Guest Blog: My dad!!

Please see my dad's blog debuts here and here. Back AGAIN by popular demand!!

Sue and I (Melanie’s Mom and Dad) just returned from a 2 week London visit.) Last week Melanie asked me to contribute to her blog.  I originally declined, but woke up thinking about many memorable events. Here are some observations and comments.

Overall, it was great!  We loved seeing the family and how they live. As grandparents feeling their age, we were not thrilled with their decision to move.  But seeing how quickly the grandkids have adapted to their new surroundings has eased some of our concerns. 

The kids greeted us outdoors. They couldn’t wait to give us a tour of their new place.  

The boys have anglicized quickly.  They rarely use the word “soccer” now.  It’s all FOOTBALL.   And what we used to call football is now American football.

We made many trips to the parks to practice.  We got to attend several matches.

And who knew three could play Ultimate Frisbee?

The boys are still closely following the college and NFL scores and standings.

On their many walks the boys have learned to recognize  high end sports and other luxury cars from afar.  

Samara and the boys have made other friends quickly.

Samara had 3 horseback riding opportunities during our visit.  They had some concerns about English vs Western

We were lucky that the furniture and goods shipment from Boston arrived just before we did.   They also just took possession of their place a few days before.  I was able to help assemble new furniture.

A major highlight was seeing their new school.  We got a short tour and met some teachers. It’s very impressive for many reasons.  I think the kids love it.  It will be very difficult to leave.

Melanie told us that we would walking a lot.  She was right.  Sue and I had never before checked how many steps we take in a day.  Here, we did.  Some days were between 25000 and 30000.   I averaged 17000/day the first week.  Sue walked more than I did— she never missed her daily solo walk.

People are nice and polite, but driving is bit aggressive and not pedestrian friendly.  Other highlights included the Bar with the Michigan Wolverine following and the bustling open-air markets

We NEVER needed cash for anything.  TAP credit cards were accepted universally, served as Tube tickets, and could even pay street busker tips.

Melanie made us aware of an amazing APP specific to getting around London.  After entering the destination,  suggested combination walk-bus-train options are presented.  We used it to get to Tate Modern.  Great Cezanne exhibit.

Negatives?:

M&M are working really, really hard to run their  household.  Transporting kids to different after school situations is complex.  It takes a lot of time to commute, shop, and deal with home issues.  We did take advantage of meal deliveries a few times.  

Living greenly, they haven’t fired up the boiler.  Yet.

…Looking forward to our next visit.    And going back to sleep, now…..

My mom added...

Walking back home from Primrose Hill with the kids we spotted this splendidly illuminated tree.

How the kids light up our lives....