My Kids

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I need to stop and brag about my kids for a moment. They've done amazing on this trip. Gabe has been a trooper. Yes, he slept through many of the exciting things we were seeing, but other than that, he's been happy to just watch what's going on in the world around him. It wasn't until yesterday that he actually had a meltdown and that was really because he was tired. Both of our trips on the tube to and from the flat, all he could do was cry unless he was holding my hand. That worked fine, except that on every stop I'd have to let go so that people could get on and off. Then he'd start crying until the train was loaded and I could grab his hand.


But other than that, he's been amazing. He can spot a dog anywhere, even if it's on a billboard or in a painting. He smiles at everyone, regardless of whether or not they're looking at him, and his curls are just as popular here as they are at home.

I've seen a huge change in Bella. Sure, we still have our moments of preteen drama, but I've seen a confidence in her that I haven't seen before. She can find the bathroom at a restaurant on her own, even if that means following a tiny sign up the stairs and around the corner to find it. Yesterday she forgot her backpack in the restaurant at dinner. As we walked back for it, she recognized the sign as we got close. I told her she could run and go get the backpack if she wanted to, while I caught up. She ran to the restaurant, got the backpack and then ran back to me. If you know Bella, you will know how huge that was. I was very impressed. She watches the tube map so that we can get off at the right stop. She'll sit down in a seat that is halfway down the car, because it was the open seat. I have been very impressed with her and I've seen her confidence level grow so much. We'd had fascinating conversations about the people that we're seeing and why they dress the way that they do, or believe the things they believe. We've talked about history and culture and the Royal family. I know that she's only 11 and much of this goes way over her head, but I've seen things in her that I haven't seen before and it makes me really excited for the person that she's becoming.



 

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