Various and sundry

So I finally got around to my non-alcoholic post-exams treat this week. Helen and I went to Westminster Abbey on Tuesday.

Wow.

Granted, I was a bit hopped up on coffee after only getting a couple of hours' sleep the night before, but walking up to the entrance I felt like we'd been driving all morning to get to Magic Mountain ("I wanna go on Goliath first. No, Superman. No, X. No, Colossus...etc. etc.). I was so excited to get inside and see everything I kept hopping around and giggling and generally behaving like a complete goober.
Doesn't help that gorgeous huge old churches usually do a number on me anyway.

The Brittany Grin inadvertently won over one of the vergers (one of the sort of wandering helper people/tour guides). He was a nice older English chap who found out for us that the day's communion service was going to be held in the adjoining chapel because there was a rehearsal that afternoon for an upcoming concert. He also clued us in to a good pub nearby that we could grab a decent lunch at, though he mentioned he was sad he couldn't join us because he didn't have time (he was over 35, thus the Brittany Grin worked its full charming magic. And I was also so bubbly and happy to just be inside the church that I'm sure the Grin was even more potent than usual). As it turns out, the rehearsal was for an upcoming baroque music festival. Helen and I decided to forego taking communion in favor of sticking around for the rehearsal (had to pick up Conrad later that evening and wanted to maximize the time we spent inside the abbey).

I won't get into all the different historical figures whose graves we saw, or how amazing the stained glass windows were, or how completely awestruck we were by the vaulted ceilings. You just have to go and see for yourself.

The rehearsal was amazing. Chamber orchestra covering some Handel pieces. I almost cried. Again. And full goosebumps.

Went window shopping afterwards and found a good place to buy my underthings (hooray for cute bras for big boobs at reasonable prices!).

The evening with Conrad and his friend Jack didn't go so well, but I don't entirely feel like getting into that right now. It wasn't a total loss as I got to meet Jack's babysitter/swim instructor. I mean wow. I was actually speechless when I opened the door. I stammered. It was hysterically funny. Then he started asking questions about me. Lordy. A Polish Adonis. Made all the hell of dealing with Jack worth it.

I've been in sole charge of Conrad since Tuesday as well. Julian is still filming in Berlin and Sonja had to go to Rome and then Morocco. We didn't finally patch up things from the disaster of Jack's visit until Thursday evening, so it was a bit rough for a while.

Olie came round today for a Spongebob marathon. I made us a nice lunch and he came with me to pick up the kid. We continued with Spongebob after we got back, and Conrad went outside to play with the neighbor kids. Once they discovered we were watching Spongebob, all the kids joined me and Olie on the couch. Five kids and us. I had one on my lap. It was beyond adorable. I am such a sucker for kids. When they're behaving themselves.

Conrad and I went to dinner later on with Neighbor Clare and her daughter Anoud. Terrible service at the restaurant, but great food, great wine, and I splurged on a slice of cheesecake. Walking back, both kids attacked me and tried to shove me into every hedge we passed. We all shrieked and giggled and had a good time. We'd decided at dinner that Anoud was going to have a sleepover at our house, so Clare and I had a glass of wine in the garden before putting the kids to bed.

But it's 11:30 now and both of them are still awake. I've just now managed to talk them into going back to bed (instead of lounging around on my bed). Oh no wait. They're back.

Anyway. I suppose I just want to say that as much as my job drives me nuts and I want to quit some days, I really genuinely do love parts of it. It's sad that both the parents have to be away for me and Conrad to have a good time, but so it goes. I think it was Olie that was shocked when I said that I still want kids of my own. He couldn't believe that I'd want to deal with it with multiple children for eighteen-plus years after the nightmares I've been through in barely one year with one ten-year-old. And to be fair, I understand where he's coming from. But right now, with both kids being so charmingly cheeky about staying up late even though I know they're both absolutely knackered (and especially since I had to go up there and tuck Anoud into bed since that's what she's used to), I can totally see myself doing the same with a couple of my own. And loving (almost) every minute of it.