Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

When Sophie was a toddler/ pre-schooler, she seemed to always be getting into some sort of trouble.  She drew on her bare chest with permanent markers, cut her own hair, cut holes in her clothes, colored her furniture, scrubbed a variety of random beauty products into her hair, etc.  You get the idea.  Being the sensible parents that we were, we would scold her appropriately and then go and get the camera and take a few photos.  Let's face it, sometimes naughty toddler high jinks are completely hilarious.   As previously noted, since we were such wise parents, we would always explain that we were taking her picture for "The Naughty Book."  This proved to be highly effective until she was about three years old.  Then one afternoon she came to us with something horrible all over her face and my camera in her hand.  She presented the camera to me, grinned enormously and said, "Here you go, Mum.  I very, very naughty!!"  I expect I to...

The jig is up. We were making cupcakes a few days ago, and I sent Sophie to look for the food coloring.  We were pretty sure that Dad had stashed it with the camping gear for some reason.  After sifting through the still-unpacked remains of last weekend's camping trip in our garage for several minutes, she returned with a fiercely annoyed look on her face and something hidden behind her back. "What's up?" I asked, "Did you find the food coloring?" "No!" she snarled, "But I did find MY TOOTH!"  she whipped her hand out from behind her back to reveal the paper Dixie cup which housed the tooth she lost on our camping trip. "So...what does that mean?" I asked.  Seven years old is a good a time as any to have one's illusions crushed. "It means that Dad took it, and I am FURIOUS!!" "Ok... so what does it mean that Dad took it?"  I asked again. "It means that DAD gave me the dollar." she ...

My youngest daughter is nearly 20 months old.  I know!  I cannot believe it either.  Even more unbelievable is the fact that she had her very first ever bubble bath this past weekend.  How is it possible that she has been deprived of bubble baths for her entire life?  We don't tend to take bubble baths at our house since several of us have sensitive skin, but when Sophie started to feel a bit unimportant near the end of Emma's birthday party on Saturday evening, I convinced her that a special jacuzzi bath with her baby sister would cure what ailed her.  My mom had just sent us some fancy organic lavender bubble bath, so that went into the water as well... and Voila!  We had just produced the world's happiest baby.  He cheers of, "BOBBLE!  BOBBLE! BOBBLE!!!" could be heard all over the house. I really love living with a toddler.  A toddler knows nothing of holding back emotions.  So while we sometimes have back-arching, howling t...

Emma and Sophie were so very excited about Thanksgiving this year.  It was the first Thanksgiving that they remember having in the States and it brought with it a four day weekend!!  Before I was even out of bed this morning, Sophie was up and had composed this little 'poem' on the computer, which she printed and brought to me:  Thanksgiving is here! Thanksgiving has taken so long! But now it is here. Let's all give a cheer! Happy Thanksgiving to all! We all got up this morning, cooked a big breakfast while the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade paraded in the background, and then we just relaxed.  I let Lili take a really long, lovely nap on my chest while George and I chatted and listened to old music.  We were engaged in some serious R&R.  Eventually it occurred to us all that we were really hungry, and that Thanksgiving dinner takes a while to cook.  Who was the fool who told me that giant double turkey breast in my fridge would only require an h...

Pumpkin carving got a little wild tonight.  It all started when George accidentally dropped a little bit of pumpkin goo in Emma's hair.  She was not amused.  The rest of us were a little amused... especially Sophie... so we fixed her... She doesn't actually appear to be too upset, does she?  Sophie is very comfortable being the center of attention even if getting there requires piling vast gobs of pumpkin guts on her head. Sophie wasn't the only girl keeping us in stitches tonight.  A discussion about Halloween gravestones which always seem to read "RIP" led to talk about other modern day acronyms such as LOL and ROFL.  Emma decided aloud that TOL ought to be added to the list.  She immediately followed this assertion with an exceptionally loud burst of flatulence.  Needless to say (although I am saying it anyway), the "T" in her acronym stood for "toot."  What well mannered young ladies we are raising at this house! "Do not take life...

Before living in the UK, I had never had a "chocolate apple," but one autumn day while wandering the Tesco looking for something comforting to remind me of home, I came across a Chocolate Apple Kit.  It basically contained a few lollipop sticks, a large pot of milk chocolate buttons, and some festive Halloween sprinkles.  I was, of course, ON IT, using the contents but making my own rules.  I prefer to melt chocolate on the stove top in a double boiler rather than in the microwave.  My double boiler is homemade: a metal bowl that fits neatly over a small pan full of simmering water.  Easy peasy. The apples are stabbed with lolly sticks and then dipped or rolled in the melted chocolate.  It is fabulously festive to add colorful sprinkles but not entirely necessary.  The apples then need to go into the fridge for at least an hour.  (I do love a cold apple.) When I was living abroad, I longed for all of the seasonal decor and candy and crap that is...

Today started out in the usual way.  Lili found her way into our bed between 4 and 5 a.m. and took up her usual position, lying horizontally between my husband and me.  I got up at about 7 o'clock when I heard a loud crash coming from upstairs.  Lili had already nearly pushed me out of bed and onto the floor anyway.  (The above photo shows what I left behind when I arose.)  When I got upstairs, both girls were dressed and in the process of brushing teeth, and no one seemed to know what the aforementioned ruckus had been, but both girls were bright eyed, bushy tailed and bubbling with excitement.  Alas this was not an ordinary day.  It was the first day of school, and I had decided that I would bite the bullet and put my two eldest babies on the big yellow school bus this morning.  We breakfasted and chatted then headed out to the end of the driveway to wait for said school bus.  As we waited I heard Emma say, "Sophie...

... and there's no school, girls just need to go to the mall and find some entertainment.  Today was one of those days.  We browsed in the bookstore and looked at all of the Halloween stuff that is already all over the shelves in the gift shops.  Sophie and Emma squashed any doubts that they are true girly girls by squealing with delight at all of the autumn-themed-fragranced lotions in Bath and Body Works.  They also had their first ever Dairy Queen Blizzard and had their picture drawn in one of those automated photo booths... Pretty cute, actually. I feel like such an American spending the afternoon at the mall.  It is funny to see the kinds of things my kids are excited about since they have been USA-deprived for the last five years.  Sophie, for example, is dying to go to Taco Bell since she has never been there.  Both girls are totally impressed with the fact that one can buy a ready-made pie crust in an American grocery store (which I did toda...

A couple of days ago, Sophie's glass of milk slipped out of my fingers when I tried to sweep it off the counter.  It shattered everywhere, and we did our best to sweep up all of the pieces.  Apparently we missed a few.  Sophie found one with her knee at bedtime last night.  When she stood up and screamed, I very calmly pulled the glass out of her knee (y'all would have been so proud) and called for George as I calmly mopped up the blood and applied pressure with a wet towel.  It was a nice, small but deep, cut.  Eagle Scout George took a look at it and decided that it might need a stitch or two, so he and Sophie (in her pink doggie night gown) headed over the the emergency room.  After waiting an hour and being told that it might be another five hours before they'd even see a doctor, they decided that the stitches could wait until morning, but sleep couldn't. So... all four of us girls got to take a little field trip...

All of my babies are growing... growing up and growing lovelier and lovelier by the minute.  These clever girls are keeping me on my toes with their developmental milestones and general fabulousness... Lili has been rocking back and forth revving up her motor all week... I am just waiting for her to take off. Sophie just lost her first tooth.  The expression on her face right after her Dad pulled it out was priceless.  This pic was taken a few minutes later.  She is one excited little girl.  Her mama proudly held it together and didn't cry like a silly woman. Emma is now reading novels and developing an astute understanding of human relationships, queen bees and wannabees.  (She and Lili have also toyed with the idea of starting up a book discussion group.) When life is getting you down, a round of applause delivered by a delectable, half- naked, little elf is pretty much just what the doctor ordered. YAY!! No, no one is pregnant....

There's no business like show business... This may be just a taste of what I have in store if Lilianna decides to follow in her parent's theatrical footsteps.  What is most funny is that my Sophie is the one who set up this scenario.  She even stuffed the top of the hat with toilet roll so that it would sit at that perfect jaunty tilt on little Lil's head.  Sophie and I definitely share a sense of humour and an appreciation of all things fabulous... "Everything about it is appealing..." There is a little game I like to play at my house.  Usually it is my own little secret game, but sometimes George catches on to the fact that I'm playing.  The game involves singing a line from a random song within earshot of someone else in the family.  Then I just wait... only a few seconds before that person unconsciously picks up where I left off.  I don't know why it amuses me so.  I love the fact that it seems completely involuntary....

This is what I found happening in my back garden this afternoon. I hope it inspires you if you're feeling bored. My husband's wardrobe combination, on the other hand, in unlikely to inspire anything sensible, but that's just the way he rolls on the weekend. Happy Weekend To You!

Earlier today I walked into my lounge and found two very cross looking girls sitting on either side of our long sofa.  "What's wrong?"  I asked, and, of course, Emma chimed in: "We have put ourselves in a Time Out.  Sophie and I were being really mean to each other and shouting at each other, so we have to sit here in silence until that timer stops."  She indicated a three-minute hourglass style egg timer on the coffee table. This was all news to me.  Several minutes earlier when I had been in to check on them, they had set up the card table and were playing a very civilized game of Go Fish.  I completely missed the mean behavior and shouting, but I was extremely impressed by this unusual display of conflict resolution.  When the sand ran out, Sophie stood up and cooed, "Sorry, Emma." Emma was also sorry, and the two girls hugged and decided to play a different card game next. Was I in the Twilight Zone?  What happened in my living...

In anticipation of St. David's Day tomorrow, here is Sophie reciting a poem about a (presumably Welsh) dragon. She will be reciting this in front of the entire school tomorrow during the St. David's celebration. I think she's a natural. And yes, I know all of my friends from home will just LOVE her "little accent." Happy St. David's Day!

My excitement about sleeping through the night overwhelmed me yesterday.  It was all that I wrote about even though there was a bit more happening.  I spent the day with two little girls yesterday: Lili and a very dismal Sophie.  Even though she was running a fever and feeling "just terrible," Sophie still had to go to the doctor and run a few errands with me after we took Emma to school.  It was not a jolly morning for that girl.  I tried to make things a little more amusing for her by playing "I Spy" while we were waiting at the doctor's office.  When I spied with my little eye something starting with the letter "w," Sophie was certain that it was a werewolf.  I think we actually kept the entire reception area entertained with that game. ***Brief, off the subject, note about my healing progress:  Yes, I am STILL healing from that breast surgery that happened over three months ago.  The wound is still painful and s...

Yesterday was a good day to be a mom. I got to go to two Christmas concerts which featured my children singing lovely songs about stars and angels and the good news of Christmas. In the morning Lili and I went to the Radyr Primary Junior's concert. I sat next to my good friend Sonia, and as we waited for the show to start, we cheekily discussed how Gok Wan might improve on the fashion choices of some of the staff and teachers. 'Tis the season to be catty, I suppose. (Seriously though, Gok could have a field day.) ...And then the show began. After the Year Sixes performed (not once, but twice ) a tedious yet imaginative version of The 12 Days of Christmas (which included "9 'Jedwards' Dancing"), the Year Fives shared a fantastic medley of songs from the musical Oliver! Then it was finally time for the traditional Christmas nativity musical put on by Years 3 and 4. The music was really lovely. Dear Emma sang her little heart out and gazed lovingly at her mother...

Yesterday after helping me make a fantastic lunch of grilled cheddar cheese & apple sandwiches, I found Sophie sitting on her own with The Very Hungry Caterpillar game. I apologized and told her that I couldn’t play right then since I needed to have my lunch and clean up the kitchen. “No, it’s okay,” she replied, “I’m just playing this with Jack and Toby.” Jack and Toby are Sophie’s imaginary friends who have been en absentia lately. “Oh,” I said, “Jack and Toby are back? They’ve been away for a while. Have they been on holiday?” “Yes,” she told me, “They’ve been to Egypt.” “Wow! Egypt sounds exciting. What did they see there?” I queried. “Oh, just some camels.” “Did Jack behave himself?” I asked since Jack tends to be naughty by nature. “Yes, Toby was looking after Jack, so he didn’t get into any trouble. Toby has to really look after Jack because he is a little rascal.” And so the conversation continued. How I love having creative little girls around the house. I think ...

Sweet Sophie perched in the window reading us a story... She's going to make a great big sister. Sophie has been developing a lovely fondness for the little girl growing inside me. She often lifts my shirt and whispers into my tummy, "Hello, baby. This is Sophie, and I love you!" She also often whispers, "Stay in there. I don't want mom to have to go to bed." Sophie also likes to put her ear to my tummy to see if anyone ever answers back. Unfortunately Sophie has the attention span of...well, a five year old, and she hasn't yet been able to feel the baby kicking. Anytime she is around and I feel big movements, I call her over and have her put her hand on me to feel. Inevitably the movement instantly stops, and after about thirty seconds, Sophie is completely bored with waiting. I am reminded of the Warner Brothers singing/ dancing frog who always clams up and croaks anytime his owner tries to show him off. Sophie has another theory as to why she's ne...

When we were home over the summer each of us girls got a few new pairs of pajamas or night gowns. This is all very exciting. I am a firm believer in sleeping comfortably while preferably also wearing some sort of interesting pattern such as tutu-clad, dancing sock monkeys. The photo to the right shows a pair of gorgeous Nick and Nora pajamas I bought for Sophie. Lately, however, I keep finding this particular pair hidden in various places around her room. They've been shoved beneath the stack of sheets in the closet, in the toy box, and under the bed. Finally it occured to me to ask, "Sophie, why do you keep hiding these owl pajamas??" The answer was, "Because I don't like them." Without really thinking, I said, "Oh, Sophie, but these are great! They are my favorite!" Of course, the cheeky little devil replied, "Then you should have bought them in YOUR size!" How grand to have a daughter who isn't afraid to speak her mind. Th...