around the world and back (and a new simmonds!)

It has been a long time since last we(I) scribbled on this blog. We have been VERY busy creatures. And appear to have been half way around the world (and back again).
Following a mightily huge deadline for submitting my paper to the Charting the Future of Parapsychology conference, we hopped to the Parapsychology conference down in Winchester, where I was giving two papers...we stayed a couple of days in Southampton with our Bronwen, where we celebrated Sienna's first birthday....then moved into a lovely hotel in the ancient town of Winchester (how wierd that it used to be the capital of England). Whilst there we pottered around cobbled streets and saw the round table on the remaining wall of the castle hall. There was a "Simmonds" street! and the place just felt alive with history...Conference was good. A balancing act for me as mummy and academic, but I am getting there! My first PA banquet since pre-Sienna times - really fun, but I turned into a pumpkin relatively early (seems to be a current pattern of mine). It was fab to see all the para dudes, in particular Nicola and Louise and Ciaran. Ciaran and I spent some time sharing baby photos and cooing over each others' offspring and the change in life. Which is so unfathomably huge. But wonderful.
On return to the Mighty Pool, I semi disappeared into a bubble of grantwriting (two exciting projects for the next round of Bial - fingers crossed! we find out in november)...broken up by a fabulous weekend of family visitation and friends lurking in the back garden for the official birthday of Sienna Iona Aurora. We had fantastic weather. Beautiful blue sky, and sunshine....with fresh pre-autumn air. Pottered to the farmers market on Lark Lane. Barbecued in the garden. And Ms Sienna was in her element with all her English cousins on board to play with (and her little friends from Liverpool).
After grant deadline came packing up my entire office. And then onto a plane to USA for three whole weeks. Wonderful weather. Lovely time with the Moores. Sienna got to meet her American cousin Angelina, and they were so cute playing together. Sienna wanted to hug Angelina and seemed totally aware that she was a smaller baby. So adorable.
And a LOVELY time with my wonderful friend Ferrell. But it went so fast. I just adored being in the Chapel hill area again.
Dad came out to visit for a week....during which time we took in loads of US history....and zooped up to Old Salem for a visit and up to Charlottesville, Virginia where I gave one presentation to the DOPS group at UVA. And the next day, the same talk to the Rhine Center in Durham...Phew! even on holiday we are busy!!!
Steve spent a lot of time catching up with Brian, and helping him out with his exciting new businness in Greensboro - I am Jacks.
We got to see Kim and Tony, which was lovely....and managed to overlap with Logan and Bernadette and Billy and even (very briefly) with Sharon and John.
And then back to earth. Back to work.
It has been strange being back at work full time. I love my job, and feel so inspired at the moment, and mentally alive and full of possibility. However, I am missing my sienna. It is so hard leaving her in the morning and not seeing her all day, every day. We have all had terrible colds too, which has made everything so hard. No sleep, and even less sleep with the poor little sienna waking up all the time wondering why she feels so bad.
We just got back (literally last night) from the Utrecht conference (in Holland), and just about survived intact ( the colds have not destroyed us yet!). I am swimming with ideas post conference.... and now feel like I can catch up with myself, as the deadlines seem to have slowed up for a while. And life is settling into the new term.
We have some exciting news - there is a NEW SIMMONDS! Little Ryan Thomas Simmonds was born last friday (9th?) October to my brother Mark and Caroline. We are planning on taking a trip down there this weekend to see him. The photos suggest that he looks a lot like Mark! I remember so well as I used to look after him when he was small.
Sienna is turning into a wonderfully inquisitive and adventuresome little girl. She has discovered the internet!!! she loves looking at Teletubbies and Night Garden...and her favourite song seems to be Twinkle Twinkle Little star.
Chocolate is calling me, so I shalt away. I will post new pictures soon - you will see how she has changed. She has thick curly hair and a cute little smile, and just loves showing off her bottom teeth!