London has very much started with Christmas! There’s already christmas decorations at most of the big shopping malls. Regent street has their big light switch on this weekend and the lights on Oxford street are also up! Hyde Park has Winter Wonderland, a theme park type place with a big German Beer Hall and Christmas Markets as well. There are also the Southbank Christmas Markets I will have to check out at some stage!
We set up the Christmas Tree the other day. It turns out this is a stressful task for any family, not just ours! Within five minutes Mia had lost interest and Lucas had stormed off, leaving me and Alice to decorate it. Afterwards the girls wanted a photoshoot of them with all the dolls and raindeer, another drama as one wasn't doing what the other one wanted. I was glad to see that it wasn't just my family who is like this!
It is getting dark here very early now, sometimes as early as 4pm. When I go to pick up the kids some days we are taking the bus home in the dark which isn’t very nice.
I have met one of the other nannies at the kids school, an Australian girl called Katie. She is really lovely. We went on a sort of 'first date' the other day where we ended up in a super classy cafe and it was a bit awkward. She seemed really nice though so I might try and organise to meet up with her again.
Armistice Day finally came, and I went back to the Tower of London where all the poppies were for the commemmoration which is broadcast worldwide. It was an amazing atmosphere and great to be a part of.
In the weekend there was the Lord Mayor’s Show where they put on a parade to celebrate the new Lord Mayor of the City of London. They start going down the river on a boat before parading through the streets from Mansion House past St Paul’s Cathedral and ending up at Westminster to swear allegiance to the Sovereign before the Justices of the High Court. The parade was very impressive, 150 floats were a part of it which took one and a half hours to go past Katie and I! This ended with a fireworks display over the river which was nice except it decided to pour with rain!
The All Blacks are over for a tour at the moment and Chloe, Conor, Hannah, me and two other guys Conor knows went to Millenium Stadium in Cardiff to watch the game - I did say I would be going back to Cardiff, just didn't think it would be this soon! We were just going to go for the day, but luckily Chloes dad lives not too far away and we could stay there for the night. The rugby was unreal. Millenium Staduim is so impressive and it was full to capacity. I was given beer to drink, and now I think that I actually like it! The All Blacks won 16 - 34 but everyone left with massively high spirts. The Welsh love the All Blacks. We ended up in Walkaout after the game and it was nice to see everyone again, we even got VIP access!
I am in the process of deciding what I am going to do for Christmas and New Year. The Rasumssens are headed to France to spend the two weeks with their Grandparents meaning I will have the house to myself, meaning I will be alone for Christmas and New Year. I am thinking of doing some travel and spending Christmas in another country but am trying to work out what will be the best plan.
"Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to solve." - Winnie The Pooh
I hope this has inspired you.
LARISSAJODEE x