Finding a Routine

I think we have finally settled into a routine, which is something we've discovered all of us in our family needs. Sean is going to pre-school in the mornings (9:30-noon), and then we have lunch and either hang out in Maida Vale (park, library, our flat) or go sightseeing. Mike works in the mornings and teaches Wed and Thurs, and hopefully starting next week (or Feb for sure) I will start working out at the fitness centre in the park near us while Sean is in school. So we hope this will be our schedule through March. April will be different with my parents coming to visit and the 2-3 week term break for Sean... but that seems so far away!

Sean so far is enjoying his new school. It is not as stimulating as his previous school because it is much smaller and the ages of the children are from 2-5, with most being 3ish. But he is being a trooper and trying hard to get to know the other kids and playing with them. He knows that if he wants to play with other children during the day, this is his chance. (kind of sad, isn't it?) The good thing is that we are on a week to week basis, so if he starts really getting bored, we can stop going, or go fewer days a week. But for now it is working out. And his teachers have said to me that they are excited to have an older child so they can do some things with him that they don't usually get to do.

I don't have too much to report since we've mostly been trying to get settled this week. We did go to the Museum of Childhood, which wasn't as fun as it sounds. Mainly toys in glass cases that you can't play with...

We are going to Cardiff, Wales on an overnight excursion with our students this weekend, so I should have lots to report when we return. We hope to meet up a friend from Mike's post doc days in Dallas while in Cardiff. He and his family live there, and we are trying to mesh our schedules so we can visit and play. Cardiff is about 3 hours by bus, and if we want to go back we can take the train. We will drug up Sean with Dramamine so he doesn't get sick again - and hope for the best!

An interesting tidbit to report: I asked my cousin Nesba why there are not garbage cans in the Tube stations, on the street, etc. and she said it is because of the IRA bombings from a few years ago. I guess they used to plant bombs in the garbage cans, so they have gotten rid of them which makes for fewer hiding places....a little dose of reality for me!