Expat Mums Blog

The Reluctant Memsahib

A favourite blog of mine, which I love to visit, is “Reluctant Memsahib” on Wordpress. This is a blog written on life in Africa, by a woman of British origin. She seems to be somewhere near Kenya I suppose, although I can’t be sure as my knowledge of African geography is nowhere near as good as it should be. I first visited this blog because of the word ‘memsahib’ in the name. I was intrigued. “Memsahib” is an Indian word, you see. Maybe Pakistani and Bangladeshi too. By my understanding, It was a label given by servants to the wife of any high official during the Raj, meaning the time when the British ruled the sub-continent, which consisted of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Most of these officials were British, as the Indian Civil Service was not open to officers of Indian origin until very late in the day for some insane reason.

Something to do on a snow day...

This is what we are going to do tomorrow if school is cancelled.

Paper Dali.

It's a great site that features FREE historical paper dolls. Choose from Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Biblical Times, American Revolution, King Arthur or the Wild West.

They were created by a home-schooling mother who loves history and doodling. When she couldn't find any colouring books to go with the era, she created her own.

So check it out, it will surely kill at least a half hour...

This post was written by Susanna, an Expat Mums Blog founding contributor. You can read more at her blog, A Modern Mother.

The Stonor walk

When I was dating future Scottish hubby, he took me on this walk.

I was in the UK on a quick weekend stop over between Boston and San Francisco.

I'm sure we must have slept late, then gone out for the papers to read with our frothed coffees and buttered toast. I had already half moved in and purchased a Krupp's cappuccino maker, and future hubby was just starting to realize how important the black drug was to me.

That was more than 10 years ago, and I remember taking a photo of the manor home of Lord and Lady Camoys, and later, when I was back in my office in Marin Country, I shared it with my colleagues.

Ten things to do in Oxford with Children this Christmas

Wondering what to do with the kids this Christmas?

Oxford is a great place to take the kids. You just need to know where to go and what to do.

Check out these insider tips by Kelli Terrington, an Oxford mum and founder of Ox and Cross Publishing, publisher of the Oxford Colouring Book, where all proceeds go to charities that help children.

1. The Botanic Garden near Magdalen Bridge has an inspiring Christmas tree decorated with things found in the garden.  If you are worried about being out in the cold, there are several glasshouses where you can keep warm and admire many interesting plants despite the outside temperatures.

Is there an elephant in that zoo?

When my 4 1/2 year old daughter asked me if she had ever seen an elephant in real life, I flashed back zoo visits over the past four years.

None. 

We've taken the older three to the zoo, but not the youngest. As a matter of fact, we have probably not come within 50 miles of an elephant in quite a long time.  

Now I was on a mission.  Luckily, we were already planning a trip into London and it presented a great opportunity to show my daughter a "real life" elephant at the London Zoo.

Or so I thought. 

Nip boredom in the bud! Top 50 activities for kids this half term

I used to measure the success of school breaks based on the number of trips made to A&E. One year I had to deal with a 2-year-old who lost her fingernail in a slammed door AND a 3-year-old who broke her arm whilst climbing out of her cot.

We've moved on since then, and so has the economy.

The credit crunch means that many people may opt to stay local this half term, rather than the usual trip to France and Euro Disney.

Here are some ideas in preparation for when you wake up on Monday morning and the children ask "what are we doing today mummy?"

And if none of these ideas appeal ... you can always hire a babysitter and get a massage!

Little orphan oboe

"Did you say that the oboe was an orphan...?"

I was trying to register what my eight-year-old daughter had just said to me. It was late and my mind was going through my to-do list for the next day.

“No, not an orphan, mummy. The oboe is an endangered instrument.”

Oh, right, of course, how could an oboe be an orphan that would be ridiculous.  Silly me.

“The lady that teaches flute and oboe told us at assembly that the oboe is an endangered instrument in the orchestra. That’s why Lucy and I want to learn it.”

It turns out she's right. Apparently an accomplished oboist is always in demand.

Playdate etiquette -- the unwritten rules

When I was little and was bored with my four brothers and sisters – I would disappear next door to play with my best friend. We would practice endless baton routines with The Carpenters Mr Postman Please blaring in the background on a record player. I had an open invitation and my mother always knew where to find me.

Today, playing with your best friend is more formal. We fit in “playdates” in between swimming, football and French. The spontaneity is gone.  I know one mother who has playdates booked months in advance. She's a working mum and pencils in our daughter's name between items like "Ian's review" and "ops meeting".

If you are new to the wonderful world of arranging your child’s extracurricular play time, here are the unwritten rules.