I'll Leave You With This...

One of my favorite photos of all time!  I was home with the two youngest, and Darren took these three to the Tower of London for the day.  They came back to the flat happy and out of breath and so excited to tell me about their day.  Also, lunch at the Tower of London cafeteria, well over $140 US.  No kidding.  Thanks to Britain's strong economy and our crappy exchange rate, lunch in a cafeteria will break the bank.  Welcome to our trip to Europe.


This has been a very calm, laid-back week which is never something to complain about.  There were a few notable exceptions (mostly Alex related,) but for the most part everyone is doing well in school, happy and seems reasonably well-adjusted, at least by our standards, who knows how low those really are--we're certainly not that self-aware. Hopefully Davis, Brynn and Henry won't read this blog and wonder why Alex and Addison get mentioned all the time.  Here's your shout-out for being good and easy-going and not doing crazy things all the time.


Also, I'm not sure I really want to write about how last Sunday I helped Alex make a big breakfast (I only did the hash browns, she did the French toast and scrambled eggs herself--little chef,) then about 20 minutes later was changing a diaper when the smoke alarm went off.  Alex had taken the scrambled egg pan and put it on the stove with the burner full blast.  Oh my goodness, there was so much smoke.  "But that's how Dad cleans pans.  He says no soap, just put it on and turn it way up."  Thank you, Darren.  I did explain the difference between cast iron and everything else, but of course it wasn't one of our ho-hum pans, it was the expensive Scan-Pan.  It's supposed to be able to handle anything, so I guess we put it to the ultimate test.


And, let's not even talk about hanging off the front of the railing in the foyer.
Me:  Why would you do that, Alex?  You could get really hurt.
Alex:  I just wanted to (shrugs her shoulders).


I am off to North Carolina to run a race with one of my best college friends, Michelle.  Wish Darren luck with the kids.  I know it will be fine.


I'm excited to go and spend the weekend with her in her family's beach house, honoring her father who was a big-time runner and is currently not well, but I'm also sad to leave my kids.


How do you leave a 2-year-old who wakes up from naps and tells me, "Mommy, I miss you!"  She is my little buddy and constant companion.  Toddlers are a lot of work, but they sure are entertaining.  Of course, she also walks around and tells her stuffed animals, her dolls (Cute baby, I miss you...oh, baby, is so cute!) and her scooter that she missed them, so maybe I'm taking this too much to heart.