We are doing very well. We enjoy playing card games together in the evening and continue our small group book “Love Talk”. Being far from home and in a new place has drawn us to one another and I am grateful for the chance to connect together.
We walked to Guildford this week (about 3 miles one way). Madison did a great job walking with us and did not complain at all. She is such a trooper. Lillian enjoyed riding in her stroller along the bumpy foot path. After we arrived in Guildford (about 2 hours after our depature) we wandered the shops and the street market. We all decided that Guildford is nice but we are glad that we live in Godalming. The biggest difference is that Godalming is much smaller then Guildford and a lot less crowded.
Going to Guildford we spent time looking for Madison’s lost juice bottle, eating a picnic lunch, watching the boats on the canal, feeding Lillian, and dealing with Lillain’s diaper explosion! Our return journey was must less exciting and only took a little over an hour. We also decided to walk home on the paved bike path along the main road instead of the sandy uneven foot path along the canal.
Here is map of where we live in Godalming and where Guildford is.
MADISON
Madison is officially enrolled in school (Farncombe Church of England Infant School). She will be in the Lime class for the rest of this term (end of July) and then in the Apple class for the fall term (September –December).
From what I can tell, the Lime class is a combination of our kindergarten/ first grade and the Apple class is a combination of 1st grade/2nd grade. There seems to be many similarities between the educational program here and the states.
The children are very excited to have an American student (they have never had one before). The students in the Lime class will move up together to the Apple class in the fall. There are 27 students in Madison’s class.
Madison will wear a uniform each day (a blue checkered dress in the summer and gray pants, white polo, and school sweater in the fall). She must wear sensible shoes (black church shoes) each day. She will have PE (which also has a uniform- black shorts, white polo, black shoes (plimsoles) once a week and swim lessons every Tuesday at the local pool. All students learn to swim through the school for a small fee ($35 a year).
Madison and I enjoyed shopping for her uniform and supplies together on High Street.
Her first official day was Thursday and she did great. This week she is going on a field trip to the science museum in London with her class. It should be a blast.
Madison will also be a part of Rainbows (this is the same as our daisy scouts). She will attend Rainbow meetings every Thursday after school at the church. The owner of Rob’s company Jim’s wife Emma is the guide (leader) of the group. This week at Rainbows they are having a Mad Hatter Tea Party with the other Rainbows of the area.
LILLIAN
Lillian is great! She is smiling more each day and the pleasant baby. She is a great sleeper (7-8 hours most nights) and takes several naps each day. As far as a routine she pretty much goes to bed each night around 9:30-10. Her naps are still sporadic during the day since we are often out and about. Hopefully as we get more settled she will be in more of a schedule.
She loves having her blanket by her face and is even starting to grasp it in her hand. She favors her animal blanket that matches her crib set and her lion turtle blanket from Aunt Niki. We refer to her blanket as a lovie although unlike Madison, she is not too picky yet.
