Londoners...

Everyone is surviving (some might even say thriving!) at school!  I was asked earlier this week to meet with the “inspector” from the Church of England who was there to evaluate the school’s effectiveness in upholding the C of E.  We are the newest family at the school, but probably have the most kids enrolled at one time, and are pretty enthusiastic cheerleaders right now for church schools!
 
It’s a beautiful thing when your kids sing a praise song together at the dinner table that they each sing in their classes at school.  It’s hard not to be a fan when your thoughtful middle child tells you he’s been thinking a lot about a painting in St. Paul’s in which a man is knocking on a door with no handle, that can only be opened from the inside.  This image, (The Light of the World, by William Holman Hunt, c. 1904) which he heard about at assembly at school, is a vivid depiction of God’s invitation to us.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV)  Last night, the kids each enthusiastically worked on their entries for the "Pascal candle competition" in which the children submit an illustration for the candle to be used by the parish church this Easter.  For those who have been to Catholic school, I'm sure this is less exciting or different.  However, having grown up in good old secular public schools, Charles and I are grateful for the ways in which having overlap between school and church in a "public" setting is already a blessing our family, even just in terms of the conversations it has started with our kids and the ways it reinforces things we value.  All the joys of a diverse community PLUS the benefits of an explicitly Christian school!  And the uniforms...Did I mention I'm a fan?   

Yesterday, we attended Jack’s “Year 1 Assembly.”  Twenty-eight 5 and 6 year olds put on several mini-skits about what they’ve been learning this term—about nocturnal animals, phonics, gymnastics, odd and even numbers, polar bears and penguins.  It shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear that Jack was part of the PE skit—Let’s just say it was by far the most adorable thing I’ve seen in a long time!  I was so impressed by how composed and self-assured the children were.  It is hard to believe we’ve only been at school for less than a month! 

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We got a taste of the UK outside of city life last weekend when we took a train to visit friends from Durham at their new home here in England.  We so enjoyed our "walk in the Berkshires" (I just wanted to say that!) and the fresh air.  It was a good way to recover from our big night at the exciting Arsenal football game... 

Except for a few touristy things (i.e., the London Eye, which is actually really cool), this has mostly been our month of living like Londoners and now we're "going on holiday."  Next week, there is no school, so we're taking our chances and renting a car to explore England and Scotland.  Wish us luck!