Thursday, February 10, 2011

London Days

Finally, I feel like spring might actually be arriving.  Come Imbolc there was still the threat of snow, and while snodrops were up in the park, the ones in my garden hadn't even popped their cherries.

Today, however, I looked out the window and there they were, or most of them, the Frog has stabbed a garden light into the middle of the patch but most of them seem up and bobbing about.  Not only that, but yesterday we had actual sun; and the magnolias are out on the next street and a few other blossoms are stinking up the air something lovely.

Tomorrow it's Friday - Charlie day.  It's not my day off, it's the one day I spend alone with my son.   I can't say how cool Fridays now that the boy is actively involved in plotting them out - sometimes we spend all week planning.

This year we've already been to the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum - and the Transport Museum twice;  last time we even found something new.  It was sort of a great day; it was pissing down with rain and we rode at the top of the bus to Trafalgar square.

He loves the square even when there's nothing going on; he loves the fountains, mainly.  Once there was an ice bear; once some great big tree trunks; once the fountains were full of flowers.  The changing sculpture on the 4th plinth has been great - he loved the big ship in a bottle.  Last time it was so wet that I splashed out on a taxi from the square to the museum.  As I sat, driving through London in the back of a taxi with my four-year-old raving about everything he could see out of the windows, I felt sort of brilliant, to tell the truth.  Afterwards we had pizza in Covent Garden and watched the street performers.

London has opened up; we're not just after open spaces and playgrounds anymore; we're on the hunt for new things. I've promised him a trip to the Tower of London when the weather clears up, we've got the Zoo in our sights and the Musieum of London might get a look in .  Sometimes we just hang local - last week it was lunch with friends around the corner, sometimes it's just the park or a clear up in the garden.

Suddenly my urge to move out of the city doesn't seem quite so pressing now that all this cool stuff is on the agenda.  I don't know what I'm going to do when he goes to school in September.  Work I expect.  Miss him, probably.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm also dreading the whole school thing. The loss of flexibility. The loss of "down" days spent home together, for want of any reason other than just needing to be together. Sounds like you've had wonderful Fridays with Charlie, never had our own day with the boys, perhaps the advent of school will change that. I suddenly understand the holiness of the weekend now.

Sparx said...

Jennie - it's really going to be the end of a pretty amazing time... we'll never get this sort of access to our kids again... weekends will indeed become sacred.

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

I wish winter would go away where I am...We can't do anything right now. :-( Except sit inside and watch it snow.

Sparx said...

Lisa - Sorry 'bout that. We re-seeded the lawn today and planted some stuff... the crocuses are up too...

Elsie Button said...

oooooh lovely london - am just a little envious reading that! Betty and i had such a wonderful weekend in london recently, it made me want to move back.

and yes, the whole school thing, we are in the same boat... sob sob sob sob sob.......

Sparx said...

Elsie - I know... at least you have Dolly to ease the pain...

PS you always say that after a weekend in London!

Hoto said...

What is Imbolc?

Sparx said...

Hi Hoty - it's the traditional name for the first day of spring - Feb 1st, when lambing season starts and the snowdrops come up. Doesn't seem very spring-like in your end of the world but here we're into the full on spring thing, crocuses are up, garden is in bud, things are poking up through the soil. And Gran's birthday too; maybe why she seemed ever-young.

Anonymous said...

It might not be quite appropriate yet, but one of my favourite museums to be taken to when I was young was the City of London museum on the walls near the Barbican. It has a whole little reconstruction of a Victorian street, lovely!

Sparx said...

Raz - we're going tomorrow! It's my favourite Museum in the whole of the city. Charlie wants to go to the Design museum though so we may not make it. Have you been there since the refurbishment? It's still amazing and seems even bigger. So glad to find someone else who loves it.

Metropolitan Mum said...

I know where you're coming from. Little L will be 2 soon, and my urge to leave the city behind has evaporated. I am actually super happy that the lady who wanted to buy our house last year didn't get her mortgage together in the end, because if she had, I'd be sitting in bloody Sevenoaks (what was I thinking??!!) by now, contemplating to kill myself or have five more kids out of pure boredom. Yay London!

Sparx said...

Metropolitan Mum - OK, I think I'm with you on this!!!!

Louise Underhill said...

Steph, tis I, Birmingham calling :)

Weekends are already sacred enough... my J is at school and I have to admit, you've inspired me to do a few more things with him that I haven't done yet. Having the 2 makes it harder, but now I am determined to enjoy my time with him, now. The blessings of having C born in September rather than August.... Thanks hon :)

Merry ye Part!

Sparx said...

Birmingham!! Good to hear from you gilie. Can't believe J and C are not in the same school year - remember when we were both pregnant? Hope he's coping - and I guess it's good that you have more time with the littler one. Thanks for commenting!