunt Susie’s Very Best Christmas Morning Casserole” or simply “Party Potatoes”.
These cookbooks contain only the tried and true. [...]

Photo Story Friday: Toddler Smack Edition

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Last weekend, I hit up the KCWC Nearly New Sale and scored this beautiful hit of toddler smack…

I had a tough time getting through the Tube with it, but only because I had every member of the male and “under 4″ set clamoring for it.
It’s hard to miss a BRIGHT YELLOW [...]

Keep Calm and Carry On

Now that the election is past us, would you kindly redirect you attention back to me. Me. ME!
I just want to thank you for indulging my momentary wallow in self-pity and drama. I know I said that that I didn’t want to be comforted, but you knew that I secretly needed it and did so [...]

Certainity. A Luxury We Can No Longer Afford.

Shortly following the start of the worldwide economic meltdown, Mike turned to me one morning and asked, “But how does all this affect us?”
(“Us” being folks with no immediate ties to the banking industry going about their daily lives.)
At the time, life around us hadn’t changed much…
The London’s streets were littered with just as many [...]

1,2,3,4… Tell Me That You Love Me More

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mike and I celebrated a wedding anniversary recently.
Four years ago we promised to love, honor, and cherish. Little did I know that it would be more like honour…
Of course, at the time, I also expected ours to be a life right out of a Pottery Barn catalog– gracious dinner [...]