london town

Oskar and I snuck away for a few days last month to London. We met up with Amy and Mary. Technically we were there for meetings, but we still found time to sneak in some sightseeing and a lot of Indian food. 

It was really great to be in London--as always. It was also great to be someplace where English is spoken. I often promise myself never to take the ease of communication for granted but after a few days of consistent English interactions--I always do. It really simplifies thing and eliminates a lot of stress. It has given me heaping amounts of empathy for anyone trying to communicate in a language or culture in which they are not fluent.

 

The morning of the attack at Westminster Bridge we were on the tube riding to our first appointment. We were a bit early, as Oskar prefers not to sleep unless he is in the Central European Time Zone, so I suggested we pop up to Westminster and look around. 

After our meetings we did some sightseeing and separated (I wasn't so keen to walk up the steps of St Paul's with Oskar). I went into a department store to get wifi and had several messages on my phone. Luckily, we were far enough away from Westminster Bridge to not know anything had happened. Our hearts go out to those who were caught up in the attack just by the simple reality of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

 

 Oskar was a fan of Mary. Not so much a fan of getting locked out of the apartment.

 The first flight was a breeze. The one home was not so much. He cried almost the entire time but several people commented to me that they have flown with small children, and they really just feel bad for me. I hope someday I can be the person who has the kindness and self control to stay kind things to stressed mothers, instead of giving icy glares and rude comments.

 Nothing puts a baby to sleep like construction equipment.

I loved getting this solid one on one time with my littlest one. He loved the attention and all the cuddles. It was rude awakening to go back to sleeping in his own bed and not being held 20 hours a day. I had to go back to cooking everything I eat. But really, it was for the best for everyone.