What I would like to tell my middle school self.

I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware...

It's a line from I Just Can't Wait to be King from Disney's Lion King.  These days I listen to that song over and over and over.  It's my two-year-old daughter's favorite, and if I don't have it blaring from my iPhone, she'll take it upon herself to belt it out for the world to hear.

I remember when it was my favorite song, too.  It was middle school for me.  I had been invited to a sleepover with some girls that were a lot cooler than me.  And there we were, squeezed into a minivan and on our way to someone's house.  We were talking about the new movie and our favorite songs from the soundtrack.  "My favorite is Just Can't Wait to be King!" I blurted out.  "My cousins and I each sing a part."

*Silence*

And then, from another girl: "That song is dumb."

I still remember that feeling, sitting in a dark minivan, thankful no one could see my face.  Color rising in my cheeks and tears welling in my eyes.  I was mortified.  But more than that, I felt I should choose a different favorite Lion King song, and make excuses for my former favorite.  My taste in music simply wasn't up to scruff.

And now, a few weeks before my 30th birthday, I still think back on that and cringe.  But not because of the embarrassment I felt, although I do remember that feeling quite clearly.  But mostly because back then I didn't think my own tastes and opinions and self good enough.  So here's what I want to go back and say to that girl...

1. Hold your head high and like what you like and be the girl God created you to be.  Unkind people will say unkind things, but they usually aren't worth listening to.

And those girls in that minivan?  I haven't thought about or talked to or had any non-facebook contact with them in a decade.  Probably longer.

2. The friends that stick don't care how "cool" you are.  They don't care about your sense of fashion (or lack thereof).  Or your haircut or ugly glasses.  And certainly not your musical tastes.  

I've never been all that interested in music.  I enjoy a smattering of things, but don't have much of a passion for it otherwise.  I downloaded an Adele album a few weeks back and I'm pretty sure it's the first music I've bought in years.  And I'm fully aware that the album is a few years old.  I have no idea what artists are at the top of the charts.  Heck, I had to Google Nicki Minaj when she showed up to judge American Idol last season.  But my close friends today?  While we might share a chuckle about my musical clueless-ness, I know they couldn't care less.

3. Social politics.  Hurt feelings.  Awkward moments and hard conversations and humble pie.  They don't end when middle school (or even high school) does.  But that's a good thing. 

Friendships are hard, hard work.  At age 29, I'm still learning how to be a good friend.  Hopefully I'm better at it than I was at 13, and hopefully by age 45 I'll be a lot better.  But I'm a sinful, flawed, selfish person.  I can look back on all kinds of occasions where I wish I would have handled things differently.  And it's only by God's grace that I've been able to keep the friends I have.  And my friends?  Well, we've all got issues.  So I've learned that sometimes it takes a lot of love and believing the best and grace and humility to be friends long-term.

I also believe that hard spots in relationships are purposely and lovingly given to me by God for my own refinement.  When something is amiss between me and another person, it gives me pause to examine my words and actions.  Was I putting that person's needs before mine?  Was I treating them with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Col 3:12)?  Were my words used for building people up, blessing those who might hear me (Ephesians 4:29)?  If, in my lifetime, I was only bumping into people and situations that were pleasant, how would my rough edges get filed down?  How else would I know that my words or actions might be offensive or hurtful?  And rough patches with people are also an always-needed excuse to seek God in prayer.  For peace.  For humility.  For grace.  And an extra dose of His love for another person.

4. Don't be a social climber.  Because you usually have to step on someone.  

I remember 6th grade.  I had a group of friends in school, but no one super close.  If there was a group gig going on, I'd get an invite.  But rare was the day when I'd get a call to do something one-on-one.  I remember spending an afternoon with one of the other girls in the group.  And we admitted to each other that we felt like "last resorts."  As in, I've called everyone else and they were all busy so I guess I'll hang out with you.  But - hooray - we had each other.  We could be LR's together.  And we had a great time of it.

And then she went away for a year.  Her dad's job, I think.  While she was gone I made new friends.  A cool crowd.  I even had a 7th grade "boyfriend."  We danced to Bon Jovi in my living room and shared popcorn at Mr. Holland's Opus and life was pretty good.  But then that girl came back.  And I hardly gave her the time of day.  She wasn't cool.  I was getting there.  She was still a LR but this time she didn't have a buddy.  I didn't want her to drag me down.

I've always, always regretted doing that.  I pray that God lets our paths cross again so I can apologize.

5. Make a point of being kind.  

I SO wish I could tell that middle schooler me to be kind.  As in, befriend the friendless.  Or the LR's.  Stand up to mean kids.  Be the kind of girl in that minivan who would say, "I like Just Can't Wait to be King, too" to mortified little me.  And that mean girl?  Be extra kind to her too.  Even if she hurt your feelings.  She's probably hurting, too.  Don't participate in malicious gossip.  Give of your time and money and agenda to bless another person.

True loving kindness?  The kind that sometimes requires sacrifice - or maybe even just inconvenience?  It has lasting meaning.  It matters.  Kindness shines a light for Jesus in a way that little else can.

6. God has your life in the palm of His hand.  And He has major blessings in store.

Looking back on my life, it's been so very true.  God has never left my side.  Through doubts and trials, blessings and joys, He has been faithful.  And He always will be.  He holds my hand and guides me with His counsel.  And nothing can separate me from His love.

I would definitely want middle schooler me to know that God is just as faithful when you're 29 as when you're 13.  His love is immeasurably wide and long and high and deep, and His mercy never fails.   

***

As I look back on this list, from the wise old age of 29, I know in my heart that God is still teaching me these lessons.  When I'm 45, I may well want to go back and tell the current me some of these same things.  It gives me pause.  What silly little things do I care WAY too much about right now?  (Lion King songs, anyone?) And what don't I care enough about?

I look up at the list right now and think, yikes, I've got a long way to go in most of these areas.

But the grace of God that carried me back then will continue to do so throughout my life.

The Lord is my Shepherd...
He restores my soul...
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:1, 3, 6

Our take on traveling with kids.

"Oh my gosh, traveling with two little kids?  How do you do it?"

We hear this a lot.  And while I know that mostly people are just being nice/complimentary, I think that some folks are thinking, in the back of their minds, "these people are nuts."  And maybe we are.  But we've signed up to live in Europe for just two years.  And we love to travel.  So we're going to try and make the most of this opportunity.


And since we have little kids (Caroline is two, Juliet is five months) right now, taking them along is a part of the deal.  And often, it's such a joy.


I asked Josh if I should write a blog post about traveling with kids.  His response?

"Pride goeth before the fall."

Too true! 

But let me assure you... our thoughts on this matter aren't coming from a place of we-know-it-all.  Because most of the time we're just winging it.  But we've come up with a few thoughts on the matter since traveling with little ones has become a part of our life.


There's a lot of crying in the backseat (Juliet), constantly picking up dropped toys (for Caroline), and our double stroller is the nastiest piece of baby equipment anyone has ever seen.  Curious what smashed up raisins mixed with baguette crumbs looks like when dribbled over with milk at the bottom of a stroller?  Come our way.

But here's a glimpse into our Clark Griswold-ish world of roaming Europe with two littles in tow.

Scheduling:
We kiss any notion of sleep schedules goodbye and roll with it, literally.  If the kids nap in the stroller, great.  We've gotten burned on trying to accomplish true nap times back at the hotel room, so we don't bother trying anymore.  By this point Caroline usually falls asleep as she needs to.  While we have seen Caroline in complete over-tired meltdown mode, it doesn't happen that often.  And it's nothing that a movie on the iPad and/or snacks can't fix.


 

Food:
We get especially flexible in this category.  Meals in general can be difficult.  We've found that here in Europe there are fewer "child-friendly" options.  While it's helpful to get some travel book/Internet/hotel front desk help in this area, we've sometimes simply struck out.

One night in Salzburg we found a place that was recommended by a travel book.  When we got in, they tried to put us at a large table with two other adult couples.  And then both of our children started LOSING it.  The couples at the shared table refused to look us in the eye.  I couldn't blame them  So we left.  We tried the place next door.  They were only serving ice cream.  So Caroline's dinner that night?  Ice cream with a side of goldfish crackers.  And Josh and I just picked up some cheese, crackers, wine, and fruit at a grocery store and ate it, picnic-style, in the hotel room.

*Sigh*

Don't get me wrong.  We ate some great meals at fantastic local restaurants during our trips.  It's a favorite part of traveling internationally for us, after all. But it doesn't always work out.  Grocery store picnics are a mainstay for our family.

Lest anyone think our travels are glamorous, we've actually learned to fully embrace McDonald's too as a convenient, viable option.   I have new respect for that establishment!  There's parking, a predictable menu, and lots of high chairs.  And - bonus - McD's has free WiFi.  We don't pay roaming charges for 3G-type coverage when we leave England, so free WiFi is a major bonus.

Lodging:
We are just not fancy travelers these days.  Maybe you like 5 star accommodations and room service?  We do, too!  But we don't have an unlimited budget and we'd rather take several small/cheap trips over one super posh one.  Just a personal preference.  But to that end we've found some great deals on little apartments, guest houses, and B and B's via Booking.com and vrbo.com.  We will pay extra for location, and look for options where there is a kitchen involved.  Beyond that, we're just going for basic cleanliness. 
 

This picture has nothing to do with lodgings.  It just makes me smile.

I think our last place was less than 50 Euros a night.  One bedroom + kitchen + bathroom in Amboise, France.  Mismatched furniture and a junky TV.  We had to bring our own sheets and towels.  It was perfect!  Clean and basic and we didn't even need to sleep in the same room as the kids, who slept in the kitchen in pack & plays.  We could walk a couple blocks to the main part of town for meals.  That's all our family needs.

Activities:
We don't do all that many kid-focused activities. All Caroline needs is a safe space to romp and climb and explore.  Palace grounds?  The interior of a cathedral?  Old-school gardens?  Or a playground?  All fair game.  We just try to see what we want to see, and give her some time and space to run wherever we go.


 
Dignity:
I was asking Josh about his thoughts on our crazy travels, and his response?  "Just be prepared to throw dignity out of the window."  We pack a lot of snacks and cheap-o toys.  We change diapers anywhere.  We're not above handing Caroline one of our iPhones + some headphones so she can watch Cars 2 while we have a peaceful dinner.

Sometimes the kids cry.  Or have a tantrum.  On the plane.  In a museum.  In the car.  At a restaurant.


We do our best to stay calm.  Keep a positive attitude.  Remember that it will pass. 


I flew solo from London to Salzburg with both girls.  Praise Jesus the lady sitting next to us on the flight was a grandmother and held the baby for me a couple of times while I dealt with Caroline.  Both kids did great on the plane.  I gate-checked the stroller in London, but sadly I couldn't collect until we hit baggage claim in Salzburg.  So that meant that my 2-year-old was not contained during the entire passport check line.  UGH.  She was totally uninterested in holding my hand, and got several time-outs for running away from me.  As a result, we were the last ones in line.  By the time we finally got through, Caroline had lost it altogether.  As we waited for our stroller and suitcase, I was simply holding onto her torso as she flailed all four limbs, screaming.  Juliet was mercifully sleeping in her car seat.  But the stroller came off of the belt, and I wrestled her into it.  And by the time we were in the taxi, the tantrum had ended.  And she was great for the rest of the day.

Looking back on it, 20 minutes of toddler tantrum is a small price to pay for a fantastic time exploring Salzburg and other central European cities. 


My biggest piece of advice?  If you want to go, just go.  You will figure it out along the way.




We treasure our memories of going places with our kids.  We'll always remember how Caroline used to serenade us to sleep in our hotel room, and how we explored York with tee tiny 3-week-old Juliet in the Baby Bjorn.  And how when we were in France Caroline would say, "I want to go see the chateau, Dada."  Caroline has zero understanding about architecture, geography, history, etc.  But she enjoys a visit to a castle or cathedral just as much as Josh and I do.  Maybe more.  Her innocent enthusiasm for exploring new places is a joy to behold.

Plus, there's something extra special about the family time we get in when we're off gallivanting around the countryside.  Josh works long hours, and doesn't see that much of the kids during normal work weeks.  But when we're off together, exploring?  It's our special chance to bond as a family. 

I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

Fumbling with the Queen's English and customs...

We're almost four months into this British adventure, and different bits of the local culture have been seeping into our lives.



We eat cottage pies and sticky toffee pudding.  We actually have soft spots for both.  Spotted dick is on my list.

There's quite a bit these days that feels normal.  We know that a "surgery" is a doctor's office.  "Pudding" means dessert.  And a "lift" is another (better?) word for elevator.  And we're completely comfortable using those words.

For one thing, it's just inevitable that we start using British terms instead of their American counterparts.  When we have to interact with the outside world, it's nice to avoid blank stares.  Why make things more difficult than they have to be, when we can just as easily discuss "car parks," "cots," and "holidays" (parking lots, cribs, and vacations)?

More than that, however, we make a conscious effort to use British words when we're talking to Caroline.  She'll probably go off to school in the next 6 months, and we don't want her to be completely clueless about "ice lollies," "nappies," and "rubbish bins" (popsicles, diapers, and trash cans).  In fact, she would tell you that she rides around in her "buggy" (stroller) and that Juliet sucks on a "dummy" (pacifier).   And "Mummy"?  Yes, it's what I hear when she's whiny.  Mummy-mummy-mummy-mummy.  Just as fun as you might think.

And when we send her to school?  The terms are all different.  Instead of preschool she'll go to "nursery."  But when she plays with the other young kids while Josh and I are sitting in church?  It's call "creche."    

All of that feels normal.  But we're still getting used to a few things.

The spelling trips me up all the time.  Typing "water color paints" into the search field at amazon.co.uk doesn't turn up much.  Because of course, they're "water colours."  And then there's "fertiliser."  And "tyres" (as in car tires). Since Josh operates within the professional world, he has to deal with this a lot more.  Not too many people care about what goes into my email correspondence.

I learned yesterday via Wikipedia that the "rocket" I'm always eating on sandwiches and in salads is actually arugula.  Good to know. Thank goodness for the Internet.  I recently had to Google what my English friends meant when they would sign off emails and texts with an "x" or "xx."  Like I figured, it just means "kiss." 

And there is quite a bit that's just completely beyond us.

The catch-all word of "cheers," for instance.  It's a bit of a cross between goodbye, thanks, catch-you-later, etc.  Heard all the time.  And it's a common email sign-off as well.  Maybe it's a little too British for us?  There's no way we can pull it off.

Saying "half seven" instead of "seven thirty" to describe the time of day?  We can't pull that one off either.

I also have some vague notion that there are a few definitions of the word "tea," including the beverage, the mid-afternoon snack that involves scones, and an early dinner.  And I'm fairly confident that the context of the conversation gives hints as to which someone might be speaking of.  But at this point, I'm fairly clueless.

And the European double-kiss?  One kiss for each cheek.  Neither of us have mastered it yet.  Which cheek do you start on?  Are there times when you just kiss one side?  Are they always back to back kisses or can you stop in-between for a bit of conversation?  Can you see what all this adds up to?  AWKWARD.  And it's one thing when my girlfriends do it.  Completely different when my OB (called a "consultant") greets me that way.

I'm sure we'll continue to try - and mostly fail - in our dealings with the intricacies of the language and culture of our current home.  It's mostly a fun experiment.  Here's hoping the double kiss thing gets more comfortable with time.

On UK Driving

Watch out, I can drive in the UK!


I first got behind the wheel on the drive up to Scotland.

From a legal perspective, we're actually able to drive on our US licenses for a full year, and then after that we have to take a driving test.  Does that seem a little backward to anyone else?  However, we'll take it... we have a year to practice!

So when you're driving in the UK we're talking about driving on other side of the road and the other side of the car.  Not to mention road signs that are unfamiliar, and a few other oddities besides that.  Josh had the advantage of learning from a coworker, so he a had a bit of a head start on me.  It was actually pretty helpful for him to learn first, because he could explain things to me from the perspective of a US driver.



Our current car is a VW that Josh's company rented for us.  Oh yeah, we're rocking out the station wagon (known as "estate" around here).  It runs on diesel, which means that a tank of "petrol" lasts FOREVER.  But then when it needs more, hello 3x as expensive as US gas.  And this car actually turns itself off with every stop.  And then when you lift off of the brake it turns itself back on.  Very strange, but whatever.


Car Seats.
Since UK and US cars are made slightly differently, their regulations on car seats are different.  Thus it isn't legal to US car seats in a UK car.  So we had to buy Caroline a new one once we got here.  Some of the brands at the store were familiar to us, but we basically chose one that was recommended by baby store employees and random Amazon reviewers alike.  And, when you push the button to release the straps to take the child out, the straps actually spring up, all ready for the next time you need to put her in!  Josh hated our last car seat and is in love with this one.  We'll also have to get a new baby car seat before New Girl shows up.

So we found out about our move to England and then 5 days later found out about New Girl.  My first instinct was to freak out, and I chose car seats as that point at which I did so.

Josh: This is great news!
Jessica: But, but, you have to buy new car seats when you're over there.
And we'll have to buy TTTWWWWOOOOOOOO.
{pause}
Josh: Um, I think we can handle that.


The other side of the road.
This was the easiest part to get used to for me, both as a driver and a pedestrian.  I didn't think about it before coming here, but when you're walking you automatically look one way or another when you cross streets.  I took me a little while, before I even got behind the wheel, to remember which way to look.  However, after walking around for a couple of weeks prior to driving, it didn't seem all that weird. 

The other side of the car.
Definitely more difficult.  That's because my sense of space is all thrown off.  I mean, in an American car you know that you don't have much room to your left, but you have quite a bit to your right.  And you can quickly judge how/when to turn into a parking spot, and where you should be within the lane.  It's pretty much second nature.  Driving from the other side of the car means re-learning how much space you have on either side of you.  As a result, it's SUPER easy to drift within your lane.  I'm fairly confident that I just might side swipe a parked car one of these days. 

The streets/traffic.
One of the main reasons I might run into a side-swipe problem is that the streets are SO NARROW.  Not so great when you pair that with my spacial awareness problems above.  The street we live on is technically okay both ways, but actually only fits 1 car in 1 direction at a time.  So there's a bunch of gesturing via flashing lights about who gets to go first.  And then getting on the main road is only slightly better.  These are old streets in an old city, so I totally get it.  However, it almost makes me pee my trousers every time I'm on a road and see a big red double decker bus coming opposite me.


Oh, and the traffic sucks. Big city meets those same old narrow roads.  Or, in this case, a simple matter of dumping 3 lanes of highway traffic onto surface roads.

The road signs.
Kudos to England. These are remarkably clear and easy to read. There are signs on the sides of roads as well as a lot of signs painted right in the lanes.

Getting on the M25? 
You want to be right here in this lane.

Thank you, England.

And the road side signs are just as helpful, especially with those pesky roundabouts (see below).
Image courtesy of random flickr search.


Another random tidbit.  Most road signs heading out into the countryside have sweeping titles like "THE WEST" and then they include the specific road name almost as an afterthought.

THE WEST (M4)
is what I see on the way to the airport from our house.  As opposed to M4 West, which is how most American highways are labeled.

The roundabouts.
These are hard to get used to. There are very very few "normal" intersections around here, but rather roundabouts everywhere. There are specific rules about which lane to be in when you approach the roundabout, and then once you're in it you kind of drift to the outside in a very specific way depending on where you're getting off. Some involve traffic lights, and others don't.  And woe to you if you get off at the wrong point, or don't use your blinkers appropriately, or don't drift over in quite the right way!  You'll get honked at every time. 

Image courtesy of random flickr search.

All in all, we're still living.  The car is intact.  I've made several trips to the airport by myself, and one trip out into the country as well.  That's in addition to a fair amount of weekend driving with Josh sitting next to me encouraging me along.

Tomorrow we're going on a trip to Germany.  It's our last opportunity to travel before A) Caroline turns two and we have to buy her an airline ticket and B) I shouldn't fly anywhere any more.  We're renting a car and are curious whether or not going back to "normal" driving will feel strange.  And then we'll also have the Autobahn to deal with!  Should be interesting...

Thoughts on public transportation.

I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Some days I miss my car.

Getting to the doctor's office was so easy.  It was a couple of miles away.  Hop in the car.  Hop out.  If I needed to take Caroline it wasn't ideal, but I pop her out of the Subaru and into her stroller easily, and roll right into the office.  When I needed to do a little shopping or make a return, it was easy to put her in a cart at Target or roll her around the mall.

Last week I had some things to do in downtown London.  I needed to make a return in one area, go to my OB appointment in another, and look for a maternity coat in a third. 

And this is what it looked like:

1. Make our way to the Underground (Tube) station (.7 miles away) by foot/in a stroller.  This involves a hill when we cross the bridge.  It's a super pretty spot, but all-but causes me to black out in exhaustion as I climb it and push the buggy at the same time.

Can we say pregnant-meets-out-of-shape?

Yes.

2. Our station is gratefully handicapped accessible, so we can take an elevator down to the platform, pay to get through the gate, and roll on through toward the train.  The trains have wide open doors, so (assuming it isn't rush hour) getting the stroller onto the train is easy.  When it isn't busy I can easily get a seat and park the stroller next to me.

Actually, when it IS busy people are quick to give me their seat.  Very sweet of them.  Much appreciated.

Also, paying is easy.  You can get credit card-like "Oyster" cards that you tap on the machines when you enter and exit.  You just have to remember to load them up with more cash every once in awhile.

So far, so good.


3. To get to shopping area #1 (Oxford Circus, which is where a bunch of the flagship and major department stores are located) requires 2 different train changes.  The changes were gratefully stair-free/handicapped accessible as well.  But then the final stop at Oxford Circus?  Not so much.

Actually about 75% of the Tube stops are not accessible, and often require more than one set of stairs.  And probably an escalator, too.

This is the hard part about getting out with a little one.

Do I...

A) Look helpless, try to make eye contact with someone who might take one end of the stroller and helps me up the stairs?
B) Stop a stranger and request help?
C) Take Caroline out of the stroller and put her under one arm, then grab the stroller with the other arm and heave everyone/everything up?

I've tried all three.  A is the most ideal, and it happens about 70% of them time.  While I'm grateful for that, the other 30% (B and C) kind of bites.

Maybe I just need to be more patient.  Or only choose accessible stops, then walk the rest of the way?  I'm still working out my strategy.

Anyway, back to the journey.

4. After doing some Oxford Circus shopping, it was time to head to the OB.  I had the option of getting back on the train and going down another stop or two, but neither stop was accessible and the office was only a ten minute walk away.  Walking won.

5. I have a plethora of thoughts about how doctors and hospitals and the baby-having process are different, but that's for another post.  But it was a good experience at the OB, and New Girl looks great.  Praise Jesus.

6. On to shopping stop #2: Seven Dials, an area of Covent Garden that's a little more boutique-y.  Very charming.  In general this city is not lacking for great shopping.  That's for sure.  But we encountered more stair problems at the OB's Tube Stop and at the Covent Garden one.   

7. Once our final shopping errand was complete, we headed back to the Tube, asked a stranger to help with the two different flights of stairs, and FINALLY headed home.  I was totally wiped out, and even took a bus from the Tube station to our apartment.


When we got home I put Caroline down for a nap, and tanked out on the couch for two hours.

Whew.  You see?  Some days I miss my car.

On a positive note, our family does have a car.  And I'm learning to drive it.  Josh usually uses it for getting to work, but he's willing to take the train if ever I want to use it during the day.  I may brave the London traffic to get to my next OB appointment in the comfort of an automobile.

Also, the bus is a very nice option for stroller-accessibility.  Each bus has a wide open space reserved for wheelchairs and strollers, and it's easy to get on and off.  They also accept Oyster cards for payment, which means I don't need to deal with exact change.  While the routes and bus numbers are a bit more confusing than the Tube, I've found that the bus is a great way to get to the closest mall.  And, you know, the grocery store and Tube station when I'm feeling especially lazy/tired or we're having nasty weather.  So far it seems best for shorter distances that keep us on our own side of town.  But I can't complain about the bus system.  It's a great tool to have.


This city gig is a new lifestyle choice for our family, and transportation seems to be one of those trial-and-error situations that we have to work out along the way.  As glamorous as it sounds to jet around this fabulous city on the Tube, there are days I would quickly trade it for running errands in my old Subaru.  But that's one of the small things we traded in for this opportunity, and overall we're definitely not regretting our decision to try out something new.

English Quirks, Vol 1

In our brief time spent here, we've discovered a wide variety of small, mostly insignificant differences between how the US and UK do things. 

I'm sure that if an English person were to cross the pond and start living in the US they'd find equally as many quirks, and could write entire blog posts on how big our milk jugs are and how you can pick your own nectarines out of the selection at the grocery store (they're pre-packaged here, for the most part) and how we refrigerate eggs.

So here are a few random observations (the first of many posts, I'm sure):

1. The plugs.  Obviously.

The fact that these are different (along with the voltage that runs through them) is one of the main reasons we feel like we're single-handedly supporting the British economy.  Steam iron.  Hair dryer.  Hand mixer.  Coffee maker.  The list goes on.  While adaptors and convertors are available, and we technically could have brought our US stuff with us, we were advised against it.  Our relocation company explained that we'd most likely burn out the motors on anything not designed for the higher voltage, even with a converter, over time.  So we've been shopping.

What is also weird is that each plug has an on/off switch of its very own. 

2. Heated towel racks.

We've found these in every hotel we've ever stayed at here in the UK as well as most of the rental places we toured.  I'm not sure if they're 100% standard, but they seem to be quite popular.  They're heated by the boiler, and make for a very nice post-shower experience.  Who knew?!  Also, if you're into reusing towels (which we totally are) they'll dry a used towel much faster.  Bonus.

Furthermore, the boiler only runs for certain times of the day - morning and evening.  Our property manager tells us this is very common.  While we can get hot water out of the tap any time of day, the system is only set up for multiple hot showers for a few hours each day.  I suppose this must save on utilities.  As a result, the heated towel bar is only heated during the times of day that the boiler is on.

We just have to remember not to brush up against it coming out of the shower.  It's a bit of a shock to the system.

3. Keys

I had no idea that people still used keys that look like this:


And that the doors leading into a flat had keyholes that look like this:


If asked, I would have told you that they were entirely out of date, and old fashioned.  Not so.  I have 3 of them on my key ring at the moment - "front" door, "back" door, and downstairs closet.  On that note, I also find it strange that our flat has two entrances.  One is more of a formal, main door, and one is considered a "service entrance."  I think it has to do with the fact that this place was built in the early 1900s and they made repairmen come in through the kitchen.  Funny.

4. Our toilets are square and they stick straight out of the wall.
 

That's all for now!

Peppa Pig

We love Elmo around here, but there may be a new character in town to rival for Caroline's affections: Peppa Pig.

Josh had mentioned to a colleague that we had an Elmo fan on our hands, and that person responded, "well, she won't be fully anglicized until she starts asking for Peppa Pig."

After hearing that story, my mom and I headed to the Internet to check out this pig.

Turns out she's a preschool-aged pig who lives with her Mummy, Daddy, and brother George.  She talks in an awesome British accent and, best of all, oinks before she says things.

She has a website, a slew of exciting toys, and even her own amusement park, known as (what else?) Peppa Pig World.

And let me tell you, she's awesome. 

Go ahead and watch.  I know you're curious.

Just for you, Mom.

Maybe you noticed that I haven't changed this blog's header since Caroline was, oh, EIGHT WEEKS OLD?

Maybe you noticed that it still said 2011?  And yet here we are in March of 2012?

Yep.

My mom called me a couple weeks back, wondering if I'd EVER change the old, tired header.  Well, here you go!

And apparently I felt all rainbow-brighty-springy today.  Because POW this header is colorful.  But hey, there are blue skies today and the bright colors match my baby's rainbow dress.

I apologize in advance to my sweet husband who always chooses dark colors.  This header will probably be up until the snow melts in 2013.

As I was putting this one up, I briefly scrolled through blog headers of old.  They could DEFINITELY be used as examples of why Jessica L. Brown should never come close to Adobe products.  She's clueless. 

But they make me smile...

Back from February of 2009.  Back when A) I managed to get the entire Adobe Suite for free due to Josh being a full time student at IU (AH-MAZING) and actually started to design headers and B) Riley was only baby.


Then this one, done in the late summer of that same year.  I always liked that picture of us.

I got sort of into this blog header design thing, and pumped this one out 3 months later.

And its close cousin, two months after that.

Then it appears that I cooled on the whole idea of designing regular headers, because this one is from a full year later.
 

This one's a favorite. Year around. Always cute. Poor Riley. He doesn't get much blog love these days.
 

Can't lie. Never liked this one. Summer 2010

This one reminds me of our Christmas Card from 2010. Because I designed the two at the same time.

And here's the one you saw for WAY too long, and the first one that was graced with a Caroline head in addition to a Riley head.

Since I have taken almost zero pictures of Riley over the past year, he's going to have to deal with not being a part of this header. Sorry buddy.