Back to Christmas

Here are just a few pictures from a wonderful Christmas in London!

One of the highlights for me was how much Wiley enjoyed playing with his toys. We didn't tear through Santa and on to family gifts at all. He genuinely loved playing with Woody and Buzz and his legos for a long time...at least long enough for us to all have coffee and coffee cake. Having a Christmas morning that was not rushed through and was savored was so special.

Back to Christmas Eve (below) Wiley went to work with Wil! Here Wiley is in Lloyd's of London (Insurance Market). The Titanic, Marilyn Monroe's legs, Brad Paisley's voice, your beach condo...you name it...is insured in this building.

The boys before they leave for work. Wiley insisted on wearing a tie like Wil.

Welcome Home Parr!

Howard "Parr" Cooper was born on December 29th

7lbs 4oz

Proud big brother Wiley. Wiley also made the sign we came home to at the house. The boy is Parr "when he is 4" according to Wiley.

Sweet Little Parr!

Winter Wonderland

On Saturday, we got about 4 inches of snow here in London! It was beautiful watching it snow and a bit shocking to see so much of it stick so quickly! We had a great time playing with our friend Jill and her daughters Elizabeth and Victoria. Wiley and I made it out late morning to run quick errands then go to their house for lunch. It was pretty magical to be drinking a peppermint mocha while walking in the snow!

Wil was waiting patiently at home for us to get back (read: man cave time) and play in the snow. Tackling followed.

There was a big snow angel out there. Wil was not going to miss the fun, and very delicately threw himself down into fresh snow and proceeded to do the angel motions.

Wil, Wiley, and Elizabeth built a wonderful snowman!

Winter Wonderland! (This is our square's garden)

There is still more snow forecasted this week. We've still got tons on the ground, so if it could hold off until my family gets back here from Paris, that would would be grand. I'm all for a white Christmas, but only after the jet-setters return!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well, a lot like Christmas since it's 2 weeks away.

Here is Wiley at his school's Christmas party. They did a dance that followed the plot of the Snowman, and they sang sweet songs complete with jingle bells. And then Santa came and sang about how busy he is and did a little rap. Yeah. 5 brownies were later consumed by Wiley, and we crashed hard later that day.

Our Christmas tree! Nothing feels more like Christmas time than when you have your lights on, Christmas music on and you are with your little family.

In other news, we are just waiting. I need to get in the mindset of "December 29th" is the day. (It is, by the way). I'm currently in "Any day now!" mindset which while true, kind of just makes you more crazy than is really necessary. My bag has been packed and re-packed and I'm feeling good about that. I had Wil take a picture of me with my belly so that I could remember the end of it/I think there are maybe 5 pictures of me being pregnant this entire past 9 months. After looking at them, I was reminded why we don't take pictures of ourselves when 9 months pregnant.

Hope you and your family are enjoying the season!

Just because...

I'm not really entirely sure where we were going. Obviously a tacky Christmas party. But I had to share this one. I was going to do a sweet sentimental pictures of Christmases past, but this one was too good to pass up. Poor Wiley and his elf hat. Love you, Wil!

Strange

Strange strangers in London are just well, strange.

Some kids are shy around their teachers, neighbors, dog, you name it--anyone.

Some kids know no strangers.

I happen to have one of the latter. And living in a big city with lots of stranger action makes things...strange.

Like the time Wil was "in charge" on the tube and I looked over and Wiley was sitting in a Spanish girl's lap, and they were laughing and having the best time. Not okay, Dad.

Or the time tonight when we just had to be on what seemed like the longest bus ride ever. Sitting by the chattiest woman ever. Who I think legitimately thought that when we said we were from America, then Alabama (I always add "in the South" because some people actually have no idea where Alabama actually is situated.), that we were from "South America."

What do you say in "South American?" Can you say "Howdy do-di?"

Lady, I don't even know how to spell that phrase to even tell my friends back home about how bizarre this situation is. And South America is a completely different continent--where they speak Spanish.

"In England we say, Hello, Good Morning. Good Afternoon. Good Evening. Do you like my English accent?"

Lady, he's been here over a year. If he is like me, your accent does not phase him. It stopped phasing him after a month of being here. Nor is saying Good morning, afternoon, evening that English. If you want to roll with the stereotypes, you can tell him that in England you say "Cheerio Mate"-- a phrase used just about as much as Howdy do-di is used back home.

It got even weirder and continued with her being a nice, complimentary, overly chatty lady having me agree about his nice gloves and how nice he is ("Aye, Mom?" "Yes. (please stop.)" Needless to say, I have never been more keen to get off a bus than this evening, and proceeded to harp on stranger education to Wiley.

Good Evening Strange Bus Lady. Good Evening.

Snow...in November?

It snowed here yesterday--that's right. In November! What a wintry place we live in, apparently! Tonight and tomorrow we are forecasted to have more snow...1-3 inches in fact! Not really that much, but to Southerners, that is a lot! And it is absolutely, positively freezing--especially with that damp London air and arctic winds.

One friend at school, who moved from Charlotte, was certain school was cancelled since it is in Charlotte (and anywhere in the South) for 1 cm of snow; but this is London, and we trudge on. However, last year the city was pretty shut down with minimal snow--so maybe tonight and tomorrow will be enough to do it. London is like the South in that way--not totally prepared for winter precipitation.

Funnily enough, on Tuesday, I was going from our area just outside central London to the Marylebone area. I texted my friend to say I might be late because of the slick conditions. I felt crazy (and was sure she thought I was crazy or telling lies!) when I got off the bus and there was absolutely NO snow on the ground there. Just a few miles into the city and no accumulation. Shows how warm the city itself is, as well as the slight difference in elevation (or at least that is what I'm told) between the areas.

Wiley of course loves the snow, and hopefully tomorrow there will be enough for a snowman. I'm just trying to encourage him to stop eating snow off of London sidewalks/houses/gates/you name it.