Hello!
I wish I had lots of fun things to say, but sadly we have been a bit dull here. We have made the trek a couple times to Oxford Street to buy things for our flat. Yes, we are moved in. Maybe I will put some pictures up here once I have it looking nice, but right now, I have 2 full trash bags in the kitchen, about 5 boxes in the hall, and a very bare reception room. But I do have a pumpkin. I found the pumpkin near our High Street (the main street with stores in the different areas of town). As soon as I walked in my building's door with Wiley in tow, my sweet neighbor (an American) and her friend (also American) exclaimed that I had found this grocery store and that it was probably the most expensive pumpkin in all of London! Hooray for the London learning curve! I have found that at times like that I just cannot get stressed out about how much I paid for the pumpkin, and must just laugh. It is a nice pumpkin. I now know where to avoid shopping (although when desperate for American brands, they have a nice selection).
And while I mention groceries, that is one comfort from home I think I will miss. I really love shopping at the grocery store. I love coupons, I love BOGOs. I love finding the deals. It is a game. But here, it is like a survival game when I go shopping. I feel so out of sync, as different products have different names, and it is confusing and frustrating when I can't find something I am accustomed to having (Ranch dressing powder packets and Lipton onion soup packets) for cooking. There are not any big grocery stores in walking distance that I know of, so we go to these little "express" ones which is basically like shopping in a gas station with slightly more selection of fruits and veg. I miss loading Wiley in my grocery cart with a rocket on it and casually walking down the big, wide aisles. However, hope is on the horizon, as I have a load of groceries (including basics like flour, sugar, oil, etc) being delivered (yes, delivered) tomorrow. There is also a Costco here. I think I would like to just spend my day in that Costco.
The picture above is Wiley playing putt-putt--a frustrating experience for Wil and a fun one for Wiley. Wiley preferred playing with the spinning wheels, etc than putting the ball in the hole. It was a neat little course in a courtyard of an office building in The City. Businessmen would come and play I guess as a break from their work.
We have also started a behavior chart for Wiley. It is rudimentary and basic. It is simple. If he obeys, is sweet, general good behavior in the morning, he gets a smiley face in pen. Then, at the end of the day, if he had a good afternoon (and good morning) he gets to put a sticker below that day. If he gets 5 stickers (out of 7 days) he gets a surprise. He is working towards an airplane, as he broke the little plastic one we got him Saturday about 10 minutes after we put it together. I think this is helping him. However, he doesn't understand that I won't give him 5 stickers in one day. Maybe after this first week he will understand. He was so excited though last night about getting to put his first sticker on.
Well, I suppose I did have something to say! Just wanted to let yall know we are still well. London is really nice in the fall (I have beautiful trees turning colors outside my window), we have great neighbors, and once I have a grip on my kitchen I think I will feel much better (although I feel great now!). Isn't it funny how important feeling "at home" in a kitchen can make such a difference?
Maybe the saying should be "Home is where my tupperware, aluminum foil, baking sheets, and 9 x 11 pyrex are."
No comments:
Post a Comment