It's the simple things in life...

Sorry I have been MIA for so long! Didn't realize its been almost a month now since my last post.

We are finally settled and alas the routine of life has finally crept in and taken over.

Life in London has made me realize (as most new cities do) how sometimes its the simple things that matter. I miss simple gimmes. You know, things us Americans take for granted. Like joining a gym and getting free daycare along with your membership. All the big gyms here have creches (daycare) but they operate separately, charge their own fees, require advance booking, and non-gym members are allowed to use them. So you know what that means? I'll never get in. I'm still waiting to hear back though...it's only been a week.

I've also come to the realization that I am not equipped to entertain Riya for 10 hours a day on a regular basis. She knows it and I know it. So I've been looking into part-time nursery schools nearby in the hopes that 2-3 mornings a week will help us both out. Sadly, London doesn't agree with me. They give priority to full timers (7:30am-5pm or later) and don't even advertise the possibility of part-time. After some digging, I was able to find a place that would be willing to do part-time in the sense of 2 full days (not just mornings) but they quickly told me, I would be at the end of a very long wait list since part-timers are not given any priority. Even IF I considered full-time, it costs as much as rent, so that's not an option. Sigh...

Apart from that, we have dealing with another issue closer to home. I'm not sure I blogged about it before, mainly because I'm in denial, but our Luca baby has had a heart murmur for a year now and recently started showing symptoms. So far he is responding well to medication and apart from a hacking cough, he is still our loving, sleepy, toddler-fearing, floppy eared fellow. I can't bear the thought that London will be his last home.

Alright, enough about that. I promise to be more upbeat in my next entry:)

Starting over...yet again.

After moving to 3 different cities in the last 3 years, I've realized that making friends is very much like dating.

You go to a popular spot, scan the room, and make eye contact. Then you wait for the right time to approach and strike up a conversation. And you wonder if this person, this stranger, could be your new best friend.

Sound familiar?

As a mom, it goes beyond that. Does she have kids Riya's age? Is she a stay at home mom?? Is she willing to invest in a friendship that will cross borders at some point???

I'm in need of mom friends bad. Having that connection with someone that is going through the exact same thing you are is so therapeutic and keeps me sane.

I'm a shy person which makes this task even more difficult. And I've heard over and over again that its really hard to get into a social group here. I posted on several Facebook Mum pages that I'm willing to host a playdate at ours, but no response. Of course I'm also limited to the areas that are close to me as no one is going to travel 45 minutes to meet us. I get that. But its been frustrating.

I kept running into this girl from my building who has a 6 month old baby (non-walkers are always welcome at my place, ha) so I finally got up the courage to introduce myself and invite her over for tea. She happily agreed. Originally from Australia, she's been living in London for 10 years, the last 5 in Putney. I was hoping she would be a great resource to tap into despite the age difference in our babies. She gave me a few helpful tips, but I soon realized that our kids age difference would pose a problem in the near future. She kept telling me how she loves to go shopping, sip on her coffee, and run errands while her baby naps in the stroller. She asked me if I wanted to go shopping around lunchtime.

I think Riya stopped napping on the go when she was 4 months old. I told her to enjoy this freedom and shop for me as those days are long gone. Ironically I haven't run into her since then, but I'm not putting too much thought into that.

I have finally discovered a playground closeby and plan to frequent that playground and scout for some new friends. That's right, I'm going to stalk people! Wish me luck!