A Tale of Two Ursulines

All our little chickens have flown the coop

2011-07-12T16:00:00.001-07:00

Ms G and I want to let you know how proud of you we are. It was a long flight and an even longer trip through customs, and you all were mature, capable young women who represented us well.

Don't forget to take some time to reflect (in writing!) on your trip. We'll see you in August. Maybe we'll even have a fish and chips reunion dinner. ;)

Cheers!

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We are home!!!

2011-07-12T14:50:00.001-07:00

See you at baggage claim!!!

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Presentation was great!!!!

2011-07-11T05:34:00.001-07:00

The presentation and thanksgiving service were wonderful! Now we're on our way to Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Center Court.

We are so sad to leave the Ursuline!

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Dances with wolves...er, foxes

2011-07-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

Your teachers had a lively Sunday. We hope you had a great weekend, too. Ms G, E, and A can't wait to hear your stories!

Today, we went to mass at the Sacred Heart--attached to Wimbledon College (the Wimbledon version of Jesuit).

It was a boisterous family mass. And Sr Dorothy was there to greet us!

We then had a gorgeous drive out to the country (county Kent: the garden of England...) and a visit to Chartwell, Winston Churchill's home.

So many achingly lovely pictures were snapped with the real camera. Unfortunately, my eye-fi card is full, so you're stuck with iPhone pix from here on out.

After a great lunch and a saunter through an English lavender field (thank you Anne!!!), Ms G and I went into London for dinner, Mrs E and her husband who just arrived went on a nighttime tour of the city, and I hope our gracious hosts had a nice evening to themselves to rest and enjoy an empty house.

On our walk back home from Raynes Park station, Ms G and I encountered some foxes. "Just don't back down," I said. And home we walked, unscathed....in the middle of the street. (Mom, it wasn't too dangerous. They were much more interested in the garbage and backed off when I stared them down.)

I can't believe tomorrow is our last full day! I'm already dreading saying goodbye to our great friends here. And thinking about stepping onto the 108 degree jet bridge after living with lovely cool temps this week...ugh.

Parents, we'll see you at our baggage claim. Please email Ms Nipp if your work schedule prevents you from being at DFW after our flight arrives (4:30, I think) and we clear customs and baggage claim.

Cheers!

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It's the weekend. Do you know where your teachers are?

2011-07-09T10:56:00.001-07:00

1. Visiting the Ursuline sisters: Sr Dorothy, Sr Anne Marie, and Sr Jennifer. All send their regards to our dear Sr Lois!

2. Going to the theatre.

3. Riding on a boat down the Thames.

4. Visiting the Globe

5. Lunching with 2 awesome teachers (Charlie and Tanya) and Ms Waters the Head Teacher

6. Visiting the V&A Museum

7. About to head out to a barbeque!

(PS the bloke in the red jacket is a Prince William lookalike.)

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Caption Contest winner!

2011-07-08T15:37:00.001-07:00

I sure am a long way from Louisiana!

Mrs Evans is our winner. Our impartial judges, Head Teacher Ms Waters and her charming husband, deliberated for quite some time.

Erin, we'll shop for your prez tomorrow!

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Ursuline Prep

2011-07-08T08:27:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun with the young prep students this morning. Lots of great pictures and video to follow.

Unfortunately the weather is preventing our picnic and cycling to the commons. It also made walking to school today an adventure.

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Tower Bridge, soggy streets, and sisterhood

2011-07-07T16:09:00.001-07:00

Today met us with cooler temperatures and another full day of walking in London proper.

After our morning powwow at school, we hoofed it to Wimbledon Station.

We were meant to visit the Imperial War Museum. But instead we walked along the bank of the Themes--saw Parliament, Big Ben, and etc from the other side. And spyed with our little eyes the big London Eye.

We got caught in the rain waiting for our bus to Tower Bridge.

And finally made it to the bridge and its exhibits--and great views of London...and the rain.

Sorry for the less than stellar iPhone pictures--you can understand why I didn't have the big camera out today.

We had a delicious lunch at Côte Brasserie on the water. It was a very grown up affair. And my chicken was the best I've maybe ever had.

We saw some dandies on the tube in the posh part of town on our way to shopping, surreptitiously captured here:

Check out his striped socks. And his suit was probably more expensive than my mortgage payment.

So that's why I just bought a few sale pieces at Topshop

If you look carefully you can see the handbag an anonymous member of our delegation purchased. ;)

Tomorrow is our Serviam day at the prep and our famous bicycle outing to Wimbledon Common. Wish us clear skies!

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Raw video of ush form 11 graduation

2011-07-07T15:14:00.001-07:00

Can't edit too well on the iPhone, but I know you'll enjoy taking a peek at some of the ceremony's closing song.

YouTube Video

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UHS graduation

2011-07-07T15:01:00.001-07:00

After another big day in London, Tonight, the teachers (and Marisa who is lucky enough to live with Shannon) are at graduation for year 11.

Just a few pictures of the pre-ceremony festivities.

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Tower Bridge...and gentle London rain

2011-07-07T04:12:00.001-07:00

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Miscellany

2011-07-06T15:37:00.001-07:00

We talked to the girls today about hosting a photography exhibit this fall (a great concept that UHS Wimbledon executed after their Dallas visit).

There are a few ideas for the exhibit--and maybe one underground exhibit just for those of us in the know. ;)

But as I'm listening to the Wolves of London make their nightly calls, playing with the photos of the day, and generally being insomniac, I'm also thinking that it might be cool to open up the exhibit to more than just photography. Maybe a category for digital image manipulation, poetry, mixed media art pieces?

And maybe, just maybe, we could try a joint exhibit with pieces from UA Dallas and UHS Wimbledon?

Any ideas from our parents, friends, and the general blogosphere?

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Caption contest

2011-07-06T14:45:00.001-07:00

Leave a comment with a caption for the following photo taken in St James Park and be entered to win an unspecified prize.

You don't need to be registered with Google friend connect. You can leave a name/URL comment (and leave the URL blank) or if you leave an anonymous comment, just sign your comment with your name.

Entries close 7.7.11 at 6pm Texas time, y'all.

Have fun!

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A Royal Tour

2011-07-06T10:09:00.001-07:00

1. Buckingham Palace
2. St James Park
3. Westminster Abbey
4. Big Ben
5. National Gallery (and rain)
6. Ice cream on a stick
7. A bus back to UHS instead of walking

Add 1-7 and you end up with a great day!

YouTube Video

Bicycles built for...18

2011-07-06T00:00:00.001-07:00

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I want to ride my bicycle...

2011-07-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

Cycling training...a sneak peek. Video to follow.

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Interviews with student chefs

2011-07-05T06:08:00.001-07:00

I'm no Oprah Winfrey when it comes to interviewing, but these girls are ready for The Food Network!

YouTube Video

Haley's big day...

2011-07-05T06:01:00.001-07:00

Two happy birthday songs and treats in one day. (Bet there's more before the day is out!) Hope your 15th is unforgettable!!

YouTube Video

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Cooking Lesson

2011-07-05T05:40:00.001-07:00

All I can say is we are so excited to taste these delicacies. So many pictures on the big camera, but I snapped a few to whet your appetite.

xxoo from the culinary geniuses, your daughters. (You ~~can~~ should make them recreate these foods at home!)

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Technical Difficulties...

2011-07-05T01:57:00.001-07:00

I know I promised a looong blog post today with tons of pictures from our welcome yesterday, but I can't access flikr from the laptops here because it's tied to my yahoo mail.

So tonight...epic post. I promise!

And if you're lucky, you'll get a video of us singing "Happy Birthday" to Haley G!

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Urban Foxes: myth or reality

2011-07-04T17:13:00.001-07:00

Reality. I hear what sounds like screaming. I lie in bed and think, oh dear, some woman is being attacked. What?! How? It's a Monday night in a posh neighborhood. What do I do?

Then I hear a door creek open. And little feet on wooden floors. And a voice whispering urgently outside my door, "Jennifer! Are you up?!?!"

Moira had spotted not one but two silvery grey foxes outside her bedroom window.

This is a picture with my iPhone. I think the little booger limped off before I could capture his likeness. But for the sake of the blog, just imagine he's there. Looking up at Moira's 2nd floor window. Gleaming eyes. Imagining ways to scale the wall and eat her face off.

Those suckers were much bigger than I imagined. More like wolves than the cute little foxy Robin Hood in the Disney Cartoon.

1:12am. School at 8. Dreams of foxes. Scaling walls. Can foxes climb? Perhaps this merits a google search.

PS--a little light reading on the subject: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/foxes-london.html

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Independence Day

2011-07-04T16:34:00.001-07:00

Today was a day for independence. Most notably: riding public transport to and from school.

We had a lovely welcome from Ursuline High School. Lovely doesn't actually begin to cover it, but that's the only word I have at 12:30am. More pictures of school and our welcome tomorrow when I transfer pix from my camera.

The canteen celebrated the 4th today with American foods--burgers, "southern" chicken, stuffed bell peppers. All really good. (UA girls, can we talk about the break at 10:30 where AMAZING hot food is sold?)

Tonight we rode into London proper to see Wicked at the Apollo. It was fabulous! The girls had time to get spiffed up. They all looked stunning.

It's too bad I like Ms E and Ms G so much, or I'd really hate them for being so pretty after a long day at school.

Miss Izzy has a story about this signature she acquired on her soon-to-be-unwashed-forever arm. Maybe I'll tell it tomorrow.

After a few train changes and stops for mysterious reasons, we met our host families back at Wimbledon station--the end of the green line--and hopefully headed straight home to bed.

Tomorrow the highlight will be a cooking lesson (!!!) and some cycling training.

Hope you all enjoyed your 4th!

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A (long) day in images

2011-07-03T12:43:00.001-07:00

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DFW...delayed

2011-07-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

No visible tears when we said farewell to families. Check-in was great--our ticket agent's daughter was even an Ursuline grad!

A delayed flight meant time to change $$, to eat a snack, and to hang out in comfy D30.

Ms G made us all snack bags!!

I might be blogging for us, but Ms G is journaling away.

Cheerio!
JAlexander and Co.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Regret...

2011-06-30T15:38:00.001-07:00

Breaking news:

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge regret to inform us that they will not be in London to welcome us on Sunday (as they are currently visiting our Canadian neighbors).

Let us take this moment, however, to consider our own transatlantic flight. May we emerge from the plane as lovely as Her Grace has done.

Image source Reuters

(I'm going to need a fleet of stylists!)