Day One

Leaving wasn't easy - on any front. We signed on our new house on Wednesday and left for London for the whole summer on Friday. All heads were spinning, Steve and mine just as much as the girls'. But, 15 bags and two or three hours of sleep later we arrived at Logan for an 8:50a flight. Steve upgraded us to business class so we headed right for the BA club after check in.

Should have known it would be a long day when Coco declared this club was crap compared to the American Airlines club in Chicago. We let her have Sprite and a candy bar for breakfast. On the plane we arranged the girls in a nice empty row in Coach Extra (whatever that is) and headed up to Business Class to sit in the futuristic pods for the 6 hour flight.

We could recline allllll the way back. I slept like a cat in the sunshine until I woke up to eat each of the many hot meals they delivered to us under our blankets. When we landed I was kind of sad. I really didn't want it to end, I could have stayed in that pod forever.

When we made it to the flat we're renting in Notting Hill we met the owner who was more welcoming and hilariously self deprecating than Hugh Grant in the movie. "Oh I am just so foppy." she sighed, looking down at her wrinkled full length silk dress. She showed us around and how to triple lock the front door. Sadly, she took her two little dogs with her. We miss Cisco a lot, wouldn't mind a foster dog.

Love. Thats' all I can say about this flat. Love love love. It's tall, bright and handsome. Five stories, each one with a different attitude. The very bottom is a nice cool basement with a playroom, flat screen and a doll house for Coco. One bedroom and a washer/dryer. You can see out to the garden in the back. The street level has a black and white tile hallway, tall ceilings and a gorgeous dining room with high backed, red covered chairs and a long table. The kitchen is great and it has these huge windows that open way out to the garden. They just do not do screens here in the UK. There is a little desk on the landing on the way up to the next floor -which is my favorite - the drawing room. This is where I am now. Where I will be working this summer. It is soooo luxe - comfy but elegant. Big, raw paintings just like I like at home. And lots of books and black and white pictures in silver frames. I'm inspired just being in here. Then our bedroom on the next floor and then two bedrooms and a bath for the girls on top.

We're here through August and I thought this blog would be a good way to inspire me to write about the experience and pay attention. I want to soak it all in.

The first day the neighborhood nearly knocked me out. Are you kidding me... For someone as bananas as me about shopping and eating out, forget it. First night I stop and stare at the black truck that bears Alice Temperly's name. And the next day we learn her showroom is right around the corner from our house. Yowza. There are gorgeous, thin, impossibly hip people in throngs all around the neighborhood when we go in search of food at 10pm. Pubs have people spilling out on to the street drinking pints and smoking hand rolled cigarettes. The girls can not believe how many people smoke. I can not believe how young everyone looks. And thin. America feels very far away.

Before we leave the house Coco had put her foot down. "I hate London!" she had announced, to all of us, including our hostess. "It stinks here. I want to go home." I bring her downstairs to the coolest bedroom. The one I soon realize our nanny is very very lucky to have. It's the only room with a shower and it is 10 degrees cooler than everywhere else. I sit with her on the little bed that belongs to the owner's young son.

Coco is flailing, crying her eyes out, whipping her head back and forth like she's auditioning for the Exorcist 2. You really want to go home? I ask? I was so hoping we could be here together. She's five, she's made up her mind. No one asked her what SHE wanted to do this summer! "I want to go HOME!!!" Haley comes down and just stares at her. Could it be that Coco is even more melodramatic than Lucy? Yes. After promising to look into tickets for her, I tell Coco about the ice cream store I'm sure must be right around the corner. I get a small break from the screaming and we all head out.