January Blues

In Connecticut, I was always able to claim the post Christmas season doldrums and the snow and cold were the reason for my January blues. Now the snow and cold has been eliminated - I'm not sure what I can blame them on - just my little ray of sunshine personality perhaps?!

For a parent who is firmly against the over scheduling of children - not for fear of burning out the child you understand - but more from a lack of interest in acting like a taxi service - Morgan has managed to get herself pretty busy. Brownies, musical rehearsals and tennis take up 3 days a week. Luckily they are all after school so Michael and I don't have to wear ourselves out too much! Today is a holiday here and I thought I had to work, so the children were booked in for day camp. Turns out I didn't have to work but didn't seem any reason the children couldn't stay in camp! However, we did all join the brownie troop on their excursion to the local butterfly preserve. Will was very unimpressed being the only boy - and not much more impressed with the butterflies. They come every year from Mexico during the winter and hang in huge clusters from the trees. It is quite a sight when they all head skyward together. This photo obviously does nothing to do them justice - there are butterflies in there I promise.

This morning I took a bike ride to what is quickly becoming my new favorite Goleta spot. Up on a small cliff, the bluff looks out over the channel islands (and oil rig platforms). The surfers and paddle boarders ride their bikes down from the University, carrying their boards on their bikes - the epitimy of California cool.  It's a good place to watch the world go by - and if that includes the university jocks who deem it unnecessary to wear shirts as they run - who am I to judge. (In the interests of equality, I am sure Michael lacks the same judgement about the young co-eds who only wear a little more than necessary to avoid arrest!)

Michael is on the East Coast for a few weeks this month - hanging out in New York and enjoying the cold. My parents left from their Christmas visit this weekend, so the house seems very quiet. The children and the cat are in for a nasty shock this week with just me in charge. By Thursday they will be counting down the minutes until their father is back.

Not much else to report. The end of this month will see us 6 months in California. We all miss different things from Connecticut. Will is quickly forgetting it but will randomly talk about something that happened 3 years ago; Morgan misses Hailey, her playmate from across the street, and her first grade teacher; and I miss my Norwalk friends - their thirst, their tea time sociability and their counsel. My social life here consists of the PTO meeting once a month at the children's school. I am sure it will come with time, but sometimes I feel like I didn't get the memo on "how to socialize the CA way". I am probably being way too formal and reserved about it being the good British New Englander that I am!

Anyway, it is hard to be down when the sun is up. Especially considering the snow in the UK and the cold weather about to hit the mid west and East coast. Time to shut up about the weather perhaps?!