Welcome!

Welcome friends and family!

Thanks to Amy Jensen for setting up a blog on which we can share some of our experiences during our semester in London. We've been here almost two months and so have a lot of catching up to do.

First, the Baehr facts, for those not already in the know. I (Jason) am teaching in Loyola Marymount University's study abroad program at the Foundation for International Education in South Kensington, London. We're living in a flat not too far away. (For those who know London, we're close to the Earl's Court tube station, the Chelsea FC stadium, and the Brompton Cemetery.) We arrived at the end of August and will be here until December 21.

I'll give a brief recap of some things we've done and what our life has looked like in these past eight weeks.

Homeschooling. Erinn is in charge. The Brits think we're crazy for homeschooling. I'm pretty sure it's illegal here (that's what the immigration officer told me at Heathrow upon our arrival). The schooling is happening in relatively small daily doses. But between the local library holdings, stories on CD, and all that there is to do in the city, the kids are soaking in a great deal. They seem (from a relative outsider's point of view) to be reading or being read to a lot, listening to a lot of stories on our iPod, and drawing a ton. I'm especially impressed at how they've both grown artistically. They've also learned a lot of colorful history about Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, and Egypt. On the lighter side, we've read a ton of Roald Dahl with/to them.

Visitors. We've been so blessed by visitors: Erinn's mom; E's brother Damon; the Millsap family; Alicia Porter; Jeff Jensen; and my parents! We also enjoyed connecting with Phil and Catherine Dow and family on their way back to Kenya from the UK.

Museums. We've done a pretty good job so far of getting out and about. With only a few exceptions, any time we've had on open half-day or more, we've been out experiencing what the city has to offer, no small part of which is museums! We've spent a lot of time at the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum (both of which are near us). We've spent some time at the Natural History Museum (next to the other museums just mentioned) and the British Museum and have plans to spend much more time at both of these places. We've got a "family pass" to the Tower of London and have been there several times. We saw a cool Sargent exhibit at the Royal Academy of the Arts. We've been a couple times to the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square (had a great time there today) and had an enjoyable visit to the adjacent National Portrait Gallery. I know I'm forgetting some other museum trips. But these have all been great. One nice thing about being here for a full semester is that we can pay several visits to the same museum and so don't need to stay too long on any given visit (a plus for the kids).

Parks. Such great parks here! Just after arriving we spent a balmy and beautiful late summer afternoon in Hyde Park. Very memorable. Been to Kensington Park (continguous with Hyde Park) several times. Holland Park, which is a very close to us, was a major find: dense wooded areas to stroll through, amazing gardens, and state-of-the-art play ground equipment. We also had a great time at Regent's Park. All of these places are wonderful refuges from the noisy hustle and bustle of the city.

Shows. E and her mom saw Billy Elliot -- perhaps E's most favorite experience since we've been here. I took Brendan to see Phantom. Lily, E, and Denise (E's mom) saw Wicked. E and I went to the Mary Wives of Windsor at the Globe Theater on her birthday. We've got tickets to see Hamlet at the National Theater this week (which I'm especially excited about). We plan to take Brennie and Lily to see Oliver. And we've got tickets to see a musical version of Roald Dahl's book Matilda in Stratford in a few weeks. (Did I mention that we're hemorrhaging cash?)

Excursions. Last weekend we took a day trip to Oxford with my students, where we visited C.S. Lewis's home (I'm teaching a course on Lewis's philosophy of religion) and the majestic city itself. I did a similar trip with B and L to Stonehenge and Bath (E stayed back with Oliver). I went to a conference in beautiful Jena, Germany, a few weeks ago. In a little less than two weeks we'll go with my parents to Paris for three nights. The kids can't stop talking about the bread they expect to enjoy there! We've also got a day trip scheduled for Cambridge in December.

Well, that's it for an overview. In the future we promise shorter posts with more interesting details. Life here definitely has its challenges: getting groceries, getting from A to B with three small kids, the noise, the lack of a yard, the lack of friends (minus visitors), etc. But I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for all of us when I say that these challenges are completely outweighed by the amazing and seemingly endless cultural and educational opportunities. This is really is an opportunity of a lifetime, for which we're very grateful!

Love,

The Baehrs

A few pics:

Trafalgar Square

 Chinatown

 Oxford

 OKB

 The Princess Di Memorial Playground at Kensington Park

Stonehenge

Brompton Cemetery (right near our flat)

 A view from the London Eye