Holy cr@p we have a lot of stuff

So yesterday our container cheerfully showed up on Eton Avenue, London about 6 weeks after pulling away from our driveway in Maplewood, New Jersey. Six weeks seems a long time to be at sea, and it's interesting to speculate what exotic locales our sofa, bicycles and books may have passed on their journey. The Northwest Passage, perhaps? Or maybe Tahiti, Singapore and Dubai? Or just stacked up in the Port of Newark for a month before shooting over. Anyway its all here now: sofa, bicycles, books, various bits and bobs that might possibly come in handy (squash racquet, teepee) as well as a number of items that definitely won't (110volt waffle iron; spice rack; 4 strainers). It's good this stuff is now here, because that takes us one step closer towards feeling settled.

However settled is something we're definitely not yet... for the time being the house is in full state of chaos, boxes everywhere, kids shoes, cutlery and Financial Times piled in various corners... and for whatever reason -- perhaps she's finally getting overwhelmed by all the changes -- Sadie has chosen this moment to unleash her inner demons and become a fulblown "terrible two" again. We're calling her "Naushon Sadie" because she last acted like this at my summer birthday party on Naushon Island: think the girl in the Exorcist, minus the deep voice, 360 head rotation and pea soup. Not a fun companion. I may be exaggerating a bit, but I've had them both most of the day (Karen was out learning about acupuncture) and am ready to drop. Ok, admittedly we did have some fun walking around our neighborhood in the sunny (but cold!) morning, taking us to the great vista at Primrose Hill looking out over London.