Autumn from Lindy Simon on Vimeo.

We’ve gone to birthday parties and play dates. She’s kicking some serious ass with her skiing lessons, is now a full fledged Rainbow, has joined a choir and will be participating in a huge ballet performance in March so is practicing for that. We’re really busy, happy and healthy. Can’t ask for more.

Yesterday I was minding my own business when the doorbell rang and to my surprise it was the woman that lives across the street (not the BMFer).  She introduced herself and we chatted for a little while. As we were saying our goodbye’s she invited herself over later so that Squidge could meet her daughter.  I agreed it would be lovely to have them stop by together.

Cue panic! My house was a pigsty! It was my scheduled cleaning day but it was 12:20 and I hadn’t picked up a broom. I completely freaked out! I don’t know why I do that but I do.  I think most of my friends know that we’re doing up  the house so to expect a bit of chaos but STRANGERS? OH MY GAWD!!!  Well I got the bottom half of the house clean and tidy.  I closed all the upstairs rooms in case she found her way up there.  Not that I would have let her!

6pm rolled around and Squidge and I waited, teapot at the ready.  6:15 came and went.  6:30 came and went. 6:45 came and went.  I read Squidge her bedtime stories. We brushed teeth and got our (hers) jammies on.  7:20 Squidge was tucked up in bed and I was on the phone with a friend. I was just saying that I  must have gotten it wrong and was supposed to go over to hers instead but no I did get it right she was just very late.  I invited her in and Squidge hightailed it down to us (she was sad that our guests never arrived so she was spasticly happy they came). We chatted for a little while, I offered her tea and cake and then they left.  It was very nice getting to meet our neighbors.  I’m going to have to make more of an effort, be a bit more friendly and get to know more of the folks on the street.

We have so much more space here and I have been embracing living in this house.  Our last house had an eat in kitchen but was a bit short of counter space so we rarely ate as a family– together.  It was Squidge alone at the table then Wal and I in front of the TV when he got home.  After moving a BMF friend of mine was looking to get rid of a fabulous old oak table, they’d recently remodeled the kitchen and purchased a new one and we were lucky enough to get it– for FREE! You know how much of a geek I am about free things!  That has meant Sunday (and monday, tuesday, wednesday…) dinners w/ roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and some sort of roast– chicken, beef, pork… you name it I’ve made it and we’ve eaten it on our large oak table. Such a new a fantastic experience for us me.  On Christmas day we had a free range turkey. It was only about 8 1/2 lbs but for a family of three it was HUGE.  It lasted almost a week!  Christmas dinner, boxing day lunch and dinner, and three pies on consecutive days.  On the last day I had to choke down the pie.  I was sick to death of turkey, I couldn’t look at another roast potato and the thought of Yorkshire pudding had me running to the loo!  After what felt like a month of eating rich, heavy foods I hit a wall.  I still had New Years day to deal with… ugh!  We roasted some beef and had all the fixing.  On the 2nd I told Wal he had eaten his last* roast potato this month– cue sad face from Wal.

I’ve been trying to eat lighter meals to make up for all the large dinners I’ve been making.  I’m not going to make any New Years resolutions as I don’t think they work.  I’m just going to stick to what I have been doing.  Lighter healthy options, eating a few small meals, nothing after 9pm (sounds really late but sometimes Wal doesn’t come home until 8pm so we have late dinners a lot), early to bed ( I used to regularly go to bed at 2am), and some sort of physical activity 3/4 times a week.  I stopped going to BMF in late October because of knee and hamstring problems.  I’m taking up swimming this year– LOL isn’t that what old people do when their joints start giving them grief??  I also want to grow my hair out this year.  Does this list sound like a bunch of resolutions??  They’re not, not really.  They’re just things I want to do or continue to do.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m in serious need of a detox!!

*If you’re a FB friend you’ll know I fell off the light meal menu train by cooking a pork belly last night– old habits and all that.

On Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving with the best bunch of friends a girl could ask for.  Even Wal who was a bit skeptical about the entire thing had a good time.  I managed to find some chairs just in the nick of time.

I dragged in the very very heavy patio table and chairs, my friend Victoria brought over her camping table, I set up our old kitchen table and a couple of folding chairs and BAM we had a cheesy B&B look.  Add the paper plates and napkins (I did class it up a bit by having real METAL cutlery and not plastic) and it’s PERFECT! It’s just what Thanksgiving is supposed to look like! I had a fantastic time and want to do it all over again– tomorrow!  I hope everyone else had a good time too.  It was over way too quickly though!  At the end of the night Wal was drunk and asleep on the sofa and Squidge was bouncing off the walls from her sugar rush!  Perfect!

I’m thankful for the wonderful friends I have here in England.  I’m thankful for my family and friends back in the US.  I’m thankful for Squidge. I’m thankful that I finally have a house I can open up and welcome all these wonderful people to.  I’m thankful for my health. What are you thankful for?

I had sooooo much fun.  It was my first newborn shoot and Jenny (the mom) was super sweet and I hope she enjoys the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.  I’m still in the middle of processing.  I had forgotten how teeny newborns are.  You should have seen the tiny little bum this one has!  Not like the big girl bum that comes my way after it goes potty!!

The rest of the week has been pretty boring.  Went to the library on Tuesday, which was good since we missed our normal Monday story time.  On Wednesday I didn’t do much of anything.  Thursday we went swimming and Squidge was sooo freaking good!  It was like we had our swim loving Squidge back!  I’ve been talking to her for 2 weeks about swimming and not crying and how when she cries water goes up her nose and she doesn’t like that and she needs to not cry and and AND!!!  And I think it finally worked!!  Thursday Wal went down to London for work and when he got back we went out for a curry.  Only thing was we had to wait until it got dark!  It made us laugh because Squidge associates going for a curry as something that only happens at night.  Not that we go out for curries much so I don’t know why that has stuck.  I wonder what would happen if we went to a different restaurant?  Hmm probably a lot of tears.

So that has been my week in a nutshell.  Hmmm did I forget anything?  Oh yes the bath is in. I repeat the BATH IS IN!  Well at least temporarily, we need to make some adjustments and then we can start tiling.  Oh, I am SOOOO looking forward to that– not!  I absolutely loathe DIY but Wal is happy puttering around so hey whatever as long as I sell this fecking place by the Summer. Oh I also sold all but one of my lenses (kept my 50mm) and have ordered a Nikon 24–85 f/2.8.  It wasn’t my first choice lens but at £1100 that lens was NEVER going to happen.  At least not yet.  The new lens should be arriving tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it as it’s supposed to be a fantastic lens.  

Anyhoo enough of my boring jibber jabber– here are some random photos from the past week.